NBA

Deion Sanders just received about the highest praise a coach could get ... courtesy of Shaq, who tells us Coach Prime reminds him of 11x NBA champion Phil Jackson during the epic rivalry game with Colorado State this weekend!

"When they were down 15, there was a camera that panned to Deion's face, and it reminded me of Phil Jackson. And I've always said, if the general doesn't panic, the troops don't panic," O'Neal told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (full interview airs on Tuesday's show on FS1).

Of course, Sanders' squad was down double digits to Colorado State Saturday night ... when the Buffaloes stormed back late in the 4th quarter, ultimately winning 43-35 in double OT.

Deion's demeanor on the sideline brought back memories for Shaq.

"I know exactly what the [Colorado players] are going through because when you are standing in front of someone that has an impressive resume, and you're trying to get to the level he get to, everything you say is golden. I felt that way when Phil Jackson first came to the Lakers," the NBA legend explained.

"Before [Phil] got there, me and Kobe, we got swept all the time. But when he came there and stepped in the locker room and we saw he didn't panic, so it taught us not to panic. We know that this guy knows what he's talking about."

Coach Prime's team, which won a total of 1 game last season (1-11), is now 3-0 ... and they're ranked 19th in the country.

Given the job he's done so far, Shaq believes Sanders is the best coach in the sport.

"Deion right now is the best coach in college football. You heard it here first."

We also talked to O'Neal about The Event on October 7, Shaq's third annual fundraiser ... which has raised more than $6 MILLION for children in need in Atlanta and Las Vegas!

In addition to Diesel, The Event -- hosted by The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation -- will also feature performances by John Legend and Jennifer Hudson. Ray Romano will also be in the building for the Joel McHale-hosted event.

Tickets are now on sale!

LeBron James is giving his personal review of Diddy's new project ... and it's safe to say the rap mogul got the King's approval -- 'cause Bron actually took the time to learn the lyrics!!

Well ... some of them.

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar is infamous for his backseat jam sessions whenever new music drops ... and it was only a matter of time before he gave his two cents on the Bad Boy founder's latest effort -- "The Love Album: Off the Grid," which dropped last week.

Bron went through three of his favorite tracks -- "Pick Up," "It Belongs To You," and "Brought My Love" ... vibin' out as each tune blasted in his Maybach.

James even tried his best Jacquees-esque falsetto at one point ... singing along until a fast-cadenced part of the song seemed to catch him off-guard.

The four-time champ rolled with the punches, though ... pretending to crush each word. In reality, it was more like the time he tried to do karaoke to a 6lack song.

"Man O Man!!!!!!!," James captioned his vid ... calling the project "an ABSOLUTE FKN STONE COLD VIBE!!!!!"

Adele may be a married woman again -- at least that's what the Internet thinks, yet again, after she gave her boyfriend, Rich Paul, a very significant promotion in the title department.

The singer was doing her Vegas residency show Saturday, and per usual ... she was going around chopping it up with her audience, weaving in and out of rows of seats and interviewing folks on the spot Oprah-style. What else is new, right?

However, this time around -- a slip of the tongue appears to have befallen Adele ... 'cause when a female fan asked if she could marry her, Adele said she was already hitched.

Check it out -- Adele turns this woman's marriage proposal down in hilarious fashion ... saying she's straight, and not just that, but that her "husband" was in the crowd and probably wouldn't appreciate it. She didn't say Rich's name -- but he's the only dude she's seeing.

It's unclear if Adele simply misspoke here, or if she did actually say "I do" the famous basketball agent -- who reps the likes of LeBron James and tons of other NBA stars.

We do know that Adele has spoken glowingly of Rich Paul since they first got together a couple years ago. She's even gone so far as to say she's the happiest she's ever been in a relationship with him ... so, it's easy to see her walking down the aisle with him.

This is far from the first time people have speculated on where things are between Rich and Adele. There's already been a first wave of marriage rumors dating back to last September ... when eagle-eyed fans noticed a book at her house that a title of "The Pauls."

