Basketball

One of sports TV's power couples has broken up -- ex-NBA player Jalen Rose filed for divorce from ESPN host Molly Qerim, TMZ Sports has learned.

Court records show Rose filed docs earlier this year ... kickstarting the process to end their 2 and a half year marriage.

Sources tell us the breakup was amicable and both sides remain cordial.

Rose first went public with the "First Take" host in June 2016 ... and they tied the knot at a lowkey NYC ceremony in July 2018.

Jalen filed April 30, 2021 ... just months after the couple starred in a Gatorade commercial together. Jalen says in court docs the marriage broke down irretrievably after Qerim moved to Connecticut.

It should be known -- in the docs, Jalen does not want alimony and doesn't want Molly to have it, either. We're told there was not a prenup and Molly does not want any spousal support.

The breakup signs were all over social media -- Molly previously included "Rose" in her name on Instagram and Twitter, but has recently scrubbed it from her accounts.

On top of that, the couple hadn't been photographed together much at all in the months leading up to the filing ... and Jalen and Molly also haven't posted each other on their pages for months.

However, Qerim has shown public support for Rose even after the filing -- in June, she spoke out about his struggles with deaths in the family in an emotional segment on "First Take."

Rose played in the NBA from 1994-2007 before taking his talents to television. Qerim previously worked at NFL Network.

Forget popcorn and beer, Ben Affleck got a side of Jennifer Lopez at the Lakers game on Tuesday ... with the Oscar winner getting some serious PDA from J Lo all night in front of LeBron James!

Ben and Jen sat courtside for L.A.'s tilt with the Boston Celtics at Staples Center ... and cameras caught them getting cozy throughout the evening.

Early in the game, the two were seen on the broadcast cameras -- with J Lo holding Ben's hand while LeBron was just feet away playing on the hardwood.

In the middle of the game, the couple was spotted on the jumbotron, and their flirtatious convo was viewed by everyone in the venue's packed crowd.

And, after the game, J Lo was seen wrapping her arms around Ben, snuggling her man as everyone filed out of the venue where the PDA continued at an event sponsored by PrettyLittleThing.

Of course, it was all lovey-dovey ... but Ben didn't exactly get to go home super pleased -- his beloved Celtics were blown out by LBJ and the Lakers, 117-102.

Kyle Rittenhouse says he's no longer a fan of LeBron James ... saying the Lakers star's shade toward him during his trial "really" ticked him off.

"I liked LeBron," the Kenosha shooter said Monday on The BlazeTV's "You Are Here" show. "And, then I'm like, 'You know what, f*** you, LeBron.'"

If you missed it ... LBJ mocked Rittenhouse after the 18-year-old gave an emotional testimony on the stand during his homicide trial last month.

Rittenhouse fought back tears while explaining how the Aug. 25, 2020 shootings in Wisconsin unfolded ... and then he got so choked up, the judge actually paused the court proceedings for several minutes.

LeBron, though, didn't believe Rittenhouse was actually remorseful or even crying at all ... writing in a social media post, "What tears????? I didn't see one."

"Man knock it off!" James continued. "That boy ate some lemon heads before walking into court."

LeBron added several crying emojis to the post as well.

When Rittenhouse finally spoke publicly about James' comments -- he made it clear, he now despises the NBA superstar over it all.

"I was a Lakers fan too before he said that," Rittenhouse said. "I was really pissed off that he said that."

LaMelo Ball or high-flying Miles Bridges didn't make the most spectacular play of the Hornets game ... that honor belonged to hip-hop star DaBaby, who saved Gordon Hayward from taking a nasty spill!

The North Carolina native was on hand Monday night to take in some NBA action ... as his hometown Hornets battled the 76ers in an Eastern Conference showdown.

It's not uncommon for the "Baby on Baby" rapper to sit courtside at the Hornets game ... he's a big supporter and always puts on for the city of Charlotte.

But, last night he was way more than just a spectator in the crowd.

Hayward attempted to save a ball before it went out of bounds ... and his momentum carried him into the first row of the stands, sending Gordon tumbling into DaBaby's arms.

After helping the hooper get stead on his feet, DaBaby jumped back into fan mode, pumping up Hayward as he returned to the court.

