Basketball

NYC Mayor Eric Adams will always revere Knicks legend Willis Reed for the two championships he brought to the city of New York ... but he tells TMZ Sports that Reed's perseverance in the face of adversity is what makes him an icon in NY.

We spoke to Mayor Adams just days after Reed passed away at 80 years old ... and asked what Reed's legacy means to him now that the NBA legend is no longer with us.

"Willis Reed was my guy," Mayor Adams said. "He showed the resiliency of New York. Everyone remembers that championship game. Walking on one knee. His scoring the points. He's New York."

"We may have lost him physically, but he will always be here spiritually," he added.

Reed -- a seven-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion -- passed away on Tuesday ... and had been reportedly battling congestive heart failure.

Willis -- affectionately known as "The Captain" -- won two titles with the Knicks ... but he's most remembered for playing in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the Lakers.

Reed's status for Game 7 was in question ... but the 6-foot-10 center emerged from the tunnel just moments before the deciding game started, walking gingerly onto the court -- and sent the crowd at Madison Square Garden into a frenzy.

The rest was history -- Reed delivered the Knicks their first championship in 1970 and won another chip in 1973. In 1982, Willis was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

How ironic is this -- Luka Doncic just got hit with a $35k fine on Friday ... after the NBA superstar made a money gesture toward a referee during the controversial ending of the Warriors vs. Mavericks game.

ICYMI ... the Mavericks hooper made the gesture after he missed a contested layup with 1.7 seconds left in the game at the American Airlines Center on Wednesday -- when he felt he was fouled, but didn't get a call.

Of course, Doncic's signal was clearly an expression of frustration -- after all, the Warriors got two free points in the third quarter after a questionable officiating decision ... and the Mavs ended up losing, 127-125.

Regardless of how the Mavs feel about the officiating that night, the league penalized the four-time All-Star minutes ago, saying the hand signal was an "inappropriate and unprofessional gesture."

Doncic wasn't the only Maverick pissed off at the refs  ... team owner Mark Cuban is protesting the loss, saying the officiating potentially cost them that game.

"Worst officiating non-call mistake possibly in the history of the NBA."

So yeah ... Cuban can expect a fine to come his way, too.

Mac McClung is a full-blown superstar following his incredible performance during All-Star Weekend last month -- the guy has gone from the G League to the big screen ... starring in a commercial with Vince Carter!!

The 24-year-old high-flying baller became a household name after stealing the show at the NBA Slam Dunk Contest and taking home the hardware over Kenyon Martin Jr., Trey Murphy and Jericho Sims ... which breathed life back into the event that, as of recently, lacked excitement.

Mac has been landing a ton of endorsements following his big win ... but the coolest might be his 30-second ad for the upcoming 'Dungeons and Dragons' movie that dropped on Friday -- 'cause Vinsanity himself got involved!!

Of course, Carter was also known for his rim-rattling abilities over the course of his career ... and put together one of the most iconic dunk contest performances when he won in 2000.

Naturally, Mac was nabbed to show off his dunking skills as he jumped over CGI flames in the ad ... and at the end, Vince gives the kid props on his hops -- almost like he was passing the torch to the young hooper.

BTW -- Mac is currently balling out in the G League for the Philadelphia 76ers' Delaware Blue Coats ... averaging 20 points a game this season.

Something tells us we ain't heard the last of Mac!!

The Memphis women's basketball player who socked an opponent in the face during a handshake line following a game Thursday night has been charged with assault, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to Bowling Green State Univ. officials ... Tigers senior guard Jamirah Shutes was hit with the criminal charge on Friday morning -- roughly 12 hours after she punched BGSU player Elissa Brett during an incident following their game in the women's NIT.

The two had gotten into a verbal argument after BGSU's 73-60 win ... which led to Shutes sucker-punching the woman in the face.

Brett crumpled to the court in pain, and was later seen in tears. According to police documents, cops noticed swelling in her right eye. The school said Friday, though, she is "recovering and doing well."

It's still unclear what sparked the altercation. A police investigation is ongoing, the university said.

BGSU added in a statement that it's also "conducting its own review" into the matter ... saying, "Violence is never acceptable and our priority remains the health, safety and support of our student-athlete."

Neither Shutes nor Brett has publicly commented on it all.

Memphis Univ. did release a statement on the matter on Friday morning, calling the incident "extremely unfortunate and certainly not consistent with, or representative of, our expectations for our programs and student-athletes."

Ugly scene following an NCAA women's basketball game on Thursday night ... a Bowling Green State Univ. player was socked in the face in a handshake line.

