Basketball

Meet the newest Splash Bro ... Trey Lyles!!!

Check out the San Antonio Spurs player accidentally dumping a fan's pricey beer at the Toyota Center in Houston on Monday ... and her reaction is priceless!!

It all started when Rockets star Russell Westbrook fired a pass that went into the stands -- directly crushing a woman's beer.

That's when Lyles went over to retrieve the ball -- which was under a seat -- and as he flipped it up to himself, he knocked ANOTHER woman's beer right out of her hand ... sending beer suds everywhere!

You can see the woman's face ... she ain't happy (Hey, beer at NBA games ain't cheap!!!)

Hopefully, SOMEONE (hint, hint Spurs) hooked up a replacement brew for the fan -- and maybe some towels for everyone in the area who got soaked in the process!

As for the action ON the court -- the Rockets eventually won the game 109 to 107.

Charles Oakley says even though the dude's a LEGEND in New York, Patrick Ewing simply ain't the right guy to take over for David Fizdale as Knicks head coach.

But, don't worry, Oak's got someone in mind -- Mark Jackson!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the ex-NY star about the coaching vacancy ... and, while he lists off a number of ex-Knicks who are qualified for the gig, Ewing ain't one of them.

Why??

"Ya gotta be a different type of coach than Patrick," Oak tells us. "I think he tried before and they didn’t hire him. So, I don’t know. We’ll see what happens."

Also, why??

Kobe Bryant watched a major car crash unfold right in front of him in Newport Beach, CA on Friday -- but didn't leave the scene ... he stuck around to comfort everyone involved.

TMZ Sports obtained video shot moments after the accident -- we're told it was T-bone crash at an intersection -- and you can see Kobe in his fresh pink sweatsuit taking control of the situation.

In the footage, you can see Kobe walk right into the wreckage scene to speak with the people involved -- directing traffic and calling the shots before help arrived.

Witnesses couldn't believe their eyes when they saw the NBA legend get involved ... but he seemed to be making a real impact and really helped.

Illinois hoops star Kofi Cockburn was TRYING to celebrate after hitting a crucial shot Wednesday -- but accidentally clocked the ref in the face instead with a BRUTAL elbow.

In fact, the ref immediately dropped to his knees -- and was HOSPITALIZED for further treatment.

Cockburn -- 7'0", 290 lbs -- had just hit a put-back floater (and got the foul) in the 2nd half against Michigan ... and tried to celebrate with a big Tiger Woods-styled fist pump.

But, ref Lewis Garrison accidentally got in the way ... and took a BIG elbow right to the face.

Garrison dropped to his knees and had to be helped off the floor ... and after trainers checked him out at the stadium, he reportedly went to a local hospital for further evaluation.

Thankfully, doesn't seem Garrison's injuries are too serious ... it's reported the trip to the emergency room was for precautionary reasons -- but still, scary stuff!!

As for the game, Cockburn ended up leading Illinois to a huge 71-62 win over the Wolverines -- a massive upset.

Move over, Wilt ... there's a new member of the 100-point game club -- NBA star Jarrett Culver's older brother, J.J. Culver!!

The 6'5" senior out of Wayland Baptist scored the absurd figure in his NAIA game against Southwestern Adventist in Plainview, Texas on Tuesday ... logging 100 points in just 38 minutes.

The stat line is wild ... J.J. took 62 shots, including 33 3-pointers, and added 27 free throw attempts. He also had 5 steals, 2 blocks, nine rebounds and an assist!

The numbers were so crazy, his older brother -- who was the No. 6 overall pick of the Minnesota Timberwolves in last year's NBA draft -- said of the guard, "jj you a legend brother."

As for the game itself, J.J.'s squad obviously won ... beating the hell out of Southwestern Adventist, 124-60.

"Definitely a dream come true," J.J. said of the night. "I put in a lot of work for this. I love playing basketball and thanks everyone for the support."

J.J. -- who's just the second-ever NAIA player to hit the 100-point mark -- added, "Couldn’t have done it without my Coaches, Teammates, and Family."

Humble guy too!

Juice WRLD's death is another heart-breaking example of the drug epidemic in rap ... so says ex-NBA player Larry Sanders, who tells TMZ Sports he hopes people can learn from the tragedy.

TMZ broke the story ... the 21-year-old died on Sunday after suffering a seizure. Law enforcement sources say the "Robbery" rapper swallowed a bunch of Percs to hide them from the feds during a drug raid, which could have played a role in his death.

Of course, rappers like Mac Miller and Lil Peep have also died due to drug-related issues ... and Sanders says the glorification of drugs in rap culture is becoming a serious issue.

"I think these kids are starting young and it's getting embedded into the culture," Sanders says.

"It's an epidemic. Hopefully, the kids can learn from these horrible mistakes and make better choices, but it seems like the outcome's the same."

Of course, Sanders has been outspoken about his own battle with depression and anxiety ... and has become an advocate for mental health treatment in the hopes people can explore safer options than self-medicating.

"The conversation is what's gonna be important ... inspiring the youth to be brave enough to talk about how they feel."

