Basketball

The Boston Celtics held a touching tribute and a moment of silence for Terrence Clarke on Tuesday -- honoring the Boston-born NBA prospect less than a week after he was killed in a car crash.

Right before the Celtics took the floor against the OKC Thunder at TD Garden, the P.A. announcer took a moment to reflect on the 19-year-old's life and what he meant to the city.

FYI, Clarke grew up in Boston, where he developed into one of the best high school players in the country -- ultimately leading the Brewster Academy to the 2019 National Prep championship.

In fact, he brought the school back to the Finals in 2020 -- but the COVID pandemic forced the tourney to shut down.

As the P.A. announcer points out, Clarke went to the University of Kentucky where he "quickly became a favorite of teammates and fans alike."

"His work ethic, commitment and talent had him on the path to achieving his dream of playing in the NBA."

Sadly, Clarke was involved in a bad car crash on April 22 during a trip to Los Angeles. He was raced to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries.

During the on-court tribute, the Celtics displayed photos of Clarke with stars like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

"His larger-than-life personality always lit up a room and made him loved by everyone he touched," the Celtics P.A. announcer said.

"His goal was to inspire and be a role model for a generation of youth basketball players across Boston. Quite simply, Terrence was the pride of the entire city."

Police body cam footage shows Houston Rockets player Sterling Brown bleeding profusely from his head in the moments after he was attacked outside a strip club in Miami ... and the footage is tough to watch.

As we previously reported, Brown was hospitalized with serious injuries on April 19 after he was reportedly attacked with a liquor bottle outside the Booby Trap strip club.

Brown suffered major lacerations on his face and head, according to The Athletic, which also claims there was a serious concern for his life.

Now, reporter Andy Slater has obtained police body cam footage showing the moment officers arrived at the scene ... and you can clearly see Brown covered in blood.

The footage, which does not include audio, also shows Brown's teammate, Kevin Porter, Jr., apparently trying to explain the situation to officers and paramedics.

The whole incident was over a vehicle mix-up -- Brown accidentally got into the wrong sprinter van on his way out of the club ... and the people inside decided to beat the hell out of him.

Brown is reportedly out of the hospital ... but it sounds like it could be a while before he returns to the court.

The Kendall Jenner-Devin Booker relationship is still clearly going strong ... the "KUWTK" star hit up MSG to watch her man vs. the Knicks on Monday -- and the dude BALLED OUT for her!!

Kendall and some friends got box seats for the Suns game in New York ... and D Book certainly put on a show for them.

The 24-year-old NBA star scored 33 points in 41 minutes ... and led Phoenix to a 118-110 come-from-behind victory.

And, Kendall was clearly impressed ... cameras caught her smiling and giggling throughout the evening!!

The two began to get cozy about a year ago, when they were spotted on a road trip to Sedona ... and they've seemed to grow into quite the couple over the past 12 months.

They've been seen out on dates plenty of times ... with Kendall even posting a sappy pic of the duo for Valentine's Day last February.

As for any sort of "Kardashian Curse," there clearly ain't one here ... Devin is having a hell of a season with Kendall by his side, averaging 25.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game!!

Kim Mulkey kicked off her LSU coaching career by ripping off her COVID mask -- in yet another public statement against COVID regulations.

Mulkey recently left her gig as the head women's basketball coach at Baylor -- where she took the Lady Bears to THREE national championships since taking over the program in 2000.

But, before she left Baylor to take the LSU job, the 58-year-old made headlines for demanding the NCAA should STOP coronavirus testing at both the men's and women's Final 4s in the spirit of ensuring players' availability.

"They need to dump the COVID testing," Mulkey said back in March ... "Wouldn't it be a shame to keep COVID testing and then you got kids that test positive or something and they don't get to play in the Final Four?"

The NCAA strongly disagreed with Mulkey -- saying it was important to continue testing all the way through the end of the tournament in hopes of preventing an outbreak.

So, when Mulkey took the podium on Monday to be introduced as LSU's new women's hoops coach ... the first thing she did was rip off her mask in what seems to be another shot at what she considers overbearing COVID protocol.

"Well, I'mma take this damn mask off ... 'cause I have a lot to say."

She then flung the mask off the stage in dramatic fashion.

After that, Mulkey focused on basketball ... saying she came to Baton Rouge to win titles.

Master P says he hammered out a multi-million dollar deal for his H.S. basketball-playing son ... and is simply waiting on an NCAA rule to change before putting pen to paper and making his kid a millionaire!!