Teyana Taylor just confirmed what folks have long suspected about her and her husband, Iman Shumpert ... their relationship is over.

The singer officially broke the news Sunday, taking to IG with a lengthy statement. She writes, "Not too much on my bestie! In all fairness, Iman and I are separated and have been for a while. To be 1000% clear, 'infidelity' ain’t one of the reasons for our departure."

She adds, "We are still the best of friends, great business partners and are one hell of a team when it comes to co-parenting our 2 beautiful children. Most importantly we are FAMILY & in the 10yrs together, 7yrs married we ain’t ever played with or about THAT."

Teyana goes on to explain that the reason she's kept this under wraps is because she's private ... and didn't feel like it was anyone's business -- a decision she's happy with as she and Iman have been able to navigate this on their terms without so much noise.

She finishes by saying ... "The only reason I’m even sharing THIS part of the chat is because the narratives are getting a little out of hand & it’s unfair to all parties involved. I hope this provided some clarity for y’all. Okay AunTey taking y’all back out the chat bye!"

Es probable que Lamar Odom vea subir mucho la factura del seguro de su carro, pues acaba de estrellar su Mercedes contra dos coches aparcados en un accidente en la madrugada.

Un representante de Lamar le dice a TMZ, que él estaba al volante cuando se metió en un accidente de carro alrededor de las 3 AM del lunes en una zona residencial cerca de su casa.

Nos dicen que Lamar estaba conduciendo a casa de un amigo en Northridge cuando se le cayó el teléfono dentro de su Mercedes, se agachó para recuperarlo, perdió el control y se estrelló contra un par de carros aparcados en la calle.

El representante de Lamar dice que su Mercedes blanco golpeó a otro coche blanco, que chocó contra otro coche aparcado delante de él.

Los airbags de Lamar se desplegaron, y por suerte él no resultó herido ni necesitó asistencia médica, aunque estaba un poco aturdido y su Mercedes; destrozado.

Se llamó a la policía de Los Ángeles, pero esta no realizó un informe policial después de atender la escena. Nos han dicho que los oficiales hablaron con Lamar y le preguntaron si había estado bebiendo, a lo que Lamar respondió que no y les dijo que se encuentra sobrio y que es dueño de centros de rehabilitación.

Los policías no realizaron ninguna prueba de alcoholemia.

Lamar luego le explicó a los policías cómo ocurrió el accidente. Los propietarios de los carros impactados salieron de sus casas y Lamar les dio la información de su seguro.

Afortunadamente, nos dicen que no había nadie dentro de los carros aparcados en el momento del accidente. Aunque el Mercedes de Lamar fue remolcado y su seguridad lo llevó a casa.

Lamar Odom is likely to see his car insurance bill go way up ... he crashed his Mercedes into two parked cars in an early morning accident.

A rep for Lamar tells TMZ ... Lamar was behind the wheel when he got into a car crash around 3 AM Monday in a residential area near his home.

We're told Lamar was driving home from a friend's place in Northridge when he dropped his phone inside his Mercedes, reached down to retrieve it, lost control and smashed into a pair of cars parked on the street.

Lamar's rep says his white Mercedes hit another white car, which bumped into another car parked in front of it.

Lamar's airbags deployed, and he wasn't injured and didn't need medical assistance ... though he was a little shaken up and his Mercedes is now mangled.

Cops were called but LAPD did not take a police report after responding to the scene. We're told officers spoke with Lamar, asking him if he had been drinking, to which Lamar said no and told cops about being sober and owning rehab facilities.

Cops did not perform a field sobriety test.

Lamar, we're told, then explained to LAPD how the accident happened ... and the owners of the impacted cars came out of their homes and Lamar gave them his insurance information.

Fortunately, we're told no one was inside the parked cars at the time of the crash ... though Lamar's Mercedes was towed and his security drove him home.

Juwan Howard underwent heart surgery on Friday ... and, thankfully, it was a success -- though the Michigan head coach will now have to be away from the Wolverines for at least the next few weeks while he recovers.

