Basketball

Bronny James could be the LeBron James of gaming ... so says FaZe Clan superstar FaZe Banks -- who tells TMZ Sports the King's son is straight-up born for Esports stardom!!!

"Listen," Banks said, "look at him. He was built for this sh*t! Look at him and his dad. He's a competitor, you know?!"

Of course, Bronny just agreed last week to join up with FaZe Clan -- the most famous Esports team on the planet -- and when we got Banks outside of BOA in L.A., he told us he couldn't be happier to have LeBron's kid on the squad.

In fact, Banks is adamant Bronny's addition ain't a publicity stunt ... telling us the 15-year-old can seriously ball on the sticks!!

"He's really good at Fortnite," Banks said. "He plays [Call of Duty] too!"

Banks tells us he sees MASSIVE potential for Bronny in the video game world ... saying Esports are "the f**king future!"

But, don't worry NBA fans ... Banks is still advising Bronny to put most of his focus on the hardwood for now.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jacob Evans is honoring the memory of slain LSU basketball player Wayde Sims ... in the form of a custom pendant.

Evans and Sims grew up in Baton Rouge -- and Evans was devastated when he learned Sims was shot and killed at a party near the Southern University campus on Sept. 28.

Officials say Sims was trying to defend a friend in a fistfight when another 20-year-old man pulled out a gun and opened fire on the LSU hoops player.

The alleged shooter is now being prosecuted for 2nd-degree murder.

23-year-old Evans wanted to pay tribute to his friend -- so he hit up Courtney Roy of Clarity Custom Jewelry to order a custom piece featuring Sims and Ja'Cardo Hawkins, another friend who passed away in 2019.

Hawkins was also a college basketball player who was and All-CCAA Honorable Mention in 2018.

It's a beautiful tribute to two young men who died way too young.

Byron Scott thinks top NBA players should take a more active role in advocating for Black coaches ... just like Kobe Bryant did for him back in the day.

59-year-old Scott says he likes and respects Steve Nash -- but couldn't help but feel disappointed when he saw the Brooklyn Nets hired Nash as head coach over other well-qualified Black candidates.

"My first thought was why didn’t Mark Jackson or some other African-American guys who have coached in this league at least get an opportunity to coach with the Brooklyn Nets?"

Fact is, Scott says ... "We don't get jobs that are that set and that good -- where you got 2 stars like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant."

Scott believes Black coaches usually get opportunities with teams that are in pretty bad shape ... unlike Nash and the stacked Nets.

Scott says his opinion is based on his OWN experience -- he took over the Hornets when they were only an 18-win team and New Jersey coming off a 20-win season.

"We don’t get those jobs where there is built-in superstardom guys on that roster right away."

"We get the kind of jobs where you have to make something out of nothing and when you don’t or you’re not able to do it, they’ll say, 'Well, we gave him the opportunity.'"

So, what's the solution? Scott says he wants to see more powerful NBA players go to bat for Black candidates.

"Our players don’t do a good enough job for advocating for Black coaches and that's just something that we need to change as well."

Charles Oakley is straight-up confused about why the Brooklyn Nets hired Steve Nash as their new head coach ... when there are so many other qualified coaches with actual coaching experience!

The NY Knicks legend didn't beat around the bush when we asked him about the Nash hiring ... telling us straight up, "We need more Black coaches in the NBA."

Oakleys says like everyone else in the NBA world, he had no idea Nash was even interested in a coaching gig ... "but that's how the world is."

"People hire their friends, people that they believe in. Somebody must believe in Steve Nash, a great player."

But, Oakley says there are plenty of Black coaches -- like Mark Jackson, Pete Myers and Jason Kidd -- who have been waiting for jobs ... and got beat out because "this guy comes out of the blue."

"That goes to show you we're still behind the 8 ball," Oak says ... "That's what we're trying to fight for, equal opportunity."

"Hopefully, We can get more Black coaches in the NBA because it's a Black league. We should have more Black coaches. More Black owners and GMs."

In case you're wondering, in the 2018-19 season, roughly 82% of NBA players were people of color, according to an ESPN report.

First Steve Nash sighting after the big news!!!

The newest Brooklyn Nets head coach celebrated his new gig with an Italian dinner at one of NYC's most popular restaurants on Thursday ... and you better believe TMZ Sports was there.

The interaction outside Carbone was super quick -- only 12 seconds long -- but Nash tells us he's already touched base with his teams 2 biggest stars, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant ... and they're excited to work together!!!

