J. Cole Seriously Training for NBA Career, Says Master P

J. Cole Seriously Training for NBA Career, Says Master P

this a different time we’re in. @JColeNC KNOWS. Play video content

UNDER A MICROSCOPE

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Cole is a regular on the celebrity basketball circuit and is widely known as one of the best non-pro celebrity ballers in the country. “They’ve been putting their whole life into this. So, you’re gonna have to go somewhere where the team really believe in you and the players believe in you.”

P says Cole won’t get a pass just because he’s famous — in fact, he’ll have to work even harder than everyone else to prove he’s for real. P — whose music and hoops careers are documented in BET’s “No Limit Chronicles” — tells TMZ Sports he had a lengthy conversation with J. What do you think I would have to do to make it happen?'”

“I said to get one of these NBA jerseys, it’s not gonna be easy. Cole — he got the right size, he in the gym!”

“But, what I told him … NEW DROP TOMORROW pic.twitter.com/sFhixba2l8— PUMA Basketball (@PUMAHoops) July 30, 2020
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Master P says he earned an NBA contract with 2 different teams in the ’90s — after he was already a famous rap mogul — and he knows what it takes to get to the top level. Johns during his stint in college, but ultimately decided to focus on music. Cole — the “No Role Models” rapper was a solid hooper back in high school and famously tried out for St. 8/1/2020 12:40 AM PT

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J. You’re gonna have to be able to hit every shot and if you don’t hit every shot, they — you know in the NBA, they don’t hit every shot but they believe in them. So, you’re gonna have to prove you’re worthy of being on that court.”

P adds, “I believe in him and I believe that he’s a youngster that has a lot of desire.”

Bottom line — P says if Cole does get an opportunity, he’s gonna have to show out. The 35-year-old recently hooked up with Master P for a Puma commercial where it’s strongly insinuated that Cole is training for a shot with an NBA team … Cole about his hoop dreams … They’re going to pick you apart! Cole is currently training his ass off in hopes of getting a shot to make an NBA roster … “When I talked to J. Cole, he was like ‘You know, big dog you did it. It’s gonna be a lot of hate, it’s gonna be a lot of people not believing in you but you know J. so says Master P, who offered the rap star some pretty sound advice. and says he’s convinced the rapper is dead serious. which makes sense since P basically did the same thing back in the day. NEVER SLEEPIN. “Either you’re gonna be good enough to play or you’re gonna get exposed.” First, let’s talk J. ALWAYS DREAMIN.

‘Deadliest Catch’ Deckhand Mahlon Reyes Dead at 38

He’s survived by his wife and 4 children. Mahlon, who worked on 2 “Deadliest Catch” boats … The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office says his official cause of death has not been determined yet … We’re told he had no existing health conditions his family knew of, so they’re all completely shocked by the massive heart attack. he never regained consciousness. the Seabrooke and Cape Caution. 8/1/2020 12:30 AM PT

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Remembering Mahlon Reyes

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Mahlon Reyes, a deckhand on one of the “Deadliest Catch” crab fishing boats, is dead … RIP Mahlon’s wife tells us he died in his hometown of Whitefish, Montana after he suffered a heart attack last Saturday morning. We’re told Mahlon was working his butt off to recover from a recently torn Achilles, suffered while crabbing on the boat, and was doing everything he could to get back to Alaska for another crab season. TMZ has learned. His wife says the family decided Sunday to take Mahlon off life support. Mahlon was only 38. Although he survived it, and was transported to a hospital … pending autopsy and toxicology results. His wife tells us Mahlon was cremated and his “Deadliest Catch” crew is going to spread some of his ashes in the Bering Sea. She says he was surrounded by loved ones.

