Basketball

The New York Knicks are claiming Richard Jefferson straight-up LIED about getting a contract offer from the team before he retired ... saying RJ is just blowing smoke.

The Knicks could NOT have been happy with the comments Jefferson made on ESPN this weekend ... when he said he chose RETIREMENT over a contract with the Knicks because they suck.

"I refused to play for the Knicks," Jefferson said during the Knicks vs. Nets broadcast on Sunday night.

"Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin -- they don't really care. Me, I was the one person that said, 'Knicks? No. I’ll retire.' That’s why I retired."

"They were the one team that offered me a job, and I decided to retire," RJ continued ... "It’s true. I decided to retire instead of playing for the Knicks."

Now, the Knicks are clapping back through the team's official PR Twitter account ... saying, "For clarification purposes, it is not true that the New York Knicks offered Richard Jefferson a contract in either the summer of 2018 or 2019."

So, someone's lying ...

As for Jefferson, dude had a solid NBA career -- he played 17 seasons in the league and won an NBA title with the Cleveland Cavs in 2016.

Kamiyah Street -- the starting point guard for the Kennesaw State basketball team -- was arrested Thursday in Georgia for felony murder, records show.

Officials believe 20-year-old Street is involved in the July 16 shooting death of 21-year-old Nashiem Hubbard-Etienne, whose body was found in a parking lot of an Atlanta-area apartment complex.

Cops believe the victim was specifically targeted.

Street -- a big star for the KSU Owls -- was arrested Thursday and has been hit with 8 criminal charges including murder, 3 counts of felony murder, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, 2 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Cops say 3 other suspects have been arrested and they're still on the hunt for 1 more.

The KSU basketball has suspended Street indefinitely -- which is a big deal considering she's averaged 21 points and 5 rebounds in the first 4 games of the 2019 season.

KSU issued a statement saying, "We were made aware Thursday evening that Kamiyah Street of the KSU women’s basketball team was arrested and is being held, pending charges."

"The individual has been suspended indefinitely from all women’s basketball team and athletic activities. Neither the university nor the athletic department have any additional information at this time."

KSU has already removed Steet from the team's official website.

Nick Young got HEATED during a rec league championship game on Wednesday -- where he had to be held back during an on-court altercation ... and eventually forfeited the game.

The former Lakers star was hoopin' at the 1st Place Sports Complex in Chatsworth, CA Wednesday for the league championship ... and they were killin' it until things went south.

We're told Nick's team was up 14 in the 2nd half when an argument broke out over a foul call and things escalated quickly.

Some words were said and Nick got angry -- to the point where his teammates had to hold him back from a possible fight.

Eventually, we're told Nick and his team just grabbed their stuff and left the gym without finishing the game ... which was later ruled a forfeit and the title was given to the opposing team.

Derrick Rose. Dwyane Wade. Candace Parker. Anthony Davis. Which baller from Chicago is the BEST to come outta the Windy City???

Well, there's no one better to ask than Chicago native and Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas ... who's settling the debate with TMZ Sports once and for all.

Of course, there has been a lot of talk about the rich hoops history in Chi-Town after AD declared it "the Mecca of basketball."

We spoke with Zeke about the long list of basketball greats to come out of his hometown ... and asked who ranks at the top of the list -- AND IT AIN'T ISIAH THOMAS!!!

"No one has won more and been as successful as Dwyane Wade. I mean, we all honor him, we love him. Right now, he's the winner."

Thomas says he doesn't mind handing the title over to D-Wade .. saying, "All of us from Chicago, we're all winners. We're all champions. But, Dwyane Wade has a very special place in all our hearts."

DeMarcus Cousins just caught a huge break in his harassment case ... the NBA star's charges have been dropped, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

We broke the story ... the Lakers center's ex-girlfriend, Cristy West, told police she recorded a phone call with Cousins in which he threatened to "put a bullet in your f**king head" if she wouldn't let their 7-year-old child attend his wedding.

Cousins was facing a domestic violence charge -- 3rd-degree misdemeanor for harassing communications -- which carries a maximum sentence of 1 year behind bars.

Cousins was slated to have his arraignment Friday -- but the case was dropped and won't be moving forward.

One source close to DeMarcus tells us, "It was a just and fair outcome."

Unclear exactly why the case was dropped but it's not unheard of for prosecutors to bail on a case like this if the victim stops cooperating with authorities.

Despite the court situation, the NBA is still investigating on their own and could mete out punishment if they deem necessary.

The fans might be super pissed about load management ... but Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas says Kawhi Leonard taking days off has been PERFECT for the NBA superstar.

It's been one of the biggest debates of the season -- with the Klaw electing to sit out several big-time matchups to nurse a nagging knee injury, despite looking pretty much 100% when he DOES take the court.

TMZ Sports spoke with the Pistons legend about the issue ... and he totally understands why Kawhi wants to take a break to make sure he stays healthy, even if fans get upset.

