Basketball

Meyers Leonard is breaking his silence and giving his first on-camera interview to TMZ Sports after using an anti-Semitic slur ... addressing the bonds he's formed with the Jewish community, death threats he's received, and his desire to return to the basketball court.

"It's hard to explain," Leonard told us out in Beverly Hills. "The people who have been the most loving and the most compassionate, showing the most grace, have been so many people from the Jewish community."

Remember, 29-year-old Meyers -- the 11th overall pick in the 2012 draft -- dropped the k-word while streaming on Twitch back in March. He was almost immediately traded to the OKC Thunder, who cut him.

Since being released, Leonard has been incredibly active within the Jewish community, including meeting a bunch of kids at a synagogue in Boca Raton ... where he got emotional while discussing the incident with the students.

It's just one of many things Leonard's done to educate himself ... in the process, forging tight bonds with Jewish people of all ages.

"I can honestly sit and talk for an hour about this. About all the different experiences with little kids in the Jewish community, to teenagers, all the way up to Rabbis, who have just been so generous with their time and so understanding."

Meyers says in the wake of the comments, both he and his family had to deal with terrible abuse online, including people threatening to sexually assault and murder his spouse.

"It's been a very, very long and hard process," Leonard says ... "When the death threats, and my wife is being told 'don't leave your house, we're gonna rape you.' And, these things. It was hard. So, a lot of these things are difficult to share, but over time I've been able to heal."

As for Meyers' hoops career, he's gunning to get back in the league ... and says it'd be a dream come true to return to Pat Riley's team.

"I would be ecstatic if I could play for the Miami Heat again. I fell in love with that place, I really did. My wife and I love it there."

Meyers continued ... "There's something about the culture there that's just me."

Whether it's back in South Florida or in another NBA city ... Leonard -- a 9 year NBA vet -- just hopes he has a chance to return to the game he loves.

Kings and Suns fans ain't going to love this ...

Jerry West says he cannot believe both Phoenix and Sacramento passed on Luka Doncic in the 2018 NBA Draft, saying he was straight-up convinced the kid was going to be a superstar.

"Oh my God," Jerry said this week. "I can't believe that someone let him go. I can't."

The L.A. Clippers exec revealed his love for the Dallas Mavericks point guard on the "Getcha Popcorn Ready with T.O. and Hatch" show on Fubo Sports Network ... saying when he first saw Luka, he noticed some Kobe Bryant-esque traits to his game.

Like Kobe, West said, Luka dominated older competition at a young age ... and was clearly the best player in his draft class.

"He was a unique kid," West explained to Terrell Owens and Matthew Hatchette. "At 15 years of age, he was competing against men in Europe."

Still, the Suns drafted Deandre Ayton and the Kings went with Marvin Bagley Jr.

Even the Atlanta Hawks, who drafted Doncic at #3 overall, later sent him to the Mavs in exchange for Trae Young -- which all clearly had West shaking his head.

"He was 15 years old," West said of Luka, "but not competing, excelling!"

There's more, West also told the guys what made him so intrigued about Bryant before the 1996 draft ... and he also revealed what two football players really stand out to him.

Eighteen ex-NBA players -- including Glen "Big Baby" Davis and Sebastian Telfair -- have been charged with fraud ... after officials say they swindled a small fortune out of the Association's healthcare plan.

Federal prosecutors announced the charges against the former hoopers, which also included Shannon Brown and Darius Miles, on Thursday ... accusing the men of ripping off the NBA Players' Health and Welfare Benefit Plan.

The scheme was not terribly complicated, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District Of NY, which is prosecuting the case.

The ex-basketball players allegedly submitted "false and fraudulent claims for reimbursement" to the plan --- which has been set up by the NBA to help current and former players pay medical bills -- and then were wrongly reimbursed.

Officials say it all started in 2017, when the players would ask the plan for money to pay for medical care they didn't actually receive.

The feds say the men submitted fraudulent claims that totaled approximately $3.9 million ... and they received approximately $2.5 million "in fraudulent proceeds" from the scheme.

The prosecutors claim Terrence Williams, the 11th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, was the mastermind behind it all.

In addition to Davis, Telfair, Brown, Miles and Williams ... officials say Tony Allen, Jamario Moon, Tony Wroten, Melvin Ely and Ruben Patterson were also involved in the scheme.

Officials have scheduled have a meeting with reporters to further detail the alleged crimes later Thursday afternoon.

If Ben Simmons wants out of town, it certainly seems mutual with the fans ... 'cause spectators ripped into the NBA star during a taping of AEW Rampage in Philly on Wednesday -- chanting, "F*** Ben Simmons!!"

Of course, Sixers fans ain't happy with the former #1 overall pick amid reports he'd rather lose out on his $33 MILLION salary this season than suit up for Philly ever again.

