Basketball

"I've been waiting on y'all to ask me!!"

Draymond Green COULDN'T WAIT to respond to Team USA soccer star Megan Rapinoe on Thursday -- after she ripped him for his comments about the female pay gap in pro sports.

And, when the Golden State Warriors star began to explain himself ... he tried to make it clear they're both fighting for the same thing!!!

"I think what I've said has been extremely misconstrued," Green told the media ... "because I am on their side."

Green had previously said he was sick and tired of hearing female athletes "complain" about the pay gap instead of taking more effective action to get better contracts.

Rapinoe blasted Green on Wednesday -- saying he showed his "whole ass" with the "unacceptable" remarks.

"It's really unfortunate, in the position [Green's] in," the soccer superstar said, "having all of the resources that he has and the ability to have a much more educated opinion, that he just hasn't."

So, fast forward to Thursday when Green tried to clarify his position.

"At the end of the day, what Megan wants and what I want is the same thing," Green said.

"And, if she believes doing something a certain way gets her to the end goal, I'm all for that. And, if I believe doing something a certain way gets to the end goal, I'm all for that. So, if we can both do something to move the needle to get to the end goal, great."

"I have no complaints with whatever it is she wants to do, or any woman athlete wants to do, or anyone who is trying to help drive their cause and what they want to be done. It doesn't matter to me how we get there. What matters to me is that we get there."

Green had previously said female athletes DESERVE better pay -- but advised they need to change their PR strategy in order to achieve their goal.

On Thursday, he reinforced his point that female athletes need to band together to hold sports leagues, advertisers and other influential organizations responsible ... and push them to do a better job marketing women's sports.

Green specifically called out Nike and Beats By Dre.

"All of these companies [can] tell these stories [about top female athletes] in order to help drive that bottom line."

Megan Rapinoe is firing back at Draymond Green ... ripping the NBA star for his "unacceptable" comments on women's pay, and saying he showed his "whole ass" with the remarks.

Rapinoe went off on the Warriors player during a conference call with reporters Wednesday ... explaining Green's take on the gender pay gap in sports was just "really disappointing."

"It's really unfortunate, in the position [Green's] in," the soccer superstar said, "having all of the resources that he has and the ability to have a much more educated opinion, that he just hasn't."

In a Twitter thread last month, followed by a subsequent double down on the take just days later, Green essentially pinned women's sports' financial problems on women themselves.

The 31-year-old said professional female athletes need to stop "complaining" ... and think of more effective ways to bring in more revenue to their leagues -- and thus, boost their pay.

Rapinoe had a major issue with all of that ... saying, "You obviously showed your whole ass in not even understanding what we all talk about all the time -- WNBA players and us on the national team."

She continued, "You don't think we asked for more money? I mean, what are we screaming about? Nonstop!"

Rapinoe says it's actually men in power who need to help women and aid in the funneling of funds to women's sports ... telling reporters, "We know all this, about all social movements and all people who are marginalized, whether it's by race or gender, religion, sexuality, whatever it is, it is not just their job to be the ones fighting oppression."

"We need all of the other people as well."

Scary situation for Larry Nance, Jr. -- the Cleveland Cavaliers forward reportedly lost nearly 20 POUNDS in just over a week while battling a non-COVID-related illness.

But, luckily, the 28-year-old is starting to show signs of improvement and is "on the mend."

Nance came down with the mystery illness on March 29 while in Utah for a road game ... and hasn't played a minute of basketball since.

The details are now coming out about the hooper's symptoms -- and it's gnarly.

Nance spent the past week and change bedridden and unable to keep food down, according to cleveland.com ... all while getting consistently tested to help determine what he's fighting.

It's NOT COVID-19 ... but it's still unclear what exactly he's dealing with.

The report says Nance has experienced a DRASTIC weight loss in the short amount of time ... losing 20 pounds in a little over a week.

The good news?? Nance is starting to feel better ... and will slowly work on getting back to his reported weight of 245 lbs. and rebuild his stamina.

It's been a tough year for the guy -- Nance also previously missed 12 games while battling a fractured left hand.

Isaiah Thomas says it was "only right" to choose #24 when he signed with the N.O. Pelicans last week -- explaining it's the perfect way to pay tribute to his mentor, Kobe Bryant.

32-year-old Thomas inked a 10-day contract with the Pels on Friday -- and got emotional when talking to the media Tuesday about his jersey number selection before making his debut with the team.

'Kobe was one of my very close mentors," Thomas said ... "And [choosing #24] was an opportunity to pay homage to one of the best players to ever play the game."

