NBA

Bronny James is following in his father's footsteps and joining the Nike family -- the high school hoops star just inked an NIL deal with the shoe giant.

Nike made the announcement just minutes ago ... saying the 18-year-old Sierra Canyon baller is one of five high school prospects who recently signed Name, Image and Likeness endorsements with the Swoosh.

It was a no-brainer to get Bronny on board -- especially considering Nike and LeBron James have been attached at the hip since he was drafted in 2003 ... and collaborated on 20 signature shoes together.

The other student-athletes getting NIL deals include Caitlin Clark, Haley Jones, Juju Watkins, and DJ Wagner, son of ex-NBAer Dajuan Wagner.

Wagner is considered one of the best hoopers in the class of 2023 -- and is listed #1 on ESPN's Top 100 players.

There's a good chance Bronny takes his talents to Columbus to play at Ohio State next season ... which just so happens to be a Nike school.

LeBron James went full Sicko Mode for Bronny's big 18th birthday party ... losing his mind and dancing during Travis Scott's surprise performance -- and it was LIT!!

The James Gang pulled out all the stops for the Sierra Canyon hooper's celebration ... renting out Harriet's Rooftop bar in West Hollywood for all his friends.

The highlight of the night came when La Flame grabbed the mic and performed for the crowd  ... doing his biggest hits like "Butterfly Effect," "goosebumps" and "Sicko Mode."

King James and Bronny were clearly feeling the show ... rapping along and jumping up and down.

It's another step forward for Scott ... who has slowly made his return to performing after the Astroworld Festival tragedy in November 2021.

While most ragers tend to include alcohol, word is all drinks were kid-friendly (maybe in 3 years, Bronny) ... and there was plenty of pizza and ice cream to go around, according to Daily Mail.

Rapper SoFaygo also took the mic at the party ... with Bronny standing on stage with him throughout his set.

LeBron gave a special tribute to Bronny on Thursday ... saying, "I'm so proud of the young man you've become kid!" he said.

"Continue to be YOU throughout your journey because it's simply better that way! And I'll be right beside you whenever/however needed! Love you Young 🤴🏾"

Metta Sandiford-Artest just became a big Blake Griffin fan ... and it's all a result of the new Celtics forward's decision to rock #91 in honor of the great Hall of Famer, Dennis Rodman!!

TMZ Sports spoke with Metta out in Beverly Hills this week ... and he was pleasantly surprised to learn Griffin was paying respect to Rodman's legacy with his jersey number this season.

"That's incredible," the 2003-04 Defensive Player of the Year said about Griffin's number change. "That's great to hear. I'm a big Rodman fan, and now I'll buy the jersey."

Griffin -- who signed with the Boston Celtics as a free agent last week -- confirmed to reporters after his first practice with his new teammates that the reason he is going to wear the #91 is to pay homage to Rodman, the 5-time NBA champ.

Artest -- who played 17 seasons in the NBA with the Pacers, Knicks, Kings, Rockets, Lakers, and Bulls -- earned a reputation for his physical style of defense ... and was one of four players to wear the #91 in NBA history.

The other three are Mindaugas Kuzminskas (New York Knicks), Deividas Sirvydis (Detroit Pistons) ... and, of course, Rodman.

There's more -- Metta retired from the NBA in 2017, but it may not be long before we see another Artest in the association -- because MSA tells us both of his sons are still pursuing their hoop dreams.

Draymond Green just spoke publicly for the first time since punching teammate Jordan Poole at practice this week ... apologizing for his actions and announcing he's taking a break from the Golden State Warriors.

The 32-year-old 4x NBA champ met with media Saturday morning in the Bay Area, telling reporters flat out ... "I was wrong."

As for what led up to the punch, Green wouldn't say, answering, "things that happened in practice should stay in practice."

Draymond went on to say he isn't trying to convince people he was in the right ... he's here to own up to what he did wrong.

"I'm not here to change an opinion. I'm here to acknowledge my mistakes." He did, however, say the fact that the video leaked was "bulls***."

Green says he apologized to the team, organization, Jordan Poole, the Poole family, and his own family.

TMZ Sports posted video Friday showing the NBA star punching Poole in the face at practice Wednesday in San Francisco, after the two men got into a verbal argument.

Draymond says he watched the video "15 times, maybe more" and admitted "it looks even worse than I thought it was."

DG also expressed anger at the release of the video, saying ... "I thought it was bulls**t. No other videos leak from practice. When we're working on our sets, that don't leak."