UM officials said they discovered issues in Howard's ticker following a recent routine medical check ... but Dr. Himanshu Patel at the University of Michigan Health was able to fix it all.

Howard said after the procedure he was very grateful for the care.

"My wife, Jenine, and our family appreciate the world-class care that has been provided to us," he said. "Dr. (Kim) Eagle, Dr. (Himanshu) Patel, Dr. (Stanley) Chetcuti, and all of the staff at the Frankel Cardiovascular Center are so talented and performed like champions throughout this process."

According to Patel, it'll take Howard 6-to-12 weeks to fully recover ... but he'll be able to rejoin UM's men's hoops program in 4-to-6 weeks. The Wolverines open their season on Nov. 3.

"I am going to work very hard in my rehabilitation to be stronger than ever by the time our upcoming season is upon us," Howard said.

The school announced that while Howard is out, assistant Phil Martelli will step in as interim HC.

Howard became the Wolverines' head man in 2019 after signing a five-year contract ... and since his arrival, Michigan has been to two NCAA tournaments.

Prior to his coaching career, Howard played three years at Michigan ... starring on the school's famed Fab Five team.

Jermaine O'Neal's one of the greatest Pacers ever, rocking number 7 during his 8 seasons in Indiana ... so when the 6x NBA All-Star found out Buddy Hield was switching numbers and wearing his old digit, O'Neal admitted he was bummed!

"I love Buddy and the work that he puts in. My statement has nothing to do with him," Jermaine wrote, providing a caveat for what would follow.

"It is disappointing to watch teams every year recognize and celebrate the players who have been the franchise's very best players on and off the court but yet Pacers don't. It's been confusing and disappointing to say the least!"

It's all a reaction to Hield, a former first-round draft pick (2016) who joined the Pacers in 2022, deciding to change numbers from 24 to 7.

Hield wore 24 with the Pelicans, Kings, and even Indiana last season. He also rocked 7 at Oklahoma, where he was one of the best players in the country.

During his time with the Pacers (2000-2008), O'Neal was a force on the court. He made 6 All-Star teams as a member of the Pacers, averaging nearly 19 points a game throughout his tenure with the team.

Earlier this year, the Indy Star compiled a list of the greatest players in the team's more than 55-year history, going back to the ABA in the mid-1960s ... and O'Neal was ranked 5th all-time.

Only two modern players were above Jermaine, Reggie Miller at 1, and Paul George at 4. Old timers Mel Daniels (2) and George McGinnis (3) rounded out the top 5.

Some lists even have O'Neal as high as the second greatest in organizational history, behind Reggie.

Jake Paul is showin' his support for Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on the platform that just might decide the 2024 election -- yep, one little TikTok dance can go a long way.

The boxer shared their collab Wednesday, taking a stab at a viral dance made popular by Houston Rockets' Dillon Brooks ... something that's kinda blown up online.

Jake drags politicians for not reaching out to the youth through social media, saying those trying to garner the attention of young voters are missing out on a practically untapped market. He says Vivek is all about these types of connections, however.

BTW, Vivek also spoke about the lack of social media interaction from his fellow candidates, claiming they're all just scared because of the unscripted factor.

Jake and Vivek's video has gained a lot of attention online, but not everyone's as supportive of Jake's endorsement -- one commenter called the video "a terrible idea," while a handful of others claimed Vivek lost their vote just because he worked with Jake.

Haters. Just part and parcel of the social media landscape.

Vivek and Jake's criticism of the other candidates doesn't apply to at least one Democratic hopeful -- Marianne Williamson recently told us why moving to TikTok is helping her overcome what she sees as a blatant bias on TV.

She claims the cable media outlets won't give her airtime because she's running against President Biden.

As for Vivek, it'll be interesting to see if an endorsement from Jake will really make a difference in the polls -- don't forget, he got a stamp of disapproval from Eminem last month, who blocked Vivek from using his songs at his campaign events.