Considering fans may not get a chance to express their anger towards Simmons at a Sixers game -- assuming he won't show up -- they found an opportunity at the AEW event ... and man, they went at the guy HARD.

Several fans in the audience captured it on video -- you can hear the huge crowd joining together to shout out the NSFW chant as the event goes on.

While the Sixers star's trade demand is still on the table, the team is still trying to make things work ... so it could get really awk with fans if he ends up staying in Philly.

The 76ers' first preseason game at home is Thursday -- let's see if the chants continue.

LeBron James simply cannot believe his oldest son, Bronny, is just one year from becoming an adult ... wishing the young hoops star the happiest of birthdays and wondering, "What in the hell is going on. How are you 17??"

The Sierra Canyon baller is celebrating his birthday on Wednesday ... and King James honored him with a special tribute.

"My baby boy! Ight enough of soft 💩💩. 🤣🤣," James said on Instagram. "Proud of you Young 🤴🏾.

"Watching you grow into the young man you are today makes me so happy and proud! Love you kid!"

Remember, Bron was away in the NBA's Orlando bubble for Bronny's 16th, so we're sure the James Gang will be making up for lost time and going all out for his 17th.

FYI -- Bronny is one of the top hoops prospects in the Class of 2023 ... and could possibly end up at a big college basketball program.

LeBron reflected on Bronny's rising success on and off the court -- applauding his hard work at a young age.

"Keep going up above and beyond! I’m right here guiding and watching! ❤️❤️❤️❤️👑"

Decades after they won their first ring, the Showtime Lakers turnt up at a championship parade in Los Angeles -- and everyone from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Magic Johnson was in attendance -- sorta.

John C. Reilly and Jason Segel are starring in an upcoming HBO drama series showcasing the 1980s Showtime Lakers ... and we have video of the actors shooting a scene in L.A.

Reilly is playing team owner Jerry Buss and Segel, assistant coach Paul Westhead. In the scene, the team -- wearing "LOS ANGELES LAKERS WORLD CHAMPIONS 1980" t-shirts -- celebrate with the Walter A. Brown trophy (now the Larry O'Brien trophy, since 1984).

Also in the scene is actor Solomon Hughes ... who's playing Kareem. Actor Quincy Isaiah, who's from Magic's home state of Michigan, is portraying the legendary point guard.

The Showtime Lakers -- led by Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar -- were basically unstoppable ... winning 5 championships in the 1980s. ('80, '82, '85, '87, '88).

And, their impact wasn't just felt on the court ... when Buss bought the team in 1979, he made Lakers games the place to be -- and be seen.

He introduced the Lakers Girls and live music at The Forum ... and the crowds often featured A-list celebs sitting courtside.

The series -- inspired by Jeff Pearlman's book, Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s -- will also feature Adrien Brody (Pat Riley), Michael Chiklis (Red Auerbach) and Sally Field (Jessie Buss).

Allen Iverson has crossed over into the weed game -- the NBA legend has teamed up with Al Harrington to introduce his very own cannabis line ... and was honored by his new biz partner with a pretty powerful speech.

"The Answer" hosted a bunch of his celebrity fans for the official launch of his Indica-dominant flower -- dubbed "96" to reference the year he was drafted -- with Harrington's Viola Brands in L.A. this weekend ... and there was plenty of music, drinks, a basketball court and oh yeah, WEED.

The man of the hour took center court with Harrington to celebrate the huge accomplishment ... with Harrington grabbing the mic to share some special words about Iverson.

"Obviously, we here because we celebrating my brother, Bubba Chuck, AKA Allen Iverson," Harrison said in front of the packed crowd.

"Not too many people get to do collabs with icons. You know what I'm saying. And, we all know Allen Iverson is an icon," AH added.

Harrington explained the decision to link up ... saying he wants icons like AI to help take over an industry that lacks black representation.

Harrington even gave AI a customized bottle of Dom Pérignon as a sign of his appreciation ... and it was so pretty, Iverson had to give it a smooch!

We also talked to AI about why he wanted to start a weed brand ... and he's got a pretty great reason.

The NBA Hall of Famer had one final message for everybody as he embarks on this next chapter -- "Live your life. You only live once."

Shaq's no stranger to taking the stage, but audience members at his inaugural charity event got a never-before-seen performance when the NBA legend collabed with Snoop Dogg on a hip-hop classic.

The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation held their first-ever "'The Event' Presented by Pepsi Stronger Together" Saturday night in Vegas. Jimmy Kimmel took over hosting duties, but Justin Bieber, Kelly Clarkson and Snoop were among the performers to grab the mic.

At one point during Snoop's set, Shaq jumped on stage to perform "Nuthin' But A G Thang" ... and as expected, the crowd went wild.

The event raised $2.7 million to benefit The Boys and Girls Club and Communities in Schools throughout Las Vegas and Atlanta ... including ticket sales and a live auction.

