MJ, LeBron & Vanessa Bryant Pay Tribute To Jerry West ... 'Forever Love!'

UPDATE

9:16 AM PT -- The NBA will hold a moment of silence in Jerry West's honor prior to Game 3 of the Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics Finals matchup on Wednesday, TMZ Sports is told.

The NBA world is mourning the passing of one of its legends, Jerry West ... with Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant's wife, Vanessa, among those expressing their grief shortly after the announcement.

"I am so deeply saddened at the news of Jerry's passing," Jordan said following the news on Wednesday.

NBA's Patrick Patterson L.A.-Area Home Burglarized

A Los Angeles-area home belonging to ex-NBA player Patrick Patterson was burglarized last week ... and now, TMZ Sports has learned cops are on the hunt for the culprits.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... the break-in happened just before midnight on June 7, when two men wearing masks, gloves and all-black outfits were captured on Patterson's security system rummaging through his home.

We're told the duo snagged two big bags of the former Raptors forward's belongings ... and booked it before LAPD officers arrived on the scene.

Michael Jordan Game-Worn Nike Jordan 1s From '85 ... Hit Auction Block!

22-year-old Michael Jordan broke his foot in 1985 -- the most significant injury of MJ's career -- and now His Airness' Js from the fateful game are on the auction block!

Jordan's Chicago Bulls faced the Golden State Warriors on October 29, 1985 -- just three games into his second season as a pro -- when Michael, wearing the black and red Nike Air Jordan 1s, fractured the navicular bone in his right foot during the first half.

MJ left having played just 18 minutes, scoring 12 points. Chi-town won, 111-105, but lost their rising superstar.

LeBron James Cracks Finals Joke On Kai Cenat Stream ... I'm Playing Game 8!!!

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I'm Playing Game 8!

LeBron James is in good spirits despite missing out on a championship this season ... FaceTiming in to Kai Cenat's stream and cracking jokes about not being in the NBA Finals!!

The hilarious cameo appearance went down as Cenat chopped it up with guests Kevin Hart and Druski on Monday ... when the movie star decided to hit up the Lakers hooper while hundreds of thousands of viewers followed along.

The four-time champ casually dropped the N-word as he greeted the trio ... which caught Druski and Cenat off-guard.

Dan Hurley Rejects Lakers' $70 Million Offer ... Staying At UConn

UPDATE

2:20 PM PT -- Dan Hurley just addressed the elephant in the room ... saying it was a humbling experience.

"At the end of the day, I am extremely proud of the championship culture we have built at Connecticut," he said.

Hurley added he met with the team prior to Monday's practice ... and now, they're switching focus back to getting better as a team and defending their championship this season.

Dan Hurley is slamming the door on the Los Angeles Lakers ... with reports saying he will not accept their lucrative, $70 MILLION offer to become their next head coach -- choosing to remain at UConn.

The news broke on Monday ... with Fox Sports' John Fanta saying Hurley will pursue his third-straight national championship instead of making the jump to the Association.

Hurley's ties to the Purple and Gold seemingly came out of nowhere last week ... when ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski revealed the Lakers were eyeing the back-to-back championship-winning coach the entire time -- and were preparing to back up the Brinks trucks to make it happen.

KHLOE KARDASHIAN NOBU Meetup w/ Tristan Not Romantic ... Just Pals for Bday Event

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Khloe Kardashian went out to grab a bite with her ex, Tristan Thompson this weekend -- without any kids around -- and while some might've thought the spark was back ... it ain't.

KK and Tristan were photographed walking out of Nobu Malibu Sunday -- where they were clearly dining together ... even though they appeared to stagger their exits, and ended up leaving in separate cars.

There were lots of other people with them, but none of their children -- which raised alarms among some who thought they were back together ... but we're told that's just not the case.

Spencer Dinwiddie Sues Famed Car Shop ... You Botched My Ferrari, Mustang Deal!!!

Spencer Dinwiddie is suing a famous car shop in Los Angeles ... claiming the company botched a deal involving a Ferrari and a rare Mustang so badly, it's caused him quite the headache.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, the NBA star says he first got into biz with Wires Only -- a custom automotive co. that's helped trick out cars for celebs like Bad Bunny, Kim Kardashian and Travis Barker -- back in November 2022 ... when he bought a 1976 Mustang Shelby for $699,000.

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Dinwiddie said trouble with the org., though, began a few months later ... when he wanted to purchase a 2022 Ferrari SF90 from the shop's showroom.

Magic Johnson Praises Caitlin Clark & Angel Reese ... 'They're Doing Great Things' For WNBA!!!

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TMZSports.com

Magic Johnson tells TMZ Sports he's loving what he's seeing from Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese so far in the WNBA ... praising the rookies for how they're transitioning to the pros.

