NBA

Zion Williamson won't be suiting up for the New Orleans Pelicans' matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday ... an announcement that came just a few hours after his pregnant girlfriend posted a picture from a hospital bed.

The 23-year-old former No. 1 overall pick was officially listed as "out" for the road contest for "personal reasons" ... and his partner's recent social media activity might explain what exactly sparked his absence.

Zion and his lady, Ahkeema, announced back in June they were having a baby girl with a lavish gender reveal party ...  and she recently stated she was 38 weeks along in her pregnancy.

So, there's a chance Williamson's first child could be here soon -- if not already -- and naturally, he'd want to be around his girl for the monumental moment in his life.

Of course, Zion was over the moon when he first went public with his upcoming fatherhood ... even sending his future kid a special message.

"My baby, you’re going to see this at some point," Williamson said in a touching vid. "I don’t know what the future holds, but mommy and daddy love you."

"If you don’t know nothin' else in this world, know that mommy and daddy love you -- for life."

Jeezy se sentó con Nia Long para conversar una hora sobre diferentes temas de peso, incluyendo su divorcio de Jeannie Mai, aunque muchos espectadores piensan que él todavía está hablando en clave sobre la separación.

Según Jeezy, él y Jeannie probaron sesiones de asesoramiento para arreglar lo que él consideraba estaba roto en el matrimonio, pero en última instancia, le dijo a Nia que el daño ya estaba hecho y que el mejor curso de acción era ser responsable consigo mismo.

También expresó lo triste que estaba por la situación, pero en realidad nunca explicó exactamente por qué le pidió el divorcio a Jeannie.

Seamos realistas, eso es lo que los fans realmente quieren saber, sobre todo después de sentarse una ver una hora de conversación.

Claramente, Jeezy no está listo para soltar esas pepitas todavía, lo cual tiene sentido si tenemos en cuenta que su divorcio no se ha resuelto todavía.

Como informamos la semana pasada, Jeezy acaba de lanzar su doble álbum de 29 canciones, "I Might Forgive ... But I Don't Forget", en el que destaca la canción "Don't Cheat", un tema que repitió a lo largo de la entrevista.

Por otro lado, tanto Jeezy como Nia hablaron mucho de su traumática educación y de sus fallidas relaciones. Actualmente, Nia está luchando por la custodia de su hijo con su ex, Ime Udoka, después del escándalo de engaño a principios de este año.

Nia también admitió haber salido únicamente con traficantes de drogas en el instituto, lo que le dio una perspectiva diferente sobre los hombres.

Jeezy sat down with Nia Long for an hour-long conversation about several weighty topics -- including his divorce from Jeannie Mai -- but many viewers think he's still speaking in code about the split.

According to Jeezy, he and Jeannie attempted counseling sessions to fix what he deemed was broken in the marriage ... but ultimately he told Nia the damage had been done and being "responsible for himself" was the best course of action.

Jeezy expressed how he was saddened over the situation, but never actually explained exactly why he filed for divorce from Jeannie.

Let's keep it real, that's what fans really wanted to know -- especially after sitting through the entire hour-long chat.

Clearly, Jeezy's not ready to give up those nuggets just yet, which makes sense when you consider the divorce isn't settled yet.

As we reported last week, Jeezy just dropped his 29-track double album, "I Might Forgive ... But I Don't Forget," highlighted by the song "Don't Cheat" ... a theme he kept reiterating throughout the interview.

On the flip side, both Jeezy and Nia unpacked a lot about their traumatic upbringings and failed relationships. Nia's currently battling for custody with her ex, Ime Udoka, after his NBA cheating scandal earlier this year.

Nia also admitted to solely dating drug dealers in high school, which gave her a different perspective on men.

How do you make 6'4" Tom Brady look short? Stand him next to rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama ... who happens to be a full foot taller than the football G.O.A.T.!

The 7x Super Bowl champ shared photos of his meeting with the San Antonio Spurs rookie on Tuesday, alongside billionaire friend Michael Rubin.

