Basketball

Iman Shumpert says Draymond Green's punch on Jordan Poole was "bogus" ... telling TMZ Sports after watching the viral video, he sees why there was such public outrage.

We spoke with Shump at LAX this week ... and the former hooper kept it real, saying it's ultimately up to the Warriors to decide punishment, and they opted not to suspend the 4x champ.

"It's a grown man business," Shumpert said. "I'm sure they got to spoke about it amongst themselves. Whatever they choose to do, we got to honor that," he continued.

We asked Shump if he thinks the punch will fracture the Dubs' team chemistry as they prepare to defend their title.

"I don't think so," said Iman, who played 10 seasons in the NBA with the Knicks, Cavs, Kings, Nets, and Rockets. "They'll be alright," he added.

FYI, IS won a championship with Cleveland in 2016.

Green -- who stepped away from the team for just under a week after punching Poole at practice -- said Thursday he's not worried about co-existing with Jordan because they're professionals.

"We both know how to play basketball," Draymond said. "We're paid to do a job, and we're gonna come and do that job to the best of our ability."

Draymond Green says he will be able to coexist with Jordan Poole and compete for a championship together ... but when it comes to being buddies again, he's "not sure" that's going to happen.

Green addressed the media for the first time since rejoining the Warriors on Thursday ... and made it clear he's ready to put last week's practice altercation behind him and focus on the season.

Draymond says he hung out with his kids during his time away from the team ... and had some "long days" dealing with the aftermath of the practice punch.

When it comes to repairing his personal relationship with Poole, which used to be tight, Green says the ball is in his court ... and it certainly doesn't sound like he's holding his breath.

"I'm not sure," Green added. "As I said before, that's not up to me. Nor do I think there's much relevance."

"Quite frankly, we both know how to play basketball and that is the most important for us. We're paid to do a job and we're gonna come and do that job to the best of our ability. We wanna continue to win so we gonna do what we have to do to win."

As TMZ Sports previously reported ... the beef between Draymond and Poole started in the parking lot and escalated at team practice last Wednesday, where our sources on site say Poole called several fouls during a scrimmage, and Draymond called him a "bitch" multiple times as a result.

Sources say Poole has been getting "cocky" lately over an upcoming contract, but multiple players have flat-out denied that's the case.

Eastern Michigan basketball star Emoni Bates was deeply emotional as he sat handcuffed in the back seat of a cop car ... breaking down in tears and talking to his mom on the phone right after his gun arrest, footage obtained by TMZ Sports shows.

18-year-old Bates -- one of the top prospects in the class of 2021 -- was pulled over in Superior Township, Michigan after allegedly running through a stop sign around 10:45 PM on September 18.

During the traffic stop, Washtenaw County sheriff's deputies -- who immediately recognized Bates -- told him there was a strong scent of weed coming from his vehicle and asked if there were guns or drugs in the Mitsubishi Outlander.

Bates -- who was driving without a license -- initially claimed he didn't, but eventually came clean ... admitting he had marijuana and a gun, putting his hands up and complying with the officers.

The 6'9", 190-pounder was then placed under arrest and put into the back seat of the cop car. While his vehicle was being searched, cops allowed him to use his phone ... and he called his mother to apologize for the arrest -- breaking down in tears in the process.

During the search, cops found what appeared to be a bag of marijuana ... as well as the gun.

Emoni's mom, Edith, calmed him down during the phone convo ... and then handed the phone over to a man, who seemingly said he is the owner of the gun.

The man appears to ask if cops found "my stick in your car?" ... to which Bates replied, "Yeah."

Bates was hit with two felonies -- carrying a concealed weapon and altering ID marks on a firearm -- but on Thursday, Bates' attorney, Steve Haney, told ESPN he expects the charges to be dismissed after agreeing to a plea deal.

Haney says he will plead to a misdemeanor count of attempted illegal transportation of a weapon ... which will be dismissed off his record if he completes a diversion program.

The school confirmed the news to TMZ Sports ... saying, "The Eastern Michigan University department of athletics has received notification that there is an agreement between the Washtenaw County prosecutor's office and Emoni Bates' defense team that would result in the felony charges being dismissed."

The beef between Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook may not be over after all ... because Russ appeared to snub Pat during the Lakers' preseason game Wednesday night.

The awkward moment occurred in the third quarter of the home game against the Timberwolves ... when Beverley tried to rally his teammates on defense.

In the clip, Pat -- who was acquired via trade in the offseason -- was calling for a team huddle with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Lonnie Walker IV.

The issue ... Westbrook was reluctant to join Pat Bev's impromptu meeting on the court, leading AD to go over to Russ to see why he refused to join the huddle.

