Charles Barkley has had plenty to say about San Antonio and its "big ol' women" over the years ... but he was forced to eat his words (and some churros) on Wednesday -- when he was confronted by the city's mayor!!
The hilarious interaction went down right on "Inside the NBA" ahead of Game 1 at Frost Bank Arena ... when Ernie Johnson, Kenny "The Jet" Smith, Shaquille O'Neal, and the Chuckster were joined by Gina Ortiz Jones, who took the opportunity to defend San Antonio right in its biggest critic's face.
After a montage of Chuck's classic jabs, GOJ wasted no time going after the guy ... saying, "I've learned a long time ago you can't teach courage, you can't teach class, and Mr. Barkley reminds us of that."
8:50 AM PT -- The fan's stunt resulted in his arrest and a lifetime ban from all NBA arenas, the league announced.
Another fan involved in the incident was also handed a ban for life, the league added.
A fan interrupted Game 1 of the NBA Finals in hopes of getting a selfie with Victor Wembanyama ... with the unwelcome guest rushing the court and approaching the San Antonio Spurs superstar with his phone before getting yanked away by security.
The odd moment went down in the fourth quarter as the Spurs and New York Knicks duked it out ... when a guy wearing a black zipped hoodie, white shirt and black pants sprinted onto the hardwood.
It's clear the 7'4" French center was his target (he kept shouting "Wemby" as he ran) ... but considering the hooper's height, the court stormer never got a clear shot of his face. We take it he has much bigger issues to deal with at the moment than a botched selfie.
Two huge Spurs fans went home happy after Victor Wembanyama and Co. tied up in the Western Conference Finals ... and the folks at home were pretty satisfied, too.
After going viral for their appearance at Games 3 and 4 of the playoff series, OnlyFans models Blue and Julie J. Swan hit up Frost Bank Arena yet again to catch the NBA action on Thursday ... and viewers certainly took notice as the ladies sat feet away from the court.
The two went quite viral for wearing busty 'fits to the venue ... and have been caught in the background of game footage a few times now, with screenshots popping up all over social media.
Before this boy grinning ear to ear was runnin' down the court, he was just celebrating his February birthday ... and was absolutely fascinated by basketball at just 7 months old!!!
He currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers -- he is commonly referred to as one of the greatest European players of all time.
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdanisays he's down to watch the Knicks in the NBA Finals, but don't expect to see him sitting courtside with President Trump... that's IF the commander-in-chief shows up at Madison Square Garden.
Jacob caught up with Mamdani Thursday in Queens, and asked him about Trump saying he plans to attend a Finals game after being invited by Knicks owner James Dolan.
Mamdani doesn't sound too interested in making it a bipartisan basketball outing ... saying, "If the president went to a game, that's his decision to make. If I go to the game, I’ll be doing so separately."
9:53 AM PT -- Kendrick Perkins hopped on "The Pat McAfee Show" to share more of his story ... claiming one of the kids on his team was "body-slammed" by an alleged "7'0", 400-pound" player after the game -- and he confronted the opposing team's coach over it.
Perk said he was met with disrespect ... and that's when he got pissed.
He said he has to protect every player on his team ... and especially when their parents aren't around, they're his responsibility.
Ultimately, cooler heads prevailed ... and he said both sides dapped it up and apologized to each other.
7:41 AM PT -- Kendrick Perkins went to social media to address the video ... saying, "Damn right and it probably won’t be the last time!"
"I’m going to protect every single kid in my organization like they’re my own."
Ex-NBA player Kendrick Perkins found himself in the middle of the action at his son's AAU game over the weekend ... when he lunged at the opposition in a heated altercation -- but his side says he was simply defending his players.
President Donald Trump's a New Yorker first and foremost ... so of course he's considering playing hooky from the White House to watch his beloved Knicks.
According to the New York Times -- POTUS is seriously considering showing up to Madison Square Garden to cheer on the squad during the NBA finals sometime next week.
