Basketball

Big fan of Steph Curry and have half a mil layin' around? Good news -- a super rare SC rookie card has hit the auction block, and it could sell for over $500K!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 2009 National Treasures autographed patch piece is up for sale at PWCC Marketplace -- and it's such a gem, bidding is already up over $400,000.

The front of the card has a photo of a young Steph in his road Warriors jersey -- and features a cutout of his threads. It also has Curry's autograph in bold, blue ink.

On the back, Curry's stats are displayed ... as well as a nod to one of his most famous triple-doubles.

Officials at PWCC tell us the card is ultra hot right now because it's super rare (it's numbered to just 99) and because Curry -- in addition to already being one of the greatest point guards ever -- is in yet another NBA Finals.

With a series win over the Celtics, Curry would be a four-time champion -- putting him in seriously rare air.

Jack Harlow is turning into quite the method actor -- the rapper was spotted working his ass off on the basketball court on the set of the "White Men Can't Jump" reboot.

Of course, Jack is no stranger to hoop ... but his Billy Hoyle character is a former college baller, so the dude's gotta look the part when the cameras start to roll.

Harlow can be seen backing down his defender and whizzing by him for a layup in one of the clips ... and appears to be laser-focused on immediate feedback from a trainer.

As we previously reported, Harlow has been hanging around on set in Venice this week ... as TMZ Sports obtained video of the "Nail Tech" MC walking around on a court.

Now, we get a chance to see the guy with a ball in his hand ... which will obviously be a big part of the flick.

Harlow has recently showed off his basketball skills during celebrity basketball games ... and he's got some solid range.

Paul Pierce is being sued yet again ... this time a man is alleging the NBA legend borrowed a bunch of cash to play in poker games, but lost most of it all and never paid it back.

In the new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, Stephen Carmona says he was hosting a poker game at his home on Jan. 27, when Pierce showed up and asked Carmona to lend him some money so he could play.

Carmona claims he gave Pierce $150,000, and alleges the former Boston Celtics great -- who reportedly made over $195 million in his playing career -- promised to pay him back within seven days.

In the suit, Carmona says Pierce went on to lose $140K in the game and only returned $10,000 to him.

A week later, Carmona says he hosted another poker game at his home, and Pierce showed up again and requested another loan to play, despite not paying off the initial debt.

Carmona claims he handed over another $40,000 to the ex-NBA hooper, with the promise that he'd pay that off in addition to the $140,000 that he owed Carmona from the previous week.

Carmona says in the suit Pierce went on to lose the $40,000 that night ... and never paid it or the prior loan back.

Carmona says he's now out $180,000 -- and "despite multiple requests for repayment," Carmona says Pierce won't pay off the debt.

In the suit, Carmona is asking for $180,000 plus interest.

Pierce has yet to publicly comment on the allegations.

This is far from the first time the ex-NBA hooper has faced a civil lawsuit -- following the 2018 Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov fight, he was sued for allegedly calling a security guard "racist."

Hollywood Harlow in full effect -- Jack Harlow is on set for his acting debut in the "White Men Can't Jump" reboot ... and TMZ Sports has the vid!!

As we previously reported, the "First Class" rapper landed the gig after crushing his first-ever audition ... playing Billy Hoyle, which was Woody Harrelson's role in the original film back in 1992.

The project appears to be well on its way ... as Harlow was spotted making his rounds on set at a basketball court in Venice.

Of course, Harlow is working alongside Sinqua Walls in the flick ... who was picked to play Wesley Snipes' Sidney Deane role, despite Quavo's hopes of getting his name called.

The project is backed by Kenya Barris, NBA star Blake Griffin, NFLer Ryan Kalil and Noah Weinstein of Mortal Media ... and is directed by Calmatic.

Other actors on board include Lance Reddick, Teyana Taylor, Andrew Schulz and Laura Harrier ... so some of those names were probably on set as well.

George Thompson, one of the greatest players in the history of Marquette basketball, has died at 74 years old, the school announced on Wednesday night.

The university shared the sad news in a tweet ... saying Thompson passed away due to complications from diabetes.

"George made a tremendous impact, not only on the program, but the entire Milwaukee community after his arrival on campus," school officials said. "RIP Brute Force."