Beverley seemed to sense Russ wanted no part of his motivational speech, but that didn't stop him from repeatedly motioning for Westbrook to be included in the discussion.

The cringe moment -- which had the sports world talking -- comes as the Lakers prepare to kick off their season next week against the defending champion Golden State Warriors.

Even Jake Paul chimed in on the situation, writing, "Lakers need to pull the plug and trade Russell Westbrook for their sake and for The Brodie’s sake."

"He’s a star and needs his own team. Lakers need less stars and more Pat Bev’s," he continued.

The Lakers missed the playoff last season ... and with incidents like this, they could be in danger of history repeating itself.

Dwight Howard says his iconic Superman cape from the 2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest was used to score in more ways than one -- he says he's worn it during sex!!

The hilarious convo went down on a new episode of "BS w/ Jake Paul" ... when the Problem Child's girlfriend/co-host Julia Rose bluntly asked Howard if he ever threw on the look for a bit of intimacy.

Howard was caught off guard by the question, but laughed it off and nodded ... which was more than enough to confirm the deed.

"He did!!" Paul laughed. "Dwight Howard had sex in the cape!"

But it wasn't just a one-time thing -- Howard admitted to wearing his cape while getting it on multiple times following the contest.

"Oh my God!" Rose yelled. "I love it!"

All good things come to an end, however -- the cape has officially been retired since the 36-year-old placed it in a plaque.

"Every time I look at it, it's like a gold medal. Ahhh!"

Ex-NBA star Ben Gordon was arrested AGAIN on Wednesday ... this time, in connection to an open assault case for a 2020 incident in Manhattan.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 39-year-old was being processed in Queens after allegedly hitting his 10-year-old son multiple times at the airport on Monday, when NYPD ran a background check and discovered an open investigation for misdemeanor assault in Harlem.

We're told the case stems from an alleged incident on March 13, 2020 ... when Ben is accused of getting in a heated argument with an adult female friend and grabbing the cell phone in her hand.

Sources tell us a scuffle ensued ... in which Ben allegedly injured the woman's finger and eye, causing pain and swelling.

The woman went to police and filed a report ... and the case remained open.

Shortly after Ben made bail at his arraignment in the airport case, he was then taken into custody on Wednesday and taken to the Harlem precinct for processing.

While it's another legal issue for Gordon, his attorney, Joshua Kirschner tells TMZ Sports he believes the former Bulls star's name will be cleared in the case.

"It’s very early in the case and we believe he will be completely exonerated once the investigation is complete," Kirschner says.

Former NBA star Ben Gordon allegedly punched his son in the face multiple times at an NYC airport after the 10-year-old boy dropped a book, a witness told police.

As we previously reported ... the 39-year-old former 3rd overall draft pick (2004) was taken into custody Monday night around 9 PM, and now we've learned more about the retired hoopers' alleged actions.

A witness -- an American Airlines employee -- told Port Authority PD they watched Gordon strike his minor son in the "face multiple times."

Police responded to the area ... and when they arrived, Gordon told them the boy was his son. The child was taken to a local hospital where he was examined. It's unclear if he sustained any injuries.

Cops say they attempted to put the 6'3" former professional athlete in handcuffs, but he refused, flailing his arms and twisting his body in an attempt to not be handcuffed. Gordon allegedly said, "I am not going with you guys."

In the struggle, two cops say they were hurt ... one sustained a knee injury, and the other an injury to their arm and wrist. Both officers were treated at the hospital.

To make matters worse for Gordon, he wasn't even supposed to be with his son in a different state ... 'cause there was a restraining order put in place by an Illinois judge in May 2018.

According to police, Ben was prohibited from "committing physical abuse" against his son, as well as from taking him out of the state.

The alleged incident happened in Queens, New York.

Gordon was hit with 9 charges.

- Assault in 2nd degree (2 counts)
- Criminal contempt
- Assault in 3rd degree
- Resisting Arrest
- Criminal Contempt in 2nd degree
- Endangering the welfare of a child
- Attempted assault in 3rd degree

It's not the first time the former NBA player, who also won an NCAA championship with Jim Calhoun at UCONN in 2004, has been in trouble with the law ... but Ben had seemingly kept his nose clean the last few years until the alleged airport incident with his son.

Gordon was arraigned Tuesday night in the Queens County Criminal Court ... he's due back in a New York City courtroom later this month.

Kanye West's mouth is forcing LeBron James and his producers to scrap an entire episode of 'The Shop' ... after they say he spewed "dangerous stereotypes" while they were recording.

LeBron's show normally drops on his 'Uninterrupted' YouTube channel, but late Tuesday night -- after shooting with Ye on Monday -- he and Maverick Carter opted to pull the whole show, rather than edit around Ye's remarks.

