Basketball

Scary news from legendary hoops announcer Dick Vitale ... who's opening up on his battle with melanoma this year -- but thankfully, he caught it early and is cancer free!!

82-year-old Dickie V revealed he first heard the news this summer after having a growth removed from above his nose ... which later came back positive for skin cancer.

"My heart sank," Vitale said.

But fortunately, the timing couldn't have been better ... with Vitale explaining, "It helped that we caught it early, and I was thrilled to learn it hadn’t spread."

"The bottom line is they removed all cancer cells, and I was relieved, big time, to be cancer clear."

As Vitale would say ... IT'S AWESOME NEWS, BABY!!!

Dickie V says he underwent 4 procedures to help clean up the area above his nose ... but jokes, "We all know I’m never going to look like Tom Cruise. I’ve got no hair on my dome and I’ve got a body by linguini."

"Fortunately, I continue to heal from those cosmetic surgeries and it’s working out fine."

Vitale gives credit to the V Foundation for getting checked early ... saying, "Because of early detection, something the V Foundation constantly emphasizes, thankfully we were more prepared."

The college hoops legend says he continues to heal, but will be back calling NCAA games for his 43rd(!!!) season -- and hopes this story inspires folks to get checked!

"Luckily, I took care of it when I did and I can’t stress enough that you all should do the same!"

"That’s how I’m going to achieve my goal of sitting courtside calling a game when I’m 100 years old!"

Trae Young's player rating for NBA 2K22 has officially been released ... and you know who's super pissed about it??

Trae Young.

The super-popular video game series rolled out a number of players' skill ratings for its newest installment in the yearly franchise on Wednesday ... and the Atlanta Hawks superstar was handed an 89 overall.

The 22-year-old guard was clearly not having it ... saying, "feel like we do this every year … y’all ever gonna get it right?! #CantPlayItYet"

For context, Trae's rating was in the 87-89 range through last season ... but the guy balled out in the playoffs, leading the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals this past season.

Young averaged 25 points, 9 assists and 4 rebounds a game in 2020-21 ... and nearly 29 points and 9.5 assists in the playoffs.

A number of other ratings have been released -- including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo getting 96 overall ratings ... with Kawhi Leonard, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, James Harden and Damian Lillard rounding out the top 10 players.

Kevin Durant is finally opening up on his sudden breakup with the Warriors ... saying the way Steve Kerr and GM Bob Myers handled his public spat with Draymond Green sparked his departure.

The heated altercation went down in Golden State's game against the Clippers in 2018 ... when KD and Draymond went after each other over poorly executed possessions toward the end of regulation.

Both guys went off in the huddle and had to be separated ... and KD infamously mouthed "That's why I'm out."

Now, both stars are setting the record straight ... getting to the bottom of the whole thing in a sit-down with Bleacher Report.

"It wasn't the argument, it was the way that everybody -- Steve Kerr act like it didn't happen, Bob Myers didn't try to just discipline you and think that that would put the mask over everything," KD said.

"I really felt like that was such a big situation for us as a group the first time we went through something like that. We had to get that s*** all out."

KD compares the situation to a scene from "The Last Dance" ... when all Scottie Pippen's teammates called him out for refusing to enter a game in the final seconds in a 1994 playoff series.

Durant says that's the kinda reaction he and Draymond should have gotten -- but didn't.

"We needed that!" he added. "We just needed to throw all that s*** on that table and say, 'yo Dray, K, that was f***ed up that we even had to go through that. Let's just wipe our hands with that and go finish the task.'"

Draymond says Myers and Kerr sat him down and tried to make him apologize for the incident ... and he laughed in their faces.

"I told them right then and there, I said 'y'all about to f*** this up!' I said, 'the only person that can make this right is me and K and there's nothing that y'all can do. Y'all are going to f*** this up.'"

"And, in my opinion, they f***ed it up!"

KD agrees ... adding, "I think so too."

Draymond was suspended one game without pay for the altercation ... and the Warriors would end up losing to the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals.

KD would leave shortly after -- joining Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets.

LiAngelo Ball is getting a co-sign from one of the NBA's top talents ... with Jayson Tatum telling TMZ Sports the Summer League standout is long overdue to have a spot in the league!!

The 22-year-old showed out during his time playing in Vegas over the past week -- scoring 9.6 points in 17 minutes per game ... with several incredible highlight plays.

We caught up with the Boston Celtics star outside Avra in Beverly Hills about Gelo's string of performances ... and he thinks Ball did enough to get him on an active roster for 2021.

"I think so," Tatum tells us. "It's only right, he's put in the work. I'm sure he’ll find his way on a team."

Of course, the middle Ball bro has had a long journey up to this point -- he left UCLA in 2017 following his shoplifting incident in China ... and ended up moving to Lithuania to play ball with his little bro, LaMelo.

Once Gelo returned to the U.S., he landed offseason chances with several NBA teams over the past 2 years ... before earning a spot with the Charlotte Hornets this summer.

A lot of folks are hoping to see Gelo finally get his shot ... and Ball himself even feels like he belongs in the league.

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.