That wasn't the only memorable moment from the Hornets-76ers game ... minutes after Hayward's spill, Kelly Oubre Jr. blew a wide-open layup with the game tied at 119 in overtime.

Despite the blunder, Oubre finished the game with 28 points ... shooting 6-10 from 3-point range.

You've heard of the Red Wedding, but Stephen Jackson had a green one ... 'cause ex-NBAer Matt Barnes says everyone was tokin' up before and after his big ceremony!!

43-year-old Stak married his new wife, Tamara, at a star-studded event this weekend ... with guests like rapper 2 Chainz and fellow former hooper Al Harrington.

But, the most VIP guest of the day?? WEED!!

"We smoked before and after," Barnes tells us ... which means Stak had to be feeling reeeaaaalllly good as he exchanged vows.

"He had his close friends and family there. We had a good time."

Although folks were sparking it up, Barnes says the smoke sesh did not happen throughout the wedding -- "We didn't really smoke during the wedding because we were at the Four Seasons."

Makes sense, don't wanna lose that security deposit!!

Stak was able to smoke after exchanging vows, though ... wearing a fancy tux and rapping along to UGK and Outkast's "Int'l Players Anthem."

"It was good. We always smoke good," Barnes added.

That they do ... remember, Jackson even revealed to us in 2018 that he smoked marijuana during his whole 14-year NBA career.

Master P's 16-year-old son, Mercy, put on an absolutely incredible show ... the kid of the famous music icon just dropped a 40 piece in his first high school game as a sophomore.

Mercy, P's youngest, plays for Minnehaha Academy in Minnesota ... and they were taking on Apple Valley, and they had no answer for him all night.

As you can see in the video, Mercy was in his bag ... scoring in a variety of ways -- attacking the rim, shooting outside the perimeter, and even hitting a few mid-range jumpers.

This should come as no surprise 'cause hoops runs in the family. P had a stint in the NBA back in the day ... and Mercy's brother, Hercy, plays college ball at Tennessee State University.

P tried to warn us about the emergence of Mercy -- who committed to playing at the University of Houston -- telling TMZ Sports his son could have a legendary career like Hakeem Olujawon.

"His favorite teams was University of Houston and Duke," P told us, "That was his final choice and to be able to do that as a young kid right now ... he's blessed," P recently told us.

"A lot of the greats went to University of Houston," P said. Clyde the Glyde, Elvin Hayes, Hakeem Olajuwon and now you got Mercy Miller -- could be on that same wall."

Russell Westbrook isn't letting the Lakers' early-season struggles put a damper on his spirit ... 'cause the SoCal native hit up the Happiest Place on Earth with his wife and kids.

The Lakers -- who last played Friday against the Clippers -- had the weekend off ... providing Russ the perfect opportunity to spend some quality time with the fam.

Westbrook and his wife, Nina, took their kids to Disneyland in Anaheim on Sunday ... where they enjoyed some rides at the famous theme park. And yes, they had delicious Churros too.

The Lakers star rode the Radiator Spring Racers, where he sat in the front row (photo below). The 33-year-old also hit up the new Web Slingers Spider-Man attraction in the new California Adventures Park's Marvel Land.

The former UCLA product has been all smiles since being traded to his hometown Lakers ... despite a season that has been mired with inconsistency due to injuries and lack of chemistry.

Of course, Russ isn't the first celebrity to grace Disneyland with his presence. A host of A-list stars like Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, Halle Berry, Mario Lopez, Nick Cannon and Trey Songz have visited the park.

Disney was also a favorite of Kobe Bryant over the years ... who LOVED the park.

Nikola Jokic is having an insane season, but Kenny "The Jet" Smith says the Nuggets superstar won't get his second-straight MVP if his team keeps losing ... telling TMZ Sports the award needs to go to one of the best players on the best teams.

Jokic is balling the hell out this season ... averaging 26 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists and a player efficiency rating of a whopping 33.8.

The "Inside The NBA" analyst said despite the incredible numbers the 26-year-old is putting up, he can't call him the MVP of the league if his stats aren't resulting in W's for the Nuggets.

"Yeah, [his numbers are good], but they're not winning," Smith said. They're not winning."

"Best record in the league. Best players get the rewards," Smith added. "Same way with him last year. They were the best team. He got the award."

Of course, Kenny is referring to Jokic winning his first-ever MVP award last season ... leading Denver to a 47-25 record.

