Basketball

Regrets, he's had a few ...

Malik Beasley has issued a public apology to his wife and son -- after he ditched the family for a fling with Larsa Pippen in late 2020.

"I wana say sorry for putting you in the situation you were put in the last few months," the 24-year-old NBA player wrote to Montana Yao on Instagram ... "my head wasn’t were it was supposed to be."

As we previously reported, Yao felt "blindsided" by photos of her husband holding hands with 46-year-old Larsa Pippen during a Nov. 23 outing in Miami.

Yao -- who married Beasley in March 2020 -- filed for divorce in December. They have a 2-year-old son, Makai, together.

Around the time she filed for divorce, Montana ripped Malik on social media ... saying she and her son were "told to leave our family home 10 days ago and just like you all I'm pretty confused."

She continued, "There have been no public or private addressing of the situation nor any type of apology."

Now, seems Beasley is finally ready to reconcile ... and though he never mentions Larsa by name in his IG post, it's obvious he's referring to her.

"I was looking for more when it was right here that whole time," Beasley said ... "I’m telling the world and you that there’s no body like you for me."

Beasley also claims he was the one who broke things off with Larsa -- saying, "For the record I was the one who ended my last relationship off the fact that there is no one like you."

He added, "Also for the record i wanted to do my own ish cuz I just left u guys and I def ain’t the type to set up pictures at the mall n ish .. as that’s some childish ish and I’m trying to grow individually and grow a family .. a real family."

Beasley says he's not "looking to be judged I’m looking for forgiveness."

"To forgive me for hurting my family the way I did. At the end of the day I’m a lover boy and I miss holding y’all and loving y’all.. I love you mu shi .. I love you kai Kai. My family over thing."

Question now ... is the apology coming too little, too late? Or will Montana take him back?

Nobody loved Trae Young's game-winner more than his dad ... because Pops celebrated his son's huge feat like a little kid -- and the awesome reaction was all caught on video!!!

Just seconds after the Atlanta Hawks superstar plunged a dagger into the Knicks by hitting a floater with .09 ticks on the clock ... Trae's father, Rayford Young, called out to his boy.

"Trae! Trae!" Rayford yelled.

And, as soon as Trae acknowledged the love -- Rayford went crazy!!!

Check out the clip ... Dad couldn't have been more proud -- smiling, laughing, slapping hands with friends and family, and even letting out a "f*** yeah!" scream!!!

Trae, of course, loved the moment too ... because after he had been serenaded with "f*** Trae Young" chants all game long -- he let the crowd at Madison Square Garden have it as well!

He shushed them and then screamed, "It's quiet in here!"

Cameras caught him talkin' more smack on his way back into the locker room after the 107-105 win, too ... with Trae saying, "It got real quiet in there!"

It was a HUGE night for Young -- playing in his first-ever playoff game, he scored 32 points and logged 10 assists and 7 rebounds.

Dominique Wilkins says he was straight-up denied service at an Atlanta restaurant because of the color of his skin, but the restaurant shot back, saying it was simply enforcing a dress code that was colorblind.

The basketball Hall of Famer says he was denied service at Le Bilboquet restaurant, saying, "In my many years in the world, I've eaten at some of the greatest restaurants in the world, but never have I felt prejudice or been turned away because of the color of my skin, until today in #atlanta in @LeBilboquetAtl #turnedawaybecauseimblack."

The restaurant denied it had anything to do with race, saying, "We, at Le Bilboquet, do our best to accommodate all of our guests. However, we have received consistent complaints from our patrons regarding other guest's wardrobe choices.  As a result, to protect our restaurant's culture, we installed a minimum standard in our 'business casual' attire dress code which includes jeans and sneakers but prohibits baseball caps and athletic clothing including sweat pants and tops."

Wilkins, who played between 1982 and 1994 for the Hawks, wasn't buying it, saying, "They looked me up and down ... and to add insult, talked about how my clothes were not appropriate when I was wearing designer casual pants and a shirt."

