Basketball

LaMelo Ball will NOT be reppin' the family business when the NBA season rolls around -- the prospect is about to ink a huge deal with Puma!!!

The news will officially end an era for the Big Baller Brand ... with Melo becoming the first Ball Bro to jump ship for another company.

The partnership makes sense, considering Melo, Lonzo and LiAngelo all just signed with Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports ... and Hov is the creative director for Puma Basketball.

In fact, we spoke with LaVar about the possibility of a BBB x Puma collab back in May ... and he seemed interested in the idea.

Melo's move adds to Puma's growing list of clients ... including names like veteran center DeMarcus Cousins, Suns star Deandre Ayton and Hornets guard Terry Rozier.

Of course, Ball is no newbie to the shoe game -- he had his own signature shoe in high school, which eventually deemed him ineligible for the NCAA.

Ball is widely regarded as one of the best players in the 2020 NBA Draft ... and is projected to be a top-3 pick.

The Athletic's Shams Charania says the deal is close to being completed ... but so far, no word on the $$$ or if Zo will make another song in honor of the move.

An emotional Doc Rivers choked back tears as he talked about the Jacob Blake police shooting on Tuesday -- explaining why Black people are pissed and railing against republicans.

"It's amazing why we keep loving this country, and this country does not love us back," Rivers said.

"It's really so sad. Like, I should just be a coach. I'm so often reminded of my color. It's just really sad. We got to do better. But, we got to demand better."

The L.A. Clippers coach had refused to talk about the shooting BEFORE the playoff game against the Dallas Mavericks "because it's so hard to keep watching it."

But, after the game, the emotions poured out of the 58-year-old, who interestingly enough, used to be friends with Donald Trump.

"If you watch that [Jacob Blake] video, you don’t need to be Black to be outraged. You need to be American and outraged."

"All you hear is Donald Trump and all of them talking about fear," Rivers said while referring to the Republican National Convention.

"We're the ones getting killed. We're the ones getting shot. We're the ones that we're denied to live in certain communities. We've been hung. We've been shot. And, all you do is keep hearing about fear."

Doc says he's not anti-cop -- his father was a police officer -- but he demands changes when it comes to training, especially when it comes to policing the Black community.

"The training has to change in the police force. The unions have to be taken down in the police force," Rivers said.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's son has been hit with several felonies stemming from his alleged knife attack on a neighbor in June ... and now he's facing nearly 10 years behind bars.

We broke the story ... cops in San Clemente, Calif. arrested 28-year-old Adam Abdul-Jabbar after they say he attacked his neighbor during an argument.

Adam's neighbor says he complained to the basketball legend's son about helping his grandma with outdoor trash cans ... which the man says set Adam off.

The 60-year-old says Adam stabbed him numerous times ... causing serious injuries, including a fractured skull and brain bleed. The man -- who's since filed a civil lawsuit against Adam -- also claims he nearly died from blood loss due to the incident.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Adam has now been charged with 3 felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon, one felony count of carrying a dirk or dagger, and three enhancements of inflicting great bodily injury over his alleged role in the incident.

If convicted on all counts, Adam faces up to nine years and eight months in prison.

"A dispute between neighbors should never escalate to violence, much less the ruthless nature of this attack," Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said Tuesday.

"Violence of any kind will not be tolerated in Orange County and those who choose to inflict violence on others will be prosecuted by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office to the fullest extent of the law."

Ben Simmons has a new team -- no he hasn't been traded (yet) ... the NBA superstar has joined the world-famous FaZe Clan!

Simmons -- a hardcore gamer -- is the newest celebrity investor and even got a new FaZe nickname to go along with it ... FAZE SIMMO!

The Philadelphia 76ers big man will serve as an "ambassador to the organization for content as well as an advocate for gaming and esports and the expansion of FaZe Clan globally," the company says.

FaZe Clan also notes it will not disclose the amount of Ben's investment, though it's probably fair to assume it's a sizable number.

Simmons first started gaming with FaZe talent in 2018 -- mostly playing Call of Duty with FaZe Temperrr.

The two recently participated in a COD celebrity pro-am which raised nearly $125,000 to help people affected by COVID-19.

"Gaming is an important part of my life, and so it was a natural progression to personally invest in this industry,” Simmons said.

"FaZe Clan represents the pinnacle of the gaming culture, and I am really looking forward to connecting with new fans around the globe."

FaZe is one of the largest and most influential companies in gaming -- recently passing the 1 BILLION view mark on its YouTube channel.

Milwaukee Bucks guard George Hill has regrets about going to the NBA Bubble -- saying he feels helpless to take real action in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting.

“It’s just sickening. It’s heartless. It’s a f*cked up situation,” Hill said after defeating the Orlando Magic in Monday's playoff game.

"You’re supposed to look at the police to protect and serve. Now, it’s looked at harass or shoot."

