Basketball

Tristan Thompson just started his NBA season with a new squad, but his busy schedule isn't stopping him from making sure some underprivileged kids have a memorable Halloween.

The Sacramento Kings' power forward is teaming up with Alexandria House Friday to provide costumes, candy, games and prizes to children experiencing homelessness in L.A. We're told there will also be arts and crafts, face painting and special treats for those in attendance.

TT won't be able to attend the event in person -- the Kings are on the road -- but his generosity is helping to make the event possible.

Tristan has nothing but praise for Alexandria House, telling us, "This is a small way to express my support for the work Alexandria House does for our community, and I am grateful to be in a position to help my community celebrate the holiday."

Judy Vaughan, Founding Director of AH, tells us, "... it is a major significance that Tristan Thompson is not only providing a fun day for impoverished families but is also giving a national platform on homelessness, the housing crisis and the difficulties in healing from trauma and becoming stable."

Can you imagine being the youngest athlete ever to sign with Puma??

Just ask 17-year-old basketball prodigy Mikey Williams about it … ‘cause the five-star recruit just inked a historic multi-year deal with the athletic brand!!

Terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed, but the agreement makes Williams the youngest athlete to sign with Puma Hoops ... joining an already star-studded roster featuring LaMelo Ball, Deandre Ayton, Breanna Stewart and RJ Barrett, and Katie Lou Samuelson.

"Mikey joining our Puma family is exciting news for our brand," Puma global brand director Adam Petrick said in a statement.

"His talent on the court and his ability to connect with young athletes and fans alike, will help drive hoops culture forward and inspire the next generation of athletes. He has a bright future ahead of him and we are proud to be a part of his journey."

Puma will be getting more than just a basketball sensation ... 'cause the rising star is also a social media force with more than 3.3 million followers on Instagram.

The 6'2" guard will be rocking various Puma styles, including the Court Rider Line … and will be featured in an upcoming “Not Yet Rated” marketing promotion, 'cause "his ceiling hasn't yet been determined" the company explained.

Williams spoke about the historic deal ... saying, "I am excited to join the Puma family this early in my basketball journey."

"Puma really understands how to mix hoops and culture, two things I am passionate about."

It'll be interesting to see what happens if Williams decides to take his talents to a college program that is NOT sponsored by Puma ... 'cause those deals normally force every player to rock the same brand.

Kevin Durant is opening up about the Nets' early-season struggles … admitting that the team misses having their superstar Kyrie Irving out on the floor.

Irving hasn’t been allowed to practice or play at all this season since he’s unvaccinated ... and it doesn’t look like that’s changing any time soon.

The Nets picked up their third loss of the season last night — losing to the Miami Heat at home 106-93 — prompting one reporter to ask KD what’s "missing" with the team’s offense.

"I know what you want me to say," Durant joked before getting real. "Yeah, we do miss Kyrie. We do. He’s a part of our team."

"For the most part we been generating great shots, we been getting into the paint. It’s a matter of us knocking them down. I think it’ll come."

Brooklyn’s offense has clearly struggled without KI ... the squad is currently 25th in points per game in the NBA.

Supporters of Irving took to the streets this past weekend to advocate that the Brooklyn Nets star be allowed to play … and looking at this Nets offense through 5 games, it might explain why they went so hard.

“When I found out Derrick [Rose] tore his ACL, I remember the smells, who I was with, everything. I had the same feeling of when I saw the plane hit the tower [on Sept. 11th]. People will be like, ‘He’s crazy for saying that.’ No. I’m telling you how I felt.”

That's former NBA star Joakim Noah explaining he was so devastated when a young D-Rose suffered the serious injury, it harkened him back to the day thousands of Americans died in one of the darkest days in America's history.

36-year-old Noah -- who last played with the Clippers in 2020 -- dropped the shocking quote about his close friend during a long form conversation with ESPN.

Of course, the injury happened during the 2011-2012 NBA playoffs. The Bulls were the #1 seed in the East ... and were playing the Sixers in the 1st round of the playoffs.

Chicago won game 1, but the game was marred by the ACL tear to Rose, the leagues reigning MVP.

With only about a minute left in the game, Rose tore the ligament in his left knee.

Before the season ending injury, D-Rose was a rebound and assist away from a triple double (23 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists).

The Bulls ended up losing the series ... and although Rose -- now one of the NY Knicks' best players -- has come back since as a highly capable player, but never returned to pre-injury form.

"We really believed we were gonna win that championship," Noah says.