The outlet reports President Trump planned to hit up MSG Wednesday for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals if the Cleveland Cavaliers had pulled off a win Monday against New York in Game 4 ... but they fell way short -- losing 130-93.
The New York Knicks are heading to the NBA Finals after destroying the Cleveland Cavaliers in four straight games ... but there's one guy who might be even more excited than the players -- Timothée Chalamet.
Knicks fans invaded northeast Ohio and turned Rocket Arena into their own home on Monday ... and while Timmy C and Kylie Jenner initially had to settle for the second row, they eventually got their feet on wood when the game got out of reach.
As soon as N.Y. clinched its first Finals appearance in more than two decades, Chalamet, Tracy Morgan, Spike Lee and the rest of the star-studded support team celebrated with the players.
Amar'e Stoudemire's reaction to learning he was going into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame?? "What?!?!"
TMZ Sports talked to the former NBA superstar prior to his induction into the HOF ... where the retired hooper walked us through finding out he was about to join the world's most exclusive group of hoopers.
"Man, I was ecstatic. I was ecstatic. I was caught by surprise. I got a call saying, 'Hey Amar'e, we got some good news for you.' I said, 'Ok, alright, hit me with it.' He's like, 'You are now gonna be enshrined into the 2026 Basketball Hall of Fame," Stoudemire recounted.
Sophie Rain says a basketball star offered her a bag to take her virginity ... but, she's not outing the dude by name.
We caught up with the popular OnlyFans creator outside Gravitas -- a members-only club in Beverly Hills -- on Friday ... and we had to ask her about which baller made the offer.
Shutting down Victor Wembanyama is an impossible task, but how do you slow down the 7'4" forward?! DeMarcus Cousins is laying out the blueprint for guarding the NBA superstar!
TMZ Sports chopped it up with Boogie at LAX on Thursday ... but the former NBA All-Star started with a disclaimer.
"First, I'm going to say it's probably easier said than done. He's one of one. This is something new to the game in general," Cousins said of "the Alien," and the unique challenges he presents to opposing teams.
"I think your best chance is trying to make the game physical for him, make it really uncomfortable. And, you know, that's limited in today's game. But, you know, as far as whatever's allowed, you try to be as physical as possible."
Ben Stiller was directing his ass off from his courtside seats on Thursday ... documenting the Knicks' win over the Cavs on his cell phone -- and fans can't get enough of the results.
The actor, director, and producer had his feet on the wood for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden ... and he elected to share his view with his 5 million followers on X.
The footage started with a slo-mo vid of a Jalen Brunson floater ... and he did a great job at tracking the action and zooming in and out with precision.
Former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick is preparing for a different kinda court over some fake news ... saying anyone who reported she was joining OnlyFans will be hearing from her legal team.
The fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft sent social media into a frenzy this week ... when she claimed a "link" would be added to her bio in 24 hours.
"Link in bio," of course, is a popular phrase used by adult models on X or Instagram (or so we're told) ... leading some folks to think this meant she had created an account on the sometimes X-rated subscription-based platform, especially since she shared the news with a sexy pic.
San Antonio Spurs player Carter Bryant had a two-or-one opportunity in the middle of the Western Conference Finals ... and it must've been an emergency, 'cause he apparently wound up using the restroom with the normies!!!
The baffling scene was captured on video by an Oklahoma City Thunder fan attending Game 2 of the series at the Paycom Center ... with the footage showing the rookie turning the corner and washing his hands in a hurry.
While it's hard to believe, all signs point to it being legit -- the fan shown in the video is wearing a shirt given to attendees prior to tipoff on Wednesday -- and the bathroom TV appears to show broadcast footage from the game.
The Knicks won game 1 thanks to an insane comeback, and some diehard New York fans are already looking forward to the NBA Finals ... calling out Victor Wembanyama outside Madison Square Garden!
"We want Wemby! We want Wemby," hundreds of fans chanted outside the World's Most Famous Arena ... a place known for postgame insanity after big Knicks wins.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver released a statement on the loss ... saying, "Jason Collins’ impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations."
"He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador," he added. "Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others."