The sucker punch went down just seconds after BGSU beat Memphis, 73-60, in a round of 16 game in the women's NIT.

Broadcast cameras showed Bowling Green's Elissa Brett got into some sort of argument with Memphis' Jamirah Shutes ... before Shutes reared back and threw a straight right at Brett's face.

The punch connected flush -- sending Brett crashing to the court. Shutes was immediately restrained by her coach.

Brett stayed down for several moments -- eventually bursting out into tears. She was, thankfully, ultimately able to walk off the court under her own power.

It's unclear what sparked the incident, after the game, BGSU head coach Robyn Fralick told reporters, "We’re still trying to figure out all those things out and what happened."

BGSU, meanwhile, released a statement late Thursday night saying cops are now involved in the situation.

"The incident that took place following tonight's home WNIT game has been turned over to the BGSU Police Department," the school said.

"Bowling Green State University Athletics does not make comments about active police investigations. Our priority is with the health, safety and support of our student-athletes."

U.S. Senator and former NBA star Bill Bradley is remembering his beloved teammate, Willis Reed, following the Knicks legend's tragic passing this week ... saying he'll always remember "The Captain" as "a man with great dignity and strength."

Bradley -- who served as a United States Senator of New Jersey (1979 to 1997) after retiring from the NBA -- joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) where he talked about his teammate who remained his friend long after their playing days were over.

Of course, Reed and Bradley won two titles together ('70 & '73) during their stellar careers in The Big Apple ... but Bill believes a big reason why the Knicks took home their first title in 1970 was because Reed shocked everyone and suited up for Game 7, despite being injured.

"He was a tremendous leader," Bradley said. "And, you don't always have players who so overtly put their whole career on the line for their teammates, which is what he did in 1970."

"We won the championship and it was partly inspired by Willis' courage and dedication to his team," Bradley said. "You really just felt everything elevate in The Garden."

Bradley didn't only star on the pro level ... he was one of the greatest college basketball players ever.

His alma mater, Princeton, a #15-seed, will face #6-seed Creighton in the Sweet 16 on Friday ... after the team pulled off two upset wins over Arizona and Missouri last week.

Bradley -- an AP College Player of the Year who also won Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA tourney in 1965 -- doesn't believe the Cinderella run has to end here ... he wholeheartedly believes the Tigers can win.

"They stand a great chance," the 79-year-old said.

"They're playing seemingly well. I like the team and, of course, I respect Mitch a lot and it's great for the university."

Now, the Senator isn't guaranteeing Princeton's going to the Final Four, but like he says ... "anything is possible in sports."

Haley and Hanna Cavinder and the Univ. of Miami women's basketball team won't play in the Sweet 16 for another couple hours ... but to keep ya occupied in the meantime -- check out 16 sweet photos of the twin hoopers!!

The two Canes superstars have crushed it on the court this year, helping The U make it to the third round of the women's NCAA tournament for the second time in school history.

Haley's leading the team in scoring, averaging 12.6 points per game, while Hanna has chipped in 3.9 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per contest this year.

But, of course, the sisters have gained national fame for what they've done OFF the court -- as they're two of the most followed people on TikTok.

The ladies make fun vids, dancing and lip-synching -- and have amassed 4.5 MILLION followers!!

Haley and Hanna, though, won't be worrying much about social media Friday ... they've got a tall task ahead of them in Villanova coming up at 11:30 AM PT.

The No. 4-seed Wildcats are the favorite, but the No. 9-seed Hurricanes are no stranger to winning as the underdog -- they just knocked off No. 1-seed Indiana on Monday night.

Tom Brady never played for the Raiders, but he still made his way to Sin City in retirement -- the 7-time Super Bowl champion just became a part owner of the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces!!

Raiders and Aces owner Mark Davis made the announcement minutes ago ... saying, "Since I purchased the Aces, our goal has been to win on and off the court. Tom Brady is a win not only for the Aces, and the WNBA, but for women’s professional sports as a whole."

The team says TB12 first got hooked on the Aces when he had a courtside seat as LV beat the Connecticut Sun during a home game on May 31, 2022.

Brady -- who also owns a Major League Pickleball team -- released a statement on the business venture ... saying, "I am very excited to be part of the Las Vegas Aces organization."

"My love for women’s sports began at a young age when I would tag along to all my older sisters' games -- They were by far the best athletes in our house! We celebrated their accomplishments together as a family, and they remain a great inspiration to me."

Brady added he loves what the players and coaches on the Aces, as well as the league as a whole, have been able to do to improve the sport and inspire young athletes.

"To be able to contribute in any way to that mission as a member of the Aces organization is an incredible honor."

