Basketball

Trae Young is going to bat for his NBA buddy, Devin Booker ... saying the dude had every right to throw a tantrum in a pickup game Monday -- adding it's insane people were double-teaming him!!!

"DBook speaking facts," Trae said of the Phoenix Suns superstar Wednesday ... "There should be NO Double Teaming in pick up."

Of course, Booker went off on some guys in an open-run sesh earlier this week when he was doubled on the baseline while trying to attack the basket.

"Hey, bro, we not doubling in open gym, bro!" Booker yelled.

Devin caught a ton of heat for the blowup, with people claiming he was being a baby ... but Trae came to his defense on Twitter, saying Booker SHOULDA been pissed.

"When you trying to work on your game, and work on the moves and things you do individually in pick up... it’s annoying getting double teamed in that type of setting."

Trae added, "Just Sayin.. #OnlyAFewUnderstand"

For his part, Booker clearly appreciated the backing ... writing, "Only a few."

Scottie Pippen's estranged wife, Larsa Pippen, says she is NOT hooking up with NBA superstar Ben Simmons ... adamantly denying she was getting close to the hooper earlier this week.

There were reports Pippen and Kendall Jenner's recent ex-boyfriend were looking like a couple at The Highlight Room on Monday night ... with the non-couple leaving within minutes of each other that night.

The news would be a MAJOR deal in the Kardashian world since Larsa is BFFs with Kim and Kourtney. #SCANDALOUS!!

But, Larsa is having NONE of that talk ... saying she never even saw the 23-year-old Sixers point guard that night ... and would NEVER betray a family friend a la Jordyn Woods.

"I never even saw him, let alone left with him," Larsa said in a heated IG story. "He dated my bff's sister and I would never."

Seems like a low-key shot at Woods -- Kylie's ex-BFF -- who hooked up with Tristan Thompson which led to a messy split with Khloe Kardashian.

Ben and Kendall dated for a year and broke up sometime around May ... and he famously dated singer Tinashe prior to that.

The legend of Bronny James continues to grow ... this time in China, with LeBron's kid hitting a wild circus shot against some international competition, and driving a packed gym wild.

Bronny is in China with Zaire Wade and the rest of his Sierra Canyon High School hoops teammates (yes, a high school basketball team is touring China, things have changed) and they're being treated like STARS!

He seems to be earning the treatment ... because LeBron Sr. just posted video of the his kid going hard to the rim and taking the contact, finishing with a Jordan-esque reverse finish.

Bronny has been tearing up the grassroots basketball circuit all-year long, but this is our first look at him as a high school athlete, and the early returns are pretty strong.

Larry Bird is adamant he's NOT a "tattooed guy" -- and he ain't happy with a new mural in Indiana that depicts him as a walking canvas.

The NBA legend's attorney has reached out to Jules Muck, the artist who created the Bird tribute on a Fountain Square building in Indianapolis ... an image that shows a young Bird with ink on his face, chest and arms.

In the mural, Bird looks like a SoundCloud rapper -- with tats showing everything from bunnies humping to the word "Indiana" on his forearm ... there's also a clover (Celtics) and a spider web.

The image is a play off of Bird's famous 1977 Sports Illustrated shoot, when he played for Indiana State.

But, Bird's attorney says the image is a problem because the REAL Larry doesn't have tattoos and Larry feels he "needs to protect" his brand.

"Larry’s position is he has elevated himself from where he began to where he is now through a lot of hard work. He has developed a brand that is marketable and he needs to protect that brand,” attorney Gary Sallee told IndyStar.

"The mural, as originally painted, was a departure from that brand."

The artist says she's conflicted about how she'll handle the issue -- she's still considering her options.

Ex-Michigan State star and NBA player Mateen Cleaves has been acquitted on ALL charges in his rape case ... after a jury determined the hooper was not guilty in court on Tuesday.

Cleaves -- who led Michigan State to a national title in 2000 -- was accused of taking a woman to a motel in 2015 and held her there against her will. The woman claimed Cleaves forced himself on her and raped her.

A jury of 9 women and 3 men deliberated for 2 1/2 hours before reaching the verdict.

Cleaves -- who has adamantly maintained the sex with the accuser was consensual -- had support from legendary Spartans coach, Tom Izzo, who attended the closing arguments in the Flint courtroom.

NBA superstar Russell Westbrook believes DRONES are the way of the future -- so he's made it a mission to help at-risk youth learn to pilot 'em ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Brodie's Why Not? Foundation teamed up with Chad Brownstein and the LA Conservation Corps to help "at risk young adults" in Los Angeles learn digital skills that will help them get good paying jobs in the tech field.

Not only will the students learn coding and computer engineering -- but he's also created an "advanced drone piloting career path program" ... which sounds AWESOME!!!!

