NBA

After 235 days away from the NBA hardwood, Ja Morant apparently still knows his way around the hoop -- scoring the winning shot in his first game back!!

The Grizzlies superstar had been barred from the court to start this season while serving a 25-game suspension for a string of incidents involving gun-related social media videos ... but in his return against the Pelicans on Tuesday night, his presence was felt right away.

He logged 34 points and 8 assists on the road game in New Orleans -- but, most importantly, he nailed a floater in the lane with no time left in regulation to win the game for Memphis, 115-113.

And, afterward, he had a big-time message for his haters ... saying simply as he ran into the locker room, "I kept receipts!"

Morant, of course, had developed a bevy of critics after he was seen on social media waving around a gun not once, but twice. He had also been accused last year of attacking a teenager during a pickup game at his home. It all eventually led to NBA commish Adam Silver sidelining him.

But, Morant took all the steps the NBA and the Grizzlies required for him to rejoin the team ... and after his big night against the Pels, he said there were certainly some low points while he was away from his teammates.

"I haven't played a game in eight months," he said. "I had a lot of time to learn myself, a lot of hard days where I went through it. But, you know, basketball is my life, what I love. It’s therapeutic for me and I'm just excited to be back."

The L.A. Lakers got a visit Monday night from a fan that was so furry and so cute -- even the game's broadcasters just had to take a paws to stop and recognize him!!

The Lake Show's No. 1 K9 supporter was none other than Brodie The Goldendoodle -- a doggo who's gained so much notoriety over the past few years, he's garnered 1 million followers on Instagram.

Somehow, the pup scored one of the best seats in the house for L.A.'s contest against the Knicks at Crypto.com Arena -- snagging a chair that was actually so good, it might have been better than Timothée Chalamet's.

And, the ball of fuzz certainly took advantage of the center-court spotlight ... dancing his tail off so hard during a break in the action, he actually caught the attention of ESPN play-by-play man Mike Breen.

"That's Brodie," Breen said on live television as the dog waved its legs in the air. "I've never seen this in 30-plus years!!"

Brodie, of course, is used to the limelight by now ... the 3-year-old's owner and he have trekked all over the country together while hitting sporting events sporadically.

In fact, he's been a star at Marlins games and Heats games in the past -- though apparently he's big into L.A. too ... 'cause he rocked an Austin Reaves shirt for most of the Lakers' contest vs. NY.

But, Monday did have a bit of a ruff ending for Brodie ... as LeBron James and co. couldn't get him a win, falling to the Knicks, 114-109.

The Los Angeles Lakers have officially hung up a banner to celebrate their In-Season Tournament Championship ... and, as expected, it was met with some serious mixed reviews.

The team revealed Monday night the flag will stay in the rafters at Crypto.com Arena for the foreseeable future ... something that ain't exactly sitting right with plenty of fans of the storied NBA franchise.

After all, the team's won SEVENTEEN world championships -- and as you can hear in video from the pregame banner-raising ceremony prior to the contest against the Knicks, when L.A. officially hung the IST title keepsake, Lakers supporters didn't seem thrilled.

There was merely a smattering of applause ... and even LeBron James and his teammates didn't look all that pumped while watching the festivities from the court.

Of course, there were some who liked it, including Metta World Peace -- who told TMZ Sports last week he was definitely in favor of keeping the memento at the Lakers' home facility.

Several celebs in attendance at the game didn't seem to mind it much either ... Timothee Chalamet was all smiles in his courtside seat -- although his New York ballcap showed he probably could care less what L.A. does when it comes to decorating its arena.

Kevin Bacon, Dustin Hoffman, Mookie Betts and several other A-listers were there too ... and while it's not entirely clear what their stances were on the banner -- we take it they probably don't care much either way.

"Mob Wives" star Renee Graziano is 40 days sober following a stint at a Texas rehab ... and is now continuing to receive treatment thanks to the assistance of Lamar Odom.

A rep for Renee tells TMZ she's now focusing on trauma therapy at Lamar's wellness facility -- which aims to fight substance abuse, a cause near and dear to Lamar following his own near-fatal overdose in 2015.

A rep for Lamar says he actually reached out to Renee via IG when she made headlines for her rehab stay in November ... telling her if she needed anything while in treatment, to just let him know.

We're told the ex-NBA star also informed her of the services offered at Vanity Wellness Treatment Center, his facility in Sherman Oaks, CA.

