NBA

Shaquille O'Neal hung up his Dunkman's more than a decade ago, but the NBA legend is still making history ... the Orlando Magic just announced they're retiring the Big Fella's 32 jersey, the first time they've ever raised a number to the rafters!

51-year-old O'Neal received word of the honor while he was on the air with buds Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson ... when the Hall of Famer got a "phone call" from Magic CEO Alex Martins.

"On behalf of the DeVos family and myself and all of us here at the Orlando Magic, we want to congratulate you as we make you the first jersey number retired in the history of the Orlando Magic. You had a great career here at the beginning of your career and we had some great times!" Martins said to Shaq.

Of course, the Magic picked O'Neal with their first pick in the 1992 NBA Draft ... and Shaquille didn't disappoint in his short stint with the team, making them relevant, and even leading them to the NBA Finals in 1995, where they lost to the Houston Rockets.

He averaged over 27 points, and nearly 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks a game in Orlando.

Shaq ultimately decided to leave Florida for a big payday in Los Angeles ... where he won 3 NBA championships alongside Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.

Team Chairman Dave DeVos also spoke about Shaq's influence on the organization, on and off the hardwood, as well as the local community.

“Through his dominating play, larger-than-life personality, and generous contributions to The City Beautiful, Shaquille O’Neal had a transformational impact on this team and this town. Our family and the entire franchise couldn’t be more pleased for Shaquille to receive this well-deserved honor, further cementing his enduring legacy here in Orlando as we collectively look back on his tremendous accomplishments in a Magic uniform.”

Perhaps the most meaningful congratulations came from O'Neal's "number one fan," his mom, Dr. Lucille O'Neal, who sent her son a heartfelt message.

The jersey retirement goes down on February 13.

Victor Wembanyama entered his twenties on Thursday ... and his teammates celebrated his special day by singing "Happy Birthday" during practice!!

The San Antonio Spurs players surprised the 7'4" rookie right on the court ... surrounding him and breaking out the classic tune.

Wemby clearly wasn't expecting it ... but jumped right into singing and clapping with his teammates.

"Hip hip hooray!" the players yelled after the song. "Hip hip hooray!"

Wembanyama also got another nice present on his birthday -- it was announced he's received over 221k votes to participate in the 2024 NBA All-Star Game so far.

To compare, that's more entries than Karl-Anthony Towns, Chet Holmgren and Kristaps Porzingis.

The first-overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft has been getting a lot of love since he started his career ... in fact, his dunk on December 31 is on the verge of becoming the most-watched video ever on the league's Instagram page with 88.8 million views.

Wemby -- who's averaging 18.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game -- also set several NBA records before his 20th birthday, including surpassing Dwight Howard for the most consecutive games with a double-double (8).

NBA star Ricky Rubio is ending his professional basketball career ... revealing he made the decision after going into "a dark place" last offseason.

33-year-old Rubio -- the fifth-overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft -- spent 12 seasons in the Association ... most notably for the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he played from 2011-17.

The Spanish guard joined the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2021 ... but it was announced back in August he would take time away to focus on his mental health.

On Thursday, Rubio shared a statement on his official retirement ... sharing July 30 was "one of the toughest nights of my life," but did not go into detail.

"I kind of knew I was going on that direction, but I've never thought I wasn't under control of the situation," he said.

"The next day, I decided to stop my professional career."

Rubio said he will talk more on what happened at a later date so he can help others going through similar situations ... and will continue to work on his mental well-being moving forward.

"But I am proud to say I'm doing much better and getting better everyday," he added.

Rubio -- who averaged 10.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.4 assists in his career -- said it was a dream to play in the NBA ... thanking the Wolves, Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns and Cavs for "good memories and great relationships."

Some guys go with baseball, but Giannis Antetokounmpo's got the Pacers on the mind before knockin' boots ... 'cause the NBA superstar admitted he's constantly thinking about the Bucks' recent struggles against Indiana -- even in the bedroom!!

The Greek Freak made the hilarious soundbite after Milwaukee's 142-130 loss to the Pacers Wednesday night ... which marked the fourth time the Bucks fell to their division opponent in five matchups this season.

When asked about their challenges against Tyrese Haliburton and Co. ... Giannis insisted it's "not the end of the world," but said it's certainly something that's living rent-free in his head at all times.

"I think we realize as a team that there are teams out there that can beat us four times in a season," Antetokounmpo told reporters after the game.

"Now you have that, you think about it -- when you go back home, when you sleep, when you wake up, you think about it. Now, when you go back and work out, you think about it."

