Basketball

L.A. Clippers guard Patrick Beverley's ball chuckin' celebration after beating the Lakers is gonna cost him a piece of that new contract he just signed ... 'cause the NBA just fined him $25k for the toss.

Beverley had possession of the ball with the clock winding down in the Clips' 112-102 win over the Lakers on Tuesday ... and instead of handing the ball to the ref next to him, Bev threw it into the stands.

Kiki VanDeWeghe -- EVP of Basketball Operations at the Association -- announced the hefty punishment on Wednesday ... saying Beverley was fined "for throwing the game ball into the spectator stands."

FWIW -- Beverley inked a 3-year, $40 million deal this past off-season ... so the dude can afford it.

Move over Zion and RJ ... Chris Bosh says someone else deserves the title of best pick in the 2019 rookie class -- Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro!!!

With Williamson sidelined for a few months with a knee injury, the ex-Kentucky star has become one of the favorites to win Rookie of the Year ... and when we saw Bosh leaving Barstool Sports in NYC on Tuesday, he was clearly already on the Herro bandwagon.

"He's AWESOME!!!" Bosh told TMZ Sports. "Best pick in the draft!!! Best pick."

The Heat took Herro with the 13th pick in the draft after averaging 14 points a game for the Wildcats ... and the dude killed it in Summer League, averaging 19 points a game.

Of course, Bosh won 2 titles alongside LeBron James and Dwyane Wade during his time with the Heat ... and he's more than pleased with the organization's newest addition.

Lamar Odom says he was an "immature punk" when he broke up with Taraji P. Henson back in the day ... admitting he had no idea how to tell her he was falling for another woman, Khloe Kardashian.

Odom and Taraji dated on the low in 2009 -- Lamar has previously credited Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt for helping them get together in the first place.

During a new interview for the TV One series "Uncensored," Odom admits he was head over heels for Henson ... at first.

"She was a little older than me, but I learned a lot from her because that was the most significant relationship as a grown-up that I had with a black woman."

"I used to carry her picture on the road with me," the ex-NBA star said ... "She gave me inspiration."

Odom says just thinking about Henson used to motivate him on the court -- things like "getting to see her" would motivate him to destroy teams.

So, where did things go wrong? When he met Khloe ...

Odom has said he felt it was love at first sight with KK (they married just 1 month after meeting) ... but Lamar didn't know to handle the situation with Taraji.

"Things ended with Taraji because of me being an immature punk. I didn't know how to tell her I was falling in love with another woman named Khloe Kardashian."

Odom doesn't say in the clip if the two are still friendly -- but Taraji has obviously moved on. She's now engaged to former NFL cornerback Kelvin Hayden.

As for Lamar, he and Khloe broke up in 2013 -- but the divorce wasn't finalized until 2016.

IT'S BBBACK!!!

LaVar Ball is announcing the return of his Big Baller Brand -- saying the company will be back with brand new products ... including new signature shoes!!!

Remember, the BBB brand was thiiiiis close to death earlier this year when Lonzo Ball had his BBB tattoo covered up and his manager told fans to throw their BBB products in the garbage.

But, as we previously reported, LaVar hired a new staff and has been working on relaunching the brand for months ... and now he's released an official mission statement for BBB Version 2.0.

"The Big Baller Brand is alive and well," Ball says.

"The brand has been restructuring and we are working to reveal the new website in the next few weeks. It will have a new look and new name www.BigBallerBrandInc.com."

"LaVar Ball has put a great team of seasoned professionals in place to move the brand forward, with exciting new products, along with signature shoes, and sportswear."

What's interesting ... the BBB shoes have been widely panned since they were first released with a $495 price tag.

In fact, Lonzo went on a podcast back in September and said the ZO2 prototypes he would wear during NBA preseason games would regularly EXPLODE on him, significantly affecting his on-court performance.

At the time, it seemed like the final deathblow to the brand.

But, LaVar has maintained that he would bring BBB back to life ... and now, the comeback is closer than ever.

We spoke with LaVar a few weeks ago and he told us ALL of his sons would continue to work with the brand ... despite massive interest from outside shoe companies like Nike.

