NBA

P.J. Washington just proposed to his girlfriend -- and everyone is congratulating the Charlotte Hornets hooper and his new fiancée -- even his ex, Brittany Renner.

Washington's fiancee, Alisah Chanel -- who's also pregnant -- broke the news on Wednesday via IG ... showin' off her massive diamond ring, and writing "Soooooo…..this happened this morning 😍."

"Issa fiancée 💍 WOW babe you did that 🐐 I LOVE YOU 💙"

In the comments, Washington gave his soon-to-be-wife a kissy emoji ... and right underneath his remark, was his ex-girlfriend, Renner.

"Congrats y'all!!!" Renner said.

It's pretty shocking given their history. Remember, 30-year-old Renner and 24-year-old Washington became an official couple back in 2020 -- his sophomore year with the Hornets -- and welcomed their first child in May 2021.

Soon after, things went south, big time. The former couple took shots at each other on social media. Renner, a fitness model, was also called out for allegedly having a baby with P.J. to secure some of his $12 million NBA contract.

That started the whole "#FreePJ" trend in Renner's IG comments ... though, she's always been adamant money wasn't her motivation.

In fact, Renner was recently on the Tonight's Conversation podcast ... where she claimed she only gets a few thousand bucks from P.J., not $200k like many people think.

"You can't rely on your child's father to provide for you," Renner said, "I never been about money. I provide for my child. I get $2,500 a month."

Good to see Brittney playing nice with P.J. and Alisah.

Steph Curry is known for having a wicked shot on the court, but the Warriors star can apparently rap too -- 'cause he freestyled during a charity golf tourney this week ... and name-dropped Rory McIlroy in the rhymes!!

Curry was celebrating the 3rd annual Workday Charity Golf Classic with his wife, Ayesha, in Northern California -- when he got hold of a mic on one of the tee boxes and showed the crowd that he can get busy on a beat.

Steph dropped a 40-plus-second freestyle while musician Kelley James was teeing off ... and judging from the looks and sounds of it, Curry appeared to be a natural.

"I don't know why I have the mic," Curry rapped. "All I want to do is see Kelley's ball take flight."

"Is he really good at golf? Nobody knows," Curry continued flowing. "I don't know how this is gonna go?"

The best part of Steph's freestyle was the bars ... the Golden State point guard made sure to rap about what James was doing on the hole -- and he managed to stay on the beat!!

He also gave Kelley high praise ... saying in the rap that Rory, who just won the 2022 FedEx Cup, would approve of James' stroke.

Benefits from the golf tourney went to Steph and Ayesha's Eat.Learn.Play. Foundation -- and after the event, Curry reflected on how much fun he had there.

"Another amazing day at the 3rd Annual @workday Charity Classic w/ @ayeshacurry… all benefiting @eatlearnplay 🙌🏽⛳️ Special people, unbelievable vibes... for an amazing cause."

Leave it to LeBron James to get Jay-Z to come outta social media hibernation!

LBJ -- fresh from getting crunk at Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem's The Big Steppers Vancouver show -- soaked up MSNBC anchor Ari Melber's deep dive into Jay's highly touted verse from DJ Khaled's "God Did."

The news bit hacked into the failed drug policies of ex-Presidents Richard Nixon and Donald Trump ... while highlighting how Jay lyrically details several of America's hypocrisies.

The NBA living legend equally praised Hov and Ari's poetic delivery … prompting a response from the Roc Nation boss, who took it all in stride, stating his primary focus is to give the voiceless a voice.

On the track, Jay raps, "I left the dope game with my record clean, huh/I turned the cocaina into champagne/I cleaned up la madrina with the same soap/Me and Loro talk 'bout how we slang dope/Now the weed in stores, can you believe this, Ty?" … the last line is a nod to his cannabis company Monogram.

Jay's highly touted verse has helped DJ Khaled secure next week's Billboard 200 chart crown … but that doesn't mean the Roc Boy will be lighting up IG or TikTok anytime soon.

While speaking with Kevin Hart over the summer, Jay explained he's down with everyone using social media to their heart's content.

Former Charlotte Hornets power forward Montrezl Harrell has just cut a deal with prosecutors to close out his weed case ... his lawyer tells TMZ Sports.

Harrell -- who was charged with felony trafficking less than five pounds of marijuana after an incident on the road in May -- showed up in Kentucky court on Wednesday morning to make the plea deal official, according to his attorney, Drew Findling.

Findling says Harrell agreed to enter a guilty plea to a reduced charge of simple marijuana possession. In exchange, according to Findling, Harrell "received conditional discharge at the end of 12 months" -- meaning the conviction will be completely wiped from the basketball player's record if he stays out of trouble for the next year.

As we reported, Harrell was initially charged after cops say a car he was riding in on May 12 had three pounds of marijuana in vacuum-sealed bags inside of a backpack on the back seat.

Harrell was not arrested at the scene and was initially given a citation. He was then later formally charged. The 28-year-old had been facing up to five years behind bars in the case.

Findling said at the time his client "is a devoted family man and a committed professional basketball player and has never been a part of any form of marijuana trafficking or any other illegal activity."

Full-circle moment for LeBron James -- the NBA superstar is on the cover of Sports Illustrated once again ... this time, with his two sons, Bronny and Bryce, by his side.

The outlet released the cover for its October 2022 issue on Tuesday ... showing LeBron standing inside the Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary gymnasium with his boys to his left and right.

The honor is extra special for the King -- he first graced the cover in 2002 as a high school prodigy (when he was dubbed "The Chosen One") ... and has gone on to appear on the cover nearly 40 times over the next 20 years.

The 4-time NBA champ's wardrobe choice for the photo shoot is a nod to his iconic S.I. debut ... wearing the cover on his T-shirt.

The cover comes with a long feature about LeBron and his family ... and of course, the topic of playing alongside 17-year-old Bronny (and even Bryce) is brought up.

While the King has made it clear he wants to play alongside his oldest, he reveals he isn't counting out the possibility of suiting up with his 15-year-old, too ... which means he'd still be in the league in 2027.

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.