Smith said that guys like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Chris Paul would be at the top of his MVP list ... 'cause their teams all have great winning records.

But, all hope isn't lost -- Smith said Jokic and the Nuggets haven't even hit their peak yet ... and they've still got time in the second half of the season to figure things out as a team.

He also offered some advice to Joker ... telling the Serbian big man that if he wanted to secure the MVP award, the key is staying healthy for his team and winning more games.

The Portland Trailblazers have fired general manager Neil Olshey almost a month after the team opened an investigation into toxic and hostile work allegations made by employees.

56-year-old Olshey -- who's been the GM since 2012 -- was accused back in November of bullying, intimidating and making expletive-filled rants towards staff members over his time with the team.

The Blazers immediately launched a private investigation into the allegations ... and a firm spoke with several employees on the abuse that is said to have led to "mental and physical stress."

After a review of the findings, the organization fired Olshey.

"The Portland Trail Blazers are committed to building an organization that positively impacts our colleagues, communities and the world in which we live and play," the org. said Friday.

"Following the conclusion of the independent review of concerns and complaints around our workplace environment at the practice facility, the Portland Trail Blazers organization has decided to terminate General Manager and President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey, effective immediately due to violations of the Portland Trail Blazers’ Code of Conduct."

The team says they will not release any information on their investigation out of respect for those who came forward and look to make improvements in the office.

"We are confident that these changes will help build a more positive and respectful working environment."

There are now TWO LeBron James offspring who can dunk a basketball ... 'cause the Lakers star's youngest son, Bryce, just rattled the rim for the first time on Thursday night!!

Just a couple years after Bronny -- LBJ's oldest boy -- accomplished the feat ... Bryce did it in warmups for Sierra Canyon H.S., and LeBron was fired up to see it.

The King had courtside seats for the big moment ... and cameras captured a big smile on his face after Bryce threw it down.

"Ayyyyeeeeeee!!!!!," said LeBron, who actually captured the dunk with his own cell phone camera. "Yo WTH man."

The dunk was pretty sweet -- Bryce took off on two feet and slammed the ball home with one hand. And, considering Bryce is just a 14-year-old freshman, it's likely the first of many.

Of course, Bronny is already killin' it a couple years after his first dunk -- he's considered one of the best recruits in the class of 2023 ... dunking the ball with ease and hearing from all of the top colleges.

Kemba Walker getting benched isn't his problem, it's his coach's ... so says Kenny "The Jet" Smith, who tells TMZ Sports the guard is a Ferrari and Tom Thibodeau doesn't know how to drive it.

The 31-year-old hooper was removed from the Knicks rotation earlier this week ... as he's been averaging career lows in almost every major category this season.

Once backup Alec Burks came in and balled out with 23 points against the Hawks on Saturday, Thibs decided to pull Walker out of the starting lineup AND the rotation altogether.

We spoke with Smith about Kemba's benching, considering he signed a 2-year, $20 million deal this past offseason ... and he says this is not a testament to Walker's skills.

"The guy's a great offensive player and you just don't know how to use him," Smith told us at LAX. "That's really what you're saying. You're not saying that he can't play."

Smith says Thibs just flat-out doesn't know how to use the baller ... and can be of use for a team that knows what to do with his talents.

"It's the coach and the organization just not understanding what value of a guy like this, what they paid for."

To put it in simpler terms, Smith has an analogy.

LeBron James is officially free of COVID -- the NBA announced he's logged multiple negative tests the past two days -- and he's now been cleared to play for the Lakers again.

LBJ had been placed in the NBA's health and safety protocols on Tuesday after he had recorded a positive coronavirus test -- and was forced to miss L.A.'s win over the Kings in Sacramento.

But, the league says the King has been testing negative and is now out of the protocols and will be eligible to play in the Lakers' next game against the Clippers on Friday night.

We broke the story, LeBron initially tested positive for COVID-19 just hours before the Lakers vs. Kings game using a lateral flow test. He then tested negative on a follow-up PCR test. We're told he was given a third, tiebreaker test which came back positive and he was sent home to L.A. from the Lakers' road trip in Northern California.

LeBron seemed to be upset over it all ... writing on his social media page on Wednesday, "Something is REAL [fish emojis] going on."

