NBA

Shaquille O'Neal is living up to his "Superman" moniker ... just days after the NBA legend had his hip replaced, he's already back in the gym working out!

The Hall of Famer shared video of himself walking into a gym using a crutch on Sunday, before sitting down at a machine and pumping out some arm/chest exercises.

"Bout to get my game back," Shaq wrote in the caption. "All you old dudes that hoop in @24hrfitness @lafitness @lifetimefitness I’m coming for yall."

It's pretty impressive when you realize the 51-year-old just went under the knife a week ago. As we previously reported, Shaq had been dealing with hip issues and is on the mend after successful surgery.

Shaq initially caused a bit of a panic when he shared a photo of him lying in a hospital bed, so fans will be happy to see him working out.

It's unclear exactly when The Big Fella will return to his "NBA on TNT" gig, though on his "The Big Podcast With Shaq" he said he planned to return by April 16.

The 4-time NBA champ also said he's going on a diet to lose weight ... and get an 8-pack.

Larry Johnson loves what he sees with the NY Knicks (granted, we talked to him before the Magic loss) ... and says if they keep hooping like they've been, he sees Jalen Brunson's squad making a run in the playoffs!

"I'm very happy with what we look like this year," the Knicks legend told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) earlier this week.

"I do believe Jalen is the best player or he's definitely the most valuable, running the team and getting the people to their right spots."

Brunson -- who Johnson calls "nephew" (LJ was teammates with Jalen's dad, Rick Brunson) -- has been playing lights out since signing with New York for $104 million last July. At the time, pundits called him overpaid. Now, it's called one of the most team-friendly contracts in the sport.

Jalen's averaging 23.8 points, 6.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game.

During the season, the Knicks traded for Jalen's former Villanova teammate, Josh Hart ... and Johnson loves the move, lauding the former Blazers forward for being "a dog on defense."

"That's that New York mentality," Johnson said.

With Brunson playing like an All-Star, Hart's hustle, and the Knicks in fifth position in the East,  Johnson doesn't believe the Knicks will be a one-and-done playoff team.

But, he doesn't foresee a ticker-tape parade, either.

"Definitely don't see them winning the championship this year. I see them going far," the 54-year-old said. "I can definitely see them winning the first series."

We also asked Larry -- an NCAA champ at UNLV -- about this year's tourney and the endless shocking upsets ... like number-one seeds Purdue and Kansas, amongst other teams, being sent home early.

"I like that," the former #1 overall draft pick said. "I like it being more competitive. I mean it didn't happen as often when I was around."

"I much love this more competitive tournament than like a blowout tournament."

Luka Doncic says he hasn't been happy on the court like he used to be -- and while he's publicly citing personal problems ... Twitter seems to be blaming Kyrie Irving.

The Dallas Mavericks PG talked to the press Friday night after the team's loss to the Charlotte Hornets -- which actually spurred boos from the home crowd ... amounting to a somewhat ugly scene in American Airlines Center. HC Jason Kidd said it was deserved.

There's a lot of criticism about the Mavs' lack of effort in this game ... especially from their two big stars -- Luka and Kyrie -- who haven't been gelling that well since KI came on.

When asked if this is as frustrated as he's been, Luka answered candidly ... saying yes, and then going on to explain that he feels like his attitude toward the game has changed of late -- namely, he's simply not as excited to play and has effectively lost his love of basketball.

Reporters asked him to elaborate -- as that sounds like a clear reference to Kyrie, as he appears to be the one big change in the Mavs organization lately -- and Luka pivoted.

He said he was dealing with stuff off the court, and suggested that's what's causing the issues in his game. The Internet, however, wasn't buying that ... and jumped to the conclusion Luka was, in fact, expressing thinly-veiled frustration about his new teammate.

Kyrie also spoke to the media and was defiant when asked about the fans booing ... saying they're more than welcome to come on down and play if they think they're up for it.

Eventually, he talked about the transition to the Mavs and how bumpy it's been -- the team is currently out of playoff contention -- and he also said it's been rough getting adjusted.

KI was quoted as saying ... "[W]e're still feeling each other out in a way of getting used to each other's efforts and attitudes and temperament. And that's a real thing. That's a human thing. That's a human element. Whether people believe it in basketball or not, there's a very fine line between winning basketball games and everyone being on the same page and losing basketball games and things splintering and pointing fingers."

Lamar Odom played the role of Santa about nine months early this year ... deciding to send a bunch of gifts to a hooper in Africa -- after he was inspired by the way the man was training with beat-up gear.

The baller's name is Nkwain Kennedy, and he's gained hundreds of thousands of followers on social media the past year or so after posting inspirational videos of himself working out with destroyed basketballs and tattered kicks.

A rep for Odom says the ex-LA Lakers star caught one of Kennedy's vids recently while scrolling through Instagram ... and he was so moved by the footage, he wanted to put together a care package for the guy.

