Basketball

Jrue and Lauren Holiday are making a MAJOR donation with his remaining game checks this season ... with the Pelicans guard contributing up to $5.3 MILLION to social justice causes and Black-owned businesses.

The couple announced the gesture to ESPN on Wednesday ... saying they are starting the Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Justice Impact Fund, which will aid communities in Indianapolis, New Orleans and the L.A. area.

Of course, Lauren -- former US soccer team member -- is from Indianapolis and both of Jrue’s brothers (Aaron and Justin) play for the Indiana Pacers.

Los Angeles was chosen because the Holiday family is from there ... and Jrue and Lauren met in the City of Angels while attending UCLA.

The Holidays say they will be giving the majority of the money to nonprofits, Black-owned businesses and local initiatives with missions dedicated to "equitable outcomes for Black and Brown communities."

Holiday -- who is in the middle of a 5-year, $131,805,000 deal -- is set to make up to $5.3 million through the rest of the 2020 season ... so it's a huge contribution.

Here's the breakdown -- up to $1.5 million will go to Black and Brown communities in NOLA, another $1.5 million to Los Angeles ... and $1 million will go to similar communities in Indianapolis.

The Holidays will also donate another $1 million to Black-owned businesses throughout the country ... and $500k to HBCUs and other educational institutions.

"God has blessed us with so much. We know a couple of things that are important are time and money, and right now, we have both," Holiday told ESPN.

Pray for whoever is staying under Jimmy Butler's hotel room in the NBA bubble ... 'cause the Miami Heat star got busted by security for making too much noise ... and it was all because of a hardcore workout sesh.

Of course, players and staffers who entered the Orlando bubble are forced to quarantine in their rooms for 48 hours before being allowed to roam the campus ... and Butler decided to use it as an opportunity to hone his ball-handling skills.

The 30-year-old -- who is known to take his practice VERY seriously -- was dribbling throughout his room last week ... which led to someone snitching to security about a loud bumping noise.

According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports, security had to go check on Butler ... who was decked out in practice gear and drenched in sweat when he opened the door.

"He was dribbling a basketball throughout his room the whole time," Haynes said.

Now that the quarantine period is over, Butler can practice the old-fashioned way ... and whoever is staying under him can finally get some rest.

The Big Diesel played the role of Big Samaritan yet again this week ... Shaquille O'Neal stopped to help a stranded driver in Florida -- and the cool act was all caught on police vid.

According to the Alachua County Sheriff's Office, a person had crashed their car on I-75 in the Gainseville area Monday, when Shaq witnessed it and sprang into action.

Cops say the former NBA superstar -- who has a home in Florida -- hung out with and comforted the driver until officers arrived on the scene.

In police footage from the accident, you can see the 7-footer clear as day when cops rolled up ... and in typical, awesome Shaq fashion -- he gave the officers a fist bump!!

Of course, this is nothing new for O'Neal ... he's been known to play the good Samaritan role at crash scenes whenever he can.

Remember, back in 2018, we got a photo of him helping out at a wreck in Los Angeles ... where we're told he did what he could to help drivers out there.

The situation reminds us of Kobe Bryant ... who would also go out of his way to help people in traffic accidents in Orange County, CA back in the day.

On multiple occasions, we got video of Kobe helping console victims and help out on the scene at crashes he wasn't even involved in. Dude just liked to help out.

Drake is drawing more fans to a basketball court these days than his beloved Toronto Raptors, and he's just playing a pickup game ... in Barbados!!!

Drizzy got his entourage together and flew his private jumbo jet down to his ex, Rihanna's home turf -- and decided to get in a little outdoor hoops. No small feat on a July day in the tropics!

Champagne Papi slipped on some Nike gear -- sneakers, socks, shorts, jersey, headband -- and showed off his sweet jump shot ... but as the crowd continued growing, Drake paused the game and donned a face mask while snapping pics with locals.

