Basketball

The Chicago Sky will be without Angel Reese for their showdown against the Indiana Fever Friday night -- the second-year player was officially suspended after picking up her eighth technical foul of the season.

The punishment was announced by the WNBA on Thursday ... with the league pointing out whenever a player or coach receives their eighth technical foul during the regular season, they are automatically handed a one-game ban.

Reese picked up her league-leading tech during the Sky's matchup against the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday. It happened after the 23-year-old hit Aaliyah Edwards in the head as they were fighting for a rebound.

Angel Reese is issuing a mea culpa to her Chicago Sky teammates after she seemingly knocked the Chicago Sky players and the front office in a recent interview about the team's losing season, explaining her remarks were taken out of context.

The two-time WNBA All-Star attempted to clear things up after Wednesday's game against the Connecticut Sun, responding to a reporter who asked whether she was truly upset with the organization, who currently have a dreadful 10-30 record this season.

This question stems from a recent Chicago Tribune interview where Reese said she "might have to move in a different direction and do what's best for me" after expressing frustrations with the team's play.

"I don't think I'm frustrated. I'm probably frustrated with myself right now," Reese said on Wednesday.

New year, new team, new endeavor for NBA hooper Jalen Green ... 'cause the Phoenix Suns guard is now an underwear model -- starring in a new campaign for Calvin Klein!!

The 23-year-old showed off the brand's Fall 2025 look in a commercial shoot ... which showed him walking around the city before ending up at a rooftop basketball court.

Considering this is CK we're talking about, it wasn't long before Green ditched his clothes and worked on his jumper in a pair of grey boxers.

Baron Davis is turning to one of his former NBA teammates to help him win a Mirrorball Trophy this year -- telling TMZ Sports he's getting dancing advice from none other than Iman Shumpert!

Just hours after it was revealed the former Golden State Warriors point guard would be on the newest season of "Dancing With The Stars" ... he told us he's already picking Shumpert's brain on how to two-step through the competition.

Shumpert, of course, won Season 30 of the show -- and Davis said Wednesday the guys have already FaceTimed to talk strategy. He added that "some note-taking" sessions are on the way as well.

5:20 PM PT -- The Los Angeles Clippers released a lengthy statement Wednesday evening addressing the allegations ... saying the idea Ballmer invested in Aspiration to "funnel money to Kawhi Leonard is absurd."

"Steve invested because Aspiration co-founders presented themselves as committed to doing right by their customers while protecting the environment."

The statement goes on to say that neither the team nor Steve had "any knowledge of improper activity by Aspiration" -- which was a team sponsor from the 2021 to the 2023 seasons before defaulting on their contract -- "or its co-founder until after the government initiated its investigation."

"There is nothing unusual or untoward about team sponsors doing endorsement deals with players on the same team. Neither Steve nor the Clippers organization had any oversight of Kawhi’s independent endorsement agreement with Aspiration. To say otherwise is flat-out wrong."

It closes with L.A. saying they "welcome" the league's investigation into Aspiration ... and will continue "to cooperate with law enforcement in its investigation into Aspiration's blatantly fraudulent activity."

12:53 PM PT -- The NBA just announced it is launching an investigation into the claims made in Pablo Torre's report.

Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers are under fire, accused of circumventing the NBA's salary cap with a huge, no-show endorsement deal ... but the team is firing back, calling BS on the allegations!

In the report from Pablo Torre -- who drew the ire of Jordon Hudson earlier this year -- Leonard is accused of signing a $28 million deal with a now bankrupt company, Aspiration, that was at least partially funded by the billionaire owner of the Clips, Steve Ballmer ... as a way around salary cap restrictions.

If true, that's obviously a huge no-no as far as NBA rules go.

Despite the lucrative deal, Torre says he was unable to find any instance where Kawhi worked with the tree planting company.

George Raveling -- a beloved college basketball coach and Nike executive who played a pivotal role in signing Michael Jordan to the brand -- has passed away. He was 88.

His family released a statement on Tuesday via social media ... saying Raveling was surrounded by family when he transitioned peacefully following a courageous battle with cancer.

"There are no words to fully capture what George meant to his family, friends, colleagues, former players, and assistants -- and to the world," his family said.

Zach Edey got a tongue lashing from a cop after he was busted for speeding earlier this year ... as newly released police video shows an officer chastised him for allegedly going over 100 MPH on a roadway.

The traffic stop took place on May 1 in Tippecanoe County, Indiana ... after Edey was accused of doing 101 in a 55.

Indiana State Police body cam footage shows almost immediately, the basketball player was berated by the cop for his lead foot.

Caitlin Clark has reached yet another major milestone in her young basketball career -- the WNBA superstar was announced as Nike's newest signature athlete ... but her logo reveal that came with the news is getting mixed reviews.

Clark -- whose 2025 WNBA season has been marred with injuries -- shared the update with her followers Monday ... posting a teaser that featured a truck carrying her logo through the countryside.

"Tune in," she wrote. "Logo collection coming soon. Signature product dropping in 2026."

Malik Beasley's had quite the experience in the NBA, as he's gone from playing in some of the highest-profile basketball games to dealing with legal probes into his behavior off-court.

The professional hoops star made a name for himself for bringing serious talent to several teams in the league, as well as for his 2020 arrest and subsequent gambling probe.

We're going to check out how the shooting guard carved out a space for himself in the league -- and had to deal with some troubling matters in between games.

Beasley received several offers to play college ball when he was in high school, according to Sports Illustrated, and he eventually signed on to join Florida State's team.

The athlete only spent a single season with the Seminoles before he was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 2016, and he remained with the organization for four years.

