Basketball

Kyrie Irving seemingly snubbed Dillon Brooks when he refused to take the Grizzlies' forward's jersey after their game, but the Mavs superstar says the awkward moment wasn't intentional, saying he'd "probably get [the jersey] next time."

It all went down Monday night after the Grizzlies defeated the Mavs, 112-108, at the FedEx Forum in Memphis. Dillon and Ky shared an embrace on the court following the game, but the encounter didn't exactly go as planned for the 27-year-old Brooks.

In the clip, you see Kyrie hand his jersey to Brooks, but when Brooks went to give his jersey to Irving, Kyrie appeared to be in no mood to receive it ... and kept the exchange at a handshake before walking away.

Social media started to talk after the game, and Kyrie was asked about the exchange.

"I saw that after the game," Irving said. "I'll probably get it next time. Probably next time. Not this time. I was really onto the next thing, thought process-wise."

Meanwhile, on the court, Brooks had his hands full trying to guard Kyrie -- who scored 28 points in 33 minutes. DB is clearly a fan of Irving's, showering the All-Star with praise postgame despite the (maybe?) shade from Kyrie, even comparing him to the Black Mamba.

“He’s just like Kobe [Bryant]," Brooks said. "He’s just like Jordan and those guys. He plays the game at a different place. He uses both hands, mid-range God. And that’s where I want to be at one day, be able to shoot the ball more.”

One thing Kyrie definitely did do after the game was share a moment with Ja Morant, who rejoined the Grizzlies on Monday following an 8-game suspension for showing a gun on Instagram.

Memphis currently sits in second place in the Western Conference. Dillon -- for the second time this month -- is facing an automatic one-game suspension due to his technical foul totals.

Reggie Wayne absolutely lost it after his alma mater, Miami, shocked Indiana in the women's NCAA tournament on Monday night ... cheering his face off while going crazy with his pals!!!

The Indianapolis Colts legend had courtside seats for the Hurricanes' stunning win over No. 1 seed Indiana at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall ... and when The U star Destiny Harden made the game-winning basket with just three seconds left on the clock, Wayne went crazy.

The ex-Hurricanes receiver -- who played for Miami from 1997 to 2000 -- filmed his reaction ... and it was priceless.

Rockin' his The U gear, which included some Nike Dunk Low Miami Hurricanes kicks, he screamed loudly with a huge smile on his face.

Of course, Wayne had every right to lose his mind ... as the No. 9 seeded Miami was a huge underdog in the game. The victory also marked the first time in school history that the women's basketball team would enter an NCAA tournament's Sweet 16.

FYI, the Miami men's team also beat Indiana in the guys' NCAA tournament over the weekend ... and Wayne made sure to gloat about on Monday night too.

"Well...." the former first-round draft pick wrote on his social media page, "Looks like another #Hurricane has hit the state of Indiana @caneswbb @canesfootball @caneshoops #TheU."

Shaquille O'Neal sparked concern after sharing a photo of himself in a hospital bed on Sunday ... but TMZ Sports has learned the NBA legend simply needed to fix a nagging injury, and he's now doing OK.

Our sources tell us the 51-year-old went under the knife over the weekend to have an issue with his hip corrected -- and everything went according to plan. We're told he's already on the mend.

In a caption Shaq posted along with the photo -- he tagged his "NBA on TNT" colleagues, Ernie Johnson and Candace Parker, saying even though he couldn't be at work, he was still tuning in to the show.

"Miss y’all," he wrote.

Parker, a two-time WNBA champ, responded, "Love ya big Fella ♥."

It's unclear when Shaq will return to his TV gig -- our sources say there's no set time frame -- but in discussing the upcoming procedure earlier this month on his podcast, "The Big Podcast With Shaq," he seemed to say he had April 16 in mind for when he could be active again.

He added on the pod that he was going to go on a diet to get "shredded" after the surgery ... and eventually reveal an 8-pack!!

Gonzaga star Drew Timme's gotta put some money in the swear jar after the Bulldogs defeated TCU to advance to the Sweet 16 on Sunday ... 'cause he dropped an F-bomb on live television right after the big win!!

Drew was pretty stoked after sealing the 84-81 victory ... and he got caught up in the moment during his postgame interview as he explained the pressure he and his teammates felt to win the game.

"Before they announced our starting lineup, it was like, 'in seven straight Sweet 16s,'" Timme said in the interview. "I'm like, 'We cannot be the team that f***s this one up."

No. 3-seed Gonzaga has made the Sweet 16 seven straight years dating back to 2015 ... but that streak was in jeopardy when No. 6-seed TCU was leading 38-33 at halftime.

