Los Angeles Lakers have been handed a boost with news that LeBron James is close to being back on the court wearing the purple and gold.

The NBA stars showed solidarity with the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback. On Super Bowl weekend James and Durant's gestures were powerfully timed.

LeBron James has missed 17 of the last 18 games with injury and the team have struggled as a result, posting a 27-27 record. On Tuesday night, they lost by 42 points at the hands of the Indiana Pacers.

Charlotte plays host to Team Lebron vs Team Giannis at the Spectrum Center but there is plenty planned before the two NBA stars lead out their drafted squads to cap off a packed weekend of action.

The actress, 46, looked beautiful in a colorful ensemble complete with a yellow coat and vibrant dress as she stood on a staircase with her gorgeous family.

Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points, Norman Powell had 20 and the Toronto Raptors beat the Los Angeles Lakers 111-98 on Thursday night.

Andre Drummond had 19 points and 23 rebounds, and the Pistons took advantage of James' absence, beating Los Angeles 111-97 on Friday night.

NBA ROUND-UP: Steph Curry and Kevin Durant each scored 28 points, with Durant going 12 of 13 from the field, as the Warriors beat the Memphis Grizzlies 118-103 on Wednesday.

The Lakers (31-41) will miss the play-offs for a franchise-record sixth straight season even with James, who fell just short of his 81st career triple-double with 25 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds.

LeBron James may have been shut down for the rest of the season by the LA Lakers but he has still resisted the urge to put his feet up for the remainder of the campaign.

LeBron James, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony were all sitting courtside in Brooklyn on Wednesday night to watch Miami's game against the Nets.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James's charter school in his native Akron is getting a new gym, thanks to a $1 million contribution from the DICK's Sporting Goods Foundation.

Dallas Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott was handcuffed at the EDC music festival in Las Vegas after allegedly shoving a security guard to the ground after reportedly arguing with his girlfriend.

LeBron James is extending his kindness to a teenager in the Dominican Republic who caught his attention after a video of the 13-year-old boy hitting a tough shot went viral this week.

LeBron James posted a video on his Instagram over the weekend showing him beating a 14-year-old kid who appeared to challenge him to a three-point shooting contest.

The world's most expensive ever footballer, Neymar, completes the top three as footballers dominate the podium spots of Forbes list of the 100 highest paid athletes .

Earlier in the week he linked up with LeBron James, the LA Lakers star and Liverpool supporter, and sat courtside as the Toronto Raptors managed to surprisingly win the NBA title.

Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe was greeted by hundreds of fans as he arrived at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Monday evening following a week in Los Angeles.

While Toronto Raptors' maiden NBA Finals win captured the imagination of basketball, fans are now brimming with excitement ahead of the draft on Thursday night in Brooklyn, New York.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has agreed to give his famous No. 23 jersey to his soon-to-be teammate, former New Orleans Pelicans All-Star center Anthony Davis.

LeBron James has welcomed Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers by handing over his No 23 jersey to his close friend and fellow NBA All-Star. 

The LA Lakers star made the trip to Las Vegas to watch his 14-year-old son LeBron 'Bronny' James Jr. compete in the Big Time Hoops Tournament and beamed with joy after his son's impressive dunk.

The Boomers may have gone into Thursday nights Australia versus USA all-star basketball match at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium as underdogs, but they are going toe to toe with the visitors. 

Griezmann celebrated his second goal by grabbing a handful of glitter from a steward and sprinkling it in the air. James is famed for doing the same thing with a handful of chalk after scoring in basketball.

LeBron James's effort to trademark the term 'Taco Tuesday' has been denied by the US Patent and Trademark Office, but a spokesman for the Los Angeles Lakers star says the ruling was welcome.

LeBron James has spoken out again after sparking anger for suggesting Houston Rockets Daryl Morey 'wasn't educated' when he sent a tweet in support of protesters in Hong Kong.

During a closed-door meeting in China last week, LeBron James pressured NBA commissioner Adam Silver to punish Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey for his support for Hong Kong.

Kawhi Leonard (left) stepped out for his LA Clippers debut on Tuesday night, helping his new side see off local rivals LA Lakers on the opening night of the new NBA season.

The 40-year-old comedian was seen enjoying a night out with Jay-Z and other powerplayers in the sports and hip-hop world at high-end restaurant Avra Beverly Hills Estiatorio on Monday night.

Golden State Warriors' have now lost two on the spin to start their season after falling to a heavy 120-92 defeat against Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night.

Seventeen devastating wildfires have continued to burn up and down the state of California on Tuesday razing through more than 94,000 acres of land.

On Halloween, LeBron James channeled Johnny Depp in his iconic 1990 film role Edward Scissorhands. The NBA legend dubbed himself 'LeDward Scissorhands'.

James, who was in stunning form following a triple-double in an overtime victory in Dallas on Friday, added 21 points and 11 rebounds in San Antonio, while Davis had 25 points and also 11 rebounds.

James hit a pair of clutch 3-pointers in the waning minutes to seal another impressive win for the Lakers, who haven't lost since their season opener against the Clippers.

Luka Doncic scored 21 of his 27 points in a dynamic second half and Kristaps Porzingis added 15 points as the Dallas Mavericks snapped the LA Lakers' 10-game winning streak with a 114-100 victory.

Andy Reyes and his friend and former basketball teammate, Emmanuel Franco, had visited a food truck in the Dominican Republic on Monday, when conversation turned to the NBA.

James also had 25 points, nine assists and a crucial dunk off a miss late in the fourth quarter to clinch a match-up of the top two teams in the Western Conference.

Lizzo stole the show at the LA Lakers game when she exposed her booty and thong during dance and twerk exhibition ion Sunday.

They improved to a 23-3 record, which extended their second-longest road winning streak in franchise history to 13 games and rallied from a double-digit deficit to win for the eighth time already this season.

LeBron James, 34, was seen jumping up and down as Bronny played for California's Sierra Canyon Trailblazers on Saturday against St. Vincent-St. Mary Irish who were at home in Columbus, Ohio.

The 32-year-old actor was on the receiving end of a chant by LeBron James, 34, on Wednesday before his Los Angeles Lakers took on their intra-city rivals the Clippers.

Kawhi Leonard (right) scored 35 points as the LA Clippers beat the LA Lakers in the marquee Christmas Day game. Meanwhile, Draymond Green had 20 points in Golden State's shock win.

Kevin Hart, 40, grimaced as 6ft 10inch LA Lakers star Anthony Davis landed down on top of him just three months after he suffered three spinal fractures in a horror crash.

The Los Angeles Lakers point forward was seen exiting the Crazy Girls strip club in Hollywood in the wee hours of Tuesday morning as he celebrated his 35th birthday.

LeBron James put up 21 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, while Anthony Davis had eight of the Lakers' 20 blocked shots in their fifth straight victory, 106-99 over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night.

LeBron James contributed 35 points and 16 rebounds and Kyle Kuzma scored a season-high 26 points as the Los Angeles Lakers raced to a 129-114 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.

Adorable footage shows Liam Burgin, 13, overwhelmed with emotion after catching a glimpse of LeBron James running on the court for an LA Lakers game at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.

Carmelo Anthony made the winning basket with just 3.3 seconds left on the clock as Portland rallied to beat Toronto on Tuesday night. Portland looked dead and buried but rallied with seconds left.

Kemba Walker scored 20 points to end a career-long personal losing streak against LeBron James, and Jayson Tatum scored 27 to help Boston send the LA Lakers to its biggest loss of the season.

LeBron James is on the cusp of adding another piece of history to his bow as he continues to cement his legacy as one of the NBA's greatest-ever players.