Basketball

We all knew this was coming -- Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has been slapped with a 1 game suspension ... after the MVP candidate headbutted a player mid-game on Tuesday.

The Greek Freak was ejected following a scuffle with Washington Wizards center Moe Wagner in the 2nd quarter ... after the center hit Giannis with a hard foul.

Antetokounmpo immediately got into it with Wagner after the play ... and went after him with a good ole Zinedine Zidane-esque headbutt.

The NBA announced Giannis' punishment on Wednesday ... saying he will miss the next Bucks game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

"Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has been suspended one game without pay for headbutting Washington Wizards center Moritz Wagner during a stoppage in play," the league said in the official statement.

"The incident, for which Antetokounmpo was assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 and ejected, occurred with 8:50 remaining in the second quarter of the Bucks’ 126-113 win over the Wizards on Aug. 11 at Visa Athletic Center on the campus of ESPN’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando."

8/24 is now officially "Kobe Bryant Day" in Orange County!

The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday to honor the late Lakers legend -- and the measure passed with flying colors.

"During his career, Kobe Bryant’s numbers on his jerseys were 8 and 24, therefore a fitting day to celebrate his legacy would be August 24," the resolution said.

Of course, Kobe lived in Orange County for most of his 20-year career with the L.A. Lakers ... and his family stayed there even after he retired.

Kobe was well-liked around town -- and was seen several times playing the role of Good Samaritan when he spotted car accidents.

So, when Kobe -- along with daughter Gianna and 7 other people -- passed away in a January 26 helicopter crash, officials wanted to make sure to honor his legacy.

"Kobe Bryant was a basketball legend that inspired so many globally to pursue their dreams and taught us that hard work truly pays off," the resolution says.

Officials even spell out how fans can celebrate KBD -- "By engaging in community building, helping young people in need, encouraging aspiring youth to follow their dreams, and living by Bryant's words: 'The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they could be great in whatever they want to do.'"

FYI, Kobe's #8 and #24 jerseys were both retired by the Lakers -- he's the only player in franchise history to have two numbers hanging in the rafters.

The NBA will allow players to FINALLY bring guests into the Bubble environment in Orlando ... but not EVERYONE will be allowed in.

In fact, the NO ENTRANCE list is the most interesting part!!

First off, the guest list will open up to players beginning after the 1st round of the NBA playoffs (which is approaching fast).

The league sent a memo to teams, obtained by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, laying out the criteria for entrance.

"Four guests per player, but can be exceeded for children," Woj says.

"Guests can travel on team charters following testing. Guests will be allowed to attend games."

There will be strict quarantine protocols for guests before they're allowed inside the bubble ... similar to what the players are already going through.

But, here's where it gets interesting ... the league is clearly trying to prevent players from bringing in random people they meet on social media for booty calls. Aka, no randoms from Tinder!!!

"Any individual the player has not previously met in person or with whom the player has had limited in-person interactions [will not be granted access]."

The league cites a hypothetical example of a person who would NOT be allowed in -- "[someone] known by the player only through social media or an intermediary."

Get it? Seems pretty clear to us!

Woj says other people NOT allowed inside include "agents, trainers, massage/physical therapists, personal chefs and tattoo artists."

Sorry, no new ink inside the bubble!

Once inside, Woj says "Each player is allowed one ticket per playoff game for a guest -- plus an additional admission for a child (32 inches and below)."

Gilbert Arenas recently told us he's been talking to players who are griping about not being able to get booty while inside the bubble.

Grab some tissues, 'cause this video will hit you in your feels.

The Phoenix Suns found an amazing way to surprise their players Tuesday -- having their friends and family make a special pregame intro video before their game.

And, for guys who haven't been outside the bubble in a month ... man, was it emotional.

The players' reactions are amazing -- from Deandre Ayton's disbelief to Mikal Bridges smiling from ear to ear when he saw his mom ... hold up, is it getting dusty in here??

Devin Booker got a special shout-out from his #1 fan, Jenna Warren -- a 20-year-old with Down syndrome who's been close with the NBA superstar for years.

Did you see his face when she came on the screen -- priceless!!!

Afterward, LeBron James commented about the video -- saying, "That was AMAZING!!!!!!!! S/O the Suns for that. Damn I miss my family!"

Cool moment for a team that's been playing their asses off. The Suns are 6-0 in the bubble and gunning for that 8th seed in the playoffs.

Isiah Thomas was furious when he saw his 1984 NBA All-Star Game MVP trophy hit the auction block recently -- claiming it's "stolen" property that was heisted from his old high school.