Odom got in touch with Kennedy through social media, found out his shoe size and his Cameroon address and FedExed him a box full of goodies.

We're told the present included two Wilson basketballs, Reebok Allen Iverson and Nike Giannis Antetokounmpo kicks, some Nike socks ... and a handwritten note.

"To Nkwain," Odom wrote on the card. "Love the hustle. God bless."

Odom autographed the note as well.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams will always revere Knicks legend Willis Reed for the two championships he brought to the city of New York ... but he tells TMZ Sports that Reed's perseverance in the face of adversity is what makes him an icon in NY.

We spoke to Mayor Adams just days after Reed passed away at 80 years old ... and asked what Reed's legacy means to him now that the NBA legend is no longer with us.

"Willis Reed was my guy," Mayor Adams said. "He showed the resiliency of New York. Everyone remembers that championship game. Walking on one knee. His scoring the points. He's New York."

"We may have lost him physically, but he will always be here spiritually," he added.

Reed -- a seven-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion -- passed away on Tuesday ... and had been reportedly battling congestive heart failure.

Willis -- affectionately known as "The Captain" -- won two titles with the Knicks ... but he's most remembered for playing in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the Lakers.

Reed's status for Game 7 was in question ... but the 6-foot-10 center emerged from the tunnel just moments before the deciding game started, walking gingerly onto the court -- and sent the crowd at Madison Square Garden into a frenzy.

The rest was history -- Reed delivered the Knicks their first championship in 1970 and won another chip in 1973. In 1982, Willis was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

How ironic is this -- Luka Doncic just got hit with a $35k fine on Friday ... after the NBA superstar made a money gesture toward a referee during the controversial ending of the Warriors vs. Mavericks game.

ICYMI ... the Mavericks hooper made the gesture after he missed a contested layup with 1.7 seconds left in the game at the American Airlines Center on Wednesday -- when he felt he was fouled, but didn't get a call.

Of course, Doncic's signal was clearly an expression of frustration -- after all, the Warriors got two free points in the third quarter after a questionable officiating decision ... and the Mavs ended up losing, 127-125.

Regardless of how the Mavs feel about the officiating that night, the league penalized the four-time All-Star minutes ago, saying the hand signal was an "inappropriate and unprofessional gesture."

Doncic wasn't the only Maverick pissed off at the refs  ... team owner Mark Cuban is protesting the loss, saying the officiating potentially cost them that game.

"Worst officiating non-call mistake possibly in the history of the NBA."

So yeah ... Cuban can expect a fine to come his way, too.

Mac McClung is a full-blown superstar following his incredible performance during All-Star Weekend last month -- the guy has gone from the G League to the big screen ... starring in a commercial with Vince Carter!!

The 24-year-old high-flying baller became a household name after stealing the show at the NBA Slam Dunk Contest and taking home the hardware over Kenyon Martin Jr., Trey Murphy and Jericho Sims ... which breathed life back into the event that, as of recently, lacked excitement.

Mac has been landing a ton of endorsements following his big win ... but the coolest might be his 30-second ad for the upcoming 'Dungeons and Dragons' movie that dropped on Friday -- 'cause Vinsanity himself got involved!!

Of course, Carter was also known for his rim-rattling abilities over the course of his career ... and put together one of the most iconic dunk contest performances when he won in 2000.

Naturally, Mac was nabbed to show off his dunking skills as he jumped over CGI flames in the ad ... and at the end, Vince gives the kid props on his hops -- almost like he was passing the torch to the young hooper.

BTW -- Mac is currently balling out in the G League for the Philadelphia 76ers' Delaware Blue Coats ... averaging 20 points a game this season.

Something tells us we ain't heard the last of Mac!!

U.S. Senator and former NBA star Bill Bradley is remembering his beloved teammate, Willis Reed, following the Knicks legend's tragic passing this week ... saying he'll always remember "The Captain" as "a man with great dignity and strength."

Bradley -- who served as a United States Senator of New Jersey (1979 to 1997) after retiring from the NBA -- joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) where he talked about his teammate who remained his friend long after their playing days were over.

Of course, Reed and Bradley won two titles together ('70 & '73) during their stellar careers in The Big Apple ... but Bill believes a big reason why the Knicks took home their first title in 1970 was because Reed shocked everyone and suited up for Game 7, despite being injured.

"He was a tremendous leader," Bradley said. "And, you don't always have players who so overtly put their whole career on the line for their teammates, which is what he did in 1970."

"We won the championship and it was partly inspired by Willis' courage and dedication to his team," Bradley said. "You really just felt everything elevate in The Garden."

Bradley didn't only star on the pro level ... he was one of the greatest college basketball players ever.