He's easily the biggest draw on Barbados -- far as we know Rihanna's not down there -- and unlike the NBA's restart in its Disney bubble in Florida, Drake put some butts in the seats!!!

Dude's got game too ... looks like Drake's been practicing on his insane home indoor basketball court.

Check ball!!!

3 ... 2 ... 1 ....

That's how long it took for Meyers Leonard to chug a full can of Coors Light in his Orlando hotel room this weekend ... AND, GUYS, THE NBA BUBBLE IS LIT!!

Check out video of the Miami Heat's 7-footer taking down the suds like it was a shot of water ... we clocked him at an otherworldly 3 seconds!!

"King of the Bubble," 28-year-old Leonard said of his unreal drinking ability. "Accepting all challengers."

The beer-crushing feat came on the heels of JJ Redick putting up an impressive shotgun performance of his own ... and it now appears this will be a Bubble thing going forward.

Because after Leonard posted his footage ... Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson said he wanted in on the action -- and it looks like we're going to have an all-out chug fest in Florida!!

"JC, you name the time, place, and $$ amount and I’m there brother," Meyers told Clarkson. "Count on it."

It's unclear what Jordan's drinking skills are ... the 28-year-old has yet to show off his can-crushing talents -- but it doesn't seem this is a battle worth fighting, 'cause Leonard says he's got room to improve EVEN MORE!!

"I messed up the beer crack too," Leonard said of the epic chug. "Slowed me down."

J.R. Smith says he was told to end an Instagram Live session Thursday from the Lakers' hotel inside the NBA bubble ... all because he was "exposing too much sh*t."

Smith -- who just signed with the Lakers last week -- had been critical of the team hotel during the IG sesh ... complaining about the food, the blankets and more.

At one point, Smith showed off a high-tech NBA-issued bracelet -- which reportedly will "help with early detection of coronavirus; track temperature, respiratory and heart rate."

Smith described it this way ... "Got my little band and sh*t so they can keep tabs on me. Tracking device. Stay woke."

He also showed a bunch of snack food in the rooms -- from candy bars to cookies -- and complained about that too.

"We're professional athletes and all that," Smith said ... pointing out how some players make "$30, $40, $50 million a year."

"But, then you be over there crying talking about somebody can't stay healthy and their body is breaking down and all this other sh*t?"

"You wanna motherf**king Ferrari to run like a Ferrari cause you paid for it as a Ferrari ... but you keep gassing it up with Chrysler sh*t."

He also griped about the size of the NBA-issued hotel blankets ... claiming they're wayyyyy too small for the tall guys in the league.

There's more ... Smith also went into the hallway and live-streamed some of his Lakers teammates as they were getting food.

Soon after that, Smith suggested he'd been contacted by either Lakers or NBA management and was told to shut down his IG Live.

"Aw man, they mad at me bro," Smith said ... "I'm gone. Just got the text. Exposing too much sh*t. Gotta go. My bad. My bad."

Today we nearly said goodbye to Steph Curry's face ... the NBA superstar decided it was a good idea to spar with Canelo Alvarez on a golf course -- and it nearly cost him his forehead!

The hilarious/terrifying scene all went down at the Edgewood Tahoe resort in Lake Tahoe on Thursday ... when Canelo and Steph were getting in a practice round for this weekend's famous celeb American Century Championship tournament.

For some reason ... Curry decided to get in a little boxing lesson with Alvarez on one of the tee boxes -- and spoiler alert, it did not go well for the hooper.

Canelo danced around the 32-year-old for a couple seconds, before unleashing a violent jab that almost caught the Warriors star right between the eyes!!!

"Steph!" someone yelled off-camera. "You're supposed to move, dude!"

Yeah, no kidding!!!

Of course, the two were just playing around ... there's no bad blood between the boxing superstar and Curry -- the guys were all smiles and even posed for a photo after the play sesh.

Joel Embiid made a helluva fashion statement on his way to the NBA bubble -- rockin' a FULL HAZMAT SUIT to keep the COVID out!!!