Jordan Poole is set for a big contract extension with the Golden State Warriors -- something he's supposedly made known around the team's facilities -- and it's the reason things boiled over with Draymond Green ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Sources who were at the practice where Green punched Poole tell us ... in the days leading up to the incident, Poole was carrying himself differently -- in a cocky manner. The alleged behavior was creating friction between him and some of his teammates, including Draymond, who has reportedly also asked for a big extension.

Fast forward to Wednesday's practice. Our sources on site say Poole called several fouls during a scrimmage, and Draymond called him a "bitch" multiple times as a result.

Things escalated when Poole allegedly said, "You know what it is, Draymond." -- seemingly bragging over the contract situation -- and Draymond got in Poole's face, allegedly saying, "No I don't know, what is it?"

Then, as played out in video obtained by TMZ Sports, you see Poole push Draymond back, and Draymond delivers the blow to his teammate's jaw.

Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala and head coach Steve Kerr came to Poole's defense earlier this week ... denying his attitude had anything to do with the altercation.

In fact, Steph went as far as to say it was "absolute BS" ... but our sources are adamant the team is trying to save face.

Sonny Vaccaro -- the man who famously helped Nike sign Michael Jordan back in the day -- says if he were still in the shoe brand industry ... he could see Victor Wembanyama getting an unprecedented sneaker deal that could include "a blank check."

Wembanyama, a 7-foot-4 center from France, blew the doors off the American basketball world this week ... putting on a clinic in two nationally televised, showcase games in Nevada -- and Vaccaro was left nearly speechless by it all.

Sonny, who's seen all of the top prospects in basketball for decades, tells TMZ Sports he's never seen anything quite like what Victor showed on Tuesday and Thursday.

"He's so young, he's so articulate. He's handsome," Vaccaro said. "All of the things. I am knocked off my feet."

LeBron James was impressed too. The Lakers superstar called Victor -- the surefire No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft -- "an alien."

And, Sonny says all of it would lead him to hand over a king's ransom in order to sign the player to a sneaker deal ... if he were still a part of that world.

"He's worth a blank check," Vaccaro said.

Vaccaro's starting offer for Wembanyama would include money in the $15 million per year range ... and it would also come with a percentage of Wembanyama's shoe sales for the budding superstar -- something he says no prospect EVER gets.

"There's going to be pro teams that lose 82 games next year to draft him," Vaccaro tells us. "That's the same value I'm trying to say. He's this valuable. He's this good."

Sonny added if he were Wembanyama, he'd request a clothing line in addition to a sneaker pact -- and if he were representing the shoe giant on the other end of the negotiations, he'd happily give it.

Talk about kickin' a simple claw machine up a notch ... the premiere party for "Bling Empire" had a real, eye-turning game that you'd be a fool not to press your luck on!

Folks at the shindig tell TMZ ... Christine Chiu, one of the cast members on the Netflix series, held the bash Wednesday night at the Pendry in WeHo to celebrate the show's 3rd season.

There were awesome gifts and activities for guests -- but nothing topped the arcade machine filled with some serious bling.

The claw machine featured real diamonds and other goodies ... including Dunamis diamond watches for men and women, as well as tokens up to $1,500 that can be cashed in at Jason of Beverly Hills.

FYI -- Jason of BH has made some sweet jewelry in the past, including the official Super Bowl rings for the LA Rams, as well as NBA Championship rings.

The claw machine carried a total value of $150K ... obviously, it had security around it to keep the goods safe.

Shocking video shows Draymond Green violently attacking Jordan Poole, viciously punching him to the ground right in the middle of a team practice ... video obtained by TMZ Sports.

Green and Poole clearly have beef ... you see them trash-talking each other, and then it turns physical. Green walks up to Poole and gets in his face. Poole pushes Green away with 2 hands to the chest. Green, who is 6'6" and 230 lbs, responds with a vicious right cross to the face ... so ferocious, it knocks Poole to the ground and it may have knocked him out cold.

Green then stands over Poole as teammates and coaches rush in to pull him away. It seems Poole was OK, because he continued practice, putting up shots on the court.

Warriors GM Bob Myers seemed to minimize the incident later, saying, "These things happen. Nobody likes it. We don't condone it, but it happens." He goes on to say, "Draymond apologized to the team. Jordan was there in the room ... as far as any suspension, punishment, fine, we will handle that internally."

As for the reason behind the fight, Stephen Curry denied a report claiming a change in Poole's attitude amid contract negotiations led to it ... calling it "absolute BS."