Travis Kelce’s GF Kayla Nicole Unfollows NFLer On IG, Signs Point To Break Up

and culminated in an official break up statement. It’s almost the same situation as Danica Patrick and Aaron Rodgers — which started with a social media wipe … so far, no word back. with the TV host/model unfollowing the Kansas City Chiefs superstar and deleting all their pics on Instagram — which is usually a strong indication it’s over. Play video content

IT'S GOOD TO BE ME

Kelce famously tried to find love on the “Catching Kelce” reality show a few years back … The couple even joined Patrick Mahomes and Brittany Matthews in Lake Tahoe for a weekend of raging shortly after the QB signed his massive $503 MILLION contract. 8/1/2020 12:20 AM PT

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Have Super Bowl champ Travis Kelce and longtime girlfriend Kayla Nicole called it quits?? We’ve reached out to Kelce and Kayla Nicole’s reps for comment … Kelce and Kayla have been together for YEARS … It sure looks that way … and first went public back in 2017. The couple has provided nothing but hot content in their time together — from TikToks to boat parties to epic SB parades. but ended up with Kayla shortly after instead.

Celebrity Quarantine Birthdays — Celebrate In Place!

Plans might have been switched around but stars such as Rory McIlroy, Shay Mitchell, Mariah Carey, and plenty of others are getting creative in order to keep the birthday magic alive … and they’ve been sharing these sweet snaps along the way! 8/1/2020 12:01 AM PT

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cake, cake, cake, cake

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These birthday babes haven’t let this pandemic stop them from making the best of it on their special day … See all the famous faces that have been making the most of their at-home celebrations by scrolling through our gallery of celebrity quarantine birthdays. In the end, it’s all about the cake! even if they gotta celebrate in quarantine!

Boston Bombing Survivor Adrianne Haslet ‘Livid’ After Death Sentence Vacated

“First and foremost, I cannot emphasize enough, without a shadow of a doubt, that the criminal justice system needs a complete overhaul to stop racial profiling, and the death penalty is used in far too many cases of injustice. He confessed, with his brother, to a man who testified in court that their plans were to drive to New York and bomb the city too. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev had been sentenced to die for his role in the 2013 bombing which killed 3 people and injured more than 250 others, including Haslet. LFG.” Getty

But, after learning that an appeals court had overturned Tsarnaev’s death sentence Friday … The death sentence was vacated — BUT there will be a new penalty phase of the trial where it’s possible the new jury could still sentence him to death. she WENT OFF in a heated IG post. “This terrorist admitted in court he was guilty of crimes committed against our country. Haslet — a professional dancer at the time — required emergency surgery and lost her left leg from the knee down. “I’m so livid at today’s ruling by the federal court,” Haslet said. The death penalty should be used in this particular case.”

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media. Haslet says if need be, “I’m ready to testify again. Her comeback story has been nothing short of inspirational — she trained up and completed the marathon on a prosthetic leg in 2016. This terrorist gave the finger when asked if he felt guilty.”

She added, “He is a threat to all of us and he needs to die.”

As for Tsarnaev, the appeals court believed some of the jurors in his trial were not completely truthful about how much information they had about the case while being selected. 7/31/2020 4:49 PM PT

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Boston Marathon Bombing survivor Adrianne Haslet — who lost her leg in the terror attack — is FURIOUS after an appeals court Friday overturned the bomber’s death sentence. AND.

NBA’s Jonathan Isaac Stands For National Anthem, Didn’t Wear BLM Shirt

The league’s coaches, refs and players — from LeBron James to Zion Williamson — have been using the anthem demonstrations to raise awareness as games pick back up in Orlando … If people don’t kneel, they’re not a bad person. Getty

So far, Jonathan hasn’t commented on his decision to stand publicly — because the game is currently being played. a gesture that is being supported by NBA commish Adam Silver. Charles Barkley spoke about the demonstrations on Thursday during TNT’s “Inside The NBA,” saying, “The national anthem means different things to different people.”

“I’m glad these guys are unified. I’m glad they had unity, but if we have a guy who doesn’t want to kneel because the anthem means something to him, he should not be vilified.”

The Magic released a statement in support of the demonstration, saying, “The DeVos Family and the Orlando Magic organization fully supports Magic players who have chosen to leverage their professional platform to send a peaceful and powerful message condemning bigotry, racial injustice and the unwarranted use of violence by police, especially against people of color.”