The Bulldogs weren't done fighting ... and Drew played a pivotal role in 'Zaga's comeback, scoring 28 points and grabbing eight rebounds in 31 minutes of action.

During his postgame conference, Drew took aim at TCU fans for doubting Gonzaga -- saying he used their trash-talk as motivation.

"Throw lighter fluid on the fire if you wish," Timme told reporters. "I thought TCU was a highly educated school and they didn't sound so smart with their comments."

Of course, the 6-foot-10 forward is Gonzaga's best player ... he led the team in scoring this past season, averaging 21.1 points per game and registering 7.3 rebounds per contest.

Donald Trump is certainly not acting like a guy on the verge of being arrested ... He flew to Oklahoma Saturday night and enjoyed himself at a college sporting event.

The former President showed up at the BOK Center in Tulsa for the NCAA Wrestling Tournament -- hours after he announced that he would be arrested Tuesday by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg over the Stormy Daniels hush-money case.

Videos showed Trump smiling and waving at the crowd as he walked through the stadium with his entourage. Trump also shook hands with fans and took group photos with them. At one point, he raised his fist in the air -- apparently in defiance of his looming indictment.

Trump was invited to the tournament by Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), who was seen standing next to 45 and posing for pictures with him.

By early next week, Trump could be posing for a very different photo -- that of a mugshot. Bragg is reportedly getting ready to indict Trump for allegedly trying to buy Daniels' silence with a $130,000 payment over an alleged affair she claimed they had during the 2016 Presidential election. Trump has denied the affair.

In response to the rumored indictment, Trump blasted Bragg on his social media handle, "Truth Social," labeling the Manhattan DA's Office as "CORRUPT" and "HIGHLY POLITICAL." Trump also called for protests over his possible arrest.

Bragg officially declined to comment, but, according to Politico, he sent an internal memo to employees saying that he would not tolerate efforts to intimidate his office or "threaten the rule of law in New York."

Matt Barnes has a simple message for NBA players following Ja Morant's gun video controversy -- DON'T SNITCH ON YOURSELF -- telling TMZ Sports hoopers don't need to document their every move on social media.

Barnes expressed support for Morant while outside Dash Radio this week ... but he thinks his strip club gun video can be a cautionary tale for other guys in the league as they try to navigate their personal lives while being recognizable athletes.

"Don't tell on yourself and watch out for cameras," Barnes said. "The second you step out of your house you're being recorded these days. So just stay cognizant and be aware of your surroundings."

Morant found himself in hot water with the league after he brandished a gun on Instagram Live earlier this month ... which led to an eight-game ban.

Morant entered a counseling program shortly after apologizing for his actions ... and recently said he met with therapists, got reiki treatment and worked on anxiety breathing during his time away from the game.

Barnes told us he isn't ready to give up on Ja or his career, saying the guard is "one of my favorite players in the league" ... adding Morant "got a little ahead of himself with some stuff."

"That happens when you're young and the world [is] at the palm of your hand."

"I love Ja. I love what he brings to the table. I just want to send him love. Let him know we love him. We miss him and we need him back."

Jamal Murray needed both Nikola Jokic and a referee to keep him from going after a fan in the stands during Thursday night's game ... with the Denver Nuggets star losing his cool over disrespectful words being hurled his way.

The altercation was caught on video -- showing Murray on the court playing against the Pistons in Little Caesars Arena as multiple Pistons fans heckle him.

Murray heard the jabs loud and clear ... and once the whistle was blown to stop the play, the 6'4" guard began walking toward the guy with a few words of his own.

The referee immediately got in Murray's way and held him back ... while the guy in the crowd yelled, "you ain't gon' do s*** boy!!!"

Jokic -- who stands at 6'11" -- ran over to assist the ref ... and pulled Murray back to center court.

Arena security witnessed the exchange between Murray and the man ... and you can see in the video what seems to be police officers pointing at the guy in the stands.

As of now, it's unclear if the fan was removed from the arena or if he received any punishment.

BTW, the Pistons lost ... and currently have the worst record in the NBA. The Nuggets, however, are No. 4 in the league and lead the Western Conference.

Do better, people.

A hilarious moment went down during the NCAA tournament on Friday ... when Baylor men's basketball player Dale Bonner was checking into the game against UC Santa Barbara -- but his jersey was inside out!!

The wardrobe malfunction happened Friday at the Ball Arena in Denver ... where the Bears were playing the Gauchos in the first round of the tourney. Bonner was set to sub in for one of his teammates in the first half of the matchup -- but, unfortunately, his BAYLOR jersey looked more like ROLYAB.