Scottie Pippen ain't ready to hear all of those Luka Doncic comparisons to Michael Jordan -- telling TMZ Sports there's one MAJOR difference between the two guys.

Some backstory ... earlier this week, the Dallas Mavericks star passed MJ for the most consecutive games with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists since the NBA/ABA merger in '76.

Combine that with the fact Doncic is averaging a near triple-double per game right now (30 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 9.2 assists) and you get why people are making the comparisons to Jordan.

So, when we saw Pippen at Il Pastaio in Bev Hills ... we had to ask how he felt about the Luke vs. MJ talk -- and (shocker!) he still thinks His Airness is in a class by himself.

"He got 6 titles yet?!" Pippen said with a smirk.

For his part, Luka AGREES with Pippen ... also shutting down comparisons while talking with reporters.

David Fizdale is back on the West Coast -- returning to Los Angeles just days after he was fired as head coach of the NY Knicks.

Fizdale hasn't talked publicly about the situation ever since he got the ax on Dec. 6 --  and when we saw him at LAX, the 45-year-old made it clear he's still not ready to open up.

The Knicks took heat over the past few days for not being particularly nice to Fizdale in their initial press release about the firing ... but issued a revised statement on Sunday.

"The New York Knicks organization would like to thank David Fizdale for his leadership and professionalism over the past two seasons. He represented the organization with nothing but class. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors."

The NY Post claims the Knicks delayed the release of the statement because the two sides were still legally working out their separation agreement ... which could be why it took Fizdale so long to get on a plane and head out West.

Fizdale included a statement in the release ... saying coaching the Knicks "has been a great honor."

He added, "While it is obviously disappointing that we couldn’t deliver the wins we wanted on the court, I am very proud that we were able to establish a system which values accountability, respect, and hard work."

"Although the short-term results weren’t what I hoped for, I’m confident the culture and values we prioritized will contribute to the growth and future success of the core young players who are already improving each and every day.”

It would be historic ... but Charles Barkley says Becky Hammon should NOT consider the NY Knicks head coaching job because it would set her up for failure!

Of course, the Knicks are in the market for a new head coach after firing David Fizdale last week -- and a lot of people are calling for James Dolan to make Becky the first female head coach in NBA history.

42-year-old Hammon has created a lot of buzz in the NBA coaching world -- she was a 6-time WNBA All-Star before becoming an assistant with Gregg Popovich's Spurs in 2014. Pop has praised her as a coaching star and it seems like it's only a matter of time before she takes a head coaching job.

There are rumblings Hammon is interested in the Knicks job ... but Barkley is warning her to stay FAR AWAY from the dumpster fire that's the Knicks.

"Somebody's gonna give her a chance," Barkley tells TMZ Sports ... "I don't think she should take THAT job. Don't take a bad job!"

As we previously reported, people are pretty upset with the Knicks for axing Fizdale -- with Michael Rapaport calling for a celebrity boycott of the organization.

Long story short ... Rap says Knicks owner James Dolan has ran the organization into the ground and he feels like a celebrity boycott is the only way to show Dolan the fans won't stand for it anymore.

Barkley says he ain't with the boycott but understands Rap's frustrations.

NCAA Div. 2 basketball player Isaiah Hill has been suspended indefinitely after he LEVELED his opponent with a violent cheap shot elbow to the face ... and the video will piss you off.

The disgusting play went down when Hill's Saint Leo University team faced off with Nova Southeastern in Florida on Saturday ... when Hill cut to the perimeter and cracked Nick Smith with a nasty elbow.

Smith fell right to the floor ... and somehow, the ref standing RIGHT IN FRONT OF IT did not call Hill for a foul.

Video of the play -- captured by Post-Gazette reporter Mike White -- has gone viral ... and Saint Leo has since punished its player for at least the remainder of the 2019 calendar year.

"Isaiah's conduct on the court is not an accurate representation of Saint Leo's core values," the school's athletic director said in a statement.

"Saint Leo University holds its students to high standards of moral and ethical conduct as a reflection of Benedictine values."

"Upon review of Isaiah's actions this past Saturday, he will not represent Saint Leo University in competition for the remainder of 2019."

We're told cops were present at the game, but it's unclear if Smith plans to pursue criminal charges. We're told the Pasco Sheriff's Office has not received a formal complaint.

Ex-NBA player Guerschon Yabusele -- who now plays professionally in China -- was fined by the CBA this weekend for not looking at the Chinese flag during the national anthem.

... but Yabusele insists he was NOT trying to disrespect anyone.

The 23-year-old French baller -- who played 2 seasons with the Boston Celtics -- was fined $1,400 and given a "serious warning" for not meeting the league's requirements for anthem etiquette before the Nanjing Tongxi Monkey Kings' game against the Zhejiang Golden Bulls.

Of course, showing any sort of disrespect to the national anthem has major consequences in China -- a law was passed in 2017 that made it a crime, which carries a maximum 3-year jail sentence.

It's also in the Chinese Basketball Association handbook that players must look at the flag during the "March of the Volunteers."

But, Yabusele says he wasn't trying to make any sort of political statement -- he reportedly clarified in a statement on social media that he was praying during the anthem.