Even though Wemby's height is no secret (he's around 7'4"), it's still mind-boggling to see him towering over someone as tall as Brady ... and fans got a kick out of the pics!

Brady had some fun with the caption, and even worked in a shot at former teammate Julian Edelman.

"Usually I’d make some joke here about how I think I could get 10 and 10 against you, but let’s be real… you’d send my jumper into the club level 😂😂😂," Brady wrote on IG.

"PS: @edelman11 This is how you felt all those years???"

Of course, Edelman is 5'10" ... so he's giving up about 6 inches to his quarterback.

Brady's son also got to meet the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft ... and Tom challenged anyone to see the trio in a pickup game.

"3 on 3, who's got next?!" Brady said in his IG story.

Jordan Poole is finally addressing the rumors he shelled out half a million bucks on a date with Ice Spice ... and the Washington Wizards guard says it's all fake news!!

The 24-year-old hooper's hilarious denial came during a meet-and-greet with fans this week ... when one young supporter asked him straight-up if there's any truth behind the talk of an extravagant romance with the MC.

"Definitely not," Poole said. "Definitely cap!"

If you're not aware of how this came to be, rapper Cam'ron started the drama back in May when he called out Poole -- then on the Golden State Warriors -- for his playoff performance.

"Jordan Poole, you spent $500,000 on an Ice Spice date," Cam said on his "It Is What It Is" podcast. "You’re a munch and you’re playing like a f***ing munch."

"This is not you from last year, bro. Go back to Milwaukee and figure it the f*** out and get back in the playoffs, 'cause you look crazy."

Fans ran with the $500k rumor ... especially since Ice Spice is one of the hottest female rappers out right now, and Poole had signed a four-year, $140 million extension months prior.

Poole's adamant response should be enough to clear his name of the wild rumor ... but it probably won't stop the internet trolls from sticking to it for entertainment purposes.

Poole's teammate sitting beside him thought his answer was hilarious ... but at least we now know straight from his mouth.

Let's play devil's advocate here -- Poole only denied dropping a ton of dough on a date with IS, so it's entirely possible he DID take her out ... just for much less. But it looks like she's never addressed the rumor in the first place.

Ex-NFL star Devin Funchess is keeping his hoop dreams alive ... telling TMZ Sports he's still hoping to suit up for an NBA team -- and he's putting in the work nonstop to make it happen!!

29-year-old Funchess made headlines last year ... revealing after five seasons on the gridiron, he wanted to take his talents to the hardwood.

We caught up with the 6'4", 225-pound athlete about how the process is going this week ... and it's safe to say he's dead set on making it to the Association.

In fact, he's putting his skills to the test with California's Statham Academy squad in the Asia Basket Dasmariñas Tournament in the Philippines this weekend (DF dropped 10 points, grabbed 7 boards, and had 4 blocks in their first game).

"My end goal is the NBA, get a few seasons over there just like I did in the NFL. Just to be able to compete against the best players in the world, that'll be a blessing to me. I've done it in the football realm already. And it's nothing but dedication, repetition and just having fun."

Devin -- who first dunked a basketball when he was 10 -- has been working with NBA trainers to hone his craft ... and played against pros like Michael Beasley, Amar'e Stoudemire and John Wall.

Funchess explains his unique experience as a football veteran will help bring experience to a squad -- even though he'd technically be a rookie.

But he's not looking to come in the league and be LeBron James -- Funchess says he's just looking to make an impact and help teams win.

Of course, basketball was Devin's first love ... but after an issue with his coach in his junior season of high school ball, he switched his focus to football. He went on to play at Michigan before suiting up for the Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts.

Adam Silver is lovin' the NBA's new collaboration with Kim Kardashian's SKIMS underwear brand ... so much so the commissioner was actually wearing 'em when TMZ Sports spoke with him this week in NYC!

We caught up with the 61-year-old commish just days after the NBA announced its multi-year partnership with SKIMS MENS ... which Kardashian recently introduced.

In fact, KK used OKC star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as one of the models for the SKIMS MENS launch ... in addition to Neymar Jr. and Nick Bosa. The line did millions of dollars in sales in minutes upon launch.

