Basketball

Bronny James' sophomore basketball season is in jeopardy -- the 16-year-old high school superstar has reportedly gone under the knife to repair a torn meniscus.

LeBron James' son -- a 4-star recruit in the Class of 2023 -- first revealed the injury during a Twitch stream 3 weeks ago ... saying, "Bro, I tore my meniscus."

The Sierra Canyon H.S. guard recently had surgery to fix the issue, according to the Los Angeles Daily News ... and is expected to make a full recovery.

There's one major issue -- Bronny is at risk of missing some serious time and maybe even the entire season ... depending on when the state of California allows indoor sports to resume due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

FYI -- recovery time for a torn meniscus is usually around 3 months, according to WebMD ... so depending on when the season starts, he could miss all of his sophomore campaign.

On the bright side, Bronny has already caught the eyes of Duke, Kentucky, Kansas and more ... and while missing the season would be a huge bummer, he's still LeBron James Jr.

Kyrie Irving is breathing new life into the movement to replace the NBA logo with an image of Kobe Bryant -- saying straight-up, "Gotta Happen."

"[I don't care] what anyone says," Irving posted on Wednesday alongside a mockup of a pretty awesome-looking Kobe logo designed by Tyson Beck.

"BLACK KINGS BUILT THE LEAGUE," Irvin added.

A bunch of Kyrie's famous friends immediately supported Irving's proposal in the comments section -- from Dez Bryant to Stephen Jackson ... even the official Bruce Lee IG account co-signed on the idea!

The "Kobe for NBA Logo" movement gained a bunch of momentum following Mamba's tragic death in January 2020 ... with huge and influential stars like Mark Cuban and Paul Pierce publicly throwing their support behind the move.

Even Justin Bieber pushed for the change. But, as time passed, the voices calling for change quieted down. Maybe Kyrie will get everyone talking again?!

As for Jerry West, the current NBA legend featured in the logo, he's previously said he's open for the league to switch it up.

In fact, Alan Siegel, who created the logo back in 1969 told Newsweek he'd be cool with a change as well.

"I'm really proud of the logo, it's been something that's been recognized around the world, but if the current players want to recognize someone that's made a difference, like Kobe, and if the commissioner wanted to do so, I would support it."

So, really ... everyone seems on board with a switch.

The league did implement some changes around the league to honor Kobe -- renaming the All-Star Game MVP trophy after him ... as well as changing the game's scoring format to include his #24.

But, will Kobe become the new logo?!

NBA superstar Russell Westbrook is following LeBron's lead ... opening a state-of-the-art school for underprivileged youth in his home city!!

The 32-year-old SoCal native has partnered with the L.A. Promise Fund to launch the "Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy" ... which will cater to students in South Los Angeles from grades 6 through 12.

Brodie announced the decision in a touching video on Wednesday ... while he was being interviewed by one of his future students!

"My plan is making sure you guys and the future kids coming in have access to all the resources you need to be successful," the former NBA MVP said.

The schools will focus on providing access to "high-quality athletic programs while balancing a strong education and leadership development," according to a statement from the Foundation.

Westbrook says he will be actively involved with the school -- and will serve as a board member to oversee the progress.

Of course, LeBron's "I Promise" School in Akron has been a huge success -- with student program's test scores exceeding expectations since it opened in 2018.

The 2021 NBA All-Star Game is in Atlanta -- so it's only fitting organizers booked the woman behind "Midnight Train to Georgia" to sing the national anthem!

The NBA announced the legendary Gladys Knight will do the honors of singing the Star-Spangled Banner at the State Farm Arena on March 7, as part of a tribute to HBCUs [historically black colleges and universities].

In fact, the NBA notes Knight graduated from Shaw University in North Carolina -- one of the oldest HBCUs in the country.

Knight has experience singing the anthem at high-profile events -- remember when she crushed it at the Super Bowl in 2019?!

As for the NBA All-Star Game, entertainment will also include an original rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” -- known as the Black National Anthem -- to be performed by the Clark Atlanta University Philharmonic Society Choir.

"The rendition will honor NAACP leader and Black national anthem songwriter James Weldon Johnson, who is also a Clark Atlanta alumnus," the NBA says.

