NBA

John Wall is opening up about the toughest experiences he's faced over the past two years ... admitting he had suicidal thoughts after dealing with a series of career-altering injuries and trying to cope with losing loved ones in his family.

The new Clippers point guard opened up in a recent interview, where he got candid about some of the things that have been plaguing him mentally as he battled his way back on the court.

"Darkest place I ever been," Wall said. "At one point in time, I thought about committing suicide. My mom being sick. My mom passing. My grandma passed a year later."

Wall -- who ruptured his Achilles tendon in 2019 -- said seeing his mother take her last breath was tough to overcome, especially amid the COVID pandemic.

The former Wizards star expressed the losses of his mother and grandmother weighed heavy on his heart and mind ... and not playing basketball had him contemplating ending his life.

Thankfully, John says he was able to overcome his mental demons and get back on the right track -- both physically and mentally -- with help from therapy.

"Find a therapist," Wall said. "You know a lot of people think, 'I don't need help. I can get it through it at any time.' But, you got to be true to yourself and find out what's best for you.

"And I did that."

Ultimately, Wall thinks the adversity he endured has made him a stronger person, father, and player, and he feels equipped to tackle any problems life throws at him.

"If I can get through this, I can get through anything in life," Wall said. "I don't think a lot of people could get through what I went through."

Reggie Miller just announced his dad has passed away ... and the NBA legend says he's completely heartbroken over the death.

"This HURTS," the former Indiana Pacers star said on his social media page on Monday.

"The man who bought me my first set of baseball cleats, first basketball, who taught me to drown out all the outside noise and FOCUS is now and will forever be my guardian angel."

Miller's father, Saul, had five kids with his wife, Carrie -- including Reggie and Cheryl Miller, a former basketball star herself.

In his Instagram post, Reggie thanked his dad "for EVERYTHING" he's done for him and the Miller family.

"Say hello to Mom for us," the 57-year-old former shooting guard wrote, "know that your teachings will live on threw me to my kids."

"Please respect my brothers and sisters during this time," he added, "though difficult he’s in a much better place.. #PopGuardianAngel"

Saul grew up an athlete ... according to author Mark Montieth, he played hoops in high school and at Lemoyne College.

Reggie has spoken about the impact his dad had on his life and career before ... thanking him at length in his 2012 Hall of Fame speech.

"You made time to be there for all of us," Reggie said. "So, again, Dad, Mom, thank you so much for everything you've done for us."

Saul also served 26 years in the Air Force and was a jazz musician.

LeBron James and his wife, Savannah, kept the birthday vibes going at the Kendrick Lamar concert on Sunday ... 'cause they were straight-up grooving to the rap superstar's music!!

The King and his Queen hit up the Rogers Arena in Vancouver one day after her special day ... and by the looks of it, they were having the time of their lives.

In the clip, you see James and Savannah posted up in what appears to be a private seating area ... but they weren't just standing around -- they were definitely feeling themselves.

Naturally, once fans noticed the 4-time champ in the building, many swarmed to the James Gang's spot ... taking pics and videos of LBJ.

Of course, Kendrick is on tour for his latest studio album, "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers," but rather than wait for K. Dot to perform in L.A., LBJ decided to check it out while up North.

You can tell LeBron was feeling the song selection ... and when the California MC started performing his hit song "Humble," James went crazy and even engaged with the crowd.

Bron has regularly shown love to Kendrick, especially when he releases new music ... posting videos of him jamming to K. Dot's bars and giving the rapper his flowers.

Julius Erving loves Kobe Bryant and even played with the Mamba's father ... but he tells TMZ Sports the NBA shouldn't retire the Lakers legend's numbers league-wide like it did with Bill Russell earlier this summer.

Most believe that following Adam Silver's decision to honor Russell by permanently hanging up his #6 following the Celtics legend's death -- he should do the same for Kobe, who tragically passed away in 2020.

But, Dr. J -- who called Russell a good friend of his -- clearly feels differently.

"I don't think he should be compared with the Russell situation," Erving said of Kobe out at LAX. "We're fresh into that but let's see how that works out. Maybe at some point in time. Bill was 86 years old, so address it like that to an 86-year-old -- multiple champions, multiple coaching champions, multiple on-and-off the court champion, or whatever -- there's no comparison."

"I wouldn't even try to compare Kobe Bryant to Russell."

Instead, Erving said he believes the posthumous honors that Bryant receives should be left up to his former L.A. team.

"It's more of a franchise situation with the Lakers," Erving said. "If they wanted to do it, which I think they already have, that makes sense -- but for the whole league to do it, probably not."