"On the All-Star Break, when you gonna be at exciting beach with your family, I hope you think about it. When you're about to get freaky at night, you think about it."

Giannis' comments were met with giggles from the media ... but he quickly got serious again -- saying his crew can now take the losses on the chin and regroup for the rest of the season.

Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco showed the Lakers a thing or two about how to be a good team Wednesday night ... packing on the PDA at Crypto.com Arena as L.A. continued its struggles on the court.

While LeBron James and Anthony Davis couldn't piece together a victory over the Heat -- who were playing without superstar Jimmy Butler -- Gomez and Blanco made it clear to the world just feet away that their relationship is going as strong as ever.

The couple -- which just went public with their love a few weeks ago -- were inseparable as they sat in their courtside seats.

Gomez was spotted burying herself in Blanco's arms throughout the night -- and at one point, Benny was seen giving her a big smooch on her hand.

A lot of Gomez's fans have taken to social media to bash the relationship recently -- believing the pop star could do better -- but she's making it obvious she's smitten ... and she doesn't care who has a problem with it.

The two were hardly the only A-listers to hit up the game ... Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels and WNBA superstar A'ja Wilson were also in attendance. Dwyane Wade -- with some Miami Heat-colored nails -- was there, too ... and Cedric the Entertainer and Kaytranada also had some sweet seats for the contest as well.

Selena Gomez y Benny Blanco le mostraron a los Lakers una cosa o dos acerca de cómo ser un buen equipo la noche del miércoles ... compartiendo caricias y abrazos en el Crypto.com Arena mientras el equipo de LA continúa sus luchas en la cancha.

Mientras LeBron James y Anthony Davis batallaban por lograr una victoria sobre los Heat, que estaban jugando sin la superestrella Jimmy Butler, Gómez y Blanco le dejaron claro al mundo a pocos metros de distancia que su relación va tan en serio como siempre.

La pareja, que hizo público su romance hace apenas unas semanas, se mantuvo inseparable mientras estuvieron sentados en sus asientos junto a la cancha.

Gómez fue vista enterrándose en los brazos de Blanco toda la noche, y en un momento dado, Benny fue visto dándole un gran beso en la mano.

Muchos de los fans de Gomez han tomado las redes sociales para criticar la relación, con la idea de que la estrella del pop podría conseguir algo mejor, pero ella está haciendo obvio que está enamorada y no le importa si alguien tiene un problema con ello.

Los dos no fueron los únicos miembros de la A-List que estuvieron presentes en el juego. El ganador del Trofeo Heisman Jayden Daniels y la superestrella de la WNBA A'ja Wilson también asistieron. Dwyane Wade, con unas uñas del color de los Miami Heat, también estuvo allí, así como Cedric the Entertainer y Kaytranada.

A group of rabbis were forced to put away their pro-Jewish signs at the Utah Jazz vs. Dallas Mavericks game on Monday ... after they claim Kyrie Irving complained to security, and asked the signs be removed.

However, a rep for the NBA superstar tells us that never happened.

Rabbi Avremi Zippel -- a diehard Jazz fan -- says he and his three peers copped courtside seats to the matchup on purpose ... with the intent to send a message to the NBA superstar after his antisemitism controversy from back in October 2022.

During the first quarter, the four rabbis held up signs that said "I'm a Jew and I'm Proud" ... and Irving acknowledged them.

Zippel claims Irving initially said, "Nice, I'm a Jew, too," ... before adding, "Don't gotta bring something like that to the game."

Shortly after the interaction, the rabbi says security came over and told them they had to quit holding up the signs ... citing a policy against having posters in the front row. A second staffer, Zippel claims, later told them it was because Irving complained.

Worth noting -- Zippel told the Salt Lake Tribune the signs were not meant as a political statement ... as they did not mention the war in Israel. He also told the outlet he went over the team's policy several times to make sure they weren't violating any rules.

Despite his research, the Jazz released a statement on the matter ... saying their signs broke the Code of Conduct.

"No matter where someone is in the arena, if a sign becomes distracting or sparks an interaction with a player, we will ask them to remove it," the team stated.

"During an out-of-bounds play in the first quarter of yesterday’s Jazz game against the Dallas Mavericks, there was a group sitting courtside whose signs sparked an interaction with a player that created a distraction and interfered with play of game."

"As the next step in standard security protocol, the fans were asked to take down their signs."

The team also clarified the removal was not due to what the signs said -- claiming, "The part-time employee who told the fans it was the content of the sign that was the problem was incorrect."

"The issue was the disruptive interaction caused by usage of the signs, not the content of the signs."

Zippel isn't buying the Jazz's explanation ... as he thinks the team cited policy in hopes the whole thing would blow over.