But, is the product any good? Silver's clearly a big fan!

"Although I'm not going to show you, I'm wearing them right now," Adam told us.

"I strongly recommend them to everyone."

Silver even believes the undies could help the players perform better on the court.

"When guys are more comfortable, makes them play better," Silver said. "So yes, gonna have a direct impact on the game."

Speaking of playing better, LeBron James is fresh off a monster game ... scoring 35 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and dishing out 7 assists in 42 minutes against the Clippers.

Kayla Nicole might not be with Travis Kelce anymore, but she had no issue getting the best seats in the house when the Lakers hosted the Clippers on Wednesday -- enjoying the contest from a courtside view.

The model and fitness influencer appeared in great spirits as she celebrated her 32nd birthday a day early at Crypto.com Arena ... seemingly blocking out all the outside noise related to her ex's new relationship with Taylor Swift.

Of course, KN recently spoke out about Kelce's new romance ... saying she had to distance herself from the situation by unfollowing her good friends Patrick and Brittany Mahomes on Instagram to protect herself.

While Kayla and Travis' romance is dunzo, there was still love in the air at the game -- recently-married Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and comedian Jay Mohr couldn't help but share a kiss while LeBron James and Co. secured the 130-125 win in overtime.

The arena was packed with star power -- popular K-pop group LE SSERAFIM also got to check out the Purple & Gold in their custom L.A. jerseys ... and the Laker Girls paid tribute to the quintet by doing a dance to their hit song, "ANTIFRAGILE."

The ladies also had a special meet and greet with Laker legend Magic Johnson, who fanboyed out and asked for a pic outside the arena.

Chaewon, Kazuha, Eunchae, Sakura and Yunjin were really into the game ... going crazy for the home team after the final buzzer -- so it really was a "Perfect Night" for the group.

Actor Jeremy Renner proved once again he's doing well after his serious accident earlier this year ... smiling from ear-to-ear as he caught the action from the front row.

Other big names include Swae Lee, Latto, Mike WiLL Made-It, internet star Corinna Kopf, Jimmy Iovine and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, who might be the only celeb who didn't go home happy.

Everyone in attendance didn't get to check out the Clips' newest star, James Harden ... who wasn't available to play following his big trade from the Philadelphia 76ers.

Puede que Kayla Nicole ya no esté con Travis Kelce, pero no tuvo ningún problema para conseguir los mejores asientos cuando los Lakers recibieron a los Clippers el miércoles, disfrutando de la competencia desde una vista privilegiada de la cancha.

La modelo e influencer de fitness parecía de muy buen humor mientras celebraba su cumpleaños número 32 un día antes en el Crypto.com Arena, aparentemente bloqueando todo el ruido exterior que ha provocado la nueva relación de su ex con Taylor Swift.

Por supuesto, Kayla habló recientemente sobre el nuevo romance de Kelce diciendo que tuvo que distanciarse de la situación y por eso tomó la decisión de dejar de seguir a sus buenos amigos Patrick y Brittany Mahomes en Instagram para protegerse.

Aunque el romance de Kayla y Travis ya se terminó, el amor aún estuvo presente la noche del partido, con los recientemente casados Jeanie Buss, propietaria de los Lakers, y el comediante Jay Mohr compartiendo un beso, mientras LeBron James y compañía aseguraban la victoria 130-125 en el tiempo extra.

El estadio estuvo repleto de estrellas. El popular grupo de K-pop LE SSERAFIM también pudo ver a los Purple & Gold con sus camisetas personalizadas de L.A., y las Laker Girls rindieron homenaje al quinteto bailando su canción de éxito, "ANTIFRAGILE".

Las chicas también tuvieron un encuentro especial con la leyenda de los Lakers Magic Johnson, que se hizo fan y les pidió una foto afuera del estadio.

Chaewon, Kazuha, Eunchae, Sakura y Yunjin realmente se metieron en el partido y enloquecieron de alegría tras el pitido final, así que fue una "noche perfecta" para el grupo.