The Grambling State University Tiger Marching Band and Florida A&M University Marching 100 will also perform during NBA All-Star player introductions.

And, there will also be a step show!!

"Throughout the game, members of the Divine Nine fraternities and sororities, a prestigious group of nine historically Black Greek letter organizations, will introduce Atlanta’s most reputable step teams from Spelman College and Morehouse College."

How cool is that?!

"Devin Booker is the most disrespected player in our league!!! Simple as that."

LeBron James is FURIOUS about Devin Booker's snub from the All-Star Game ... saying the Phoenix Suns star was more than deserving to make the team in 2021.

The Western Conference reserves were just announced Tuesday ... and while huge names like Damian Lillard, Anthony Davis, Chris Paul and Zion Williamson were picked, 24-year-old Booker didn't make the cut.

Of course, Booker is averaging nearly 25 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists a game ... with the red-hot Suns sitting at 4th place in the conference standings with a 20-10 record so far this season.

Apparently, that wasn't enough for the NBA coaches ... who each voted for 7 reserves to rep their conference in the game.

King James fired off about the snub on Twitter ... and he wasn't the only one.

Blazers guard CJ McCollum also expressed his dissatisfaction with Book getting left out ... saying, Damn @DevinBook really didn’t make it ? That’s craxy . Bruh really cold too smh. Sick world"

LBJ also weighed in on Lillard not being named a starter for the ASG ... saying he's the second most disrespected player behind Booker.

Now, there's still hope Booker sneaks into the festivities and becomes a replacement for AD, who is dealing with a calf and Achilles injury.

Big news for Toronto Raptors guard Terence Davis ... prosecutors have dropped the domestic violence charges against him stemming from an Oct. 2020 incident.

As we previously reported ... 23-year-old Davis was arrested after officials say he repeatedly punched his ex-GF in the face during an argument at the Beekman Tower hotel in NY.

Davis' ex-GF also told police he smashed her phone when she refused to stop recording him during the alleged incident.

Cops were called to the scene and he was ultimately booked for misdemeanor assault and misdemeanor criminal mischief charges.

But now, prosecutors have dropped the case against Davis, as first reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Davis is a pretty good player -- he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2020 which is impressive considering he was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2019.

LeBron James is making sure Nipsey Hussle and Kobe Bryant live on forever in his household ... he just hung a tribute piece to the 2 fallen legends in his hallway.

The King revealed the artwork late Wednesday night ... saying he has plans to walk by the photo daily to remember the former rapper and ex-NBA superstar.

"Wit me every single day when walking my hallways," James said after posing for pics with the piece in his home. "Continues to live on! #LegendsNeverDie."

The artwork is pretty incredible ... it's a framed piece showing Nipsey and Kobe staring at each other with gold leaf crowns perched atop their heads.

James has spoken at length about what the two guys have meant to him ... and he even got a tattoo tribute for Kobe after the basketball legend passed away.

As for Nipsey, just days after the rapper was murdered in Los Angeles in March 2019, James said, "it's one of the most unfortunate events that's happened in American history."

Perhaps not coincidentally, James also revealed Wednesday that he's now mulling a music career.

In a late-night tweet, James said he does NOT want to rap ... but rather, he's looking to help produce an album in some way.

"My love for music is INSANE!!!" James said. "I think I’m going to do a album. Oh no I won’t be rapping or anything like that. I’m not crazy, I know what I’m great at, but I tell you one thing I do have. So many friends that can. Thinking out loud."

Touching tributes from Fred Hoiberg and about a dozen other NCAA coaches this week ... they all took the sidelines with a commemorative towel around their shoulders to pay homage to the late John Thompson.

Nearly 4 months after the iconic Georgetown coach died at 78 years old ... the National Association of Basketball Coaches initiated the honor -- and so far, it's been awesome.

Hoiberg broke out his towel Tuesday night in Nebraska's game against Maryland, and you can see it featured a photo of Thompson over a black background.

Other star coaches -- like Florida State's Leonard Hamilton and Virginia's Tony Bennett -- also sported the towels this week.

More are expected to join the tribute later as well.

"John Thompson was an icon in our profession, and we wanted to make sure his legacy was celebrated in a prominent way this season," NABC exec Craig Robinson said in a statement.