The Brooklyn native was a standout at Marquette from 1966 to 1969, playing under legendary coach Al McGuire. In 87 career games at the school, spanning three seasons, he averaged 20.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

He went on to be selected by the Boston Celtics in the 5th round of the 1969 NBA Draft ... but chose to start his pro career with the Pittsburgh Pipers of the American Basketball Association.

George spent 5 total seasons in the ABA -- playing for the Condors/Memphis Tams for 2 years -- before taking his talents to the NBA to play for the Milwaukee Bucks.

The 3-time ABA All-Star only played one season with the Bucks, but his iconic #24 jersey hangs in the rafters at Fiserv Forum thanks to his storied career at Marquette.

Thompson -- a member of Marquette's Hall of Fame -- was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001.

LeBron James wants to head to Sin City one day with his billion-dollar net worth -- the superstar just revealed he's gunning to buy an NBA team in Las Vegas.

The King -- who just recently earned his membership in the 3 Comma Club -- is already describing his plans to build his business portfolio even further ... saying on "The Shop" he wants to be the guy to bring pro men's hoops to Vegas.

Of course, Bron already has a stake in Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Boston Red Sox among other franchises ... and previously said his goal is to own an NBA franchise "sooner than later"

Bringing an NBA team to Vegas has been talked about for years -- the Association already hosts Summer League games in the desert -- and it would certainly be a success.

The city has already welcomed the Aces, Golden Knights and Raiders in recent years ... so it's just a matter of time before the NBA joins the Vegas fam.

A Chicago memorabilia shop was burglarized on Memorial Day and rare sports cards -- including high-priced 1986 Michael Jordan rookie cards -- were stolen ... and the heist was all caught on camera.

According to the Chicago Police Dept., the store was robbed on May 31 at 3:44 AM when a male suspect removed metal bars from the business and broke in through a back window.

When the suspect made entry, cops say he stole several items and fled on foot.

The business's owner, Ronnie Holloway, released video from inside of the store at the time of the theft this week -- showing a man behind the counter rummaging through a ton of sports cards.

Holloway tells TMZ Sports the suspect got away with over $100k worth of merchandise ... including an unopened Fleer packet of MJ rookie cards -- which he says is worth $25k alone. Holloway added that other rare cards of Babe Ruth, Larry Bird, Jackie Robinson and Walter Payton were also taken.

"These are high-end cards," Holloway said. "Trying to replace it is gonna be hard -- vintage cards can't be replaced."

Holloway tells us he believes the suspect scoped out his place a few days before the heist ... saying, "He knew where they were. He must've planned this out."

"Over the holiday weekend, too, so perfect opportunity. Well-orchestrated."

Holloway -- who's owned the store for 30 years -- has put out a $10,000 reward for "an arrest or conviction of this person."

Klay Thompson is straight-up pissed over the "F*** You Draymond" chants that rained down on the Warriors on Wednesday night ... ripping Celtics fans for the vulgar words and calling Boston supporters "real classy."

While Boston was up big late in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals at TD Garden, their fans let Draymond Green have it -- chanting "F*** You" over and over again at the star after the Golden State forward had ruffled feathers in Games 1 and 2 of the series.

In fact, the shouts were so loud, the game's announcer, Mike Breen, had to mention it on the broadcast ... saying, "And Draymond Green hearing it from the crowd with an obscene chant,"

After the game, Klay was asked about it all -- and he made it clear, he wasn't a fan of Cs supporters.

"We've played in front of rude people before," Thompson said. "Dropping F-bombs with children in the crowd. Real classy. Good job, Boston."

Dubs head coach Steve Kerr also chided the Celtics fans for the chant ... adding in his postgame news conference, "Classy. Very classy."

Green himself actually didn't seem to have an issue with it -- he told media members he expected it -- and, in fact, he himself dropped a cuss word in his presser while his son sat next to him.

As for Green's wife, she clearly didn't love it ... calling the chants "disgusting" in a lengthy social media post following the Warriors' 116-100 loss in Boston.

"My kids were at the game tonight hearing that mess!" she said, before adding, "Just shameful!"

Tip-off for Game 4 of the series is slated for Friday ... will the Warriors' vocal issues with fans stop the chants then?

Dwyane Wade says he's scared to death for his transgender daughter's safety ... saying as more states implement anti-trans sports laws, his fear grows even stronger.

The Miami Heat legend spoke about his concerns at the TIME 100 Summit in NYC this week ... when he was asked -- as the father of 15-year-old Zaya -- about the current struggles for trans youth in this country.