Maverick says, “Kanye was booked weeks ago and, after talking to Kanye directly the day before we taped, I believed he was capable of a respectful discussion and he was ready to address all his recent comments. Unfortunately, he used 'The Shop' to reiterate more hate speech and extremely dangerous stereotypes."

He didn't get more specific about what Kanye said, but we know Twitter and Instagram recently put restrictions on his accounts after he posted antisemitic remarks ... and, of course, he's drawn a ton of backlash for the White Lives Matter T-shirts he's been wearing.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr just revealed the extent of Draymond Green's punishment for punching teammate Jordan Poole in practice last week ... saying the NBA superstar will be fined and NOT suspended -- and he will rejoin the team on Thursday.

Kerr cut to the chase after the Dubs' preseason win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday ... starting off his postgame news conference by sharing an update on the 4-time champ.

Coach says the team has had "deep discussions" with players -- including Poole and Green, as well as Stephen Curry -- and other execs in the league about the incident ... and came to the conclusion that it was the best route to take after assessing everything.

Kerr -- who took the Warriors job in 2014 -- says it was "an exhaustive process" ... and it was a challenging decision.

"This is the biggest crisis that we've ever had since I've been coach here," Kerr said. "It's really serious stuff."

Kerr says he will not disclose the amount of Green's fine.

Poole and Green have had a sit-down conversation since the incident, Kerr said ... adding Jordan played a key part in determining the penalty.

By the sound of it, the two players have buried the hatchet and are willing to team up to defend their title this upcoming season.

Ex-NBA star Ben Gordon is in trouble with the law again -- the former Sixth Man of the Year was arrested at an airport on Monday after allegedly hitting his 10-year-old son.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... 39-year-old Gordon was placed in handcuffs around 9 PM while waiting for a flight from LaGuardia in New York to Chicago. Two officers were injured during the arrest, according to the New York Post, although further details surrounding the incident have not been released.

The 2004 third-overall pick in the NBA Draft was transported to the Port Authority police department for processing ... and an aunt took the son to a local hospital to get checked out.

Gordon won an NCAA Championship with Jim Calhoun at UCONN in 2004 ... and went on to average 15 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in his 11-year career.

He has had several legal issues off the court -- he was arrested in June 2017 for allegedly freaking out in an apartment building and pulling the fire alarms.

Five months later, he was arrested for allegedly roughing up a man in an apartment.

Gordon spoke out about his battles with depression in 2020 ... saying, "I was obsessed with killing myself," but sought help to better his mental health.

Draymond Green's mom is justifying her son's actions at Warriors practice last week ... saying he only hit Jordan Poole because he was shoved in the first place.

Mary Babers-Green went to social media to give her two cents on the wild incident ... and essentially put the blame on how Poole handled their interaction, claiming Draymond was not trying to pick a fight.

"That wasn't a Sucker punch," Babers-Green said on Monday. "Dray didn't aggressively go to Poole. His hands were down. Man to Man you go over to talk (to ask what's up, what you say)!"

"Got shoved and reacted," she added. "End of story!"

Mary also believes the incident has been blown out of proportion ... and says the two "can get beyond this."

"Anything is fixable! Everything ain't always what you think you see!"

As we previously reported, Green is taking a few days away from the team after TMZ Sports posted video of the practice punch ... and he has since apologized to the team, Poole and Poole's family.

The punch has been a major topic in the sports world ever since it was released -- but folks appear to be divided on whether or not it was a big deal.

Kenny "The Jet" Smith recently told us violent altercations happen all the time on NBA teams ... calling it nothing but a "scuffle."

Kenny Smith says Draymond Green violently socking Jordan Poole in a practice last week is a huge nothing burger ... telling TMZ Sports similar incidents will happen "at least twice a year on each team."

We spoke with "The Jet" out at LAX last week shortly after we posted the shocking footage of Green blasting Poole in the middle of a Warriors workout ... and the NBA analyst told us that while it was "uncomfortable" to watch, it's not nearly as serious as some think it is.

"That behavior is uncommon in normal society, without question," Smith said. "However, that behavior happens a lot in sports because of the physicality, the adrenaline, and all those things."

"I thought it was going to be worse when I saw the video. I was like, 'Oh, they just got into a scuffle.'"

The video certainly seems to show far more than that -- in the footage, Green appears to lunge at Poole with full force following a verbal spat ... striking him in the jaw and knocking him to the floor.

Smith, though, insisted fights like these happen all the time in the Association -- including back in his playing days.

"I won two championships with like five guys who fought," said Smith, who won back-to-back titles with the Rockets in 1994 and 1995.

Draymond, meanwhile, addressed his actions on Saturday following the release of the video ... taking accountability for his role in the fight and saying he was stepping away from the team for a few days.