As for BBB co-founder Alan Foster, LaVar says the company has completely severed ties ever since Lonzo sued him for allegedly embezzling more than $2 million, allegations Foster has denied.

Everyone loves free shirts, right? But, would you grab a free "Free Hong Kong" shirt on your way into a Lakers game?

That's the question some Lakers and Clippers fans asked themselves Tuesday as they walked past an anti-China protest outside Staples Center.

A handful of people were handing out shirts with the same 7 words that Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey tweeted out earlier this month, "Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong."

The protesters also held signs mocking LeBron James -- calling him the "King of Chinese Money."

One of the protesters, who just returned from Hong Kong a few weeks ago, says people there are still pissed at LeBron for condemning Morey.

He also wanted to remind Bron ... "[People in Hong Kong] buy shoes, too!"

The plan worked ... several people grabbed the shirts -- and one kid even held one up for the Staples Center dance cam (though the camera almost immediately panned away).

LeBron didn't seem too affected by the protest ... he played fine. Just not good enough to get the W. The Clippers won 112 to 102.

Tons of stars made the drive to Staples to catch the game ... including Kate Hudson, Chadwick Boseman, Chloe Kim, Adam DeVine and more!

Two big wins for the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday ... they beat the Pelicans -- and team President Masai Ujiri beat a battery charge.

Remember, Ujiri was accused of shoving a Sheriff's deputy in the moments after the Raptors won the NBA championship back in June. The officer claimed he suffered a concussion and a jaw injury in the altercation.

Cops investigated for months ... and on Tuesday evening -- right around the time the 2019-20 NBA season kicked off -- the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office finally announced they would NOT charge Ujiri with a crime.

"The District Attorney's Office has determined that no criminal charges will be filed in the matter," they said in a statement.

"Mr. Ujiri attended a meeting with the District Attorney's Office focused on matters that we believe merited constructive, structured mediation and conflict resolution and were better handled in a setting outside the courtroom."

Officials say investigators conducted a "thorough review of the entirety of the matter" and ultimately decided against charges.

"Both Mr. Ujiri and the Sheriff's Dept. were made aware of and were in agreement with the decision to handle this matter by way of the meeting, which took place on Monday Oct. 21, 2019."

"There will be no further action taken by the D.A.'s Office."

Unclear if the alleged victim will take civil action -- but where there's money, there's usually a lawsuit ... and Ujiri and the Raptors have money.

"He’s still a great player, not a hall of famer yet, though."

That's Michael Jordan talking about ... get this ... STEPH CURRY!!!

His Airness made the statement on Tuesday's "Today" show -- when he was backing an old claim that the 4 dudes he would select in a pickup game would be Hakeem Olajuwon, Scottie Pippen, Magic Johnson and James Worthy.

When Craig Melvin asked if Steph Curry should be offended that he isn't on MJ's list, Jordan replied ... "I hope not. He's still a great player. Not a Hall of Famer yet, though."

Of course, Curry is a LOCK for the Hall of Fame -- 3x NBA champ, 2x MVP, 6x NBA All-Star ... and he's widely considered one of (if not) the greatest shooter of all time.

Guessing Curry won't take this too seriously ...

During the interview, Jordan also revealed he no longer plays pickup basketball because he's afraid his hyper-competitive nature will kick in and "it will take over."

Melvin says MJ is concerned that he would compete TOO HARD and end up hurting himself.

Big break in the Andre Emmett murder case ... Dallas PD says they have identified and obtained warrants to arrest the two suspects in the shooting death of the ex-NBA and BIG3 star.

As we previously reported, 37-year-old Emmett was shot and killed on September 23. Surveillance footage showed Emmett sitting in his car in front of his house around 2:30 AM when he was approached by 2 men at gunpoint. Emmett tried to run but was shot dead.

After nearly a month-long investigation, detectives identified 29-year-old Michael Lucky and Keith Johnson, 32, as prime suspects ... and obtained capital murder arrest warrants for both men.

Johnson was booked in Dallas County Jail on Friday -- and he's still behind bars. Lucky has not yet been arrested.

Emmett -- the 35th pick to the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2004 NBA Draft -- was the 2nd leading scorer in the 3-on-3 league this past season while playing for 3's Company.