Nash was wearing a mask on his way out of the restaurant due to the whole COVID-19 sitch ... but we're guessing he had a huge grin underneath it, considering he just landed what many consider the best available coaching job in the NBA right now.

Of course, we had a LOT more we wanted to ask Nash ... but there's only so much you can do with 12 seconds. Hey, we'll take it.

As we previously reported, the NBA Hall of Famer signed a 4-year deal to take over as head coach of the Nets ... which came as a surprise as nobody knew that he had thrown his hat in the ring.

Ya knew this was coming ...

The Charlotte Hornets have officially cut ties with play-by-play guy John Focke ... after the broadcaster says he "mistyped" when tweeting out the N-word last month.

Remember, Focke was tweeting about the Utah vs. Denver playoff series and went to comment on the teams ... only he didn't say "Nuggets."

"Shot making in this Jazz-(n-word) game is awesome!" Focke posted in the since-deleted tweet. "Murray and Mitchell going back and forth what a game!"

Focke quickly apologized, saying, "I don’t know how I mistyped, I had (and have) no intention of ever using that word."

The Hornets have concluded their investigation into the incident ... and have decided to part ways with the first-year broadcaster.

"The Charlotte Hornets announced today that John Focke will not return as the team's radio broadcaster due to a violation of the organization's social media policy," the team said Friday.

Steve Nash has been tapped as the new head coach of the Brooklyn Nets ... leaving many wondering, WHAT?!!?

WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?!!

46-year-old Nash is a Hall of Famer and widely regarded as a genius when it comes to basketball -- but seems nobody had any idea he wanted to become a head coach!

The Nets say they secretly interviewed Nash -- along with a bunch of other top candidates -- as a full-time replacement for Kenny Atkinson, who was fired back in February.

Jacque Vaughn had taken over as interim head coach -- and the Nets liked him so much, he'll remain on the coaching staff under Nash.

Vaughn is reportedly now the highest-paid assistant coach in the NBA.

As for Nash, he signed a 4-year deal -- but so far, no word on the money. Not like he needs the cash, Nash reportedly made over $146 million in contract money during his NBA playing career.

“I am honored to have this opportunity with such a 1st-class organization," Nash said in a statement.

"Coaching is something I knew I wanted to pursue when the time was right, and I am humbled to be able to work with the outstanding group of players and staff we have here in Brooklyn."

Nash takes over a stacked Nets team that includes superstars like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.

The Nets issued a statement about the hiring process to bring on Nash.

"After meeting with a number of highly accomplished coaching candidates from diverse backgrounds, we knew we had a difficult decision to make,” General Manager Sean Marks said.

"In Steve we see a leader, communicator and mentor who will garner the respect of our players."

Nash played 18 seasons as a player in the NBA -- and was a 2-time NBA MVP, 8-time NBA All-Star and 5-time assist champion.

After he retired in 2015, Nash became a player development consultant with the Golden State Warriors.

Top NBA draft prospect Cole Anthony ain't running from the dumpster fire that is the Knicks ... in fact, the former UNC star says he'd embrace being selected by NY!!!

"I mean, look," the projected 1st-round pick tells TMZ Sports, "hey, it would be cool!"

Of course, the Knicks are kind of in Anthony's genes ... his father, Greg Anthony, was drafted by NY back in 1991 and played with the team for the first 4 seasons of his lengthy NBA career.

But, the Knicks have devolved into a complete mess since Papa Anthony roamed Madison Square Garden ... and it's gotten so bad, a ton of free agents have passed on signing there the past couple years.

Cole, though, tells us he'd be fired up if the Knicks took him in October's draft ... adding he's going to give "everything I can" to any team that's willing to take a shot on him.

It'd make sense for the Knicks ... Cole was a MONSTER at UNC despite injuries last season -- he averaged 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 22 games for the Tar Heels.

By the way, Anthony -- who was out at Cove Lounge in NYC for an event to give back to children over the weekend -- also told us his old UNC teammates are fighting like hell to make sure there's a college basketball season this year.

Jimmy Butler says he refuses to let his family join him inside the NBA bubble in Orlando ... because it's a "business trip" and he doesn't want to be distracted!

FOR REAL!

The Miami Heat star explained himself to "NBA on TNT" sideline reporter Allie LaForce -- who passed it along to viewers Monday night while Butler was DROPPIN' 40 on the Milwaukee Bucks.