Embiid has not minced his words when it comes to the NBA's plan to restart in Orlando -- saying earlier this week, "I don’t think it’s going to be safe enough."

So, when he pulled up to the airport in Philly Thursday to board the flight to the bubble ... he let his outfit do the talkin'.

Gloves? Check. Mask? Check. Giant hazmat suit large enough to fit a 7-footer? CHECK AND MATE!

Sure, some of his friends were laughing ... but Embiid doesn't think there's anything funny about the NBA re-start.

"I hated the idea,” Embiid told NBC Sports Philadelphia earlier this week.

"To me, all I want is to stay healthy and stay safe, keep the people around me safe. I want to make sure I’m able to live for a long time and not have any sort of consequences in the future from this if I were to be in a situation where I was getting the virus."

He continued, "Unfortunately, I’m not a big fan of the idea. But then again, I’m going to do my job. I’m not going to let the city down. I’m going to represent my city -- that’s what I’ve always done -- my family, my teammates. The mindset doesn’t change. It doesn’t matter the fact that I don’t like that idea and I still don’t believe in it. I don’t think it’s going to be safe enough."

Hence, the hazmat suit.

The season -- taking place at Walt Disney World in Orlando -- is scheduled to tip-off on July 30.

OKC Thunder forward Andre Roberson and Rachel DeMita are showing the depressing side of the NBA's return -- with the couple sharing one last goodbye before Andre enters the bubble in Orlando.

Remember, pros will be separated from their significant others and family members for AT LEAST 50 days if their team makes it to the 2nd round of the playoffs.

Roberson and DeMita -- who have been together for nearly 2 years -- posted one final selfie before the hooper headed to Florida on Tuesday ... and yeah, it's pretty sad.

"Good luck in Orlando! see ya in a couple months 🥺," the former NBA 2K host said on Instagram ... meaning she's expecting her man's team -- currently 5th in the West -- to make a solid run.

Of course, there's a bunch of newer couples who are also gonna be sad about the season picking back up ... like Kyle Kuzma and Winnie Harlow ... and Tyler Herro and Katya Elise Henry.

Stay strong, love birds!!

Gross laundry rooms, worms on the floor and maybe even bed bugs.

Those are some of the issues WNBA players are allegedly dealing with at their bubble environment lodging in Florida -- but now the league says its handling the problems.

Players began arriving to Bradenton, Florida this week to resume their shortened 22-game season at the famous IMG Academy ... but almost immediately some disturbing videos of the housing situations began popping up online.

ESPN producer Kayla Johnson posted a video of a busted-looking laundry room with a mousetrap on the wall. WNBA player A'ja Wilson said on Twitter the video is authentic.

Another video showed a gross-lookin' worm on the floor of one of the rooms.

ESPN also says players have complained about a broken bed, faulty plumbing and sub-par food options. There were also complaints about bed bugs but ESPN says exterminators were called in and found no signs of the pests.

Now, the WNBA says it's taking action -- "We have been working closely with IMG and the Players Association to address issues players have expressed about one of the housing locations on campus."

"IMG is accommodating all player requests regarding these issues, including moving players to other accommodations."

The good news ... it seems most players are having a positive experience in the bubble -- with nice housing situations and quality food.

Look out, NBA ... Zion Williamson officially has the Infinity Gauntlet!!!

The rookie phenom is ringing in his 20th birthday by channeling his favorite comic book supervillain, Thanos ... copping the Marvel-themed pendant -- with a minor twist.

Remember, Zion has gone on record saying his fav character is the bad guy from "Avengers: Endgame" ... and even said he wanted Thanos to BEAT Captain America and the gang at the end of the movie.

Spoiler alert -- Thanos didn't win ... he actually dies when Iron Man gets a hold of the gauntlet and snaps his fingers, thus killing himself in the process (RIP).

But, that didn't stop Williamson from staying loyal to his man ... with celeb jeweler ZoFrost gifting the young baller his own blinged-out gauntlet, which is fittingly holding a basketball.