The Hong Kong protests migrated to the U.S. Friday, where demonstrators tore into the NBA and LeBron James during the Raptors/Nets Game in Brooklyn.

The demonstrators were holding signs that read, "Human Rights Matter! Here + There!" and "NBA Stand for Freedom" while wearing T-shirts that read "Free Tibet" and "Stand With Hong Kong."

One sign read, "Tsai & LeBron: Morey was right - NBA: Stand for freedom” and “Don’t let China buy our silence, people are dying to be free”.

Protesters continued chanting until they were escorted out of the arena by security. They vowed to continue appearing at NBA games.

Tensions between the NBA, the Chinese government and pro-Hong Kong protesters intensified over the last week. It started when Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey tweeted in support of Hong Kong.

The ousted cofounder of the Big Baller Brand says Lonzo Ball was secretly diagnosed with torn ligaments in his ankle BEFORE he was traded to New Orleans ... but the Pelicans and the Ball family say it's just not true.

In fact, both the Balls and the Pelicans say they have solid medical evidence proving Lonzo's ankle is fine.

The man behind the claim is Alan Foster, who was fired from BBB and later sued by Lonzo. In his suit, Ball claims Alan stole more than $2 million from him.

Foster denies the allegations -- but he's REALLY pissed ... and has launched a new YouTube show promising to "expose" the truth about the Ball family.

In a video published Thursday, Foster claims he knows a secret about Lonzo's health -- "Nobody knows that he has torn ligaments."

Foster says Lonzo met with a specialist in Ohio earlier this year (when he was still on the Lakers) and an MRI and X-rays confirmed ligament damage to his ankle.

"A torn ligament at the point of your ankle where your ligament is torn, it's not gonna heal on its own. He's applying too much pressure, he's cutting left and right. This is a very sensitive area that has to be strong," Foster says.

Foster claims Lonzo was all set to undergo surgery, but when the Lakers found out -- they "freaked out" and told him to cancel the procedure. He alleges Lakers honchos sent the team jet to immediately bring him back to L.A.

Foster claims the Lakers believed if Zo went under the knife, it would hurt his trade value -- "No team would have wanted Lonzo with an ankle injury, recovering from surgery."

Lonzo was eventually traded to the Pelicans -- but Foster says the 21-year-old never had the procedure to repair his injury, and is at a huge risk of causing even more damage.

"If Lonzo doesn't get surgery, he's gonna have another season with the New Orleans Pelicans and he's gonna get injured again."

We reached out to the Pelicans and a rep told us, "The team strongly debunks this and was very aware of Lonzo's injury history and status [before we traded for him]."

Shaquille O'Neal is stepping up and doing an amazing thing for the family of a 12-year-old boy who was paralyzed in a random shooting ... paying for them to live in a handicap accessible home.

12-year-old Isaiah Payton was struck in the spine by a stray bullet when leaving a high school football game in Atlanta on August 17. He was paralyzed from the chest down.

Payton was hospitalized and eventually stabilized -- but doctors would not release him because his family's 1-bedroom apartment was not equipped to handle his special needs.

That's when Shaq stepped in ...

The NBA legend -- along with partners at Papa Johns -- found Payton's family a suitable home in the College Park area and have pledged to take care of the family's finances for a year.

"We’re going to give her some furniture, TVs and pay her rent off for a year and help her get on her feet," Shaq told WXIA-TV.

"I was watching the story and it’s just sad. It could have been any one of us. It could have been my son. It could’ve been your cousin."

Dennis Rodman has been charged with misdemeanor battery in Florida for allegedly slapping a man at his own birthday party back in May -- but The Worm is adamant he's innocent.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... cops say Rodman was at the Buddha Sky Bar in Delray Beach on May 17 when he "unprovokedly turned around and smacked" 30-year-old Jeff Soulouque.

Soulouque claims Rodman immediately began apologizing for the incident and invited him out to dinner the following night in an attempted peace offering.

But, Soulouque told TMZ Sports he was really hurt -- and went to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a left corneal abrasion. He went to cops the day after the incident and filed a report.

Cops launched an investigation and called up a witness named David Lee Roth -- who, shockingly, is NOT the Van Halen singer. Still, cops say DLR corroborated Soulouque's story.