Draymond Green proved he can throw a mean punch ... and Jake Paul's already drooling over the Warriors star's potential -- saying he'd pay $10 MILLION to get the 4-time champ in the boxing ring ASAP.

TMZ Sports obtained video of 32-year-old Green knocking teammate Jordan Poole to the ground after a heated back-and-forth during practice on Wednesday.

Paul clearly saw the footage ... and on Friday, he said he'd pay top dollar to see 6'6", 230 lb. Green to pick up a new sport.

"Gotta get Draymond Green in the boxing ring," the Problem Child tweeted ... adding he already has an idea for who his opponent could be.

"Draymond Green vs Deron Williams. Who wins?"

Of course, Deron is a former NBAer-turned-boxer ... and he fought NFL star Frank Gore on one of Jake's undercards in the past -- so the opponent would make sense if Green was actually interested.

As for the payday, Jake is ready to write a FAT check -- "Draymond I got $10 million for you to get in the ring on the next Most Valuable Promotions pay per view. Who you want?"

Draymond Green -- already in midseason form -- reportedly hit teammate Jordan Poole at practice Wednesday after a heated shoving match, and now the Warriors star is facing potential discipline.

Green and Poole reportedly exchanged words before things turned physical, according to a Shams Charania report.

The NBA insider says tensions were high, and the men were pushing before Draymond allegedly decked Jordan. The men had to be immediately separated.

As a result of the scuffle, the Warriors are reportedly considering disciplining Green for his role in the fight.

Green and Poole -- now in his fourth season with the team -- are known to have regular arguments, according to Shams, but Dubs brass believes today's incident went too far.

Dray and Jordan won an NBA title together in June ... when they defeated the Celtics in the Finals.

The Warriors have not yet commented on the incident.

It's a special day for LeBron James -- not only is it his firstborn son's birthday -- Bronny Jr. turned 18 years old!!

The Lakers superstar went to Instagram to post a bday tribute on Thursday, using a throwback photo of him and Bronny during his first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers ... along with a photo of father and son during their recent visit to Ohio State.

"How is this kid 18 years old today y'all!!??!!" James said in the caption, "I can't deal with it. 🥺🥺."

"I'm so proud of the young man you've become kid! Continue to be YOU throughout your journey because it's simply better that way!"

LBJ added, "And I'll be right beside you whenever/however needed! Love you Young 🤴🏾 @bronny!!!" James wrote, adding, "Happy Bday."

Bronny is a top high school basketball player (ranked 34th in ESPN's Top 100 in the 2023 class), and LeBron has publicly talked about his desire to play with his son on an NBA team.

Bronny's mom and James' wife, Savannah, also posted a throwback ... an old pregnancy photo for Bronny, saying, "The little nugget that was in here is 18 today."

FYI, Savannah was pregnant with Bronny during her senior year of high school, while James was playing his rookie season in the NBA. The couple got married in 2013 and had 2 more kids, Bryce and Zhuri.

LeBron James sent a message loud and clear to Adam Silver on Wednesday night ... sayin' if the NBA expands to Las Vegas, he's calling dibs on owning the new team.

"I want the team here, Adam," the Lakers superstar said. "Thank you."

James, a newly crowned billionaire, has made the public plea to get the Sin City squad before -- back in June, he said on an episode of "The Shop" his goal was to be the LV honcho one day.

But, following L.A.'s 119-115 preseason loss to the Suns in Vegas, James made it crystal clear to media members in attendance that he was dead serious about it all.

"I would love to bring a team here at some point," James said on the postgame podium. "That would be amazing."

Unclear if the Association has imminent plans to expand -- but if a move to 32 teams is on the horizon, rumors have swirled that Seattle and Las Vegas would be the targets.

James is clearly in love with the Nevada idea ... going as far as to say Vegas has "the best fan base in the world."

Former Laker Devean George isn't ready to bail on the Russell Westbrook experiment in L.A. -- telling TMZ Sports they should stick with the point guard amid rumors he could get shipped out of town.

We spoke with George -- who won three titles with Shaq and Kobe Bryant from 2000-02 -- at LAX this week ... and he said the Lakers shouldn't entertain the idea of trading away Russ, whose name has been at the heart of trade rumors all offseason.

"I think it can work," George said. "I'm a fan of Russell. Maybe I'm caught up in what he's done in the past."

George admitted that Westbrook does need to adjust his style of play ... but ultimately, he says the ex-MVP, along with his teammates, need to play their respective roles on the team.