TMZ Sports was talking to P and his 19-year-old son, Hercy Miller -- a top H.S. senior who just committed to play ball at Tennessee State -- when the hip-hop legend dropped the news.

"We have a lot of deals on the table, not only for Hercy, but for [son] Mercy. In August, the league is changing, the NCAA. You'll be able to make money off your likeness, you'll be able to do marketing deals," P says.

"So, right now I have a deal on the table for Hercy for $2.5 million. He never even played a lick of [college] basketball."

FYI, Hercy will be a college freshman this fall.

Historically, college athletes were forbidden from getting paid ... but all that started to change last year when the NCAA finally -- after immense outside pressure -- reversed course and threw support behind amateur athletes' ability to make money through endorsements.

P -- a business mogul who's made millions through music, fashion, movies, and everything in-between -- believes players will be allowed to start earning as early as this August ... and that's why he has a fat contract waiting for Hercy.

But, the future Tennessee State hooper isn't the only Miller boy getting the bag ... P says he has a $1 million deal on the table for his 15-year-old son, freshman B-ball star Mercy Miller.

The deals aren't yet signed ... so P didn't want to reveal the companies he's working with -- however, he did say Hercy's deal is centered around a product.

We also talked to P and Hercy about high school basketball stars hooping at HBCU's -- instead of traditional college basketball powerhouses -- a trend Hercy hopes to kickstart with his recent decision to play at Tenn. St.

"The game is changing," Master P says ... "I feel like now, a lot of high school kids are gonna start saying, 'I wanna go somewhere and make history, be a part of the moment and make a difference and also get to the league.'"

The Chicago Bulls paid tribute to a lost member of their family before Thursday's game ... with the team holding a moment of silence for Scottie Pippen's son, Antron.

Scottie's eldest child, 33-year-old Antron, passed away earlier this week ... a loss that shook the entire organization.

The team played its first home game on Thursday night since Antron's tragic death ... and honored the Bulls legend's son on the scoreboard prior to tipoff against the Charlotte Hornets.

Pippen was grateful to the team for the gesture ... saying, "Thank you, @chicagobulls, and to all of you who have reached out this week."

"I feel your love and support, and it means so much."

As we previously reported, Pippen praised his son for his passion for basketball ... saying if it weren't for his chronic asthma, the Hall of Famer truly believes Antron could have followed in his footsteps to the NBA.

"He never let that get him down, though -- Antron stayed positive and worked hard, and I am so proud of the man that he became," Scottie said on Monday.

He added ... "Please keep his mom, Karen, and all of his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers."

Charles Barkley ... this is not good.

The NBA legend is under fire for comments he made Thursday night on "NBA on TNT" -- comparing the women of Georgia to actual bulldogs.

Ernie Johnson was pointing out how Lakers' star Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had dropped 29 against the Dallas Mavericks ... and shouted out KCP's college program, the University of Georgia.

That's when Charles chimed in ...

"Only school in the world they named their mascot after the women down there."

The Univ. of Georgia mascot is the Bulldogs -- and no, it didn't seem like Charles meant that as a compliment to the women for their hard-nosed demeanor.

In fact, Ernie Johnson knew it was a problem as soon as the words came out of Chuck's mouth ... and scolded him on the air.

"So totally uncalled for," Johnson said ... "Not even gonna dignify that with a response."

Barkley had a history of making fun of women in various cities -- he's repeatedly said the ladies of San Antonio are "big women" and blamed it on the delicious churros that are popular in the area.

Tristan Thompson came this close to fighting Phoenix Suns player Torrey Craig on Thursday -- calling the guy "trash" as teammates raced to break up a heated on-court screaming match.

Thompson and his Boston Celtics were beating up on the Suns on the court in a 99 to 86 victory ... but as the final seconds were ticking away in the 4th quarter, Tristan had some words for Craig.

Doesn't take an expert lip-reader to see Tristan calling him "trash" -- while Craig tried to get up in his face.

The two clashed heads and contained to talk smack while teammates and staffers raced to break them up.

Eventually, the guys went back to their benches -- no punches were thrown. They each received a technical foul for the spat.

As the announcers pointed out, the two did NOT shake hands or hug it out after the game ... they probably just needed some space to cool off.

Terrence Clarke -- a 19-year-old University of Kentucky basketball player and a projected 2021 NBA Draft pick -- was killed Thursday in a car accident in Los Angeles, law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports.

