Basketball

LaMelo Ball thinks going to college would've been a big waste of time ... saying, "school not even teachin' you s*** -- what the f*** is school?"

Of course, the 19-year-old Charlotte Hornets star took quite the unusual path to the NBA -- leaving Chino Hills H.S. in CA to play pro ball in Lithuania and Australia before declaring for the draft in 2020.

Melo has ZERO regrets over missing out on an NCAA career or the general college experience ... going in on the educational system in an interview with GQ.

"You wanna go to the league, so school's not your priority," the rookie of the year said.

"We not trippin' off school. We not dumb. We know how to learn. We don't need school. And school not even teachin' you s*** -- what the f*** is school?"

While that may not be the case for, say, a doctor or an astrophysicist, things have worked out quite well for Melo as a pro -- he quickly became a top player in the league, averaging 15.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists.

Safe to say the dude's not gonna be going back to get his degree any time soon.

Malik Beasley is a free man ... he was just released from jail Tuesday morning -- and TMZ Sports has confirmed it's because he was on his best behavior while he was behind bars.

A Wright County Jail official tells us Beasley was let out after only 78 days because he "followed the rules" and behaved well while incarcerated.

And, it's clear Beasley was stoked to be let out over a month earlier than expected ... 'cause he released a video on his social media page where he exclaimed, "I'm free!"

As we previously reported, Beasley was sentenced to 120 days behind bars after prosecutors said the Minnesota Timberwolves star exploded on a family that had parked in his driveway in Sept. 2020.

Officials said the 24-year-old NBA player pointed a gun at the people and demanded they piss off.

Beasley was charged but eventually cut a plea deal with prosecutors in the case ... and ultimately began serving his jail sentence in early June.

Shortly after he was locked up ... Beasley released a statement saying he'd use his time behind bars to become a better person, writing, "I'm still working hard everyday on and off the court to be the best version of me."

Sacramento Kings forward Chimezie Metu was so pissed after being fouled during a summer league game Sunday ... he threw a wild punch that connected with his opponent's forehead.

The fight all went down in Sacramento's game against the Dallas Mavericks in Vegas ... when Eugene Omoruyi collided with Metu while the Kings player was going up for a dunk attempt.

In the broadcast footage from the arena, you can see Metu was so upset after being knocked into ... he cocked back his right hand and violently punched Omoruyi in the face.

Cameras showed the haymaker -- albeit with a lot of Metu's elbow -- landed flush ... but, fortunately for both parties, the two were separated before any more fists could fly.

Metu and Omoruyi were eventually ejected from the tilt ... and you can see in the clip, Omoruyi was actually in a bit of pain after getting hit.

But, Mavs summer league coach Greg St. Jean told reporters after the game he expected Omoruyi to be just fine.

Unclear if either Metu or Omoruyi will be suspended from summer league action going forward.

As for the result of the game, Metu's Kings got the last laugh there ... with Sacramento ending up beating the Mavericks, 86-70.

The Clippers shouldn't have too hard of a time making another deep playoff run next season ... so says Serge Ibaka, who made it clear to TMZ Sports this week, he REALLY likes his squad!!!

We got the Clips center out at Highlight Room in L.A. ... and he ensured us the back injury that kept him out of most of L.A.'s playoff games in 2021 won't bother him next season.

Then, the dude told us he thinks his team has a legit shot at making a charge at the 2022 title!

"We have a good team," the 31-year-old said. "We have a good team. I'm going to be ready."

Serge added, "Man, we are a good team, man."

He ain't wrong ... L.A. did have a solid offseason, adding Jason Preston and keeping both Reggie Jackson and Kawhi Leonard in the fold with new contracts.

And, speaking of Leonard, we also asked Serge about his YouTube cooking show ... and he says to this day, the most memorable thing he's ever fed someone just happened to be to Kawhi.

High school hoops star Amari Bailey is now part of the OVO family ... 'cause Drake just hooked him up with an incredible iced out chain of his jersey number!!

Of course, Bailey's mom, Johanna Leia, is currently dating the 6ix God ... and the couple has showed up to the young hooper's games together recently to show support.

The 17-year-old is certainly reaping the benefits of his mom dating the biggest rapper on the planet -- showing off his brand new piece on Instagram.

The bling has a #10 pendant -- his Sierra Canyon jersey number -- infused with all types of colored diamonds ... and the famous owl logo of Drake's OVO brand.

Bailey clearly loves the gift -- he's been posting videos and pics showing off the piece.

It appears Bailey has braced himself for the haters, captioning his post ... "Insert comments below pt.2🤣🤣🤣🔟🌊"

If you forgot, the Toronto rapper was spotted -- by ABC7's chopper -- having a fancy dinner date with the UCLA commit's mom at Dodger Stadium last month.

