Basketball

It's all over for Duke ... the school announced its 2020-21 season is OVER thanks to COVID -- thus ending the school's streak of 24 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.

The Blue Devils basketball team was already having one of the worst seasons in recent years with a 13-11 overall record and 9-9 in the ACC.

Duke's chances of making the NCAA tourney were largely dependent on winning the ACC tournament, which would have given the school an automatic bid into the big bracket.

Duke won its first 2 games in the ACC tournament -- but a member of the program tested positive for COVID-19 following Wednesday's game ... which has forced the team to quarantine.

Because of the COVID situation, Duke has officially withdrawn from the ACC tourney ... essentially killing all chances of Duke going to March Madness.

Duke athletic director Kevin White says the situation will effectively "end our 2020-21 season."

"We wish every team still playing college basketball good health and the very best during the next few weeks."

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski -- who's been leading the program since 1980 -- said, "While our season was different than any other that I can remember, I loved the 2020-21 Duke Basketball team and was honored to be their coach."

"We have not asked more of any team in our history, and they deserve enormous credit for handling everything like the outstanding young men they are."

Coach K continued ... "We are disappointed we cannot keep fighting together as a group after two outstanding days in Greensboro. This season was a challenge for every team across the country and as we have seen over and over, this global pandemic is very cruel and is not yet over."

"As many safeguards as we implemented, no one is immune to this terrible virus."

The NBA has suspended Miami Heat player Meyers Leonard for ONE WEEK for hurling an anti-Semitic comment during a video game sesh ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Leonard was also fined $50,000.

For the record, Leonard will make more than $9 million in contract money this season.

There's more ... the NBA says Leonard will be required to participate in a cultural diversity program.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Leonard's comment was "inexcusable and hurtful and such an offensive term has no place in the NBA or in our society. "

Silver continued, "Yesterday, he spoke to representatives of the Anti-Defamation League to better understand the impact of his words and we accept that he is genuinely remorseful."

"We have further communicated to Meyers that derogatory comments like this will not be tolerated and that he will be expected to uphold the core values of our league -- equality, tolerance, inclusion and respect -- at all times moving forward."

Leonard's Miami Heat teammates and coaches spoke about the situation during a media session on Wednesday.

Head coach Erik Spoelstra said he's been in touch with Leonard -- who he considers a "good human being."

Spoelstra says Meyers "feels really bad" about using the anti-Semitic K-work during a video game streaming session and is getting a better understanding of why the word is hurtful and dangerous.

Miami Heat star Udonis Haslem also spoke out about Leonard's comment -- saying he has a bunch of Jewish friends and reached out to make sure they know hate speech is NOT tolerated within the Heat organization.

"I have a lot of Jewish friends and ya know, they call me Udonis Haslem-berg sometimes," he joked.

Meyers Leonard is wasting no time making good on his vow to educate himself about the Jewish community in the wake of his anti-Semitic incident ... TMZ Sports has learned the NBA player has already been in contact with multiple Jewish organizations and Jewish leaders.

We've spoken with multiple people connected to Leonard and reps from several high-profile Jewish orgs. and everyone is essentially saying the same thing ... nobody wants Leonard to be "canceled," they want to help him learn and grow from this experience.

As we previously reported, Leonard was live-streaming during a 'Call of Duty' video game sesh on Monday and used the anti-semitic K-word to insult an opponent. Video of the incident surfaced on Tuesday and things escalated quickly.

Leonard issued an apology saying he was "deeply sorry" -- and insisting he was "committed to properly seeking out people who can help educate me about this type of hate and how we can fight it."

We've learned the people who have since been in contact with Leonard are leaders in different parts of the Jewish community from rabbis to Holocaust survivors ... even NFL star Julian Edelman, who publicly reached out to Leonard on social media and invited him to a Shabbat dinner.

The impression Leonard is leaving on people so far is that he is genuinely sorry and is committed to doing the work to educate himself about why the K-word is offensive and dangerous.

... and yeah, we're told Leonard is seriously considering taking Edelman up on his Shabbat dinner offer.