Lakers guard Ben McLemore was involved a single-car accident in the hours following his team's huge win over the Warriors ... but, thankfully, he was uninjured -- TMZ Sports has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us sometime Thursday morning -- shortly after the Lakers beat the Warriors in their play-in game Wednesday night -- cops responded to a 911 call for an accident in Playa Vista, Calif.

We're told when officers arrived on the scene, they found McLemore and his crashed Ford truck ... and conducted a field sobriety test.

Sources say the 28-year-old, though, passed all their tests and did NOT appear to be drunk.

We're told McLemore explained to officers he had accidentally hit the gas instead of the brakes and crashed into a gate arm.

McLemore -- who had no injuries -- was not arrested and not issued any sort of ticket, we're told.

The former Kansas star played in 21 games for the Lakers this season ... averaging 8.0 points per contest.

He did not play in the team's win over Golden State due to a coach's decision.

Kyle Kuzma appears to have found the PERFECT way to avoid NBA playoff prep stress -- his smokin' hot GF, a tiny bikini and a beautiful backyard!!

The Lakers star hit up somewhere with really nice weather with his model GF, Winnie Harlow, on Friday ... and you can tell by the pic the couple shared -- there's no basketball stress here!

Despite the Lakers coming into the postseason as the #7 seed and under immense pressure to repeat as champs ... Kuzma clearly ain't doing any hand-wringing ahead of the games.

Check out the photo he and Winnie posted ... she looks great, he looks happy -- and yeah, what pressure again???

Kuzma won't be asked to do too much while LeBron James and Anthony Davis shoulder most of the load for the Lake Show ... but he's still going to have to play well for L.A. to make another run to the title.

LeBron James says he was damn near BLIND during his game-winning shot Wednesday night ... explaining to reporters his eye injury had him seeing "3 rims!"

The Lakers superstar had been poked in the left peeper just minutes before he uncorked a 3-pointer to beat the Warriors in their play-in game at Staples ... and Bron said the injury was so bad, he barely had any vision when he pulled up for the big shot.

"The first thing I did when KCP kicked it out, I looked at the shot clock," LeBron told reporters after his team's huge 103-100 victory.

"The second thing I saw was three rims from being poked in the eye on that previous possession when I drove to the hole and then in transition. So, I just aimed for the middle one."

The shot was incredible -- it was about 5 feet beyond the 3-point line -- and when ya factor in the pressure AND what his face had just gone through ... it's pretty big time.

Even Drake loved it!!!

As for the injury going forward, LeBron was clearly fortunate to have escaped serious issues ... 'cause after he was jabbed by Draymond Green on the possession prior to the game-winner, things did NOT look good for L.A. or its superstar.

But, LeBron -- with his eye clearly watering and swelling -- said after the game he expects to be all right as the Lakers move on into the playoffs.

For the first time in more than 2 months, Deshaun Watson has posted on social media to remind everyone he's still an elite NFL quarterback.

... and yeah, he looks good.

The last time we heard from DW was on Twitter back on March 16 -- when he posted a statement to try and get ahead of the sexual misconduct allegations that were coming down the pike.

Watson denied wrongdoing and proclaimed his innocence -- saying, "I have never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect."

He added, "This isn't about money for me -- it’s about clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that."

After that, the Houston Texans QB went radio silent -- and his attorney, Rusty Hardin, has been doing all the talking ever since.

But, as the NFL season draws closer, Watson is clearly trying to remind teams -- including the Texans -- that he's still focused on football and ready to play.

There are a few issues ... the NFL is still investigating the sexual misconduct allegations against Watson from more than 20 accusers who say the QB crossed a line during what were supposed to be routine massage therapy sessions.

If the league finds he violated the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy, he could be suspended -- which could make teams nervous about trading for him.

This is getting VERY interesting ...

Matt Barnes wants to settle his feud with Kwame Brown once and for all ... saying he's had enough of the Internet smack talk and wants to meet in person -- AND HE'S READY TO THROW HANDS!!!