We found out it was actually a thank you from the Dodgers for Drake's huge donation to their charity ... and the couple had already been together for months.

Carlos "Scooby" Johnson Jr. -- former Butler University basketball player -- was charged with felony rape and sexual battery ... after a woman claimed the hooper sexually assaulted her in a campus dorm room back in February.

According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by The Indy Star, the alleged incident went down on February 4, 2021. A police officer was dispatched to a dormitory on Butler's campus around 2 AM. When the cop arrived, a woman told the officer she'd been raped by a man named "Scooby."

When police tracked down 19-year-old Johnson Jr., docs reportedly show he said ... "I should have told that b**** to leave."

Scooby's accuser was taken to the hospital and given a rape kit. The results showed blood on Johnson Jr.'s boxers matched the woman's. Another sample showed a mixture of Johnson Jr. and the accuser's DNA.

An arrest warrant was issued for Johnson Jr. in Marion County, Indiana on Thursday ... but he has not yet been taken into custody.

Butler University addressed the alleged crime in a statement, saying ... "The university takes these allegations very seriously and has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual misconduct, violence, and harassment, per our Sexual Misconduct Policy."

The statement continued ... "Our top priority is the safety of our students and campus community, and the university provides support and resources to all students. Out of respect to the students' federal privacy rights and the ongoing criminal process, the university is not at liberty to divulge additional information at this time."

Johnson Jr. was dealing with an ACL injury last season and did not play in any games for Butler. He is no longer listed on the team's roster.

Back in high school, Scooby was a 3-star recruit who received offers from West Virginia and Michigan State. He was also named "Mr. Basketball" in Michigan a few years back.

Meyers Leonard is continuing his fight against anti-Semitism -- teaming up with a top anti-hate organization to speak at a virtual seminar ... just months after the NBA player dropped a slur while gaming online.

We're told 29-year-old Meyers has joined forces with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) ... and is set to speak at a webinar on August 19 ... with the hopes of stemming the rise in hateful speech.

The class -- which will also feature 2-time WNBA champ and Israel national basketball team member Alysha Clark -- will focus on the importance of education on anti-Semitism.

The speakers will also discuss the Holocaust.

It's just the latest way Leonard -- who is currently an NBA free agent -- is trying to repent ... by spreading awareness about the horrors of hate language.

Back in June, Meyers got emotional when speaking to a group of Jewish kids at a synagogue in Florida ... saying, "I owe everybody, truly, a sincere apology."

Of course, the apology came after Leonard found himself in some scalding-hot water after using an anti-Semitic slur while playing "Call of Duty: Warzone on Twitch back in March.

Meyers was immediately placed on indefinite leave by the Miami Heat and lost out on a ton of business deals -- including his relationship with gaming juggernaut, FaZe Clan.

Jake Paul is rolling out the royal red carpet for his fight against Tyron Woodley ... telling TMZ Sports he wants LeBron James front and center for the big night!!

Of course, Paul is slated to duke it out with Woodley on Aug. 29 in Cleveland ... just a stone's throw from where the YouTube superstar (Westlake) and NBA champ (Akron) grew up.

Jake says it's truly a special night for the city and the state ... so he wants the biggest local names to make an appearance and cheer him on.

"I think it’s just really cool that this is sort of an Ohio affair," Paul tells us, "and, not a lot of boxing matches take place in Ohio, let alone Cleveland."

With that being said, Jake is hoping to see the ex-Cavalier come through for his event ... giving a personal invite to the King.

"LeBron, pull up baby!!!" Paul said.

"When I was 12, came and saw your games. I paid good money for some front row seats. I was yelling at you from the crowds."

"And so, I think it’s only right that you pull up and yell, "Jake! Jake! But look, LeBron, this one’s for the city man, pull up!"

JP's also inviting Ohioans who killed it in the Tokyo Olympics -- from Zach Apple to Katie Nageotte (who he just invited on Monday) and more.

"Katie taking gold, Duke Regan boxing coming up a silver. Oshae Jones with the bronze. We got swimmers Zach Apple, Hunter Armstrong both getting gold in swimming."

"Like, the Ohioans were crushing it. So, I was like come on down to the fight and it’s perfect timing. It’s right after the Olympics. They get to chill out, and maybe grab a beer!"

NBA guard J.R. Smith is gunning to take his talents to the links -- the hooper has enrolled at an HBCU in hopes of making it on the golf team!!