This isn't the first time Kyrie has faced critical fans -- last season, a group of fans wore "Fight Antisemitism" shirts during the Brooklyn Nets vs. Indiana Pacers game to protest his comments.

It was a not-so-happy birthday for LeBron James after the NBA legend was seemingly robbed of a three-pointer in a close game on his 39th Bday.

LeBron and company were in Minnesota Saturday night with the clock winding down, LeBron hoisted up and made what he thought was a three-pointer to tie the game at 107 with only 2 seconds and change remaining.

However, the referees said LeBron's foot was on the three-point line, making the score 107-106 in favor of the Timberwolves.

The play was then reviewed, and it appeared to show LeBron's foot was, in fact, behind the three-point line ... but the officials remained unchanged, which understandably set James off. The Timberwolves went on to win the game 108-106.

After the game, LeBron didn't hold back, talking with reporters, he said, "It’s obviously a 3. My foot is behind the line. I mean, you can see the space between the front of my foot and the 3-point line. You can clearly see a white, the wood on the floor, there’s a space in between the front of my foot and the 3-point line. So, you know, Stevie Wonder can see that, champ."

He continued, "It’s super frustrating in the sense of what the hell we got a replay for? What do we have replay for if even the replay gets it wrong? It’s like, who’s the part of the replay center? Like, do we got robots in there that's making the Teslas? What’s going on? If you don’t see that, that is clear, that is clear."

John Salley vehemently disagrees with the NBA's decision to hit Draymond Green with an indefinite ban this month ... telling TMZ Sports the suspension was a complete overreaction.

The four-time NBA champion said this week he's in favor of sidelining Green for smacking Jusuf Nurkic during the Warriors vs. Suns game on Dec. 12 ... but he thinks the indefinite part of the punishment is simply taking things too far.

"You can have a conversation, give him a certain amount of games for him to simmer down and have intelligent conversations with him," Salley said of Green. "But to get rid of him indefinitely, I think that is a bigger thing."

Salley told us he loves Draymond's playing style -- which makes sense ... considering the 6-foot-11 former center was a part of the '80s/'90s "Bad Boys" Pistons squads -- and he clearly believes Green hasn't done much wrong to warrant the latest suspension.

"I would take Draymond Green every day and twice on Sunday," he said.

In fact, Salley told us the guy would've been a perfect fit on his old Detroit teams.

"I hope Draymond comes back and I love his play," Salley said. "And I know he wears a Bad Boy T-shirt under his uniform."

NBA star Mikal Bridges' body has apparently been sculpted by Chipotle -- 'cause the Brooklyn Nets forward just revealed he's been eating at the fast food joint every day for the past 10 years!!

The 27-year-old -- who's currently averaging 21.1 points per game -- made the shocking revelation during an interview with GQ Sports earlier this month ... explaining he's been plowing through burrito bowls daily since he was a teenager.

Bridges said the meals are simply "too fire to not have it every single time" ... adding, "It don't disappoint."

The former first-round pick, however, said his meals are on the healthier side -- telling GQ he gets his bowls with white rice, double chicken, salsa, corn, lettuce ... and nothing more.

Bridges, who's 6-foot-6, 209 pounds, did say he used to get it spicy -- though his taste buds just can't stand it anymore.

"Rest in peace to the hot sauce," he said with a smile.

Former NBA star Charlie Villanueva is counting his blessings today ... revealing he's ultra thankful to be alive after he was involved in a bad car crash earlier this week.

The former Milwaukee Bucks forward said on his Instagram page Wednesday night that he and his wife, Lala, were riding in a Mercedes G Wagon when someone hit them from behind.

Thankfully, the 39-year-old ex-hooper revealed no one was seriously injured in the wreck -- though in pictures he shared from the crash scene, you can see his car was almost completely destroyed.

"If you wondering what happened, my wife and I got hit bad by another car, and the crazy part is that whomever hit me, decided to run," Villanueva said.

"Sore neck, sore back, messed up car, we are thankful to see another day. Our lives can’t be replaced, but the vehicle can."

Villanueva -- who played 11 seasons in the NBA -- praised God for keeping them safe.

He then went on to leave a message for those who've dealt with similar scary situations this year.

John Salley says the Ja Morant critics need to pipe down ... telling TMZ Sports he truly believes the NBA superstar didn't have bad intentions when he appeared to do a gun celebration on Tuesday night.

Salley told us the firearm-themed gestures -- which Morant seemed to hit following a thunderous alley-oop dunk in the Grizzlies' overtime win over the Pelicans -- were merely "a part of hip hop culture" ... and nothing more than that.