Christopher Martin -- one half of the iconic rap duo Kid 'n Play -- says the "House Party" reboot is in great hands with LeBron James ... telling TMZ Sports the NBA superstar is working nonstop to make sure the movie is a success.

As we previously reported, the modern version of KnP's iconic flick has been delayed a bit ... with star actor Jacob Latimore saying it was for the best.

We spoke with Martin at LAX about the project ... and he said he heard from sources -- AKA King James himself -- the reason behind the pushback is because it will be a theatrical release instead of on HBO Max as originally planned.

Speaking of the King, Martin couldn't say enough nice things about the hooper/big time producer ... adding he's "very involved" and has "complete ownership" over the operation.

To top things off, Martin says LeBron even hooked him up with some of his signature Nike shoes ... which he was wearing when we spoke with him!!

Also -- we know what everyone's asking ... will Kid 'n Play make it into the reboot??

Anthony Edwards is a dog on the court, and a dog lover off it ... and that's why the NBA star's agent commissioned an artist in Los Angeles to paint a picture of his beloved bulldog, Ant Jr., and gifted it to the hooper.

Edward's agent, Omar Wilkes, knows how much Ant Jr. means to his client, so he hit up L.A.-based artist Andre Simmons to create a portrait of the pup.

We're told Wilkes -- who also reps Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young -- contacted Simmons with the idea for Anthony's birthday.

Dre tells us he started working on the painting on a Friday, and dropped it off at Klutch Sports agency the following Tuesday.

Ant Jr.'s rocking a custom No. 1 home jersey in the painting like Edwards ... who averaged over 20 points per game in his 2nd NBA season.

James Harden's yacht birthday party literally takes the cake -- takes the cake and throws the whole 4-tier dessert overboard -- during the NBA star's wild bday celebration!

The Philadelphia Sixers guard was caught on video partying with his friends and family on a yacht this week in Marina Del Rey in California, celebrating his 33rd birthday.

Everyone was taking photos of Harden, dressed in all white, holding the large cake near the side rail of the yacht, when out of nowhere, he tossed the dessert overboard.

The party DJ was in complete shock ... saying on the mic, "Happy Birthday -- oh my God!"

But, was it real?! The cake's large, and while Harden is obviously a big, strong, world-class athlete, the cake seems awfully light! So, likely fake, but still super funny.

Thankfully, the fun didn't stop when the cake departed the boat ... Harden even showed off his "sexy" dance moves in front of the camera to Pretty Ricky's 'On The Hotline'.

There was also a cool ice sculpture of Harden aboard the yacht.

Harden and his guests celebrated the big 3-3 by sipping on Tequila Diamante, according to the party drink menu. They also enjoyed JH's new vino, J-Harden Wines.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince was arrested in Miami on Thursday night ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Jail records show the 28-year-old was booked at 7:51 PM due to an outstanding warrant. A police spokesperson tells us it stems from an alleged drug-related incident in Texas.

Further details have not yet been released.

Prince -- who looked stern in his mug shot -- is still in custody, the records show.

Prince, a star at Baylor, was taken by the Jazz in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft, but was traded to the Atlanta Hawks just days later. He's bounced around the league since, but played well for the T-Wolves after being traded to the team last year.

He's since signed a 2-year, $16 million extension with Minnesota ... and is expected to be a key player on the team this season.

Fake Drake is missing out on his big celebrity turn with Lamar Odom, and he's blaming real deal Drake for sabotaging his money bag!!!

Fake, Izzy, whatever ... that guy was a recent guest on the WeInMiami podcast, where he got candid about his recent encounter with Drake … who allegedly cold-shouldered Frake and team when approached about the nixed celebrity boxing match with Lamar Odom.

Champagne Papi seemed fine with coexisting with his clone in the past, but lately, he's got no patience for the whole scene. During the podcast, Fake Drake claimed the megastar rapper threatened to pull up to the fight and slap him ... free of charge.

Frizzy also accused Drake of paying off LO to stay out of the ring, but sources involved in the celebrity boxing deal tell TMZ Hip Hop ... Drake cashing out the ex-NBA star is false, and LO simply backed out on his own.

Speaking of fights, one almost broke out during the podcast taping when Sparkling Cider Papi's new opponent, YouTuber M2thaK, promised to remove all signs of Drake … with his fists.

The fight is scheduled to happen in October, and should be worth the price of admission … especially if real Drake shows up to get in a few shots. Hey, we can dream.

The sculptor who made the iconic Kobe and Gigi Bryant statue that was placed at the crash site earlier this year has made several replicas of the tribute ... and he tells TMZ Sports he's giving them out to fans in honor of Mamba Day.