35-year-old Smith -- who skipped college ball for the NBA Draft in 2004 -- is taking full advantage of his newly acquired free time by becoming a student at North Carolina A&T.

Of course, the 2-time NBA champ has not played in the league since winning a ring with LeBron James and the L.A. Lakers in 2020 ... going all last season without a team.

Now, J.R. is looking to join another team -- A&T's golf team.

"Golf is one of those games that can have you feeling really high or it can bring you down to your knees and humble you," Smith told WFMY.

"To have that feeling and knowing that all of the game is pretty much on my own hands and I don’t have to worry about teammates to pass the ball to, receiving passes and playing defense -- I can just play my game and have fun."

Smith says he learned the game from Hall of Famer Moses Malone ... and is waiting on the NCAA to sort out his eligibility, according to ESPN.

Charlotte Hornets player PJ Washington is breaking his silence on WILD rumors surrounding his split with Brittany Renner and alleged $200k child support payments ... saying, "Stop the cap."

For those who haven't been keeping up with the drama, here's a quick breakdown:

Washington -- the #12 pick in the 2019 Draft -- and Renner first made headlines when the hooper seemingly shot his shot at the Instagram model after she attended his game at Kentucky in 2019.

The couple went official in 2020 ... and in May 2021, Washington confirmed they welcomed a baby boy together.

But, things appeared to go sour just a few months later ... with Washington tweeting -- and later deleting -- a cryptic message about someone "faking it all along."

Fast forward to this week ... when an unconfirmed rumor went viral on social media claiming Washington would have to shell out $200k A MONTH in child support payments following the breakup.

FYI -- Washington is still on his rookie deal ... which means he's reportedly raked in $7.8 million so far as a pro and is slated to make about $14 million over the next two seasons.

Before anyone could actually confirm or deny the child support rumors, Twitter trolls had a field day with the reckless headline ... cracking jokes and sharing condolences to Washington's bank account.

But, Washington appears to finally be addressing all the talk on Wednesday ... tweeting "Stop the cap" ... which, for all you old heads, means QUIT LYING.

Isaiah Thomas let the emotions pour out of him after scoring 81 points in a Pro-Am game this week ... breaking down in tears and saying "the world gave up on me!!"

If you missed it, the ex-NBA star went OFF at The Crawsover Pro-Am game in Seattle on Sunday -- dropping an insane 81 points in the performance.

The crowd gave Thomas a standing ovation after balling out ... and that's when IT started to tear up and get in his feels.

Thomas spoke on Twitter about sharing the emotional moment ... saying, "I wasn’t showing y’all a snippet of me being emotional so y’all can feel sorry 4 me. Hell no!!!"

"My life is GREAT!! I was showing y’all that to see what it feels like to give everything you have to something you love and to see it slowly coming back where it’s suppose to be."

The last time the 32-year-old shined like this was with the Boston Celtics in the 2016-17 season ... averaging 28.9 points per game and finished 5th in MVP votes.

Ever since then, he's had short stints with several teams -- unable to lock in multiyear deals and getting trolled by fans ... something he says contributed to the emotions after Sunday's game.

"That emotion was tied up from the last 4yrs battling every single day!!!"

He added ..."I ain’t talking about the 'league' giving up on me lol. THE WORLD GAVE UP ON ME & WAS S****ING ON ME WHILE I WAS DOWN AND OUT!!"

"When you love something you’ll do whatever it takes to get that!!! I’m back."

Thomas is currently a free agent -- but after this statement and the support from NBA stars ... it's clear he's not giving up.

Ex-NBA coach George Karl says more than 100 hoops fans want to see him 6-feet under ... revealing he's been on the receiving end of death wishes for bashing Carmelo Anthony on Twitter.

Karl coached Melo on the Nuggets from 2005-2011 ... and while Denver made the playoffs for most of their time together, the two never really got along.

Of course, 70-year-old Karl hasn't held back when criticizing Melo in the past ... saying he was selfish and a liability on defense, which ruined the Nuggets' chances at an NBA title.

Now that Melo is hoping to help LeBron James and the Lakers win a championship in 2022, Karl has fired off some shots at the 37-year-old ... trolling Anthony's comments about losing sleep over his quest for a ring.

But, Karl wasn't all negative about the guy ... backpedaling a bit and saying, "I've said it before -- one of the great scorers the game has ever seen. He’s a HOFer and his Jersey should hang in Denver."

And then, Karl went right back to critique mode ... even referencing his battles with neck and throat cancer.

"He Wasn’t a team first player or good defender here in Denver," he added. "And it upset us when he asked for a trade especially after I was sick."

Karl faced a ton of backlash from Melo stans for his jabs ... and addressed the angry fans with yet another tweet Tuesday night.