When asked what the Bucks organization and players can do -- since the shooting took place in Kenosha, WI (about 45 minutes from their home arena) -- Hill didn't hold back his thoughts.

"We can’t do anything. First of all, we shouldn’t have even came to this damn place, to be honest. I think coming here just took all the focal points off what the issues are."

Hill continued, "But, we’re here, so it is what it is,” Hill said. “We can’t do anything from right here, but I think definitely when it’s all settled, some things have to be done."

LeBron James has that Mamba Mentality on Kobe Bryant day ... wearing a Mamba tribute jersey on his way to play the Blazers in game 4 of their playoff series.

LBJ walked into the building sporting a limited-edition Bryant tribute jersey ... with #24 on the back and #8 on the front.

Nike only offered a small number of these custom jerseys on its website on Monday -- but James has some pull over there.

The Lakers have a much bigger tribute planned for the game -- the entire team will wear special Black Mamba jerseys, which were actually designed by Kobe a few years before he passed.

The jerseys feature a snakeskin pattern and a special patch on the shoulder to honor Gianna Bryant.

LeBron and Kobe were extremely close -- James famously got a Kobe tribute tattoo on his thigh in the wake of his death. He also gave an emotional address to Laker Nation in the first home game following the tragedy.

But, don't expect the Portland Trail Blazers to just let the Lakers run 'em over -- Damian Lillard is also hoping to honor Kobe tonight by playing his ass off and fighting for a victory, just like Kobe would have wanted.

Turn left on Kobe Bryant Blvd?!

That's what your GPS will sound like in the future because Kobe Bryant is getting a street named after him right near Staples Center, where he balled out for almost 20 years.

Herb J. Wesson Jr. -- the president of the L.A. City Council --  made the announcement Monday morning (8/24) ... saying the plan is in the works.

"Figueroa St. will soon be Kobe Bryant Blvd. between Olympic & MLK," Wesson said.

In other words, Kobe Bryant Blvd. will essentially stretch from the L.A. Coliseum through USC and go just past Staples Center.

"Kobe’s legacy is bigger than basketball. Kobe Bryant Blvd will be a reminder to everyone, young and old who drive down it, there is no obstacle too big and that with the #Mambamentality," Wesson added ... "Anything is possible."

Kobe Bryant played every single season of his 20-year NBA career with the L.A. Lakers -- but they didn't move to Staples until 1999.

Kobe is especially beloved in Los Angeles -- and there have been rumbling about honoring Kobe in this way ever since he passed away back in January.

8/24 has already been declared Kobe Bryant Day in Orange County, where he lived with his family for so many years.

A storage locker treasure hunter hit the JACKPOT -- finding an abandoned unit packed with Kobe Bryant treasures ... and now one of the stars of "Storage Wars" is involved.

Here's the deal ... just like on the show, storage units are auctioned off if the owner stops paying the bills.

In this case, the locker was in the L.A. area -- bidders only got a brief glimpse as to what was inside -- and then the auction began. The person who scored the unit won with a bid of $375.

Here's the breakdown of the score -- 35 pairs of shoes, jerseys, Lakers practice gear, a Lakers all-access badge that says, "Mamba," tax paperwork, and the pièce de résistance ... a mink coat (we're told there are pics of Kobe wearing the coat!).

The stuff -- once properly authenticated -- is likely worth a fortune!

The buyer immediately called "Storage Wars" star Rene Nezhoda -- who has experience finding buyers for high-end storage treasures -- and Rene bought all of the contents for a cool $13,000.

Rene tells us ... the items will NOT end up on "Storage Wars" because they're not filming the show due to the pandemic. Instead, Rene plans on selling the items through a reputable auction house.

It's a timely score for Rene too ... Kobe's birthday was Sunday, and today is Mamba Day -- 8/24.

BTW, there are rumblings the unit belonged to Kobe’s former stylist. But, a rep for the stylist says, "that’s just not the case.”

Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell apologized to Luka Doncic for calling the Mavs star a "bitch-ass white boy" ... squashing potential beef with a pregame hug and handshake Sunday.

If you missed it ... Harrell went viral Friday for his trash talk of the Dallas point guard -- when cameras caught the L.A. player mouthing the words to Luka after a big first-quarter bucket.

Of course, given the nation's current climate and battle for racial equality ... Montrezl was heavily criticized for the chatter -- with ex-NBA player Jay Williams saying straight-up, "I can only imagine if Luka Doncic had said something like that to you."

Montrezl says he took it upon himself to clear the air with Luka before Game 4 on Sunday ... and in video of their conversation, you can see there was no bad blood at all.

"Nothing but respect for Luka," Harrell said of their pregame embrace. "He understood the heat of the battle and he said it didn’t bother him only RESPECT."