Two weeks ago, Renee reached back out to Lamar ... saying she needed treatment for extensive trauma, and the program she currently was in at that time didn't offer that type of care.

Lamar immediately put the gears in motion ... connecting Renee with admissions for his facility -- and she checked in last Thursday after flying to Cali from Texas.

So far, so good ... Renee is loving the program and plans on staying for another 60+ days while working on her mental health, sobriety and physical health.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is clearly recovering nicely after breaking his hip during a nasty fall last week -- 'cause he's now firing off jokes about the situation, calling himself "Humpty Kareem!"

The NBA legend shared an update on his status on his Substack page on Monday ... revealing he was actually on his way to delivering a speech at The Manhattan Transfer's concert on Friday at Disney Hall in Los Angeles when the spill happened.

"I'd like to say I fell while trying to save a child from plunging over a balcony," he wrote, "but I just tripped."

"Hard for me to accept that a once world-class athlete just stumbled. But age is the great equalizer and humbles us all."

The 76-year-old, though, shared a snap of him in a hospital bed with a huge grin -- appearing to show that his rehab is moving smoothly.

Abdul-Jabbar also thanked all the first responders who cared for him after he went down ... and he vowed to be up and at 'em again shortly.

"All my best to you from my hospital bed," he wrote. "Me and my new hip will be dancing to [The Manhattan Transfer's] tunes again."

"Well," he continued, "gently swaying."

Anthony Edwards is breaking his silence after a woman claimed he told her to get an abortion ... saying his comments were made "in the heat of a moment" and do not reflect his beliefs.

The 22-year-old Minnesota Timberwolves star was put on blast in a series of social media posts this weekend ... with user Paige Jordae, who has more than a million followers, sharing a recent text conversation that she says lays out Edwards' wishes to terminate her pregnancy.

The woman also shared a screenshot of a $100,000 wire transfer appearing to be from the former No. 1-overall pick after providing proof of the procedure.

Edwards seemingly owned up to it all on Monday ... releasing a statement on the matter saying, "I made comments in the heat of a moment that are not me, and that are not aligned with what I believe and who I want to be as a man."

The All-Star guard continued in a post on X, "All women should be supported and empowered to make their own decisions about their bodies and what is best for them."

"I am handling my personal matters privately and will not be commenting on them any further at this time."

Draymond Green will reportedly miss at least the next nine-or-so Warriors games ... this after beginning counseling following his second suspension of the 2023-24 NBA season.

The Golden State star has been barred from the hardwood since Dec. 13, after he hit Jusuf Nurkic in the head in a heated moment during the Dubs' Dec. 12 game against Phoenix -- and according to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the ban will now go through at least the early part of January.

Charania reported Monday morning Green has begun getting professional help while sidelined ... adding that the 33-year-old forward "has been understanding and prepared to undergo the process required to return to the team in a full capacity."

Green has yet to issue a public statement on the suspension ... though his head coach, Steve Kerr, said last week the ban "makes sense."

"The one who choked Rudy [Gobert], the one who took a wild flail at Jusuf [Nurkic], the one who punched Jordan [Poole] last year -- that's the guy who has to change," Kerr said.

"You look at the past year and what's happened," the coach continued, "it's clear he needs the opportunity to change."

Eric Montross -- the ninth overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft -- has passed away after a battle with cancer, his family announced Monday.

He was just 52 years old.

Montross was a star for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels ... winning a national championship in 1993 before playing eight seasons in the pros for the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors.

"The family of Eric Montross (Laura, Sarah, Andrew, and Megan) is announcing that he passed away on Sunday, December 17, surrounded by loved ones at his home in Chapel Hill," a statement released by UNC said.

"Eric was diagnosed with cancer in March 2023, and his family is grateful for the tremendous support and the truly overwhelming love expressed by so many people as he battled with his signature determination and grace."

"They also thank the many members of the medical community -- and particularly those at UNC Lineberger Cancer Center -- who matched his fight with equal passion. To know Eric was to be his friend, and the family knows that the ripples from the generous, thoughtful way that he lived his life will continue in the lives of the many people he touched with his deep and sincere kindness."

Montross was an All-American for UNC ... and received All-ACC honors in 1993 and 1994.

Chance Comanche, an NBA player who's spent the majority of his basketball career in the G League, has been arrested ... after officials say he helped murder a woman -- and then dumped her remains in a desert.