"That was our time. Derrick represented that much hope. Every time he stepped onto the court, we had the most special player in the world. That's a lot of hope to carry on one person."

P.J. Tucker's insane shoe collection ain't just for show ... 'cause the NBA forward sported some ultra-rare kicks during pregame warm-ups this week -- and they're worth $25k!!!

Sneaker fanatics went CRAZY when they noticed Tucker rocking the Jordan 4 retro Eminem Carhartts before going up against the Brooklyn Nets in the Barclays Center ... and it's for good reason.

These specific shoes are NOT easy to get -- when the Black Chromes were released in 2015, they were made exclusively for Eminem's family and friends.

And, according to top sneaker sites, Stock X, GOAT and Flight Club, these limited kicks have a price tag of $25,000!

One fan even joked about it ... saying, "Mans is warming up in shoes worth college tuition."

BTW -- that $25k price is for a size 7 and 8 in men ... Tucker wears a size 14, so he might've put up more $$ for his pair. That, or he has the best hookup in the game.

Jordan brand did make an additional 10 that were auctioned to the public via eBay -- and Em donated one pair in 2020 to raise money for a COVID-19 relief fund.

Sorry, AMC ... LeBron James didn't need a movie theatre giant for his daughter's Halloween night, 'cause he built his own setup Wednesday -- and it was AWESOME!!

The King put together a massive projector and a bunch of comfy seats for Zhuri and her friends to enjoy the new Addams Family flick, and the youngest James loved it all.

The 7-year-old took to IG to show off the structure on the James mansion's back lawn ... revealing balloons, snacks, "Addams Family Values 2" blankets and much more.

"Since Halloween is coming up," Zhuri said, "my parents let me and some of my friends have a movie night in the backyard 🍿🎬!"

She added, "We streamed The Addams Family 2 movie and it was pretty funny!"

The fun night was just the latest good evening for Zhuri ... 'cause it was her birthday less than a week ago, and you know LBJ went all out for that occasion too.

In fact, Bron posted a mushy note to his baby girl for the special day, saying, "You’re seriously one of a kind!"

"Never a down, dull, stale moment when you’re around. You excite/ignite a whole room simply by yourself! ENERGY UNMATCHED! I LOVE YOU ♾ & BEYOND my ❤️"

Jay-Z almost got a lapful of his drink at the Nets game Wednesday ... and it's all 'cause Brooklyn co-owner Clara Wu Tsai got a little too excited following a big play!!

The scene was hilarious ... just seconds before halftime of the Nets' game against the Heat, Blake Griffin threw down a dunk that brought Wu Tsai out of her courtside seat.

Video shows the team's co-owner clapped, and then grabbed Hov by his left arm to celebrate with the rapper.

The problem ... Jay's drink was in that arm's hand, and it spilled all over the place!!!

The cup looked to be filled with red wine, too ... but, thankfully, it missed Jay's jeans and sneakers -- and the 51-year-old was able to laugh it all off.

Of course, we're sure Jay would've been fine with it regardless ... he and Wu Tsai are good friends, and are famously partners in REFORM -- the org. the two helped develop in order to fight criminal injustice in America.

A young fan got the surprise of a lifetime at her first-ever NBA game Tuesday ... with Russell Westbrook kicking off his shoes and gifting her the sneaks off his feet after the Lakers' win!!

The adorable moment happened after L.A.'s game against the Spurs in San Antonio ... when Westbrook noticed a young girl rockin' a LeBron James jersey and holding a purple and yellow sign.

The posterboard read: "Brodie, can I have your 👟👟" ... and Westbrook was quick to say yes!!

Cameras caught the L.A. superstar throwing her the shoes -- and you can see in her reaction, she was absolutely shocked by the adorable gesture!!

"In her first NBA game and Lakers game with an OT win nothing could have been better for her," the little girl's father wrote in a social media post following the game.

"She literally kept repeating 'I can't believe this is real.' I'm so proud of you for staying consistent and thankful for Brodie for being so generous and making this the best experience ever."

The post was so cool, it even caught the eye of Westbrook ... who wrote in the comment section, "Appreciate your support. Hope you guys enjoyed the game."

Mark Few refused officers' orders repeatedly and appeared very annoyed and frustrated with cops during his DUI arrest in September, new police video obtained by TMZ Sports shows.

The Gonzaga men's basketball head coach was pulled over in Idaho at around 8 PM on Sept. 6 ... after authorities said he was swerving in his car and driving erratically.

And, in footage of the stop, you can see Few wasn't happy about any of it.