Smith told us he doesn't think the Dubs will ultimately suspend Green for the punch when he gets back, but he did say a fine for the 4-time NBA champ is likely on the horizon.

Bronny James is following in his father's footsteps and joining the Nike family -- the high school hoops star just inked an NIL deal with the shoe giant.

Nike made the announcement just minutes ago ... saying the 18-year-old Sierra Canyon baller is one of five high school prospects who recently signed Name, Image and Likeness endorsements with the Swoosh.

It was a no-brainer to get Bronny on board -- especially considering Nike and LeBron James have been attached at the hip since he was drafted in 2003 ... and collaborated on 20 signature shoes together.

The other student-athletes getting NIL deals include Caitlin Clark, Haley Jones, Juju Watkins, and DJ Wagner, son of ex-NBAer Dajuan Wagner.

Wagner is considered one of the best hoopers in the class of 2023 -- and is listed #1 on ESPN's Top 100 players.

There's a good chance Bronny takes his talents to Columbus to play at Ohio State next season ... which just so happens to be a Nike school.

LeBron James went full Sicko Mode for Bronny's big 18th birthday party ... losing his mind and dancing during Travis Scott's surprise performance -- and it was LIT!!

The James Gang pulled out all the stops for the Sierra Canyon hooper's celebration ... renting out Harriet's Rooftop bar in West Hollywood for all his friends.

The highlight of the night came when La Flame grabbed the mic and performed for the crowd  ... doing his biggest hits like "Butterfly Effect," "goosebumps" and "Sicko Mode."

King James and Bronny were clearly feeling the show ... rapping along and jumping up and down.

It's another step forward for Scott ... who has slowly made his return to performing after the Astroworld Festival tragedy in November 2021.

While most ragers tend to include alcohol, word is all drinks were kid-friendly (maybe in 3 years, Bronny) ... and there was plenty of pizza and ice cream to go around, according to Daily Mail.

Rapper SoFaygo also took the mic at the party ... with Bronny standing on stage with him throughout his set.

LeBron gave a special tribute to Bronny on Thursday ... saying, "I'm so proud of the young man you've become kid!" he said.

"Continue to be YOU throughout your journey because it's simply better that way! And I'll be right beside you whenever/however needed! Love you Young 🤴🏾"

Metta Sandiford-Artest just became a big Blake Griffin fan ... and it's all a result of the new Celtics forward's decision to rock #91 in honor of the great Hall of Famer, Dennis Rodman!!

TMZ Sports spoke with Metta out in Beverly Hills this week ... and he was pleasantly surprised to learn Griffin was paying respect to Rodman's legacy with his jersey number this season.

"That's incredible," the 2003-04 Defensive Player of the Year said about Griffin's number change. "That's great to hear. I'm a big Rodman fan, and now I'll buy the jersey."

Griffin -- who signed with the Boston Celtics as a free agent last week -- confirmed to reporters after his first practice with his new teammates that the reason he is going to wear the #91 is to pay homage to Rodman, the 5-time NBA champ.

Artest -- who played 17 seasons in the NBA with the Pacers, Knicks, Kings, Rockets, Lakers, and Bulls -- earned a reputation for his physical style of defense ... and was one of four players to wear the #91 in NBA history.

The other three are Mindaugas Kuzminskas (New York Knicks), Deividas Sirvydis (Detroit Pistons) ... and, of course, Rodman.

There's more -- Metta retired from the NBA in 2017, but it may not be long before we see another Artest in the association -- because MSA tells us both of his sons are still pursuing their hoop dreams.

Jordan Poole is set for a big contract extension with the Golden State Warriors -- something he's supposedly made known around the team's facilities -- and it's the reason things boiled over with Draymond Green ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Sources who were at the practice where Green punched Poole tell us ... in the days leading up to the incident, Poole was carrying himself differently -- in a cocky manner. The alleged behavior was creating friction between him and some of his teammates, including Draymond, who has reportedly also asked for a big extension.

Fast forward to Wednesday's practice. Our sources on site say Poole called several fouls during a scrimmage, and Draymond called him a "bitch" multiple times as a result.

Things escalated when Poole allegedly said, "You know what it is, Draymond." -- seemingly bragging over the contract situation -- and Draymond got in Poole's face, allegedly saying, "No I don't know, what is it?"

Then, as played out in video obtained by TMZ Sports, you see Poole push Draymond back, and Draymond delivers the blow to his teammate's jaw.

Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala and head coach Steve Kerr came to Poole's defense earlier this week ... denying his attitude had anything to do with the altercation.

In fact, Steph went as far as to say it was "absolute BS" ... but our sources are adamant the team is trying to save face.