Naturally, Brady joins a winning team -- the Aces secured the WNBA championship last season.

No word on how much Brady's piece of the Aces is worth -- reports have estimated the average WNBA team to be valued at $13.7 million -- but considering the guy made a ton of money on and off the field over the course of his 23-year career, he can spot the dough.

Chevy Chase met LeBron James for the first time Wednesday night at the Suns-Lakers game -- and the two icons seemed to really hit it off, sharing a warm embrace with one another on the court at Crypto.com Arena.

Chase -- a longtime Lakers fan who frequented games during the "Showtime Era" -- was invited by Jeanie Buss and Linda Rambis, wife of Kurt Rambis, to attend the Western Conference showdown between Phoenix and L.A.

Chevy didn't get to see LeBron play -- King James is still sidelined with a foot injury -- but the 79-year-old comedian got some face time with the Lakers superstar nonetheless ... and the guys really seemed to enjoy their interaction.

Chase hit up the game with his agent, Darren Prince -- and when he wasn't chatting with LeBron, he was taking pics courtside with Jeanie, and her fiancé, actor/comedian Jay Mohr.

Chevy wasn't the only legend at the game ... rapper Lil Wayne and NFL free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. were also courtside watching Devin Booker and Chris Paul go at it with Anthony Davis.

There was clearly no love lost for Ja Morant in Memphis during his recent suspension ... 'cause the second he returned to action for the Grizzlies, he was greeted with a massive standing ovation.

Ja -- after sitting out nearly the entire month of March for posting a video that showed him brandishing a gun at a Colorado gentleman's club -- made his long-awaited return to the NBA hardwood on Wednesday night against the Houston Rockets ... and the crowd went crazy after seeing him.

He came off the bench with 3:05 remaining in the first quarter ... and the nearly 18,000 fans at FedExForum in Memphis got on their feet to show they still supported him.

And, it didn't take long for the star point guard to give them more to cheer about -- minutes after he checked into the game, he dunked all over Houston's Kenyon Martin Jr.

Some of Ja's family was in attendance for the big night -- including his father, Tee, who wore a sweatshirt with an image of Morant and the word "Redemption."

Morant ultimately played 23 minutes in the game, scoring 17 points ... helping lead Memphis to a 130-125 victory.

Patrick Beverley is channeling his inner Rocky Balboa during the NBA season ... admitting he has ZERO sex the night before games -- 'cause he wants to keep his legs fresh!!

The Chicago Bulls guard revealed his routine on Barstool Sports' 'Pat Bev' podcast this week ... when his cohost, Rone, brought up how Larsa Pippen claimed she and Scottie used to have sex four times a night during their 23-year marriage -- and asked Pat how much bangin' is too much bangin'.

That's when Pat opened up on his own sex life ... saying, "So I don’t have sex night[s] before games."

As it turns out, Pat agrees with the superstition Rocky learned from his old trainer, Mick, in the classic boxing movies ... 'cause he wants to make sure he's 100% for tipoff.

"I wanna have fresh [legs], you know what I’m saying?" he added.

Beverley admits his wife, Mandana Bolourchi, isn't too crazy about the idea ... but at the end of the day, he's sticking to his guns.

"Wifey gonna kill me, though," Pat said. "It be hard, though, because you got games every other day and s***. Shoutout to [the] wifey, man."

Beverley's strategy seems to be working ... 'cause he's been playing well after joining the Bulls in February, and they've racked up solid wins as they fight for a spot in the playoffs.

Buddy Hield has just been fined $25,000 by the NBA ... and it's all 'cause he flipped off someone during the Pacers vs. Hornets game on Monday night.

League Exec Joe Dumars announced the punishment for the Indiana star on Wednesday afternoon ... after he was spotted shootin' the bird not once, but twice while on his team's bench.

The incident occurred with 11:30 left in the second quarter of the game ... as Hield was sitting next to Tyrese Haliburton.

Cameras showed Buddy appeared to be locked in on something ... before he discreetly tried to flash his left middle finger. Eventually, he just let the single-barrel salute fly.

Unclear who Hield was flipping off or what caused him to make the gesture ... but he seemed to crack a sly smile in the video, so it's possible it was all in jest.

Scary moment for Paul George on Tuesday night ... he suffered a gnarly knee injury in the Clippers' game against the Thunder -- and his status going forward is now in question.

George hurt his leg in the fourth quarter of the contest against OKC -- as he was coming down from grabbing a rebound.

Broadcast cameras showed when he landed on the court, he awkwardly bumped into Luguentz Dort ... causing his knee to bend backward.