"Roth stated he was about twenty feet away and he saw Rodman turn around and open hand smack Soulouque two times," the report states.

Prosecutors later charged Rodman with misdemeanor battery -- and on Thursday, DR's attorney appeared in court on his behalf and pled not guilty.

It's a big deal for Rodman -- the charge carries a maximum sentence of a year in jail, 12 months probation and a $1,000 fine.

And, with Dennis' criminal history, it's possible a judge could throw the book at the NBA legend if he's convicted.

Sacramento Kings star Harrison Barnes has stepped up and will pay for the funeral of Atatiana Jefferson, the woman who was shot and killed by a police officer while she was in her own home.

Jefferson's story has made national news -- a neighbor had called police early Saturday morning to check on Jefferson after he saw a door was open at her home in Fort Worth, Texas.

When the officer, Aaron Dean, arrived at the home ... he saw a person inside, and before ever announcing he was a police officer, he opened fire and shot Jefferson, killing the 28-year-old.

Dean has been charged with murder. He's currently out on $200,000 bail.

Jefferson had been peacefully, innocently watching her 8-year-old nephew at the home.

Now, Barnes -- who played for the Dallas Mavericks for 3 years before being traded to the Kings -- has offered to help out the family and foot the bill for the funeral, which is scheduled for Saturday in Dallas.

Barnes has made a lot of money in his NBA career -- he recently signed a 4-year, $85 million extension. He has earned a reputation for being extremely generous with his money and often giving back to the community.

LeBron James got the "South Park" treatment on Wednesday -- mocking the NBA superstar for the comments he made about Daryl Morey ... and it's pretty hilarious.

Remember, South Park has been at war with China this month too -- the country blackballed the show over an episode in which they used Winnie the Pooh to mock President Xi.

"South Park" doubled down the following week, with multiple characters on the show saying, "F*ck the Chinese government!"

Fast forward to Wednesday night ... and they're still not done -- this time using LeBron's actual quotes from his anti-Morey comments as fodder.

In the ep, titled "Let Them Eat Goo," Cartman gets pissed after the school wants to switch out the usual lunches for healthier options.

At one point, Cartman confronts the protesters and says ... "Yes, we do have freedom of speech, but at times there are ramifications for the negative that can happen when you are not thinking about others and only thinking about yourself!"

Sound familiar?

There's more ... Cartman says, "They're trying to change people's lunch! They don't realize it harms people financially, physically, emotionally and spiritually!"

Sen. Ted Cruz has a blistering message for LeBron James ... "kissing up to Chinese communists and tyrants and apologizing for murderers, that's not a good look."

The U.S. Senator from Texas went off on LeBron over the NBA star's comments on China ... saying it sounds like Bron's "more interested in money and making bucks" than standing up for human rights.

"I don't have a problem with [athletes speaking out on politics]. What I have a problem with is when they don't know what they're talking about and they end up defending tyrants."

Cruz is obviously referring to LeBron's repeated condemnation of Daryl Morey's pro-Hong Kong tweet. Bron said the Rockets GM was "not educated" on the topic before creating an international incident.

But, Cruz says if ANYONE needs to be educated, it's LeBron -- "I would encourage LeBron to learn a little bit about the people of Tibet, learn a little bit about Falun Gong the religious persecution and the torture and the horrific human rights abuses that occur in China."

Muhammad Ali's ex-wife -- who was married to him during his Vietnam War protest -- says she wishes LeBron James would have stood up for the people of Hong Kong, because that's what Muhammad would have done.

TMZ Sports spoke with Khalilah Ali -- who was married to the boxer from 1967 to 1976 -- and she says she was his adviser for his biggest protest ... refusing to fight in the Vietnam war.

Khalilah says she's aware of China's issues with the NBA -- and the pro-Hong Kong tweet sent by Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey -- but says she'll ALWAYS support people "who are standing up for their rights."

So, when Khalilah heard LeBron's comments -- which condemned Morey's tweet -- it was clear to her Muhammad would have handled the situation MUCH differently.

Listen to the audio, Khalilah essentially says powerful people like LeBron and Muhammad should stand up for people fighting for their human rights.