El actor Jeremy Renner demostró una vez más que se encuentra bien tras su grave accidente a principios de este año, sonriendo de oreja a oreja mientras seguía la acción desde la primera fila.

Otros grandes nombres incluyeron a Swae Lee, Latto, Mike WiLL Made-It, la estrella de Internet Corinna Kopf, Jimmy Iovine y el propietario de los Clippers Steve Ballmer, que podría ser la única celebridad que no se fue a casa feliz.

Ninguno de los asistentes pudo ver a la nueva estrella de los Clips, James Harden, quien no estuvo disponible para jugar tras su gran traspaso desde los Philadelphia 76ers.

Legendary college basketball coach Bob Knight has passed away, his family announced Wednesday. He was 83 years old.

"It is with heavy hearts that we share that Coach Bob Knight passed away at his home in Bloomington surrounded by his family," a statement by Knight's loved ones said. "We are grateful for all the thoughts and prayers, and appreciate the continued respect for our privacy as Coach requested a private family gathering, which is being honored."

"We will continue to celebrate his life and remember him, today and forever as a beloved Husband, Father, Coach, and Friend."

Knight -- AKA "The General" -- is one of the most successful coaches in NCAA history with 902 Division I wins ... leading the bench for three programs (Army, Indiana and Texas Tech) from 1963-2008.

Knight was a three-time champion as the Hoosiers' head coach ... winning it all in 1976, 1981 and 1987. He also went to the Final Four five times during his time in Bloomington.

Before becoming a coach, Knight played at Ohio State, where he helped the Buckeyes win a national championship in 1961.

At 24 years old, Knight took over at Army ... where he would coach future Duke Blue Devils legend Mike Krzyzewski. Coach K also served as Knight's assistant before going to Duke.

Knight became the Hoosiers' head coach in 1971 ... spending 29 seasons with the program, including 24 NCAA tournament appearances and 22 20-win seasons.

The Hoosiers went a perfect 32-0 en route to a national title in the 1976 season ... the most recent team to ever do so.

Knight also coached Team USA to an Olympic gold medal in 1984.

Knight -- known for his hot temper -- infamously got ejected during a game against Purdue in 1985 after getting angry over a foul call.

Knight's time in Bloomington ended in controversy -- after he was captured on video choking former player Neil Reed in 1997, the school implemented a zero-tolerance policy toward the coach ... and he was fired after student Kent Harvey accused Bobby of grabbing him by the arm for referring to him as "Knight."

Knight was hired as the Texas Tech head coach in 2001 ... where he would lead the Red Raiders to a Sweet 16 appearance in 2005.

He retired from Texas Tech in 2008 ... and his son, Pat, took the reins.

Knight coached several future NBA stars during his career ... including Isiah Thomas and Mike Woodson.

After retirement, Bobby worked for ESPN as an analyst until 2015.

Knight was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991 ... and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Knight was hospitalized back in April with an "acute illness" ... and the Indiana program asked his supporters to pray for him.

El legendario entrenador de baloncesto universitario Bob Knight ha fallecido, anunció su familia el miércoles. Tenía 83 años.

"Es con el corazón encogido que compartimos que el entrenador Bob Knight falleció en su casa de Bloomington rodeado de su familia", decía un comunicado de los seres queridos de Knight. "Estamos agradecidos por todos los pensamientos y oraciones, y apreciamos el continuo respeto a nuestra privacidad, ya que el Coach solicitó una reunión familiar privada, la cual está siendo honrada".

"Seguiremos celebrando su vida y recordándole, hoy y siempre como un querido Esposo, Padre, Entrenador y Amigo".

Knight  —AKA "The General"— es uno de los entrenadores más exitosos en la historia de la NCAA con 902 victorias en la División I, liderando el banquillo de tres programas (Army, Indiana y Texas Tech) de 1963-2008.

Knight fue tres veces campeón como entrenador jefe de los Hoosiers, ganándolo todo en 1976, 1981 y 1987. También fue a la Final Four cinco veces durante su tiempo en Bloomington.

