NBA

While many fans in Lexington celebrate the departure of Kentucky coach John Calipari, the wife of former star player Julius Randle is revealing something previously unknown about the famed HC -- he saved her grandma's life!

"4 years ago my grandmother was very sick in a small hospital in eastern KY. Julius called Coach Cal and asked if there was anyone he knew that could get her transferred to UK hospital," Kendra Randle wrote on X, recalling a story from several years back.

She continued ... "15 mins later she was in a helicopter to UK and I still to this day believe he saved her life."

Of course, Kendra tells the story as Calipari is headed to the University of Arkansas ... after a decade and a half at the helm of the program. JC, hired in 2009, won a National Championship in 2012.

Kendra, who was a student at UK (that's where she met her future hubby), isn't pleased with the move.

"I’m not well😫 we love you forever Coach Cal💙 BBN 4L," KR wrote.

FYI, Julius played one season under Cal, 2013-2014 ... where he averaged 15 points per game and over 10 rebounds. JR was the 7th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

Despite the fact he's no longer at Kentucky, Cal will always hold a place in the hearts of the Randle family.

Russell Westbrook helped the Clippers take down the Cavaliers on Sunday afternoon, and afterward, he beat up Tristan Thompson's ego too ... taunting Khloe Kardashian's ex right on the court following the game.

It all happened after Russ and L.A. came back from down 26 points to beat Cleveland at Crypto.com Arena, 120-118.

Video shows after the final buzzer sounded, Russ appeared to point at Thompson, before he threw his hands in the air in a mocking fashion. Westbrook then repeated the gesture over and over again.

It's unclear why exactly Westbrook went after the Cavs center -- some online have speculated it was due to Tristan aggressively cheering on his team from the bench during the game -- but nonetheless, Thompson didn't like it one bit.

Check out the footage, the 33-year-old looked pissed as he walked to confront Russ over the taunts ... although, thankfully, one of Westbrook's teammates intercepted him before things could escalate.

The two then left the court without further issue.

Westbrook certainly had rights to brag following the victory, he logged eight points, seven rebounds and six assists in 25 minutes. Thompson, meanwhile, did not play.

Byron Scott is ready to go back to college ... he tells TMZ Sports he wants to be the head basketball coach of a university!!

The former NBA star -- who spent years managing pro players after his hoopin' days ended -- said after watching March Madness these past couple seasons ... he's got an itch to get on the bench at a school somewhere in the nation.

"I've got that bug," he told us.

Baron Davis está de acuerdo con la decisión de Bronny James de presentarse al draft de la NBA y le dice a TMZ Sports que ve muy posible que el hijo de LeBron sea mucho mejor como jugador profesional que como jugador de baloncesto universitario.

La ex estrella de los Clippers compartió sus pensamientos sobre el asunto en LAX el viernes por la tarde, pocas horas después de que Bronny anunciara que va a probar suerte en las aguas de la NBA mientras deja la puerta abierta para un regreso a la escuela.

Davis dijo que podía ver a Bronny siendo reclutado por una organización, a pesar de una temporada de primer año más o menos tranquila en USC, explicando que el juego profesional podría adaptarse mejor a él.

Baron Davis is in favor of Bronny James' decision to declare for the NBA draft ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks it's very possible LeBron's kid turns out to be a far better pro than a college basketball player.

The former Clippers star gave us his thoughts on the matter out at LAX on Friday afternoon ... just hours after Bronny said he'll test the NBA waters while leaving the door open for a return to school.

Davis said he could see Bronny getting picked up by an org despite a quiet freshman season at USC ... explaining the pro game simply might fit him better.

J. Cole threw Kendrick Lamar's iconic "To Pimp a Butterfly" album under the bus on his "7 Minute Drill" diss -- an ultimate no-no from Baron Davis' POV.

It's one of the proud L.A. native's fav albums of all time ... point, blank period!!!

TMZ Hip Hop got up with B. Diddy at LAX on Friday and the "NBA on TNT" cohost repped his beloved West Coast and sided with Kendrick in his battle with Cole ... but still wants to hear from Drake like the rest of us!!!

Baron saluted all parties involved for giving hip hop some pizazz again ... and even thinks Kendrick should follow through and diss Cole again.

Cole knocked the jazzy 'TPAB' as all hype when he rapped, "Your second s*** put n****s to sleep, but they gassed it" ... Baron notes 'TPAB' as a cultural movement that would go on to soundtrack the George Floyd protests of 2020.

The 'Butterfly' nerve was also struck for several L.A.-based rappers, including Kendrick's former label prez who now believes the "King Kunta" MC has secret haters in the industry!!!

