NBA

LeBron James says Brittney Griner's been in captivity for way too long without the U.S. bringing her home, so if he were the WNBA star, he'd question returning to America.

Bron made the comments during a recent taping of "The Shop" ... when the conversation apparently turned to the incarcerated American hoops star.

"Now, how can she feel like America has her back? I would be feeling like, 'Do I even want to go back to America?'"

It's clear -- at least from the short trailer that was released -- that LeBron doesn't believe the U.S. is doing nearly enough to bring BG home.

Of course, Griner was arrested in a Russian airport near Moscow in mid-February ... after Russian authorities said they found vape cartridges with cannabis oil in her bag.

Initially, the American public wasn't made aware Griner was arrested ... which was strategic on the part of America. With the Russia-Ukraine war waging, the U.S. knew Griner could be used by Russia to gain leverage against the West.

But, that strategy only worked for a couple of weeks. Eventually, the news got out, and it's been one of the biggest stories since.

Griner's case has consistently been covered in America, and across the world.

Brittney's wife, Cherelle Griner, recently spoke with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

(Note: in fairness to LBJ's point, "The Shop" episode seems to have been filmed before Cherelle spoke to the president.)

Biden also wrote a letter to Brittney ... which she recently received.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has regularly fielded questions from reporters at the WH about all topics Griner-related.

The United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has also been in communication with the Griner family. U.S. Congressman Colin Allred, a former athlete at Baylor (like Brittney), has also spent countless hours working to free Griner.

Politicians aside, everyone from fellow athletes to regular people have been touched by the Griner case ... and have prayed for her safe return.

In fact, supporters of other prisoners locked up abroad, particularly in Russia, have been peeved by how hard the U.S. government has seemingly tried to get BG back, while other families believe the same level of effort isn't being paid to the cases of their loved ones.

As for her release ... unfortunately, nothing looks imminent.

After months of sitting in a Russian cell, Griner recently appeared before a judge and indicated her desire to plead guilty to the drug charge.

Griner has not yet been sentenced. She could face 10 years in prison.

Full "The Shop" ep. drops Friday on HBO.

For the first time since 2021, Henry Ruggs appeared in a courtroom in Las Vegas for a hearing in his DUI crash case.

The 23-year-old former Las Vegas Raiders star -- who was charged back in November 2021 with four felonies after prosecutors accused him of killing Tina Tintor and her dog in a fiery car crash -- showed up to the Nevada courthouse alongside his attorneys.

During the hearing, Ruggs' lawyers argued that police had no probable cause to obtain a warrant to collect his blood following the car accident. They asked for the tests -- which cops say showed Ruggs had a BAC of .161 following the wreck -- to not be allowed to be used as evidence in the case.

The judge, however, denied the motion.

Ruggs appeared to be stoic in the courtroom as his attorneys spoke, displaying little emotion. He wore a white button-down shirt, a black bowtie, and blue pants and did not address reporters inside or outside of the courtroom.

This is the first time Ruggs has been seen in public since late November 2021, when he was ordered to show up for a hearing over a missed breath test.

As we reported, Ruggs is facing more than 50 years in prison if he's convicted on all of the charges against him.

File under "incredibly hot take."

Andre Iguodala believes Rasheed Wallace would be a top 5 player in the NBA if he played in today's game ... saying the 2004 champ would be better than 2-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Really.

The Golden State Warriors forward made the head-scratching comment on "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz" this week ... saying Sheed had what it took to be one of the all-time greats, but chose to "do [his] thing" instead.

"Rasheed Wallace probably could have been a top-five player in the league for a 10-year stretch," Iguodala said on the show. "He was shooting half-court shots left-handed and right-handed."

"If Rasheed Wallace played in modern-day basketball, if he played in our league today, he’d be a top-five player. He’d be better than Giannis and I love Giannis."

Now, Sheed was a great player during his 16-year career ... averaging more than 14 points a game and playing a key role in the Detroit Pistons' title run in 2004.

His ability to shoot from range would certainly fit right in with today's game ... but better than Giannis?!? We're talking about the 2021 Finals MVP, 4-time first-team All-NBA selection, Defensive Player of the Year and 75th Anniversary team pick ... and the dude's just 27 years old.

Richard Jefferson has crossed over to the other side ... the ex-NBA star made his debut as an NBA official last night during the Knicks-Blazers Summer League game.

