Basketball

The sister of New York Knicks player Reggie Bullock was murdered Monday night after cops say she suffered a gunshot wound to the chest in Maryland.

TMZ Sports has confirmed 22-year-old Keiosha Moore was shot just a few miles from Downtown Baltimore sometime Monday evening ... and walked to a nearby hospital with a bullet wound in her chest.

Police say they responded to the hospital at around 7:48 PM ... but Moore was pronounced dead a short time later.

Cops say the person who shot Moore is still unknown ... and add they have launched an investigation into the shooting.

Bullock wrote on Twitter on Tuesday night, "GUN VIOLENCE I WILL LEAD OMM💔"

It's the second time 28-year-old Bullock has had to go through this tragedy ... back in 2014, another one of Bullock's sisters, Mia Henderson, was killed in what appeared to be a hate crime for her being transgender.

Bullock has talked often about how that shaped his life ... saying on "The Herd" back in 2016 Mia taught him how to be a strong person.

Bullock has since been extremely active in communities to help stop bullying.

The Knicks announced Tuesday that Bullock's teammate, Dennis Smith Jr., is also dealing with a tragedy this week ... saying he lost a close relative recently as well.

“Our Knicks family is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of two of our players’ close family members," the team said in a statement.

"At times like this, we are reminded that life is bigger than basketball. Our thoughts are with them and their families.”

LeBron James' Taco Tuesday tradition is making a big impact this week ... the Lakers superstar sent food trucks to the firefighters and first responders working to put an end to the California wildfires.

LBJ -- who was forced to evacuate his Brentwood mansion when fires got dangerously close to his home -- sent his thanks to the people battling the blazes with delicious tacos.

L.A. mayor Eric Garcetti thanked Bron for the gesture ... saying "Thank you, @KingJames, for generously sending a taco truck to support our @LAFD firefighters, first responders, and partner agencies working to fight the #GettyFire."

The King ain't the only celeb chipping in to help ... John Cena has also pledged $500k of his own money towards fighting the California fires.

Of course, Bron is known for being crazy excited to celebrate his weekly ritual ... but this one has to be extra special.

LeBron also spoke about it at Lakers practice, saying "My appreciation and loyalty to the first responders. Those men and women are unbelievable, with what they're doing and their bravery throughout this time."

Drake didn't just cop insane NBA championship swag for himself ... the 6 God also hooked the players up BIG TIME ... buying the Toronto Raptors custom Finals jackets!!

Of course, Drizzy copped a $150k custom championship ring to commemorate the Dinos' first-ever title ... and now he's decided to gift the dope jackets to all the guys who teamed up to beat the Warriors last season.

NBA Finals hero Fred VanVleet showed off the new merch on Tuesday ... and they come with the whole roster listed on one side, the iconic OVO owl on the other.

On the back, there's a raptor clinging on to the Larry O'Brien trophy ... and the phrase "The Best in the World" on top.

If the jacket looks familiar ... it's the same one the Raptors ambassador wore at the championship parade back in June.

College athletes are one HUGE step closer to getting paid ... the NCAA's top governing board has just voted unanimously to allow athletes to profit off their image and likeness.

The NCAA's Board of Governors is directing the NCAA's three divisions to immediately consider updates to their bylaws to pave the way for the massive change in operation.

"We must embrace change to provide the best possible experience for college athletes," chairman of the board Michael V. Drake said.

"Additional flexibility in this area can and must continue to support college sports as a part of higher education. This modernization for the future is a natural extension of the numerous steps NCAA members have taken in recent years to improve support for student-athletes, including full cost of attendance and guaranteed scholarships."

The Board issued guidelines for the impending changes which essentially says education and the collegiate experience must still be the priority over money.

The guidelines also say students must not be specifically compensated for athletic performance but rather their image and likeness as used for marketing purposes.

The NCAA says the topic was thoroughly researched before the Board voted -- with interviews with past and present student athletes, coaches, presidents, faculty and commissioners. They also spoke with politicians.

NCAA president Mark Emmert also weighed in ... saying, "As a national governing body, the NCAA is uniquely positioned to modify its rules to ensure fairness and a level playing field for student-athletes."

"The board’s action today creates a path to enhance opportunities for student-athletes while ensuring they compete against students and not professionals."

The news comes just weeks after California governor Gavin Newsom signed the "Fair Pay for Play" act, which made it legal for student athletes to get paid in CA without penalty.

The NCAA previously criticized the bill as a major threat to college sports -- but now, they're changing their tune.

Golden State has sucked so far this season ... but Baron Davis tells TMZ Sports it's way too early to put a dagger in the Warriors just yet.

Steph Curry and co. have clearly felt the absence of Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson through 2 games ... losing to the Clippers and Thunder by a combines 47 points.

In fact, Draymond Green summed up his evaluation of the team after Sunday night's loss, saying "we f**king suck right now."

But, Davis -- who played for the Dubs from 2004-2008 -- says all talk of a dethroning is premature.

"I wouldn't count them out ... it's too early," Davis told us at Petite Taqueria in West Hollywood.

"Always judge a team after the first 20 games. After 20 games, you'll know where everybody stand and where they going."

FYI -- the team's biggest free agency acquisition, D'Angelo Russell, had just 6 points in the Warriors' loss to Oklahoma City after getting ejected in the 3rd quarter.

Head coach Steve Kerr has also said there's a chance Klay doesn't come back from his ACL injury this season ... so things aren't looking great at the moment.

Best birthday EVER?!?!

Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown is fresh off a brand new, $115 MILLION deal ... and if that's not sweet enough, the baller got a sick, $20k chain from his good buddy, A$AP Ferg!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the "Floor Seats" rapper wanted to do something extra special for his friend's birthday, so he hit up Big Will at WS Jewelry and the guys collabed to make him a one-of-a-kind piece.

We're told the piece comes with 15 carats of natural green and white diamonds shaped in Ferg's signature logo ... and it's worth around $20k.

The back of the pendant also features Jaylen's jersey number, 7, and his name.

The video is awesome ... Ferg and Big Will were there to celebrate with Brown ... and the dude had a BIG smile on his face when they presented him with the present.

Happy birthday!!

Charles Barkley ain't afraid to tell an NBA star his team is trash -- and Thursday night, he delivered a truth bomb right to Klay Thompson ... and the footage is hilarious.

Klay was joining the guys on TNT's "Inside the NBA" during halftime of the Warriors vs. Clippers game ... where Golden State was getting smacked around by L.A.

Of course, Klay is still out recovering from the torn ACL he suffered during the NBA Finals ... but he told the guys, he's still optimistic the Warriors can get back to dominating the league.

The issue ...  without Klay and Kevin Durant (who left for Brooklyn), Barkley thinks the team is in big trouble.

"Our window to win another championship I think is open for the next 5, 6 years," Klay said.

"Number 1, I hope you get back soon but you're just wrong," Barkley shot back.

"I think their window's shut. I don't think they can score enough."

Barkley also amended a prediction he made before the game -- "I was wrong before the game. I said [the Warriors] were gonna be the 7, 8 seed. They're not gonna make the playoffs."

Kenny Smith asked, "You know after one half of basketball?!"

Barkley responded -- "Yes."

Klay tried to defend his squad and said he has faith in the young player on the Warriors, but it was clear Barkley wasn't convinced.

By the way, the Warriors lost 141 to 122 in their first home game in their new arena.

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.