One important point ... all of the people we've spoken with are telling us the focus is on getting results, not publicity, which is why we're not naming the orgs. he's been in contact with.

Broadcasting legend Joe Tait -- voice of the Cleveland Cavaliers for 39 seasons -- has died after battles with kidney failure and liver cancer. He was 83 years old.

Tait joined the Cavs radio team for the inaugural season in 1970 ... and stayed on the mic nearly every year until his retirement in 2011.

Tait was known for his signature calls over the years -- including the Miracle in Richfield in 1976, when the Cavs won their first playoff series.

He was also known for his classic opener and sign-off -- "It's basketball time at ..." and "This is Joe Tait. Have a good night, everybody!"

Tait was recognized by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010, when he received the Curt Gowdy Media Award ... which is given to outstanding writers and broadcasters.

Cleveland also honored Tait with a commemorative banner at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse prior to his departure from the team ... which hangs in the rafters alongside the retired jerseys.

The Cavs released a statement Wednesday afternoon ... saying, "The Cleveland Cavaliers mourn the passing of one of our beloved founding fathers and the original, long-time voice of the franchise – Joe Tait."

"A friend and mentor to many over the years, Joe Tait wasn’t just a member of the Cavaliers family; he was a part of the Cavs story like no one else and his voice and unique, candid perspective reverberates throughout the team’s history. He will be dearly missed."

Tait spoke about his life in an interview published just days ago ... saying, "I’m not afraid to die," he told The Plain Dealer.

"I do wonder what happens after you die. If anything does. I’m curious to find out. I do know I’ve had a good life. Lots of people have been great to me."

RIP.

Here's Ben Simmons' best assist of the season so far ...

The Philadelphia 76ers star gifted his brother a brand new Audi for his birthday Tuesday ... and the pass off was so sweet, it brought big bro to tears!!!

Simmons recorded the whole thing on Instagram Live ... surprising his brother, Sean, in front of around 10,000 people who were watching on the live stream.

The video is super adorable ... Simmons walked toward his garage and told Sean, his older half-brother, "I got to show you something."

He then flipped around the camera -- and BOOM, brand-new Audi SUV!!!

"So, that's your car!" Ben told Sean. "I got you a car! It's yours, man! It's all yours, man!"

Sean was in complete shock ... and started laughing -- but a short time later, the tears started flowing!!!

"Why would you go and do something like that?!" Sean said, before thanking Ben over and over again.

The cutest part of the vid? Ben said he considered buying Sean a two-door, but got the bigger version to be "baby-friendly."

Simmons then joked about Sean's tears of joy ... screaming, "He's crying on the live!"

As for why Ben didn't hand-deliver the car himself -- the NBA point guard is currently under quarantine after he and teammate Joel Embiid reportedly came into close contact recently with someone who was COVID-19 positive.

Don't worry, Ben appears to be all good -- he's reportedly producing negative test results -- and could be back in time for Sunday's game against the San Antonio Spurs.

LeBron James -- future basketball Hall of Famer AND NFL All-Pro receiver???

Greg Olsen says with 1 year of coaching, he could make that happen ... explaining he could do the same for Russell Westbrook as well!!!

The 3-time NFL Pro Bowl tight end joined Colin Cowherd on "The Colin Cowherd Podcast" on Monday ... and broke down how he could turn the NBA players into NFL stars in just 12 months.

"If I could coach LeBron James for one year, I could make him an All-Pro wide receiver," Olsen said. "There's no question in my mind."

Olsen added, "I could turn Russell Westbrook into an All-Pro free safety."

Don't get it twisted ... Olsen wasn't trying to brag about his coaching skills -- he just told Cowherd the NBA players are just that damn talented.

"There's a handful of those guys that could make the transition just because they are so unique," Olsen said. "But there's few and far between those guys."

LeBron's successes as a football player are well-documented ... he was a BALLER in high school before he switched to hoops full-time.

In fact, the Lakers superstar once said the Dallas Cowboys actually offered him a contract after he started training for football back in 2011!!