The NBA -- which has implemented a rule saying players who test positive must either sit out 10 days or submit at least two negative PCR tests before returning to game action -- revealed Thursday it believes LeBron's initial testing was a false positive ... adding, "he is not a positive case."

Sad news from Hercy Miller -- Master P's Tennessee State hoops star son is out for the rest of the year after suffering a season-ending injury.

The freshman guard made the announcement on Tuesday ... saying, "Due to a lower-body injury I'll be out for the '21-'22 season."

But, don't worry, Tigers fans ... the 19-year-old says he's already looking forward to his comeback campaign.

"I'll be back next year for the show! Stronger and better," he added.

The 6'3" guard averaged 10 minutes in 6 appearances for the Tigers ... scoring an overall total of 13 points. TSU is currently 1-5.

"THANK YOU, to all the fans," Miller said, "and everyone who supported me this season."

Miller -- who was a 3-start recruit from Minnehaha Academy -- picked the HBCU earlier this year over UCLA, LSU and other Power 5 programs.

As we previously reported, Hercy signed a multi-million dollar endorsement deal after the NIL policy change ... telling us in July, he learned from his dad.

"I signed a deal with an American technology company. Like my dad said, it's a blessing," Miller said.

"I learned from my dad, I'm gonna start off by giving back to the community and everyone around me."

Get well, soon!!!

The high school basketball player who was seen on video sucker-punching his opponent in a post-game handshake line was arrested on Wednesday and charged with a felony, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to court documents, officials accused 17-year-old Carter Prenosil of knocking out his opponent after the Carlisle vs. Nevada hoops game on Tuesday night in Iowa.

In the docs, cops say Prenosil "threw an unwarranted punch" at a Nevada player in both the stomach and the face.

In a video of the altercation, you can see the attack was violent -- with the alleged victim appearing to be KO'ed on his feet.

According to the docs, the player suffered a concussion and a cut to his mouth that required four stitches.

Cops -- who were in attendance at the arena -- say they launched an investigation ... and ultimately arrested Prenosil on Wednesday. He was later charged with felony willful injury -- causing serious injury.

Prenosil is facing up to 10 years in prison if convicted on the charge. He's due in court for a hearing on the matter on Dec. 13.

We've reached out to Prenosil's father for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

As for Prenosil's school, Carlisle Community School District superintendent Bryce Amos told us in a statement Wednesday, "This is without question an unfortunate incident that is not representative of the school culture that exists in Carlisle Community School District."

Shaqtin' a Fool, anyone??

NBA rookie Scottie Barnes certainly earned his nomination ... 'cause the Toronto Raptors guard tripped and fell to the ground before facing off against the Grizzlies -- and it was hilarious!!

In the video, you can see Barnes and his teammates were running out onto the floor to do their usual pregame entrance ... when Scottie had a clumsy moment.

20-year-old Barnes stands about 6'9" ... and every bit of his tall frame came crashing down to the floor ... as he appeared to trip over his own feet.

Luckily, Barnes wasn't hurt. He got up immediately -- with some assistance from his teammates, of course -- and laughed it off as he finally made his way to the court.

Scottie was able to joke about it all after the fact, commenting on the video ... "I'm Dead 🤣🤣🤣."

The first-round draft pick from Florida State might need to work on his coordination skills off the court ... but on the court, he seems to be doing just fine in that department.

Barnes is averaging 15.4 points per game, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in only 20 games of action ... and he's emerged as one of the best players from his freshman draft class.

Rookie of the year, maybe??

Is there anyone on the planet who doesn't know who Drake is?!?

The last two people who don't might've ended up courtside next to the megastar at the OKC Thunder vs. Houston Rockets game on Wednesday ... and the interaction is priceless!!!

The "Certified Lover Boy" was sitting in the front row as the Rockets were set to take the court in OKC ... and when cameras started showing Drizzy at his seat, the old guy sitting next to him seemed to ask if he was someone of importance.

Drake was clearly amused by whatever was said -- he starts cracking up and calls for the camera to focus on his new friend ... as Rumble, OKC's mascot, comes over to join in on the fun.

After the interaction, Drake and his new friends even posed for a selfie ... captioning it, "My new parents."

BTW -- Drake was at the game to support fellow Toronto guy Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ... who chatted it up with him after scoring 39 points in the 114-110 loss.