NBA

Vanessa Bryant has endured two weeks of emotional testimony ... thankfully, she hasn't done it alone 'cause her support system is strong -- with U.S. soccer star Sydney Leroux joining VB and Natalia Bryant in court Wednesday.

The 32-year-old Olympic gold medalist and World Cup winner was photographed walking into a Los Angeles courtroom this morning with Kobe's 19-year-old daughter, Natalia, and Vanessa ... for closing arguments in the trial over photographs taken by L.A. County Sheriff's Deputies, who are accused of taking and showing off gruesome photos from the crash scene.

Leroux, who also attended court late last week, is a longtime friend of the Bryant family. In fact, Kobe was a mentor to the 2012 London Olympics and 2015 Women's World Cup winner.

After Kobe and Gianna tragically died, Leroux, who like Gigi, wore #2 ... the soccer star got the number tattooed on her body as a tribute to Vanessa's daughter.

Sydney isn't the only famous friend supporting Vanessa. Ciara and Monica have also attended the trial this week.

The attorney for Chris Chester, the co-plaintiff in the lawsuit, who tragically lost his wife and daughter in the helicopter crash, has asked for up to $32.5 million from L.A. County, calling the county's actions "inhuman and inhumane."

Vanessa Bryant has not specified the amount she is seeking.

The Los Angeles Lakers paid tribute to Kobe Bryant on what would have been his 44th birthday, giving UCLA newborns -- who were born on the same day as Mamba (8/23) -- gear inspired by the Hall of Fame legend.

The Lakers posted pics of the babies wearing white hats featuring Kobe's iconic No. 8 ... along with a welcome note from the team and staff at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital.

"WELCOME TO THE WORLD!” the note reads. “One of your family’s most special days has landed on one of our organization’s most celebrated days."

"On this year's Kobe day, here's to your next-generation Lakers fan. They've already got a little of the Mamba Mentality in them."

This is the second straight year the Lakers have donated the KB24-inspired care package to babies born on the Mamba's bday ... since he tragically passed away in 2020.

Kobe -- who won five NBA championships and broke numerous NBA records -- played 20 seasons, all with the Lake Show ... retiring in 2016 after dropping 60 points in his final game.

Vanessa Bryant's co-plaintiff Chris Chester is seeking millions in damages as the trial over the Kobe crash photos nears an end ... with his attorney asking for up to $32.5 million in damages.

The Chester and Bryant family attorney's both made closing statements ... but only Chester's specified a dollar amount.

Craig Lavoie, Vanessa's attorney, asked the jury to hold the officers accountable for allegedly taking and sharing gruesome photos of her late husband and daughter.

Bryant's lawyer reiterated Vanessa will constantly live in fear, knowing the photographs could hit the internet at any moment.

"Anytime, any day, that can be the day," Lavoie said. "Every day they will live in the fear that that is the day they will resurface."

It's been an emotional couple of weeks for Vanessa ... who's been in the courtroom every day, forced to listen to painful details about the tragic accident and the subsequent investigation into whether law enforcement inappropriately shared the images.

But, Vanessa hasn't been alone. On Monday, Ciara and Monica were on hand to support Bryant, with the latter showing up on Tuesday, as well.

In Chester's attorney, Jerome Jackson's closing remarks, he asked for $2.5 million for his client ... citing emotional damages sustained over the last two years.

Jackson's also asking for between $100K and $1 million for the rest of Chris' life ... which based off life expectancy data, is 30 years.

FYI, Chester lost his wife and 13-year-old daughter in the crash.

Vanessa's attorney, while addressing the court, made it clear the case was not about the accident ... but rather the alleged improper behavior of the deputies.

"44 years ago, today Kobe was born. It’s an honor to stand here beside Vanessa and ask for justice. Tragedy took both Kobe & Gigi away. We’re not here because of an accident, here because of intentional conduct. We’re going to ask you to deliver justice."

NBA stars Nikola Jokić and Boban Marjanović went all out for Bogdan Bogdanović's 30th birthday party ... raging their faces off with their national hoops teammates -- and the vid is nuts!!

The Serbian trio hit up the Lafayette Cuisine Cabaret Club in Beograd for the festivities .. which included live music, dancing, singing and chugging out of massive champagne bottles.

