Basketball

Orlando Magic hooper Desmond Bane is getting slapped with a hefty fine after he yeeted a basketball right at Knicks forward OG Anunoby during Sunday's showdown.

The league announced the $35,000 punishment on Monday ... stating Bane's decision to fire the ball "with force" at Anunoby during the game was deemed "unsportsmanlike manner."

ICYMI ... the outburst took place in the fourth quarter of the Magic vs. Knicks game at Madison Square Garden. After Anunoby lost the ball on a layup and fell out of bounds, Bane took control of it and hurled it right at Anunoby.

It didn't make sense why Bane threw the ball at OG -- not even for Anunoby, who pushed him after taking the hit.

A courtside heckler learned the hard way that Omar from "The Wire" wasn't kidding when he said "come at the king, you best not miss" ... 'cause the spectator tried to clown LeBron James over his hairline -- but it hilariously backfired!!

The fun interaction happened on Sunday during the Los Angeles Lakers' road game against the Philadelphia Sixers at the Wells Fargo Center.

When James was standing near the expensive seats, a guy saw an opportunity and yelled, "You still ain't got no hair though" -- clearly not ready for LBJ's response.

Utah Tech guard Chance Trujillo's retaliatory punch after getting dunked on in a game last week earned him a one-game suspension, the school told TMZ Sports.

The altercation happened on December 3 ... when the UT Trailblazers played against the Santa Clara Broncos at the Leavey Center. SC's Allen Graves went up for a slam late in the game ... and Trujillo tried to block it, but failed.

Graves posterized Trujillo and bumped into him while he celebrated ... which led to the violent scene on the court.

That outburst has now cost him some playing time.

The L.A. Clippers played their first game after Chris Paul's surprise departure on Wednesday ... but the future Hall of Famer was on the home crowd's minds -- with Atlanta Hawks fans hurling chants asking where the heck CP3 was during the game!!

A group of Hawks backers broke out in the jeers while Ivica Zubac was at the free-throw line for L.A. ... with "Where's Chris Paul?" clearly ringing through the arena.

Luckily for Zubac, it didn't have much effect ... as he made both shots from the line. The biggest news of the day also didn't hurt the Clippers' play ... as they went on to get the 115-92 win against Atlanta.

Don't worry, Knicks fans, the Julius Randle and Karl-Anthony Towns trade will pay off soon ... this according to Charles Oakley, who tells TMZ Sports his addition to the team can pave the way for an NBA Finals run!!

We spoke with the Knicks legend as he was giving away food at Melba’s of Harlem's annual turkey drive this week ... and asked if he believes his former team can make a run at the NBA championship again this season with KAT.

"They should've won it last year ... yes, they can," Oakley said, "They just have to play. I think they got sidetracked last year, a lot of things goin' on."

A piece of L.A. basketball history is hitting the auction block -- the game ball used by Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and the Lakers when they won the 2000 NBA Finals!!

TMZ Sports has learned bidding for the item is part of the Sotheby's "Winter Sports Classic" ... with the company showcasing $30 million worth of sports memorabilia at The Breuer Building in New York.

The ball -- from Game 6 of the Lakers vs. Pacers showdown, which L.A. won, 116-111 -- is among the many iconic items looking for new homes.

Chauncey Billups pleaded not guilty in a federal courthouse in Brooklyn on Monday, a month after he was arrested for allegedly helping the mafia rig underground poker games, a scandal that rocked the NBA.

The now-suspended Portland Trail Blazers head coach was arraigned on charges relating to wire fraud and money laundering, appearing alongside 30 other defendants in the Eastern District of New York.

Bond was set at $5 million. Billups put up his Colorado home as collateral, securing his release.

According to the feds, defendants, including members from four of the five crime families in NYC, would lure unsuspecting wealthy targets to card games under the guise they were legit ... using celebrities like Billups to make them appear legit.

