Basketball

Time heals all wounds -- that is unless you're Charles Barkley, who's STILL beefing with Scottie Pippen after 22 years ... with Chuck now proclaiming he's "damn sure tougher" than the 6-time champ.

Of course, Chuck and Pip's beef dates back to their disaster of a season as teammates on the Houston Rockets in 1999 ... when Scottie called him fat and Barkley fired back, saying he'd "get arrested for murder" if Pippen didn't apologize for his comments.

The Bulls legend reignited the feud in June 2021 ... claiming, "I ain’t never seen him fight a Black man unless there were referees around."

Barkley is now getting his response in ... saying, "I’m DAMN sure tougher than Scottie Pippen."

"I don’t walk around saying I’m Billy Badass, but I can promise you one thing -- I’m tougher than Scottie Pippen," Barkley told ESPN 1000's "Waddle and Silvy"

"Let me put that to rest right now."

So ... will we see Chuck and Pippen get in the ring as the newest celebrity boxing match?? Don't hold your breath, 'cause Barkley says he doesn't need the money, but claims Scottie might.

"I’m not no fake tough guy, I don’t pretend to be a tough guy but I am tougher than Scottie Pippen."

From the top rope ... it's THE GREEK FREAK!!!

Okay, so Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn't frog splashing anyone, but the Bucks champion DID make a surprise appearance at an AEW event at Milwaukee's American Family Field on Wednesday ... and the crowd lost their damn minds!!

The MVP brought his son, Liam, to the "Dynamite" event ... getting a front-row seat and having an absolute blast, according to Todd Rosiak.

But, Giannis wasn't just there to sit and watch all the stars get all the action -- the 6'11", 242-lb. basketball player channeled his inner wrestler by stepping into the ring with a championship belt and climbing up on the ropes!!

Giannis is seen smiling from ear to ear... basking in all the glory as fans chanted "MVP!!!"

There was one *gasp* moment -- Giannis' foot slightly slipped as he left the ring ... and some folks in the crowd held their breath before their beloved superstar regained his balance. So don't worry, Bucks fans. Your guy is totally fine.

There are rumors the appearance will air on AEW's "Rampage" on Friday ... and we're sure it's gonna be epic.

Giannis even got to hang out with some of his favorite wrestlers -- Chris Jericho and Sting -- afterward ... posing for a pic and chatting it up!!

Kendall Jenner was having some fun in the sun with her favorite Sun on Tuesday ... cruising on a yacht with her BF, Devin Booker, in Italy -- and the pics are piccante!!

As we previously reported, KJ and the Phoenix Suns star hopped on a private jet and flew to their romantic getaway last week ... and they've been spending the majority of their time lounging around in some barely-there swimwear ever since.

When we saw Kendall and Devin on Friday, they were floating around in Sardinia ... but now, they've made their way over towards Capri.

The couple cranked up the heat while working on their tans yesterday afternoon ... showing off their incredibly fit figures and chatting it up on the deck of the yacht.

24-year-old Booker -- who's fresh off winning a gold medal at the 2020 Olympics with Team USA -- had to cool off for a bit by hopping in the pool ... and yeah, he looks shredded as ever.

Dell Curry says his estranged wife, Sonya, cheated on him with a former New England Patriots tight end ... and then lied to him about it.

It's all spelled out in court docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, in which Steph Curry's father says Sonya is, and has been, dating Steven Johnson -- a 6th-round pick in the 1988 NFL Draft.

In the docs, Dell says Sonya "began her extramarital affair with Mr. Johnson during the marriage and prior to the date of separation, and she lied to [Dell] each time she cheated on him."

Dell, in the docs, says Sonya is actually living with Johnson in Tennessee ... and claims she should not be entitled to alimony because of it.

For her part, Sonya said in responding documents that she is NOT living with Johnson -- claiming she's currently living on her own because Dell will not allow her to live at their home.

Sonya added that she is, however, currently in a dating relationship ... but denied cheating on Dell, saying the relationship began "months after" she and Dell agreed to legally separate in March 2020.