Speaking of the auction, Shaq wowed the crowd when he bid $90k of his own cash for a walk-on role in an upcoming Adam Sandler movie.

Enes Kanter is making it clear, he's pissed over LeBron James' COVID vaccine stance ... saying this weekend he thinks the Lakers star should be urging everyone to get the shots.

"When I heard it," Kanter said during a television interview with CNN, "I was very disappointed, and it’s ridiculous."

James told reporters last week he would NOT try to convince anyone to get the vax -- despite receiving it himself -- saying, "That's not my job."

Kanter, who started 35 games for the Portland Trailblazers last season, disagreed -- explaining he thinks it's obviously Bron's duty.

"LeBron James, he's one of the faces of the league," Kanter said, "and he should be the first one to go out there and say, 'Listen, everyone. I got the vaccine, and I'm encouraging everyone, my community, everyone, basketball fans, non-basketball fans and sports fans are just going out there and get this vaccine, so we can save other lives.'"

Kanter added, "When I heard that, I just couldn't believe it. But, I hope he can educate himself about this vaccination and inspire and encourage other people around him."

For his part, LeBron said he felt uncomfortable urging others to get the jab because he felt he shouldn't "get involved in what other people should do for their bodies and their livelihoods."

LeBron James ... 4-time NBA champ AND Pro Football Hall of Famer?!

Drew Pearson says he can make that a reality for the King ... telling TMZ Sports if Bron switched to football and joined the Cowboys, he could turn the Lakers star into a HOF receiver!!

"If I had a chance to work with him at wide receiver or tight end, he'd become a Hall of Famer, that's for sure," Pearson said.

"He'd become a Hall of Famer because he's got that talent, and with my coaching, I can coach him up to become a Hall of Famer and get one of these rings."

Pearson added that Jerry Jones and the Cowboys would be more than willing to give the basketball player a shot ... saying, "We got a contract for you."

"If you want a contract," the Cowboys legend said, "you come to Dallas, we'll make sure it works. I know Jerry Jones will make that work."

Of course, Jones has already sent LeBron a contract once before ... with James saying this week the 'Boys -- along with the Seahawks -- offered him deals back in 2011.

Ben Simmons ... MVP candidate???

Metta Sandiford-Artest thinks so ... telling TMZ Sports he truly believes the Philadelphia 76ers guard (at least for now, that is) ... will be one of the best players in the NBA this season.

The NBA champ had high praises for the disgruntled star when we spoke with him this week ... and despite all the drama surrounding his trade demand, Metta says it will be a breakthrough season for the 25-year-old.

"This kid is going to be an MVP candidate," the former All-Star emphatically expressed. "Just because he’s a superstar doesn’t mean he needs to be a shooter."

Metta even cited players like Gary Payton and Jason Kidd, who didn't necessarily have the best shooter's touch throughout their NBA tenure ... but went on to have Hall of Fame careers.

MSA even goes on to say Ben will hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy when it's all said and done ... and believes there can be a kiss and make-up moment with the Sixers.

"He will be an MVP candidate, and he will be second-team all-NBA, and he will be a champion. Hopefully in Philly with my good brother (and current Sixers GM) Elton Brand. Work it out."

Of course, Simmons is no scrub -- he was third-team All-NBA in 2020 -- but his recent struggles have folks wondering if he's pushing himself to his limit.

Sandiford-Artest offered some advice to Simmons and other players that might find themselves in a similar situation.

"You don’t request trades when you don’t have to, 'cause you don’t want to mess with your legacy," he said. "Stay with one team as long as you can. Build that comfort. Build your legacy."

Devin Booker is back in the mix -- the NBA star made his first appearance at the Phoenix Suns training camp on Friday after his stint with COVID-19.

As we previously reported, the shooting guard revealed on a Twitch stream earlier this week he tested positive for the coronavirus and had been battling the virus for a week.

The ex-Kentucky baller was placed in the league’s health and safety protocols ... causing him to miss the first 3 days of training camp with his teammates.

Booker confirmed he was vaccinated before catching COVID -- he told reporters he was gradually getting his sense of smell and taste back ... adding it was great to be back with his teammates.

The 24-year-old had a breakout year last season ... averaging 25.6 points, 4.3 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game before leading Phoenix on an improbable run to the NBA Finals.

The Suns open up preseason play on October 4 against the Sacramento Kings ... but it is unclear if DB can suit up that soon. Here's hoping he's ready to go.

Shaquille O’Neal is fed up with Kyrie Irving ... saying the Brooklyn Nets should cut ties with the star if he won't be able to play home games due to being unvaccinated.

Irving has been under attack for reportedly not getting vaccinated as the pandemic rages on ... and he currently won't be able to play home games due to NYC's COVID-19 mandate.