Beasley bounced around from team to team after he left the Nuggets, and he joined the rosters of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz and Milwaukee Bucks, among others.

The professional basketball player eventually ended up with the Detroit Pistons, signing with the organization in July 2024.

Beasley found himself in hot water back in 2020, when he was arrested after authorities said he'd pointed a gun at a family who'd stopped their vehicle in front of his house in Plymouth, Minnesota.

Officials later found marijuana and a stolen gun at his residence after obtaining a warrant to search the athlete's property.

Beasley eventually pleaded guilty to one felony count of threats of violence, and he claimed he "was not in my right mind" when the incident occurred and wanted to "humbly apologize for my actions."

He was sentenced to 120 days in prison, and he was ultimately released in August 2021 after serving just 78 days.

Beasley became the subject of an investigation into allegations of gambling, which were related to both NBA games and prop bets, in June 2025, according to ESPN.

A gambling industry source spoke to the outlet and claimed heavy betting activity centered on the athlete's statistics by at least one major U.S.-based sportsbook, beginning in January 2024.

However, Beasley's attorneys Steve Haney and Mike Schachter stated they were able to clear the athlete of wrongdoing after having extensive contact with the Eastern District of New York regarding the gambling probe.

Kevin O'Leary's latest investment didn't come from a "Shark Tank" episode -- Mr. Wonderful and his buddies just coughed up a whopping $12.932 MILLION for the most expensive sports card in the world -- which features patches and autographs from Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant!!

The businessman revealed himself as one of the buyers in the historic purchase on CNBC on Monday ... saying he, Matt Allen and Paul Warshaw dug deep into their couch cushions to buy the super rare memorabilia.

O'Leary defended the move ... comparing the item to a work of art, as the value will only increase in time.

It's been over five years since Kobe Bryant died, but we're certain his fans still have plenty of fond memories of the Los Angeles Lakers star from over the years.

We caught up with the basketball legend on several occasions over the years, and you gotta imagine he eventually got used to all the cameras and flashing lights, because the guy really knew how to keep his cool in public.

Shaquille O'Neal just agreed to a boxing match with a famous bodyguard ... and his son tells TMZ Sports even though the legend might be a bit old for this kinda thing, he'll support him nonetheless!!

We spoke with Myles at LAX this week ... fresh off Shaq's response to Will Smith's former security guy Charlie Mack, who challenged him to a celebrity boxing match.

Myles, a DJ, was caught off guard by Shaq's acceptance ... especially since his dad is 53 years old. So, we asked if he was concerned ... and his answer was exactly what you'd expect.

Malik Beasley can breathe a sigh of relief on Friday -- the hooper's lawyers say he is no longer a target in a federal gambling investigation.

Steve Haney and Mike Schachter told ESPN that after extensive conversations and meetings with the Eastern District of New York, Beasley was given the all-clear. As we previously reported, this all started after a sports book detected unusual betting interest in his stats in January 2024.

The 28-year-old was a member of the Milwaukee Bucks that season. In 79 games for the squad ... he averaged 11.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

Paige Bueckers made history in Los Angeles Wednesday night after breaking Candace Parker's rookie scoring record ... and she did it all in front of one of her favorite celebrities -- Shemar Moore!!

It was a special moment for the hooper -- in an interview during WNBA All-Star Week, Bueckers was asked if there were any big names she would love to see courtside at her games ... and she mentioned Moore, which got his attention.

"You never know when your boy might show up and HOLLA your name at one of your games," Moore wrote on Instagram at the time.

The college basketball world was shocked by tragedy in August 2025, when it was revealed the University of Nebraska Omaha forward Deng Mayar drowned in a reservoir outside of Salt Lake City, Utah.

The athlete's death resulted in an outpouring of tributes from his former coaches and teammates, many of whom were affected by his loss.

Here's a look at how Mayar established himself as a college athlete, and how his death was marked by those he worked with over the course of his athletic career.

Mayar's career in college basketball began in junior college, as a longtime starter playing for Howard Junior College, according to the University of Nebraska Omaha's official website.

He later transferred to the University of North Dakota, where he studied communications, and he began playing for that school in his junior year.

The athlete spent his senior year at North Dakota, and he transferred to the University of Nebraska Omaha for graduate school, where he also joined the basketball team.

Mayar made a total of 42 appearances for the University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks over the two seasons he spent on the squad.

The athlete's drowning happened while he was swimming at a reservoir in Herriman, Utah, just southwest of Salt Lake City, according to The Athletic.

Mayar and a friend reportedly began to experience difficulty staying above water, and while his friend was able to make it back to shore, the basketball player didn't make it out, even with the assistance of bystanders.

Rescue crews arrived at the scene and reportedly searched for the athlete for hours before a submersible robot located his body at 10:40 PM, and he was officially pronounced dead 20 minutes later.

Mayar's friend was hospitalized, and he's expected to recover from the ordeal.

Mayar's death shook the athletic community, and his loss was noted by various individuals and organizations he'd worked with in the past.

University of Nebraska Omaha Basketball Head Coach Chris Crutchfield issued a statement saying he and the rest of the team were "devastated" when they learned of the drowning, according to the New York Post.

Crutchfield also described Mayar as "a joy to be around" and stated the athlete's involvement with the Mavericks "made our culture better."

Five-time NBA All-Star John Wall is putting his pro career behind him ... announcing his retirement from basketball on Tuesday.

Wall shared the news in a video on his social media account ... saying he gave the game "everything I had."

"Every jersey I wore meant more than wins and stats," Wall said. "It was about representing something bigger. And it's something I couldn't do without you."