For his part, Luka said he accepted Harrell's apology ... adding, "No worries."

"There’s a lot of emotions on the court, especially this is playoffs," Doncic said. "Sometimes you say things you don’t want to say. He apologized. I respect that, so no problems.”

Clippers coach Doc Rivers says he addressed everything with Harrell in house ... telling reporters over the weekend that Montrezl MUST be more careful with his words.

"I said to him, ‘Hey, I don’t think you meant anything racially by it.’ He said ‘white boy,’ but I don’t think there was anything racial intended," Rivers said. "But we are in a very heightened climate and you have to be careful."

Kobe Bryant would have turned 42 Sunday ... and there's literally a worldwide celebration of his life on TV, online and on walls across the world.

Murals honoring Kobe have popped up all over the globe, especially in the hometown of the Lakers ... in downtown L.A. near the Convention Center, as well as the Shoe Palace in the Fairfax District, a super-large mural in the San Fernando Valley ... and on and on.

The way it breaks down ... 331 murals around the world. There are 208 in SoCal, 267 in the U.S. and 64 internationally.

One mural in mid-City pays homage to Kobe, his daughter Gianna and the 7 others who perished in the helicopter crash last January.

Vanessa Bryant posted a loving and sad message about how much she misses Kobe and Gigi and how she wishes she could celebrate his big day.

Natalia, Kobe and Vanessa's 17-year-old daughter, took to Instagram to share a loving message about her favorite memories with her father.

On Saturday Vanessa posted images showing how various people are honoring Kobe on his birthday. She posted photos of flowers, comfort food and messages written in the sand.

Nike has created its own tribute on video, narrated by Kendrick Lamar, and it's both emotional and inspiring. It speaks to the legacy Kobe left behind.

Nike is dubbing this week "Mamba Week," and today is "Mamba Day." Nike is donating $1 million to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, along with a promise to support the Mamba League.

As for the Lakers, well they have a playoff game Monday against the Portland Trail Blazers, and they'll wear their "Black Mamba" uniforms.

Ex-NBA player Gerald Wilkins allegedly punched a woman and a man at an Atlanta gas station around 3 AM -- and that's why he was arrested for battery, TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story ... Gerald Wilkins -- younger brother of NBA legend Dominique Wilkins -- was arrested on August 18 and faces 3 criminal charges, including battery.

Now, we've obtained the police report which spells out the allegations against him ... and it's not great.

Wilkins told cops he got into an argument with a female rideshare driver who refused to let him inside her car unless he ordered correctly through the app.

The driver claims Wilkins got so heated, he punched her in the shoulder -- and that's when 2 male witnesses jumped in to break it up.

One of the male witnesses claims he was punched in the face by Wilkins during the melee.

A 3rd witness, who was pumping gas at the time, seemed to back up the female driver's story ... that Wilkins was the instigator.

Wilkins says he called 911 and claimed to be the real victim -- telling the operator he was attacked.

But, cops didn't believe Gerald's story -- and ultimately arrested him.

Records show he's facing 3 criminal charges -- 2 counts of misdemeanor simple battery and 1 count of misdemeanor criminal trespass.

Ex-NBA player Gerald Wilkins -- younger bro of Dominique Wilkins -- was arrested Tuesday on 2 counts of battery and he's still behind bars, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 56-year-old was taken into custody in Cobb County, Georgia on August 18.

Records show he's facing 3 criminal charges -- 2 counts of misdemeanor simple battery and 1 count of misdemeanor criminal trespass.

We're working on the details.

Wilkins was a 2nd round pick in the 1985 NBA Draft and went on to play for the Knicks, Cleveland Cavs, Grizzlies and  Orlando Magic ... before finally retiring in 1999.

It's been a rough year for Wilkins who's facing a bunch of criminal charges stemming from multiple alleged incidents over the past few months.

Officials say he attacked a work colleague back on June 9 ... and was also involved in a domestic incident on June 6.

Before that, Wilkins was charged with assault for allegedly trying to force his way into a woman's home back in May.

LeBron James says he will officially join Team Biden -- and will actively campaign for the V.P. and Kamala Harris to defeat Donald Trump in the presidential election.

"We are at a time where we need change," LeBron said on VICE TV's "Cari & Jemele: Stick To Sports."

"In order for change, it's all about leadership -- and leadership starts at the top."

Remember, LeBron campaigned hard for Hillary Clinton during her 2016 presidential campaign -- even joining her on stage for a rally in Ohio.

Now, LeBron says he'll get his political machine up and cranking again to help Biden/Harris get into the White House this time around.

LeBron's issues with Donald Trump are well documented -- they've traded shots for years.

Bron has called Trump everything from a bum to a clown. Trump insulted Bron's intelligence.

So, when Jemele Hill -- who's also gone after Trump -- asked about Bron's intentions to help out Biden, James said it was an obvious decision.