The party scene was captured by Jokić's wife ... showing the back-to-back Most Valuable Player drinking his face off throughout the night -- having an absolute blast to celebrate Bogdan's 30th.

7'4" Boban was also getting into it ... hopping around as music blared in the background.

Hotsport says the hoopers' Serbian teammates Miloš Teodosić and Pero Antić were also in attendance ... as well as a number of celebrities to keep the party going.

On top of Bogdan's cake day, Jokić has a lot to celebrate ... he just inked a five-year, $264 supermax extension this offseason, which is the richest contract in NBA history.

Magic Johnson just shot down a rumor claiming he recently donated blood ... with the Hall of Famer calling the story a flat-out lie.

A Twitter account posted what appeared to be a picture of Magic donating blood back on Aug. 18 -- and it quickly went viral, as it claimed the Lakers legend, who was diagnosed with HIV in the early 1990s, was giving blood in order to help those affected by COVID.

But, Johnson said Tuesday it's all completely fabricated.

"I'm aware of the false story circling the internet," the 63-year-old said, "and to be clear, I have never donated blood."

Johnson initially went public with his HIV diagnosis in 1991 -- announcing he was retiring after contracting the virus.

The former point guard did ultimately come back to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, and he also returned to the Lakers in the 1995-96 season.

So much for a blockbuster deal involving Kevin Durant this offseason -- the Brooklyn Nets just announced both sides have agreed to "move forward with our partnership" and NOT fulfill the superstar's trade request.

Durant initially requested the change of scenery back in June ... and previously gave the Nets an ultimatum -- either trade him or get rid of head coach Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks.

After meeting with Nets brass on Monday, it sounds like KD is satisfied with what he heard and is ready to give it another shot.

"Steve Nash and I, together with Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, met with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman in Los Angeles yesterday," Marks said.

"We have agreed to move forward with our partnership. We are focusing on basketball, with one collective goal in mind: build a lasting franchise to bring a championship to Brooklyn."

Durant is in the middle of a 4-year, $194 million extension to stay with the Nets in 2021 ... but reports claimed the 2-time champ was unhappy with the direction the squad was going.

Dwyane Wade was eating peaches while vacationing in Spain this week ... getting down on all fours and taking a bite out of Gabrielle Union's booty -- and the video is 🔥!!

The inseparable couple has been posting a ton of content while sailing through Europe over the past couple days to celebrate their 8th anniversary ... chilling on a fancy boat, dancing and getting in some quality R&R.

Wade and Union -- who dubbed the trip the "Wade World Tour" -- even got in some athletics ... tossing a football into the water as they tried to make impossible catches.

But, D-Wade decided to take things to another level while sharing his Monday activities ... which included some wild PDA.

The Heat legend's followers loved it ... with a ton of positive comments piling in below the post.

"I am obsessed with the two of you," actor Aaron Paul said ... with Jasmine Sanders adding, "😍😍😍 i love y’all!"

Kobe Bryant would've turned 44 on Tuesday ... and his wife, Vanessa, penned a heartfelt birthday note on Instagram, writing she loves and misses him so much.

Vanessa posted a photo of her and her NBA legend hubby from 2009 ... when Kobe won his 4th NBA title and 1st NBA Finals MVP.

You can see Bryant -- wearing his 2009 NBA championship shirt and hat -- hugging Vanessa post-game ... and they were both all smiles.

"Happy birthday, baby!" the 40-year-old said Tuesday.

"I love you and miss you so much! #44 ❤️ @kobebryant"

Since Kobe -- who she married in April 2001 -- and daughter Gigi's untimely death, Vanessa has been honoring them in countless ways ... including getting tattoos in their honor, launching the Mambacita clothing line, and taking her 3 other daughters to Italy -- where Kobe was raised.

"Visited Reggio Calabria," Vanessa said in July, "a city my husband lived in when he was about 8 years old."

Of course, Bryant went on to play 20 seasons in the NBA -- winning 5 championships and 2 NBA Finals MVP ... was an 18-time NBA All-Star, broke numerous records, and is known as one of the best NBA players ever.

Vanessa Bryant had some emotional support Monday in her trial against L.A. County over crash-site photos ... walking in shoulder to shoulder with Ciara and Monica.

The 2 singers arrived with VB and her daughter Natalia ... all the women forming a united front. They sat behind Vanessa during testimony from an internal officer with the Sheriff's Dept.