A domestic violence victim advocacy group based in Houston is calling out the NBA, demanding the league institute tougher punishment when it comes to disciplining players like Rockets G Kevin Porter Jr. ... who was recently arrested for allegedly assaulting his GF.

"At what point do leagues say it has gone too far?" Houston Area Women's Center president and CEO Emilee Whitehurst told us, adding, "Surely it should have happened before now."

Whitehurst continued ... "We challenge the NBA and similar professional leagues to strengthen their domestic violence policy and to hold offenders accountable."

Of course, Porter Jr. -- a first-round pick in 2019 -- was arrested on Monday, and has been accused of hitting and strangulating his girlfriend, former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick, during the violent incident in NYC.

Kysre reportedly suffered a gash above her eye during the incident.

The NBA released a statement shortly after the arrest, and say they're looking into the alleged incident. Porter Jr. is still currently on the Rockets team.

But, perhaps not for long. There are reports stating the organization is looking to trade KPJ.

Whether there will be any takers is the question ... as it's not the first time Porter Jr. has allegedly gotten himself into trouble -- something the domestic violence org noted.

"HAWC is calling for public outcry against athletic leagues paying and promoting people with violent reputations. Porter has a longstanding reputation of concerning conduct. He has been suspended, fined, and now arrested for felony assault and strangulation."

The Houston Area Women's Center then went on to call on fans to take action and stop supporting players who allegedly engage in domestic violence.

"We need an entire community to mobilize, to not just say this is wrong, but to act."

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo says Noah Lyles was spitting facts when he claimed NBA guys aren't "world champions" after winning the Finals ... admitting he feels the track star's comments were spot-on.

The U.S. sprinter faced a ton of criticism over his take ... with guys like Devin Booker, Draymond Green and more calling out Lyles and dragging him as a result of the quotes.

But, there's at least one guy in Lyles' corner ... 'cause Giannis revealed on the "48 Minutes" podcast he felt compelled to defend the track star.

"I wanted to back him up so bad," the 28-year-old said on Tuesday.

"He received so much backlash for saying, like, the obvious, but some people don’t understand it. I don't know, maybe it's like an arrogance thing."

Giannis -- who's from Greece and played for his country before joining the Bucks in 2013 -- made his case by using soccer as an example.

"I don't think in any other sport you are called the world champions," Giannis said. "Like in soccer, which is way bigger than the NBA, more popular than the NBA, when the Champions League, the UEFA Champions League champions ... they don't say [they're] world champion."

"When they win the World Cup, they play against the USA team, they play against the teams around the world, countries around the world, then they say world champs."

Giannis -- who won an NBA Finals in 2021 -- understands the NBA is the best league in the world, but since it's only based out of the U.S. and Canada, it's really not representative of the entire planet.

"At the end of the day, for you to be a world champ, you have to beat the world," Antetokounmpo said.

Former Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic player Brandon Hunter has died, Ohio men's basketball coach Jeff Boals said Tuesday. He was just 42 years old.

Hunter -- a standout high school hoops player in Cincinnati -- was a star forward for the Bobcats, earning three first-team All-MAC conference selections and leading the NCAA in rebounding his senior season ... before being taken with the 56th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.

He played 67 games over two seasons in the Association ... scoring a career-high 17 points against the Milwaukee Bucks in 2004.

Hunter had an extensive career overseas as well ... suiting up for numerous international clubs from 2006-13 in Greece, Italy, Puerto Rico and more.

Hunter got into coaching, real estate and sports management following his playing days.

"RIP to a Bobcat Great," Boals said on Instagram minutes ago. "Gone way too soon."

Ex-NBA point guard T.J. Ford also addressed Hunter's passing on social media ... saying, "We just spoke last week. Losing a lot of my friends lately."

Details surrounding Hunter's death have not been released.

Tom Brady's talents aren't limited to the football field, 'cause the retired NFL superstar's got some serious skills on the hardwood, too -- showing off his wet jumper in a recent basketball workout!!

