NBA

Both Kid Capri and Sway Calloway agree Ice Cube is a national treasure to the sports world, and his Big3 success poses no threat to the NBA's!!!

TMZ Hip Hop linked up with Kid Capri and his artists The Hoodies on a mild winter NYC day, and the legendary DJ flat out tells us the NBA should be ashamed of itself for allegedly screwing with Cube's operations.

TMZ Sports broke the story a couple months ago ... the U.S. Department of Justice launched an investigation over allegations the NBA was blocking players, owners, even referees from participating in Cube's league over concerns Big3's popularity interfered with the NBA.

While we were getting KC's opinion on the subject, Sway hilariously crashed the party and doubled down on the community's support for Cube.

The Big3 teams play in cities like Chicago, Dallas, and Brooklyn ... which Sway points out brings more jobs to those markets -- and no one's complaining besides NBA bigwigs, allegedly.

A Lil Wayne and Kevin Durant track exists ... and the rap legend just revealed it almost made it onto his most recent project with 2 Chainz, but he decided it simply wasn't time to share it to the world.

Weezy spilled the beans in a Bleacher Report interview with Taylor Rooks, who said she spoke with Durant before their sit-down ... and he let her in on their secret.

"He said he had a question -- 'Are you going to drop a snippet of you all song on the radio show?'" Rooks explained to Tunechi.

The "A Milli" rapper was caught off guard, as their duet was supposed to be "on the low" ... and Wayne hilariously called KD out for tellin' their business.

"I just want you to know you messed up," Wayne laughed as he sent a message to the Phoenix Suns superstar. "That song was being considered to be on 'Carter VI' and now since you're saying something, it's not goin' on 'Cater VI.'"

In fact, Wayne said it was initially supposed to go on the "Welcome 2 ColleGrove" album that just came out in November ... but he's saving their special song for something else.

"KD's a jewel," Wayne said about KD's rap skills. "He's a backpack rapper."

"I can imagine he probably could call a timeout in a game, and probably ask him to rap and he probably got a verse for you."

Of course, Durant isn't the only NBA player with bars ... Damian Lillard has been known to spit impressive lyrics on his songs, including his hit single dedicated to Kobe Bryant.

Even Shaquille O'Neal was a gifted MC ... and trendsetter Allen Iverson went by the rap name Jewels.

Durant has some experience in the rap game -- not only did he have the song "It Ain't Easy" with LeBron James, he was recently enlisted as A&R for Drake's "For All The Dogs" project.

Myles Turner pulled out all the stops for the Pacers' Star Wars night on Wednesday ... showing up to the arena decked out in a Han Solo costume -- and enlisting a stunning Princess Leia to join him!!

Of course, the Pacers center is a big-time nerd (we say that with love) ... so it's no surprise he was planning to go full send when the team announced the Dec. 20 matchup against the Charlotte Hornets would be all about the wildly successful movie franchise.

Myles is pretty open about his fandom for all things fantasy ... and takes advantage of any opportunity to put it on display for his followers -- like when he and his lady threw on some Hogwarts garb for their Harry Potter-themed Halloween costumes this year.

In fact, the team even showed Myles dressed up with a robe and lightsaber on him as part of Wednesday's promotion -- a limited edition Star Wars shirt, hot dog, chips and a Pepsi product included with a $25 ticket!!

There will be a ton of other Star Wars-themed events throughout the game ... including activities in the concourse and in-game entertainment.

As for his Leia, Myles has kept her identity pretty private ... so no info on the girlfriend outside of what he's shared on social media.

Chance Comanche, el jugador de la NBA G Leaguer (la menor liga organizada por la NBA) que fue detenido por su presunta participación en el asesinato de una mujer a principios de este mes, confesó a la policía que estranguló a la mujer antes de enterrar su cuerpo en un desierto de Nevada. Esto, de acuerdo a nuevos documentos judiciales.

En los documentos, los investigadores del Departamento de Policía Metropolitana de Las Vegas dicen que a través de una serie de entrevistas se enteraron de que Comanche y su exnovia de 19 años, Sakari Harnden, jugaron un papel en la desaparición de Marayna Rodgers y cuando hablaron con el jugador sobre todo esto confesó haberla matado.

Los oficiales dicen que Comanche había ido a Las Vegas para participar en un partido de la G League con su equipo, los Kings de Stockton, el 4 de diciembre, pero desarrolló un plan con Harnden para matar a Rodgers poco tiempo después de que las mujeres tuvieran una aparente disputa.

En los documentos, los oficiales afirman que Comanche les dijo que él y Harnden habían atraído a Rodgers con la promesa de que iban a pagarle por actos sexuales. Todo estaba fechado para el 6 de diciembre.

Los policías dicen que Comanche les dijo que lograron que Rodgers se subiera a un carro y después de recoger una botella de alcohol de una tienda de licores cercana, le hicieron parecer que iban a tener relaciones sexuales con ella durante el paseo.

Sin embargo, según los documentos, Comanche le dijo a la policía que sacó un cable HDMI y estranguló a Rodgers durante unos 10 segundos. Al parecer, la soltó -aunque los policías dicen que les dijo que Harnden continuó estrangulándola- hasta que dejó de responder.

Los agentes dicen que Comanche les dijo que, una vez que creyó que Rodgers estaba muerta, arrojó su cuerpo a una zanja y luego lo enterró con piedras.

Comanche fue detenido por este caso el 15 de diciembre, mientras practicaba para los Kings. Inicialmente, fue fichado por un cargo de secuestro, aunque las autoridades dijeron más tarde que sería acusado formalmente de asesinato.

El jugador, de 27 años de edad, 6 pies con 10 y que ha jugado en un partido de la NBA en su carrera, se presentó en el tribunal del condado de Sacramento el martes y parecía estoico antes de renunciar a su extradición. Se espera que sea transportado a Las Vegas en los próximos días.

Chance Comanche -- the NBA G Leaguer arrested for his alleged role in the murder of a woman earlier this month -- confessed to cops that he strangled the female before burying her body in a Nevada desert ... this according to new court documents.

In the docs, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigators say through a series of interviews ... they learned that Comanche and his ex-girlfriend, 19-year-old Sakari Harnden, played a role in the disappearance of Marayna Rodgers -- and when they spoke to the basketball player about it all ... he fessed up to killing her.

Officials say Comanche had arrived in Las Vegas to participate in a G League game with his team, the Stockton Kings, on Dec. 4 -- but developed a plan with Harnden to kill Rodgers a short time later due to an apparent dispute the women had gotten into previously.

In the docs, officers claim Comanche told them he and Harnden had lured Rodgers out on Dec. 6 with the promise that they'd pay her for sexual acts.

Cops say Comanche told them they got Rodgers into a car -- and after picking up a bottle of booze from a nearby liquor store, they made it seem like they'd have intercourse with her inside of the ride.

However, according to the docs, Comanche told cops he pulled out an HDMI cord and strangled Rodgers for around 10 seconds. He allegedly let go -- though cops say he told them Harnden continued to choke her -- until she became unresponsive.

Officials say Comanche told them that once they believed Rodgers was dead -- they dumped her body in a ditch and then buried it with rocks.

Comanche was arrested on Dec. 15 while he was practicing for the Kings (the team released him later the same day). He was initially booked on a kidnapping charge, though officials later said he'd be formally charged with murder.

The 27-year-old, 6-foot-10 center -- who played in one NBA game in his career -- showed up in court in Sacramento County on Tuesday and appeared stoic -- before indicating he wouldn't fight extradition. It's expected he'll now be transported to Vegas in the coming days.

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.