His alma mater, Princeton, a #15-seed, will face #6-seed Creighton in the Sweet 16 on Friday ... after the team pulled off two upset wins over Arizona and Missouri last week.

Bradley -- an AP College Player of the Year who also won Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA tourney in 1965 -- doesn't believe the Cinderella run has to end here ... he wholeheartedly believes the Tigers can win.

"They stand a great chance," the 79-year-old said.

"They're playing seemingly well. I like the team and, of course, I respect Mitch a lot and it's great for the university."

Now, the Senator isn't guaranteeing Princeton's going to the Final Four, but like he says ... "anything is possible in sports."

Chevy Chase met LeBron James for the first time Wednesday night at the Suns-Lakers game -- and the two icons seemed to really hit it off, sharing a warm embrace with one another on the court at Crypto.com Arena.

Chase -- a longtime Lakers fan who frequented games during the "Showtime Era" -- was invited by Jeanie Buss and Linda Rambis, wife of Kurt Rambis, to attend the Western Conference showdown between Phoenix and L.A.

Chevy didn't get to see LeBron play -- King James is still sidelined with a foot injury -- but the 79-year-old comedian got some face time with the Lakers superstar nonetheless ... and the guys really seemed to enjoy their interaction.

Chase hit up the game with his agent, Darren Prince -- and when he wasn't chatting with LeBron, he was taking pics courtside with Jeanie, and her fiancé, actor/comedian Jay Mohr.

Chevy wasn't the only legend at the game ... rapper Lil Wayne and NFL free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. were also courtside watching Devin Booker and Chris Paul go at it with Anthony Davis.

Mark Cuban ripped the NBA refs who officiated his team's Wednesday night game against the Warriors, accusing the crew of screwing up a critical call in a crucial game, potentially costing the squad a win (and maybe even a playoff berth), and now his Mavs are protesting the 127-125 loss.

The call in question went down in the waning moments of the 3rd quarter at American Airlines Arena in Dallas, when Warriors center Kevon Looney had an uncontested dunk on an inbound out of a timeout because the Mavs were lined up on the wrong side of the court, which Cuban blames on the refs.

"For those wondering about the play with 1:54 to go on the 3rd, let me explain what happened," Cuban tweeted. "The ref called Mavs ball. The announcer announced it. Then there was a timeout. During the time out the official changed the call and never told us."

He continued ... "Then when they saw us line up as if it were our ball, he just gave the ball to the warriors. "Never said a word to us. They got an easy basketball. Crazy that it would matter in a 2-point game."

Cuban called it the "worst officiating non call mistake possibly in the history of the NBA," adding, "All they had to do was tell us and they didn't."

"There was quite a few people out of position," Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said. "It's correctable, but you first have to admit there was a mistake."

After the game, crew chief Sean Wright gave the refs side of the story, and they're saying they didn't do anything wrong.

"Initially on the floor, the original signal was in fact Golden State ball as this can be seen on video," Wright told The Athletic. "There is a second signal but that signal is for a mandatory timeout that was due to the Mavs."

And, sure enough, video seems to support what the officiating crew is saying.

Meanwhile, GSW coach Steve Kerr said he was confused when he saw the Mavs lined up on the other end of the court because he felt it was pretty clear the Warriors were getting possession of the ball.

There was clearly no love lost for Ja Morant in Memphis during his recent suspension ... 'cause the second he returned to action for the Grizzlies, he was greeted with a massive standing ovation.

Ja -- after sitting out nearly the entire month of March for posting a video that showed him brandishing a gun at a Colorado gentleman's club -- made his long-awaited return to the NBA hardwood on Wednesday night against the Houston Rockets ... and the crowd went crazy after seeing him.

He came off the bench with 3:05 remaining in the first quarter ... and the nearly 18,000 fans at FedExForum in Memphis got on their feet to show they still supported him.

And, it didn't take long for the star point guard to give them more to cheer about -- minutes after he checked into the game, he dunked all over Houston's Kenyon Martin Jr.

Some of Ja's family was in attendance for the big night -- including his father, Tee, who wore a sweatshirt with an image of Morant and the word "Redemption."

Morant ultimately played 23 minutes in the game, scoring 17 points ... helping lead Memphis to a 130-125 victory.

Patrick Beverley is channeling his inner Rocky Balboa during the NBA season ... admitting he has ZERO sex the night before games -- 'cause he wants to keep his legs fresh!!

The Chicago Bulls guard revealed his routine on Barstool Sports' 'Pat Bev' podcast this week ... when his cohost, Rone, brought up how Larsa Pippen claimed she and Scottie used to have sex four times a night during their 23-year marriage -- and asked Pat how much bangin' is too much bangin'.

That's when Pat opened up on his own sex life ... saying, "So I don’t have sex night[s] before games."