"Hopefully it works out and I could play like Kobe a little bit if I get in there."

Thomas and Kobe had a close relationship -- IT says he would regularly text and call Mamba for advice about the game ... and about life.

"And, I miss that ... about being able to reach out to not one of the best basketball players in the world, but one of the best people in the world."

Kobe passed away in January 2020 -- but IT has vowed to honor Bryant's legacy every time he steps on the court ... and he certainly delivered on Tuesday.

IT made an immediate impact for the Pels as they took on the Atlanta Hawks -- scoring 8 straight points after he checked in.

The NBA hardwood looked more like the squared circle Tuesday ... 'cause Lakers star Dennis Schroder was taken down by a "WWE" move in a tiff with the Raptors -- and he was NOT happy about it.

The wild scene all went down in the first quarter of L.A.'s game against Toronto ... when Dennis fouled OG Anunoby HARD to prevent the guy from scoring points.

In Dennis' mind, the play was perfectly acceptable -- he said later in the night it was simply just a smart basketball move to stop a possible and-one play.

Anunoby, though, clearly disagreed ... because he was so pissed over the grab -- he straight-up flipped Schroder with a textbook wrestling move!!!

Dennis landed squarely on his back, and a brawl was nearly incited -- with Montrezl Harrell rushing into the play for a pushing and shoving match.

The refs ultimately separated everybody and ejected Anunoby and Harrell ... and Dennis was still HOT over it all after the game.

"I don't know what to say," Dennis told reporters. "He didn't get hurt. I mean, I just tried to foul him hard so he don't get an and-one. That's it. That was my intent."

"But what he did, it's just unnecessary. You got to go to the 'WWE' with that. That wasn't basketball. That's it."

Amazing stuff from Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers ... the NBA superstar and his team have committed to help build yet another all-inclusive playground in Oregon.

Portland's NBA squad has been heavily involved in funding fun, all-abilities play areas in the state for kids for the past 7 years ... and 2021 will be no different, the team announced Tuesday.

This year, the Blazers and Lillard say they're passing along $25,000 to the city of Astoria -- which is about 100 miles northwest of Portland -- to aid in the building of the new playground.

The place promises to be awesome ... it'll allow typical kids to play with others that might require wheelchairs or walkers without any sort of restrictions.

And, if you're unfamiliar, these kinds of parks are SUPER important to families with special needs children because they help break stigmas and include EVERYBODY.

You'll recall ... NFL star Drew Brees helped build a similar fully inclusive playground in the New Orleans area back in 2017 -- and it turned out GREAT!

Here's to hoping the same happens in Astoria.

Baylor fans partied HARD after their men's basketball team blew out Gonzaga ... setting couches on fire in the streets and letting off fireworks -- and video from the scene is WILD!!!

Just minutes after the Bears took down the Zags, 86-70, to win the NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis on Monday night ... it didn't take Baylor's students long to celebrate.

Those who watched the game at McClane Stadium on campus stormed the field in epic fashion ... and then they took to the roadways near the school.

Check out footage from the block party ... fans lit things on fire and danced around the inferno with their iPhones in hand!!

Later, they lit LEGIT fireworks -- and cheered like crazy when the explosions popped off above!!

As for their safety ... don't worry -- reporters on the scene said the Waco Fire Dept. was there to take care of any out-of-control blazes, while police officers monitored the situation as well.

Meanwhile, inside the arena, the players danced their faces off ... and Baylor's most famous football alum, Robert Griffin III, cheered from the stands too!!!

BTW -- if you're in the "Act like you've been there before crowd" ... might be time to dip out of that one -- 'cause the men's hoops championship Monday night is the first in school history.

Paul Pierce's run with ESPN is officially over -- the network is parting ways with the ex-NBA superstar just days after Pierce posted a racy twerk session with some scantily clad women on Instagram.

Unclear if the video is the reason for Pierce's departure ... but it drew a lot of attention over the weekend.

Also worth noting -- the timing of the move is interesting ... especially since the NBA season is far from over.

Pierce spent the past 3.5 years with the network ... appearing on "NBA Countdown" and "The Jump."

The ex-Celtics forward seemingly addressed the split on Twitter just minutes ago ... saying, "Big Things coming soon stay tuned make sure u smile #Truthshallsetufree"

PP also shared a 4-second video with the message ... showing himself laughing and smiling.

Pierce played 19 seasons in the NBA before joining ESPN ... he was a 10-time All-Star and won a title alongside Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett in 2008. He was named NBA Finals MVP.

The University of North Carolina has found its replacement for Roy Williams -- the Tar Heels are set to announce alum Hubert Davis as their next head coach ... making him the first black head coach in team history.

