Basketball

NBA star De'Aaron Fox is shedding some light on why he parted ways with Team USA -- telling TMZ Sports it's NOT because he's injured!!!

The 21-year-old withdrew from Team USA earlier this month -- joining guys like Trae Young and Kyle Lowry who also recently backed out.

There have been questions surrounding Fox's move ... some people think he was nursing a secret injury, others say he wants to focus on the next NBA season. There's even a theory he was cut.

So, when we saw the Sacramento Kings star at LAX, we had to ask for the REAL reason he left.

"That's for me to know," Fox coyly told us ... adding, "I'm completely healthy."

So, the mystery continues ...

The battle continues ...

Shaquille O'Neal is throwing shade at Dwight Howard again ... proving that a Lakers jersey won't protect DH from the wrath of the Diesel.

Shaq and Dwight have been going at it for years -- some people trace the feud back to a 2007 dance battle ... when a young Dwight tried to eat Shaq's metaphorical heart (don't worry, Shaq battled back and took his head).

Over the years, the shots continued ... with Dwight even trying to use Shaq's famous "Superman" moniker at one point. That didn't go over well with O'Neal.

So, when we saw Shaq at Papa John's in ATL -- where he was giving away free pizza to kids -- we had to ask how he felt about the Lakers signing D12 in the wake of Boogie Cousins getting injured.

"Who?!? I don't know him," Shaq cheekily told us ... trying to turn the focus back on the food.

Point is ... Shaq's a Lakers legend with his own statue on the side of the Staples Center -- so if Dwight wants to win back Lakers Nation, he's gotta figure out a way to win over Shaq, quickly.

DeMarcus Cousins is gonna wanna watch this ...

Ex-NBA superstar Steve Nash STRONGLY believes Boogie can recover from his ACL injury and dominate in the NBA again ... and he's got the pump-up speech to help him bounce back!!!

"He shouldn't retire," Nash told us after leaving a pickup soccer game in L.A. ... "He's still a young guy."

Nash acknowledges DC's had a "horrible run" when it comes to injuries, but says the 29-year-old Lakers star has a "fighting spirit"

"He's a competitor. He's gone through a lot already. He can do it."

Cousins suffered his latest injury during a training session in Las Vegas earlier this month ... and footage obtained by TMZ Sports shows it was non-contact situation.

DC has dealt with injuries before ... he had a quad injury during the playoffs and dealt with an Achilles injury before that.

Nash says Cousins has proved he has what it takes to battle back -- and he hopes the guy will do it again.

Lance Stephenson is clearly emotional about his old pal Sebastian Telfair getting sentenced to 3.5 years in prison ... telling TMZ Sports, "That's like family right there."

Telfair -- a 1st round pick in the 2004 NBA Draft -- was found guilty of felony weapons possession stemming from a crazy 2017 arrest where cops say they found an arsenal of weapons, ammo, bulletproof vest and weed. He's currently serving out his sentence in a NY State Prison.

28-year-old Stephenson tells us he grew up playing ball and training with 34-year-old Telfair ... and still strongly believes his old friend is a good person who can get his life back on track.

"I know he's a good kid," Lance says ... "He's got great spirit. I know it's very tough on him and his family."

Lance added, "I'm trying to support as much as I can but it's very hard. That situation's very tough."

"I'm praying for him too. I think he'll be alright."

Telfair was facing up to 15 years behind bars, so he got off relatively easy -- but during the sentencing hearing, he begged the judge for even more leniency.

"Please don’t take me from the society right now," Telfair told the judge ... "I’m 34. I can go play in China for another six years, take care of my family."

Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton will NOT be punished by the NBA ... after the league investigated claims he sexually assaulted a female reporter.

Walton was accused of forcing himself on former L.A. Lakers reporter Kelli Tennant in a Santa Monica hotel room back in 2014.

5 years later, Tennant filed a lawsuit against the head coach ... which sparked an NBA and Kings investigation.

The Kings and the NBA released a joint statement on Friday, announcing there was insufficient evidence to support the allegations.

"On April 22, 2019, Ms. Tennant filed a civil lawsuit against Coach Walton and, on April 23, held a press conference in which she described claims of sexual assault, verbal and physical harassment, and unwanted physical contact over a three-year period. Two days later, the Kings and the NBA commenced an investigation."

"The investigatory team was led by Sue Ann Van Dermyden, from the Sacramento law firm Van Dermyden Maddux, and Elizabeth Maringer, Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel of the NBA."

The statement continues ..."During the investigation, more than twenty individuals were interviewed, including Coach Walton, and numerous documents and other relevant materials were reviewed."

"The investigators made repeated attempts to interview Ms. Tennant, but, through her counsel, she declined the opportunity to participate. The investigation is considered closed unless new evidence becomes available."

The civil suit is still active ... and is set to go to trial late next year.

Luke Walton -- who was never arrested or charged with a crime -- has adamantly denied any wrongdoing.

Larry Bird's clean-cut, non-tatted image is back ... sorta ... because the artist behind his inked-out mural in Indiana has removed the NBA legends face tats after Larry complained.

Remember, artist Jules Muck (aka Muck Rock) has created a modernized version of Bird's iconic 1977 Sports Illustrated shoot ... complete with tattoos in his face, chest and arms.

The image caught Bird's attention -- and he tapped his attorney to reach out and ask Jules to change it because he's not a "tattooed guy" and felt the mural could hurt his brand image.

We spoke with Jules, who tells us the two sides agreed to a compromise -- she would remove all of the tats ... EXCEPT ONE ... the "Indiana" ink on Bird's forearm.

So, on Thursday, Jules grabbed some spray paint and went to work ... doing her version of laser tattoo removal -- and the end result is still pretty cool.

NBA star Enes Kanter says he's still about 2 years away from becoming a U.S. citizen ... but when it DOES happen, he tells TMZ Sports he might have a new name too!!!

Of course, the 27-year-old Celtics hooper has been labeled a terrorist in his home country of Turkey after publicly criticizing president Recep Tayyip Erdogan ... calling him "the Hitler of our generation."

Considering Kanter can get locked up in prison if he ever goes back home, he's kick-started the process of becoming a U.S. citizen ... and is thinking of making even more changes to go along with it.

"I'm actually becoming a U.S. citizen in 2 years," Kanter said ... "I'm actually thinking about adding an American name. I'm still thinking about it. I don't know yet."

We also talked with Kanter about the work he's put into helping bring awareness to the human rights issues in Turkey and what he's doing to fix the problem.

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."