Creighton head coach Greg McDermott is making his return to the bench this week ... one game after he was suspended for making a racially insensitive comment in a post-game speech last week.

As we previously reported, McDermott admitted to using a "plantation" analogy after a 77-69 loss to Xavier on Feb. 27 ... saying, "Guys, we got to stick together. We need both feet in. I need everybody to stay on the plantation. I can't have anybody leave the plantation."

McDermott apologized for the comment -- he even offered to resign from his position -- and was suspended from the team last Thursday.

The school has officially ended that punishment on Monday ... with Creighton AD Bruce Rasmussen saying McDermott "demonstrated a commitment to growth" in the days following the incident.

"I believe his apology, his commitment to grow from this, to learn, and regain the trust of his student-athletes and others impacted by his words," Rasmussen said.

The school says McDermott will also participate in a program with the Racial Equity Institute, which helps educate people on racism in institutional and structural settings.

A signed ticket from Kobe Bryant’s epic last NBA game ever -- when Mamba dropped 60 points -- just sold for over $40K at auction!!

The April 13, 2016 game will never be forgotten ... Bryant had one of the greatest final performances in sports history.

Then 37-year-old Mamba single-handedly delivered his Los Angeles Lakers team to victory over the Utah Jazz -- scoring 15 of the team's final 17 points.

Kobe -- who knocked down big shot after big shot -- finished the game with 60 points ... capping off his 20-year, Hall of Fame career.

A ticket from the game (section 302, Row 2W, Seat 2) was on the auction block at Goldin Auctions ... and after 42 bids, it ultimately sold for $40,590.

The identity of the buyer is not known.

What's interesting ... the Staples Center attendance for Kobe's last game was listed at 18,997. Now, all those tickets obviously weren't adorned with Kobe's signature.

Michael Jordan’s signed, game-worn Air Jordan 1’s are on the auction block ... but the coolest part about the kicks is the backstory -- ‘cause MJ used the J’s to recruit an H.S. hooper to UNC.

According to MEARS Auctions -- the peeps behind the sale -- there was a grandma in the mid-1980s who had a grandson who could ball his ass off.

He was one of the best players in the nation, and tons of schools -- including Jordan's alma mater, the University of North Carolina -- pulled out all the stops while recruiting him.

Legendary UNC coach Dean Smith personally visited grandma -- who was very tight with her grandson -- and he didn't hesitate to use his secret weapon ... Michael Jordan.

Of course, Jordan was a superstar at UNC. In 1981, he was the ACC Freshman of the Year. As a sophomore, he hit the NCAA Tournament-winning shot against Patrick Ewing’s Georgetown squad.

MJ left Chapel Hill after his junior year ... and was the 3rd overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft (s/o Sam Bowie 😬).

Coach Smith arranged a meeting between granny and MJ ... and in early 1985, she traveled to Chi-town for a Bulls game.

After the game, grandma was escorted to a private area of Chicago Stadium ... where Jordan -- still in his white and red uniform -- approached her.

Michael pitched grandma on the awesomeness of UNC ... passionately explaining why her grandson should play in Chapel Hill.

Before MJ bounced, he removed his Air Jordan 1's -- left shoe size 13, right size 13.5 -- signed both sneakers, and gave them to grandma.

Now, the AJ 1 ain't just any old shoe ... it's one of the most iconic ever created, and is credited in part with giving birth to sneaker culture.

Grandma held on to the kicks for 35 years ... before passing away. The sneakers were then gifted to an unknown person -- who put them on the block at MEARS.

Unfortunately, the consignor does not want the identity of the player revealed ... but we do know that MJ's hard sell did NOT work.

The grandson ultimately decided to play ball at another university.

Now you can own the historic pair of J's -- with the crazyyy backstory -- if ya have the money.

Auction ends this Saturday ... best of luck!!

The NBA All-Star Game did NOT turn into a super-spreader for COVID-19 ... with league officials saying there were ZERO new cases throughout the weekend.

Remember, there was great concern over hosting all the league's best players in one city during a global pandemic ... with players from LeBron James to De'Aaron Fox expressing their concerns leading up to the event.