50-year-old Davis BLEEDS Carolina blue -- he played for the Tar Heels under legendary head coach Dean Smith from 1988-1992 ... and has served as an assistant coach under Williams since 2012.

The North Carolina native was a BALLER during his time at Chapel Hill ... averaging more than 21 points per game his senior year.

Davis also has a ton of experience at the next level -- he was selected with the 20th overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft ... and played 12 seasons in the league, most notably with the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks.

Davis has ENORMOUS shoes to fill -- Williams won 3 NCAA titles during his 18 seasons with the Tar Heels (2005, 2009 and 2017) ... and accumulated a 485-163 record.

Williams reached the Final Four with the Tar Heels 6 times ... and tacked on 9 ACC regular-season championships.

The Davis era is all but official ... with The News & Observer reporting the school's board of trustees will vote on the hire during a meeting on Monday.

But, with a résumé like Davis' ... who's gonna say "no?!?"

Bruce Lee's family LOVES that Steph Curry rocked a special pair of sneakers to honor the legend during Sunday's game ... especially since he's going to auction them off for a good cause.

The Golden State Warriors superstar teamed up with the Bruce Lee Foundation to create a custom pair of Curry 8s with Lee's image hand-painted on each shoe.

One image is a solo shot of Lee. The other image is based off a photograph of Bruce with his wife and children.

Steph wanted to show solidarity to the Asian community in light of the recent wave of anti-Asian hate crimes -- so proceeds from the upcoming auction will go toward the families of the 8 people killed in the recent attack on Asian-run spas.

Bruce's daughter, Shannon Lee, who runs the Bruce Lee Foundation, praised Curry in a statement.

"I think Stephen’s gesture is a beautiful example of allyship and solidarity in action," Shannon Lee said.

"I am honored he would choose my father and my family as the symbol for the idea that we are all one family, as my father said, and therefore must all stand for one another."

After Sunday's game, Curry also talked about the collaboration and why it's so important to him.

Drake's little boy clearly takes after his old man ... because he loves to hoop.

The rapper shared a video of his 3-year-old son, Adonis, working on his jump shot on an indoor kid-hoop ... and he's got game!!

After sinking a jumper, Adonis points out that that bucket was actually 2 in a row ... then he casually hits another shot to make it 3. Silky smooth.

All the while, Drake's providing the hype music for his kid -- his new track, "What's Next" is playing in the background.

Heads up, Lamar Odom ... this summer's boxing match with Aaron Carter might not be a cakewalk after all!!!

TMZ Sports has obtained new workout footage of the 'Aaron's Party' singer ... and it's clear as day, in about a month, Carter's improved his jabs immensely!!

Remember, AC agreed in February to fight Odom at a celeb exhibition match in Atlantic City in June ... and the first clips we got of the guy on the mitts weren't exactly impressive.

Carter -- who ya gotta at least admit was bustin' his ass HARD -- struggled with power behind the punches ... and when Odom released his own workout vid just a few days later, there was obviously some concern for Aaron.

But, check out the new clip ... Carter's throwing punches with more authority -- and it's apparent the guy is taking this fight SERIOUSLY.

We're told Carter is now training with mixed martial arts specialist Josh Polit at FIGHTR Boxing Club in Santa Monica with the hopes of getting himself right before fight night.

Long before Jason Kidd was an NBA legend, he was a top H.S. hooper recruited by CBB's best coaches ... and now a postcard to the future HOF'er -- hand-written by Roy Williams -- has been discovered in an abandoned storage locker.

... and it's pretty awesome!!

The "Memories of Hawaii" postcard was penned by Williams as he flew to Los Angeles with his Kansas Jayhawks squad after playing a game in Honolulu ... and on January 2, 1990, sent to Kidd's Oakland-area home.

Williams -- a HOF coach who retired this week -- wrote, "Jason, We're on the plane from Honolulu to Los Angeles & we had a great trip to Hawaii. Our players really enjoyed it & worked hard while we were there also. We're going again in two years & I hope you're with us."

Williams later continued ... "Jason -- I hope Kansas will be an option for you. I know I would love to be your coach."

But, KU wasn't the only top program recruiting Jason ... there are also letters from current Chicago Bulls head coach, Billy Donovan -- at the time, an assistant for the legendary Rick Pitino at the University of Kentucky.

"Jason, this past week was the Kentucky Derby which was the 2nd largest sporting event in the state next to a Kentucky basketball game. Sincerely, Billy Donovan"

There's more ... UNLV head coach Jerry Tarkanian and UCLA head coach Jim Harrick -- and others -- also vied for Kidd's talents.

