NBA

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.

There's one person who might be taking Wednesday night's Game 3 results harder than the actual Oklahoma City Thunder players -- rap mogul Jay-Z, who lost a whopping $1 MILLION after the Indiana Pacers took a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals.

TMZ Sports reported ahead of the series the 25-time Grammy-winning artist was so confident in OKC's chances against the Eastern Conference champions, he placed the hefty wager through the Fanatics Sportsbook that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. would hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy after five games.

We're sure Hov was sweating just a little bit after Tyrese Haliburton's game-winning shot in Game 1 ... but when the Thunder stormed back the next contest, his bet was looking solid again.

Tom Thibodeau is breaking his silence a week after the New York Knicks kicked him to the curb after falling a round shy of the NBA Finals ... but he's not blasting his former team, he's thanking everyone in a heartfelt newspaper ad!

Thibodeau took out an advertisement in Wednesday's edition of The New York Times, and if there's any bitterness about his firing, you would never know.

"To the best city in the world with the best fans in the world: Thank you," he wrote. "When I was hired in 2020, I said this was my dream job. I am grateful that the dream has become a reality."

DeMarcus Cousins got himself booted from the remainder of the Puerto Rican Professional Basketball League season ... with the organization handing down swift punishment after the former NBA center had a wild altercation with fans over the weekend.

The four-time All-Star -- who was playing for the Mets de Guaynabo -- was hit with the lengthy ban and a $4,250 fine for the whole ordeal ... and it could go up to $10,000 total if he can't make a case for the initial penalty.

As we previously reported, it all went down when Cousins' team faced Bayamon at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez arena.

Diddy's ex-girlfriend "Jane" says a threesome they had with a male escort had them feeling like NBA ballers ... testifying she and Diddy compared themselves to Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.

During cross-examination Tuesday in Diddy's federal criminal trial, Jane told jurors Diddy referred to a particular three-way as a "trifecta" and compared them to three NBA Hall of Fame basketball stars.

Jane -- who's testifying under a pseudonym to protect her identity -- said the trifecta included a male escort, Paul ... and she told jurors in this scenario she was Kobe, Diddy was MJ and Paul was Shaquille O'Neal.

Ben Stiller's still feelin' the pain from the Knicks' crushing defeat to the Pacers ... and with no NBA Finals game to attend at MSG, the actor threw on his finest tux and hit up the Tony Awards just a handful of blocks from the arena, where the actor lamented the loss in front of the A-list crowd!

Stiller's mini-therapy session went down Sunday night at Radio City Music Hall -- the biggest night in theatre -- when Stiller was on stage to present the award for Best Play.

"I'm so honored to be here because theatre is my passion. The place where I feel most at home. The stage has been a constant sanctuary for me, dating all the way back to last week when the Knicks lost in the Eastern Conference Finals." Ben said, drawing a big laugh from the audience.

College basketball phenom Cooper Flagg is expected to go No. 1 in the 2025 NBA Draft ... and one guy who knows what that's like has some solid advice for the former Duke star -- Hall of Fame inductee Dwight Howard!!

TMZ Sports caught up with the 6'10" center ahead of the June 25th event at the Barclays Center ... and we asked what words of wisdom he'd give Flagg, since he was also the first pick in 2004.

"Just go hoop, enjoy the games," the 39-year-old said. "Don't let the politics take away the passion ... and have fun."

Either the Thunder or the Pacers will earn their first-ever NBA championship this month ... but before the players take the Larry O'Brien Trophy and celebrate the momentous occasion, get acquainted with some of the wives and girlfriends they'll be running off with!!

Tyrese Haliburton's partner, Jade, has already made her presence felt earlier in Indiana's postseason run ... garnering a ton of headlines last month for the way she made a clever pun about her man's big shot against the Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Myles Turner's girlfriend, too, has become quite popular with Indiana fans ... as Aysia Janelle has continuously brought the heat with her amazing Pacers 'fits at games.

Jay-Z will have an extra close eye on the NBA Finals this year ... 'cause the hip-hop mogul just placed a gigantic wager on the Oklahoma City Thunder winning the 'chip in five games!

TMZ Sports has learned Hov threw down $1 MILLION with his good friend Michael Rubin's Fanatics Sportsbook ... and if he's right, he will profit $2,300,000, on top of the milli he wagered (he'll walk away with $3.3m total).

The Thunder, led by this year's NBA MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, are heavy favorites to beat Tyrese Haliburton's Indiana Pacers.

But, Jay's bet isn't as simple as picking the overwhelming fav to win ... it's gotta be in five games, meaning the Thunder cannot lose more than once in the best-of-seven series.

It's a bit of a longshot ... though if Jay-Z ultimately loses the wager, don't cry too hard for his bank account. He's worth around $2.5 BILLION, according to Forbes.

The Kobe and Gianna Bryant mural in downtown L.A. -- just restored last week following previous vandalism -- has been defaced again ... and now the artist tells TMZ Sports he's likely going to move the artwork to a new location.

The mural, located (at least for the time being) on the side of a building at 14th and Main in DTLA, was targeted by vandals on Tuesday evening ... and we have video of the aftermath, showing white spray paint scribbled across the artwork.

The damage comes just four days after the artist, Sloe Motions, fixed his mural after an earlier incident of vandalism ... the apparent result of a feud between rival street artists.

The New York Knicks can stop their head coaching search ... 'cause Metta World Peace says he's the guy for the job!!

TMZ Sports caught up with the former NBA star following the shocking firing of Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday ... and MWP explained he's dead serious about leading the N.Y. sidelines.

"I would love the opportunity just to coach," the 45-year-old said. "I'm not interested in nothing else. I've been preparing for this."

The New York Knicks fell just short of making their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999 ... but they'll be looking to build off their recent playoff run without head coach Tom Thibodeau next season -- the team has relieved him of his duties.

The Knicks announced the news minutes ago ... saying days after losing to the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, it was time to take the franchise in a different direction.

"We can't thank Tom enough for pouring his heart and soul into each & every day of being the New York Knicks head coach," Knicks president Leon Rose said. "He led us not only with class and professionalism for the past five seasons, but also to tremendous success on the court with four playoff berths and four playoff series victories."

Vanessa Bryant channeled her inner Bad Gal RiRi to address wild rumors spreading online ... using a Rihanna meme to deny she's pregnant five years after Kobe's death.

It's unclear what exactly sparked the false information ... but in usual internet form, some folks ran with it -- likely for engagement -- and it snowballed to the point where Bryant herself had to speak out on Sunday.

Bryant reposted a popular throwback of the "Umbrella" artist taking a dip during a vacation ... which shows her flipping the bird to the cameras with a drink in hand, essentially giving "unbothered" vibes.

Rudy Gobert's ex, Julia Bonilla, took some apparent shots at the Minnesota Timberwolves center in a series of social media posts over the weekend ... going as far as sharing a message about having the ability to "destroy" someone's image -- but choosing not to.

The interesting Instagram Stories come just a few weeks after TMZ Sports reported the four-time Defensive Player of the Year broke things off with the mother of his one-year-old son and asked her to move out of their home ... all while pregnant with their second child.

Bonilla kicked off her activity by reposting a text graphic that said, "You have every right to speak your truth -- to share what happened and how it affected you. Their discomfort isn't your responsibility. If they wanted to be seen in a better light, they should've treated you better."