“We are proud of the positive impact our players have made and join with them in the belief that sports can bring people together — bridging divides and promoting inclusion, equality, diversity and unity.” Isaac became the first player to choose to stand as the anthem was played before the Magic’s match-up with the Brooklyn Nets on Friday … It’s worth noting — Silver says everyone will have the option to kneel during the anthem without consequence … while the rest of the team’s players and staffers took a knee. despite a league rule requiring players to stand. I want to make that perfectly clear. 7/31/2020 1:08 PM PT

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LAST MAN STANDING

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Orlando Magic power forward Jonathan Isaac became the first NBA player to stand during the national anthem following the season restart … But, when he does, we’ll update here. deciding against both kneeling and wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt. The same goes for anyone who wishes to stand — no one is saying the players HAVE to kneel, either.

Florida Teen and 2 Men Arrested for Allegedly Hacking Celeb Twitter Accounts

7/31/2020 2:00 PM PT

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1:57 PM PT — While the teenager might be the ringleader of the hack, 2 others have been arrested for it as well — 19-year-old Mason Sheppard from the U.K., and 22-year-old Nima Fazeli of Orlando. The scheme was pretty lucrative … Originally Published — 1:24 PM PT The 2 men were charged in California federal court, though it’s unclear if they are facing as many felonies as Clark. The State Attorney’s Office in Hillsborough County says Clark is responsible for the July 15 hack, which as we reported, saw Twitter accounts for Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Kanye West, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Jeff Bezos, Mike Bloomberg and Kim Kardashian tweeting out a message asking users to send $1,000 to the same Bitcoin address in return for $2,000. Kids these days. While Clark is only 17 years old, Florida law allows minors to be charged as adults in some cases of financial fraud. and the 17-year-old is facing a whopping 30 felony charges. Some of the most high-profile celebs, politicians and business leaders can thank a Florida teen for hacking their Twitter accounts … according to cops, who’ve busted the alleged mastermind. authorities say the hack reeled in more than $100,000 in Bitcoin. Clark was arrested and booked shortly after 6:30 AM Friday … Twitter says the hackers fooled its employees into handing over high-level administrative credentials over the phone in a “spear-phishing attack,” which allowed the hackers to target other Twitter employees with access to account support tools and ultimately tweet from the celeb accounts. according to jail records. Graham Ivan Clark was arrested Friday morning in Tampa following an investigation into the hack that appeared to be part of a massive Bitcoin scam …

Tamar Braxton Released by WE tv, New Reality Show Will Still Air

hotel. Tamar Braxton’s upcoming reality show will still be released, but the network says it’s honoring her request and severing ties with her going forward … ‘Get Ya Life!’ will air as it was intended — the network will not be changing the show or further editing based on Tamar’s complaints. 10. As she focuses on her health and recovery at what is clearly a difficult and personal time, we will work with her representatives to honor her request to end all future work for the network.”

The network adds that it wishes her nothing but the best, and confirms with TMZ that Tamar’s new series, ‘Get Ya Life!,’ will premiere Sept. Tamar opened up about the incident, claiming years of mistreatment in reality TV pushed her to the brink. WE tv says … but says her cry for help was ignored. Remember, the show was supposed to debut July 30, but got postponed after Tamar’s apparent suicide attempt on July 16 at an L.A. She claims over 2 months ago, she wrote a letter to WE tv asking to be freed from her contract because of the “demise” she was experiencing … Sources close to Tamar told us she was upset over her portrayal on the first episode of “Get Ya Life!” and felt she was lied to by producers. following her recent suicide attempt. Tamar called it “my attempt to end my pain and my life.”

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Read her statement

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As we reported … Originally published 11:31 AM PT 7/31/2020 11:56 AM PT

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11:54 AM PT — WE tv tells us … “Tamar Braxton has been an important part of our network family for more than a decade.