We're told Clarke was driving a Genesis around 2 PM in the San Fernando Valley when his vehicle was struck by another car ... sending him smashing into a pole and before ultimately slamming into a wall.

Footage from the accident shows Clarke's vehicle completely smashed in.

Law enforcement sources tell us the accident is being investigated -- but so far, no official cause of the crash has been determined.

We're told Clarke was in Los Angeles with his Kentucky teammate, B.J. Boston -- another NBA Draft prospect.

Boston was reportedly in the car behind Clarke when the accident occurred -- but we're told he's physically okay.

Clarke was rushed to a nearby hospital ... but injuries proved too severe and doctors were unable to save his life.  He was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.

Terrence -- a 6'7" guard -- was an absolute stud on the hardwood. Rivals rated him a 5-star recruit coming out of high school in New Hampshire ... and ranked him as the #8 overall high school player in the entire country.

He didn't play much at Kentucky -- but he clearly had the talent to succeed at the pro level and recently declared for the 2021 NBA Draft.

Some experts projected he would be a 2nd-round pick -- with tons of upside.

Tragic story.

RIP.

The Minnesota Timberwolves gave a special tribute to George Floyd after their victory last night ... dedicating the game ball to his family just hours after the conviction of Derek Chauvin.

The Wolves took the court against the Kings in Sacramento on Tuesday -- shortly after the ex-Minneapolis PD officer was found guilty on all 3 criminal counts stemming from the May 25, 2020 murder of Floyd.

But, it was clear the hearts and focus of the Wolves players were in Minnesota ... and right after their 134-120 victory, the team dedicated the game ball to Floyd and his family.

"Glad we were able to get the win tonight," guard Josh Okogie told reporters after the game.

"We have the game ball where we dedicated that to George Floyd's family. That's great we were able to do that."

The Wolves have consistently been honoring Floyd in the months following his death ... and have posted messages outside the Target Center calling for social injustice reform.

Karl-Anthony Towns said the guilty verdict is a good step forward ... but it doesn't bring Floyd home.

"It's unfortunate that our city has been going through this so much," KAT said during post-game interviews.

"Just because justice was served today for Mr. Floyd doesn't mean that we are gonna be bringing him back home. And that's the most unfortunate part of all of this."

Recently, the team auctioned off warm-up shirts "For Liberty and Justice FOR ALL" for Daunte Wright -- another unarmed black man killed by police in their state of Minnesota.

Draymond Green says it's "great" that Derek Chauvin was convicted in the murder of George Floyd -- but warns the fight against bad cops is far from over.

TMZ Sports spoke with the Golden State Warriors star in Washington D.C. on Thursday afternoon -- moments after the Chauvin verdict was revealed.

Our photog was a little nervous when he approached Green, but essentially tried to ask if the conviction is good for the country on the whole.

"I think it's great that we finally saw a cop get tried," Green told us ... "The challenge to the country now is to make sure [police officers are] being held accountable."

Our photog also asked Green if he thinks the Chauvin case will have an overall impact on the way cops across the country treat Black people.

"I think that's a totally different story ... when you look at the way these officers treat Black people, we're not treated as human. We're treated as a threat by your skin color."

It's the moment all sneakerheads have been waiting for -- NBA superstar Zion Williamson's first-ever Jordan Brand signature shoe ... and it's a beaut!!!

The New Orleans Pelicans forward officially revealed the "Zion 1" sneaker on Tuesday ... showing off the sleek, letter Z design.

The original "Gen Zion" colorway is in black and white, which symbolizes Zion's upbringing and growth.

Williamson explained the meaning behind the colors ... saying, "The white and black colorway is important to me. Growing up I was taught that your home base is your foundation."

"Whether it’s your family or your brothers, you need a solid base to start from, and that’s what the black and white colorway represents for me."

Williamson wasted no time revealing additional colorways as well ... with tributes to his personality ("ZNA"), hometown ("Marion"), and little brother, ("Noah").

Speaking of Noah, Zion's lil' bro made a cameo in the first commercial for the sneaker ... and you can tell the kid's gonna be a star, too!!

It's a monumental moment for the brand -- it's the Jumpman's first signature release with its new era of superstars like Jayson Tatum, Bradley Beal and Luka Doncic.

Zion will debut his shoe Tuesday night against the Brooklyn Nets ... and ya gotta imagine the folks at Jumpman are praying he doesn't pull a "Kyrie 4" moment like he did at Duke.

In fact, the shoe was specifically designed to be worn by players at every position -- which means it's durable, yet light -- so here's hoping it's strong enough for the star baller!!

