Basketball

Ex-NBA star LaMarcus Aldridge says he's struggling in his post-basketball life ... admitting he's been depressed since abruptly retiring due to a health condition.

Remember, 35-year-old Aldridge walked away from the sport back in April ... after a health scare involving his heart following a game against the L.A. Lakers.

As it turns out, the 7-time All-Star played his entire 15-year career with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, which causes a rapid heartbeat.

Aldridge says he learned about the condition back in 2006 but was able to play a decade and a half without any major issues. However, after his "scary night" against the Lakers, he realized it was time to retire.

"My heart was beating different or as weird as it has ever been before. I never experienced how slow, fast … it was just crazy how it was going that night," Aldridge told The Athletic's Shams Charania.

"Basically, that night being so freaked out -- and knowing I have kids, my mom, a lot of people depending on me and a lot of people that I want to see going forward -- I just felt like I was blessed by God to play 15 years with this condition, and I didn’t want to push it anymore."

Aldridge says he's had a tough time adjusting to life away from basketball ... which has taken a toll on his mental health.

"I’ve been depressed, and I’m trying to figure out how to navigate through not competing on the floor, learning not to be depressed."

"I still love basketball. I still feel like I have a lot to give. But, even now, I’m still trying to find myself. When you go from doing something you love for so long and you lose it overnight, it’s a shock."

Despite the hardships he's faced, Aldridge says he knew he made the right decision ... and the Brooklyn Nets and his teammate Kevin Durant were supportive in his choice.

"I never felt any pressure to come back or make a decision based on the season. It was always: We fully understand what you’re going through, and so if this is what you want to do, you have our support."

Russell Westbrook's moment with a fan on Monday went WAY better than last week's popcorn incident ... 'cause the NBA superstar gifted the sneakers right off his feet to a kid after a huge Game 4 win.

The dope gesture was caught on video ... when the Washington Wizards guard took off his "Why Not? 0.4" sneaks and hand-delivered them to the young fan in a #4 Westbrook jersey before heading into the locker room at Capital One Arena.

It's easy to see why Westbrook would be in the giving mood -- he prevented the Wizards from getting swept by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 122-114 win ... earning a triple-double with 19 points, 21 rebounds and 14 assists in the process.

It's a completely different interaction than what went down during Game 2 in Philly on Wednesday -- when a fan threw popcorn on Westbrook as he headed to the locker room to tend to an ankle injury.

Westbrook was LIVID when it happened ... and even tried to confront the fan in the stands but was held back by Wizards staffers.

The 32-year-old guard said after that game that "this s*** is getting out of hand" when it comes to fans disrespecting players -- and the 76ers banned the fan "from all events".

But, despite all the issues Brodie faced over the past week, the guy was kind enough to make the young fan's day on Monday with the incredible gesture.

On today's episode of "NBA Fans Gone Wild" -- some idiot rushed the court during the Wizards vs. Sixers game on Monday ... and not only did he get wrecked by security, the guy is now BANNED from the arena.

So ... was it worth it, dude?!?

It all went down late in the third quarter of Game 4 of the first-round playoff series ... when the fan sprinted from the stands and onto the court -- flailing his arms and tapping the backboard before getting leveled by Capital One Arena security with a Ray Lewis-type hit.

Naturally, the players and coaches were pissed -- Sixers center Dwight Howard even walked over to the detained fan and stared down as he squirmed on the court.

The Wizards released a statement on the incident ... saying, "During this evening's game, a fan was apprehended by Capital One Arena Special Police after attempting to breach the court."

"He will be banned from the arena and charges are being pursued with DC MPD."

The NBA has had a serious issue with disrespectful fans over the past week -- from a spectator spitting on Trae Young to Kyrie Irving getting a bottle thrown at him to Russell Westbrook getting doused in popcorn ... and, unfortunately, several more incidents.

The fan from the Wizards/Sixers game has not been identified ... but we'll keep you posted.

Kawhi Leonard's Spurs jersey from game 6 of the '13 NBA Finals -- when Ray Allen knocked down the most clutch 3-pointer ever -- just hit the auction block ... and with a big enough bank account, you can own a piece of NBA history.

Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs, June 2013. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and R. Allen battling Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Kawhi. It was one of the most unforgettable series ever.

Now, the actual jersey Leonard -- only 21 years old at the time -- wore during game 6 and 7 is available at sports memorabilia auction website, Lelands.

Kawhi was great in games 6 and 7 ... recording a double-double in both games. In game 6, Leonard scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. In game 7, KL dropped 19 points and grabbed 16 boards.

Unfortunately for the Spurs, Allen -- with the Heat trailing by 3 -- knocked down an improbable game-tying trey with only 5.2 seconds left in game 6.

Miami went on to win the game in overtime ... before wrapping up the series -- and winning the NBA title -- in game 7.

As for the actual jersey -- which Lelands tells us has been expertly photo matched -- the threads are size 2XL and features an NBA Finals patch.

Bidding for the jersey ends on Friday.

Dominique Wilkins now has even more reason to be upset with a restaurant that turned him away, because Lamar Odom enjoyed a meal at the same spot -- wearing a similar outfit to Wilkins -- just months before.

We got this shot of the former Lakers star at Le Bilboquet in Buckhead, GA taken back in  February. Lamar was wearing a white track suit and sneakers during a friendly meal with local recording artist Morgan Reilly and a mutual guy friend.

As for why it matters? Dominique ripped the restaurant last week, accusing it of turning him  away because he's Black. However, LB said it wasn't about race ... it was only enforcing a "business casual" dress code, and Wilkins' "designer casual pants and a shirt" didn't cut it.

LB did issue an apology to the Hall of Famer, and said it's considering a revision of the dress code, and will try to be more consistent in enforcing. it. When ya take Dominique's situation and Lamar's wardrobe, it's pretty clear there was NOT consistency.

Russell Westbrook just scored another W over an NBA heckler -- the $100 million lawsuit filed against the NBA superstar has been thrown out ... TMZ Sports has learned.

According to court docs, a judge ruled in favor of Westbrook on Thursday ... saying he didn't defame anyone by clapping back at a couple who harassed him during a 2019 game in Utah.

As we previously reported, Westbrook was sued by Shane Keisel -- a U.S. Army vet who got into it with the then-OKC Thunder player during a March 11, 2019 game against the Jazz.

In his suit, Keisel admitted he tried to heckle Westbrook by telling the NBA star “that he should just sit down and ice his knees.”

But, Keisel claimed Westbrook misheard him ... and interpreted his words not only as a homophobic insult, but also "racial."

Westbrook said he thought he heard, "get down on your knees like you used to.”

The point guard then went nuclear on Keisel and his girlfriend, Jennifer Huff -- and it was all caught on video.

"I’ll f*ck you up," Westbrook was heard saying. "You and your wife. I’ll f*ck you up."

Keisel said he was only not only banned from Utah Jazz games for life, but was fired from his job, kicked out of a pilot training program and received death threats.

Keisel and Huff sued Westbrook and the Jazz for $100 MILLION for defamation, among other things, claiming he was wrongly being painted as a racist homophobe.

But, in court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, the judge in the case rejected the arguments, explaining Westbrook's statements were just opinions, not defamation.

The judge explained, "whether a person is racist or whether a statement is racial is a matter of opinion which cannot be verified as true or false."

The judge added, "It is only in the free expression of these ideas that the nation can hope to heal the historic wounds of slavery and racial injustice that fester still today. That healing cannot occur if public dialogue about racism is silenced under threat of defamation liability."

The court also noted Westbrook’s in-game threats were "coarse and offense" ... but were not extreme and/or outrageous enough to recover damages.

The judge also said Keisel and Huff remained in the arena to watch the rest of the game and there was never any real risk that Westbrook would make good on his threats.

Danny Ainge says in the 26 years he's been playing and working for the Celtics ... he's "never" heard any racist remarks from fans at TD Garden -- but he did say he's taking Kyrie Irving's comments "seriously."

If you missed it ... Irving implored Celtics fans to treat him with respect when his Nets team arrives in Boston for its playoff games this weekend, insinuating he's been called racist things at the Celtics' arena in the past.