But, the league says all the festivities went off without a hitch in Atlanta ... announcing all testing for players, coaches and officials came back negative throughout the weekend.

In fact, the Association says all participants were tested 3 TIMES to make sure there were no on-court infections, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

As for the game, Team LeBron beat Team Durant 170-150 in a crazy, highlight-filled matchup ... with Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo taking MVP honors after going 16-for-16 from the field.

COVID-19 protocols did play a bit of a role in the game, as Sixers stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons were pulled before tip-off due to contact tracing.

Now, the players have a few days off before the second half of the season picks up later this week.

Hopefully, the trend continues the same for the rest of the season.

Close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades AND the NBA Dunk Contest ... 'cause Blazers guard Anfernee Simons took home the top honors Sunday night after nearly kissing the rim!!!

The 21-year-old edged out Knicks rookie Obi Toppin and Pacers rookie Cassius Stanley to win it all during halftime of the All-Star Game ... showing off his INSANE hops in the process.

Simons' first dunk may have been the most creative of the night -- he grabbed the ball off a mini hoop 2 feet higher than the rim and brought it home for the slam.

There was a bit of controversy in the first round -- many believed Stanley's between-the-legs slam deserved a better score ... but ultimately, scored lowest out of the first three dunks.

Simons' second dunk was a tribute to one of his idols, Tracy McGrady -- throwing on a T-Mac throwback Raptors jersey for a one-bounce 360 dunk, which was good enough to earn him a spot in the finals.

Simons secured the win after his lips came within inches of the rim on his last attempt ... and even though his goal was to actually make contact with the rim, but at least it was enough to take home the hardware.

"In practice, I never actually kissed the rim, but I was like ... 'I gotta commit to it,'" Simons told the media after the contest.

"I tried to put a mouthpiece in last-minute, but it didn't fit in my mouth. I just scratched, and I'm just going to emphasize the smooch face so people know I'm next to the rim and trying to kiss it."

Karl-Anthony Towns' newest car purchase features an incredible tribute to his late mother ... with the NBA star having her signature embroidered into the headrests.

KAT's mother, Jackie, tragically passed away back in April 2020 after a lengthy battle with COVID-19.

The Minnesota Timberwolves center's GF, Jordyn Woods, revealed his new red Maybach in an Instagram video Thursday ... showing off the touching honor to Jackie in the interior of the high-end whip.

"Baby boys new car 😍," Woods said. "Proud of him. One of the most intelligent and hardest working people I know!!"

The car appears to be a Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600, which reportedly comes with a $200k price tag ... that is, without all the bells and whistles that KAT likely added.

It's been a tough year for KAT, to say the least -- several family members have died from COVID, including his mother.

Karl and his father Karl Sr. later tested positive for the virus -- but they have both since recovered.

Plus, Karl was also hit by a drunk driver before the 2020-21 season ... he recovered from that as well.

So, yeah ... we're happy to see KAT happy. You deserve it. Enjoy the new car.

NBA star Donovan Mitchell says the refs straight-up "screwed" the Utah Jazz out of a win Wednesday night against the 76ers ... slamming the officiating as "f**king ridiculous."

The All-Star guard was booted from the game in the final minute of the Jazz's 131-123 loss to Philadelphia in OT ... after receiving two technical fouls for arguing with refs over calls.

Mitchell was LIVID as he headed to the locker room ... unleashing his frustrations on a nearby water cooler as he left the court.

After the game, Mitchell continued to blast the refs ... saying, "It's tough to go out there and see how we fight and compete, and to have a game like that taken from us."

"This whole refereeing stuff ... We're nice, we don't complain, like, we don't get frustrated, we fight through things, and the fact that we continually get ... screwed, in a way, by this. You know?”

Spida -- an MVP candidate for the Western Conference-leading Jazz -- had a fantastic game leading up to the ejection with 33 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists ... and feels the Jazz should have gone home with the W.

"We won this game, in my personal opinion," Mitchell said. "But like I said, I’m going to give them credit. They won. Whatever. Cool."

