Basketball

LeBron James had to deal with some salty fans outside a New York City event Saturday night ... with angry pedestrians hurling insults at the basketball legend.

TMZ has obtained video of the NBA's all-time leading scorer walking into Fanatics Fest this weekend surrounded by his entourage ... and, while no one made a move to get into a physical altercation with the 6'9" star, they let him know he's got no love from the Big Apple.

Check out the clip ... Lebron's getting more boos than when he bailed on Cleveland to take his talents to South Beach back in the day -- with fans calling him "Le-Bum" and otherwise trying to get in his head.

Stephen A. Smith sparked quite the controversy after claiming NBA players avoid signing with the Grizzlies due to safety concerns in Memphis ... and while Danny Green says the talking head "isn't far off" with his take, he tells TMZ Sports it's more so due to the fact it's "not a pretty city" in general.

We caught up with Green -- who had a very short stint in Memphis (we're talking three games here) back in the 2022-23 season -- at LAX this week ... and he weighed in more on the city's apparent obstacles to landing free agents.

"I just don't think it's a destination city," he said. "Nashville is one of the cities that people enjoy. Memphis, it is in Tennessee so you get a tax cut. It's good on taxes, but it's just not a city that's pretty, people would say."

Kamala Harris was considering Mark Cuban as her running mate, but the billionaire flat out rejected the campaign, explaining he wasn't the type to play second fiddle ... saying for that reason, I'm out!

Cuban recently joined "The Bulwark" podcast ... when host Tim Miller asked him about "some green room gossip" he'd heard suggesting Mark was on the short list for the veep gig.

The former "Shark Tank" star confirmed the rumor, and revealed why and how he told the Harris campaign he wasn't interested.

Kevin Durant says DeMarcus Cousins is lying through his teeth -- adamantly denying the Phoenix Suns were throwing hands in the locker room this season ... right after the ex-NBA center made the shocking claim.

Boogie -- who made headlines for, ironically, fighting with fans in Puerto Rico earlier this month -- went on FanDuel TV to talk about the Suns' tumultuous 2024-25 campaign ... and said he was told the team vibes got so bad, players were fistfighting in the locker room.

Boogie was actually defending his former Warriors teammate in his appearance ... saying he wasn't at fault for the Suns' issues -- it was more so due to the fact the execs threw a bunch of scorers together and said, "go win a championship."

Angel Reese is turning the tables on the haters -- putting the popular "mebounds" phrase on her own merch ... with some proceeds going toward the fight against cyberbullying!!

Of course, trolls have had a field day with the Chicago Sky star's game ... with some folks mocking how a lot of her rebounds come off her own missed shot attempts.

Reese shared the new drop Friday morning ... showcasing items ranging from t-shirts to hats, sweatshirts, crewnecks and crop tops that proudly display the made-up word.

Caitlin Clark has taken quite a beating from opponents to start her WNBA career ... and her college coach, Lisa Bluder, has a few ideas on how the league can put an end to it.

TMZ Sports spoke with the recently retired Iowa Hawkeyes women's hoops legend on Thursday ... and asked her all about the treatment her former superstar guard has received so far in the pros.

While Bluder doesn't believe Caitlin is intentionally being "targeted," she does think players are giving her their "best shot" night after night -- because "they think that's the way that they can stop her, is by physical dominance over her."

The NBA Finals won't end Thursday night ... so says coach Mike Woodson, who tells TMZ Sports he's confident the Indiana Pacers will force a Game 7.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are one win away from their first championship as they head into Game 6 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse ... and if the Pacers don't win, their season is cooked.

Woodson -- who coached the Indiana Hoosiers from 2021 to 2025 -- believes Tyrese Haliburton and Co. can live to see a few more days ... with homecourt advantage being the main factor.

The sale of the Los Angeles Lakers is getting a big stamp of approval from one of the organization's biggest stars ... with Luka Doncic saying he's ready to win some championships under new owner Mark Walter.

"The Lakers are an amazing organization," the 26-year-old Slovenian hooper said Thursday. "I'm looking forward to meeting Mark and excited about the future."