"As blessed as it is for my daughter to have parents who can support her, I’m still afraid every moment she leaves our house," Wade said.

"And not just because of gun violence, but because of the way people perceive her in this world."

Wade gave a passionate response about his fears ... while also blasting the idea of trans sports bans -- calling out lawmakers for making rules on things he says they know nothing about.

"To me, it’s a joke," Wade said, "This is our life. We live this."

"When you’re out there making rules and if you’re not experiencing this and you're not living this and you're just out there signing away and making laws, that's not right. That's a joke."

FYI -- Louisiana just became the most recent state to pass a bill preventing trans women from competing in women's sports ... joining states like Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and more.

Wade added, "Come and live a day with my daughter. Come and see how it is to walk through this world as her."

Wade says he is frustrated that we're "losing the humane side of us" ... claiming in reality, he believes people should take the opportunity to educate -- instead of being dismissive.

"We're not gonna close the book on anyone being gay, bisexual transgender -- we can't close the book on that!"

A group of topless women ran onto the basketball court during the NY Liberty game on Tuesday ... storming the floor to protest pro-abortion rights.

The incident went down during the Lynx-Liberty game at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY on Tuesday ... when several women -- who we later learned were with the Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights org. -- rushed to the court midgame, shirtless, with green paint on their breasts.

One of the protestors made reference to Roe v. Wade ... "Overturn Roe? Hell no" painted on her chest.

The group was chased down by Barclays security and dragged off the court, not just in front of fans, but also NBA star Ben Simmons, who was sitting courtside.

There were other abortion advocates who stormed the court -- and remained in the stands holding up signs reading, "Abortion On Demand & Without Apology".

According to the NY Post, no arrests have been made ... and the org. released a statement on Twitter after the game.

"This wasn't to protest the game or players, but to call on YOU to #RiseUp4AbortionRights NOW!" the org. said.

"Yes we know most people here support #abortionrights. NOW SAVE THEM! GET OFF THE SIDELINES & INTO THE STREETS!"

The org. added, "Bring society 2 a halt. Stop the Supreme Court from Overturning #RoeVWade!"

Derek Fisher is out ... the Los Angeles Sparks parted ways with the NBA champ, who served as the head coach and general manager, the team announced on Tuesday.

"On behalf of our ownership group, I want to thank Derek for his efforts and contributions to the Sparks franchise," team exec Eric Holoman said.

"We wish him the best moving forward. I have full confidence in Fred Williams to step into the role of interim head coach, bringing a wealth of experience leading WNBA teams."

In 3 seasons with the Sparks, Fisher led the org. to a 49-39 record in the regular season ... going 1-4 in the postseason.

But, this season got off to a rough start for the 47-year-old, who was relieved of his duties after starting 5-7 with the Sparks this year.

"I want to thank the LA Sparks organization, ownership, staff, players, and fans for the opportunity they have afforded me over the last four years as a part of this historic franchise," Fisher said.

"Their support has allowed me to grow as both a coach and front office executive and I am proud of what we have accomplished."

Ice Cube is pumped for the upcoming sixth season of his BIG3 basketball league, and given the news he's delivering ... fans should be too!

The legendary rapper and movie-maker hit TMZ Live Tuesday to spill the deets on Snoop Dogg's BIG3 involvement, as Tha Doggfather is now a part-owner of the team “Bivouac."

Cube revealed fans can be like Snoop -- by buying into teams with their custom cryptocurrency known as Forever Experience Action Token (FEAT) -- which he says is better than an NFT.

Boasting former NBA stars like Nick "Swaggy P" Young, Joe Johnson, Leandro Barbosa and several Hall of Famer coaches, Cube feels like the BIG3 is at its absolute strongest ... and he's firing on all career cylinders in 2022.

The BIG3 news comes on the eve of the release of "Bad MF," the debut album from hip hop supergroup Mt. Westmore (Cube, Snoop, E-40 and Too $hort).

YouTuber and boxer Austin McBroom is looking for redemption when he puts on his next boxing event at Crypto.com Arena in July ... enlisting Pro Bowl running back Le'Veon Bell and a former Lakers star to fight on the card.

TMZ Sports spoke with the social media superstar ahead his July 30 fight -- a professional bout against AnEsonGib -- and he's dropping some major hints on the huge names involved.

Among those names include the former Steelers star, some high profile musicians and even a popular ex-NBA hooper ... but aside from Bell, McBroom was tight-lipped on revealing who exactly he was talking about.