"As a kid who grew up here in LA, I know how important it is to feel supported and empowered by the community," Westbrook said ... "By helping to provide these resources my hope is that the youth will be able to see how bright their future can be and expand the vision of what they think they’re capable of."

Westbrook and Brownstein are also funding a state of the art computer lab -- which is huge for kids who don't have the resources to learn computer skills on their own.

So ... Steve Nash plays park soccer with former World Cup stars now -- and TMZ Sports has the video!

It's pretty amazing ... the 45-year-old ex-NBA superstar was playing some 5 on 5 (with a small goal) on Monday at an L.A. park with the likes of Team USA legend Cobi Jones!!!

Nash wasn't the most dominant guy on the field, but he certainly held his own ... which shouldn't be too big of a surprise considering he's a freak athlete who loves soccer.

In fact, Nash has a shrine in his L.A. home to some of his favorite soccer players ... so to get out there and ball out with Cobi Jones must've been awesome.

Of course, Jones is a Team USA soccer legend who played on the national team from 1992 to 2004 ... scoring 15 goals during his international career. He's the all-time leader in appearances for Team USA, with 164 caps.

The BIG3 was ON FIRE over the weekend -- with a ton of huge stars hitting the American Airlines Center in Dallas for the BIG3 Ballout ... capped off with a live performance from T.I.

The place was rockin' ... with Ice Cube, LL Cool J, Gary Payton and more showing support for the league's intense 6-game showcase just 1 week before the playoffs begin. The championship game is on Sept. 1 at Staples Center.

The basketball action was solid -- with stars like Tri-State's Amar'e Stoudemire and Aliens' Greg Oden battling it out on the court ... where things got pretty chippy between the 2 big men.

And, with so many players in the league looking to make the jump back to the NBA, it's a pretty big deal to have Dallas Mavericks honcho Mark Cuban sitting in the front row.

By the way, Lisa Leslie's Triplets squad is currently in 1st place -- with stars like Jannero Pargo and Joe Johnson, who just set a BIG3 record for points scored in a season (175).

The Triplets are 7-1 through 8 weeks  -- with Stephen Jackson's Killer 3s squad in 2nd place with a 5-3 record.

Steph Curry is calling on one of his most powerful friends to help relaunch the golf program at Howard University -- Barack Obama -- and he's willing to use bribery!!!

You may have heard, Curry is spearheading the return of Howard University's golf program ... so when we saw him out in D.C., we asked if his longtime golfing buddy would be make a cameo on the course.

"Oh, for sure. For sure," Curry told TMZ Sports ... "He can get his own presidential cart and chase them around!"

Curry didn't go to Howard -- he famously attended Davidson Univ. -- but he's very passionate about bringing golf back at the historically black university (HBCU).

Howard hasn't had a golf team in decades (since the '70s) ... but Curry has stepped up to fund the program for the next 6 years.

So, why is Curry so passionate about this particular issue? He explained it in a previous press release ...

"Golf is a sport that has changed my life in ways that are less tangible, but just as impactful," Curry said.

"It's a discipline that challenges your mental wherewithal from patience to focus, and is impossible to truly master, so when you hear about these passionate student athletes who have the talent but don't have a fair shot at the game, it's tough. I feel really honored to play a small role in the rich history of Howard University."

There's one less Brazzers and Bang Bros subscriber in the world ... 'cause Lamar Odom says he's officially DONE WITH PORN ... telling TMZ Sports he's given up the the habit for a healthier lifestyle.

Of course, LO has been very open about his sex addiction ... claiming he's knocked boots with more than 2,000 women -- including strippers and prostitutes -- in his book, "Darkness to Light."

But, Odom -- who was kicked out of the BIG3 last month for being out of shape -- says he's actively working to change his life in several ways ... telling us he's eliminated candy and porn from his day-to-day.

"I'm trying to be better," Lamar told us at LAX ... saying it's been about a month since he's indulged.

But, the ex-NBA superstar ain't doing it alone ... he's got his fitness guru girlfriend, Sabrina Parr, helping him with his diet and workouts.

Parr says the porn ban has helped in the bedroom ... and it looks like it helps outside the bedroom as well ... 'cause they can't keep their hands off each other.

NY Knicks rising star Kevin Knox says his boss isn't the jerk people make him out to be ... telling TMZ Sports despite what some may think, James Dolan is a GREAT person!!!

You've heard the stories ... the billionaire has a reputation of not getting along with fans, Knicks legends or media reporters.

But, Knox -- the 9th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft -- says that's not the Dolan he knows ... heaping praise on the guy for being a cool dude.

"He's good, man. I like him," Knox told us at LAX. "He talks to us a lot of times before the games."

