Stephen A. Smithsparked quite the controversy after claiming NBA players avoid signing with the Grizzlies due to safety concerns in Memphis ... and while Danny Greensays 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.
Stephen A. Smith says NBA players have told him they would feel unsafe playing in a city like Memphis
"Cats like Jimmy Butler and others don’t feel like it’s the safest environment. I’m talking to the local authorities in Memphis"
"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.
Mark Cuban: Harris Camp Asked For VP Vetting Papers by The Bulwark
The former Dallas Mavericks owner declined, saying he wouldn’t make a particularly good Number Two.
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.
. @boogiecousins says the Suns had fistfights in the locker room this season 👀😬
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."
The Lakers' rivalry with the Celtics apparently extends way further than the hardwood -- as Byron Scott was all smiles on Thursday realizing the sale of L.A.'s NBA franchise this week topped Boston's by nearly $4 billion!!!
The former Lakers player and head coach was thrilled to see Jeanie Buss get $10 billion for her beloved team on Wednesday ... happily gloating that it bested Boston's $6.1 billion sale in March.
"That's all that matters," Scott said of the price difference with a big grin. "We topped them. We topped them! We beat them by $3.9 billion!"
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-Alexanderare 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 Johnsonis 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.
Job well done to my sister Jeanie Buss for striking an incredible deal and picking the right person to carry on the @Lakers legacy and tradition of winning - Mark Walter, my business partner and friend! Mark Walter is the best choice and will be the best caretaker of the Laker…
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.
Former NBA star Eric Bledsoe was arrested on Wednesday after he allegedly struck a woman in the face ... TMZ Sports has learned.
The California Highway Patrol tells us officers placed Bledsoe into custody at around 2:30 AM following an investigation into a report of a domestic violence incident that occurred on a Los Angeles-area freeway.
According to the CHP, officers' probe into the matter led them to a gas station near US-101 ... where they found Bledsoe and a woman who was suffering from "bruising and swelling to her face."
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.
Straight to Cam with Cameron Brink & Sydel Curry-Lee
File under "We can't believe it's not Centel" -- Seattle Storm legend Sue Birdis 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.
Los Angeles Sparks practice was delayed due to Kelsey Plum and Cameron Brink arriving in the same outfit and refusing to acknowledge each other.
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.
#BSNPR | [VÍDEO]: Así fue que comenzó la situación de Demarcus Cousins cuando un fanático comenzó a tener una discusión con el jugador desde las gradas.
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.