But, when Ainge was asked to comment on that on the 98.5 The Sports Hub on Thursday ... the Boston GM said he's simply never heard that kind of vitriol from people at the Garden before.

"Quite honestly, I've never heard any of it," 62-year-old Ainge said. "I'm not saying the city of Boston -- I'm saying [TD Garden]. I think our fans are very respectful."

Ainge, though, did say he'd look into Kyrie's comments ... explaining the team won't just brush them off.

"I think that we take those kinds of things seriously," said Ainge, who was the GM during Irving's 2-year Celtics tenure in the 2017 and 2018 NBA seasons.

"I never heard any of that, from any player that I’ve ever played with in my 26 years in Boston. I never heard that before from Kyrie, and I talked to him quite a bit. So, I don’t know."

As for whether or not Celtics fans will just plain boo Kyrie ... Ainge thinks that might be a little bit of a different story, saying, "Fans will do what they want to do."

Russell Westbrook was LIVID after a fan dumped popcorn on his head Wednesday -- calling the person's actions straight-up "bulls***" -- and even LeBron James is pissed over it all now too.

Westbrook was on his way to the locker room after injuring his ankle during the Wizards' playoff loss to the 76ers in Philly ... when a fan poured their bucket all over the NBA star.

You can see in footage of the incident ... Westbrook could not have been more heated as the kernels bounced off his head -- with the D.C. point guard trying HARD to get to the stands to confront the fan.

Russ, though, was eventually calmed down and ushered into the locker room ... but after the game, he said the fan absolutely crossed the line.

"To be blatantly honest, man, this s**t is getting out of hand, especially for me," Westbrook told reporters. "The amount of disrespect, the amount of fans just doing whatever the f**k they want to do, it's just out of pocket, man. It's out of pocket, seriously."

Russ went on to say if the incident had happened in "any other setting," he insinuated he would've fought the person.

"A guy wouldn't come up on the street and pour popcorn on my head because he knows what would happen," Russ said.

Westbrook then pled with the NBA to "start protecting the players" ... adding, "We'll see what the NBA does."

LeBron James rushed in to defend his pal on Twitter shortly after ... saying he wanted the fan ID'ed and punished ASAP.

"WE AS THE PLAYERS wanna see who threw that popcorn on Russ while he was leaving the game tonight with a injury!!" LeBron wrote. "There’s cameras all over arenas so there’s no excuse! Cause if the [shoe] was on the other [foot]. #ProtectOurPlayers"

So far, no punishment from the NBA has been announced yet ... though high-ranking Wells Fargo Center exec Valerie Camillo did call the incident "classless" and "unacceptable" after the game.

It's unclear, meanwhile, if Russ' ankle injury will keep him out of Game 3 ... the series is set to return to Washington on Saturday with the Sixers up 2-0.

IT AIN'T OVER YET!!

That's Clippers player Ivica Zubac staying positive about his team's chances against the Dallas Mavericks, despite being down 2-0 in their playoff series.

"They gotta beat us 4 times," Zubac told us outside of Avra in Beverly Hills ... "We're gonna fight and we got a chance to win the series. We're not giving up."

Clipper fans have been down in the dumps since the team gave up the first 2 games AT HOME -- and now, they're traveling to Dallas for games 3 and 4 and it ain't lookin' good.

But, Zubac says the Clips are going there to win -- and they're confident they can get it done.

"We're going there to win games, that's it … they gotta win 4."

Dallas will have a packed house full of fans for Games 3 and 4 -- and Zubac says he's fired up about that, too!

"That's great, we haven’t played in front of that many fans in 2 years … gonna be fun!"

YOWWWCH!!!

Anthony Davis' foot had a meeting with Suns forward Jae Crowder's baby maker during Tuesday night's game ... and it looked just as painful as it sounds.

It all went down less than a minute into Game 2 of L.A. and Phoenix's 1st-round matchup in the NBA playoffs ... when AD kicked his right leg out while attempting a deep 2-point shot -- and made solid contact with Crowder's groin.

Understandably, Crowder immediately fell to the court in pain ... but to add insult to injury, the guy was called for a defensive foul while contesting the shot!!!