The trophy itself is a pretty cool item -- Thomas won the award after posting 21 points, 5 rebounds and 15 assists while playing against guys like Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Thomas says he allowed the trophy to be displayed at his old high school in Illinois, but claims it was stolen back in June 2019.

So, when he saw it up for auction with the Heritage Auctions website, Thomas was not pleased.

"This trophy was stolen from St. Joseph High School the night Mr. Pingatore my coach died," Thomas posted on Twitter ... "It belongs to me."

"You stole my trophy please return it! Let it be known."

Heritage Auctions responded to Thomas -- saying, "We take the concerns and allegations of Mr. Thomas very seriously. We will investigate them as expeditiously as possible."

A rep for the auction house tells us the item was "immediately removed" -- noting, "We are working at this very moment to find out the real story behind this trophy."

In the meantime, watch the highlights of Thomas from the game ... dude was BALLIN!!!

Ya wanna see one of the tallest dudes in the world whack a golf ball??

Check out 7'6" Boston Celtics center Tacko Fall hit the links with his fellow NBA buddy and 7-footer, Mo Bamba, while in the bubble in Orlando ... and the dude's not too bad!!

As we've previously made very clear over here at TMZ Sports -- we are absolutely fascinated by Mr. Tacko Fall, and the challenges the friendly giant faces on a daily basis (see here).

But, Fall took things to another level when he hit the course in Orlando on Monday ... showing what a massively tall man looks like swinging a golf club.

For reference, the tallest golfer to ever win a major championship is 6'5" George Archer, who won the Masters in 1969.

We've seen NBA legends like Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley give golf a try in the past ... and it's always funny as hell.

But, Fall looks like he'd smoke either of these dudes ... impressively making solid contact with the ball while Bamba documents the shot.

No vid of Bamba's skills -- we'll assume it's for good reason.

Matt Barnes is paying tribute to his friend and teammate Kobe Bryant with a brand new tattoo ... and it's incredible.

The ex-NBA star hit up legendary ink artist Steve Butcher -- who did the amazing Tupac work on Matt's hand -- in order to add a new image of Kobe and Gianna to his arm.

The image Matt's new tattoo is based from was a moment between Kobe and Gigi at the 2016 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando ... a moment captured on Valentine's Day.

Matt only played 2 seasons on the Lakers with Kobe (from 2010 to 2012) -- but they were friends and Barnes has talked openly about how much respect he had for Kobe on and off the court.

Barnes prepped for the tat sesh with a variety of goodies -- from joints to candy ... the works!

We're still waiting for the final reveal -- but it's already looking incredibly detailed.

Of course, Kobe had such an impact on generations of NBA players -- stars from LeBron James to Anthony Davis and Devin Booker have all had Kobe ink tatted on their bodies.

Kobe and Gianna passed away on January 26th in a helicopter crash in Calabasas.

LeBron James is taking advantage of the NBA's relaxed dress code while in the Orlando bubble ... rockin' an open shirt and showing some serious skin before the Laker game on Monday!!

Of course, the league decided to take it easy on its fashion requirements during the NBA's restart ... allowing players to ditch their sport coats and suits for a more casual look.

LBJ is taking things to a whole 'nother level before tipping off against the Denver Nuggets ... wearing an unbuttoned short sleeve shirt and some shorts.

If you didn't know about the context, you'd assume the King was about to hit the beach!!

"Miami Drip in Orlando," L.A.'s Twitter account captured the pic of James heading to the team bus.

To top off the whole look, LBJ is sporting the Klutch Sports agency with a custom mask ... which has to make his buddy Rich Paul happy about the free advertising.

Now entering the game for the (insert NBA team name here) ... J. Cole?!?

NBA player Larry Sanders says HELL YEAH ... telling TMZ Sports he truly believes the rapper has a real chance at making his pro ball dreams come true.

Of course, the idea took off when 35-year-old Cole -- who grew up loving and playing basketball -- starred in a Puma commercial hinting at trying to get a shot at the Association.

Master P told us Cole is dead serious about making it happen ... and even the Detroit Pistons told the "Lion King On Ice" MC to hit 'em up for a tryout.

We spoke with Sanders -- who's played in 6 NBA seasons -- and asked if Cole's got a realistic chance ... and his answer may surprise you.

"I do, for real. I've seen him hoop before in some games and I knew he took the game seriously when he was younger."

"He always raps about it, so that's dope. I'm excited to see that."