"I do understand it, and you have to say it's been extremely successful for Kawhi," IT said outside Capitale in NYC ... pointing out Leonard has done this for most of his career.

"So for Kawhi, it's been perfect for him and it has worked out well for him."

But, of course, the big issue is Kawhi is one of the top 2 hottest players in the league ... and people wanna see him play. So, when folks drop up to thousands of dollars in hopes of seeing the Klaw play, just to have him ride the bench ... it doesn't sit well with the fans.

IT understands where the spectators are coming from ... and thinks there will have to be some sort of compromise before the NBA loses support.

"For the fans, I can see how some might be disappointed. At some point in time, the NBA, the players all of them gotta figure out how everyone can be satisfied because we do need the fans and we need the fan support to keep the machine going."

Proud Dad moment for Dwyane Wade on Thursday night ... the NBA legend got to watch his son play in his HS season opener -- and the kid threw down a sick alley-oop!!

The show all went down in front of a sold-out crowd in San Diego ... where Zaire Wade's Sierra Canyon squad beat the hell out of Montgomery HS, 91-44, in its 2019 debut.

Zaire only scored 6 points ... but he made two of them REALLY count -- catching a lob and putting it home, all while Dwyane watched from his courtside seat!!

Of course, Wade was also there to support his best buddy LeBron James' son, Bronny, who was playing in his first-ever HS game.

And, Wade got to see the young James ball out too ... 'cause the kid scored 10 points off the bench and knocked down some DEEP triples!!!

Poppa James couldn't make the trip -- the Lakers are on the road to play Oklahoma City on Friday night -- but something tells us Dwyane's already given him the full report.

Jay Williams means well, BUT those GoFundMe donations to cover James Wiseman's NCAA "fine" won't do JACK for the Memphis superstar ... 'cause the org. won't allow it.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the NCAA is aware of Jay's fundraising efforts to help satisfy Wiseman's $11,500 mandatory donation -- but our sources say Wiseman is NOT allowed to accept the money.

Of course, Wiseman was suspended 12 games and forced to donate $11,500 to charity after his family accepted a loan from Penny Hardaway to help cover moving expenses in 2017.

Crowdfunding campaigns have popped on the internet to help Wiseman pay the monetary punishment ... with Williams and the Game Seven organization raising nearly $5k so far.

But, our sources tell us the GoFundMe cash won't fly with the NCAA.

As one well-placed source put it ... "Generally speaking, a GoFundMe would not satisfy a repayment requirement. The student-athlete and his or her family are responsible for making the donation, and that donation must also be in line with NCAA rules."

In other words, taking the GoFundMe money could lead to more problems for Wiseman.

Memphis superstar James Wiseman has been suspended 12 games and must donate over $11k to charity -- but he plans to appeal the punishment.

Wiseman, the NCAA, and Memphis has been locked in a back-and-forth battle over his eligibility for weeks after it was determined the 18-year-old violated college rules by taking $11,500 from Penny Hardaway in 2017 -- before he became Memphis head coach.

Wiseman's college career was up in the air after the suspension was handed down ... considering he's expected to go #1 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft.

But, given the new punishment ... Wiseman will be able to return Jan. 12 against South Florida.

The fight's not over, however ... Memphis released a statement shortly after the ruling.

"Based on case precedent, the circumstances of this case and other mitigating factors, the university will immediately appeal this decision."

The newest Laker Girl is ... GRONK?!

Yep, the (ex?) NFL superstar hit the court at Staples Center on Tuesday night to join the Laker Girls with Venus Williams and James Corden ... and it was ... something!!!

There were high kicks, hip thrusts and some booty poppin' ... and LA's home crowd LOVED IT!!!

If we had to guess, seems the routine was all for a bit for Corden's "The Late Late Show" ... because why the hell else would this happen?

One person who was (sorta) impressed? Rob Gronkowski's girlfriend Camille Kostek, who used to cheerlead for the Patriots.

"Still deciding if I’m a proud girlfriend over this," Camille said. "Nevertheless .... this is an EPIC #NeverNotDancing moment I am proud to witness by Mr James and Robert James I LOVE YOU BOTH"

The wild show capped off an eventful day for Gronk ... 'cause just hours before he broke it down at Staples Center, he announced he was staying retired this season and opting to party instead.

As for how the Lakers fared with the 6'6", 265-pound beast rootin' them on ... they kicked ass, beating Oklahoma City, 112-107.

Carmelo Anthony is FINALLY making his NBA return Tuesday night ... and ex-NBA star Jalen Rose says he's expecting the newest Trail Blazer to make an immediate impact.

It's been 374 days since Melo saw the court ... but he'll be making his highly-anticipated return when Portland takes on the Pelicans in a few hours.

TMZ Sports spoke with Rose out in NYC about Anthony getting picked up ... and he's elated the "Free Melo" campaign is over.

"I'm happy that he back in the league," Rose tells us. "I think it's a great pickup to have a Hall of Famer back in the league and have the opportunity to end on his own terms."

SHOOT THE J ... SHOOT IT!!!!