To even things out ... Davis also got called for a flagrant 1 foul, which gave Crowder 2 free throws and the Suns the next possession.

Of course, Davis' move looked similar to one of Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green's infamous groin kicks -- something TNT analyst Reggie Miller referenced during the game broadcast.

However, Miller pointed out he believed Davis' kick was unintentional ... which set Green off on Twitter.

"So it’s unintentional now @ReggieMillerTNT?," Green said Tuesday night. "You referenced me as if mines was also unintentional? None of y’all said that during the time. Clarify your point? Would love to know..."

He added ... "Because if you’re saying mines was unintentional, there’s a lot of cowards that just went silent? And if you’re saying it’s intentional on my behalf but not here, then I shouldn’t have been referenced @ReggieMillerTNT just curious."

Davis finished the game with 34 points and 10 rebounds as the Lakers tied up the series at 1 game apiece with the 109-102 win.

The Brooklyn Nets are heading to Boston to continue the playoff series with the Celtics ... and Kyrie Irving REALLY hopes the fans can cheer without being racist.

Yep. You read that correctly.

Of course, Kyrie spent 2 seasons with the Celtics from 2017 to 2019 and is pretty familiar with how the fans roll over there.

So, now that his Brooklyn Nets are heading to TD Garden for Game 3 of their NBA playoff series on Friday, Irving is hoping the fans in Boston -- which has a reputation for being one of the more racist cities in America -- will find something other than race to fuel their trash talk.

"It's not my first time being an opponent in Boston so I'm just looking forward to competing with my teammates and hopefully we can just keep it strictly basketball," Kyrie said.

"There's no belligerence or any racism going on, subtle racism and people yelling s**t from the crowd. But even if it is, it's part of the nature of the game and [we're] just gonna focus on what we can control."

When asked if he's heard racist trash-talking in Boston in the past, Kyrie responded -- "I'm not the only one that can attest to this but it's just, you know -- it is what it is!"

Forget Bitcoin ... Kevin Durant's Nets debut jersey could be the next hottest thing in the investment game -- it just hit the memorabilia stock market, and it could net ya a small fortune down the road!

Here's the deal ... the threads KD rocked in his first-ever game as a Net on Dec. 22, 2020 just hit the investment app Otis, and fans can now purchase shares of the uni for $10 apiece.

Reps for the app tell TMZ Sports once all of the initial shares are sold ... it'll go up for trading, and the owners who bought in can hold onto the shares or sell them -- just like a stock.

The current value of the jersey is estimated to be $47,600 ... but experts say it could go up way higher in just a matter of weeks.

After all, Durant's debut with the Nets was a special one ... he put up 22 points in a victory over his former Warriors squad -- and if he's able to win a ring with Brooklyn this summer, the uniform's worth could obviously skyrocket.

In fact, reps for Otis say it's not uncommon to see a 150% to 400% increase on pieces like these.

Just when you thought the trash talk in the Hawks vs. Knicks series couldn't get any better ... here's NYC mayor Bill de Blasio throwing more fuel on the fire, shading the hell out of Trae Young!!

The 60-year-old -- rockin' a NY Knicks ball cap -- took time out of his daily press briefing Tuesday to take shots at the Atlanta star ... and it was aggressive!

The mayor accused Young of crying for calls ... and told him to straight-up stop.

"Stop hunting for fouls, Trae," de Blasio said. "I want to quote Steve Nash -- great player, great coach -- he says, ‘That’s not basketball.'"

de Blasio continued, "Trae, that hawk's not going to fly in New York City. Come on. Play the game the right way."

Of course, Trae ripped the soul out of the Knicks during the first game of their playoff series on Sunday ... hitting a game-winning floater and talking all kinds of smack to the crowd at Madison Square Garden afterward.

Even Trae's Dad got involved ... puffing out his chest and celebrating BIG-TIME after the shot.

NY fans -- who chanted "F*** Trae Young" throughout the game -- have since fired away all over social media ... and it's all getting REALLY good.

Clearly, de Blasio thinks his Knicks can back up all the talk, though ... he continued to Trae during his rant Tuesday, "I think the Knicks are going to teach you a lesson."