Barnes is clapping back after the 2001 #1 overall pick has gone on a tirade this week ... saying he's caving in and giving Brown the attention he wanted.

"Kwame Brown, brother Brown, you've been ranting for about 5 days now," Barnes said Wednesday. "Your cry for help, your need for attention worked."

"I heard your Instagram following has grown over 30,000 the last handful of days since you had my d*** -- I mean, my name -- in your mouth."

Barnes gives Brown a personal invite to join his podcast to clear the air ... saying, "You got a story to tell obviously. You're hurt. Like I said, you can play it off with humor, but you're hurt and I get it. But, come on the show."

"Talk that s***, tell your story face-to-face."

But, Barnes is prepared to do much more than talking -- saying he's down to scrap with Brown to squash the beef.

"If me and you gotta box before, during or after and shake hands to get this s*** done, you know I'm always with the s***."

Remember, Brown went for Barnes' jugular earlier this week, saying, "The only joke you got is about basketball, I got a joke about your life, you punk bitch" ... referencing Barnes' infamous incident with Derek Fisher in 2015.

He also referred to Barnes as "Becky with the good hair" among other insults.

Now, it appears the two guys can settle things with their hands ... that is, if Brown is down for it.

Charles Barkley's gotta do his best Oprah impression next time he visits his old high school -- 'cause the NBA legend is handing out $1,000 donations to every employee!!

The 58-year-old Alabama native gave back in a huge way for his alma mater Leeds City Schools during the COVID-19 pandemic ... donating laptops and WiFi hotspots for students learning from home.

On top of that, the school says Barkley wrote a check for $1,000 to each employee in the school district to help out during the tough times.

FYI -- that's reportedly 226 employees!!

ATTA JOB, CHUCK!!!

The school thanked Barkley for his continuous support over the years on Tuesday ... saying, "We are humbled and wish to express our sincere gratitude to Charles Barkley for providing a $1,000 gift to each and every Leeds City Schools employee for going the extra mile this school year."

The school adds Barkley has privately donated more than $3 million in scholarship money to Leeds graduates over the years ... and has remained supportive of the boys and girls basketball programs.

By the way ... Barkley was a superstar athlete for Leeds during his senior year ... helping the team reach the state semifinals in 1981.

"We are beyond thankful to know our hometown hero and benefactor, Charles Barkley, recognizes the hard work and dedication of the Leeds staff, even under the toughest of circumstances. Thank you, Charles!"

"Unfortunately, l can’t wear them no more. It’s not possible after what happened in the game."

Los Angeles Lakers star Dennis Schroder says he's DONE rocking Kyrie Irving's signature shoes ... explaining it's all 'cause the two got into a spat during a game last month.

You'll recall ... Schroder and Brooklyn's star point guard went after each other in the third quarter of the Lakers-Nets tilt on April 10 -- getting into a HEATED argument on the court.

The two got in each others' faces so heavily, they were eventually ejected ... and afterward, Irving appeared to accuse Schroder of calling him the n-word.

"The N-word is a derogatory slur!" Irving said on Twitter, before adding, "Throw that N-word out the window, right alongside all of those other racist words used to describe my people."

The drama had appeared to have died down after that ... but it's clear, Schroder is still holding a grudge several weeks later.

The 27-year-old made a YouTube video this week revealing his insane shoe collection ... and when it came time to show off his pairs of Kyries -- he vowed to never wear them again.

"Kyrie Irving -- I have a lot of his shoes," said Schroder, who went on to say he has between 30-to-40 pairs of Irving's kicks. "Unfortunately, l can't wear them no more. It's not possible after what happened in the game"

"I can not do it. Not going to wear it again."

Schroder says he's now going to do a giveaway to unload his Kyries ... explaining all of it will be shipped off to fans who reach out.

"I'll donate," Schroder said, "so text me."

Matt Barnes was a tough guy on the court, but he's looking to make people laugh it off ... with the ex-NBA forward landing his own comedy series with Showtime!!!