Of course, McBroom's Social Gloves' first attempt at the boxing game -- the Battle of the Platforms -- resulted in lawsuits and fighters claiming they didn't get paid ... but the 30-year-old says he's learned his lesson and is ready to put on a hiccup-free show.

"This time around, we're working with people who have been doing this for a while. We have a new team, new streaming partner, everything is new," McBroom tells us. "Guys that are really experienced and I've been very blessed and fortunate to have another shot at this."

"Everything in the past is behind us -- no lawsuits, fighters are paid and we're ready to do this thing the right way and put on a show how it was supposed to be put on the first time around."

McBroom is hellbent on making this a great experience for everyone involved this time around -- hoping to sell out the arena and sell around 300,000 Pay-Per-Views.

As for his own fight, McBroom says he's expecting to make light work out of Gib ... which he hopes will pave the way for a fight against Logan Paul's old opponent, KSI.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon transformed into Phil Knight and Sonny Vaccaro for the first time on Monday ... and the moment was apparently so big, Jennifer Lopez had to pop by to show her support.

The A-list actors officially kicked off the first day of filming for their new Vaccaro biopic this week in Burbank, Calif. ... with both donning costumes to get into their roles.

Affleck -- who's playing Knight in the untitled movie -- wore a wig and a button-down shirt, while Damon got into Vaccaro character by poppin' on a polo and some khakis.

J Lo, meanwhile, was seen on set supporting her man and his best buddy ... looking on during filming and hanging with Ben during breaks.

As for the movie itself ... it's got no official release date yet, but it promises to tell the story of Vaccaro, Knight and Nike's pursuit to sign Michael Jordan to a shoe deal back in the 1980s.

If you're unfamiliar, Vaccaro -- a sneaker salesman -- ultimately helped Nike land Jordan through a relentless chase of the hoops star ... paving the way for the apparel company to become the giant in the shoe industry that it is today.

Metta Sandiford-Artest is a huge fan of Rasheed Wallace joining the Lakers as an assistant coach ... praising the ex-player as a hoops genius.

The 2010 NBA champion talked all things Purple & Gold after leaving Craig's in L.A. this week ... and when he was asked about 'Sheed joining the bench, Metta says the move could pay huge dividends for the Lake Show.

"I think Rasheed is brilliant, smart," Sandiford-Artest said ... adding Wallace is "as good as it's going to come when you talk about a basketball brain."

'Sheed joins the Lakers with previous coaching experience -- in 2013, he was a member of the Detroit Pistons coaching staff ... and last year, he was a member of the Memphis Tigers coaching staff under Penny Hardaway.

Wallace, who played for 6 different teams over his 18-year career, earned a reputation for being a savvy player on the court ... something Metta can attest to due to their battles over the years.

Sandiford-Artest admittedly said he won't be keeping up with the Lakers' offseason moves -- like whether they will try to get Zach LaVine -- but come October, he'll be tuned in to see what 'Sheed and newly hired head coach Darvin Ham do with the team.

Speaking of the team ... Metta said he's not bailing on the Russell Westbrook experiment in L.A. just yet ... amid pleas for the superstar point guard to be shipped out of town.

Trevor Reed, a former Marine who was detained in Russia for nearly 3 years, is calling for the release of WNBA superstar Brittney Griner, explaining the conditions in the country are "like you're waking up to a nightmare."

Reed, who just was released from Russian custody as part of a prisoner swap in April, asked for a sense of urgency in the Griner case at a rally organized by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee in the hooper's Houston hometown on Monday.

"We need to all speak out for these Americans, because every single one of us is an American," Reed said. "Every day that you're in prison there, it's like you're waking up to a nightmare."

Reed said he believes it's pointless to let Griner's case play out in the court systems in the foreign country ... explaining, "There is no justice in Russia."

"Brittney and Paul [Whelan] will not receive justice in Russia," he said. "They will not receive a fair trial in Russia.”

Griner has been in custody since mid-February -- when Russian authorities claimed she tried to smuggle hashish oil into the country.

Reed said at the rally what she is going through is inhumane ... explaining the conditions that he experienced while in Russian custody included rotten food and lack of adequate medical care.

Griner has another court hearing in Russia slated for later this month ... but Reed said at the rally he's not optimistic it'll lead to anything positive for the 31-year-old Phoenix Mercury center.