"He's not saying, 'Forget ya'll -- I got my gun!'" the four-time NBA champion said on Wednesday. "He probably didn't even realize it."

"It's nothing meaning anything," he added.

Of course, basketball fans all over social media have disagreed with that stance -- with many on X calling it a "tone-deaf" situation ... considering the 24-year-old had just served a 25-game suspension for a string of incidents involving gun-related social media videos.

Salley, however, was just sure there was no ill will involved in the post-dunk celly.

"I don't think he's trying to mock anybody," Salley said. "I don't think he's trying to be mean about it."

"Leave Ja Morant alone ... Leave him alone."

Salley also shared with us his opinion on his former Detroit Pistons squad -- which just lost its 27th game in a row on Tuesday night.

2:48 PM PT -- Aaron Gordon reportedly needed 21 stitches to fix the wounds he suffered in the dog attack on Monday.

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, meanwhile, said on Wednesday there's currently no timetable for a return for his star -- saying he wants Gordon to "heal inside and out" first.

Aaron Gordon will be away from the Denver Nuggets for the foreseeable future ... after he was attacked by a dog on Christmas.

The NBA org. revealed on Wednesday the 28-year-old was bitten by a pooch following the team's victory over the Golden State Warriors on Monday.

The Nuggets said in a statement the power forward suffered cuts to his face and hand during the incident, but, thankfully, he's "in good condition."

"[He] will remain away from the team while he recovers," the team added.

Gordon looked just fine while playing 31 minutes in the victory over the Dubs just prior to the incident ... scoring 16 points while adding 10 rebounds and three assists.

He's been a key player for Denver since he was traded to the team in 2021 -- helping the Nuggets win their first-ever NBA championship last season.

Zion Williamson just got some fresh ink to prep for the start of the new year -- getting a giant cross tattooed on his chest!!

The NBA star hit up Onder Ink's Andres Ortega just a few weeks ago to get the piece done -- and as you can see, it came out awesome.

The tat features a cross with an image of a snarling gorilla inside of it -- and it appears to be strategically positioned more toward his heart.

Unclear what the exact significance of the image is for Williamson -- but Ortega tells TMZ Sports it all took about three hours during a session in New Orleans to complete.

It's, of course, been a busy few weeks for the Pelicans forward ... because outside of getting some permanent ink placed on his body -- he also helped welcome his baby into the world in November as well.

His recent play on the court has been the focus of many too -- as basketball pundits have criticized his weight and conditioning amid an up-and-down start to the NBA season.

Ja Morant's barely been back on the NBA hardwood for a week, but he's already found himself mired in a bit of controversy again -- this time after he hit a celebration that appeared to feature imaginary guns.

The Grizzlies point guard pulled out the celly Tuesday night after he helped give Memphis an insurmountable lead over the Pelicans in overtime of their game in New Orleans.

The 24-year-old -- who just came back from a 25-game ban for a string of incidents involving gun-related social media videos last week -- seemed to turn his hands into the shape of pistols after throwing down a thunderous alley-oop dunk, before he appeared to spray the road crowd with fake bullets.

The gestures only lasted a few seconds, before Morant returned to defense to finish off the game -- but basketball fans were still critical of the moves nonetheless.

Several roasted him as "tone deaf" -- particularly after he had just returned from his suspension on Dec. 19.

Of course, it's entirely possible Morant was not mimicking firing guns and was instead just simply hitting a dance -- but the hooper has yet to publicly address it all.

Timothée Chalamet headed up a celebrity cast attending a Christmas Day Lakers game in Los Angeles ... but his girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, missed out on all the fun.

Chalamet sat courtside with his dad, Marc -- an editor at UNICEF -- and sports agent, Rich Paul, to watch the Lakers take a loss against the Boston Celtics 126-115 at L.A.'s Crypto.com Arena.

Kylie was nowhere in sight, but we're pretty she'll be present for Tim's 28th birthday tomorrow.

At some point, Chalamet had some car trouble in the parking lot ... the valet driver crashed his electric car into a wall, scraping the front driver side of the vehicle.

Meanwhile, a bunch of other notables also came out for the basketball game, namely three Lakers alums -- Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza, Derek Fisher, along with Fisher's ex-reality star wife, Gloria Govan.

Also in the crowd were DJ Zack Bia, soccer star Eduardo Camavinga and Internet personalities Corinna Kopf and David Dobrik.

Last but definitely not least ... Kanye West popped up near the stadium and got hounded by fans wanting autographs and to take selfies with the rapper. But Kanye's security detail kept the people away from him.