Bonner initially didn't notice the mistake ... as referees had to delay the game to tell him that he was rocking his jersey on the wrong side.

Bonner quickly corrected himself and got the jersey on correctly ... as everyone on the court stood around and waited for him to get it together.

The commentators referenced the gaffe during the broadcast ... attributing the mishap to possible March Madness jitters.

The tourney is known for its wild moments ... but no one could've predicted this one.

Travis Scott's skills as a fashion innovator are coming under fire by Dennis Rodman ... who's accusing the superstar rapper of copying the look of his signature sneakers.

Dennis went after Travis at Got Sole's recent sneaker convention in Chicago as the NBA champ pointed out his high-top kicks originated the reverse Nike Swoosh logo before Travis' model hit the market.

The Worm's Nike Air Darwin shoe dropped in 1994, shortly before his days of playing with Michael Jordan and the Bulls. Travis and Jordan Brand connected for his popular mocha-colored AJ1 Retro High OG sneakers in 2019.

Dennis didn't seem to be a fan of Travis' shoe, and said he just wants his credit for putting out the design first.

Welp, Joe Biden isn't winning the White House's March Madness pool ... 'cause the president's pick for NCAA champion -- two-seed University of Arizona -- just lost to 15-seed Princeton in the most shocking upset of the young tourney!

The Ivy League team was near 15-point underdogs against Arizona ... but as the saying goes, that's why you play the game. The Tigers ultimately won 59-55. The Wildcats were up one at the half, but scored a paltry 24 points in the second half, and couldn't buy a bucket late in the game.

As for #46, he didn't just have AZ advancing past Princeton, he had the Pac-12 team going all the way to the Final Four, where he picked them to defeat one-seed Kansas.

In fairness to the prez, the Wildcats were a popular pick to advance far in the tourney ... and many had them winning the whole thing.

The Wildcats, who won the NCAA Championship in 1997, are now headed back to Tucson. The Tigers will now play seven-seed Missouri on Saturday ... where Princeton has opened as six-point underdogs.

Furman shocked the world and busted a ton of brackets with its huge win over four-seed Virginia in the first round of the NCAA tournament ... and the school's best player ever couldn't be happier!!

TMZ Sports spoke with Paladins legend Frank Selvy about No. 13 Furman advancing to the second round of the tourney on Thursday ... and he says the victory was "the best win all-time at Furman."

Furman sealed the win over the Cavaliers after intercepting a pass with just seconds to go ... and JP Pegues pulled up from three to give the Paladins the 68-67 win -- the program's first tourney victory in nearly 50 years.

"We all went crazy over that because we thought we lost," the former No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick added.

Of course, Selvy famously scored 100 points in a game in 1954 ... which remains a single-game record to this day.

He says Pegues' game-winner brought back memories of his historic night.

"It reminded me of my 100-point shot when I made it from midcourt with time running out, with a couple people guarding me. I threw it up from midcourt, and it went in for the 100 points."

Selvy had a ton of praise for Paladins coach Bob Richey ... saying, "He knows more about basketball than any coach I’ve ever seen. The formations and the executions of plays and everything, great guy."

Selvy says he hasn't spoken to the team ... but if he had the chance??

"I would just tell them how proud I was of them and keep it going."

Lonzo Ball's NBA career is reportedly hanging by a thread -- the Chicago Bulls star is having a third surgery performed on his knee in a 14-month span ... but there's hope the procedure will pave the way for his eventual return to the court.

The news just went public minutes ago ... with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski saying there is concern Ball -- who hasn't played since January 2022 due to his injury -- may not fully recover from the ailment ... which would impact his ability to play at the highest level.

The report states the surgery could keep 25-year-old Ball out for at least another year ... but after weighing his options for several days, the guard elected to go under the knife again to try and fix the issue once and for all.

Lonzo was the second overall pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017 ... and has since played for the New Orleans Pelicans and Bulls.

Chicago has struggled without Ball this season ... going 31-37 through 68 games.

Here's hoping the surgery goes well and Ball can get back out there.

Not even Furman players themselves could believe Virginia lost the way it did to kick off March Madness on Thursday ... with Paladins star forward Jalen Slawson yelling after the improbable win, "He just freakin' threw it!"

If you missed it ... UVA, a four-seed, lost to 13-seed Furman on a last-second three-point shot -- after one of the most embarrassing turnovers you'll see in an NCAA tournament game.