LaForce said while some players and coaches were excited to finally welcome wives girlfriends and children into the bubble -- people they haven't seen in person in months -- Jimmy was drawing a hard line.

"No offense to families but Jimmy Butler said, 'This is a business trip for me. I’m not messing around.'"

"Everyone wants to have their family, without a doubt. But we’ve been doing this for this long. What’s another couple of months?"

Jimmy concluded, "It is an individual decision and I respect that decision that my teammates make but for me, I’m here for business.”

WOW.

Butler has a baby daughter back home who's about to turn one in October ... but she'll have to chill out before Daddy can celebrate!

Meanwhile, Butler has definitely been handling business -- he played spectacularly Monday night ... and has led the Heat to the Conference Semifinals, where they're already up 1-0 on the mighty Bucks.

Of course, not everyone feels the same as Jimmy -- Toronto Raptors star Fred VanVleet brought his family into the Bubble this week ... and the reunion was ADORABLE!

The NBA has warned players to make sure their guests don't wild out at games -- no cussing, no storming the court, etc.

Bronny James is taking his talents to the sticks by joining the world-famous FaZe Clan ... and his superstar father is giving his stamp of approval!!

The move was announced Sunday ... with the 15-year-old H.S. hoops prodigy getting a big introduction from the pro Esports group.

"He's got n̶e̶x̶t̶ now.⁣ Join us in welcoming @bronny to FaZe Clan 👑⁣" the post said on IG ... featuring a pic of James decked out in FaZe gear and a chain of the team's logo.

The Sierra Canyon star is an avid gamer off the court, playing games like Fortnite and Call of Duty.

But, don't get it twisted -- Bronny made his intentions clear shortly after the news broke, saying he's still focused on the bigger picture.

"Me joining faze don't change anything," Bronny said. "I'm still locked, coming for heads."

LeBron echoed his son's message, saying, "Straight Up Simba!"

Of course, the Lakers superstar has always talked about his dream of playing alongside his oldest in the NBA ... and it seems he's not worried about video games taking away from that possibility.

The Bronny news comes one week after superstar Ben Simmons also joined forces with FaZe as an investor ... adding to a list of celeb-backers like JuJu Smith-Schuster, Offset and Swae Lee.

John Thompson -- one of the greatest and most important coaches in college basketball history -- has died. He was 78.

Thompson passed away Monday morning. The circumstances surrounding his death are still unclear.

Thompson was the first Black head coach to win a major college championship, when he led Georgetown to the NCAA title in 1984.

That team featured stars like Patrick Ewing, Reggie Williams and David Wingate.

Thompson coached at Georgetown for 27 seasons -- and has the most wins in the school's history ... racking up 596 wins.

Before his coaching days, Thompson was a college basketball star at Providence -- where he was an honorable mention All-American in 1964.

He was later selected in the 3rd-round of the 1964 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics -- where he played for 2 seasons. Oh, the team won the NBA title in both of those seasons!

After that, Thompson became a high school basketball coach in Washington D.C. before making the jump to Georgetown ... and the rest is history.

Among the stars who played for Thompson -- Ewing, Allen Iverson, Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo.

Thompson ultimately resigned from Georgetown in January 1999 -- and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame later that year.

Iverson famously credited Thompson for "saving my life" after he was accused of hurting people in a bowling alley brawl in 1993.

Thompson didn't turn his back on Iverson as the case played out -- he supported him until an appears court overturned multiple convictions against A.I..

Iverson brought up the situation in his Hall of Fame speech, saying he wouldn't be there without Thompson.

“I want to thank Coach Thompson. For saving my life," Iverson said ... "For giving me the opportunity."

"I was recruited by every school in the country for football and basketball. And an incident happened in high school and all that was taken away. No other teams, no other schools were recruiting me anymore. My mom went to Georgetown and begged him to give me a chance. And he did."

RIP

Another insanely rare trading card could crack the $2 MILLION mark at auction ... and no, it's neither MJ nor LeBron.

It's an ultra-rare signed Giannis Antetokounmpo basketball card that features a piece of a game-worn jersey from the Greek Freak's rookie season.

The card was originally pulled out of a pack of Panini America's 2013-14 high-end "National Treasures" line ... and features the NBA "Logoman" patch from one of Giannis' rookie jerseys.

It's a 1-of-1 card -- so, it's super rare -- but the fact it was graded a MINT 9 by the Beckett Grading Service makes it even more desirable for hardcore collectors.

Even better ... the signature on the card received a perfect "10" grading from the Beckett autograph evaluators as well.

