NBA

Bronny James is one step closer to becoming a college basketball star -- he just inked his letter of intent with USC ... and the occasion was so momentous, LeBron James said he shed a tear!!

Poppa James posted all about the Proud Dad moment on his Instagram page Thursday morning ... writing that he was "so damn happy" to see his 18-year-old boy put the pen to SC paper, locking him in to the Trojans for at least the 2023-24 season.

"Pops shed a gangsta 🥺😢 seeing this," LeBron wrote. "So AMAZING!! #ProudDad #BronnyGoingToCollege😱 #JamesGang👑 #FightOn✌🏾."

In his post, LeBron shared a few snaps of Bronny at his signing ceremony at Sierra Canyon H.S. on Wednesday.

In one of the photos, the teen could be seen rockin' an SC shirt with a big smile. In the other, his brother -- also wearing Trojans gear -- and mom joined him for a happy photo.

LBJ, of course, could not attend ... he's a little busy trying to beat the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals in Denver -- but it's clear as day he couldn't be more thrilled for his son's future.

The "White Men Can't Jump" remake -- starring Jack Harlow -- will pay tribute to Lance Reddick by dedicating the upcoming film to the late actor, following his sudden death.

TMZ Sports is told ... the film, a remake of the original 1992 flick, featuring Reddick in one of the leading roles, will receive an on-screen dedication ... after the actor passed away in March due to heart disease.

Reddick, best known for his work on HBO's The Wire and the John Wick movie franchise, plays a character named "Benji."

Of course, Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson starred in the OG White Men Can't Jump in 1992, and became an instant classic.

Charles “Calmatic” Kidd II, the Grammy-award-winning director of the remake, recently raved about working with Reddick while talking to the LA Times.

"As director, it was weird because I’m so used to giving actors notes. But for [Lance], I was like, “Man, I don’t have any notes. That was damn near perfect.” So I think what I learned from him was the importance of prep."

"I feel like when he came onto the set, he was just so prepared and knew exactly what to do and knew all the nuances of his character that he just knocked [it] out the park the first time. I don’t think we realize how good we had it for him to be a part of this film."

Harlow also recently opened during the movie's premiere about what it was like working with Lance, saying it "was an absolute pleasure to be around" him.

Reddick was 60 years old.

If you're trying to cop a pair of Ja Morant's signature sneakers, you'll have to look somewhere other than Nike's website, 'cause the NBA superstar's kicks are nowhere to be found in the online store days after his 2nd gun incident.

The Ja 1 athletic shoes were released on April 19, and have been very popular. However, when we looked on Nike's site Thursday morning, the Morant sneakers were not available. In fact, outside of a few t-shirts, there isn't anything Morant-related.

But, Nike hasn't totally erased Morant's sneakers. There's a new mismatched 'Hunger' colorway that's scheduled to be released on May 25 ... and it still appears in the "Upcoming" section of Nike's SNKRS app.

Other retailers like Dick's Sporting Goods, and secondary resellers like StockX and Flight Club still have Ja 1s for sale.

Morant signed a multi-year deal with Nike in May 2019, but could be in jeopardy of losing his endorsement with the world's largest athletic apparel company ... after the 23-year-old was seen holding a gun on IG live, sitting shotgun in a car, listening to music.

This comes just two months after the 2x All-Star flashed a pistol inside a Denver strip club ... again while on Instagram Live.

Ja was suspended for eight games after the March incident.

This time, the penalty will be much more severe. Morant's already been suspended from all team activities, though it's the offseason for the Grizzlies.

The back-to-back gun incidents have fans confused and even pissed off, including Michael Wilbon, who said he won't let his son wear Ja's shoes.

If retailers continue to pull the Ja 1s, even people who want to wear Morant's kicks may soon have trouble tracking down a pair.

Draymond Green is opening up about the Warriors' second-round playoff exit ... saying his squad would still be alive IF he hadn't socked Jordan Poole in the face before the season started.

Green spoke to Stephen A. Smith Tuesday night during Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and Nuggets, and was honest about where he thinks things went wrong this season.

