Basketball

Wanna ride like a 30-year-old Dwyane Wade? Now ya can ... if you've got some DEEEEEP pockets!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the custom black McLaren MP4 that the Hall of Famer was gifted for his big 3-0 is up for sale -- and the price tag has been set at a staggering $132,900.

The dark-purple car is sweet ... it was specially built for Wade for his cake day and features a 3.8-liter engine with an automatic 7-speed transmission. It also has a label on the doors that reads, "WADE" and "Hand-Assembled In The U.K."

And, according to The Barn, which is selling the ride, it only has 8,131 miles on it!

Wade, now 40, had the whip for a while, but sold it a few years back. We're told the buyer at the time, a car collector, had fun with it ... but is now ready to move on from it.

Former NBA big man Marcin Gortat is inviting Kyrie Irving to come with him to his home country of Poland ... explaining to TMZ Sports he believes the trip would help educate the Nets star on Jewish history.

Gortat, who is not Jewish, was born and raised in Poland ... a country that experienced the terrors of World War II, Nazi Germany and the horrors of the Holocaust.

He told us out in LA this week that he found Kyrie's promotion of the antisemitic film "Hebrew to Negroes: Wake Up Black America!" to be "completely wrong" ... and he then extended the 30-year-old an invite to Poland to help him learn why he feels so strongly about it all.

"If he wants to learn something about the stuff he was talking about," Gortat said of Irving, "I can invite him to Poland and he will learn more about the whole situation."

Irving has issued an apology for his controversial tweet ... and after meeting with NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Nets owner Joe Tsai this week -- both men said they truly believe the basketball player is not antisemitic.

Irving's indefinite suspension, however, has still remained in place -- and it's unclear when the Nets will lift the ban.

Gortat, who played against Irving multiple times during his 12-year NBA career, wouldn't say whether or not he believed the punishment was fitting ... noting it was a team decision.

Shannon Sharpe says it's time to get past the latest Kyrie Irving controversy ... telling TMZ Sports that the Nets star's mea culpa is enough for him to be ready "move on" from it all.

Sharpe explained his stance on the matter to us out at LAX on Friday ... saying now that Irving's apologized -- and both NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Brooklyn owner Joe Tsai have deemed him to be not antisemitic -- he's down to put the whole saga in the past.

"He's done what they asked him to do," the Hall of Famer said. "He's apologized."

Sharpe did acknowledge that Irving's apology may not have been as prompt as some people would have liked -- but he went on to say it's still enough in his eyes.

"Hopefully, he meets with some of the people that were offended by the link he posted," Sharpe said, "and then, yeah, I agree, I'm ready to move on."

As we reported, after Irving tweeted out a link to the antisemitic film "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America!" and then refused to apologize for it ... he was hit with an indefinite suspension by the Nets.

But, since that time, Irving has said he's sorry ... and apparently had productive meetings and conversations with both Silver and Tsai about it all this week.

Clearly, Sharpe -- who has been critical of Irving on FS1's "Undisputed" in the past -- believes that's all enough.

Malik Beasley and Montana Yao's family is growing -- the NBA player just announced they welcomed their second child after getting back together.

The Utah Jazz guard broke the news that his daughter, Mia Love Beasley, was born on Friday ... sharing special photos alongside Yao in the hospital bed shortly after the baby arrived.

"11/11 and my wish came true 💫" Beasley said in the caption.

Their new bundle of joy definitely indicates all is well between the two -- remember, Yao filed for divorce in 2020 after Beasley was linked to Scottie Pippen's ex-wife, Larsa.

The 6'4" hooper made a public apology via IG months later -- asking his wife of 9 months to forgive him for everything.

"I wana say sorry for putting you in the situation you were put in the last few months.. my head wasn’t were it was supposed to be," Beasley said last May.

"I ain’t looking to be judged. I’m looking for forgiveness. To forgive me for hurting my family the way I did."

"I’m telling the world and you that there’s no body like you for me."

Eventually, the two decided to work things out ... and Montana has been spotted at a bunch of Malik's games this season.

Chicago Bulls player Nikola Vucevic will have to cough up some dough for giving somebody the middle finger during Wednesday's game ... getting hit with a $15K fine for the "obscene gesture."

The 6'10" center was pissed when a ref called him for traveling in the 1st quarter of the Bulls vs. Pelicans matchup ... and was so fired up, he let the middle finger fly.