Patrick Beverley won't be appearing on Barstool platforms anytime soon -- Dave Portnoy just revealed the former NBA player is "taking forced time away" following his arrest for felony assault.

The Barstool Sports founder explained his employee's status during "The Unnamed Show" on Wednesday ... saying Beverley -- who has a the "Hoopin' N Hollerin'" podcast with the company -- has "gotta figure all this out."

"We'll let the facts play out," Portnoy said. "Certainly, with what is hanging there, we can't have him be part of what we're doing right now, and we got to see how it settles, but this is horrible."

Lonzo Ball and Michael Porter Jr. believe they would have been forces to be reckoned with in the WNBA as teenagers ... with both NBA stars claiming they'd dominate against pro women's players before they were old enough to drive cars.

MPJ stopped by Lonzo's "Ball in the Family" podcast recently ... and at one point in their chat, the current Brooklyn Nets player brought up how A'ja Wilson said she could beat Knicks guard Josh Hart one-on-one.

The convo then transitioned into how Patrick Beverly said a WNBA team could beat an NBA team's bench players ... which Lonzo wasn't buying.

Bronny James has left the nest, according to his dad, LeBron, who revealed his oldest child moved into his own place ... and joked that his son has been ghostin' him ever since.

The Lakers superstar mentioned Bronny, 21, had vacated the James family home when a reporter asked about his son's growth in the NBA after Tuesday's game in Los Angeles.

"It's been great to see and to watch," James said.

Patrick Beverley's legal team is disputing the allegations that led to his felony assault arrest ... with his attorney claiming the ex-NBA player's sister's side of the alleged incident is not accurate.

Letitia Quinones-Hollins tells TMZ Sports the details laid out from Beverley's 15-year-old sister to cops in the probable cause affidavit were "given at a time when emotions were high" and don't tell the truth or the complete story.

"Patrick is not a violent man and was not violent that night," Quinones-Hollins said Tuesday. "In fact, he was very respectful with the authorities that night and encouraged others to do the same."

TMZ Sports has obtained more details surrounding Patrick Beverley's arrest -- the ex-NBA player is accused of punching his sister in the eye and choking her for up to 30 seconds at a Texas home.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Beverley's sister told officials she left the home in the middle of the night without permission to see her boyfriend at a nearby park on Nov. 14.

When she returned home, her mother, Lisa, was awake ... and told her to enter her room. Lisa then told her daughter to call the boyfriend and tell him to pick her up.

It's safe to say Kevin Love is a future Hall of Famer ... and when that day comes, the NBA star tells TMZ Sports he would be honored to get the recognition "as a Cavalier."

We caught up with the 2016 champion and five-time All-Star this week ... and talked all about his NBA present and future, legacy in Cleveland, recent Instagram antics and partnering up with Shift Naturals, a lineup of non-alcoholic products to help folks unwind after a long day.

At 37 years old, the Utah Jazz forward said he's started to think about what retirement life would be like ... but as of right now, he's open to playing a few more seasons.

Luka Doncic did his best to sidestep any questions about the Nico Harrison firing on Wednesday ... saying while he'll always have love for the Mavericks fans and players, he's ready to move on and focus on the Lakers.

The Slovenian superstar met with the media after the Purple and Gold's blowout road loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder ... and naturally, he was asked how he felt about the general manager who shipped him to Los Angeles getting canned just nine months later -- and if it provided "closure."

Doncic elected to focus on everyone else in Dallas instead.

Mavericks fans couldn't wait for Nico Harrison to get kicked to the curb after he traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers ... but NBA champ Kendrick Perkins still believes both sides won the infamous deal -- telling TMZ Sports we'll find out if/when Dallas gets healthy!!

Harrison was handed his pink slip on Tuesday ... an inevitable move nine months after the franchise player was shipped to L.A. in exchange for Anthony Davis.

At the time, Perk said he loved the transaction for both sides ... but Mavs backers weren't buying it -- and wanted Harrison gone ASAP.