Basketball

Chance The Rapper proved why he's not Chance The Hooper on Wednesday ... throwin' up air balls and brick shots on the court after the Clippers game ... and it's all on video!!!

The 26-year-old "Hot Shower" rapper had a courtside seat alongside superagent Rich Paul for the Clips' match-up with the Milwaukee Bucks ... and after the final buzzer, he was allowed onto the court to shoot around.

Look, we're not gonna sugarcoat it -- Lil Chano SUCKED ... missing 11 straight shots, including what may have been either a bad dunk attempt or a lame layup. Either way, it was bad.

He did finally sink a 3-pointer ... and did hook up his pal with an assist. But, it was so bad, people that stuck around after the game were clowning him. One guy shouted, "You suck!"

But, it's all good though ... Chance is one of the most successful artists in the game right now and already has 3 Grammys in his career ... so don't feel too bad for the guy.

And there's still hope for Chance ... remember Drake was clowned for those air balls at Kentucky a few years back -- but hired some specialists who fixed his shot and now he's pretty good!!!

Things started off great ... Carmelo Anthony returned to Syracuse on Wednesday to try and inspire the basketball team to beat Virginia!

The speech was great, Melo said all the right things ... everyone seemed FIRED UP! And, that's when everything went wrong ...

The Orangemen proceeded to get DEMOLISHED by the Cavaliers in a 48 to 34 loss.

You read that right. Syracuse only dropped 34 points in a full 40-minute basketball game.

It's the lowest point total in Jim Boeheim’s 44-year coaching tenure, according to Syracuse.com.

Yeesh.

As for Melo, his appearance was a surprise to everybody -- telling the players Boeheim didn't even know he was coming!

"I just want to let y'all know how important this is for me to be here on your guys opening night. [Boeheim] didn't even know I was coming."

Melo continued, "I wanted to be here for you guys. I know the excitement that's surrounding you guys right now. Nobody gonna give y'all a shot. Everybody gonna count y'all out. But, as long as you got each other right here, this is what matters."

Of course, Melo is a legend at Syracuse -- he led the 2003 basketball team to a national championship before bouncing to the NBA after one year.

But, the two sides are on good terms -- in 2009, Cuse named the practice facility after Melo.

Milwaukee Bucks star Eric Bledsoe KNOWS he's getting clowned online for his massive brainfart during the Clippers game ... but he ain't worried, he thinks it's funny!

In case you missed it, Bledsoe took the ball from the ref and was SUPPOSED to inbound it to another player in the 4th quarter ... but instead, he just dribbled it inbounds and acted like nothing happened!

Of course, that's illegal -- and Bledsoe was charged with a turnover. Don't worry, the Bucks still won the game 129 to 124 ... and afterward, we talked to Eric at Mastro's in Bev Hills about the roasting he's getting online.

"Oh, that s**t was funny," Bledsoe told us with a smile ... "It happens, man!"

The 100-year-old, super rare, game-worn jersey rocked by one of the world's first basketball stars is on the auction block ... and it's expected to rake in a quarter of a million dollars!

The threads belonged to Basketball Hall of Famer Joe Lapchick ... a star on the New York Original Celtics in the 1920s (no relation to the Boston Celtics, who didn't even exist until 1946).

Lapchick -- a 6'5" big man known for his athleticism and agility -- is regarded as one of the best centers of his generation.

In 1923, JL joined the famed Original Celtics -- the 2nd incarnation of the New York Celtics -- who were disbanded during World War 1.

Lapchick's Celtics barnstormed around the country -- beating up on local teams -- until 1926 ... when they joined the American Basketball League (ABL) and won 2 straight titles.

The Reach Sporting Goods jersey that Lapchick donned during this time -- which he originally gifted to director Harry Glynn (and held by Glynn's family since) -- is on the block at SCP Auctions ... and the site tells us they expect it to pull in major money.

Lapchick wasn't only a stud hooper ... he was also a damn good coach. After his playing days, he was the head coach of the New York Knicks from 1947-1956. He also coached St. John's University to 4 NIT championships during 2 stints in Queens, NY ... between 1936-1947 and 1956-1965.

Texas Longhorns star Andrew Jones picked up right where he left off nearly 2 years ago ... balling out in his first game with significant minutes since battling leukemia.

The 21-year-old was leading the team in points when he was diagnosed with cancer in January 2018. He underwent several rounds of treatment ... and was adamant he would return to the hardwood.

Jones briefly made 2 appearances last season, but proved he was officially BACK in Tuesday night's season opener against Northern Colorado ... dropping 20 points in 29 minutes in UT's win.

Not only was it a great performance ... it was Jones' CAREER HIGH!!!

The story is incredible ... but Jones said after the game he wasn't letting the big moment affect his play.