Unfortunately for Nikola, the cameras caught the 2-time All-Star red-handed on the broadcast ... pretty much solidifying an impending punishment.

Joe Dumars -- the Executive Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations of the NBA -- announced the penalty on Friday ... forcing the hooper to shell out the $15K.

It's unclear whether Vucevic -- who signed with Chi-Town in 2021 -- was flippin' off the referee who made the call or a fan in the stands ... but ultimately, it doesn't matter in the Association's eyes.

LeBron James' sons put on an absolute dunking clinic at a high school event on Thursday night -- and Pops couldn't have been prouder ... catching the show from a courtside seat with a huge smile on his face!!!

18-year-old Bronny and 15-year-old Bryce took flight over and over again at Sierra Canyon's "Midnight Madness" tip-off extravaganza in Chatsworth, Calif. ... and, despite nursing a lower-body injury, LeBron didn't miss a second of it.

The four-time NBA champ sat courtside with his wife, Savannah, as both boys routinely tore down the rim with a series of athletic dunks.

The two Sierra Canyon hoops stars looked a lot like their father in his prime ... even managing to pull off a few slams where they put the ball between their legs.

The James gang had the crowd in awe at their athleticism ... drawing the biggest cheers of the night.

Following a meeting between Adam Silver and Kyrie Irving this week ... the NBA commissioner now says he has "no doubt" that the Nets star is not antisemitic.

The Association's honcho and the controversial Brooklyn point guard caught up on Tuesday ... and while Silver declined to get into the specifics of their chat during an interview with the New York Times on Thursday ... he did say he came away from the meeting sure that Irving was not full of hate.

"He's someone I've known for a decade," Silver told the outlet, "and I've never heard an antisemitic word from him or, frankly, hate directed at any group."

Silver requested the meeting with Irving after the basketball player had tweeted out a link to "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America!" -- a film filled with antisemitic tropes.

The commish had called Irving's decision to press send "reckless" ... while blasting him for his refusal to immediately apologize. Irving was eventually hit with an indefinite ban from the Nets -- and ultimately said he was sorry.

Silver admitted the league and the Nets should have acted sooner regarding a suspension for Irving over it all ... telling the NYT, "We may have been able to get there faster. I accept that criticism."

But, he did say he believed both the Nets and the league got the suspension right in the end.

Irving is eligible to come off the ban later this week -- though it's unclear if that will actually happen ... as Brooklyn has imposed a myriad of conditions the 30-year-old must meet in order to return to the floor.

Silver also took aim at Amazon during his talk with the NY Times ... clearly believing the film Irving tweeted out shouldn't have a place in the org.'s marketplace.

For its part, Amazon has not yet removed the film ... and has not commented on the situation.

LeBron James says he knows what Kyrie Irving did was wrong ... but the Lakers superstar still came to the Nets point guard's defense Thursday, claiming the punishment KI is now facing is just too much.

James, who played with Irving for several seasons in Cleveland, took to Twitter to relay his stance on the matter to his fanbase ... writing out several tweets while he was in the middle of rehabbing a lower-body injury.

"I told you guys that I don’t believe in sharing hurtful information," James said. "And I’ll continue to be that way, but Kyrie apologized, and he should be able to play. That’s what I think. It’s that simple."

Irving was suspended by the Nets last Thursday after he repeatedly refused to apologize for tweeting out a link to the antisemitic film, "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America!"

The team called the ban indefinite -- saying Irving would have to satisfy "a series of objective remedial measures that address the harmful impact of his conduct" in order to return to the floor.

According to Shams Charania, some of the stipulations included sensitivity training, antisemitic training and meetings with Jewish leaders.

James clearly feels it's all too much ... adding, "Help him learn- but he should be playing. What he’s asked to do to get back on the floor I think is excessive IMO. He’s not the person that’s being portrayed of him."

The Charlotte Hornets unveiled their brand new "CLT" jerseys on Thursday ... and, unsurprisingly, it didn't take long for the internet to lambaste the team with sophomoric sexual jokes.

Social media erupted at the sight of the front of the uniforms ... giddily giggling over the fact that at a quick first glance, the "CLT" could look like the slang term for a part of a woman's anatomy.

"I'm ordering mine custom w/ 'Found It' on the name plate," one fan wrote.

"A CLT vs Cream City game would've been legendary," another posted.

The NBA org., though, clearly was proud of the kits nonetheless ... explaining the "CLT" is actually an abbreviation used throughout their home city -- including by Charlotte's own airport.