They never left her side ... at certain points in Monday's proceedings, Vanessa had to step outside -- and both Monica and Ciara went out with her.

The trial's been going on for nearly two weeks, and it's been an emotional rollercoaster for the Bryant family ... and Vanessa in particular. She got on the stand herself last week to testify about how the thought of photos of her late husband and daughter's remains being circulated among County employees -- including first responders -- mortified her to this day.

As you know ... she's suing L.A. County for emotional distress, among other claims, and the jury got to hear firsthand how this whole ordeal has affected her since Kobe and Gigi's passing.

Vanessa has remained stoic as she comes and goes each day -- but inside it's been difficult for her ... especially during graphic testimony.

LeBron James will now have a crown everywhere he goes -- 'cause the King just got his iconic "LJ" logo imprinted on his tooth!!

The Lakers shared a pic of James -- who's gearing up for his 20th NBA season -- on social media minutes ago ... showing the 4-time NBA champ sporting his new bling.

In the pic, you see James' signature "LJ" logo -- which was created to go on all his shoes and apparel when he signed his deal with Nike -- etched on his tooth.

It's plausible Bron got the idea from his homie Odell Beckham Jr. ... who dropped $1.8 million on 13-carat diamond porcelain veneers in 2021.

The flashy wide receiver didn't stop there, though ... 'cause Odell then spent $5K to get diamonds implanted on his teeth -- which aren't removable!!

No word yet on who hooked LBJ up or how much it cost, but he just signed a 2-year, $97.1 million contract extension with the Lake Show ... so he can definitely afford it.

Dennis Rodman says he's going to put his dictator diplomacy to good use soon in an attempt to free Brittney Griner, who's currently jailed in Russia.

The ex-NBA star told NBC News this weekend that he's planning on jetting off this week, adding that he got "permission" to head over there and "help that girl" in a would-be prisoner swap. Unclear if Rodman is serious or not ... but his track record suggests he could be.

As we all know ... DR has visited North Korea a lot over the years and built a relationship with Kim Jong Un. Rodman has always insisted his connections in N. Korea have helped U.S. diplomatic efforts -- including the release of an American prisoner, Kenneth Bae.

Of course, he also tagged along with then-President Donald Trump for a 2018 trip to the communist country. That said, his actual influence has always gotten a raised eyebrow.

There isn't much more to the NBC interview -- which sounds like it was fast and on the move, as there's no video or anything beyond text quotes -- other than Rodman suggesting that he's also familiar with Vladimir Putin, adding that he knows the leader "well."

As NBC and other outlets have noted ... Rodman doesn't actually need permission to head to Russia right now -- and there's no word yet on whether this is a U.S.-sanctioned effort.

The feds have advised Americans not to travel to Russia at the moment -- and they're already actively working on securing BG's release -- but we suppose we'll see if DR actually touches down in the near future to do something that isn't already happening. BTW, he was in town in D.C. this weekend for an event ... so maybe geopolitics were top of mind for him.

Ex-NBA star Caron Butler is using his personal experiences to help teach young kids with his new book ... telling TMZ Sports his close friend Kobe Bryant inspired him to share his real story.

Caron played alongside the late Hall of Famer on the Lakers from 2004-2005 ... and the two remained great friends up until the legend's tragic death in 2020.

The 2011 NBA Champ says Bryant -- who had a series of children's books of his own -- once gave him pointers on how he could use his authenticity to motivate the next generation ... which led him to write "Shot Clock," alongside Justin Reynolds.

"He did like a little moment with me prior to him passing," Tuff Juice tells us. "We connected and we talked about the writing process and how it's so tough to be authentic and clear and real, but it's exactly what the kids need."

"He always told me to 'Tell your truth, be brave and people gonna accept it or reject it, but be brave in that process,'" he added.

Butler says he made a promise to Kobe that his second act would be "far better, more profound" than his playing career ... a vow he also disclosed with Bryant's wife, Vanessa.

The book is deep ... and reflects what Caron really went through in life -- from traveling the world to run-ins with law enforcement and losing friends to gun violence.

In search of more, rare Michael Jordan-era memorabilia? Horace Grant's got ya covered -- 'cause TMZ Sports has learned MJ's former Chicago teammate's three title rings he won with His Airness in the early 1990s are up for auction.