"We're not playing right now because when you speak about the fouling, when you think about all of the slippage that we had as a team on the road, not being able to come together. None of those things happen if that doesn't happen," Green told Smith, referring to when he punched the Warriors guard in the face in October.

Draymond continued ... "None of those things happen if that doesn't happen, because the voice that I am and the departments that I lead this team in, there was a ton of slippage due to me sitting back, me not saying anything, me trying to allow that situation to play itself out and give it time to heal."

Green -- the emotional catalyst during the Warriors' dynasty -- said he felt like he lost his voice as a leader after the Poole incident ... and, as a result, it caused a "ton of slippage" throughout the season.

Green went on to say it wasn't until February that he felt comfortable being the Draymond that helped the team win four titles. But, at that point, too much time had passed, and the Dubs had developed bad habits, thwarting any possible hopes of repeating as NBA champs.

"If that slippage has been going on that long, you are who you are at that point. You've built those habits. You've built bad habits. That is who you are now. So to try to correct them then. It's like, 'OK, you may get a little better.' We did. We ended up in the second round of the playoffs but not at a championship level."

Earlier on Tuesday, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr echoed the same sentiments as Draymond during his end-of-the-season interview with the media ... saying Green punching Poole "compromised things."

"My mama keep telling me to stop, I can't -- the second time they caught me with that gun, damn, I feel like Ja Morant."

Ja Morant's recent scandal is already getting the rap treatment ... with Vic Mensa dropping some timely lyrics just days after the Grizzlies star was suspended for flashing a gun on social media for a second time.

Mensa was out in NYC on Tuesday when TMZ Sports got his thoughts on the All-Star guard brandishing a weapon on Instagram Live ... and after revealing his tongue-in-cheek bars, Vic got serious about the situation.

"I think God blessed Ja Morant, man," the "$WISH" M.C. said Tuesday. "I pray that that brother gets it together and he figures it out because he's too brilliant and so talented. He's got a gift, he's got a real gift. So, I don't want to see him have to go down that path because he's so good."

"I think God blessed him," he added. "I'm not gonna say anything to disparage him. There's enough people doing that."

Many people are starting to wonder whether Morant is trying too hard to emulate rappers like NBA YoungBoy -- the artist he was vibing along to in the most recent clip -- given his recent off-court troubles ... but Mensa makes it clear the blame falls solely on Ja, not the music.

"Ultimately, NBA YoungBoy, he's just telling his truth and doing his thing."

Some ex-NBA stars have ripped into Morant for his second gun incident ... with Stephen Jackson referring to it as a "moron move," and Chandler Parsons calling for a year-long suspension.

Ja has since addressed the gun video ... saying he knows he has disappointed those who look up to him, and promising to continue to work on himself.

Mensa said he will support Ja as he deals with his impending punishment ... and even joked about switching up his music taste.

It's a helluva night to be a Spurs fan ... San Antonio just came away with the first pick in the NBA Draft Lottery -- AKA the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes -- paving the way for the organization to draft the hottest prospect since LeBron James!!

The lottery just went down in Chicago ... and when all the ping pong balls settled, the Spurs were the last team called, which means they get first dibs on the 7'2" player from France in June's draft.

Wembanyama has impressed NBA scouts with his ability to create a shot off the dribble and run the fast break, which is rare for a man his size. He's any GM's dream come true ... and some actually consider him the most coveted prospect EVER.

In fact, we recently spoke to Sonny Vaccaro -- the man behind Michael Jordan's legendary Nike deal -- and he told us Wembanyama has the type of talent that could land him an unprecedented sneaker deal.

Of the 30 NBA teams, 14 had a chance (albeit different percentages) to land the big man, but it was ultimately the Spurs who walked away with the coveted lottery pick.

Wembanyama reacted right after the announcement ... saying he wants to win championships as soon as possible.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is clearly extremely disappointed with Ja Morant ... saying he was "shocked" to see the Memphis Grizzlies star once again flashing a firearm on social media.