Comanche was thrown behind bars in the case on Friday -- following a lengthy investigation into the disappearance of Marayna Rodgers by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

According to the LVMPD, two individuals told officers on Dec. 7 that Rodgers had gone missing -- and a short time later, cops say they discovered the woman had scheduled a meeting with Comanche and his 19-year-old girlfriend, Sakari Harnden, on Dec. 5 -- but had not been seen or heard from since.

The LVMPD says early on in the investigation, its detectives "suspected foul play" in the case and sought to arrest both Comanche and Harden for kidnapping.

On Dec. 13, Harnden was booked in Las Vegas ... while Comanche -- who was playing this season for the G League's Stockton Kings -- was taken in by FBI agents in Sacramento two days later.

However, the LVMPD says following the arrests, officers were able to gather more information in the case and discovered Rodgers' remains in a desert area in Henderson, Nevada.

LVMPD detectives say they believe both Comanche and Harnden were responsible for her death -- and now, they say the two will be facing murder charges.

Comanche, a 27-year-old, 6-foot-10 center, first joined the G League in 2017 after going undrafted out of the University of Arizona ... and after spending time with multiple teams -- including the Stockton Kings -- he eventually made his debut in the NBA for the Portland Trailblazers last season.

This year, he rejoined the Stockton squad ... though he was cut following his arrest on Friday.

Let the haters hate, but Metta World Peace is all about the Lakers honoring their In-Season Tournament win with a banner ... telling TMZ Sports the accomplishment now gives L.A. bragging rights over the Boston Celtics!!

The Purple and Gold are reportedly hanging a memento in the Crypto.com Arena rafters to commemorate their recent title ... which was met with mixed reviews, considering the tourney doesn't hold nearly as much weight as winning the Finals.

We spoke with Metta -- a 2010 NBA champ -- about the move ... and he tells us he's a big fan!!

MWP explains he thinks being the first-ever IST MVP means a lot for LeBron James' legacy ... and while he still considers himself a Michael Jordan stan, he praised the King for maintaining his dominance at 38 years old.

In fact, Metta says he sees LeBron playing at least 25 seasons ... which should earn him George Washington's spot on the quarter!!

Cam'ron slid into Nia Long's DMs over a year ago trying to holler, and it looks like he finally got his shot this weekend -- 'cause they linked up at a big shindig ... and took pics!

The rapper-turned-podcaster/TV host has been documenting this saga for a while -- way back in October 2022, he posted screenshots of some messages he sent Nia on IG ... this not too long after her messy split with Ime Udoka and that whole Celtics drama.

Anyway, it was a lengthy shot across the bow, where he's singing her praises ... and eventually just comes out with it and says he thinks they'd make a great couple together.

Apparently, NL never responded to that DM -- something Cam'ron made sure to tell his followers a couple weeks ago -- but now, some 14 months after the fact ... they finally got a chance to meet at Rich Paul's birthday party in L.A., where they hugged, talked and posed.

Here's the thing ... Nia actually posted this photo of the two of them cheesing first, but then took it down from her page -- but Cam'ron most certainly kept his version up, and added some extra ones to boot ... probably just to prove to everyone he had, in fact, seen her.

No word on whether this might lead to anything romantic, or if it's just a friendly hi-bye.

We actually got Nia out somewhat recently and asked her about this whole thing, and all she had to say to us (and to Cam, we suppose) was ... oh, hi there! Sounds like he got his in-person hello too.

Lord knows she's one of the most eligible bachelorettes in town these days -- aging like fine wine -- and has been one of Hollywood's most-coveted dames for a good long while.

Jeezy seemed to have his moment a month ago ... maybe now it's Cam's time to shine.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar took a nasty spill at a concert in Los Angeles -- and the NBA legend ended up in the hospital with a broken hip, TMZ has learned.

His rep, Deborah Morales, tells us ... Kareem was attending the show Friday night -- but it was unclear who was performing and where. Anyway, the former Lakers star center accidentally fell to the floor, shattering his hip.

Paramedics quickly responded and transported Kareem to the hospital for treatment.  His condition was not disclosed.

Morales said Kareem was "deeply appreciative" of the support he received from the Los Angeles Fire Department on site and the "amazing medical team and doctors at UCLA Hospital who are taking great care of (him)."

Based on what his rep is saying, it sounds like Kareem is going to be OK.

Offset estuvo de fiesta en Miami hasta las 5 AM para celebrar su 32 años sin ninguna preocupación en el mundo. Todo, mientras su esposa Cardi B claramente estaba muy molesta en casa por el estado de su matrimonio.