Rhode Island Erroneously Mailed Checks Signed by Walt Disney, Mickey Mouse

7/31/2020 12:54 PM PT

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Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse are giving away money … And, in case you’re wondering — Seth Magaziner and Peter Keenan are the state’s real treasurer and controller, respectively. Hold on to your mouse ears hat — Rhode Island officials say this was a technical glitch. you haven’t been replaced. The Disney signatures are used by the Rhode Island Division of Taxation on test files. or so it seems after nearly 200 people in Rhode Island mistakenly received tax refund checks signed by the Disney duo. mostly to business owners. The hilarious technical error was discovered when some people received checks with a Mickey signature under the general treasurer line, and Walt’s name signed under state controller. Chill out, guys … And, here’s a fun fact raised by The AP in its report on the tax flub: “Mickey Mouse is the cartoon character that was animator and producer Walt Disney’s first big hit.”

You don’t say?! For the record, officials mailed out new checks with the correct signatures. They were never meant to be stamped on the 176 live checks mailed out …

Eric Decker Grabs Handful Of Thonged-Out Wife Jessie James In Cheetah Bikini

The couple even tried throwing the football around for a bit … and it’s safe to say Eric is the only one in the family who was blessed with hands. Of course, Decker retired from the NFL in 2018 … but you wouldn’t be able to tell by his body — dude is still JACKED!!! 7/31/2020 12:02 PM PT

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Ex-NFL receiver Eric Decker is still making miraculous catches in retirement …. and they’re proving their marriage is hotter than ever. The 33-year-old former Broncos and Jets star hit the pool with Jessie James Decker — sporting a cheetah-print bikini — and the pics will highlight your Friday. Eric and Jessie James got married back in 2013 and have 3 kids together … As for JJ, the country singer threw on a skimpy bikini while taking a break from promoting her new cookbook, which hits shelves in September. but instead of snagging footballs, he’s grabbin’ handfuls of his stunning wife!!

Woman Accuses Black Photographer, Using Drone for His Job, of Filming Women

The irony of it all … and angrily says she’s going to go call them to verify. 7/31/2020 9:45 AM PT

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THROWIN' A FUSS

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A Seattle woman flipped out on a photographer using a drone for real estate photos, accusing him of secretly recording women … but he thinks her rant was really about seeing a black guy on her block. “I was hired and working a job, notified the homeowners that I was there and got approval to fly, not to mention I have my FFA Part 107 license to fly drones.”

Thomas went on to allege the woman thought the worst of him because he’s black. When Thomas explains he’s working for the real estate company Redfin, the woman doesn’t buy it … She acknowledges that she came out cussing at Thomas and claiming he’s filming women. Karen’s “Live United” t-shirt. “Just had this woman come at me accusing me of being a criminal and a pervert/creep with my drone bc I was taking pictures of her neighbors house smh.”

He added … The photog, Thomas Samuel, shared video of the incident, in which the latest “Karen” accosts him as he was, in his words, “working and minding his own business.”

The vid starts with the woman, who ID’s herself as Katelyn, complaining about a drone coming down on her house. Thomas wrote after the confrontation …

Antonio Brown Suspended 8 Games After NFL Finishes Probe

With the probe now over … in which he was arrested for allegedly beating up a moving truck driver outside of his Florida mansion in January. They added, “Brown was advised that any future violation of the Personal Conduct Policy will likely result in more significant discipline.”

Of course, Brown had been under league investigation for nearly a full year for several reasons … Antonio Brown asked for it … The half-a-season ban will begin as soon as Brown signs on with a new team … “​Antonio Brown was notified today by NFL Special Counsel for Conduct Todd Jones that he has been suspended without pay for the first eight regular-season games of the 2020 season for multiple violations of the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy,” league officials said. 7/31/2020 1:11 PM PT