"Big John not only achieved the highest levels of coaching success during his career, but he also paved the way for more equitable opportunities for countless Black student-athletes and coaches -- me included."

"Our goal is that this collective effort by coaches will bring about important dialogue and help educate those watching on what Big John meant to our game and our society."

Of course, Thompson -- who was the 1st Black head coach to win a major college championship -- famously wore towels around his shoulders when he was on the sidelines coaching.

In fact, Thompson was so well known for the towel ... after he died, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Shaq all sported one on their shoulders on "Inside The NBA" to pay tribute.

COVID is still messing with Jayson Tatum's lungs -- weeks after he was cleared to return to the NBA the Celtics star admits he's still having trouble breathing normally during games.

The 22-year-old Boston Celtics star tested positive for coronavirus on Jan. 9 -- but recovered quickly and was back on the court on Jan. 25 ... when he dropped 24 on the Chicago Bulls.

For the most part, he's looked great since the COVID leave -- but Tatum admits he's still not 100%

"I have experienced some games where, I don’t want to say struggling to breathe, but you get fatigued a lot quicker than normal," Tatum told the Boston Globe.

"Just running up and down the court a few times, it’s easier to get out of breath or tired a lot faster."

Tatum says his breathing has "gotten better" over time, but it's still an issue.

"It’s just certain stretches where breathing is a little out of whack," Tatum explained ... "and I talk to the medical staff and coaching staff about it."

As far as Tatum's stats ... his numbers have dipped since he returned to action, but nothing to panic about.

The Globe points out his shooting percentage from the field has dropped from 47.4% to 42.7% ... and his 3-point shooting is also down -- 43.8% to 36.9%.

"I guess it’s just a long process [to fully recover]," Tatum said.

"My mindset is I'm going to play again."

That's Florida Gators star Keyontae Johnson opening up about his battle to get back on the basketball court just 2 months after he collapsed during a game ... despite still not knowing exactly what caused his medical emergency.

It was on Dec. 12 when the 21-year-old star crashed to the hardwood during a game against Florida State. As fate would have it, there was a cardiologist sitting in the stands that day who raced over to Johnson to provide medical aid.

"I was passed out. I could have died," Johnson told FloridaGators.com ... "She jumped out on the court and saved me. If it isn't for her, I may not have had a second chance in life. You just can't take life for granted."

Johnson was eventually transported to a nearby hospital in Tallahassee before being moved back to the UF hospital in Gainesville. At one point, he was placed in a medically induced coma.

3 days after the incident, Johnson awoke from his coma -- and admits, he was very scared.

"I was definitely scared. I had just woken up. I was confused and wasn't sure what was going to happen next. My grandmother was there in the room praying for me. We all prayed together and left it in God's hands."

Johnson was released from the hospital on Dec. 22 -- 10 days after the incident -- and his recovery has been a miracle. He's been cleared for some stretching exercises, yoga and some limited shooting on the court.

So, what caused the collapse? The short answer is ... it's still a mystery. Johnson says he's still undergoing a battery of tests so doctors can try and figure out what led to the incident.

"I'm still taking tests and going to be taking a lot more tests," Johnson says ... "I'll have to get on a treadmill eventually and be connected to things. MRIs, EKGs, stress tests, all that, to find out what caused this. I'm going to the doctor every 2 weeks."

Fact is ... no one knows for sure if Keyontae -- one of the top players in the country -- will ever be cleared to play high-level basketball ever again. But, he's not ready to throw in the towel just yet.

"My dad is staying positive. My mom is, as well. I remember her saying, 'What happens if the doctors say you can't play again?' I told her, 'I don't know. We're not at that situation, yet.'"

When asked if Keyontae thinks he'll ever be able to get back to the skill level he was at before the incident, Keyontae stayed optimistic.

"I do. Right now, until the doctors say otherwise, I'm going to stick with the positive mindset that I'm playing again."

And, if he can't play again ... KJ already has a backup plan.

"I'd probably want to be a coach and take what I've learned from here and try to be a step ahead."

Draymond Green thinks it's complete "bulls**t" for an NBA team to bench a player while seeking to trade him ... just like the Cavs are doing to Andre Drummond.

Green's Golden State Warriors destroyed the Cavs on Monday in a 129 to 98 thrashing ... but it wasn't until after the game that Draymond REALLY went off.