As it turns out, Pat agrees with the superstition Rocky learned from his old trainer, Mick, in the classic boxing movies ... 'cause he wants to make sure he's 100% for tipoff.

"I wanna have fresh [legs], you know what I’m saying?" he added.

Beverley admits his wife, Mandana Bolourchi, isn't too crazy about the idea ... but at the end of the day, he's sticking to his guns.

"Wifey gonna kill me, though," Pat said. "It be hard, though, because you got games every other day and s***. Shoutout to [the] wifey, man."

Beverley's strategy seems to be working ... 'cause he's been playing well after joining the Bulls in February, and they've racked up solid wins as they fight for a spot in the playoffs.

Buddy Hield has just been fined $25,000 by the NBA ... and it's all 'cause he flipped off someone during the Pacers vs. Hornets game on Monday night.

League Exec Joe Dumars announced the punishment for the Indiana star on Wednesday afternoon ... after he was spotted shootin' the bird not once, but twice while on his team's bench.

The incident occurred with 11:30 left in the second quarter of the game ... as Hield was sitting next to Tyrese Haliburton.

Cameras showed Buddy appeared to be locked in on something ... before he discreetly tried to flash his left middle finger. Eventually, he just let the single-barrel salute fly.

Unclear who Hield was flipping off or what caused him to make the gesture ... but he seemed to crack a sly smile in the video, so it's possible it was all in jest.

Scary moment for Paul George on Tuesday night ... he suffered a gnarly knee injury in the Clippers' game against the Thunder -- and his status going forward is now in question.

George hurt his leg in the fourth quarter of the contest against OKC -- as he was coming down from grabbing a rebound.

Broadcast cameras showed when he landed on the court, he awkwardly bumped into Luguentz Dort ... causing his knee to bend backward.

The 32-year-old immediately crumpled to the court in pain. Trainers tended to him for several minutes, before they helped him off the floor. George didn't appear able to put any pressure on the leg.

Clips head coach Ty Lue didn't have much of an update on his star after the game -- but, reportedly, George was seen leaving Crypto.com Arena on a cart with his leg locked in an extended position.

Of course, George is no stranger to severe injuries ... back in 2014, he suffered a gruesome broken leg while playing for Team USA. The knee he injured Tuesday was a part of that same leg, though the two ailments don't appear to be related.

The Clippers ended up losing the game without George -- and they'll certainly need him moving forward if they want to avoid more of that ... they're currently in a fight with seven or eight other teams vying for some of the last spots in the playoffs.

Get well soon, PG.

Kevin Garnett revealed he squashed his beef with former teammate Ray Allen because of Kobe Bryant ... saying the tragic and unexpected death of the NBA icon made him realize life's too short to be angry.

Quick refresher ... Allen, KG, and Paul Pierce were teammates with the Boston Celtics, where they won the NBA title together in 2008.

However, their Big 3 was split up when Ray left for the Miami Heat in 2012 ... a move that really pissed off KG, who felt some type of way when the 10-time All-Star chose their conference rival over him and Paul.

"What made the Ray situation so prolific with us is because the structure we built in Boston, the three of us built that," Garnett told Kevin Hart on his "Cold as Balls" show this week. "So if it was one team we had an issue with, it was Miami."

"I wasn't looking at it like, better business decision for Ray, [or] Ray has a chance to get another ring -- I ain't take on none of that! I was in my own feelings!"

But, when Kobe passed away on January 26, 2020, it changed Garnett's whole mindset ... culminating with the former friends turned enemies coexisting together, peacefully, at the NBA's 75th Anniversary event, as well as hugging it out at KG's jersey retirement ceremony in 2022.

“The passing of Kob and all of us getting older helped me understand that life is not given to none of us," the hooper said.

"It would have f***ed with me if something were to happen to Ray and I didn’t get a chance to amend this."

"I got off the bulls***."

Dak Prescott's plant leg just got a whole lot better lookin' -- TMZ Sports has learned the Dallas Cowboys superstar got it tatted over the weekend ... with tributes to his mom, brother, Kobe Bryant and more.

The quarterback hit up Andres Ortega out at Onder Ink in Arizona just days after his star wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb, got a back piece done by the artist -- and Prescott came away from the shop with a massive new tattoo.

The artwork covers nearly his entire right leg -- and it features a ton of imagery that's near and dear to the 29-year-old's heart.

The picture of the moose is a nod to his brother, Jace, who died by suicide in 2020. The photo of a Pegasus honors his mother, Peggy, who passed away from cancer in 2013.

The tattoo also pays homage to several sports icons -- there's images of a Black Mamba for Kobe, a Jumpman logo for Michael Jordan ... and a picture of Muhammad Ali.

The tat also features Daffy Duck doing Dak's signature touchdown celebration; Dallas' skyline; and a sign from the Pine Creek Estates mobile home park in Louisiana where Prescott grew up.