Former basketball forward and colorful commentator Charles Barkley added his voice to the discussion about Sammy Sosa’s questionable new skintone during a TNT doubleheader Thursday night.

Another split has hit Black Hollywood. Shaquille O’Neal’s wife of six years, Shaunie O’Neal, has filed for legal separation. The bombshell comes two years after the NBA start first started divorce proceedings.

Shaq and Shaunie split in September 2007 amid allegations that Shaunie was sleeping with her personal trainer and being secretive about her monetary assets. The couple reunited in August 2008 and vowed to work through their problems. But their efforts have not been successful, according to papers filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Monday.

Shaunie and the couple’s four children have abandoned the family’s Florida home and relocated to California, where she will likely have an easier time securing spousal support, PEOPLE reports. She is also seeking child support as well as legal and physical custody of their children. Shaq and Shaunie would have celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary next month.

On Tuesday morning, basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar announced that he is battling a rare form of cancer.

The all-star NBA legend was diagnosed with a rare type of blood cancer known as Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia late last year. He has not spoken about his battle publicly until now, and hopes to inspire others as new treatments are available to patients with the disease.

The type of cancer Kareem faces affects the blood and bone marrow.

Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez paying homage to Jay-Z by throwing up the triangle during the Yankees celebration parade in New York City Friday. The Yanks beat the Phillies Wednesday night, clinching its 27th World Series victory.

Hov jet-setted home to NYC after an evening at the MTV Europe Awards in Berlin to perform his hit single “Empire State of Mind” at today’s event.

In case you missed it, here’s a video of the Bronx’s own MJB putting her golden touch on our National Anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” just before the New York Yankees slugged their way to victory in Game 6 of the World Series on Wednesday night.

Mary J. Blige is going back to The Bronx. The Bronx, New York native, who has clocked six Grammy Awards since her 1992 debut album, will perform “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the American National Anthem, at the upcoming sixth game of baseball’s World Series at Yankee Stadium Wednesday evening.

Mary J. will sing before the New York Yankees take on the Philadelphia Phillies in the final game of the 2009 series.

It took an extra 24-hours, but Brooklyn native Jay-Z and Harlem’s own Alicia Keys got to perform their hit hometown anthem, “Empire State of Mind,” before Game 2 of the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies in the Bronx on Thursday night.

Hov and A. Keys had been due to take the stage at last night’s World Series kickoff, but their performance was delayed due to inclimate weather.

Jay-Z and Alicia Keys are set to perform their hit anthem “Empire State of Mind” as the New York Yankees take on defending World Series champs, the Philadelphia Phillies, in Game 1 of the World Series this Wednesday night. Better not tell, Lil Mama! The Bronx Bombers have been blasting the Hov/A. Keys collabo during their playoff run. Now, the team is having the duo perform the song live.

“Thank the good Lord for making me a Yankee,” an excited Jay-Z said of the pending performance in an interview on Monday

The hip-hop impressario calls the opportunity a “once in a lifetime experience.”

Wimbledon champSerena Williams peeled off her garbs to appear completely naked on the cover of ESPN Magazine’s November Body Issue.

Grand Slam champ Serena Williams joins Emmy-winning daytime host Tyra Banks for a game of tennis on the streets of NYC on an episode of The Tyra Show Thursday.

The tennis ace opens up about her struggle with body image and her explosive verbally assaulted on a line judge during her U.S. Open match earlier this month.