They wanted J. Kidd for good reason ... he was Parade and USA Today's H.S. Player of the Year -- averaging 25 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds, and 7 steals as a senior, according to ESPN.

All of the postcards were recently discovered with a load of other memorabilia in an abandoned storage locker in Calabasas, CA.

It's unclear how or why the postcards got into the locker ... or why the valuable items were seemingly just left.

The locker was purchased by a collector ... who is now selling the items on eBay.

As for Williams, Donovan & Pitino, Tarkanian, Harrick and the other big time college coaches ... they all struck out.

The NBA has finally decided to take action against Kevin Durant for the homophobic and misogynistic insults he used in a private Instagram conversation with Michael Rapaport -- fining the guy $50,000.

"Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant has been fined $50,000 for using offensive and derogatory language on social media," the NBA announced on Friday.

"Durant has acknowledged that his actions were inappropriate."

As we previously reported, Rapaport posted screenshots of recent DM conversations with Durant which the actor felt crossed a line.

"I receive threats and disgusting messages DAILY, but never in my wildest dreams did I think [Durant] would be among them," Rap said.

In the messages, Durant used crude homophobic and misogynistic slurs to attack Rapaport.

KD has said the messages were not supposed to see the light of day -- and said he was "sorry that people seen the language that I used."

"That’s not what I want people to see from me. Hopefully I can move past it."

Durant has yet to publicly acknowledge that what he said is offensive -- or apologize specifically for the words he used.

Kansas Jayhawks basketball coach Bill Self just signed a "lifetime" contract with the school -- guaranteeing him MILLIONS of dollars and protection from being fired over the current NCAA probe into KU.

Pretty good deal for Self, huh!?

58-year-old Self -- who's been at Kansas since 2003 -- was entering the final year of a 10 year deal with Kansas that guaranteed him more than $50 MILLION. That deal was set to expire at the end of the 2021/22 season.

But, Self has crushed it during his time at Kansas -- racking up a 522–118 record with an NCAA title in 2008 -- so the school decided to make him a "lifetime" offer he just couldn't refuse.

Here's the deal ... Self will make roughly $5.4 million every year with an annual $200,000 raise.

The contract is technically a 5-year deal which will automatically renew a 1-year extension at the end of each season ... for as long as he wants to stay at Kansas.

Kansas is currently being investigated by the NCAA for alleged unauthorized payments to star players. The NCAA has charged the school with a handful of Level 1 violations -- but the org. has not formally punished the University.

But, get this, Self negotiated a clause in which he can not be fired for cause based on the findings or punishment from the current probe -- but he could take a salary hit if he's suspended.

Per the contract, if the NCAA suspends Self  -- he'll take a 50% reduction in salary for the time missed.

In other words, if he's out for a month -- he'll make 50% for that month before returning to his full salary.

The school can fire Self for cause if they determine he violates the law or NCAA rules moving forward -- but he's protected in the scope of the current investigation.

Self issued a statement about his new deal thanking KU leadership "for their belief and faith in me to provide this lifetime contract."

WNBA star Angel McCoughtry is insulted by Draymond Green's claim that female athletes have only "complained" about the pay gap and haven't taken any real meaningful action ... and she's ready to educate him.

The 5-time WNBA All-Star says she's personally been in the trenches trying to get powerful sports leagues, production companies and sponsors to spotlight more women's sports ... but she keeps getting shut down.

McCoughtry even called out Lebron James and Steph Curry -- saying she's brought female athlete-centric projects to their production companies, but no one is pulling the trigger.

The 34-year-old -- 2-time Olympic gold medalist -- even invested in the PlayersTV network with the hopes of bringing more female athlete stories to the masses.

So, when she saw Draymond saying he's "really tired of seeing [female athletes] complain about the lack of pay" and suggesting they take more action ... it really rubbed her the wrong way.

"Draymond, have you done your research?! Have you asked us questions," Angel said Thursday during a USA Basketball training camp news conference.

"Don't you think we've tried to do that kind of stuff?! No, he hasn't done his research! That's my only thing with Draymond!"

Angel continued, "We want to get our stories out. I created a TV show about these kinds of issues, its a dramatic comedy called 'Fair Game.' I've gone to Springhill Entertainment, I've gone to Sony where Steph Curry's people are. We got turned down! 'Oh, we don't want a show about the WNBA.'"

McCoughtry says she's happy Draymond is keeping the women's pay issue in the headlines -- but suggests he "talk more to the women before just thinking he had a bright idea."