The commish directly addressed Ja's latest incident before Tuesday's NBA Draft lottery on ESPN, telling the network ... "Honestly, I was shocked when I saw this weekend — that video. Now, we're in the process of investigating it."

Silver admits the footage, which appears to show Ja holding a handgun while in a car with his buddy, is grainy ... but given Morant's past, Silver says he's "assuming the worst."

The latest video comes just 2 months after Ja was seen holding a pistol on Instagram Live while at a Colorado strip club ... an incident that resulted in Morant being suspended 8 games.

Silver says he had a lengthy conversation with Ja after the first incident, with the commish making it clear to Morant why it was such a big deal and why the consequences were so severe.

The commish says Ja seemed to be taking the first incident seriously, which is why he was so shocked to see Morant waving another gun around for the cameras.

The Grizzlies suspended Ja from all activities pending the NBA's review, and it sounds like Silver will come down even harder on Morant this time.

Stay tuned ...

Steve Kerr is admitting Draymond Green's violent incident with Jordan Poole had a serious impact on the Warriors' season ... saying the practice punch broke trust and "compromised things."

The Golden State head coach was open with reporters during the team's exit interviews on Tuesday ... and he felt the players' lack of chemistry following the October altercation had the whole team facing an uphill battle all season.

"Anytime some trust is lost, then it makes the process much more difficult, and there was some trust lost," Kerr said. "That's as blunt as I can be."

"We have to get back to what has made us really successful, which is a really trusting environment and a group that relies on one another and makes each other better."

Kerr specifically mentioned the Green/Poole incident as he addressed the team's change in identity compared to previous seasons ... adding, "It's hard for that not to impact a team."

Despite what went down at the beginning of the season, Kerr says Green -- who has a $27 million player option for next year -- is vital to the team's success moving forward ... and even though the 4-time champ would have to work on his relationships in the locker room, coach wants him back.

Stephen Jackson defended Ja Morant when he flashed a gun on IG Live in March ... but the former hooper says he can't have the back of the Grizzlies superstar this time around,  calling the act "the dumbest thing he could've done."

"It's not what you do, it's what you do after. And, what you do after is not do the same thing again, like what [Ja] just did," 45-year-old Jackson said on I Am Athlete's Paper Route show.

"All the people like me that was taking up for him, that's said 'it was a mistake, he's a young kid.' We can't go to bat for him this time. This is the dumbest thing he could've done. This is a moron move."

Of course, 23-year-old Morant was suspended by the Grizzlies over the weekend after another video surfaced, showing the 2x NBA All-Star holding a handgun while in a car with his buddy.

The video comes just two months after Ja was seen holding a pistol on Instagram Live while in a Denver area strip club on March 4. Morant was suspended 8 games ... and decided to seek treatment, entering a counseling program in Florida, where he stayed for a few days.

In a sitdown interview with Jalen Rose, Ja vowed to make better decisions going forward ... though Jackson always doubted the effectiveness of the treatment Morant received in the Sunshine State.

"It's just a f**ked up situation, but you gotta really just put everything in his lap and let him deal with it. He gotta deal with everything that comes with it because he done the same dumb thing again that he act like he went and got help for," Stak said.

He continued ... "Just like I told yall, he didn't talk to nobody and get help that fast. There was no way. That was a publicity stunt. This is all on him and can't nobody defend him. I definitely won't stand up and defend him because that was the dumbest thing you could've done."

Jackson, who played 14 seasons in the NBA, says he had Ja's back before the first incident because he was once in a similar situation to Morant ... but Stephen says he learned and made changes where necessary.

"I was one guy that actually went to bat for him because I've been a guy who was thrown a lot of money at a young age and made a mistake, but I'm totally different than the person I was. A lot of people commend me on the changes I made after the mistakes I made."

Ja Morant has set social media ablaze with another apparent gun incident ... this time flashing what appears to be a weapon Saturday during an IG Live.