Up by two over Furman with 9.8 seconds left -- Cavaliers guard Kihei Clark got trapped in a full-court press, but instead of finding a way out of it, he just heaved the ball toward mid-court -- where it was predictably intercepted.

One immediate pass and one three-point shot later, UVA was down by one ... and they went on to lose a few seconds later by that margin.

Slawson wasn't the only guy floored by how it all went down -- even Patrick Mahomes was left in complete shock.

"Virginia what are we doing?!?!?" the Kansas City Chiefs star tweeted after the game.

Believe it or not, there are some folks who actually weren't that stunned by the upset ... according to the NCAA, 10.67% of brackets that were filled out this month picked Furman to get the dub.

The Kansas Jayhawks will try to get a W Thursday without head coach Bill Self ... 'cause the university just announced he won't be coaching against Howard following his most recent health scare.

Self was hospitalized for five days recently ... after complaining of chest tightness and balance concerns, which kept him off the sidelines for the Big 12 tournament last week.

The 60-year-old reportedly underwent a procedure where he had two stents placed for the treatment of blocked arteries ... and was ultimately discharged from the hospital on Sunday.

Self has been at the helm with the Jayhawks since 2003 -- after previously coaching for Illinois and Tulsa -- and has been considered day-to-day by interim head coach Norm Roberts after his hospital stint.

"He's getting his rest and that stuff," Roberts told reporters Wednesday. "Maybe he thinks I talk too much so he's letting me talk more. But he's back getting rest right now. He's doing good though."

Self is one of the most decorated coaches in college hoops ... he's a two-time NCAA champion and has reached the Final Four on four occasions -- 2008, 2012, 2018, and 2022.

Kansas has seemed to respond well in his absence -- posting a 6-1 record in the seven games Self missed ... including a university-imposed suspension at the beginning of the season and his health problems.

Alabama head basketball coach Nate Oats says Brandon Miller needs armed security to keep him safe after his star player received numerous disturbing messages.

A video of the SEC Player of the Year walking into Birmingham's Legacy Arena went viral on Wednesday ... because the future NBA lottery pick was accompanied by an armed guard.

Oats was asked about the protection during Wednesday's presser and explained he and the university felt it was "appropriate" following the disturbing messages Miller received.

"It's nothing a college kid should have to go through," Oats said. "I think if you were able to see what I've seen and you'd understand why that's going on right now."

"Some of the messages from people that can sit behind fake email addresses, but who knows whether they're real or not. Something that nobody would ever want for their son -- I treat my players like my own sons. I put myself in his parent's shoes."

Oats added, "I don’t want to get into all that. The entire situation, as you know, is just a heartbreaking situation on all accounts."

Of course, Oats is referring to the murder of Jamea Harris, who was fatally shot on January 15 in Tuscaloosa. According to police, Brandon delivered the gun to the men accused of shooting Harris.

Miller's teammate, Darius Miles, along with another man, were arrested and charged with capital murder.

As his team preps for their first round NCAA tourney game, Miller was asked about the detail.

"I feel like we always travel with security. That's all I'm gonna be able to say on that."

Despite all the off-court distractions, Coach Oats say they're prepared for the NCAA Tournament and have blocked out all the outside noise.

"Our guys have been really mature about kinda focusing on the task at hand," Oats said.

"I think it's that mentality of like we're all in this together, we're trying to get to be the best we can be, and let's just make sure we're all focused and have a great practice."

Ja Morant is making one thing clear -- the gun he flashed in a Colorado strip club was NOT his -- but as far as whose weapon it was, the NBA star is remaining tight-lipped.

The Grizzlies guard sat down for a one-on-one interview with ESPN's Jalen Rose on Wednesday -- shortly after his 8-game suspension was announced -- and he was asked straight-up who owned the gun he showed off on Instagram Live on March 4.

"The gun wasn't mine," Morant said. "It's not who I am. I don't condone any type of violence, but I take full responsibility for my actions."

"I made a bad mistake and I can see the image I painted over myself with my recent mistakes," he added. "But, in the future, I will show everybody who Ja really is, what I'm about and change this narrative."

Morant -- who hasn't played for the Grizzlies since March 3 -- said he's been in a good mental place following the incident ... and he spent his time away from the game speaking with therapists, getting reiki treatment and working on anxiety breathing to help deal with stress.

Morant added he realized he needed help when he made the video ... and his daughter inspired him to open up about his issues with professionals.

The All-Star also discussed his meeting with Adam Silver ... and he said it was a productive conversation, as the commish voiced support for him.

Morant says he still takes pride in being a role model ... saying, "I realize I have a lot of kids who look up to me. Even probably some adults, a lot of fans."