Basketball

Delonte West has just cut a deal with prosecutors -- agreeing to pay $100 and keep his nose clean in order to close out his police station meltdown case next month.

The agreement is all spelled out in new court docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, which show the former NBA guard is close to putting his most recent criminal case behind him.

According to the documents, prosecutors have agreed to stop pursuing the case if West forks over $100 to the court and avoids any new arrests or criminal law violations.

West had initially been hit with misdemeanor obstruction/resisting as well as misdemeanor disorderly intoxication after cops say he threw a drunken fit outside of a police station in Boynton Beach, Fla., on Oct. 19.

Video of his interaction with officers was disturbing ... West can be heard on camera hurling anti-gay insults at cops -- while also claiming he's "was better than LeBron James."

West, through his attorney, had initially pled not guilty to the charges earlier this month.

Kyle Kuzma's middle finger just cost him -- the NBA just hit the Wizards forward with a $15,000 punishment ... after he flipped the bird at a fan earlier this week.

The incident took place when Kuzma -- a native of Michigan -- was in town playing against his hometown Detroit Pistons.

The Wizards were winning 94-88 in the fourth quarter when Kuz nailed a corner three ... then turned around and gave a fan the middle finger gesture.

Unclear what, or even if, the fan said something ... but you can tell Kuzma did it deliberately.

The game went to overtime -- Kuzma finished with a team-high 28 points and his team secured the W, 119-116 ... but let's be honest, the bird was the highlight of the night.

Of course, this isn't the first time Kuz has gone at fans this season -- he nailed a dagger three against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and blamed hecklers for motivating him to knock down the game-winning shot.

Kuzma is typically a good sport ... when social media roasted him for wearing that oversized pink sweater, Kyle seemed to go along with the jokes.

Memphis star Dillon Brooks went off on the officials who threw him out of the Grizzlies' game vs. the Mavericks on Wednesday -- calling the refs' actions straight-up "bulls***."

The 25-year-old wing didn't hold back in his postgame press conference -- which took place just minutes after he was ejected from the Grizzlies' contest -- accusing the refs of not protecting the players on the floor throughout the night.

"I felt like this crew came out there and just made it about them and that's bull," Brooks said of the refs, who called a total of 44 total fouls during the game.

"This crew did not protect the players," he continued. "They just wanted to get the game over with and that's bulls***. That's bulls*** from the very beginning. That's bull."

Brooks was tossed from the Grizzlies' loss late in the 4th quarter after he screamed at refs over their whistles.

In video of the ejection, you can see Brooks was so furious, he needed to be held back by Memphis assistants as he charged toward the referees.

No punishment for Brooks has been announced yet ... but you can bet a fine is coming for the Grizzlies player as early as later today.

Shaquille O'Neal says the current Los Angeles Lakers don't deserve to play at the Staples Center ... admitting he's HAPPY about the arena's name change because LeBron James and Co. are stinking up the place.

"I'm glad they taking the name of the Staples Center down," the NBA legend said on "The Big Podcast with Shaq." "That was our building."

"Congratulations to the owners on getting a new deal," he added. "But, hey, Staples Center belongs to Shaq and Kobe. Forever."

Of course, it was announced last month that the iconic building is changing its name to Crypto.com Arena as part of a $700 million deal.

The switch is already underway, as the Staples sign started coming down earlier this week.

Shaq said his tenure at Staples was a blessing -- he reflected on moments like playing in front of his favorite actors and actresses, scoring 61 points on his birthday, and winning three championships in a row for the city -- but ultimately, he says he's glad the name Staples Center is no more.

Shaq doesn't seem to care what the building is called ... 'cause the Diesel says he has no intentions of watching his former squad play.

"I'm not even going, I'm not even going anymore," O'Neal said. "Who wanna watch them people play?" he asked the host.

The Lakers -- who suffered an embarrassing loss to a Grizzlies team without Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks on Thursday -- fell to 13-13 on the season. The Lake Show is currently in 7th place in a top-heavy Western Conference, while the Warriors -- who Shaq prefers to watch -- have the best record in the NBA.

"I don't celebrate seventh place at all. I celebrate Steph Curry. I'll go to Golden State and watch him play."

The mom of ex-NBA player Corey Benjamin's daughter has been charged criminally in California after allegedly directing her daughter to sucker punch an opponent during a H.S. hoops game.

44-year-old Latira Shonty Hunt was hit with 2 misdemeanor charges ... battery and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. If she's ultimately convicted, she faces a year in jail.

While announcing the charges, Orange County DA placed the blame right on the mother's shoulders, saying “In my opinion, it would have not happened, but for mom’s words."

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the girl absolutely decked her 15-year-old opponent, sending her crashing to the hardwood floor.

At the time, police in Garden Grove, CA told us they were investigating the incident. After reviewing the video and talking to witnesses, officials decided to charge Hunt.

While her daughter isn't facing any charges, she has been punished. The league permanently banned her from competing.

As for her former professional hooper dad, Benjamin apologized for his daughter's actions, saying, "As a father, I’m shocked and disappointed at my daughter’s behavior as this is not a reflection of the values and standards that my family holds. Nor does it exemplify the values, character and spirit of sportsmanship that the game of basketball requires.”

Sheriff Brent Lynch -- the top law enforcement official in Owsley County, KY -- was arrested for assault on Thursday after allegedly striking a teenage girl while coaching a girls basketball game.

The incident -- which was captured on camera -- went down in Perry County, KY last Friday. Lynch, a coach for Owsley County, dashed onto the court after players on both teams started fighting.

Lynch is accused of hitting a girl in the face ... and has been charged with 4th-degree assault. The charge carries up to 1 year in jail and a fine, if convicted.

He is currently behind bars in Three Forks Regional Jail ... after he was arrested by his own officers this morning.

The Sherriff -- who assumed office in January 2019 -- is listed as 6', 190 lbs. on his booking sheet. He was booked at 9:59 AM. Prior to serving in his current role, Lynch was a Kentucky State Police officer.

FYI, Owsley is a small county with a population of around 4,000 people in eastern Kentucky.

L.A. Clippers rookie Brandon Boston Jr. had the best game of his young career against the Celtics on Wednesday ... and dedicated his performance to the late Terrence Clarke.

The guard went off on the Cs in the 114-111 win ... scoring 27 points (including 5 3-pointers, going perfect from the free throw line and earning 4 steals in just 25 minutes off the bench!

The effort resulted in career-highs in points, threes and steals ... and after the game, Boston Jr. devoted the stellar performance to Clarke, his former Kentucky teammate.

"He would of called or screamed," " BJ said to reporters during post-game interviews. "Just excited with a bright smile on his face, just telling me, 'I told you! I told you! You the best in the world! Just keep going.'"

"That's the type of relationship we had."

Boston and Clarke both played college hoops together for the Wildcats -- and were both set to enter the 2021 NBA Draft.

However, Clarke was tragically killed in a car accident in Los Angeles on April 22 -- just months before the draft. Boston witnessed the crash as he was riding behind him.

"He always pushed me to be my best self so I always keep that in the back of my mind," BJ added.

"I actually like dedicated this game [to him] cause he's from Boston and he wanted to play for Boston."

"So, just going out there and carrying that chip on my shoulder. His energy just carried me along the way."

BJ has been honoring his close friend in many ways since his death -- including a tribute tattoo on his left leg featuring Clarke's UK basketball photo and "TC World."

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."