With the Nets poised for a title run with KI, Kevin Durant and James Harden in 2021-22, Shaq was asked what he'd do if Kyrie misses half the season ... and he's not holding back.

"I would go upstairs and say, 'Get him up out of here,'" Shaq told "Tiki and Tierney" this week. "We can win with a two-punch and a great shooter and some rebounders like we got. Get his ass up out of here."

"Of course, if I played with him, I’d be in charge all the way, all day," Shaq added.

"Whoever owns the Brooklyn Nets, get him up out of here."

But, Shaq wasn't done sharing his thoughts on the topic -- he expanded on his take on "The Big Podcast" on Thursday ... saying he is not going to "knock" Irving's right to have an opinion, but the hooper has to think about the bigger picture.

"In this game of ours, sometimes you have to think about others instead of yourself," he said. "Now, Kyrie has his own views and his opinions. I’m not going to knock that."

"He does have an obligation because he took that $200 million. Once you sign up for this life there is no privacy. And you have to accept it."

FYI -- some of that 200 milli will disappear if Kyrie misses all the home games this season ... with the guard reportedly set to lose out on $17.5 million.

Ben Simmons would rather lose tens of millions of dollars than suit up for the Philadelphia 76ers ever again ... 'cause the NBA star is reportedly willing to sit out the whole season and forfeit his salary if he's not shipped to another team.

Simmons and the Sixers have been butting heads all offseason amid the All-Star's trade demand -- he's refused to show up to training camp or meet with anybody from the organization.

The 25-year-old is owed more than $33 million for the upcoming campaign and has four years left on his remaining contract ... but if he decides to stick to his guns and sit out 'til a trade is made, as ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reports is likely to happen, that coin will go bye-bye.

Philly has made it abundantly clear that they will not move BS unless the right deal presents itself … but they have expressed a desire to get the ex-LSU star back into the swing of things.

Sixers head coach Doc Rivers even told us back in June he wanted Ben on the team this season ... and is holding out hope for a change of heart.

LaMelo Ball may not need school, but the NBA star is stressing the importance of an education for others ... by kickstarting his very own 4-year scholarship program!!

The 20-year-old Charlotte Hornets superstar announced the big plan on Wednesday ... saying he'll help one lucky student looking to study sports management or communication/marketing at Long Island University's Roc Nation School of Music, Sports and Entertainment in Fall 2022.

Students with a 1100 SAT score (or 22 on the ACT score) are eligible ... and the app requires a written essay on what the LaMelo Scholarship will mean to them 10 years down the road.

The scholarship will come with some sweet perks -- the Roc Nation school prides itself in its variety of industry resources to help students prepare for the real world.

Ball says he decided to give back in hopes of helping the youth succeed ... just like he did when he entered the league in 2020.

"I want to encourage the next generation of sports executives and leaders to follow their dreams just like I did to make it to the NBA," LaMelo tells TMZ Sports.

"I’m fortunate to have the means and public platform to support others, so I want to do my part and create a lane for a student to get a strong education and be in position to make a meaningful impact in the sports industry."

Of course, Ball recently spoke out about his own educational experience ... saying "school not even teaching you s***" ... but later clarified he didn't mean that was the case for EVERYONE.

The greatest tight end in the NFL believes LeBron James would have thrived as a pro football player ... 'cause Travis Kelce tells TMZ Sports the King would've been a serious "problem" in the league if he didn't become a basketball icon.

LBJ recently revealed he received offers to play for the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks during the 2011 NBA lockout ... and said he would have likely tried out at tight end if he decided to play football.

Considering Kelce is a 5-time All-Pro tight end, a Super Bowl champ and a 6-time Pro Bowler, we had to ask about LBJ's chances in the league ... and he truly believes James would have balled out!!!

"I think LeBron is one of the greatest athletes in the world, right," Kelce told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs nightly on FS1).

"His athleticism, how knowledgeable he is about the game of basketball that you can tell how he plays, he gets down to the scheme of things."

Kelce continued ... "And, that's a lot about being a football player is understanding schemes, going out there, playing free and letting your athleticism show."

Of course, there may be a bit of bias in Kelce's answer ... he grew up in Cleveland Heights, just about 45 minutes from LeBron's hometown of Akron. But, make no mistake, he's serious about LeBron's abilities on the gridiron.

"I think Bron would have definitely been a problem on the football field, no doubt about it," he added. "Especially with tight end room. That's us Northeast Ohio guys, man. We're all-around athletes. You can throw us in any sport, we'll have success."

As for whether LBJ would have been able to make that transition in 2011, Kelce says he wishes he could have seen that experiment unfold.

We also spoke with Kelce about his partnership with LG, where he's opening the doors to his life off the field for the "Travis Kelce, Only On OLED" series ... which also stars 2 of his childhood friends.