Baron's been dabbling in rap under the name "Bart Oatmeal" for the past few years himself and tells us it's been a new creative outlet for him.

Bronny James is doing the right thing by keeping his basketball options open ... so says ex-NBA player and coach Byron Scott, who tells TMZ Sports he personally thinks the young hooper should stay in school another year.

The 19-year-old USC Trojan announced his plans to enter the NBA Draft on Friday ... saying he will explore the interest from teams at the next level while maintaining his NCAA eligibility and entering the transfer protocol.

We spoke with Scott about the big hoop news ... and he tells us the former four-star recruit's smart by leaving doors open.

"Not surprised, not shocked," Scott said of James' announcement. "I think Bronny and, obviously, his dad and Klutch Sports, they've probably been thinking about this for a while and how to kind of go about it."

"So him entering his name in the draft and also in the portal -- I think he’s just weighing his options to see where he can probably get drafted, and then if he doesn’t like that and likes a situation where he can go play college basketball for another year, then I think it’s the best of both worlds. I think he’s in a great position."

Bronny will almost certainly have a new home no matter what he decides to do ... and if that's a different university, Scott sees LeBron's eldest son being highly coveted in the 2025 NBA Draft.

"You know what, to be honest with you, I think one more year of college wouldn’t hurt him," Scott added. "I think he has some great skills, there’s no doubt about that -- he knows how to play the game, he’s got a great basketball IQ, but playing one more year and being almost kind of featured, I think would really really solidify him in the next NBA Draft."

Bronny James ha decidido entrar al Draft de la NBA en 2024. El estudiante de primer año de USC ha lanzado oficialmente su nombre para ser considerado para el siguiente nivel, pero eso no significa que su carrera universitaria haya terminado para siempre.

La noticia se dio a conocer hace apenas unos minutos. El hijo de 19 años de LeBron James pasará por el proceso profesional, entrenando y visitando equipos antes del draft.

Ahora, no esperen que la pandilla James se una a la Asociación todavía. Bronny compartió una declaración sobre la decisión diciendo que mantendrá su elegibilidad universitaria y entrará en el protocolo de transferencia de la NCAA.

The NBA has a new partner ... and it's none other than K-pop group LE SSERAFIM!!

Adam Silver's organization announced the big collaboration this week ... saying the quintet of musicians will headline the NBA's celeb and influencer operation in Asia.

The Association hopes the group's popularity will help expand its fanbase overseas ... similar to what it did when it enlisted BTS' Suga as an ambassador.

It seemed like a pretty "Smart" move -- especially considering Chaewon, Yunjin, Sakura, Kazuha and Eunchae are quite the hoop heads.

In fact, the group hit up a Laker game in customized jerseys back in November ... and briefly got to meet NBA legend Magic Johnson during their time at Crypto.com Arena.

The ladies also took a break from promoting their new project, "Easy," to tune in to the All-Star Game from a cellphone in February ... and recently posted a video of them showing off their choreography while decked out in numerous teams' merch.

With the collab, it's safe to say fans will see a lot more of LE SSERAFIM at games in the future ... and they can expect a ton of new content on socials.

The group made its debut in 2022 ... and has exploded in popularity ever since.

Bronny James has declared for the 2024 NBA Draft -- the USC freshman has officially thrown his name into consideration at the next level ... but it doesn't mean his college career is over for good.

The news broke just minutes ago -- LeBron James' 19-year-old son will go through the pro process ... working out and visiting teams leading up to the draft.

Don't expect the James gang to team up in the Association just yet -- Bronny released a statement on the decision ... saying he will maintain his college eligibility and enter the NCAA transfer protocol.

Diddy might be in hot water at the moment, but his daughters were in much calmer waters a world away this week -- enjoying their Spring Break with LeBron James' teenage son.

16-year-old Bryce James was featured in a video that's making the rounds online -- which shows him and a pal of his, Boogie Johnson, enjoying the ocean in Turks and Caicos ... and in the little dance compilation that got posted (and which has since been deleted), you can see Jessie and D'Lila Combs in the mix as well.

The girls and their matching bathing suits are unmistakable -- especially when you consider Bryce and the twins are quite close ... he and Boogie took them to homecoming last year. In fact, Boogie's got photos up with one of the twins on his social media page ... so yeah, it's a tight-knit friend group -- and it appears they're vacationing together right now.