"I think at least 100 people told me on here to die or rot in hell in the past 24 hours," Karl said. "Cmon folks. That’s not kind or cool."

"Lighten up and celebrate life!!"

When a user asked what he said, Karl didn't mince his words.

"That Melo was a ball hog and s****y defender in Denver."

Melo fans are known for being some of the most passionate backers out there ... so who knows if they'll take Karl's advice.

Jalen Green is PISSED he didn't go #1 overall in the NBA Draft ... saying he has a "super big" chip on his shoulder for getting passed on -- and he took it all out on the Pistons by dropping 25 points!!

The Houston Rockets' #2 pick faced off against Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons for the first time in their careers at Summer League in Vegas on Tuesday ... and it didn't disappoint.

Green outdueled the top pick with 25 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal in the 111-91 win ... with Cunningham earning 20 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 1 block.

Look, we get it -- it's Summer League, not the real thing, but it's exciting to see these guys go at it for the first of, hopefully, many times.

19-year-old Green was asked about his motivation to ball out ... admitting he really does have a grudge for not having his name called first at the draft last month.

"My chip's been super big," the Cali native said. "It started at draft night when I got drafted #2, I felt like I was #1."

"It's just the work I gotta put in. I keep a chip on my shoulder from where I'm from, my family installed it into me. So, Imma just keep getting better every day."

Dennis Schroder bet on himself ... and lost MILLIONS.

The free-agent guard just agreed to a 1-year, $5.9 million deal with the Celtics ... which sounds just fine -- that is, except when you take into account he REJECTED a 4-year, $84 MILLION extension from the Lakers just months ago!!!

BTW ... ESPN's Brian Windhorst said back in February the Lakers offered him the maximum amount they could ... but DS felt he could rake in more dough, which definitely didn't happen.

The 27-year-old announced the move via his Instagram page minutes ago ... and he's smiling through the pain ... saying he's excited to join his new team and honored to wear the green and white.

The news comes just one day after reports claimed Schroder was in "shock" about the lack of interest he was getting through several days of free agency.

Shroder was pretty solid for LeBron James' Lakers as a starter during the regular season ... averaging about 15 points and 6 assists per game.

But, the postseason was a bit of a different story -- he went 3 for 22 in Game 4 and 5 of the 1st round of the playoffs.

There were also rumblings of beef in the locker room with Kyle Kuzma ... but both guys are now out of L.A.

One of the most rare LeBron James cards EVER has just been put up for sale -- a 1-of-1 autographed rookie card -- and it can be yours if you got an extra $1.2 MILLION lying around!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the collectible SP Authentic Exquisite Endorsements autographed card is from King James' 2003-2004 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

There literally isn't any other card like it in existence ... plus, it's in mint condition with a 9 PSA grade -- after all, it was packed and saved for nearly 2 decades!!

Gotta Love Rock and Roll Auctions tells us ... "This may very well be one of his finest rookie cards ever printed, and it is the first time it has surfaced in nearly 20 years."

The bidding starts August 11 ... and is expected to sell anywhere from $700k to $1.2 million!!!!

That's some serious coin ... but LBJ's rookie cards have been bankin' in big money for the past year!

In April, his rookie patch autographed card sold for $1.72 million and last June, a 9.5 graded card sold for $1.8 mil.

Ex-NBA star Jermaine O'Neal says the backlash following the infamous 'Malice At The Palace' was brutal and wrong ... claiming he and his teammates were labeled "thugs" after the brawl.

The 2004 incident between the Pacers, Pistons and fans in attendance is one of the most memorable moments in NBA history -- Metta Sandiford-Artest (Ron Artest at the time) rushed into the stands and fought a spectator after a drink was thrown at him ... and absolute chaos ensued.

Metta was suspended the rest of the season, Stephen Jackson was hit with a 30-game ban and O'Neal received a 15-game punishment for their involvement in the fight ... the biggest suspensions in NBA history.

Now, Stak and JO are reflecting on the brawl for the new Netflix series 'Untold' (which debuts Tuesday) ... saying the criticism they received after the event was unfair.

"Ron, Steve, JO, it's their fault," Jackson said. "They were being thugs! They were acting out of line!"

O'Neal added ... "Like all of a sudden, my character is in question."

"These are thugs and everybody else signing off, 'yeah, rap music' and this -- well they're not saying that when hockey is beating the hell out of each for decades."

O'Neal is seemingly highlighting the double standard that exists between the reaction to black basketball players getting in a fight and the same thing happening in a predominantly white sport.

Even though the incident happened nearly 20 years ago, the points O'Neal raises remain significant.