The rare items come from the Bulls' first 3-peat in 1991, 1992 and 1993 -- when HG played a key role alongside Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

The rings feature the former power forward's last name ... with the Bulls' season record on one side and the World Champion title year/postseason record on the other.

We're told each ring -- which are all size 12 and have "14k Jostens" on the interior bands -- is so valuable, they could fetch over $100K apiece.

Heritage Auctions officials tell us each ring also comes with a letter of provenance from Grant as well.

Grant's 2001 championship ring that he earned while playing alongside Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers is also up for grabs. That bling, we're told, is expected to sell for over $40k.

FYI, Grant is not the consignor for the rings -- we're told Horace sold his rings a long time ago for charity.

Vanessa Bryant just talked about Kobe Bryant, Gianna, the crash and the photos that officials took of their bodies while on the stand -- and she was overcome with emotion while trying to explain how awful it all has truly been for her.

Using a handkerchief to wipe away tears after nearly every sentence -- Vanessa said she first learned of the crash after an assistant informed her of it at her home. She said L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva was the one who eventually told her there were no survivors.

Vanessa said on the stand that she begged him to secure the area, as she was concerned about paparazzi. She testified he didn't tell her at the time that his deputies had photographed her family members' bodies.

She later said she learned of the graphic photos through the Los Angeles Times report -- and, while speaking through sobs, she said it gutted her.

"I felt like I wanted to run down the block and scream," she said in the courtroom. "I can’t escape my body. I can't escape what I feel."

She added that she was "blindsided, devastated, hurt and betrayed" to know that authorities had snapped pics at the scene.

"I trusted them," she said. "I trusted them to not do these things."

Vanessa told the courtroom one of the most disturbing things to her was that because of where Gianna was located at the crash scene, she believed officials had to have moved the 13-year-old's body in order to photograph it.

"They took advantage that Daddy couldn't protect her," she said. "He was at the morgue."

Vanessa testified that if the photos ever got out, and if she were to somehow see them, it'd rip her apart.

"I don't ever want to see my babies in that way," she said, explaining to the courtroom that she lives in constant fear that the photos could surface. "Nobody should ever have to see their family in that way."

As we reported, Vanessa arrived at the courtroom earlier Friday morning in a black dress, black coat and dark sunglasses. She wore a "Mama" necklace -- and appeared to be confident, flashing a smile on her way into the L.A. building.

The 40-year-old is suing L.A. County officials after learning deputies had taken and shared graphic photos from the wreckage scene.

James Dolan is shutting down all talk of selling the New York Knicks ... laughing at the notion and straight-up saying it's not happening.

The rumors started to swirl earlier this week ... when investment analyst Jonathan Boyar predicted Dolan would put the team up for sale after the new MSG Sphere opens up in Las Vegas next year.

An MSG rep was quick to deny the speculation ... saying there were "no plans" to sell both the Knicks and New York Rangers.

Dolan doubled down on the statement as he was leaving businessman Noah Tepperberg's birthday party at LAVO in West Hollywood ... smiling and saying, "no" after being asked about the rumors.

Some angry fans have been calling for Dolan to sell the team for years -- and chants have broken out at Madison Square Garden on numerous occasions.

As we previously reported, there have even been cases where Knicks supporters have been BANNED from MSG for telling Dolan to sell the team in person.

It's no secret -- the Knicks have struggled for a while now, but that could always change overnight with a superstar free agent signing or trade.

NBA hooper Brook Lopez -- a self-proclaimed Disney fanatic -- went to his favorite place in the world to propose to his girlfriend ... getting on one knee and popping the question right in front of the iconic Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom!

The Milwaukee Bucks center had it all planned out for Aug. 15 -- starting off with an intimate dinner with Hailee Nicole Strickland at Disney World's Tiffins Restaurant in Florida.

After filling their bellies, Lopez brought Strickland to the massive Tree of Life -- which stands 145 feet high -- and asked for her hand in marriage.

If Strickland's smile didn't give it away ... she said "YES!!"

After the engagement, the 7'0" baller enjoyed a photo shoot with his private Pilates instructor fiancée -- rockin' a special pair of Minnie Mouse ears and a diamond ring.

And, the reason for the specific date and location ... that's exactly when and where the couple first met 13 years ago!!

Of course, this is the most important ring of Lopez's life, but it ain't the first -- he won an NBA Championship with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in 2021.