It is the first time the Hornets will use the abbreviation on their unis -- on previous alternate jerseys, they had stitched "CHA" on them.

Kyrie Irving's relationship with Nike is "likely over," says Phil Knight, co-founder and chairman of the manufacturing conglomerate.

In an interview with CNBC, the billionaire commented on Irving's future with the Swoosh, saying, "I would doubt that we go back. But, I don't know for sure."

"Kyrie stepped over the line. It's kind of that simple. He made some statements that we just can't abide by, and that's why we ended the relationship. And, I was fine with that."

As we reported on Friday, the shoe giant announced it was suspending its relationship with the Nets' superstar point guard after he refused to apologize for tweeting a link to a controversial film containing antisemitic messaging.

"At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech, and we condemn any form of antisemitism," the company said.

Nike's move to press pause on its partnership with Irving came after the Nets suspended Kyrie for at least five games -- the team felt that the 30-year-old wasn't contrite when he apologized for the harm he caused the Jewish community.

Like the Nets, Nike, too, was disappointed in Irving's seeming reluctance to disavow the antisemitic content in the film he tweeted, which left the company no choice but to suspend Kyrie's deal.

Knight told the outlet that when signing athletes, they consider not only how good the athlete is ... but also the kind of character the individual displays.

More disturbing news for former NBA star Delonte West ... TMZ Sports has learned after he was arrested in mid-October -- he was busted again just two weeks later.

The Fairfax County Police Dept. tells us officers were called to a residential area on Oct. 29 at around 3:47 PM over reports of a man who appeared to be drunk. When they arrived on scene, cops say they found West "lying next to a car with an open door."

After making contact with the 39-year-old ... officials say they arrested him for being drunk in public, and then transported the ex-Dallas Mavericks point guard to a nearby hospital for further evaluation.

Court records show he was ultimately charged with misdemeanor intoxication in public ... and a hearing on the matter has been set for January.

The incident came just 14 days after West had been previously arrested in a similar fashion just about a mile away.

In that case, police said they arrested West following calls that he had been trespassing in a vehicle. Court records show he was hit with four charges ... including drunk in public and vehicle trespassing.

West had appeared to be turning his life around prior to the October run-ins with cops ... he had scored a tryout with the Big3 in March ... and also landed a job with a flooring company in June.

However, his former boss, Mavs owner Mark Cuban, told us in September he had heard West was struggling with some issues.

New video obtained by TMZ Sports shows Miles Bridges' ex did appear to attempt to break into his residence back in October -- slamming a hose nozzle against the NBA star's door repeatedly as he tried to hold it closed.

The footage was captured on Oct. 12 ... after Mychelle Johnson allegedly brought over the couple's two kids in an attempt to get inside Bridges' L.A. rental home to speak with him.

Bridges, however, said in court docs this week he wanted no part of contact with her -- saying he wasn't allowed to talk to her due to court orders that were given to him after he was charged with felony domestic violence for his alleged role in a June altercation with the woman.

In the docs, Bridges claimed Johnson showed up unannounced through a side gate in his backyard ... and then, after he retreated inside, "kept yelling outside the door demanding me to open it while the kids were calling out to me to let them in."

The footage shows at one point during their encounter, one of the children handed Johnson a hose nozzle that she then used to hit the door several times in an effort to get into the pad.

Over and over again, Bridges can be heard in the video telling her to stop.

Eventually, according to the court docs, after she couldn't get in, Johnson stole Bridges' dog and left with the children.

The incident was not isolated, according to Bridges, who said in the docs that on two other occasions -- one on Oct. 31 and one on Nov. 5 -- she similarly harassed him and caused him emotional distress and anxiety.

No, LeBron James isn't demanding a trade back to Cleveland ... but a verified Twitter account pretending to be the Los Angeles Lakers star duped people into thinking so on Wednesday -- as a result of Elon Musk's $8 blue check mark rollout.

The bird app's new subscription feature already has the trolls running wild ... and King James was the first to fall victim to the antics.

An account named @kIngjamez tried to pull a quick one shortly after the verification party got started ... saying, "I am officially requesting a trade."

"Thank you #LakersNation for all the support through the years. 💯 Onto bigger and better things! 👑 #ThekidfromAKRON #ImComingHome."

Of course, the REAL @kingjames' most recent tweet is an ad for a video game.