Morant is having fun in a car with a friend, listening to NBA YoungBoy's album. As the camera pans toward him, you see what appears to be the Grizzlies star holding a gun ... just for a second, and then the camera turns away.

Fans recorded the moment and it's making rounds on social.  What we don't know ... whether the gun's real, and whether it's his.

There was a previous incident in March with Morant and a gun ... he was at a Denver nightclub on IG Live, but later said the gun wasn't his.

This had its consequences ... Morant was suspended for 8 games without pay for the incident. However, police investigated and ended up not charging Morant with a crime. The NBA also did its own investigation and could not conclude that the gun at issue belonged to Morant. It was also unclear if he brought the gun into the club.

The 23-year-old enrolled in a Florida counseling program before returning to the court.

We reached out to a rep for the Memphis Grizzlies about the IG video taken Saturday ... so far, no word back.

A super rare card that features an NBA Logoman patch from one of LeBron James' jerseys during his epic 2016 Finals series has just gone up for sale ... TMZ Sports has learned.

PWCC officials tell us they put the card on their auction block Thursday ... and it's truly a one-of-a-kind item.

It's a Panini Eternal piece that was created just after the trading card co. scored one of LBJ's jerseys from the series against the Warriors where he came back from down 3-1 to win Cleveland's first title.

Panini cut the NBA Logoman patch from the threads -- built it into the card ... making it a true 1-of-1.

No word on what it's ultimately expected to fetch when the final gavel hits ... but PWCC exec Jesse Craig called it "one of LeBron's best cards" ever.

"Outside of some rare booklet-style cards, this is the only series of cards I am aware of that included LeBron James NBA Finals-worn jersey pieces in them," Craig said.

"It's of interest to see it go to auction right now because of the playoff battle between LeBron and Curry. That 2016 Finals is the notorious 3-1 Golden State lead that LeBron and the Cavs overcame to secure their elusive championship. This card was constructed as a monument to the victory of King James."

Bidding on the card -- which is graded Mint 9 and features James holding the Larry O'Brien trophy with a short blurb about his legendary Game 5 performance on the back -- ends on May 25.

The LA Lakers trounced the Golden State Warriors on Friday night to inch closer to an NBA Championship ... and a bevy of Hollywood stars came out to support their team.

Led by The King, Lebron James, the Lakers walloped the Warriors 122 to 101 to win Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference Semifinal matchup and advance to the finals in their division.

Needless to say, the celebs loved every moment of it as they rooted for the Lakers from their courtside seats at Crypto.com Arena in L.A. Among the boldfaced names were Leo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian, Michael B. Jordan, Jack Nicholson, Woody Harrelson, Orlando Bloom, Jack Harlow, Lewis Hamilton, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Bill Maher, Kendall Jenner and her boyfriend, Bad Bunny.

Kendall and Bad Bunny were seated side by side looking around and smiling ... Leo, as always, went incognito with his baseball cap pulled down over his face ... Jack Nicholson was enjoying the game with his son Ray ... Woody, Bill and Orlando all got together for a little chat on the sideline. And the rest of the stars were having plenty of fun, too.

Kenyon Martin has a bone to pick with Julius Randle ... and it's a weird one -- the former NBA star says it irks him when the Knicks forward kisses his wife after playoff games.

Martin unleashed the bizarre tirade against Randle on the "Gil's Arena" live stream on Thursday ... hours after the NY star was seen smooching Kendra Randle following the Knicks' Game 5 win over the Heat.

"I saw something last night at the end of the game and it bothered me," Martin said on the show. "We just got done playing a hard-fought game in a playoff series, and the first thing you do is you go kiss your wife."

"Like," he added, "that's the first thing you do?! Where's your mind at?!"

Martin said Julius should have been more focused on celebrating the victory at Madison Square Garden with his teammates ... instead of loving on his significant other.

"I'm sitting there watching the game with my wife, and I'm like, 'I love you to death,'" the 15-year NBA veteran said, "'but ain't no way in that instance I'm going to walk over. I'm going to be with my guys -- we just got done winning. I'm not even thinking about you.'"