"Too much talent," George said. "I think that's the main thing. Everybody just do their role and cut back and not say what I used to do. I'm just a fan of Russ, so I'm a little biased."

Westbrook's name was rumored to be on the move during the Kyrie Irving sweepstakes, and most recently, the triple-double king reportedly was the centerpiece of a deal involving Pacers stars Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.

The Lakers missed the playoffs last season -- finishing with a 33-49 record, 11th worst in the Western Conference, but George is predicting a return to the playoffs with the trio of Russ, LeBron James, and (a healthy) Anthony Davis leading the way.

"I think they can get into being a dangerous team come playoff time," the three-time NBA champ said. "Once playoff time comes, I think they'll be able to make some noise."

Adelaide 36ers stars Craig Randall and Robert Franks put the basketball world on notice after beating the Phoenix Suns in a preseason game ... and now, the hoopers tell TMZ Sports they hope their stellar performances eventually lead to NBA jobs.

26-year-old Randall -- the G League's Most Improved Player in 2022 -- led the way with 35 points for the 36ers ... going 9-17 from three and 13-21 overall from the field.

Franks, 25, also added 32 points on 6-10 from three and 11-20 overall ... as the 36ers stunned the Suns, 134-124.

We spoke with Randall and Franks about the big win ... and Randall says while the rest of the world was shocked with the end result, they weren't.

"We came out, we did what we thought that we could do and we wanted to do and the outcome turned in our favor," the former Memphis and UT Martin star tell us.

Franks -- who played college ball at Washington State -- says the 36ers have had several practices recently where all the players were constantly hitting their shots ... so they knew if they were able to click during a game, it would be bad news for their opponents.

"Last night, we all got clicking and it got scary," the former Orlando Magic player added. "That feeling was crazy, just to feed off each other."

Both Randall and Franks make it clear they're proud to be members of the Adelaide 36ers organization ... but naturally, they see their preseason games as an opportunity to show NBA scouts what they can really do on the court -- and they hope they get that shot one day.

Devin Booker is clapping back at the haters after the Suns lost to an Australian basketball team on Sunday ... by posting LeBron James' infamous reaction to losing the 2011 NBA Finals.

Booker and the Suns -- who played all five starters -- lost to the Adelaide 36ers, 134-124, in their first preseason game ... the first time an NBA team lost to a National Basketball League team.

After the L, Book posted a screenshot of LeBron's viral speech following the Heat's Finals loss ... adding the caption, "Mood."

Remember, LBJ was asked if he was bothered by fans rooting for his downfall ... and the King offered an honest, candid response -- but it was met with backlash for how it came across.

"At the end of the day, all the people that's rooting for me to fail, they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today," James said.

"They can get a few days or a few months on being happy about not only myself but the Miami Heat not accomplishing their goal, but they have to get back to the real world at some point."

James would clarify his comments a few days later ... stating he wasn't saying he was superior to others, but rather everyone has to move on with their lives, good or bad.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says Kyrie Irving has done something "more destructive, insensitive, and just plain silly" than his COVID-19 vax stance ... going off on the NBA superstar for sharing a controversial Alex Jones video on social media.

The Brooklyn Nets guard came under fire last month after reposting a 2002 clip of the "InfoWars" host ranting about a New World Order that would release plagues into society for financial gain ... which featured the caption "Alex Jones Tried To Warn Us."

Irving's Jones endorsement came weeks after the talking head apologized in court for claiming the Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax ... so the timing was a bit odd to say the least.

Now, KAJ is weighing in on Irving's actions ... saying if it weren't for young basketball fans, he'd be "dismissed as a comical buffoon."

"Alex Jones is one of the most despicable human beings alive and to associate with him means you share his stench," the Lakers legend said on his website.

"When I look at some of the athletes who have used their status to actually improve society-- Colin Kaepernick, LeBron James, Muhammad Ali, Bill Russell, Billie Jean King, Arthur Ashe, and more -- it becomes clear how much Irving has tarnished the reputations of all athletes who strive to be seen as more than dumb jocks."

Abdul-Jabbar says people shouldn't just scoff at Irving -- there should be action -- and he wants those outraged to write to the All-Star's sponsors to demand they cut ties with him.

"Irving does not seem to have the capacity to change, but we have the capacity to keep fighting against his brand of destructive behavior."

FYI -- Irving's deal with Nike is most likely up after this season, but KAJ points out he still has deals with Pepsi and 2K Sports.