"But it’s been a consistent thing, and the question is, ‘Can we do it? Can we sustain it? Are we for real #1? And, yeah, the hell we are. And it’s getting f**king ridiculous that this is what is happening."

Jazz big man Rudy Gobert had Mitchell's back after the game ... telling the media he hopes the refs are embarrassed by their performance.

"I think it's disrespectful, to be honest, to the game of basketball and to our team, and hopefully, they're going to watch the game when they get home," Gobert said.

"Hopefully, they feel ashamed when they watch the game."

It’s a good bet Mitchell and Gobert can expect a letter in the mail from the league in the near future.

"Yeah, it's over guys!!!"

Giannis Antetokounmpo had an epic reaction to Team LeBron's stacked lineup for the All-Star Game ... declaring an early victory while chowing down on some delicious lemon pepper wings!!

LeBron James' starting 5 is about as dominant as you can get -- with the Lakers superstar adding the Greek Freak, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic to his team Thursday night.

The Milwaukee Bucks star wasn't able to watch the ASG draft since he was on the court against the Grizzlies at the time ... but he was brought up to speed in a postgame interview after the close win over Memphis.

"That's the starting 5?!," Giannis asked, surprised. "Yeah, it's over guys!"

"Me, Lebron, Luka, Jokic and Steph?! Man, that's a good starting 5. That's a good starting 5!"

Side note -- this is all happening while Giannis is eating some of the most beautiful chicken wings you'll ever see. Why?? 'Cause he's in Memphis and that's what you do.

Back to the All-Star draft -- Giannis joked about being the first player picked out of the pool for the game ... asking if he gets any kind of special treatment.

"Do I get a hat? Do I get something? Do I gotta wear the suit now being number one overall?" Antetokounmpo joked ... before getting real for a sec.

"It's a compliment. I'ma just go there, have fun, try to represent the city the right way. Try to get a win for team Lebron and just have fun."

This marks the first time Giannis isn't a captain during the "draft-era" of the All-Star Game ... with Kevin Durant taking over duties in 2021.

KD's lineup is pretty scary, too -- with Bradley Beal, Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard and Jayson Tatum.

Scary situation for Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine -- cops were called to his home Thursday night after an allegedly obsessed woman showed up at his door and refused to leave.

Our law enforcement sources tell us ... 25-year-old LaVine was at his residence when the woman arrived.

We're told Zach did not know the woman -- but she had traveled from another state demanding to have a conversation with the young superstar.

When asked to leave the property, we're told the woman refused -- so cops were called.

Once help arrived, we're told officers took her to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation -- she was not formally arrested and has not been charged with a crime.

We reached out to LaVine's camp -- so far, no comment.

It's been a big week for LaVine -- who was just named to the NBA All-Star team for the first time in his career.

The Big Ticket will not become the Big Owner -- Kevin Garnett's investment group is out of the race to buy the Minnesota Timberwolves, the ex-NBA star announced Thursday.

As we previously reported, billionaire Glen Taylor -- who has owned the team since 1995 -- began listening to offers to sell the team back in July 2020 ... with KG "seriously interested" in taking over the reins with a group of investors.

But, that dream is officially dead ... with Garnett sounding off on the outcome in a fiery Instagram post.

"Sooo just got the news that this process in trying to acquire the TWOLVES IS OVER for me n my group," KG said. "Thx Glen for being yourself n what I Kno you to be!!! GOOD LUCK n aww the best with WHAT WE BUILT."

Remember, KG -- easily the best player in franchise history -- HATED Taylor for years ... but extended an olive branch in hopes of working together to rebuild the organization.

But, that strategy ultimately didn't work ... and Garnett says he's "not hurt, just disappointed" in losing out on the opportunity.

"Crazy that some of these players that helped build these fuxin Franchises like a home but can never own them, only rent them," he said.

"GTFOH ISHHH IS A JOKE ... Fux em doe ... your loss."

Garnett seems to be holding out hope on being an owner in the future, however ... listing cities like Las Vegas and Seattle as possibilities.

As for the Wolves?? He's taking the Chris Brown approach.