Basketball

DeMarcus Cousins unloaded on a security guard who was trying to block a fan from getting an autograph from the NBA star ... and the unique scene was all captured on video.

While Cousins and the Milwaukee Bucks took on the Rockets in Houston earlier this month ... Boogie spotted one of his biggest fans in the crowd and dapped him up.

The two then posed for a pic ... and when the fan -- noted YouTuber JiDion -- asked for an autograph on his #15 Cousins jersey, Boogie was all about it.

But, a security guard stepped in and tried to shut the whole thing down ... which clearly ticked off Cousins.

"I can sign his jersey! Stop acting like that," Cousins told the arena staffer. "You taking your job too serious!"

The security guard fired back, "Excuse me?!"

But, Boogie kept his head down, signed the jersey and then left the area to get back with his team.

JiDion, meanwhile, was fired up over it all -- you can see in pics and in the video he was absolutely giddy over the interaction.

Take a chill pill, Laker Nation -- Magic Johnson is NOT ready to give up on his beloved team this season ... 'cause the Lakers legend tells TMZ Sports that despite their early struggles, they've still got time to turn things around.

We asked the Hall of Famer if LeBron James and Co. -- who've been inconsistent all season -- needed to make changes ... especially as trade rumors surface surrounding one of their biggest stars, Russell Westbrook.

"You know, you gotta give him time," Magic told us on Friday, "Gotta give the whole team time. 16-13 is not where we wanna be, but we still got time. Still got time."

Magic also told us that although Anthony Davis has gotten off to a slow start ... he's not worried about the Lakers big man.

"Sometimes people get off to a start that they know they can play better," Johnson said. "Sometimes you struggle in the beginning. AD knows he can play better so he'll put it together. I'm not worried about him. He got a lot of talent."

Johnson believes that any aspirations the Lakers have of winning a championship this season is contingent on their defensive effort -- an area Magic says the team needs to improve in significantly.

"Well, defensively we gotta get better," Magic said. "That's it right there." "We cant win no championship unless we play defense. We gotta play better defense, but again, you know, we can't be impatient."

Ultimately, the 5-time NBA champ hasn't lost any faith ... saying, "I still believe in the Lakers, that's the main thing. Now its just the matter of can they put it together."

Kyrie Irving is BACK -- well, partially -- the NBA superstar will soon play in road games and practice at home with the Brooklyn Nets, the team just announced Friday.

Irving has already begun the process of returning to the team ... as he's undergoing team COVID-19 testing, according to Shams Charania.

Due to NYC's current mandates, Irving hasn't played a game or practiced with the Nets all season ... as he remained unvaccinated.

As we previously reported, the Nets took a strong stance against Irving's unwillingness to get the jab ... telling him in October to stay home instead of playing when he could.

While there were reports Irving was anti-vax, he adamantly denied it ... saying he was standing up for local workers who were being forced into getting vaccinated in order to save their jobs.

Now, it appears both Irving and the Nets have reached an agreement that will allow him to suit up for the Nets in some capacity soon, but his return date has not been determined yet.

Irving even teased his comeback earlier this week ... showing himself putting on his sneakers.

Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young is crushing it on AND off the court -- the baller proposed to his college sweetheart, Shelby Miller ... and she said "YES!!"

The couple announced the engagement on social media in a romantic post on Thursday ... with Trae saying, "What a night💫#FutureMrsYoung💍."

In the pics, you can see Trae got down on one knee to pop the big question ... and let's just say the dude lived up to his nickname, "Ice Trae" ... 'cause that ring is HUGE!!!

Miller was visibly happy about it all, as the two hugged and embraced. She also commented on Trae's post ... saying, "Forever Young."

Young and Miller have been together since 2017 ... so news of the engagement isn't too much of a surprise.

The lovebirds met in college at the University of Oklahoma -- as it turns out, Miller was a member of the Sooners cheerleading squad, while Young was lighting it up on the court.

23-year-old Young has been ballin' this season as well, putting up MVP-like numbers ... so yeah, he's winning all around.