The piece is incredibly detailed ... and even features all the Infinity Stones!!!

Of course, the Association is resuming its season at the end of the month ... and Zion's Pelicans are gearing up to make a last-minute playoff push.

The WNBA is clapping back at a team co-owner who is blasting the league for supporting Black Lives Matter ... in a war that's exploding fast.

The woman at the center of the controversy is Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-Georgia) -- a co-owner of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream franchise.

Sen. Loeffler penned a letter to WNBA commish Cathy Engelbert strongly opposing the league's plans to display the words "Black Lives Matter" when the season resumes later this month.

She's also against the WNBA's plan to honor victims of police violence ... including Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland and Vanessa Guillen.

"I adamantly oppose the Black Lives Matter political movement, which has advocated for the defunding of police, called for the removal of Jesus from churches and the disruption of the nuclear family structure, harbored anti-Semitic views, and promoted violence and destruction across the country," Sen. Loeffler said in her letter.

"I believe it is totally misaligned with the values and goals of the WNBA and the Atlanta Dream, where we support tolerance and inclusion."

"The truth is, we need less -- not more politics in sports. In a time when polarizing politics is as divisive as ever, sports has the power to be a unifying antidote," she added.

WNBA commish Cathy Engelbert responded in a statement Tuesday -- clearly trying to distance the league from Loeffler.

"The WNBA is based on the principle of equal and fair treatment of all people and we, along with the teams and players, will continue to use our platforms to vigorously advocate for social justice," Englebert said.

"Sen. Kelly Loeffler has not served as a Governor of the Atlanta Dream since October 2019 and is no longer involved in the day-to-day business of the team."

Translation -- pound sand.

Dennis Rodman is ALMOST off the hook in his battery case stemming from an alleged 2019 slap attack at a Florida bar, TMZ Sports has learned.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... cops say Rodman was at the Buddha Sky Bar in Delray Beach on May 17, 2019 when he "unprovokedly turned around and smacked" 30-year-old Jeff Soulouque.

In fact, according to the police report, Rodman smacked Soulouque TWICE with an open hand. Yeesh.

He was initially charged with misdemeanor battery -- which carries a maximum sentence of a year in jail, 12 months probation and a $1,000 fine.

And, with Rodman's criminal history, the maximum penalties were very much in play.

But, now, great news for Rodman ... prosecutors have agreed to drop the case against the NBA legend on 3 conditions.

First -- Rodman must cover the $100 prosecution fee.

Second -- Rodman must pay $250 in restitution to Soulouque.

Third -- Rodman must stay out of trouble for the near future.

The first two conditions should be a cinch for The Worm. The 3rd might be a little tough.

Another Washington Wizards player has backed out of the NBA's restart in Orlando ... this time, All-Star guard Bradley Beal has officially opted out of the bubble due to a shoulder injury.

As we previously reported, Wizards breakout star Davis Bertans recently elected to sit out the remainder of the season to focus on free agency ... with an expected big payday on the horizon.

The team will have to move forward without the league's 2nd-leading scorer ... with Washington making the call to pull Beal from the restart later this month.

"This was a difficult decision and one that I did not take lightly as the leader of this team," Beal said in a statement. "I wanted to help my teammates compete for a playoff spot in Orlando, but also understand that this will be best for all of us in the long term."

The Wizards say Beal had been dealing with a nagging right rotator cuff injury all season ... and it only got worse during the hiatus.

Many believe the news puts the final nail in the coffin for Washington's chances at a playoff run. The team is currently 9th in the Eastern Conference -- 5.5 games behind the Orlando Magic -- with 8 games left to jump into postseason contention.

With Beal and Bertans out of the restart, the Wizards' next-leading scorer is 22-year-old Rui Hachimura ... who averages 13.4 points a game.

LET'S DO THE IMPOSSIBLE, RUI!!! WE BELIEVE IN YOU!!!!

Beal was originally intending to join the team in Orlando ... but will now stay home to focus on rehab.