Basketball

It's World Trick Shot Day ... and you know who's pumped about that?? The Harlem Globetrotters, which completed the HIGHEST DUNK EVER in honor of the holiday!!

The video is bananas ... Globetrotter legend Hammer Harrison jumped out of a freakin' airplane from 13,000 feet to attempt the record-breaking rim shaker ... and flew all the way down to land the dunk.

Not only is skydiving insane (props to the pro controlling the parachute), but Hammer managed to keep his focus to successfully complete the shot.

But, think about it ... WHAT IF HE MISJUDGED THE LANDING AND HIT HIS HEAD ON THE BACKBOARD?!?!?!

The Globetrotters made World Trick Shot Day an official holiday 4 years ago, so obviously they had to go big. 13,000-feet big to be exact.

Harrison also celebrated the big day last year by jumping off the Stratosphere in Las Vegas, which was the previous highest slam dunk record at 855 feet. Equally bananas.

"We work on trick shots every day, though the skydive trick shot is not one of them," Harrison said of the jump.

"We practice them because it’s such a thrill for us, and for our fans. Our fans give us such great feedback when we post them. We love getting the chance to see what they can do, too."

Drake and Joel Embiid may act like they hate each other's guts ... but it turns out the dudes are actually BROS behind closed doors, so says Sixers partner Michael Rubin!!

It always gets ugly between the 6 God and Embiid when Philly plays the Toronto Raptors ... with Drizzy and the All-Star trading jabs at any opportunity.

Most recently, Drake mocked Embiid for going scoreless last week -- clapping in Embiid's face and thanking him for racking up a goose egg on the score sheet.

TMZ Sports spoke with Rubin outside Madison Square Garden on Friday about the beef ... and he says while it looks legit on paper, it's all love when the cameras are off.

"It's all fun, they're good friends off the court," the billionaire businessman tells us.

Drake's gotten a lot of heat for his antics -- remember when he gave Raps coach Nick Nurse a mid-game back rub??

Nate Bain says his family is absolutely STUNNED at the $150,000 in donations he's received since Stephen F. Austin State upset Duke ... and he's telling us how the money will be spent.

Of course, Bain's story went viral after the Duke game -- his family home and church in the Bahamas were destroyed in Hurricane Dorian -- and people raced to his GoFundMe to help them rebuild.

The good news ... Bain tells TMZ Sports his family home is covered by insurance, so the GoFundMe cash (currently around $150k) will be used to help the scores of people who need help the most.

"That money is to help other families within the church and on the school," Bain says ... "It's going to help a whole lot of families."

In fact, Bain had this special thank you message to everyone who contributed ...

"To those people who are watching right now or you’ll see this later, just thank you so much! You have no idea how [many] folks you’re helping. How [many] families and lives you’re gonna change ... because there’s still folks back home without constant water, without shoes, without clothes that this money is going to go towards."

"You’re making an impact inside a little kid’s life, you’re changing somebody’s life for the better. Shows there’s still great people inside this world, still humane people that are still thinking about others so I just wanna say THANK YOU! My whole country thanks those who are still contributing!"

As for the basketball team, Bain says they've become rock stars on campus since the upset -- but they're not looking to slow down any time soon!

"The whole campus has been loving on us! But, the season isn't over!"

SFA is 6-1 and taking on Arlington Baptist University on Monday night -- and after beating Duke, they're expected to win big!

NBA champ Festus Ezeli might be one of the most positive dudes on the planet ... 'cause he's spin zoning the Warriors' awful season into an actual GOOD thing!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the ex-Dub at LAX about his old team stumbling out of the gates this season ... and he says despite being 3-17 and dead last in the West, there are things to be excited about.

... just maybe not for a while.

"I actually think that this year is the best thing that can happen to the Warriors," Ezeli says. "They’re rebuilding. They have a chance to work on their bench."

"So I feel like, with this year, they can use it to get those guys to get some game time, to get confidence, to get better and come back healthy next year."

Of course, this year has felt like a bit of a mulligan for the Warriors -- Klay Thompson AND Steph Curry are sidelined with injuries ... leaving everything up to Draymond Green and D'Angelo Russell.

Not ideal.

But, Festus says it's not all over for Golden State as long as they still keep that core intact.

Jahlil Okafor will be able to eat all the damn turkey he wants this Thanksgiving weekend ... 'cause the NBA baller tells TMZ Sports he's no longer vegan!!!

Of course, Jahlil famously went "mostly" animal-free and lost 20 pounds back in 2017 ... after thinking eating less meat would help while recovering from a knee injury.