"To watch Andre Drummond before the game, sit on the sidelines, then go to the back and then come out in street clothes because the team is going to trade him is bulls**t."

Here's the backstory ... it's no secret the Cavs are looking to move on from 27-year-old Drummond in favor of the new 22-year-old center Jarrett Allen.

The trade deadline is March 25 -- and Cavs GM Koby Altman has said Drummond would no longer be active for games until a deal is done.

FYI, Drummond is reportedly making $28.7 million this season as part of a 5-year, $127 million contract.

Clearly, Draymond feels it's unfair for Drummond -- a 2-time NBA All-Star -- claiming it's a disrespectful move that's also bad for Andre's mental health.

"When James Harden asked for a trade, and essentially dogged it -- no one's going to fight back that James was dogging it his last days in Houston -- but he was CASTRATED for wanting to go to a different team," Draymond said.

"And yet, a team can come out and say, 'Oh, we want to trade a guy,' and then that guy has to go sit?! And, if he doesn't stay professional, then he's a cancer?! And, he's not good in someone's locker room, and he's the issue."

"And, we've seen situations of Harrison Barnes getting pulled off the bench ... DeMarcus Cousins finding out he's traded in an interview after the All-Star Game, and we continue to let this happen. But, I got fined for stating my opinion on what I thought should happen with another player, but teams can come out and continue to say, 'Oh, we're trading guys, we're not playing you.' And yet, we're to stay professional?!"

Draymond continued, "At some point, as players, we need to be treated with the same respect and have the same rights that the team can have. Because as a player, you're the worst person in the world when you want a different situation."

Green says it's crazy that "a team can say they're trading you and that man is to stay in shape, he is to stay professional. And if not, his career is on the line. At some point, this league has to protect the players from embarrassment like that."

"And then, when Kyrie Irving says, 'Oh, my mental health is off,' everybody goes crazy about that too! Do you not think that affects someone mentally?"

"As much as we put into this game to be great, to come out here and be in shape, to produce for fans every single night, and most importantly, to help your team win, do you think that doesn't affect someone mentally?"

Green ended the conversation this way ...

A 26-year-old former college basketball player has been arrested in Mexico after officials say he allegedly murdered a woman inside a Tijuana strip club.

... and it appears the murder was captured on surveillance video.

The suspect is Logan Kelley -- who played 3 games for Rutgers during the 2012-13 season before landing at the University of Montevallo, where he played in 20 games in the 2015-16 season. Before that, Kelley was a star high school player who led the state of NJ in scoring during his senior year.

But now, Kelley is making headlines for all the wrong reasons -- officials say he sneaked up behind a female employee at the Adelita Bar and sliced her neck with a folding knife Wednesday before trying to make a run for it, according to SD Union Tribune's Wendy Fry.

In a surveillance video, which we've seen but chosen not to publish, you can see a man wearing a COVID mask rush up behind the victim, stab her in the neck, and throw her to the ground while shocked bystanders scream in horror.

The footage also shows the suspect trying to run away.

Officials say Kelley was detained at the scene by security guards and held until police arrived to make the arrest. Cops have released a photo of Kelley taken after he was arrested.

Medical personnel raced to the club to try and treat the victim, but it was too late ... and she was declared dead at the scene. The victim has been identified by police as 19-year-old Isis Atalia Montoya Romero.

Police also say they have recovered the suspected murder weapon -- a 4 to 6-inch folding knife.

A college basketball team in Virginia was given two options -- stop kneeling for the national anthem or face suspension ... and the players chose to kneel.

NAIA Div. II school Bluefield College was forced to forfeit Thursday's conference matchup with Reinhardt University ... after players involved in national anthem demonstrations were suspended from the team.

Here's the deal ... the BC Rams team has been kneeling for the anthem during games in January and February this year ... despite school president David Olive telling them to cut it out.

Olive decided to take matters into his own hands by unleashing the punishment this week ... saying, "The basis for my decision stemmed from my own awareness of how kneeling is perceived by some in our country, and I did not think a number of our alumni, friends, and donors of the College would view the act of kneeling during the anthem in a positive way."