Sanders knows exactly what the process will be like, but in reverse -- the 31-year-old has made waves in the music industry off the court ... and even produced a song for PARTYNEXTDOOR.

"It's gonna be just like the music game. Me doing music, everybody laughed at me, everybody went at my head and challenged me ... and I had to go prove myself."

Sanders -- who recently told us he's working on making it back to the league as well -- says he loves the idea of joining forces with Cole on a team next year ... which could end up in some music collabs!!

Bad news for Jake Paul ... one of the best young boxers in the game is giving his biggest secrets to NBA star Nate Robinson -- undefeated two-time WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez!!

Of course, Robinson is prepping to take on the YouTube superstar-turned-fighter in an undercard match for the Mike Tyson and Roy Jones, Jr. fight on September 12.

Some experts believe Paul may come away with the easy dub because he's 2-0 and has more experience ... but Benavidez makes it clear Robinson has been putting in that work.

"I was in there giving him some pointers," the 23-year-old tells us. "I was trying to teach him a little bit about the boxing game. So, I definitely gave him a few gems, so I feel like he's gonna be more than ready for his upcoming fight."

FYI -- Jake and Nate have been going AT IT ever since the fight was announced ... and recently got into a heated trash-talkin' sesh in an interview with TMZ Sports.

Benavidez -- who has a big fight against Alexis Angulo August 15 on Showtime -- says he knows Robinson picked up the sport a few years ago, so any talk of him being too fresh to boxing is simply not true.

Ex-Florida State basketball player Michael Ojo -- a fan favorite from 2012-17 -- has died after suffering a heart attack during a workout in Serbia.

He was only 27 years old.

The 7'1", 310-lb center was practicing Friday with Serbian pro basketball team Partizan at the team facility when he collapsed while running, according to Eurohoops.net.

Ojo was reportedly raced to a nearby hospital in Belgrade but it was too late. Doctors were unable to save him.

Ojo was discovered while playing soccer in Nigeria ... and later came to America for high school to learn the sport of basketball.

The friendly giant made national headlines when it was reported Nike dropped $15,000 to build a machine to make Ojo's size 22 shoes.

Ojo played professionally in Serbia after going undrafted in 2017 ... averaging 11.7 points, 5.9 rebs and 1.1 blocks in one season with ABA League team FMP.

He went on to sign a 2-year deal with Crvena Zvezda ... where he won the ABA SuperCup in 2018 and ABA and Serbian League in 2019.

Former FSU player Trent Forrest tweeted about his teammate's passing, saying, "This definitely a tough one man.. One of the best dudes I done came across."

"Was the first to welcome me to fsu and was nothing short of a big brother my freshman year and even after.. it’s crazy to think we was just talking about life last week.. Gone miss ya fasho O!!"

Sam Lunt, former FSU associate director of sports medicine for men’s basketball, spoke with the Tallahassee Democrat about Ojo's passing ... saying, "I am devastated."

"He was one of the best humans I know."

RIP

Texas Tech's women's basketball head coach, Marlene Stollings, was fired Thursday ... after multiple former players claimed she created a toxic culture and was straight-up "evil and manipulative."

More than 10 ex-Red Raiders made the allegations in a USA TODAY report this week ... with some saying Stollings was so abusive, they described some of her acts as "torture."

Several of the women claim Stollings (who took the head coaching job in 2018) and her staff berated them constantly, calling players things like "trash," "disgusting" and "fat pig."

Other former players say Stollings forced them to play through injuries ... and even developed a heart rate monitoring system for games in which players were punished if they dipped below a certain level for just a few minutes.

Things were allegedly so bad, 12 of 21 players had left the program over the past 2 years -- including 7 recruited under Stollings.

One ex-Red Raider, Emma Merriweather, says during a meeting with Stollings' strength and conditioning coach ... she was forced to step on a scale and then berated over her weight.

"I was just so embarrassed," Merriweather said of the incident. "I think that might have been the most embarrassing moment of my life."

Merriweather claims she went on to have a panic attack later in the day over it all.

"A lot of these girls had never experienced depression or extreme anxiety before they came to Tech and they experienced it with Marlene,” Merriweather said. “Coach Marlene was evil and manipulative and vindictive in a quiet watered-down manner, so you can’t outwardly say, 'This person is evil.'"

"That woman is a millionaire off being evil."

Other players say Stollings' strength and conditioning coach made sexual comments toward them ... and one former Red Raider accused the man of touching her inappropriately under the guise of a recovery exercise.