Few -- who told cops he was on his way home to Spokane from his vacation house -- initially refused to get out of his car when cops ordered him to ... and he then continuously stuffed his hands in his pockets despite officers telling him to keep them away from his shorts.

Later during the stop, Few refused to do any field sobriety tests -- claiming they were "totally subjective," and adding that previous injuries wouldn't allow him to do the tests properly.

Throughout questioning, Few grabbed his phone multiple times and attempted to call his attorney -- only to have cops tell him to put the device away.

Few told officers he had been swerving because he was trying to control the dogs in his car -- and he said emphatically that he believed he was okay to drive.

Video shows, though, the 58-year-old did admit to drinking beer earlier in the day.

After refusing to do the field sobriety tests, cops placed him in cuffs and put him in the back of a squad car.

Few later agreed to blow into a breathalyzer ... and cops say he blew a .119 and a .120 -- well above the legal limit of .08.

Few was eventually taken to a nearby medical facility to have his blood drawn ... and afterward, he was issued a citation and was allowed to be picked up by a friend.

Few was ultimately charged over the incident ... and pled guilty to misdemeanor DUI earlier this month. He was ordered to, among other things, perform community service and was placed on unsupervised probation for one year.

Van Jones is very disturbed by what he saw play out at the Barclays Center -- protestors storming the building a la the Jan. 6 insurrection -- and he says there's a danger in these scenes becoming commonplace.

The podcast host and esteemed news commentator joined "TMZ Live" Monday and told us what it was like to be there in person when demonstrators clashed with security and bowled over barricades outside the NBA arena.

The protest, which some are comparing to the Capitol riot, was against the NYC vaccine mandate, and in support of Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving ... who is sidelined because he's not vaccinated.

Much like the U.S. Capitol, Van says the arena had to go on lockdown ... and he says it's another sign the country needs to get to a better place.

Van thinks society is looking for the next big division, and with Donald Trump out of the White House, the big catalyst is now the COVID-19 vaccine.

He's got a few ideas about what's behind the massive divisions we're seeing across the country ... but he says we're heading towards an uncivilized society if mob attacks on buildings become normalized.

Buy all the Nikes you want ... nothings toppin' these 1984 kicks Michael Jordan rocked back in the day, 'cause the historic sneakers just sold for a record $1.47 million at auction!

The size 13 white and red Nike Air Ships are from Jordan's fifth game of his 1984 rookie season -- the first model of basketball sneakers worn by His Airness as a pro athlete.

In fact, Nike made these -- and a black and red colorway (known as the 'Bred') -- for the Hall of Famer while the Air Jordan 1s were still being made.

MJ signed and gave the priceless kicks to a Denver Nuggets Ball Boy, Tommie Tim III Lewis -- who kept them safe -- until recently putting the kicks on the market with Sotheby's.

Sotheby's expected to sell the rare sneakers for over $1 million -- and did they ever -- closing Sunday with a final price of $1,472,000.

The lucky (and clearly wealthy) MJ fan who copped the kicks is Nick Fiorella, a high-end sports memorabilia collector.

And, that's a record for the highest-priced sneakers in an auction. The outright most expensive pair of sneakers ever belongs to a fan who copped Kanye West's “Grammy Worn” Nike Air Yeezy 1 prototypes. Those went for $1.8 million at a private sale.

Dozens of athletes and celebs have gotten Kobe Bryant tattoos in the wake of the NBA legend's passing, but Gerald Green's new Mamba ink might just top them all ...

The former NBA player -- who just announced his retirement last week -- revealed he had a pic of him defending Bryant tatted on his right arm recently.

The artwork is very cool -- it's a tat based on a photo of him trying to block Bryant's shot at the rim during a game when Green played for the Suns.

The piece is a big one ... it stretches from the top of Green's bicep almost all the way down to his inner elbow -- and it's all in black and white coloring.

Of course, Green made the move to honor Bryant -- someone he's never shied away from publicly praising.

You'll recall, Green wore a #8 Bryant jersey to a game in the days following the ex-hooper's tragic death ... saying at the time that Kobe had inspired him since he was a child.

"I don't think anybody could ever achieve the things that he did," the 35-year-old said, adding, "There will never be another number 8 or 24. Never."

Kyrie Irving has some in his corner who are willing to go to war for him over his vaccine stance -- and we mean that literally ... 'cause they were doing just that this weekend.

A group of protestors hit the streets Sunday to advocate for the Brooklyn Nets star, who's sidelined right now since he's not vaccinated ... which is preventing him playing with the team whatsoever, due to NYC's vaccine mandate and the team's wider policy.