Meek Mill and Philadelphia 76ers partner Michael Rubin treated 26 kids to the experience of a lifetime ... playing hoops with the youngins before Wednesday night's Sixers vs. Heat game!!

The event was put together by the Reform Alliance -- a criminal justice reform campaign that advocates to change probation and parole laws -- which was founded with Jay-Z, Robert Kraft, and Clara Wu Tsai, among others, in 2019.

Kids at the event received a ton of cool items ... such as custom uniforms, which they got to sport in a star-studded basketball game right on the 76ers home court.

That wasn't all ... the kids also got to watch the team's shootaround, have a Q&A session with Philly's head coach, Doc Rivers, and receive basketballs and gear from Rubin's Fanatics apparel brand.

The VIP list of guests in attendance to support the youngsters included rapper Lil Baby and TikTok stars Charlie and Dixie D'Amelio.

Of course, everyone stayed to watch the game with their families -- the kids took in the NBA action in style as they were treated to some pretty dope courtside seats ... with some getting to watch the game in a suite.

Unfortunately, Miami defeated Philly 101-96 ... but if the kids remember nothing else, it'll be the VIP experience they received compliments of the Philly native and Rubin.

L.A. Lakers guard Austin Reaves came up BIG for his squad last night -- the rookie hit a game-winning 3-pointer in overtime -- and the locker room celebration was WILD!

The Lakers were in Dallas taking on the Mavericks in a back-and-forth game that came down to a last-second 3-pointer by LeBron James ... that he missed.

So, cue OT, and insert Reaves -- the undrafted former Wichita State and Oklahoma star -- who, as it turns out, has ice water in his veins .... knocking down a 3-pointer off a dime of a pass by Russell Westbrook, propelling the Lake show to a 107-104 victory.

After the game, the celebration moved from the court to the locker room ... where Lakers vet  DeAndre Jordan poured a bucket of ice-cold water on Reaves' head -- as Bron tossed him a game ball.

Steph apparently wasn't the only Curry putting up shots on Tuesday night -- TMZ Sports is told the NBA superstar's dad was "respectfully flirty" with a former Playboy Playmate while sitting courtside at the Warriors vs. Knicks game.

Model Ana Cheri tells us her group of friends showed up to the historic game at Madison Square Garden together ... and by coincidence, they ended up sitting right next to Dell in the front row.

We're told the ex-NBAer couldn't have been nicer to Ana, Toria Ranae and Kirzlyn Gabriola throughout the night ... but was obviously giving a bit more attention to Miss October 2015.

Make no mistake -- Dell never crossed lines or made anyone feel uncomfortable, but Ana's friends back it up ... the guy was clearly flirting.

Ana says she congratulated Dell on Steph's success and chitchatted with him during the game ... but after the group snapped shots with each other after the game, they parted ways.

We broke the story -- Dell is recently single after his wife, Sonya, filed for divorce back in June. The breakup has been pretty messy, as both sides accused each other of cheating.

Both sat on opposite ends of the floor ... but it sounds like Dell at least enjoyed himself.

Naturally, we had to ask Ana if Dell got her number.

"No comment."

Steph Curry's not only the greatest 3-point shooter of all time, he's an incredible teammate too ... 'cause he gifted Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala Rolexes after he broke Ray Allen's record Tuesday.

The Warriors star handed over the pricey watches after he secured the NBA mark vs. the Knicks ... giving his two longtime teammates a cool "thank you" gift after they had helped him succeed for so much of his career.

You can see in video from the post-game celebration, both Green and Iguodala were pumped to receive the presents in the bowels of Madison Square Garden ... with Green getting an adjustment made to his new watch right on site.

Of course, Green and Iguodala have been teammates with Steph for YEARS -- and have helped Steph win multiple championships, while also assisting on plenty of his 2,977 career 3-pointers as well.