"I didn't know what to expect. It was a great feeling to be back out there," Jones said. "I didn't have any jitters. I wasn't nervous.''

Horns coach Shaka Smart also spoke about Andrew's strength after the game, saying "I'm happy for Andrew. I'm happy for his family."

"Sometimes in life, when you are dealt a tough hand, it's really about how you respond. He was the best offensive player on the floor. He played with great energy. He played with an aggressive, confident and loose mindset.''

LeBron James just wasn't in the mood on Tuesday ... shutting down a heckler with 7 simple words -- "Your lady embarrassed to be with you!"

Bron and the Lakers were in Chicago playing the Bulls at the United Center when someone in the stands began running their mouth about LeBron and Anthony Davis.

At first, LeBron tried to ignore the guy ... but then, Bron just shot back at the dude, grabbed his towel and moved on. Pretty hilarious!!!

But, the hecklers, as a group, weren't fazed -- one guy continued to scream at Anthony Davis ... and it got so annoying, security had to step in to try and shut the guy up.

Ultimately, the Lakers let their play do the talking ... L.A. beat Chicago 118 to 112, with LeBron dropping 30 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.

His lady is surely not embarrassed to be with him.

"How can you call something a fight if there were no punches thrown?!"

That's Charles Barkley expressing his utter DISGUST for that 76ers vs. Timberwolves incident earlier this week ... saying a rear-naked choke doesn't necessarily make a "fight."

Instead, Barkley describes the whole thing as a "snuggle party" -- "there were two guys holding each other!"

The hilarious breakdown went down on "Inside the NBA" where Barkley argued with Ernie Johnson and Kenny "The Jet" Smith about the situation.

Both Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns have been suspended 2 games each for the incident while Ben Simmons, who applied the choke, didn't get suspended at all.

He did, however, get an offer to work on his MMA skills from former UFC and Bellator champ Eddie Alvarez! In fact, Eddie tells TMZ Sports he's already been in contact with Simmons and expects to start training him in the next few days!

As for Charles, dude knows a little something about NBA scraps ... back in his playing days, Chuck went head-to-head with giants like Shaquille O'Neal and Bill Laimbeer.

A New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach was brutally socked in the face by a fan after a game last weekend ... and the violent blow was all caught on video.

After the Pelicans lost to the Houston Rockets in Texas on Saturday ... a fan near the court reared back and punched N.O. assistant coach Joe Boylan in the face -- hitting him HARD.

You can see in the video ... Boylan -- who didn't appear to do anything to provoke the man -- flew back and nearly crumpled to the ground.

Immediately, Boylan and other people near the scene directed cops toward the fan as the guy tried to make a break for it.

Cops eventually caught the man -- identifying him as 38-year-old Manuel Garcia -- and arrested him for misdemeanor assault.

Cops also arrested the man's girlfriend, 33-year-old Brittney Aplin ... saying she tried to interfere with officers while they were pursuing Garcia.

Prosecutors say they have no idea yet why Garcia decided to punch Boylan ... but the guy is facing up to a YEAR behind bars for the crime if he's convicted.

As for Aplin, she's facing up to six months in jail for her role in the incident ... and both are due in court to face the charges later this week.

The Pelicans -- who played a game two days after the altercation -- issued a statement earlier this week, saying, "We are aware of this incident but will have no further comment."

An NBA game turned into an MMA match Wednesday ... 'cause during a bench-clearing brawl, Ben Simmons put Karl-Anthony Towns in a chokehold -- AND KAT TAPPED!!!

The insane scene all went down in the third quarter of the Sixers-Timberwolves game ... when Anthony Towns got pissed over Joel Embiid's aggressive defense.

The two big men pushed and shoved ... and ultimately, EVERYBODY jumped into the fracas!!

At one point -- after Embiid and KAT were separated -- Simmons ended up on the ground on top of Anthony Towns ... and 76ers star began choking KAT out!!!

Karl quickly tapped ... and Simmons let go -- and the whole altercation was crazy/hilarious.

Maybe the best part of the entire skirmish? After Embiid was ejected ... he played it up to the crowd -- AND ANTHONY TOWNS' MOM BEGAN FLIPPING HIM OFF!!!

Cooler heads ultimately prevailed on the court -- the Sixers ended up winning, 117-95 -- but the battle continued to rage on on social media afterward.

"Great team win!!!" Embiid said. "I was raised around lions and a cat pulled on me tonight lmao @jimmybutler I missed being part of the 3rd stringers... I got his mom giving middle fingers. That’s some SERIOUS REAL ESTATE #FightNight #IAintNoBitch"

Didn't take long for KAT to fire back ... "I aIN’t nO BiTcH RaiSeD ARoUnD LiOnS #BitchTalk." He also tagged the location as, "All Bark & No Bite"

Amazing.

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.