The sports world is honoring George Floyd on the one-year anniversary of his death .... with the NFL and NBA releasing powerful messages on continuing to fight for change throughout the country.

Both leagues paid tribute to Floyd and his family with statements on Tuesday -- acknowledging the work that has been done since he was murdered by a Minneapolis PD officer on May 25, 2020 ... and calling for more action.

"One year ago, the killing of George Floyd advanced a global reckoning around systemic racism and inspired a movement for social justice," The NBA said in a statement.

"Today, and every day, members of the NBA family stand united in working for change and a future that provides true equality."

The NFL added ... "As we mark one year since the murder of George Floyd, our thoughts are with the Floyd family and all who have been affected by his death."

"This has been a year filled with reflection and reckoning, one that has renewed our commitment to build and strengthen our communities. The work for equitable justice must continue and the NFL and its clubs are proud to work alongside NFL players to build a more just society."

The NFL also shared a video of stars like Texans safety Justin Reid and Saints linebacker Demario Davis, who reflected on the tragedy and the protests that followed.

Floyd's death sparked massive movements in both leagues over the past year ... with the NBA adding the words "Black Lives Matter" on the courts for the remainder of the 2020 season ... and allowing players to wear social justice messages on the backs of their jerseys.

The NFL followed by adding the words "end racism" and "it takes all of us" on the fields ... and allowing players to honor people impacted by police brutality by wearing the names of victims of their helmets.

Jordan Bohannon -- the University of Iowa's all-time 3-point shot-maker -- was sucker-punched in a bar Sunday morning in a brutal attack captured on video.

Now, school officials say the 23-year-old is "recovering well" after suffering a "serious head injury" during the incident ... and police are now involved.

The video shows Bohannon hanging outside at DC's Sports Bar bar in Iowa City when suddenly he was blindsided with a brutal shot to the face.

You can see Bohannon sprawled out on the ground in the aftermath of the attack and his friends and other patrons try to figure out what the hell happened.

There was some pushing and shoving as Bohannon slowly picks himself up off the ground.

Police are investigating the incident -- but so far, it's unclear if they've identified the attacker or made any arrests.

Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery issued a statement on the incident saying, "Thankfully, Jordan is recovering well after being attacked by an individual he did not see coming at him."

"We were made aware of the incident immediately. We are grateful that friends who were with Jordan at the time kept the incident from escalating. His health is our number one concern."

Bohannon made headlines before the attack when he announced he would be returning to Iowa for a 6th season -- since the NCAA is allowing athletes an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID pandemic.

The basketball star was named Iowa's Mr. Basketball in 2016 -- and during his college career, he set the record for career 3-pointers with 364.

The NBA says LeBron James was not blocked from playing after violating the league's COVID protocol because officials decided he was NOT a risk to spread the virus.

In fact, the league says investigators determined everyone who was allowed at the May 17 event for LeBron's tequila company -- the event that triggered the violation -- was either vaccinated or tested negative for COVID before being admitted.

The event was attended by some massive celebrities including Michael B. Jordan and Drake.

There was some outrage after the league announced LeBron had attended the event -- with some calling for the NBA superstar to serve a mandatory quarantine before being allowed on the court out of fear he could infect someone else ... especially since he refuses to publicly confirm or deny if he's been vaccinated.

But, the NBA says there's nothing to fear ...

"LeBron James briefly attended an outdoor event last week where participants were required to be vaccinated or return a negative test result," a league spokesperson said Monday,

"Under these circumstances and in consultation with medical experts, it was determined that his attendance did not create risks related to the spread of COVID-19 and therefore no quarantine was necessary."

The NBA also says LeBron did NOT receive special treatment because he's a superstar.

"Over the course of this season, there have been numerous similar violations of the league's Health and Safety Protocols, which were addressed with the player's team in a similar fashion."

Then, the league added this line ... which makes it sound like Bron HAS been vaccinated.

"Under current NBA rules, vaccinated players are permitted to engage in outside activities including their individual commercial arrangements, such as sponsor appearances or ad shoots."