The 17-year NBA veteran was tapped to officiate the second quarter of the contest between Portland and New York ... after the league says he attended daily Summer League Officiating Meetings in Las Vegas.

RJ was received pretty well throughout the night by the fans (except Knicks fans) in attendance at the Thomas & Mack Center in Vegas ... getting cheers from the crowd, but they also didn't hesitate to let the NBA champ hear it when he got a call incorrect.

One Twitter user posted a video of Jefferson being booed ... after he awarded the ball to the wrong team on an errant pass.

Ironically enough, Richard's first experience as a ref came during a game involving the Knicks -- a team he tormented on the court in his career -- something rapper Joe Budden jokingly made reference to on Twitter.

"I guess no one up top has ever heard Richard Jefferson during any Knicks discussion lol… I don't care how many officiating classes he took, he should not be the official (for a quarter) at ANY Knick game ever Foh," Budden said.

Jefferson -- who retired from the Association in 2018 -- ultimately believes the more knowledge he has about the game of basketball, the better analyst he becomes.

LeBron James is NOT the NBA's G.O.A.T ... so says the King's former teammate, Ray Allen, who completely shut down the declaration from a beloved LBJ fan in a recent argument that was all caught on video.

Tyriek Weeks -- a basketball player from Commonwealth Academy in Rhode Island -- shared the clip to his TikTok page this weekend ... showing him and Allen getting into it over the James vs. Michael Jordan debate.

“He can score and pass it,” Weeks said, advocating for why he believed James was #1.

“Is he a great free throw shooter?" James' ex-Miami Heat teammate fired back. "Is he a great 3-point shooter? Is he a great dribbler?"

After Weeks answered "no" to all three questions ... Allen said, "So, you're saying he's the GOAT, but he ain’t even the greatest in all them categories."

Allen then went on to say Jordan actually is.

The argument from Allen is a surprising one -- considering the 46-year-old won the 2013 NBA title with LBJ, and the guys appeared to be super close during their time together in South Beach.

Ja Morant says if he were born a few decades earlier ... he would've given Michael Jordan hell on the basketball court -- saying he straight up would've "cooked" His Airness in his prime.

Morant made the eyebrow-raising comments while speaking with Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks this week ... after the reporter had asked a line of questions about MJ.

In their conversation, Morant praised Jordan for everything he did for the game of basketball ... and then said he would have loved to have taken the floor against the NBA's GOAT while he was starring for the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s.

"I heard he was like -- just how he go about the game, just that mindset that he had, I would like to play against him," Morant said.

"I would have cooked him, too."

Morant didn't expound on how he would've taken down Jordan 1-on-1 ... but he did say he's just that sure of his own abilities.

"Nobody got more confidence than 12," Morant said. "I'm definitely not going to go and say somebody is going to beat me in 1-on-1 on any day."

The 22-year-old Memphis Grizzlies star added he'd be that confident in himself if he were asked to go 1-on-1 in a soccer match against a guy like Lionel Messi!

"See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" is a motto NBA star Terry Rozier will clearly never forget ... 'cause he just got it permanently put on his back in the form of a 3-foot tattoo.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the Charlotte Hornets guard wanted the 'Three Wise Monkeys' who symbolize the motto inked on him this month, so he hit up his go-to artist, Mike Miller.

The two linked up in Miami over the Fourth of July weekend, and Miller went to work ... tatting Rozier's back for a total of 15 hours over a three-day span.

The piece came out awesome -- and massive -- and Miller says it's not even done yet ... telling us it's going to require two more sessions to finish.

In between the back piece, Miller -- the co-owner of Green Light Tattoos and Art Gallery -- also added a tat to Rozier's wrist.

"He just let me freestyle my own art of his forearm," Miller tells us ... saying the piece represents "freedom of expression."

Utah Jazz forward Nickeil Alexander-Walker says he'll miss playing alongside newly-traded All-Star Rudy Gobert ... telling TMZ Sports he'll always appreciate the veteran big man for being a great teammate.

We spoke with the 23-year-old out at LAX this week ... and the former Virginia Tech Hokie told us Gobert's departure will be felt both on the court and in the locker room.

"I did message him when [the trade] happened," Nickeil said. "He was a good guy. When I first got there, he welcomed me."

"What he does on the court is special," Nickeil added. "His ability to affect damn near every shot, [a] dynamic roller. So, you're always going to miss playing with someone like that."