On the 2nd anniversary of Kobe and Gigi's death, Dan Medina made a 160-pound bronze statue of the NBA legend and his 13-year-old daughter ... and brought it to the Calabasas location on January 26.

That monument was only temporary (since the city of Calabasas told us a permanent one won't be installed anytime soon) ... but Medina created four miniature ones just like it for a special giveaway that started on 8/24 -- AKA Mamba Day.

"I will be giving away 4 Bronze sculptures in the near future," Medina tells us.

"The designs are 12 inches tall and are an exact replica of the larger design I displayed last January 26."

The replicas all sit on black granite and each one has a different finish -- bronze patina, polished gold, Black Mamba patina and stainless steel.

"I'm genuinely humbled by my opportunity in keeping their legacy alive," Medina says. "The world needs this."

To be eligible, Medina fans have to donate $24 or more to the Mamba and Mambacita Foundation starting on Mamba Day ... and after following instructions from his Instagram account, he will randomly pick 4 winners by January 2023 -- which marks the third anniversary of the tragedy.

"My plan is when anyone donates a specified dollar amount they will need to input an email that puts them in a pool, then I will randomly choose a winner," Medina said.

Vanessa Bryant is sinking the $16 million she won from L.A. County into the cause near and dear to her late husband Kobe Bryant -- she says it will all be donated to the Mamba & Mambacita Foundation.

Bryant and co-plaintiff Chris Chester won their lawsuit against L.A. County over the distribution of photos taken at the helicopter crash scene in Jan. 2020 ... with the jury awarding Vanessa the $16 mil, and $15 million to Chris.

Vanessa's attorney Luis Li tells TMZ, "From the beginning, Vanessa Bryant has sought only accountability, but our legal system does not permit her to force better policies, more training or officer discipline."

Li's statement, first posted by the L.A. Times, continues ... "Those measures are the responsibility of the sheriff’s and fire departments -- responsibilities that Mrs. Bryant’s efforts have exposed as woefully deficient, even giving amnesty to the wrongdoers. Mrs. Bryant was courageous and never faltered, even when the County attempted to force her to submit to an involuntary psychiatric examination. She is deeply grateful to Ralph Mendez and Luella Weireter, the good Samaritans who brought to light the decades old practice of taking and sharing photos of accident and crime victims for no legitimate purpose."

Li says Vanessa hopes this case will help to change the "callous behavior" of the sheriff and fire departments' first responders.

She also wants the $16 mil to "shine a light on Kobe and Gigi's legacy."

As we reported, during closing arguments in the trial Chester's attorney proposed the jury should award Chris $32.5 million, but Vanessa's team did not suggest a dollar amount during their closing.

Devastating news for the OKC Thunder ... Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft, is expected to miss his entire rookie season due to a foot injury.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Wednesday that the Thunder fear Holmgren -- who stands 7'0" tall and weighs 190 lbs -- suffered ligament damage in his foot.

The worst possible scenario was confirmed just minutes ago -- he suffered a Lisfranc injury to his right foot, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Lisfranc injuries vary widely in seriousness ... but often require surgery to the midfoot, where bones are broken and/or ligaments torn. The injury isn't particularly common, but has occurred to NBA players in the past.

Oklahoma City selected Holmgren behind Duke star Paolo Banchero, who went to the Orlando Magic, hoping Chet could be the cornerstone of their franchise moving forward.

Holmgren sustained the foot injury in Jamal Crawford's Pro-Am game in Seattle ... where he was shown limping awkwardly after guarding LeBron James.

In the clip, you see LBJ one-on-one with Chet, who was in retreat mode, and after the 7-footer contested James' bucket, he appears to favor his right foot.

Thunder GM Sam Presti released a statement on Holmgren's injury ... saying, "Certainly, we are disappointed for Chet, especially given the excitement he had about getting on the floor with his teammates this season.

"We know Chet has a long career ahead of him within our organization and the Oklahoma City community. One of the things that most impressed us during the process of selecting Chet was his determination and focus."

"We expect that same tenacity will carry him through this period of time as we work together and support him during his rehabilitation."

Dennis Rodman won't be getting involved in the Brittney Griner case after all -- the Hall of Famer has reportedly decided not to travel to Russia ... after the U.S. government strongly advised against his plans.

Rodman claimed earlier this week he had permission to go to Russia to try to get Griner -- who was sentenced to 9 years in prison earlier this month -- back on U.S. soil ... saying he knew president Vladimir Putin "too well."

It's no secret -- Rodman is well-connected overseas ... especially with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un, so the ex-Bulls great was trying to see how much international pull he really had.