Offset no solo tuvo una, sino dos fiestas de cumpleaños el jueves. Primero él y su equipo fueron vistos dentro de un lugar muy popular en el Miami Design District, el 'Coco Miami' hasta las 3 AM y luego en un club de South Beach llamado 'Playa' hasta las 5 AM.

Offset usó gafas de sol toda la noche, mirando sin inmutarse en las dos fiestas y estuvo rodeado de mujeres, con una furgoneta llena de ellas.

También asistieron a la fiesta el productor Southside, el hijo de Diddy, Justin Combs, Ari Fletcher y los jugadores de los Miami Heat Jaime Jaquez Jr. y Thomas Bryant.

Ahora sabemos que Offset estaba celebrando como un hombre soltero. Cardi se descargó explosivamente en un directo de IG, que deja bastante claro que su relación ha terminado.

Ella acusó a su marido de jugar con ella y "de sentirse muy orgulloso de él" por su nuevo álbum en solitario, el que ella le ayudó a promover.

Offset partied in Miami until 5 AM to celebrate his 32nd birthday without a care in the world -- while his wife, Cardi B, was back at home clearly upset over the state of their marriage.

Offset had not one but two birthday bashes Thursday ... he and his crew were seen inside the Miami Design District hotspot 'Coco Miami' until 3 AM and then hightailed it to South Beach club 'Playa' until 5 AM.

Offset wore shades all night, looking unbothered at both of the parties as he was surrounded by women -- complete with a sprinter van full of 'em.

Also in attendance at the party was producer Southside, Diddy's son Justin Combs, Ari Fletcher and Miami Heat players Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Thomas Bryant.

We now know Offset was celebrating as a single man ... Cardi went live on IG in an explosive rant that pretty much signaled their relationship is over.

She accused her estranged hubby of playing mind games and "feeling himself" because of his new solo album -- which she helped him promote.

Just call Kyle Kuzma Santa Claus ... 'cause the NBA star decided to give back by delivering 20,000 essential goods to families in Flint, Michigan and Washington D.C. for the holidays!!

TMZ Sports is told ... the Washington Wizards forward -- who signed a $102 million deal in June -- took it upon himself to leave a huge impact through his Kyle Kuzma Family Foundation's Golden Ticket initiative.

We're told the 28-year-old gifted 20k items to families in Flint and D.C. ... and the delivery included clothes, essential home goods, water and toys for the kids.

Kuzma kicked things off earlier this month in Flint with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department ... going door to door and handing out 10,000 items -- including water from Pathwater.

Kuz also made deliveries in the nation's capital on Thursday with 10,000 more units ... in partnership with Good Projects, Hearts of Empowerment Washington Wizards and Zapps Wholesale.

We're told D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser was so moved by the gesture, the basketball player was recognized with a proclamation.

This isn't the first time Kuzma made an amazing donation to those in need ... during Thanksgiving weekend, he donated $60k worth of clothing to female inmates at the county jail in Flint.

It's a gesture that was important to Kuz, as he recently partnered with I.G.N.I.T.E. and R.I.S.E., two jail reforms that support incarcerated women to re-enter society.

Kuz also gave 15 single mothers in Flint a $1k shopping spree for the holidays.

Steve Kerr apparently sees no issues with the NBA's choice to hit Draymond Green with an indefinite ban this week ... saying Thursday his star player's recent behavior just needs to change.

The Warriors head coach opened up on the suspension that Adam Silver levied on his star player earlier this week -- and he made it clear, he's in favor of the lengthy timeout.

"The one who choked Rudy [Gobert], the one who took a wild flail at Jusuf [Nurkic], the one who punched Jordan [Poole] last year -- that's the guy who has to change," Kerr said.

"You look at the past year and what's happened," the coach continued, "it's clear he needs the opportunity to change."

Kerr explained to media members that for much of Green's career, he's not had issues with the power forward ... saying he believes most of Draymond's outbursts prior to 2022 included tolerable yelling at refs or innocuous ball throwing.

However, Kerr said the behavior he's displayed in the last year -- which most recently included taking a swipe at Jusuf Nurkic's face during an altercation in Tuesday night's Warriors vs. Suns game -- just cannot continue.

"To me, this is about more than basketball," Kerr said. "It's about helping Draymond. I think it's an opportunity for Draymond to step away and to make a change in his approach and his life."