We spoke briefly with the NBA legend out in L.A. this week as he was getting hounded by autograph seekers ... and he made it clear, he's a big fan of the W's newest stars.

He said emphatically they're "doing great things" -- helping their league explode in popularity.

Laura Govan Alijah's Whooping Gilbert in 1-On-1 ... As A Sophomore!!!

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ON HIS OWN PATH
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Gilbert Arenas and Laura Govan's son, Alijah, is one of the top young hoopers in the country ... and his mama tells TMZ Sports he's so good for his age, he's already beating his ex-NBA star dad in one-on-one!!

We caught up with Govan at LAX to talk all about her talented kid ... and she couldn't say enough good things about the Class of 2026 guard -- both on and off the court.

In reality, she says no amount of basketball highlights compare to the kind of person Alijah is ... and she doesn't shy away from patting herself on the back for doing a great job raising him.

Mavericks Vs. Celtics NBA Finals WAGs Who Will Be The Champs?!?

The 2024 NBA Finals are underway ... which means it's time to showcase the lovely ladies supporting the men on the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks!!

Over in Beantown, Al Horford's former Miss Universe wife, Amelia, has been holdin' it down on and off the court ... and has been prominently featured at games with the kids -- all decked out in No. 42 jerseys.

Xavier Tillman's wife, Tamia, will be experiencing her first NBA Finals with her hubby ... and it's been quite the turnaround after he was acquired in a trade with Memphis earlier this year.

Celtics Fans Bring Kyrie Blowup Doll To Game 1 ... Beat It Up After Win

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NOT WELCOME

Celtics fans did the most to show Kyrie Irving he's not welcome in Boston, bringing a blow-up doll with the NBA star's face on it to Game 1 of the NBA Finals ... and stomped it out after they won.

The blowup doll was spotted on the Beantown streets on Thursday ahead of the first game of the NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics.

The doll's dressed in KI's number 11 Celtics jersey (his old threads) ... with a cut out of Ky's face. At one point, fans chanted "F*** Kyrie!" using a loudspeaker.

Aaron Gordon Tattoo Tribute To Late Brother, Drew ... Days After Death

Denver Nuggets star Aaron Gordon's latest addition to his body art collection is a truly special piece -- dedicating part of his chest to his late brother, Drew, who tragically died in a car accident last week.

Gordon debuted the ink in an Instagram post on Thursday ... his first public appearance since it was announced Drew passed away at just 33 years old.

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The new tat is a screaming gorilla on his pec ... with Drew's initials featured in the lower left corner.

Danny Hurley Can't Outright Deny Lakers, Must Hear 'Em Out Says Ex-Coach Dan Dakich

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TMZSports.com

The L.A. Lakers want UCONN head coach Danny Hurley, and despite a fat new contract and an opportunity to go back-to-back-to-back, the coveted coach needs to listen to Lake Show execs, according to Dan Dakich, former Indiana University player and coach.

Dakich, host of Outkick's "Don't @ Me," joined Babcock on "TMZ Sports" (airs nightly on FS1) on Thursday -- only hours after news of the Purple and Gold's interest in Hurley rocked the basketball world -- and we asked the longtime player, coach, and media personality about the bigtime development.

"Well, you got to listen. You got to listen. I mean, you're talking the highest-paid NBA coach is [making] 17 and a half million. I don't give a damn. You got to listen," Dan said.

Michael Bloomberg To The Rescue!!! Joining A-Rod's Group To Buy Timberwolves

If Alex Rodriguez needed cash -- he's now got it in spades -- 'cause the baseball legend struck a deal with Michael Bloomberg, one of the richest people in the world, who has now joined A-Rod's Timberwolves ownership group ... as the men intend to buy an 80% stake in the team.

The Athletic broke the news on Thursday (and TMZ Sports has since confirmed), revealing the 82-year-old billionaire and former NYC mayor has agreed to link up with Rodriguez and his business partner, Marc Lore, in their quest to acquire majority control of the T-Wolves organization.

FYI, Alex and Marc bought a 40% stake in 2021, and ultimately planned to buy nearly the whole team (and the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx, too) ... until 83-year-old majority owner Glen Taylor accused the men of missing a payment and called off the deal.

Delonte West Arrested Again ... Takes Alarming Mug Shot

UPDATE

9:21 AM PT -- The Fairfax County Police Department tells TMZ Sports ... Delonte West suffered a medical emergency as cops were attempting to arrest him Thursday morning.

Police say officers had been trying to serve a warrant on the former NBA star for violating the conditions of his release ... when he took off.

According to the FCPD, during an ensuing foot pursuit, they lost sight of West briefly, before they ultimately discovered him "unresponsive."

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