41-year-old Barnes has reportedly struck a deal with the TV network and Lionsgate to develop "The Education of Matt Barnes," a half-hour scripted comedy series loosely based on his life postretirement, according to Deadline.

The show will be a "story of how a single dad from Encino balances home, business, activism and relationships while navigating the temptations of the celebrity-centric, Instagram and TikTok universe of LA," the report says.

The project is backed by writer and creator Matt Pyken, who most notably worked on "Empire" ... and "Blackish" director Pete Chatmon is on board for the pilot.

Remember, Barnes told us back in 2017 he had big plans in the entertainment industry ... and the dude wasn't kidding -- he'll act as co-executive producer alongside the Tannenbaum Company for the project.

There will be plenty of storylines to use from Barnes' memorable 14-year career in the NBA ... as well as his life as a father of 3 kids.

Legendary NBA announcer Marv Albert -- the "voice of basketball" -- is stepping away from the mic ... with the Hall of Famer confirming his retirement at the end of the 2021 season.

79-year-old Albert has been calling games for 55 years -- spending 22 years with Turner Sports. He's called 25 NBA All-Star Games, 13 NBA Finals and the 1992 Olympics, covering the iconic "Dream Team."

He's also worked at 8 Super Bowls and Stanley Cup Finals ... as well as NFL games, horse racing, tennis, baseball and more.

Albert will be signing off one final time after the conclusion of the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals ... with TNT set to air a 30-minute tribute in his honor.

"My 55 years of broadcasting the NBA has just flown by and I’ve been fortunate to work with so many wonderful and talented people," Albert said Monday.

"Now, I’ll have the opportunity to hone my gardening skills and work on my ballroom dancing."

Albert -- known for his signature "YES!" catchphrase -- kickstarted his career with the New York Knicks in 1963 and went on to work with NBC Sports and CBS Sports as well, before joining TNT in 1999.

Albert was honored with the Curt Gowdy Media Award by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1997 ... and has a stuffed trophy case with numerous other awards for his work.

NBA commish Adam Silver praised Albert ... saying, "There is no voice more closely associated with NBA basketball than Marv Albert’s."

"My first memories of the NBA were of listening to Marv call a game with his signature style, iconic phrases and unparalleled passion. From his remarkable run as play-by-play announcer for the Knicks to his prominent national roles calling our marquee games on NBC and Turner Sports, Marv has been the soundtrack for basketball fans for nearly 60 years."

Kwame Brown is the one who wants "All The Smoke" now ... 'cause the ex-NBA top pick is UNLEASHING his fury on Stephen Jackson, Matt Barnes and Gilbert Arenas for speaking on his name ... and it's pretty intense.

The response comes after the trio of ex-hoopers discussed Brown's career on Barnes and Jackson's podcast last week ... breaking down why the high school superstar never lived up to his expectations in the NBA.

Arenas -- who played with the 2001 #1 overall pick from 2003 to 05 -- referred to Brown as a "man child" whose confidence was shot due to then-GM-turned teammate Michael Jordan's antics.

Agent 0 added Brown could have been an Anthony Davis-type player ... but was more of a "show pony."

Brown got wind of the comments ... and fired back at the guys in a scathing video he posted on Instagram.

"I'mma give you feminine n****as what you been asking for. You n****s been talkin' a lot, saying a lot of things you don't know what the f*** you talkin' about."

"Y'all get on the internet and y'all report things that make no goddamn sense. I grew up in an era where you don't play with grown-ass men and I think both of you two gentlemen know, personally, that I'm a grown-ass man."

Brown went on to say he's also in Atlanta ... and hints at wanting a personal confrontation over the comments.

But, he didn't stop there ... Brown then uploaded an hour-long YouTube video to continue his thoughts ... calling Barnes a "Becky with the good hair" and Jackson a fake tough guy.

"It's okay to have an opinion, but it's another thing to do what you guys are doing and then be in my face. Stephen Jackson -- we was teammates and I seen you crying every time Charles Oakley 'bout to slap the s*** out you, so I KNOW you."