Again, the high-grading number makes a HUGE difference for collectors at the high-end level.

The person who initially pulled the card from a pack years ago sold it to another collector -- and after changing hands a few times, it's now hitting the auction block over at Goldin Auctions, where they believe there's a strong chance it could break the record for most expensive basketball card ever sold.

Of course, a rare (and similar) LeBron James' 2003-2004 Upper Deck rookie card is currently the G.O.A.T. piece when it comes to basketball cards ... it famously sold for $1.8 MIL last month.

The LeBron card was NOT a 1-of-1 -- there were 23 of those made ... and Bron has bragged that he has a few sitting around at his home.

The rare-card market is ON FIRE right now -- a Topps 2009 Superfractor Mike Trout card just sold at auction for $3.93 mil ... the most expensive sports trading card to ever sell on the open market.

As for Giannis, the bidding began at $250k on Monday -- and after a flurry of quick bids, it's already about to crack the $500,000 mark!!!

Ken Goldin, who runs Goldin Auctions, says he wouldn't be surprised if it cracked $2 mil by the time the bidding ends on Sept. 20th.

Remember when everyone said the trading card market was dead?!

Look out Ryan Lochte, there's a new guy in the pool gunning for gold -- 7'6" Boston Celtics center Tacko Fall!!

Of course, the fan-favorite giant has been using his free time in the NBA bubble to try out some new sports ... including hitting the links to golf with Orlando Magic center Mo Bamba.

The big guy is now taking on another challenge -- swimming -- and jumped in the pool with his teammates Jaylen Brown and Enes Kanter for his very own lesson.

The results are hilariously awesome ... with Kanter and Brown carrying Tacko through the pool while he works on his form.

There are no water wings in sight ... but then again, all Fall has to do is stand up in the water and he'll be good.

The Celtics have been HOT since entering the bubble and currently have a 1-0 lead on the Raptors in the 2nd round of the playoffs, so there's still plenty of time for improvement.

Family and friends are about to invade the NBA bubble ... which means the league had to send out a reminder to all teams -- NO #%*@ing swearing at games!!!

Of course, games have been a LOT more quiet without fans during the league's restart in Orlando ... with hot mics picking up some not-so-nice words during action -- we're looking at you, Carmelo Anthony.

Now that there will be loved ones in the stands, the league sent out a memo on Monday ... telling the owners and senior execs to remind their guests -- KEEP IT PG, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. You are at Disney World, after all.

The memo prohibits "profane or objectionable language" as well as stepping on to the court mid-game, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The memo also states guests can't interact with refs at all ... especially in a disrespectful manner.

While Woj says the rules addressed "all governors and senior team basketball operations personnel," we take it the players' fams and friends will not be allowed to let the F-bombs fly or step foot on the hardwood, either.

In other words, as LeBron James would tell his mother -- "sit your ass down!!!"

Jamal Murray says his shoes -- honoring George Floyd and Breonna Taylor -- inspired his INSANE 50 point performance against Utah on Sunday ... and the post-game video is emotional stuff.

"These shoes mean a lot," Murray told Jared Greenberg after a must-win Game 6 playoff performance against the Jazz.

The 23-year-old Denver Nuggets star was overcome with emotion after the victory -- but he pulled himself together to explain why the shoes mean so much to him.

"These shoes give me life," Murray said ... "Even though these people are gone, they give me life. They help me find strength."

"In life you find things that hold value, things to fight for, and we found something worth fighting for as an NBA, as a collective unit. I use these shoes as a symbol to me to keep fighting all around the world."

"Like I said, they give me a lot of power to keep fighting."

Murray led the Nuggets in scoring Sunday night in their 119-107 victory -- in his second 50 point performance of the series.

He's the first player to drop 40 points in 3 straight NBA playoff games since Allen Iverson did it in 2001.

LeBron James honored Chadwick Boseman Saturday night at the Lakers/Trail Blazers game ... and echoed a feeling millions of people share about the tragedies of 2020.

LeBron took a knee before the game and flashed the Wakanda sign from "Black Panther," a sign of mad respect for Boseman, who died Friday at 43 after a 4-year battle with colon cancer.

After the game -- which the Lakers won, knocking Portland out of the playoffs -- LeBron talked about the pain of losing such a great person ... "It actually felt like we had our black superhero and nobody could touch us. To lose that, it's sad in our community. To lose Black Panther and Mamba in the same year -- 2020 is the sh**tiest year."