Well, these folks think it's BS -- and apparently were itching to get inside to let Nets officials know first-hand, 'cause they were attempting to storm the Barclays Center's front entrance ... shortly before tipoff against the Hornets.

Check out this footage ... demonstrators clashed with security, and bowled over barricades.

It sounds like the chaos only lasted for a short time, and eventually ... cops and security got it under control. So, it appears to have been a flash mob type deal. Still though ... pretty damn intense for however long they were there. Things escalated quickly, as you can see.

Meanwhile, it doesn't seem Kyrie is caving to the pressure -- he's been mostly laying low since making his POV clear ... namely, that he's against mandates, not vaccines.

The Phoenix Suns are looking to get ahead of a potentially damning report of racism, sexism and sexual harassment within the organization ... alleging the claims are "completely baseless."

The statement comes shortly after NBA insider Jordan Schultz claimed a "massive story" accusing team owner Robert Sarver of several incidents of misconduct was looming.

Before the report was published, the Suns released a scathing statement bashing the allegations as nothing more than a hit piece.

"We understand that an outlet is considering publishing a proposed story that makes completely baseless claims against the Suns organization concerning a variety of topics," the team said Friday.

"Documentary evidence in our possession and eyewitness accounts directly contradict the reporter's accusations, and we are preparing our response to his questions. We urge everyone not to rush to judgement here."

"Especially based on lies, innuendo, and a false narrative to attack our organization and its leadership."

Depending on the severity of the allegations, Sarver's role within the organization could be in jeopardy ... and it wouldn't be the first time an owner would be forced to sell their team.

Donald Sterling was handed a lifetime ban from the NBA back in 2014 ... after TMZ Sports published audio of the businessman spewing racist remarks to his then-mistress V. Stiviano.

As for Sarver, he claims to have been blindsided by the allegations ... saying he's against racial or sexual discrimination of any kind.

"While I can't begin to know how to respond to some of the vague suggestions made by mostly anonymous voices, I can certainly tell you that some of the claims I find completely repugnant to my nature and to the character of the Suns/Mercury workplace and I can tell you they never, ever happened," Sarver said Friday.

"I don't begin to know how to prove that something DIDN'T happen, and it is difficult to erase or forget ugly accusations once they are made. Even hints of racism or sexism in our culture today are toxic and damaging and should not be lightly raised," he added.

"I categorically deny any and all suggestions that I used disparaging language related to race or gender, I would like to think that my actions and public record regarding race, gender, or discrimination of any kind, over a lifetime in business and community service, will adequately answer any questions anyone might raise about my commitment to equality and fairness."

Shaquille O'Neal has gotta be happy as hell right now -- the NBA legend is FINALLY parting ways with his humongous Orlando mansion after 3 years on the market!!

The 31,000-square-foot pad is insane -- it has 12 bedrooms, 11 baths and four half baths, a chef's kitchen and a fancy 17-car garage.

The lakefront property also has a 95-foot long luxury pool, a home theater with reclining seats, an aquarium room, cigar and wine bar plus a recording studio.

Of course, an NBA legend's home wouldn't be complete without a basketball court -- and this crib more than that with a 6,000 square-foot "Shaq Center" with bleachers.

TMZ's own Harvey Levin even squared up with the Hall of Famer on that same court for a quick game of one-on-one ... and hilariously lost (please don't fire us).

Shaq's been trying to sell the crib for 3 years -- listing it at $28 million in 2018.

The price dropped several times since -- plus renovations and upgrades -- and finally sold with Benjamin Hillman of Premier Sotheby's International Realty for an undisclosed amount, according to People.

The Cowboys hate the Eagles on the field, and they clearly hate them off of it now too -- 'cause Noah Brown just crapped all over Jason Kelce for criticizing Ben Simmons this week.

Kelce went off on the 76ers star on Thursday ... telling reporters that the disgruntled point guard needs to quit crying about his situation in Philadelphia and just play basketball better.

When Brown, one of Dak Prescott's favorite receivers, got word of those comments on Friday -- he snapped, and said in a series of social media posts that Kelce needs to mind his own damn business.

"All these Philly athletes tryna s*** on Simmons for a extra pat on the back from Philly fans," Brown wrote. "Cornball activity."

"Idk when speaking on another man habits and accountability to something that ain't got s*** to do w you became cool."

He added, "S*** corny."

Brown went on to say he thinks Philly fans are going to jump down athletes' throats no matter what they say in this situation ... explaining he believes the city only likes its players when they play well.

"Philly still gone fye u up next time u f*** up so sit back and mind ya business," he said.