Here's the issue -- If folks didn't notice the misspelling handle or click on the check mark to read WHY the account is verified, they were led to believe #6 was going back to the 216.

Another account pretended to be ESPN insider Adam Schefter ... claiming Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels had been fired.

Elon's decision to give any Twitter Blue subscribers a blue check without any vetting had people concerned for this exact reason ... and so far, it's proven to be a massive headache for some.

The new Twitter head defended his decision ... explaining it was a way for the company to make money.

Kyrie Irving is facing justified consequences for propagating antisemitic views -- despite some in the Black community feeling like he's getting a "lashing" ... so suggests Rev. Al Sharpton.

We got the civil rights leader in NYC Wednesday to speak about the growing sentiment that KI is being overly-punished and made an example of by the powers that be in the NBA ... even though he's apologized for his controversial comments of late.

The Reverend says people should denounce bigotry no matter what, and that applies to Kyrie too. He says just because African-Americans have been subjected to racism and mistreatment historically doesn't mean it's okay to normalize hatred of another group.

Sharpton also seems to be hinting that the two shouldn't automatically be conflated.

Sharpton apparently believes Kyrie's promotions were antisemitic -- and that he's on the side of those who are calling for accountability.

Even though Kyrie has tried walking it all back, some feel it's empty because he's implied the Holocaust is simply a cultural issue important to Jews, rather than an outright atrocity.

Since then, he's been suspended and has met with Commissioner Adam Silver, who's Jewish. But the debate about his treatment rages on, especially across racial/cultural lines.

NBA star Miles Bridges has filed for a restraining order against the woman who accused him of domestic violence ... claiming she's harassed him repeatedly -- and won't stop.

Bridges spelled out his claims in new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, alleging that despite a June 27 argument between the two that turned physical and ultimately resulted in the basketball player's arrest ... Mychelle Johnson will not leave him alone.

Bridges says on three separate occasions, including just two days after he accepted a plea deal to close out his criminal case with Johnson, she's showed up to his home or places he's staying and harassed him, causing him emotional distress and anxiety.

The first incident allegedly happened on Oct. 12. In the docs, Bridges claims he had been renting an Airbnb in Los Angeles ... when Johnson unexpectedly entered his side gate with their two kids.

Bridges said in the documents that due to the ongoing criminal case with Johnson -- and the protective orders that had been put in place -- he ran inside in an attempt to avoid her.

He claims, though, his door would not lock -- so he had to hold it shut as Mychelle allegedly attempted to break in by swinging a hose nozzle at the home.

Bridges says after she couldn't get in, she then stole his dog, and left with their children.

Nearly three weeks later, on Oct. 31, Bridges said in the docs that Johnson followed him and his friends home from an L.A. hookah lounge at around 2:30 AM, and sat in his driveway with their two kids in her car demanding he speaks with her. He claims he didn't want to due to the ongoing criminal case.

Bridges says despite attempts from his friends and bodyguards to get her to leave, she refused and stayed parked there for nearly 6 hours before leaving.

On Nov. 5 -- two days after Bridges pleaded no contest to one count of felony domestic violence stemming from their June 27 incident to close out his criminal case -- the 24-year-old former Charlotte Hornets star said he was forced to call the LAPD after Johnson showed up to his Airbnb and "stood outside the home antagonizing me and refusing to leave."

Bridges says officers showed up ... and were able to convince her to leave without incident.

Bridges -- currently an NBA free agent -- is asking a judge to order Johnson to stay at least 100 yards away from him and have no contact with him or his dog.

Ime Udoka will not be the next head coach of the Brooklyn Nets after all -- the team just elevated Jacque Vaughn to the position after parting ways with Steve Nash.

There were reports the Nets were eyeing the Celtics coach -- who is currently serving a one-year suspension for having an improper relationship with a female employee.

Team owner Joe Tsai reportedly faced pushback from "strong voices" against hiring Udoka ... pleading to go in a different direction when hiring Nash's replacement.

Of course, the Nets were already facing a ton of issues without Ime ... from Kyrie Irving's backlash for sharing a link to an antisemitic film on social media, Kevin Durant's offseason trade demand and the team's underperforming start to the 2022-23 campaign.

Vaughn played in the NBA from 1997-2009 ... suiting up for five different teams.

JV is 65-161 as a head coach -- he spent just over 2 1/2 seasons with the Orlando Magic ... and served as interim head coach for the Nets after Kenny Atkinson got canned in March 2020.