"Pointing to the already fractured and divided nature of our country, I did not want Bluefield College contributing to the further divide; rather, I wanted the College to bring people together in a united effort to address issues of racial injustice," he said.

Olive says he's been speaking with the school's athletic director and the athletes about bringing awareness to social injustice in ways other than the anthem kneeling ... but felt he was left with no choice but to suspend players after it began drawing widespread media attention.

"I further told them that their intended message in bringing awareness of racial injustices was being diluted or completely lost because some saw their act of kneeling as being disrespectful to the flag, our country, and to our veterans."

He continued ... "In my opinion, their message was not being heard."

Olive presented several alternatives -- like kneeling during player intros, reading a message about combating racism before home games -- but the players refused to compromise.

WARNING: LOOK AWAY IF YOU'RE SQUEAMISH!!

Portland Trailblazers star Enes Kanter took an elbow straight to the face during a game Thursday night ... and the wound was so bad, he bled all over the court!!

The wild scene all went down late in the first half of Portland's game against the Philadelphia 76ers ... when Kanter and several others were trying to lock up a rebound.

As 28-year-old Kanter lifted off the ground, his face collided with teammate Robert Covington's elbow -- and he immediately reached for his forehead in pain.

The friendly-fire strike opened up a huge gash just above Kanter's left eye ... and he had to hit the locker room right away for treatment.

The good news? The Trailblazers training staff was able to put 3 stitches in the cut ... and Kanter then returned to the game -- and helped the Blazers win, 118-114!

"The eye is good, man," Kanter said afterward, showing off the stitches and swelling. "I'm a Turkish warrior. A little cut isn't going to keep me out."

The Toronto Raptors better get comfortable in their new homes ... 'cause the team is officially finishing the 2021 season in Tampa due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Of course, that wasn't the original plan -- the team agreed to play the start of the season in Florida amid the coronavirus pandemic ... as Canada officials didn't want teams flying in from the U.S. and possibly spreading the virus.

At the time of the decision, there was hope things would clear up enough for the Raps to return to the 6 for the latter part of the 2021 campaign ... but that dream officially ended Thursday, with the team announcing they will play at Amalie Arena for the remainder of the season.

Team president Masai Ujiri released a statement on the decision ... saying, "Florida has been really welcoming to us and we’re so grateful for the hospitality we’ve found in Tampa and at Amalie – we’re living in a city of champions, and we intend to carry on the tradition of winning for our new friends and fans here."

"But home is where the heart is, and our hearts are in Toronto. We think often of our fans, of our Scotiabank Arena family, and all those we are missing back home, and we can’t wait until we can all be together again."

Mark Cuban has axed national anthems from the Dallas Mavericks' pregame routines this season ... saying Tuesday night, "It was my decision."

Cuban added in a message to the New York Times, "I made it in November."

The NBA owner declined to further explain the choice ... but it seems clear, Cuban is preferring to have his team avoid all the controversy that's come with the song's playing over the last few years.

You'll recall ... after Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the NFL's playing of anthems in 2016 to protest police brutality and racial injustice in America -- critics, including Donald Trump, slammed the move as unpatriotic.

Trump went so far as to say the NFL should fire any "son of a bitch" who participated in the demonstration.

The polarizing kneeling quickly spread to other sports ... and despite the NBA's longstanding stand-for-the-anthem policy, players and coaches alike knelt during the song's playing in the NBA bubble at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement this past summer.

League Commish Adam Silver gave teams the choice this season over how to handle the pregame song ... and, for now, Cuban appears to be the only owner who's nixed it from the in-game experiences.

According to The Athletic, the Mavericks -- who hadn't had fans in the arena until just this week when 1,500 vaccinated healthcare workers received tickets to a game -- have not played the anthem in any of their 13 preseason and regular-season games so far.

Seems New Orleans Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy wouldn't mind if his team took the same approach ... the 61-year-old said Wednesday morning, "This should happen everywhere."

"If you think the anthem needs to be played before sporting events, then play it before every movie, concert, church service and the start of every work day at every business," Van Gundy added. "What good reason is there to play the anthem before a game?"

FYI, Cuban has supported peaceful protests during the national anthems in the past ... saying to ESPN in June before the NBA's bubble restart, "If they were taking a knee and they were being respectful, I’d be proud of them."

"Hopefully, I’d join them."