Alexander-Walker has only played 4 seasons in the Association, but he did say that he got to interact with Gobert over several dinners ... though, he remains tight-lipped about how those encounters went.

"I been to some good dinners, got to keep those disclosed," Nickeil said. "But, the dinners were fun and cool and I wish him the best."

The Jazz made shockwaves this NBA offseason when they traded Rudy -- who had been the anchor of their defense since being drafted in 2013 -- to the Minnesota Timberwolves ... pairing him with the combo of Karl-Anthony Towns and rising star Anthony Edwards.

Famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump is imploring more NBA players to speak out about Brittney Griner ... clearly believing their voices could help bring the WNBA star back to the States.

The lawyer spoke with TMZ Sports out in D.C. earlier this week ... and he made it clear, if some of the Association's biggest names -- as well as others in the NFL, NHL, MLB and more -- keep raising awareness for Griner, it could help her in her drug case in Russia.

"I think the NBA players should be saying more," the 52-year-old said. "I think that the sports world should be saying more."

As we reported, BG is now facing 10 years behind bars after she pled guilty to drug charges in a Russian courtroom on Thursday.

Griner's legal team said they're hopeful that by taking responsibility for her actions, authorities would go easy on her when it came to sentencing.

Crump obviously isn't feeling super optimistic that will happen ... telling us he believes regardless of what goes down in the case, "She's being used as a political pawn."

He's now urging anyone with a platform to come forward, believing a large, public outrage could hopefully lead to a speedy return for the basketball star.

"It would be a travesty of justice for her not to come home soon," he said.

A future baller is on the way ... 'cause Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine and Hunter Mar just announced they're expecting their first child together!!

The lovely couple broke the news to Instagram on Friday ... sharing pics from a photoshoot that revealed Hunter's baby bump.

"Baby Lavine loading!" Hunter said in the caption, "God has blessed us with the most special gift and we couldn’t be happier."

"Can’t wait to meet you, our little love 🤍👶"

A couple of NBA ballers congratulated the 2-time All-Star and his lady ... including his former UCLA teammate, Norman Powell, who said, "Happy for you two."

FYI, Zach and Hunter are high school sweethearts and got engaged in April 2020.

"It's been a long time coming, been together since I was 17!!!" LaVine said in an IG post after the proposal.

"My first love and my FOREVER love. U with me forever."

The baby news comes just a week after the 2-time NBA Dunk champ signed a 5-year max contract with the Bulls ... which is worth $215 million!!

If you thought Steph Curry's range was limited to just shooting deep 3s, think again ... 'cause the newly-crowned Finals MVP just holed out a golf shot -- from 97 yards away!!

Curry nailed the incredible eagle on Friday afternoon at the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe ... and even the announcers marveled at just how wild the stroke was.

The Golden State Warriors star -- on the par-4, 13th hole at the event -- smashed his second shot just past the hole ... but because of all the spin he put on it, it rolled backward and straight into the cup.

Curry lost his mind celebrating the feat -- dapping up his dad and brother while going crazy on the course.

It's been a fun week for Curry while out at the event in Tahoe ... the NBA superstar also had an awesome moment with a fan on Thursday -- when he made the guy do 30 push-ups to land an autograph.

Summer officially started in June ... but it's not really here until Magic Johnson and his famous pals hop aboard a $150K a day luxury super yacht and cruise to some of the most beautiful places in the world!

The 62-year-old Lakers legend and wife Cookie, along with LL Cool J (a staple on the summer vacation), toured an ancient citadel called Acropolis of Athens ... and it looks like they had a great time.

LL and Magic -- complete with a spear and shield -- even posed with a man dressed as an ancient Greek warrior, in addition to taking in all the sights.

The boat trip has been a tradition for years ... going back to at least 2017 when the Hall of Famer dropped $680K weekly on a yacht that he lived on for several weeks. Johnson hasn't missed a year since ... not even a global pandemic could stop him.

In addition to LL ... other celebs like Samuel L. Jackson (who may be on this trip, too), Rodney and Holly Robinson Peete, and others were on the trip in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.

As for the actual yacht -- named the Solandge -- it's pretty darn incredible. The 85-meter ship has 8 staterooms for 12 guests. It holds a crew of up to 34. The yacht was initially built in 2013 ... and it got a facelift in 2019.

Solandge has just about every amenity you could dream of ... including a jacuzzi, swimming pool, sauna, gym, helipad, and movie theatre.