Sonya also said Dell cheated on her during the marriage ... claiming he hooked up with different women, and that family and close friends knew about it.

As we previously reported, Sonya -- who married Dell in 1988 -- filed for divorce back on June 14.

Johnson, meanwhile, was a solid player for Virginia Tech from 1984 to 1987, playing in 44 games while piling up 1,058 receiving yards and 8 receiving TDs.

The 56-year-old went on to play just one year for the Pats, starting 3 games in the 1988 season.

According to Johnson's business page, he's a fan of "road racing, fishing, golf, and travel."

Sonya Curry -- Steph and Seth Curry's mom -- says estranged husband Dell Curry cheated on her with different women while married ... and she had no choice but to divorce the ex-NBA star.

But, Dell's telling a different story ... saying Sonya cheated during the relationship.

TMZ Sports broke the news ... 55-year-old Sonya filed for divorce on June 14 in North Carolina, citing Dell's "marital misconduct."

Dell responded with a court filing of his own, accusing Sonya of "acts of illicit sexual misconduct" prior to their separation, and then lying about the alleged incidents.

He also says she is now living with another man ... claiming that should prevent her from collecting alimony.

But, now Sonya is firing back ... admitting she's in a dating relationship with another man, but saying it didn't start until months after she and Dell agreed to legally separate.

She also notes she is NOT living with the man ... but rather alone because Dell refused to allow her to stay in their home.

And, then she dropped the hammer ... saying it was actually Dell who was unfaithful, hooking up with different women while married.

To make matters worse, Sonya says Dell's infidelity was known to family and close friends ... saying it was basically an open secret.

Sonya claims she didn't initially expose the lurid details "in one final act of trying to protect [Dell] and family from possible public exposure and scrutiny."

Sonya says once Dell publicly accused her of being unfaithful "she was left with no choice" but to fire back in defense of herself.

LeBron James is giving high praise to his old teammate and friend, J.R. Smith ... shouting out the ex-NBA hooper as he begins his NCAA golf career ... saying, "So happy and proud of you my brother."

The 2-time NBA champ -- who skipped college for the NBA in 2004 -- was officially cleared to suit up for the North Carolina A&T State University men’s golf team on Tuesday ... paving his way to finally becoming an NCAA athlete.

James is showing serious love for the 35-year-old freshman on Twitter ... saying, "Love you kid! Best of luck you student/athlete ... GO AGGIES ⛳ TEAM."

But, it isn't just a gimmick for Smith -- the guy's even been spotted walking around campus and hitting up classes ... and has said he's serious about bettering himself.

"It was probably one of the most exciting feelings I've had in a while," J.R. told the Undefeated after being cleared to join the golf team.

"I really didn't know how it was going to go ... but to be able to actually call myself a student-athlete is a great feeling."

Shaquille O'Neal just came through in the clutch for one of his biggest fans ... making a special shoutout vid for his bar mitzvah -- and TMZ Sports has the vid!!!

We're told 13-year-old Adam Huczneker had a Lakers-themed celebration over the weekend ... and the kid's uncle wanted to make it extra memorable, so he DM'd the NBA legend asking for a quick message.

Not only did Shaq agree, he sent a video going all-out with every Jewish phrase he could think of -- even wishing the kid a Happy New Year.

(Shaq may not have known, but he isn't too far off on his well wishes -- the Jewish New Year is September 6, so it actually works!)

Look, he may not have said all the right things, but Shaq certainly gave it his all ... and we're told everyone in attendance absolutely loved it!

Steph Curry's parents are going their separate ways ... TMZ Sports has learned Sonya Curry has filed for divorce from Dell Curry.

55-year-old Sonya put in the paperwork back on June 14 in North Carolina ... according to court records. A court official tells us the divorce is still ongoing.

Details surrounding the reason for the split are unclear -- we're working on it.

The couple -- whose other son, Seth, plays for the Philadelphia 76ers -- had been dating for decades and were officially married way back in 1988.

The two have been spotted cheering on Steph and Seth from the stands at NBA games for years ... famously wearing gear featuring both the Warriors and Trail Blazers logos when their two sons faced off against each other in the 2019 NBA playoffs.