"He's a great person. I play Fortnite with his sons all the time. He's a good dude."

No word on if Knox wins ... but if he plays on the sticks like he does on the court, those kids are gettin' smoked.

Meek Mill has followed through on another promise to help his hometown -- lifting the curtain on a refurbished basketball court in his old hood ... and it looks great.

The Philly rapper was on-hand Saturday for the unveiling of a renovated court that he partnered with several different orgs to fix up for the kids and residents who frequent East Fairmount Park, which is right next to Meek's stomping grounds in North Philadelphia.

You can see the blacktop is now painted blue, and slugged with a "Dream Chasers" logo and as well as some inspirational quotes along the sidelines. "Dreamchasers" is one of Meek's mixtapes, BTW.

We got Meek talking about the work that was done -- with the help of PUMA, Roc Nation, the Philadelphia Parks & Rec Department and other local agencies -- and he made sure to shout out all the parties involved for bringing basketball back to his neighborhood.

As we reported, Meek wanted to give youth of his neighborhood the opportunity to "ball in the best conditions possible," which is why he got involved in this project to begin with.

Looks like the court is already doing what Meek set out to accomplish -- bringing his community together. Kids and adults alike were seen putting up shots and enjoying the cleanup job ... including Meek himself, who was ballin' out.

Just another day in Meek's newfound philanthropy -- dude's been on a roll since walking out of prison in 2018 ... whether it's stuff like this, or full-blown criminal justice efforts.

Former No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins was burglarized in Los Angeles ... and TMZ Sports has learned the thieves made off with the NBA star's shoes and luggage.

Law enforcement sources tell us the 24-year-old -- who's been in L.A. training for the NBA this summer -- had his place broken into earlier this month.

But, we're told cops described the scene as "amateur hour" ... because the burglars left jewelry and other valuables in the heist, and only took about $1,000 worth of the stuff instead.

We're told the thieves stole a pair of Wiggins' casual Nikes and his luggage -- and also made off with his rental SUV Escalade. But, we're told authorities were able to locate the vehicle a short time later.

As for Wiggins' property, the LAPD is currently investigating ... but no arrests have been made, and his stuff hasn't been recovered yet.

By the way, sources close to the situation also tell us the break-in appears to have had nothing to do with the string of burglaries that impacted celebs in the city over the past year -- describing this incident as random.

Wiggins has been one of the Minnesota Timberwolves' best players since entering the NBA in 2014 ... starting in 400 games in his 5-year career.

Lance Stephenson says he knows firsthand how hard DeMarcus Cousins was working prior to his devastating ACL injury ... telling TMZ Sports he feels bad for Boogie, but knows he'll be back!!

Cousins injured his knee while playing in Vegas earlier this week after attempting a routine layup. He's expected to miss the entire season.

Lance -- who says he had been working out with DeMarcus this offseason -- says Cousins was in great shape and ready to make a huge impact in his first year with the Lakers.

"I know it's tough on him, that's my brother," Lance says. "I know he worked so hard this summer, I was working out with him in Las Vegas. I know he was very prepared for this season. It's just sad that he got hurt again."

Despite Cousins' 3rd leg injury in 3 years, Lance says he knows Boogie will eventually get back to 100% and do his thing on the court again.

Al Harrington was stopped by cops outside his Viola Brands office in Hollywood, and he claims race is the reason.

TMZ Sports got the whole thing on video ... you can see the former NBA star talking to cops, getting a ticket and returning to his (crazy) vehicle.

Of course we wanted to know what the fuss was all about, and asked Al what he did to make the cops stop him.

"Driving while black."

Get this, the whole thing happened steps away from Harrington's business headquarters. The interaction with the police seemed civil.

TMZ Sports has obtained video of DeMarcus Cousins' devastating ACL injury ... showing the NBA superstar screaming and falling to the court after attempting a routine layup.

The 29-year-old L.A. Lakers All-Star was practicing in Las Vegas on Monday ... when his knee gave out while driving to the basket.

Cousins could immediately tell something was wrong ... letting out a scream as he stumbled to the hardwood. The 6'11" center pointed at his right knee as help rushed over.

The other players are visibly upset as well.

It's gotta be frustrating for Cousins ... who tore his Achilles as a New Orleans Pelican in 2018, and tore his quad in the playoffs with the Golden State Warriors this past season.

Shams Charania reports Cousins underwent more testing on Thursday ... and it was confirmed he tore his ACL, which will likely sideline him for the entire season.

We're told Cousins had been balling a lot recently at the IMPACT Basketball training center -- where tons of pros like to go during the offseason.

The NBA community flooded social media with support for Cousins ... with players from Karl-Anthony Towns to Isaiah Thomas sending well wishes.