To rent the yacht, it'll cost you about $1 million a week.

Unclear where the group, who also made a stop in Santorini, intends to go next in the Mediterranean.

If you want an autograph from Steph Curry ... you might wanna start hitting the gym, because one fan needed to drop and give the NBA star 30 push-ups to secure his signature.

The NBA Finals MVP was playing golf Thursday at a celebrity tournament in Lake Tahoe, CA when a young fan asked how many push-ups he needed to do for a John Hancock.

Steph told the fan the magic number was 30 -- the same number he wears for the Golden State Warriors -- so the kid removed his hat and emptied his pockets before busting out 30 perfect pushups right on the tee box.

The fun interaction is all on video ... and Steph even signed the jersey before the fan reached the finish line, drawing a laugh from the crowd.

Fresh off his fourth NBA championship, Steph is playing in the American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe along as part of a field stacked with celebs.

Steph's going up against the likes of Justin Timberlake, Miles Teller, Ray Romano, Colin Jost, Nick Jonas, Joe Buck, Bret Baier and Anthony Anderson ... plus famous athletes like Aaron Rodgers, Charles Barkley, Vince Carter, Patrick Mahomes, Tony Romo, The Miz, Emmitt Smith and Steve Young.

New Orleans Pelicans guard Devonte' Graham was busted for driving while impaired early Thursday morning, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

27-year-old Graham -- the 34th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft -- was arrested by the State Highway Patrol in Raleigh, North Carolina around 3 AM, according to arrest records.

TMZ Sports has obtained Graham's mug shot, which shows the hooper expressionless and staring into the camera.

Graham is entering his fifth year in the Association ... averaging 12.8 points a game. He had a breakout season for the Charlotte Hornets in 2019-20 ... averaging more than 18 points and 7 assists per game.

The former Kansas Jayhawks star and 2018 Big 12 Player of the Year is approaching his second year with the Pelicans. He's in the middle of a 4-year, $47.3 million deal.

We've reached out to law enforcement for more information on the arrest.

How adorable is this ... to celebrate Pau Gasol's 42nd birthday, Vanessa Bryant shared video of the former NBA star trying to do ballet -- with her and Kobe's 5-year-daughter.

It's unclear when the footage was taken ... but Bryant posted the clip Wednesday morning on social media, showing the 7-foot-1 power forward, rocking a 'Kobe 24' T-shirt, trying his hardest to mimic Bianka's dance moves.

It's hilarious! You can even hear Gasol's wife Catherine McDonnell -- who captured the Kodak moment -- laugh at her hubby while giving him some ballet advice.

"Point your toes, pal," McDonnell said.

Despite not having the best technique, Gasol was having a blast with Bianka as they showcased all the moves ... Plié, twirls, and bows.

"Feliz Cumpleaños Hermano!" Bryant said in the caption.

"We love you uncle"

Bryant's oldest daughter, Natalia, also showed Uncle Pau some love on his bday -- sharing IG photos of them at Disneyland and a golf course.

"Happy birthday Uncle Paul," Natalia said, "Best golf buddy by 'par'."

Gasol, who was close friends with Kobe, spent a ton of time with the late legends' three daughters since the helicopter crash in January 2020, from celebrating the holidays together to shooting hoops at the Lakers facility.

Tristan Thompson is living the single life, partying it up in Vegas ... with at least one lovely lady hanging off his arm.

The NBA star was seen hanging out at the Marquee Nightclub in Sin City early Sunday morning (around 1:30 AM), where we're told he was with a posse of 3 ... one dude, who seemed to be his wingman for the night, and a couple of girls. One for each guy.

Eyewitnesses tell us the group was definitely together the whole time and seemed to be having a good time -- dancing with each other and chatting up with drinks in tow.

At one point, we're told the woman that Tristan appeared to be in lockstep with actually danced up on him ... and that they were very touchy-feely. As you can see in this video, obtained by TMZ, Tristan looked to be holding on to her tight, and whispering in her ear.

Eventually, we're told the crew left around 3 AM. Unclear who any of these people with Tristan might've been -- they're certainly not anyone we recognize in his immediate circle.

Now, we know what everyone must be thinking ... what about Khloe?!? Fact is, this isn't nearly as scandalous as it might appear ... as people well know, Khloe and Tristan are not romantically involved at the moment and they simply co-parent, which we've seen.