The 32-year-old immediately crumpled to the court in pain. Trainers tended to him for several minutes, before they helped him off the floor. George didn't appear able to put any pressure on the leg.

Clips head coach Ty Lue didn't have much of an update on his star after the game -- but, reportedly, George was seen leaving Crypto.com Arena on a cart with his leg locked in an extended position.

Of course, George is no stranger to severe injuries ... back in 2014, he suffered a gruesome broken leg while playing for Team USA. The knee he injured Tuesday was a part of that same leg, though the two ailments don't appear to be related.

The Clippers ended up losing the game without George -- and they'll certainly need him moving forward if they want to avoid more of that ... they're currently in a fight with seven or eight other teams vying for some of the last spots in the playoffs.

Get well soon, PG.

Kevin Garnett revealed he squashed his beef with former teammate Ray Allen because of Kobe Bryant ... saying the tragic and unexpected death of the NBA icon made him realize life's too short to be angry.

Quick refresher ... Allen, KG, and Paul Pierce were teammates with the Boston Celtics, where they won the NBA title together in 2008.

However, their Big 3 was split up when Ray left for the Miami Heat in 2012 ... a move that really pissed off KG, who felt some type of way when the 10-time All-Star chose their conference rival over him and Paul.

"What made the Ray situation so prolific with us is because the structure we built in Boston, the three of us built that," Garnett told Kevin Hart on his "Cold as Balls" show this week. "So if it was one team we had an issue with, it was Miami."

"I wasn't looking at it like, better business decision for Ray, [or] Ray has a chance to get another ring -- I ain't take on none of that! I was in my own feelings!"

But, when Kobe passed away on January 26, 2020, it changed Garnett's whole mindset ... culminating with the former friends turned enemies coexisting together, peacefully, at the NBA's 75th Anniversary event, as well as hugging it out at KG's jersey retirement ceremony in 2022.

“The passing of Kob and all of us getting older helped me understand that life is not given to none of us," the hooper said.

"It would have f***ed with me if something were to happen to Ray and I didn’t get a chance to amend this."

"I got off the bulls***."

Draymond Green is speaking out on the rumors surrounding his teammate Andrew Wiggins ... saying it doesn't matter if it's true or not, the "nosy" and "disgusting" people need to mind their business.

Wiggins -- who was traded to the Golden State Warriors in 2020 -- stepped away from the team after their Feb. 13 game (right before the All-Star break) due to a personal matter.

The situation is really intense, according to an anonymous player, who told The Athletic, "What he’s dealing with is some real s***."

Rumors about Wiggins' absence have been circulating social media ... and Green, his teammate, has seen some of what's been said, and he's pissed.

"I'm not here to say whether it's true or false. I don't know -- not my business!!" Green said Tuesday on his podcast. "But point being, it's not yours either!!"

"Like y'all are so thirsty to know what's going on in someone's life that THAT becomes the thing?!"

The 4-time NBA champ continued to rip those spreading rumors without evidence -- calling them insane and disgusting for investigating Wiggins' personal life.

"That's insane!! That's nuts!! The fact that people are so nosy and so consumed on what someone else do in their life, not basketball, in their life that THAT is the story ... with no confirmation of nothing?! Sometimes people disgust me," the 33-year-old said.

"I don't think it matters for the world to ever know if it is [true] or isn't."

Wiggins has yet to respond to any of the gossip ... but his girlfriend, Mychal Johnson, recently tweeted, "Literally the farthest thing from the truth. It’s sad y’all even doing this."

Willis Reed will be honored by the NBA tonight ... with the Association holding a leaguewide moment of silence for the late Knicks legend, TMZ Sports has learned.

Our sources tell us there will be a pause to reflect on the Hall of Famer's passing prior to the tipoff of all six scheduled games Tuesday night.

Some of the games on tonight's slate include the Celtics vs. Kings and Cavaliers vs. Nets.

The Knicks don't play ... they're back in action on Wednesday, when they'll face the Heat.

Of course, Reed died at the age of 80 on Tuesday after battling health issues, including congestive heart failure.

Willis was a beloved figure, especially in New York, and news of his death rocked the league.

Commissioner Adam Silver released a statement addressing Reed's passing, calling him "the ultimate team player and consummate leader."

In fact, Silver said his first NBA memories were of watching Willis as a young boy.

"My earliest and fondest memories of NBA basketball are of watching Willis, who embodied the winning spirit that defined the New York Knicks’ championship teams in the early 1970s.  He played the game with remarkable passion and determination, and his inspiring comeback in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals remains one of the most iconic moments in all of sports," the statement read in part.

In addition to the moment of silence, it's all but guaranteed the Knicks will also honor their Captain.