For what it's worth, there weren't many others on the show that seemed to agree with Martin's take ... they pointed out to the 45-year-old that Kendra is Julius' most ride-or-die supporter, and deserves the postgame love.

Mark Jackson is addressing his controversial decision to leave Nikola Jokic off his MVP ballot ... apologizing to the Nuggets star and claiming it was a complete oversight.

Jackson was the ONLY media member to not include the two-time MVP in his top-five players this season ... electing to go with Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Donovan Mitchell instead.

The submission resulted in a ton of backlash ... with Charles Barkley saying, "There's one person -- I don't even know this fool's name -- didn't even have Joker in the top five. People like that shouldn't get a vote ... He's a damn idiot."

Jackson broke his silence on the matter on Thursday ... and he believes the criticism is warranted.

"Made an honest mistake with my MVP votes," Jackson said on Twitter. "My apologies to the Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokic. He’s not only a legitimate MVP candidate who deserved my vote, but he is truly one of the all time greats!"

"Again my apologies."

Jackson further explained what happened on "NBA Today" on SiriusXM ... saying he actually thought he was voting for All-NBA teams. Had he known, he claims he would have included Jokic third on his list ... behind Embiid and Giannis.

Jackson said he completely understands if the mix-up results in losing the privilege ... adding, "If you want to take away my vote or whatever, you're more than welcome."

The good news? Jackson's snub ultimately didn't matter ... as Embiid would have won regardless.

Kendrick Perkins and JJ Redick don't always see eye to eye when debating sports, but the NBA champ tells TMZ Sports he loves the idea of the former three-point sniper becoming an NBA head coach -- saying, "He knows his s***."

We caught up with Perkins at LAX, where we asked how he felt about the Raptors reportedly interviewing Redick for the open spot after they fired Nick Nurse following a disappointing season, and he gave his ESPN colleague a ringing endorsement.

"I actually love it, to be honest with you," Perkins told us. "One thing about it, he [Redick] knows his s***. Also, on top of that, man, any time you can see a former player that played the game get an opportunity to go sit in that seat, you would love to see it."

Perk said if Toronto hires Redick ahead of other viable candidates with more coaching experience, he would feel bad. Nevertheless, Perk told us he'd be happy if Redick became an NBA head coach, believing he brings value to any team's locker room.

"Obviously, he's jumping ahead of a few guys that I would love to see get an opportunity that's been waiting in line," Perk said. "Sam Cassell. Phil Handy. You hate to see it because those guys served as assistants for about 10, 15, 20 years."

"But you always want to see a guy like JJ do it. He knows his s***," he continued.

Perkins and Redick have gained popularity for their spirited back-and-forth on "First Take" about who should win the NBA MVP Award this season, but Kendrick reassured fans it's all love between him and JJ and gave the impression there's mutual respect on both sides.

Stephen A. Smith is regretting some controversial comments he made about Anthony Davis' head injury on Thursday ... apologizing and saying he was wrong.

Smith was talking to Jay Williams on ESPN's "First Take" about Davis possibly suffering a concussion during the Lakers' playoff loss to the Warriors ... when he questioned the legitimacy of the injury.

"I ain't seen nothing yesterday that made me say, 'concussion, concussion,'" SAS said. "Now I don't know if it's true or not. Did a wheelchair get him to the locker room? I'm not sure. Really? A wheelchair? That's where we are."

Davis was initially hurt after his head made contact with Warriors center Kevon Looney's arm. He seemed woozy after the blow -- and did not return to the game. Reportedly, he had to leave the courtside area in a wheelchair.

Due to the potential magnitude of Davis' wound, Smith's words were blasted by some on social media -- causing the ESPN commentator to issue a mea culpa Thursday afternoon.

"Blow back is Blow back," Smith tweeted. "Comes with the territory, peeps. I was in no way minimizing the seriousness of a concussion. I was questioning whether Anthony Davis really had one, considering the play I saw & other hits I’ve seen him absorb."

"But, bottom line, it was wrong for me to do. Period! My bad."