Shannon Sharpe asked GloRilla the question everyone wants to know the answer to -- did her flirtatious shot at NBA superstar Damian Lillard actually work -- but the rapper dodged the query expertly ... and the whole interaction was hilarious.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer peppered the Memphis rapper about the message she sent to Lillard while the two were on Sharpe's "Club Shay Shay" show this week.

Initially, Shannon tried to get her to talk about her favorite NBA players ... before he pivoted the convo to her social media post where she said she "wanted" Lillard.

LeBron James is addressing the recent rumblings surrounding Bronny's college basketball future ... saying he has no idea where the reports are coming from, but he'll support the young hooper no matter what he decides to do.

Longtime sportswriter Dick Weiss reported Tuesday the 19-year-old USC Trojan planned to transfer to a new program following head coach Andy Enfield's departure for SMU.

Weiss later backtracked and admitted he couldn't confirm the story ... but that didn't stop Lakers reporters from inquiring about it following L.A.'s 128-111 win over the Toronto Raptors.

"I don't know where it came from, but at the end of the day, Bronny's his own man and he has some tough decisions to make," Bron told reporters. "And when he's ready to make those decisions, he'll let us all know."

"But as his family, we're going to support whatever he does."

There's a lot of speculation regarding Bronny -- he was once believed to be a 2024 NBA Draft prospect, but he averaged less than 5 points, 3 rebounds and just over 2 assists a game in his freshman campaign after recovering from his offseason cardiac arrest.

Some analysts think he would benefit from staying in school another year to develop his game for the next level ... but 39-year-old LeBron has long stated it is his dream to be in the Association alongside his eldest son.

Utah Jazz general manager Justin Zanik revealed he's been dealing with a serious health condition .... admitting he was in kidney failure after he was diagnosed with a disease that left only 14% of the organ's function.

The 49-year-old went into detail about the discovery on Monday ... explaining his wife, Gina, was concerned that he looked thinner and tired -- so she begged him to get a physical after missing the last eight annual exams.

Zanik -- who became the NBA team's GM in 2019 -- set up an appointment with the Jazz physician David Petron in September 2023 ... and was told he was in kidney failure.

The diagnosis is Polycystic Kidney Disease -- an inherited disorder where cysts develop on the kidneys causing them to work less -- and Dr. Petron said Zanik only had 14% of the kidney's use left.

Zanik will have to get a transplant -- something his father did 21 years ago ... and he found a match with his wife's best friend's husband. The procedure will happen on Tuesday.

"I'm a fixer by nature. My job with the Jazz, my role with my family -- I mean, I was a [player] agent for 15 years. I fixed a lot of s***. I'm the one who's supposed to help," Zanik said.

"I'm the one who's supposed to take care of everything. I really didn't know how to ask for help, but I had to get over it. I knew I had to get over it."

Zanik's children were also diagnosed with advanced forms of PKD ... and were told that Ava, Oskar, and Lucy would need transplants before they were 30 years old.

"We're going to do this together," Zanik said. "We're stronger together."

Russell Westbrook unloaded on a heckling fan during Sunday's game against the Charlotte Hornets ... with the LA Clippers star cussing the guy out -- and it was all captured on video.

The tense interaction went down prior to the second half of the Clips' 130-118 road win at the Spectrum Center ... when Russ addressed a spectator who, according to witnesses, had been mouthing off about him in the first two quarters.

The clip of the interaction shows Russ scolding the balloon hat-wearing Hornets supporter ... explaining his jeers went too far.

"I got kids, don't disrespect my name," Russ is heard saying during the exchange ... adding, "I don't give a f***" to whatever the spectator replied.

It appears a team staffer was right next to Russ throughout the convo ... probably to make sure things didn't escalate.

The 35-year-old vet has been vocal about the hate thrown his way during games -- especially the "Westbrick" nickname -- saying the effect the name-calling has had on his family goes far beyond the average trolling.

The NBA has also taken action against mouthy fans ... kicking people out on numerous occasions if the athletes on the hardwood complain.

The Kardashians are on board with Caitlyn Jenner and Lamar Odom teaming up for their new sports podcast -- despite reports suggesting they were blindsided, the fam actually gave it a thumbs-up ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Caitlyn tell TMZ ... the Olympian spoke with her former stepdaughter, Khloe Kardashian, after she was approached last year about a possible collab with Koko's ex-husband. We're told Khloe was very supportive of the endeavor, which pays tribute to the family's famous reality show with its title, "Keeping Up With Sports."

Khloe thought it was a great idea for Caitlyn and Lamar to cohost the show together, given they are both champions in their own right. Remember, Cait and LO were always close during the NBA star's marriage to the Good American founder, and afterward, they remained friendly.