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1:09 PM PT — Brown has accepted his suspension and does not plan to appeal, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Originally published — 11:42 AM PT most notably after he was accused in a civil lawsuit of raping his former trainer. Brown — who hasn’t played since being cut by the New England Patriots last September — is free to sign with any team. “As part of the discipline, Brown was directed to continue his program of counseling and treatment, and that he is expected fully to cooperate with his clinicians. He claimed the league was dragging its feet … Brown was also under investigation after he allegedly sent menacing text messages to a different woman who had accused him of sexual misconduct when she went to his Pittsburgh-area home to paint murals on his wall in 2017. Brown has tried his best to play nice — apologizing to the league, his family and even cops over the past few months — but just last week, he went off on the NFL for its investigation. the league announced. The NFL also looked into Brown’s assault case … AB has adamantly denied the claims … and it was hurting his career. and now he got it — the NFL is suspending the All-Pro WR a whopping 8 games after finishing its probe Friday into a myriad of AB’s off-field issues. In the suit, Britney Taylor alleged Brown sexually assaulted her on 3 separate occasions … and has fought the suit in court for most of the past year. including a violent rape in 2018.

Biker Launches Racist Rant Against Asians in Brooklyn

There were also threats of violence and hatred towards other minorities in this case of serious racist road rage. 7/31/2020 10:16 AM PT

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OUT OF HAND

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Racial tension is boiling over — this time in Brooklyn between a cyclist and a driver, and it ended in a sparked hateful tirade against Asians. Naturally, he pulls the get-out-of-my-country routine. Basically, the cyclist’s lame-ass defense was he’s from that neighborhood, and no one should be honking at him on his bike, especially not Asians. The racist rant started when the guy who recorded this video admits he gave a “light honk” to the biker, who he says was swerving all over the road. The biker quickly goes racial and hurled so many ethnic and homophobic slurs and stereotypes, you’d think he was trying to win racist bingo.

Novak Djokovic Finally Wears a COVID Mask, It’s a Miracle!

But now, Djokovic has come around … 7/31/2020 8:57 AM PT

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TOOK LONG ENOUGH!! Backgrid

STAY SAFE, EVERYONE! All it took was 674k reported global coronavirus deaths before he wised up! Novak dropped his mask during part of the outing — but hey, progress is progress. The #1-ranked men’s tennis player in the world was masked up during a shopping trip in Cadiz, Spain with his wife, Jelena, this week. Remember, Novak blew off social distancing advice and hosted a tennis tournament in Croatia back in June — and shocker — a bunch of people tested positive! Here’s Novak Djokovic FINALLY wearing a mask out in public — and all it took was global public shaming after he contributed to an outbreak! Both Novak and his wife contracted the virus — and while they eventually recovered, they were still spotted out in Spain just a few weeks ago without masks!! AMAZING, RIGHT?! kind of!

Oprah Personally Spoke to Breonna Taylor’s Mom About Historical Mag Cover

“if it were not for COVID I would be marching in the streets.”

Fortunately, she found another impactful way to do her part. She stepped aside for one of her final print editions and dedicated it to Taylor by declaring, “If you turn a blind eye to racism, you become an accomplice to it.” Emblazoned on the cover are the words … We’re told there was no hesitation on the part of Breonna’s family … Oprah’s team reached out to one of Breonna’s family attorneys, Ben Crump, several weeks ago to see if she could get in touch directly with her mom, Tamika Palmer. Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … We’re told it was the first time the two women had spoken, and it was just them on the call. So far, her death has resulted in no arrests, which sparked countless protests … Gallery

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Remembering Breonna Taylor

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Gallery In an interview with “CBS This Morning,” Oprah expressed her desire to protest as well, saying … “HER LIFE MATTERS.”

Breonna was killed by Louisville police on March 13 in her own home in a botched raid over a “no-knock” warrant. Oprah got Tamika’s number and gave her a call in early June … 7/31/2020 1:00 AM PT

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Breonna Taylor’s mother knew in advance her daughter would become the first person other than Oprah to appear solo on the cover of O magazine … Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media. Breonna’s cover is historical, as it’s the only time Oprah has not been on it. Our sources say Tamika was “in complete awe” of Oprah’s gesture — calling it an unbelievable moment — and of course, she’s honored O’s doing something she’s never done before as a tribute to Breonna. along with the death of George Floyd. shortly after O posted a birthday tribute to Breonna on Instagram. because O told her herself. That’s when Oprah revealed her plan to Tamika to feature Breonna on the cover and ask for her blessing. Oprah Magazine/@alexis_art

As we reported …