Dave Chappelle worked on his jumper at Lakers practice on Monday -- and if that's not the most L.A. sentence of the day, we don't know what is.

Chappelle linked up with the whole squad at the team facility and even posed for pics with LeBron James, who was wearing some REALLY short shorts (are Dave's arms bigger than Bron's BTW?)

But, when the team took the court, Chappelle went with 'em and even got pointers from Lakers guard Quinn Cook to improve his stepback game, according to Lakers reporter Dave McMenamin.

Of course, ya can't watch Dave hoop without thinking about that legendary "Chapelle's Show" skit with Charlie Murphy ... you know the one, THE PRINCE BASKETBALL GAME!

Chappelle kept his street clothes on this time around ... and while we wasn't exactly hitting all his shots, he's no Chance The Rapper either.

No word on why Dave was at practice ... but the team HOOKED HIM UP with his own custom Lakers jersey!! Wonder if they brought pancakes too?!

Move over, Barack Obama ... there's a new politician with an absolutely wet jumper -- BERNIE SANDERS!!!!

Okay, it ain't exactly Kareem and the skyhook ... but here's the 78-year-old showing off his hoops skills over the weekend -- and the dude can score the basketball!!!

The 2020 presidential candidate hit a small hoop somewhere in Las Vegas on Sunday ... and he was straight cash from the free-throw line -- nailing five shots in a row!!

In fact, Bernie's wife was even impressed with the guy ... saying to him in the video, "Now, you're just showing off!"

It's a pretty incredible rebound for Sanders ... who just a few weeks couldn't have looked more unathletic in a devastating loss to a speed bag.

But, Bernie's team says his basketball performance was no fluke ... in a statement to Newsweek, they claim Sanders gets buckets any chance he can on the campaign trail!

"Anytime we see a court, he'll ask if he can get a few minutes to shoot around," campaign manager Faiz Shakir said.

There's rare sports memorabilia ... and then there's this.

35 years ago, Michael Jordan -- a junior hoops star at the University of North Carolina -- hustled a UNC student on a billiards table ... and was paid his $5 winnings by personal check.

Now, that check -- made out to and endorsed (signed) by "Mike Jordan" -- is on the auction block at Goldin Auctions.

According to the auction site, the story goes like this ... and it's pretty awesome.

It was February 27, 1984 and Jordan -- in the mood to play pool -- went to the basement of the Granville Towers on UNC's campus ... and proceeded to dominate on the table.

The guys were betting money ... and MJ was up $25.

A friend of the guy Jordan was beating thought Michael was hustling his buddy, so he stepped in to play MJ ... and win back some of the money he'd lost.

MJ lost a few games in a row -- which the consignor says irritated Jordan -- so he decided to cash out and take the 5 bucks he was owed.

The friend -- realizing Jordan was likely going to be an NBA superstar -- asked Michael if he could pay him with a personal check.

Michael accepted ...and the UNC student wrote the check to "Mike Jordan" -- the name basketball phenom went by on campus.

The check -- drawn from a First Union Bank account in Pembroke, NC -- was cashed by Michael and ultimately returned to the consignor.

The UNC alum held the check for over 35 years ... until recently deciding to put it up for auction.

Goldin says MJ's signature has been authenticated.

Auction opens November 18.

Like father, like daughter!!!

Kobe Bryant's daughter, Gigi, definitely has that Mamba blood ... pulling off a contested fadeaway jumper that looks just like her daddy's shot ... and it's all on video!!

The Black Mamba posted footage of his 13-year-old daughter's recent game against another "#TeamMamba" opponent on Thursday ... praising players on both sides of the ball.

"I hate seeing my #teammamba girls play against each other. This is GREAT defense by our mamba pg Alyssa Altobelli and a familiar looking fade by our 2gd the #Mambacita."

Of course, Gigi steals the show ... dribbling to the baseline, pulling off a spin move, and hitting the fader right in her opponent's face.

Carmelo Anthony tells TMZ Sports he WILL be back in the NBA this season -- and he's even open to returning to the New York Knicks!

Everyone's been wondering about Melo's basketball future ever since he parted ways with the Houston Rockets back in January.

35-year-old Anthony has previously said he wants to get back in the league -- however, no one has pulled the trigger yet.

But, it sounds like Melo's got something cookin' ... because when we saw the 35-year-old leaving The Henry in L.A. on Wednesday night, he was VERY optimistic about his return.

"We're figuring it out," Melo told us ... noting that he was NOT in town to speak with the Lakers or the Clippers.

When we pushed back and asked if he'll be on a roster this season, Melo told us ... "For sure. 2000%."

There are reports the Knicks could be interested in Anthony -- interesting considering the way things ended back in 2017 -- but Melo says he's down to return.

"We open man. We open to every opportunity."

In fact, Melo even defended Knicks head coach David Fizdale ... saying the team's lowly 2-9 record isn't all his fault ... "It's a lot of things that goes into that."

So, where will Melo end up this season? Stay tuned ...