As we previously reported, the Buss family is giving up their majority stake in the historic franchise ... but Jeanie will remain as team governor for years to come, which Doncic was thrilled about.

3:17 PM PT -- Lakers legend Magic Johnson is speaking out about the Buss family agreeing to unload their majority ownership stake in the Lakers ... congratulating them for striking "an incredible deal" and choosing the best person to carry the team's legacy going forward.

Jeanie Buss and her family have agreed to unload their majority stake of the Lakers, selling the team to L.A. Dodgers owner Mark Walter -- the largest sale of a sports franchise in history!!

Shams Charania broke the news Wednesday afternoon, revealing the Busses -- who own 66% of the organization -- reached a deal to sell the team to the 65-year-old businessman on an approximately $10 BILLION valuation.

Jerry Buss, Jeanie's dad, purchased the team for a paltry $67.5 million in May 1979. Under his tenure, the Lake Show became one of the most popular, successful, and culturally relevant American sports franchises ... exploding in value.

The WWE is collecting NBA stars like Infinity Stones at this point ... 'cause the promotion's official video game just added Jalen Brunson into the mix!!

The news was revealed on Wednesday ... when "WWE 2K25" dropped a new trailer featuring the Knicks guard as part of the upcoming "Dunk & Destruction Pack."

In the clip, the two-time NBA All-Star does a walk-out entrance to the wrestling ring ... wearing the same shirt he rocked when he was in the actual WWE ring last year.

Caitlin Clark had a rough night Tuesday ‘cause she wound up on her ass after getting into one helluva fight with some players from the opposing team.

It all started in the third quarter of the Indiana Fever and Connecticut Sun's matchup at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. The Fever's phenom locked horns with Sun point guard Jacy Sheldon and tensions boiled over in a big way.

Check out video, which shows Clark -- also a point guard -- dribbling the ball with Jacy aggressively blocking her from getting anywhere close to the basket.

File under "We can't believe it's not Centel" -- Seattle Storm legend Sue Bird is pumped the WNBA is being featured on the NBA's most popular parody page ... claiming it's actually a good sign for the league!!

The Hall of Famer shared her take on Cameron Brink's "Straight to Cam" podcast ... when at one point in the episode, they pointed out the infamous account's recent joke that Sparks practice was delayed because the former Stanford star and Kelsey Plum arrived in the same outfit, which led to a feud.

The post racked up 11.6 million views ... and while some people online aren't happy the page is now making fun of the W -- Bird sees it differently.

Brittney Griner is finally addressing the speculation she called Caitlin Clark a "f***ing white girl" during a game last month ... and she's adamant those words never left her mouth.

On Sunday -- both before and after her Atlanta Dream squad took on the Washington Mystics in D.C. -- Griner was peppered with questions about the viral May 22 incident.

The WNBA superstar admitted she was upset over a foul call that a ref made -- but she was steadfast she never brought anyone's race into the mix.

Dwight Howard and Lance Stephenson’s highly anticipated BIG3 debut took a chaotic turn over the weekend when the former NBA teammates got into a heated scuffle that erupted into the crowd.

The fight broke out during a matchup between the Los Angeles Riot and the Miami 305 on Saturday, after a scuffle near half-court involving Stephenson and another player from the Riot.

Tensions escalated when Howard approached Stephenson courtside and shoved him, setting off a physical altercation that spilled into the stands.

Lakers fans hoping to see more of the King and Knecht might get their wish ... 'cause Dalton Knecht tells TMZ Sports he and LeBron James could absolutely "run it" in L.A. for another half-decade plus.

Knecht, of course, was almost dealt to Charlotte in a trade last season ... but when we got him out at LAX on Friday, he told us despite the near move, he definitely wants to remain in the purple and gold.

And, he said he can see a scenario where he does that for several more seasons with James.

DeMarcus Cousins is breaking his silence after a wild fan altercation ended his basketball season ... issuing a brief message expressing his regret to his supporters.

"I want to apologize to the fans of Puerto Rico for my actions," Cousins said on Thursday via his Instagram Story.

"I have so much love and respect for the island."