The 7-time Super Bowl champion put his moves on display with an Instagram video on Tuesday ... putting up shots with his eldest son, Jack, at The Summit in New York with famous NBA skills trainer Chris Brickley.

The 46-year-old is pretty impressive as he sinks shots all over the court ... even testing his luck against Jack in a friendly game of one-on-one.

Jack -- the son Brady had with actress Bridget Moynahan in 2007 -- also proved he's got range for days ... draining a couple three-point shots in front of his pops.

"Thanks for having us @cbrickley603," Brady said on IG. "I’m gonna need a few more sessions to be able to keep up with this kid soon."

FYI, this isn't the first time Brady revealed he's more than just a football player ... Tom was caught on camera years ago playing pick-up basketball with the G.O.A.T. of the sport -- Michael Jordan.

Brady has been keepin' himself busy since he retired earlier this year .... outside of family time and shootin' hoops, the future NFL Hall of Famer has become a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders and Aces, an owner of a Major League Pickleball team, and joined E1 boat racing league.

He's also an advisor for Delta Airlines.

Fernando Tatis Jr. will evoke the Mamba Mentality when the Padres visit the L.A. Dodgers this week ... 'cause the MLB star copped some custom Jordans in honor of Kobe Bryant.

TMZ Sports has learned ... El Niño hit up Stadium Custom Kicks to get some special cleats for San Diego's upcoming series at Dodger Stadium ... requesting a tribute to the late Lakers legend.

Tatis -- who signed a $340 million deal with SD in 2021 -- is now the proud owner of a truly one-of-a-kind, purple and gold pair of Jordan 1s ... decked out in around 4,750 crystals.

The cleats also feature Bryant's two retired jersey numbers on the heel -- No. 8 and No. 24.

It's fitting for Tatis to rock the Kobe kicks in the series, which kicks off Monday night ... considering Bryant hit up several Dodger games during his time in Los Angeles. He also threw the first ceremonial pitch in 2000.

Houston Rockets player Kevin Porter Jr. was arrested on Monday ... after allegedly hitting his girlfriend and putting his hands around her neck.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports the incident happened at the Millennium Hotel in New York.

We're told police responded to a call of a dispute around 6:45 AM ... and at the scene, cops observed a laceration above the 26-year-old woman's right eye and noticed there was blood on her face.

The woman -- who also complained of neck pain -- claimed KPJ struck her multiple times throughout her body during the physical altercation. EMS responded to the scene ... and the girlfriend was taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation.

Porter is currently behind bars in New York on assault and strangulation charges.

Our sources claim Porter's girlfriend was upset over how long he stayed out earlier in the night ... so she locked the doors to keep him from entering their room when he got back.

We're told KPJ eventually got into the room with help from hotel security ... and the alleged altercation ensued minutes later. Witnesses say the girlfriend ran out to the hallway of the hotel and screamed for help.

KPJ -- the 30th overall pick out of 2019 NBA draft -- has played for the Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers so far in his career ... averaging 19.2 points and 5.7 assists a game for Houston last season.

LeBron James is reportedly putting together his next super team ... recruiting the biggest names in the NBA to join him on Team USA for one last ride together at the 2024 Olympics.

The four-time champion -- who hasn't played international hoops since winning gold at the London Games in 2012 -- is actively working to assemble a roster of the league's top American talent, according to Shams Charania ... including guys like Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum, Draymond Green and Anthony Davis.

The news comes on the heels of Team USA's disappointing fourth-place finish at the FIBA World Cup ... but Shams noted James was assembling his team long before America's loss to Canada over the weekend.

Team USA could be stacked from top to bottom ... as Devin Booker, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving and De'Aaron Fox have also reportedly shown interest in donning the Red, White and Blue again.

It's pretty interesting, considering U.S. track star Noah Lyles recently found himself in a beef with NBA players over calling themselves "world champions" ... a stance he later doubled down on in an interview with TMZ Sports.

Lyles believes the NBA Finals winners aren't really "world" champs since they don't compete against other countries ... which got backlash from a ton of the league's biggest stars.