But, that's all a thing of the past now ... 'cause the New Orleans Pelicans stud says blood work done with his old team, the Brooklyn Nets, showed his iron was low.

One dude who's gonna be crushed to hear the news is vegan advocate, John Salley, who told us last month Okafor should help Zion Williamson with his diet while recovering from a knee injury.

Okafor's numbers have been consistent in year 2 with the Pels -- averaging 9.9 points and 5 rebounds a game -- so the meat ain't holdin' him back.

It's officially official -- Memphis Tigers superstar James Wiseman will have to serve his full 12-game suspension after his appeal was rejected, the NCAA announced Wednesday.

Memphis and Wiseman had been fighting to allow the 18-year-old phenom to play for weeks ... but their attempts failed and the org. decided to uphold the ban.

"This morning, the NCAA's Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement upheld the conditions of reinstatement for men's basketball student-athlete James Wiseman, who will be eligible to return to competition Jan. 12," Memphis said in a statement.

"Although disappointing, we look forward to a promising season."

Wiseman -- the projected #1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft -- was declared ineligible after the NCAA found proof Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway gave his family $11,500 to cover moving expenses in 2017 (before he took the Memphis gig).

Wiseman addressed the news on Twitter ... saying, "Sometimes bad things happen to good people. God has never left me nor forsaken me throughout this process!

"God knows my destiny and I feel that even though hardships may be upon me! It too shall pass in the Grace of God. My journey isn’t finished, and this too shall pass."

Right after SFA hero Nate Bain hit the game-winner to beat Duke -- fans hit his GoFundMe with $30k in donations to help his family rebuild from the devastation of Hurricane Dorian.

AMAZING STORY!!!

Bain fought back tears during his postgame TV interview -- talking about how much the victory at Cameron Indoor meant to him ... especially after the disaster in the Bahamas.

"My family lost a whole lot this year," Bain said, holding back tears. "I'm not going to cry on TV."

Officials at Stephen F. Austin State University had set up an NCAA approved GoFundMe for Bain back in September ... saying Bain's family saw "nearly everything of value destroyed by Hurricane Dorian."

"Bain's father -- a minister -- watched as his church suffered extreme damage from the storm as well."

The good news ... EVERYONE learned about Bain's story after watching SFA take down Duke and fans flocked to the GoFundMe in droves to help out, donating roughly $30k!!!

And, it's not just SFA people opening up their wallets, fans from UCONN, Michigan State, UNC ... and yeah, even some Duke-haters are pitching in.

Incredible story ... but what's even cooler is how Bain was able to celebrate the moment with his teammates -- 'cause the guys went INSANE after his legendary layup!

You can see in locker room video shot by Bain's teammates ... there were water shower celebrations, Gatorade ice baths and a whole lot of flexing and screaming!!

Felt like March in November ... gotta love it!!!!

Here's Drake RUNNING HIS MOUTH LAST NIGHT -- talking smack to 76ers star Joel Embiid at the Raptors game ... while rocking his giant custom championship ring!

Of course, Drake is basically the official Raptors spokesperson and talked A LOT of trash to players during the '18-'19 championship run ... it was fun to watch.

But, with Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green both on other teams, we were wondering if Drake would keep that same energy this season. Answer -- YES.

Check out Drake chanting, "MVP," at Joel Embiid as he had his worst night of his career -- scoring ZERO points on 11 shots as the Raptors went on to win 101 to 96.

As for Drake's ring, the rapper went to famous jeweler Jason of Beverly Hills to get him a one-of-a-kind piece to commemorate his team's title run.

The piece is incredible -- it's got 30 carats of diamonds, which is more than any other championship ring in NBA history.

Jason told TMZ Sports ... "Drake had me fly to Turks and Caicos for an emergency design meeting."

"It's a championship that's dear to his heart and he wanted to create an over the top ring that not only paid homage to his city but made a statement above and beyond anything else in history."

This is a very cool moment ... Carmelo Anthony made HISTORY during the Portland vs. Chicago game on Monday, and he FaceTimed with his son to make sure he was included!

Melo scored 25 points as the Trail Blazers beat the Bulls at the United Center in Chicago -- passing Alex English to become the 18th all-time scorer in NBA history.

Huge moment for 35-year-old Melo ... and his wife, La La Anthony, was in the stands too! In fact, she busted out her phone to FaceTime their son, Kiyan, so he could witness the whole thing.

You gotta watch the clip ... when Melo sees the phone, he salutes his son -- and it's awesome!

Melo finished the game with 25 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists ... and threw down one monster dunk that reminded everyone of the old days!

In fact, the crowd loved it so much, they busted out a "We Want Melo" chant in the 4th quarter!

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.