Basketball

A Phoenix Suns player almost wiped out JoJo Siwa while she was sitting courtside at the Lakers game Tuesday ... but somehow, the influencer avoided catastrophe.

The near-collision all went down early in L.A.'s contest with Phoenix at Staples Center Crytpo.com Arena ... when Jae Crowder went flying into the stands to try to save a loose ball.

You can see in the footage of the play, as Jae dove head-first to nab the basketball -- his 6-foot-6, 235-pound body nearly went crashing into Siwa!!!

Fortunately, JoJo was able to duck out of the way -- and Crowder rolled over her seat without causing any injuries.

Siwa clearly loved the experience ... she was all smiles as Crowder picked himself up off the floor -- and she even tweeted her experience went "quite well!"

The night ended up being an overall bummer for Siwa, though -- 'cause her Lakers ended up losing badly to the Suns.

Luka Doncic may be a Dallas Maverick, but he's clearly never forgotten where he's come from -- 'cause he just sent a bunch of gifts to kids at a hospital in his Slovenian hometown.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the NBA All-Star just directed a special delivery to the Children's Hospital of the University Medical Center Ljubljana -- surprising almost 200 kids with all kinds of goodies to brighten up their holidays.

The shipment was filled with toys -- like LEGOS and dollhouses -- as well as headphones, Jordan sportswear, and gift cards.

We're told Luka also sent each kid an autographed photo and a sweet note from the NBA star ... plus he recorded a video message that everyone got to watch from their hospital bed.

"These children are going through so much," Luka said in a statement. "I just hope this gives them a little bit of happiness during these difficult times."

"I hope they feel better soon, so they can get back to doing what they love. I'm thinking of them and I wish the children and their families a happy New Year in 2022."

Of course, this isn't the first time Doncic has given back to his Slovenian roots ... in 2020, he launched a program with Slovenian athletes Jaka Bijol and Robert Kristan to help the country's healthcare system during the pandemic.

The 22-year-old has also donated to the city of Dallas during the pandemic -- gifting 100 pairs of Jordans to healthcare workers at UT's Southwestern Medical Center.

Doncic also partnered up with Mark Cuban, Dwight Powell and the Mavs' Foundation to donate $500k to the same medical center and Parkland Hospital.

Danielle Bush -- a dancer for the Utah Jazz -- got the surprise of a lifetime during Monday night's game ... when she got an epic marriage proposal during her on-court routine!

The amazing and romantic moment went down at the Hornets vs. Jazz game, when the Utah dancers were performing during a break.

In the video, you can see Danielle and the rest of the team were hitting synchronized moves, when suddenly, the routine changed and Danielle had no idea what was happening.

A few seconds later, though, her boyfriend popped out with a ring ... and asked her to marry him!

Danielle said "yes" as Bruno Mars' "Marry You" played over the speakers ... and it was all super sweet.

The dancers provided background moves while the whole thing went down ... making the whole thing all the more magical.

Amazing moment -- congrats!!

Amari Bailey might be son of the year -- 'cause the high school hoops star just copped his mom a brand new Porsche for the holidays!!

The Sierra Canyon combo guard revealed the amazing gift on Monday ... saying, "This year I wanted to kick off the holiday season a lil different and got my mom a car."

"Thank you for all of the sacrifices to even make this dream of mine come true. I love you ❤️. Thought I’d beat you to getting the whip for you tho."

His mama, Johanna Leia -- who you might also recognize as Drake's one-time girlfriend -- was left speechless ... posting a heartwarming thank you note to her 17-year-old son.

The whip appears to be a 2022 Porsche Cayenne ... which comes with a starting price tag of nearly $70,000.

So, how does a high school kid pay for that?? We're guessing he took advantage of the NCAA's new NIL rules.

"I wasn’t gonna post anything because I’m an extremely private person. However, I am still shocked by what this truly represents," Leia said on IG.

"Amari, this truly speaks to your heart, your mind, your work ethic, and all of our long hours in the gym, and long talks in the car. All I’ve ever wanted is to see a smile on your face and no holes in your heart."

The sacrifice has paid off so far ... Bailey is one of the top high school basketball players out of the 2022 class and the 5-star recruit signed with the UCLA Bruins in November.

"My dream is to see you live yours and to help you in any way that I can," Leia said.

"But truly this is unbelievable that at 17 this is how you choose to say thank you and make me smile. Keep living your life Pooks."

Amari is also helping out two single mothers in Chicago this holiday season ... saying, "It feels good to know that I’ve worked hard enough to give back to my community."

Dennis Rodman's a member of the new mile high club -- the one composed of people who allegedly refuse to wear a face mask on commercial flights -- and cops were waiting for him when he landed.

Rodman flew from L.A. to Ft. Lauderdale Monday morning, and was allegedly told several times to put his mask back on by JetBlue staffers. Law enforcement sources tell us Rodman would first oblige, but then pull the mask down, citing he was having trouble breathing.

That's a big no-no -- especially since there's still a federal mask mandate in effect which all airports and airlines have to abide by. Not to mention ... Omicron's on the rise.

Deputies from the Broward Co. Sheriff's Office spoke to Rodman upon landing, we're told he was cooperative and, in the end, they cut him loose, letting him leave on his own without citing him.

An eyewitness on the flight says Rodman was in first-class ... and was asked 4 different times to keep his face covering over his mouth and nose. We're told he constantly lowered it to his chin, and wouldn't immediately put it back on when asked.

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."