According to ESPN's Dominique Collins, Steph also got a watch made for Klay Thompson -- though the other half of the Splash Brothers was not in attendance to receive it as he's still working his way back to Golden State following his Achilles injury.

Steph, meanwhile, was still able to get in plenty of celebrating with his other teammates following the record-breaking night ... with the guys dousing him in ice and water in the locker room after the win over NY.

Sonya and Dell Curry's relationship is still clearly fractured, 'cause Steph's parents sat in completely opposite sections for their son's record-breaking night Tuesday.

Dell had a seat near the hardwood at Madison Square Garden in NYC for the Warriors star's big game against the Knicks -- while Sonya sat in a different part of the arena several rows back.

The two never appeared to speak to each other, or even look at each other for that matter, despite Steph breaking Ray Allen's mark for most 3-pointers in a career early in the evening.

To his credit, Steph was able to find both of his parents following the record-setting shot ... handing the game ball to his pops and then going in another direction to share a long embrace with his mom just off the court.

As we previously reported, Sonya filed for divorce from Dell earlier this year ... and court docs showed the two did not have a clean breakup at all.

Both parties accused each other of cheating ... with Dell saying Sonya began dating a former New England Patriots player while they were still together.

And, if their actions toward each other Tuesday were any indication, it's obvious things still haven't been repaired between the two.

NBA baller J.R. Smith is a star on the court, on the links AND in the classroom ... 'cause the champ just got his grades back for his first semester of college -- and he got a 4.0!!!

Smith -- who skipped college to go straight to the NBA in 2004 -- decided to revisit the opportunity to get an education and enroll at North Carolina A&T this past summer.

So far, he's been crushing it as a student ... announcing his grades are better than what most people even dream of.

"I can't even describe the feeling," Smith said on Tuesday. "I ain't even gon' lie to you, a lot of hard work went into that s***."

The 36-year-old former Cavs guard had originally enrolled at the prestigious HBCU with the intent of making it on the golf team ... but the sense of achievement he feels from his perfect GPA is deeper than anything he could have hoped.

"I ain't gon hold you, this s*** is a heavy one right here lifted, especially when you always hear about your disabilities and all this s*** that plays a part in why you can't think the way you want to, calculate s***, formulate s*** the way you want to."

Smith said he worked his ass off all day, every day to make it happen ... and all that hard work has paid off big time!!!

He was meme'd throughout his career for silly moments ... but now, he's getting the last laugh.

You probably can't hoop like LaMelo Ball ... but thanks to his new watch partnership, you can at least now tell time like he does -- if you've got a lot of cash laying around.

TMZ Sports has learned ... after partnering with Hong Kong watch brand Memorigin, the Charlotte Hornets superstar has just released two new luxury watches.

One of the timepieces is loaded with 226 diamonds and will likely cost in excess of $15K -- though we're told the final price is yet to be finalized. The other, a more modest black, steel version, will cost around $6,800.

And, they're both sick -- featuring all kinds of Melo-themed elements.

The dial features depictions of Melo's tattoos, "FEAR" and "GOD." It also has Melo's name, an image of his face, and a drawing of him in a #1 jersey with wings.

The piece also comes with a red camouflage rubber strap -- and, fittingly, it's been dubbed the "Melofaith," which is inscribed on the watch's tourbillon.

The watch company tells us in addition to providing extra swag to outfits ... Ball is hoping the watch helps inspire his fans to have a strong belief in faith and religion.

"His faith is his source of strength," the watch co. tells us, "inspiring him to face the challenges of every game with determination and perseverance. LaMelo Ball hopes to share his philosophy with fans through the creation of his brand."

Starting at point guard for the Brooklyn Nets ... Kyrie Irving?!?!

It sure seems like that might happen again soon ... 'cause the NBA superstar appears to be teasing a hoops return amid reports he could rejoin the team.

Kyrie hasn't played a minute of hoops all season, thanks to his stance on the COVID-19 vaccine -- remember, he claims he's not anti-vax ... just taking a stand against vax mandates in NYC.