Houston Rockets player Sterling Brown was the victim of a late night attack on Sunday evening and suffered injuries to his face, the team has announced.

Yeah, this is wild.

26-year-old Brown -- the same guy who was unnecessarily manhandled and tased by Milwaukee PD officers back in 2018 -- says he doesn't not know who ran up on him Sunday evening ... but it sounds terrifying.

Here's the statement from the Rockets:

"Last night, Sterling Brown was the victim of an assault. He has no prior knowledge of or interaction with the assailants. He suffered facial lacerations but will make a full recovery. Sterling is not playing tonight because of his prior knee injury."

The Rockets did not specify where the assault took place -- but the team is currently in Miami to play the Heat on Monday night.

As we previously reported, Brown reached a $750k settlement with the City of Milwaukee for the 2018 tasing incident, which was captured on video.

In addition to the money, the City of Milwaukee agreed to issue a statement admitting they violated Brown's constitutional rights.

Brown signed with the Rockets in November 2020.

Story developing ...

New team, new bling!! At least, that's the type of wave Andre Drummond is on ... with L.A.'s newest star copping a brand new grill right after joining the Lakers!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 6'10" big man decided he wanted his smile to be spotted from miles away ... so he hit up his guy, AP the Jeweler from Atlanta, to help him out with a new grill.

Since Drummond was still a Cavalier at the time, AP personally flew out to Cleveland back in February to get his molding and start the process.

Of course, Drummond's tenure in The Land ended shortly after placing his order ... but the timing couldn't have been more perfect -- he now had a new accessory for his big arrival in L.A.!!

AP -- who also made LaMelo Ball's grill -- tells us the 8-top, 8-bottom white gold piece is filled with 10 carats of VVS diamonds in a honeycomb set.

No word on how much Drummond paid for his teeth, but we're told a grill like this would cost anyone a solid $20,000.

The NBA and WNBA teams that honored Daunte Wright by wearing custom shirts in the wake of his death are now auctioning off the items to raise money for Wright's family, league officials confirm.

Players from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx -- along with the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat all wore special warm-up shirts this week with the message "With Liberty and Justice FOR ALL" in the days after Wright was killed by a police officer in Minnesota.

Now, the teams say various players will sign their warm-up shirts and donate them for an auction -- with proceeds benefitting The Daunte Wright Memorial Fund, which supports the Wright family.

Some of the players who wore the shirt are Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, Karl-Anthony Towns, DeAndre Jordan, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and many more.

The bidding starts at $200 per shirt -- but some of the items are exploding, like KD's shirt ... which already hit $500 just minutes after the auction went live.

Bidding closes at the final buzzer of Friday's Wolves vs. Heat game.

20-year-old Wright was shot and killed on April 11 during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis.

The officer responsible for the shooting, Kim Potter, has been arrested and charged with 2nd-degree manslaughter.

Potter has claimed she was trying to deploy a Taser on Wright -- but accidentally grabbed her handgun instead, fatally wounding him.

The shooting sparked outrage around the country -- and several NBA and WNBA teams held a moment of silence for Wright before games this week.

Wright is survived by his 2-year-old son -- and his family has set up a GoFundMe page to help covert funeral and burial expenses along with "mental health and grief counseling for Daunte's family."

Tragic news out of the North Texas basketball program -- assistant coach Nelson Haggerty has passed away after a single-car crash Friday morning. He was 47 years old.

Haggerty was part of the coaching staff that helped lead the Mean Green to their first-ever NCAA tournament win last month ... when #13 North Texas beat #4 Purdue 78-69 in the first round on March 19.

Law enforcement officials in Texas say Haggerty was driving on Highway 380 near the city of Decatur in Wise County around 2:30 AM Friday ... when his car went off the right side of the road and hit a culvert, according to local reports.

Cops say Haggerty's vehicle flipped and hit a fence before coming to a halt. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, where Haggerty was pronounced dead.

Haggerty is a Texas hoops legend -- he was a high school star out of Houston ... and played 4 seasons at Baylor University, leading the NCAA in assists during his senior year.

NH went on to coach from 1997-2019 ... including 8 seasons with Midwestern State, where he became one of the most successful coaches in program history. He was named National Association of Basketball Coaches regional coach of the year in 2012.

Haggerty joined North Texas in 2019 ... and head coach Grant McCasland immediately praised his positive presence on the team.

The North Texas athletic department honored Haggerty Friday morning ... saying "Father, Husband, Friend, and Coach."