"You really an embarrassment and I've been trying to stay quiet on you n****s, but I understand why they give people like you money and give people like you a platform because they want you to continue tricking these kids."

He continued ... "Change your podcast. The new podcast is 'these n****s want some of the goddamn smoke' because I want all the smoke and Jack, your sensitive ass, you know that."

Jackson replied with a video of his own ... saying he has nothing but love for the guy ... and Barnes denied ever saying anything bad about Brown.

"I’m confused," Barnes said "Ion remember talking about Dogg. (Kwame), you wanna be mad at anyone be mad at MJ for drafting you number 1."

But, Brown doesn't seem to be retreating any time soon -- the guy continued to defend his name throughout the weekend ... and even referenced his involvement in Kobe Bryant's legendary 81-point game.

"He had 81 motherf***in' points, did you see the screens I was setting, n****?"

Of course, despite what people say of Brown's career, the guy reportedly made $63 million over 13 seasons ... averaging 6.6 points and 5.5 rebounds.

J. Cole's own sideline story is finally coming full circle on the court -- the guy just made his professional debut as a basketball player ... and he did it in none other than Africa!

The rapper -- who's fresh off a fire sixth studio album -- put on his hooping shoes this weekend not too long after signing a brief three-to-six game contract with the Rwanda Patriots Basketball Club, which is part of the Basketball Africa League.

On Sunday, the club was set to face off against Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers -- a game that was broadcast on national television here in the States. Sure enough, it looks like Cole was part of the starting five at tip-off -- and the dude showed off his famed athleticism early and often.

Different clips captured from the game show Jermaine grabbing rebounds, playing D and hustling up and down the court. He even got his first bucket with a put-back after one of his teammates attempted a layup. It's clear -- the dude can still ball, even at the ripe age of 36.

We say "still" because -- whether you're aware or not -- J. Cole is a noted hooper ... having played competitively in high school and even earning himself a walk-on spot with the St. John's Red Storm team for a while. He ended up leaving basketball behind to pursue his career in music -- but like many among the rich and famous, Cole can hold his own.

He played for the NBA Celebrity All-Star Game back in 2012, and proved himself there ... and now, it looks like he's getting back to his on-court roots in a whole other country.

Unclear what the end game for Cole is here -- but by the looks of it ... he's taking this contract pretty seriously, and based on how big a draw he is -- they may even extend him.

"Dr. O'Neal?! Paging, Dr. O'Neal!"

Hilarious moment during "NBA on TNT" on Thursday night when Charles Barkley cramped up during the show ... and it was SHAQ TO THE RESCUE!

58-year-old Barkley says his hamstrings were going haywire -- so he got out of his chair to stretch 'em out on the set.

Shaq took notice and decided he wasn't gonna sit and watch -- he wanted to help!

So, he bent down and put his massive hands right under Chuck's booty, helping to massage out the cramps while the rest of the crew looked on!!

Ernie Johnson was CRACKING UP -- as Shaq went to work on Chuck's hammies ... getting real up close and personal with his longtime pal.

"Take me to dinner before you go under there," Chuck remarked ... "I need a cigarette!"

After the sesh, Shaq explained, "I'm just trying to help my teammate!"

Alex Rodriguez is finally getting into the owner's box ... he's in the final steps of closing a deal to buy the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx for $1.5 BILLION!!

A-Rod had partnered up with former Walmart exec Marc Lore to make a run at the NBA and WNBA teams, both owned by billionaire Glen Taylor.

And, according to multiple outlets including The Athletic and Front Office Sports, the group has a deal in place to close for $1.5 billion.

There are still a few hurdles ... but nothing major.

Before it can formally close, A-Rod and M-Lore need to get approval from the other NBA owners ... but that shouldn't be a problem.

Per the terms of the deal, Lore will continue to operate the team through the 2023 season, according to F.O.S. ... and after that, it's A-Rod time!

The ex-MLB superstar made a serious run to buy the NY Mets with his then-fiancee Jennifer Lopez, but they were ultimately outbid by billionaire Steven Cohen.