Earlier this week, Stollings had released a statement defending her team's culture, saying, "Our administration and my staff believe in the way we are building and turning this program around here. Our student athletes are developing a disciplined approach both on and off the court."

Initially, school athletic director Kirby Hocutt defended Stollings' program as well ... but in a statement Thursday night, he said he was firing the 45-year-old coach, and promised to reveal more details in a news conference Friday.

LeBron James says the NBA won't miss Donald Trump as a viewer -- essentially telling POTUS not to let the door hit him on the way out!

"I really don't think the basketball community are sad about losing his viewership," James said after the Lakers lost to the OKC Thunder on Wednesday ... "And, that's all I got to say."

SPOILER: That wasn't all he had to say.

Of course, Bron as reacting to comments Trump made earlier that day -- when he blasted the NBA kneeling protests as "disgraceful" during an interview with "FOX & Friends."

LeBron and the overwhelming majority of people inside the bubble have been kneeling during the national anthem before games while wearing Black Lives Matter shirts.

Trump no likey.

"When I see people kneeling during the playing and disrespecting our flag and national anthem, what I do personally is turn off the game," Trump added.

When asked about the comments, LeBron said he didn't want to get into another public social media spat with POTUS ... but followed up by essentially calling for people to vote Trump out of office in November.

"I think our game is in a beautiful position and we have fans all over the world and our fans not only love the way we play the game, we try to give it back to them with our commitment to the game."

"But also respect what else we try to bring to the game and acknowledge it -- what's right and what's wrong," James said.

"And I hope everyone, no matter the race, no matter the color, no matter the size, will see what leadership that we have at the top in our country and understand that November is right around the corner and it's a big moment for us as Americans."

"If we continue to talk about, 'We want better, we want change, we have an opportunity to do that."

"But the game will go on without his eyes on it. I can sit here and speak for all of us that love the game of basketball: We could [not] care less."

"There is no county line at which Kobe Bryant’s celebrity suddenly evaporates."

That's Vanessa Bryant's key argument as to why the court should REJECT a requested venue change in her wrongful death lawsuit -- claiming Kobe's legacy expands way beyond L.A.

As we previously reported, Island Express Helicopters and the estate for pilot Ara Zobayan had asked the court to move the case from L.A. to Orange County, arguing they couldn't get a fair trial in the city where the Lakers star played NBA ball for 20 years.

Now, Vanessa is firing back ... saying she lawfully selected L.A. as her venue because that's where the January 26th helicopter crash occurred -- and she's digging in her heels to keep it there.

Not only does Vanessa point out the Bryants have lived in Orange County for nearly 20 years and Kobe's "popularity there is just as strong as anywhere else" -- but she also claims it really doesn't matter where you go, Kobe is beloved all over the U.S.

"Defendant fails to acknowledge the extent to which Kobe Bryant’s legacy penetrates American culture," Vanessa's attorney states in new court docs obtained by TMZ Sports.

"There is no county line at which Kobe Bryant’s celebrity suddenly evaporates. Public esteem for Kobe Bryant is a fact of American life."

Vanessa is right about Kobe's popularity -- when he passed away back in January, tributes poured in from all over the world ... including Italy and Japan.

A massive Kobe mural even went up in Gradiška, Bosnia and Herzegovina!

As for the venue change, that's now up to a judge to decide.

"As much as I love Michael Jordan, like, dawg, man, LeBron James is the one, dawg. He the one, man."

Did Allen Iverson just pick LeBron James over Michael Jordan in the great G.O.A.T. debate? Sure seems that way.

But, it's not exactly crystal clear -- we'll explain.

A.I. was on Fat Joe's podcast this week ... when Joe asked Iverson about what music got him hyped before games -- and that's when the former Sixers superstar went on a tangent.

Allen talked about all his favorite musicians ... before eventually saying, "I love what's the best, man. You dig what I'm saying? ... I'm not going to fight what's the best. I'm not going to fight."

"As much as I love Michael Jordan, like, dawg, man, LeBron James is the one, dawg. He the one, man."

"That mother f***er is the one, man," A.I. said of Bron.

So, he's picking Bron over MJ, right?! Maybe ... but maybe not.

But, he then also showed some serious love to Kevin Durant, calling the Brooklyn Nets superstar "the one" as well.

Unclear if that meant A.I. was also putting Durant ahead of Jordan in the great NBA debate ... but Allen did say, "Kevin Durant is the one, man, The one."