57-year-old Dell and Sonya had first met when they were student-athletes at Virginia Tech ... and gave birth to Steph years later in 1988.

The couple then had Seth in 1990, and daughter Sydel in 1994.

NBA star Jayson Tatum is fresh off winning gold in Tokyo, but the Boston Celtics guard is hungry for more -- telling TMZ Sports he's gunning to add an NBA championship to his collection!!!

The 2-time All-Star and All-NBAer was out in Beverly Hills fresh off helping Team USA win it all at the 2020 Games ... and we asked where his shiny, new medal lands on his growing list of accomplishments.

"It has to be at the top so far, but clearly gotta bring a championship to the Celtics," 23-year-old Tatum tells us. "That’s first on the list."

The Celtics have a new coach this season with Ime Udoka ... but it's clear Tatum thinks Boston will be able to make a better run in the playoffs after getting eliminated in the first round in 2021.

Tatum tells us he's still riding the high of winning gold ... calling it "the coolest thing I've done so far."

Kyle Kuzma will leave Los Angeles for D.C. as a single man ... TMZ Sports has learned the former Lakers star and his model GF, Winnie Harlow, have broken up.

Sources tell us Kuzma -- who was just officially traded to the Washington Wizards from L.A. earlier this month -- split with Harlow about a week ago.

We're told, though, it was a completely amicable breakup ... and, in fact, we're also told the two have been friendly with each other since the split.

The couple first started dating in March 2020 after Harlow said Kuzma slid into her direct messages ... and things appeared to be going swimmingly.

The two swapped "I love yous" often -- and did it VERY publicly, too -- with Harlow even famously hiring a plane to fly across the Disney campus in July 2020 with a mushy birthday message for Kuzma as he played in the NBA bubble.

Unclear what ultimately caused the breakup and if the trade from the Lakers played a role.

NBA center Meyers Leonard says he's spent the past 5 months out of the spotlight and working firsthand with the Jewish community ... dedicating his time to being a true ally after hurling an anti-Semitic slur in March.

The 29-year-old has not spoken publicly since apologizing for his hurtful language on a Twitch live stream ... but in his time away, he says he's made every effort to learn from his mistake and understand its significance.

"This was not something prescribed or forced upon me," Leonard said on Instagram. "It’s something that I felt and knew in my heart was right to do, which is why I chose to do it privately."

Leonard says he's discussed the beliefs and history of the community with Jewish leaders and friends ... and was troubled to hear how anti-Semitic actions and views have caused so much harm over time and in the present.

"I'm committed to being an ally," he said.

"A true mistake and extreme ignorance is how this all began for me, but growing from this is a part of the journey."

"Again, I'd like to say how truly sorry I am to those who were hurt by my word. I take full ownership of my ignorance and will continue to do better through my actions. I'd also like to say how grateful I am for all of the love, compassion, and forgiveness that the Jewish community has graciously shown me."

As we previously reported, Leonard spoke out about hateful speech at an Anti-Defamation League conference earlier this month ... something he's grateful to have been a part of.

He also got emotional in a speech to Jewish kids at a temple in Florida back in June ... sincerely apologizing for using the word.

Kyle Kuzma will now certainly never forget his Univ. of Utah roots ... 'cause he just got a mountain range back tat to pay homage to his alma mater -- and it is MASSIVE!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the Washington Wizards new star wanted to get ink to represent his 2014 to 2017 days as a Ute, so he hit up celeb tat artist Herchell L. Carrasco.

We're told the 26-year-old headed out to Carrasco's Pachuco Tattoo shop in Orange, Calif. ... and sat like a rock for the huge scenery piece.

Carrasco said it all took about six hours ... with the mountain range scene ultimately ending up covering 1/3 of Kuzma's upper back.

Carrasco says the artwork isn't of one specific part of Utah ... but rather a mixture of mountains in the state -- and also represents "power, obstacles and overcoming them."

Carrasco added the NBA player might add more to it down the road.

The mountain scene wasn't the only work Kuz got done this week ... he also got a hand tat of the NBA championship trophy he won with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.

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.