Antes de convertirse en entrenador, Knight jugó en Ohio State, donde ayudó a los Buckeyes a ganar un campeonato nacional en 1961.

A los 24 años, Knight se hizo cargo del Arm, donde entrenaría a la futura leyenda de los Blue Devils de Duke, Mike Krzyzewski. El entrenador K también sirvió como asistente de Knight antes de ir a Duke.

Knight se convirtió en el entrenador en jefe de los Hoosiers en 1971, pasando 29, incluyendo 24 apariciones en el torneo de la NCAA y 22 temporadas de 20 victorias.

Los Hoosiers lograron un perfecto 32-0 en su camino hacia el título nacional en la temporada de 1976, el equipo más reciente en lograrlo.

Knight también entrenó al equipo de Estados Unidos que ganó la medalla de oro olímpica en 1984.

Knight, conocido por su temperamento, fue expulsado durante un partido contra Purdue en 1985 tras enfadarse por una falta.

El tiempo de Knight en Bloomington terminó en controversia luego de que fue capturado en video estrangulando al ex jugador Neil Reed en 1997, la escuela implementó una política de tolerancia cero hacia el entrenador y fue despedido después de que el estudiante Kent Harvey acusó a Bobby de agarrarlo por el brazo por referirse a él como "Knight".

Knight fue contratado como entrenador en jefe de Texas Tech en 2001, donde llevaría a los Red Raiders a una aparición Sweet 16 en 2005.

Se retiró de Texas Tech en 2008 y su hijo, Pat, tomó las riendas.

Knight entrenó a varias futuras estrellas de la NBA durante su carrera, incluyendo Isiah Thomas y Mike Woodson.

Tras su retirada, Bobby trabajó para ESPN como analista hasta 2015.

Knight fue incluido en el Salón de la Fama del Baloncesto en 1991 y en el Salón de la Fama del Baloncesto Universitario en 2006.

Knight fue hospitalizado en abril con una "enfermedad aguda" y el programa de Indiana pidió a sus seguidores que rezaran por él.

Marcus Jordan is hoping his basketball G.O.A.T. father comes around to accept his relationship with Larsa Pippen ... revealing he wants Michael to be his best man when he gets married.

The Hall of Famer's son opened up about his future plans to get hitched to Scottie Pippen's ex-wife on the "Pablo Torre Finds Out" podcast this week ... saying while it's still early on in the process, he knows who he wants by his side at the alter.

"Look, I was the best man at [Michael's] wedding and the best man at my brother's wedding, and so obviously we'll keep that tradition going," Marcus said. "It's my thoughts on it."

It's an interesting choice ... considering MJ famously said earlier this year he was not a fan of the coupling, but Marcus later insisted the Chicago Bulls legend was only joking -- claiming his father does, in fact, approve.

Regardless, Larsa said she was "traumatized" and "embarrassed" by MJ's comments ... saying she didn't find it funny at all.

Of course, the elephant in the room is the fact Marcus' pops and Larsa's ex don't see eye-to-eye anymore ... as Scottie has been public about feeling slighted and glossed over in Jordan's "Last Dance" documentary.

He hasn't shied away from dissing his former teammate ever since ... even stating LeBron James is the greatest NBA player of all time -- not MJ.

Worth noting -- it's unclear if Larcus are even engaged yet ... as the 32-year-old reiterated that their marriage plans are "in the works," but admitted they've had discussions about whether the nuptials will be televised.

Ex-NBA player Joe Smith's wife says their issues run much deeper than her OnlyFans career ... admitting they've also struggled with finances, mental health and infidelity over the years -- but she's confident she won't have to hire a divorce lawyer anytime soon.

Kisha Chavis joined Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" to address the now-viral video of the former No. 1-overall pick finding out about her NSFW side hustle ... and she admits it's just the tip of the iceberg.

As it turns out, the two have been together for nearly 13 years -- Kisha says she was an established singer overseas before getting with Joe ... and she thought their pairing had all the makings of a power couple, but it didn't go as planned.