"I think what's known don't need to be said," Bron explained on the show (premieres Wednesday at 10 PM ET).

Back in 2016, Bron had a ton of support from NBA players -- including J.R. Smith who joined him on stage during the Clinton rally.

A Harlem Globetrotters player says white Alabama news anchors threw a banana and other fruit at him during a January appearance ... and now he's coming forward to blast the men for the "disrespectful and egregious" act.

Maxwell Pearce -- AKA "Hops" -- says he was doing an interview with Fox 6 in Birmingham to promote an event ... when suddenly, people on set threw tangerines his way.

Shortly after ... the 24-year-old says one of the anchors took it a step further, and hurled a banana at him.

In footage from the interview ... you can see Pearce caught the fruit with a shocked expression on his face.

Now, after months of reflecting on the incident ... Pearce says he's going public with his feelings on the matter to raise awareness for just how unacceptable the acts were.

"Throwing fruit at me diminishes the Naismith Hall of Fame legacy of the Harlem Globetrotters to that of a circus," Pearce said in an emotional video over the weekend.

"But throwing a banana at a black man and passing it off as entertainment displays an unacceptable lack of awareness. And quite frankly, I'm having a very difficult time understanding how someone could work in the media field and not know that this is offensive."

Pearce added, "This carries deep racial undertones that date back to the early 1900s when black people were held on display in human zoos."

Pearce says he initially urged the news station for an apology, but "stood down" for fear of appearing combative.

But, Pearce claims after the tragic deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd ... he felt it was necessary to shine a public light on what he went through.

Pearce told CNN this week that he did receive an apology from the news station over the fruit throwing ... but claims the anchors themselves have yet to reach out to him to say sorry.

"At this point it's not going to be sincere to me," Pearce said.

For its part, a station spokesperson released a statement on the matter to AL.com this week ... saying, "WBRC Fox6 would like to take this opportunity to again extend a heartfelt and sincere apology to Globetrotter Max Pearce."

DeSean Jackson went OFF on Danny Green during L.A.'s stunning loss to Portland on Tuesday ... with the NFL star calling the Lakers wing "weak," a "bum" and straight-up "trash."

"I don't care what anybody say," said the Philadelphia Eagles receiver, who grew up in L.A. "Danny Green, you weak as f*ck. You out there playing like a bum."

"Get him off the team, man. Trash."

Of course, Green didn't play his best in the Lakers' 100-93 playoff loss to the Trailblazers ... scoring just 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting.

In fact, Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso were all heavily criticized by NBA pundits for not giving LeBron James enough support in the game.

Seems DeSean couldn't agree more ... because he said he now believes the Lake Show is in big trouble in the rest of the series.

"I told ya'll Lakers, ya'll in trouble," DeSean said. "I'm a die-hard Laker fan, but I don't know. This ain't looking like us."

Jackson went on to praise the hell out of Damian Lillard for his 34-point night ... adding, "That boy Dame Lillard cold. Salute, Dame."

Game 2 in the series is set to tip-off Thursday ... and there's already been talks J.R. Smith and/or Dion Waiters should begin eating into Green's minutes.

Here it is ... video proof Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri was SHOVED FIRST in an altercation with a sheriff's deputy during the 2019 NBA Finals.

It's shocking footage considering the claims made by the deputy which painted Ujiri as the main aggressor in an incident that left him with multiple injuries.

Remember, a spokesperson for the Alameda County Sheriff's Dept. initially claimed they would pursue CRIMINAL CHARGES against Ujiri for allegedly striking the deputy in the moments after the Raptors won the title over the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

Ujiri had denied wrongdoing -- but the deputy was adamant the NBA honcho committed misdemeanor battery on a law enforcement officer.

Now, new bodycam footage shows exactly how things went down -- and it seems obvious the cop overreacted in a dangerous way.

The footage shows Ujiri trying to pull out his credentials in a peaceful, nonthreatening way but the deputy freaked out and put his hands on Masai!!!

You can hear the deputy, Alan Strickland, tell Ujiri to "back the f*ck up" while shoving him in the chest.

Strickland pushed Ujiri again -- this time with two hands and using very aggressive force.

Ujiri replies, "Why did you push me? I’m the president of the Raptors."

That's when Ujiri responds by shoving back at the officer, but at that point ... what else is he supposed to do? He felt he was being attacked!?!

And, don't forget this part ... Strickland filed a federal lawsuit against Ujiri, the Raptors and the NBA back in February claiming he suffered serious injuries to his teeth, head, jaw and chin.

And, don't forget, officials initially said deputy claimed the altercation started because Ujiri didn't have the proper credentials -- but the video blows that whole argument out of the water.

Ujiri's attorneys told KTVU the video proves Deputy Alan Strickland was "undeniably the initial aggressor."