But, the folks at the White House made it clear if the Worm planned to go, he would not have D.C.'s blessing ... with State Department spokesperson Ned Price saying, "He would not be traveling on behalf of the U.S. government."

In fact, the government felt Rodman's involvement might mess up the U.S.'s current negotiations with Russia to get Griner out ... so ultimately, the hooper decided to take a back seat.

Griner has been behind bars since she was arrested for having cannabis oil in her luggage at the airport. The U.S. has remained adamant she's being wrongfully detained.

Vanessa Bryant has won her lawsuit against Los Angeles County ... after a jury of ten decided she has suffered and will continue to suffer severe emotional distress as a result of the death scene photos captured on the cell phones of 8 L.A. County Sheriff's deputies -- photos she fears will someday surface publicly. That fear was the basis of her lawsuit.

The jury awarded Vanessa $16 million. Chris Chester -- who lost his daughter and wife in the helicopter crash -- was awarded $15 million.

Chester's attorney, Jerry Jackson, tells TMZ ... "Grateful to a jury and judge that gave us a fair trial."

Vanessa broke down sobbing when the verdict was read. The jury was polled and Vanessa looked at them one by one in approval.

The verdicts were against both the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. and the L.A. County Fire Dept.

The deputies not only took the photos but shared them with friends, family and even strangers at a bar. The photos were even shared at a party with fire officials.

Lawyers for the County had argued the photos have never surfaced and they have been deleted from the cell phones in question ... so there was no cause for alarm that they might leak.

During closing arguments, the lawyer for Chester asked for up to $32.5 million. Bryant's attorney did not ask for a specific amount ... rather asking the jury to award what's right.

The trial lasted two weeks and was at times so laden with graphic descriptions, Vanessa cried and periodically left the courtroom.

Kobe and Gigi Bryant, along with Sarah and Payton Chester, were killed along with 5 others in the January 26, 2020 crash.

Amazing news for Zach LaVine and his wife, Hunter Mar -- the couple just welcomed their first child together ... Saint Thomas LaVine!!

The LaVines revealed their little nugget on Wednesday ... saying the baby boy was born on Sunday.

"My heart in human form," Hunter said on Instagram. "I love you, baby boy! 💙"

Zach added ... "Best feeling I’ve had is now being a Father."

As we previously reported, the duo broke the news of their new addition earlier last month ... saying, "God has blessed us with the most special gift and we couldn’t be happier."

Zach and Hunter have been together for a long time now ... and first got engaged back in April 2020.

The couple will have no problem finding a babysitter ... as all their friends shared their excitement over Saint's big introduction.

"Congrats broski 🙏🏾," Tristan Thompson said ... with Dejounte Murray adding, "I Love This For Y’all!!!! 🖤 @zachlavine8 @hunter_lavine."

Even the city of Chicago's Instagram got into the comment section to congratulate the LaVines ... saying, "👏👏👏."

G Leaguer Perri’on Callandret is already thinking of the important things ... joking, "Anyone in these comments know what size shoe babies this size wear? 😂"

Retired NBA star Gilbert Arenas says he's happy to still be breathing after he cost Irv Gotti and Ja Rule $175k ... claiming he purposely busted up a bet they had on a game he was playing in -- and they were FURIOUS over it!!

Arenas -- who was on the Warriors at the time -- said he was playing a road game against the Rockets when he overheard Gotti and Ja mentioning they had bet on the Dubs to cover the spread that night.

Agent Zero says he had no idea what the spread was, but made it his mission to spoil their night ... knowing he had to score some more points to kill the bet.

Arenas said his Warriors were losing to the Rockets, led by Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley, and with the game out of reach, he came down the court and threw up a half-court three-pointer.

Naturally, the wild shot went in ... sinking any hopes Gotti and Ja had of cashing out that night.

"[I] came down and shot it," Arenas said. "And I could see the disappointment in their face. I won. I won the game. We're going back to the locker room, and I'm sitting there like, 'Yeah, I hurt somebody's feelings today.'"

"I didn't know how much money they had on the game. I didn't really know it was about betting, but I knew I hurt [Gotti's] feelings. I knew I hurt his feelings. He was disappointed even though they won. He was disappointed, so that means I won."

Thanks to a recent interview on the "Drink Champs" podcast, we now know that Gotti and Ja bet $175K on the Rockets to cover the spread against Gilbert's Warriors.

"We wanted to kill Gilbert Arenas after that," Gotti said on the podcast. "The whole arena knew we had 175 [thousand dollars] on this. The refs knew. Everyone knew."