Kisha explains they fell on hard times -- Joe was out of the league ... and while she created several new money-making opportunities, the COVID-19 pandemic left a major impact on their cash flow.

Kisha believes Joe fell into a depression after going from a top pick in the NBA to being jobless ... and instead of taking matters into his own hands and creating a second career for himself, he did nothing.

As a result, she resorted to what she had to do -- claiming it was a decision she made to improve their lives.

"I'm just sorry that he can't understand that ... it wasn't a selfish decision," Kisha says. "It was a decision that I made. I made an executive decision when my man wasn't taking the lead. I really love Joe."

Kisha claims she's had her account for more than a year ... and Joe didn't find out about it until a "friend that he's been entertaining" brought it to his attention.

She also says Joe got so pissed after finding out about it, he's currently living elsewhere.

Despite all their issues, Kisha makes it clear she wants to work on their relationship ... and believes he will have a change of heart.

Two former Sacramento Kings dancers are suing the team ... alleging one of the org's choreographers was a total creep who prevented them from making this year's dance squad.

The two dancers -- ID'ed only as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 -- filed the lawsuit against the NBA franchise in a California court on Tuesday.

Doe 1 said in the suit she was hired by the Kings in 2022 ... and a short time later, she noticed a pattern of misconduct from team choreographer Matthew Day.

According to the woman, Day would inappropriately touch dancers as he worked with them, "causing emotional discomfort." She said she went to HR over it ... but she claims in the suit "no changes were made."

Doe 1 alleged Day's unprofessional behavior continued as he remained employed by the team ... claiming Day sent her various messages on Instagram, including some that contained "flirtatious comments and emojis." She said in the suit she never engaged "in any flirtatious behavior in response."

Doe 2, who was also hired by the Kings in 2022, listed similar allegations against Day in the suit.

Both Doe 1 and Doe 2 said when they attempted to rejoin the team for the 2023-24 season ... Day was on the judges panel, much to their surprise.

And, when the two were not picked for the team following auditions -- they said in the lawsuit they were sure it was retaliation for their complaints against Day.

Both are suing the Kings and Day for unspecified damages.

Luka Doncic can apparently sink baskets with his hands AND his head ... 'cause check out this trick shot he made Monday night -- he used his noggin and got nothing but net!!

The Dallas superstar and his teammate, Dwight Powell, were messin' around before the Mavs took on the Grizzlies at the FedEx Forum in Memphis ... when they decided to put on a little show for the fans in attendance.

First, Powell threw a basketball off Doncic's shoulder ... and then he headed it back to Doncic so the point guard could finish off the Globetrotters-esque play with a header of his own.

And, after the ball crashed through the hoop ... the crowd roared, and Doncic celebrated for several moments as if he had just hit a game-winner!

Doncic then tagged Real Madrid -- the football club affiliated with his former basketball team -- clearly wanting them to take a look at his soccer skills.

Of course, this isn't anything too new for Powell and Doncic ... the guys have hit similar shots in the past, including one time last year when Powell threw down a dunk courtesy of a pass off Doncic's dome.

James Harden is going going, back back, to Cali Cali -- the NBA superstar was shipped to the L.A. Clippers in a blockbuster deal late Monday night ... officially ending all his drama with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The trade went down while many on the East Coast were catchin' Zs -- Harden, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev will join the Clips in exchange for Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Kenyon Martin Jr. and some draft picks -- including two first rounders.

The transaction was pretty much inevitable -- 34-year-old Harden made it clear he didn't want to play in Philly anymore ... claiming he felt Sixers GM Daryl Morey was a "liar."

The Beard sat out all preseason ... and when he finally showed up ahead of the season opener, the team told him to turn around and head home.

He did not play a single minute for the Sixers this season.

The Clippers will now have Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Harden and Russell Westbrook for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

It's a bit of a homecoming for Harden -- he grew up in SoCal ... playing high school ball at Artesia in Lakewood.

Ex-NBA star Gilbert Arenas seemed thrilled with the move -- saying, "CHEF HARDEN BACK HOME," on X.