But, as Uncle Drew holds firm to his beliefs, he's lost millions of dollars in the process ... but as the first-place Nets head into a crucial part of the season, The Athletic's Shams Charania says there is "renewed optimism" Irving will come back.

Worth noting -- the report doesn't specify if this means Kyrie will get the jab or if he'll only play away games for the Nets.

Kyrie seemingly responded to the report on Tuesday ... posting a video showing him lacing up his Kyrie sneakers.

Warriors guard Gary Payton II just earned the respect of one NBA fan in Indiana ... 'cause after he accidentally spilled the person's drink, he made sure a replacement got sent over ASAP!

The 29-year-old -- who just so happened to be mic'd up when the interaction happened -- inadvertently knocked over the Truly while he was leaning over some railing on Golden State's sideline.

The son of Hall of Famer Gary Payton was immediately embarrassed, saying out loud, "My fault! My fault!"

But, seconds later, he made things right.

"What'd you have, a Truly?" Payton II asked, before flagging down a staffer to send over another drink.

Payton II then handed the fan a towel to clean up the mess ... before cameras later caught him apologizing again, and even dapping up the fan.

As for the game ... Payton II and the Dubs knocked off the Pacers, 102-100, thanks to some late-game magic from Stephen Curry.

Fred VanVleet is making a path for underprivileged kids who want to go to college and get their dream job ... by starting an academic scholarship with the University of Toronto.

The Toronto Raptors guard made the announcement on Monday ... saying it's key to help the youth in underprivileged communities as they may not have the same advantages and opportunities as others -- especially when it comes to education.

"This scholarship is important because it's going shine light on some of those who may be underserved or underprivileged in certain communities and aspects," VanVleet said via IG.

"We know there's a selection process to a lot of different scholarships and sometimes that counts people out."

The scholarship will assist a black or Indigenous student who's interested in management with four years of tuition at the local university ... as well as a $1,000 stipend for books each year.

"I would love for the scholarship to be the catalyst to start a young person's career," he added.

"That platform that they need to get access to the resources, information and education. Hopefully, they go on to do many bright and important things."

There's also an amazing bonus -- one-on-one mentoring with VanVleet, which he says is an important way to motivate those who look like him.

Legendary college hoops announcer Dick Vitale was so honored by a long, standing ovation he received while calling the Baylor vs. Villanova game on Sunday ... he broke down in tears, and video from the scene is incredibly emotional.

Dickie V -- who's currently going through chemo treatments for cancer -- has been calling games while fighting the disease ... and Baylor fans showed just how much they appreciate the ESPN personality by giving him a round of applause.

Vitale was clearly moved by the gesture ... he began crying and waving to the fans as they clapped and cheered for him.

Vitale was also given a #42 Baylor jersey before the game to reflect the 42 years he's been on the mic for ESPN.

Dickie has had a challenging 2021 -- earlier this year, he revealed he had melanoma ... and back in October, he announced his lymphoma diagnosis.

Despite the recent health issues, Vitale returned to the broadcast booth in November ... and has been crushing it on the mic.

As for the game, #2 Baylor beat #6 Villanova, 57-36.

No matter what you think about LaVar Ball's antics when it comes to his sons, you gotta respect it ... so says Matt Barnes who tells TMZ Sports at the end of the day, he got 'em all to the NBA.

Remember, LaVar has aways been his boys' official hype man for years -- praising Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo any chance he gets ... promising fans (and haters) they would all be in the big league.

LaVar ended up being right ... Gelo is on a G-league team, Zo is dominating with the Bulls and Melo has brought the Hornets back to life.

Barnes applauds LaVar for it, telling us he's a great dad for making sure his kids got to the top level.

Even if he did do a lotta trash talk.

"As far as him being a great dad and helping his kids to where they're at to succeed, I definitely salute him," the 41-year old tells us at LAX this week.

"The kids are very talented. Hope Gelo gets a real chance to make an NBA team but to have 2 kids in the league that are doing well and a hopeful third..."

"I can do nothing but respect that."