"I have the same routine, I've been doing this my whole career and I wanted to apologize for the people that took it Personnal [sic] because it was not my point," Yabusele said.

"I will show my respect during the Chinese national anthem and keep my head up for now on, Love you guys."

Obviously, this isn't the first major issue with China and basketball this year -- the Houston Rockets were essentially blackballed there after GM Daryl Morey tweeted out support for Hong Kong.

Lizzo damn near blew the lid off Staples Center when she twerked her butt off.

It all went down Sunday night during a break at the Timberwolves-Lakers game ... while the Laker Girls were performing to the rapper's famous track "Juice," Lizzo got all hyped up ... rapping along before going HAM.

Lizzo -- who was sitting courtside -- was right there on the jumbotron for all to enjoy ... dancing before turning around and putting on a twerk show ... proudly displaying a black thong and fishnet tights. The crowd went absolutely NUTS.

BTW ... during an interview with FOX Sports, Lizzo shoots her shot at T'Wolves star Karl Anthony-Towns. Lizzo loves her some KAT ... like, A LOT.

Not to be outdone ... the Lakers steamrolled past the T'Wolves 142-125 behind Anthony Davis' season-high 50 points.

Even if James Harden broke the scoring record and scored 100 points in a game, there's still one thing keeping him from being the greatest Rockets player ever -- A RING!! -- so says Kenny Smith.

The Beard has been going OFF this season -- averaging nearly 39 points and 8 assists through 19 games -- leaving some fans wondering if Harden has what it takes to go down as the G.O.A.T. in Houston.

TMZ Sports spoke with the Jet at LAX on Monday and had to ask if Harden's ever gonna take the throne from Hakeem Olajuwon ... and while he says Harden's "in the conversation," Smith says James still needs some work.

"You gotta win championships," Smith tells us. "The scoring records are great and that's putting him in the conversation."

"The assists, his overall play. But, the greatests are always measured by championships."

For the record, Hakeem has 2 rings and 2 Finals MVPs on his resume.

Chris Webber says he hasn't been back to the Crisler Center at the Univ. of Michigan in 26 YEARS -- but he's finally down to bury the hatchet ... thanks to Juwan Howard.

Webber was a key member of the legendary Fab Five team in '92 and '93 ... but got caught up in a college booster scandal and in 2003, he was hit with a 10-year ban prohibiting him from associating with the school in any capacity.

The ban expired in 2013 ... but Webber has still had NO relationship with the basketball program ever since (though he did attend a football game in 2018).

"I haven't been back because they banned me from the place," Webber says ... "When they did a 10-year ban, said I couldn't come to the campus, well then, okay I'm not gonna come."

But, now that his good buddy and ex-Fab Five teammate Juwan Howard has taken over the hoops program for the Wolverines, Webber tells TMZ Sports he's seriously considering rekindling his relationship with Michigan Basketball.

"Howard is my friend ... and therefore, I put pride aside," Webber said.

"I told Juwon I'd love to come to a practice and he's definitely extended an opportunity. So, I'm pumped about it when it happens."

"I haven't been back to Crisler Arena since the day I left when I was 20 years old going to the NBA. And, so, he knows that's a special moment for me. So, yeah I would love that."

Webber says he wants his return to be private -- "No fanfare, without people around so I can just go around a reminisce and have a good time as well."

Metta World Peace didn't even wait an hour to make a play for David Fizdale's job -- claiming he should be the next coach of the Knicks 'cause he's got that NYC street ball mentality!

The ex-NBA star meant no disrespect to Fizdale --- who was fired in his 2nd season --- and gave Fiz credit for what he was able to accomplish in his short time as head coach.

"Shoutout to Coach Fiz. I mean you deserved it man," MWP says ... "You put in work. I watched you over the years."

But, what the Knicks are missing is that NYC mindset, according to Metta who says growing up in Queens and later playing for the Knicks make him the perfect candidate.

"I will absolutely bring that street mentality to the Garden."

"Let's get it poppin' New York City. The fans chill out, you already know what it is. All that booin', we gon' boo yall if I'm in the Garden."

He adds, "We coming to win and that's it ... it's just my love for New York City."

For now, the Knicks have tapped Mike Miller as interim coach -- and there are rumblings NY is seriously considering Mark Jackson for the full-time gig.

Look, Metta knows it's a tough job and he ain't the frontrunner ... but he's making his case anyway!

"It's one of the best jobs in sports. Block out the fans. They act hard but really they just want to win."

HOW AWESOME IS THIS?!?!?

LeBron James' son is such a superstar already that L.A. Rams running back Todd Gurley had courtside seats to watch him play in his high school game Tuesday night!!

And, get this, the kid didn't disappoint -- throwing down a MONSTER alley-oop!!!!

Bronny James got his first-ever start for Sierra Canyon against Granada Hills Charter in Chatsworth, Calif. ... and it didn't take him long to flash his insane potential.

Just a few minutes into the game ... LBJ's 15-year-old kid caught a lob and threw it down with authority!!!

And, eventually, Bronny's squad ran away with it ... routing GHC, 87-35.

Gurley seemed impressed with the King's kid ... and even posted a few highlights from his night on the hardwood to his social media page!!