NBA

Dennis Rodman is still very pissed off at the looting taking place all over the country ... but he's now channeling his anger into action.

The NBA Hall of Famer says he feels compelled to raise money for the Black Voters Matter fund ... an organization "dedicated to expanding Black voter engagement & increasing progressive power."

And, how's he going to raise the cash?! DINNER AUCTION, BABY!

"Dennis Rodman is so disappointed at all the rioting and looting in light of the tragic death of George Floyd that he's auctioning off himself for dinner for two lucky guests with all the proceeds going to benefit the Black Voters Matter Fund," his rep Darren Prince tells TMZ Sports.

The auction, going down on Charitybuzz.com, says Dennis, the winner and a guest will dine with The Worm -- and notes, "The winning bidder is responsible for the cost of the meal."

The winner will also receive 2 signed jerseys provided by Rodman's memorabilia partners at Fiterman Sports Group.

And, if you know Dennis ... who the hell knows what could happen at dinner? Quick trip to Vegas?!? Carmen Electra cameo?!

Sacramento Kings play-by-play announcer Grant Napear has stepped down from his TV role with the team ... after facing major backlash for tweeting "All Lives Matter."

Napear -- who has worked with the Kings since 1988 -- was initially placed on leave after a Twitter interaction with ex-Kings star DeMarcus Cousins, who asked his thoughts on the Black Lives Matter movement.

"All Lives Matter… Every Single One!" Napear answered ... to which Cousins replied, "Lol as expected."

Napear's comment caught the attention of fellow former King Matt Barnes, who added "Would expect nothing less from a closet racists [sic]."

Napear later apologized for his tweet, telling the Sacramento Bee, "I’m not as educated on BLM as I thought I was. I had no idea that when I said 'All Lives Matter' that it was counter to what BLM was trying to get across."

"I’m in pain," Napear continued. "I’m 60 years old and I still have a lot to learn."

But, Chris Webber -- who played for the Kings from 1998-2005 -- wasn't buying Napear's explanation, tweeting in support of the players' claims.

"Demarcus we know and have known who grant is. The team knows as well. I’ve told them many times. They’ve seen it. They know who he is."

Stephen Jackson just made a promise to George Floyd's family -- that he will step in and do everything he can to be a father figure for George's 6-year-old daughter.

"I'm gonna be there for her," Jackson said to Floyd's family Tuesday in Minneapolis. "I'm gonna walk her down the aisle. I'm gonna be there for her. I'm gonna be here to wipe your tears. I'm gonna be here for you and Gigi."

"Floyd might not be here but I'm here for her, I'm here to get justice."

"This sh*t has to stop."

Ex-NBA star Stephen Jackson is now putting pressure on his fellow pro athletes in the NFL, NBA and MLB to call out the people in the front offices ... claiming straight up, "They're not fighting for us!"

"It's time to hold our owners, GMs, Vice Presidents, everybody at the top accountable," Jackson said on social media.

"They want you to dance They want you to smile, promote, shoot, workout, represent the organization the right way, right? But they're not fighting for us! I don't hear none of them."

Jackson has been speaking out publicly -- and passionately -- ever since the killing of his longtime friend George Floyd ... demanding justice and action.

While he doesn't call anyone out by name -- it's clear Jackson feels the people at the top of the organizations are not doing enough to support the movement against police brutality, racism and social injustice.

"It's time to hold them accountable, bro. Hold ya'll [Team President]  accountable. Hold ya'll owner accountable because 9 out of 10 times, if they ain't speaking with us, then they against us."

"They love you bringing all that money in, but why they ain't speaking up when our kids get murdered or when our black men or black women getting murdered?"

"The time is now, bro. Can't play both sides."

76ers star Tobias Harris is calling for an elected official in Pennsylvania to resign for labeling Black Lives Matter as a "radical left-wing hate group."

The man behind the comment is Joe Gale -- a County Commissioner for Montgomery County, the 3rd largest county in PA.

The Board of Commissioners is a powerful group -- comprised of only 3 members and they control the legislative and executive functions for the entire county.

Fast forward to Monday ... when Gale issued a strong written statement slamming the protests in Philadelphia as an act of "urban domestic terror."

Gale says the people responsible are "radical left-wing hate groups like Black Lives Matter."

He continued, "This organization, in particular, screams racism not to expose bigotry and injustice, but to justify the lawless destruction of our cities and surrounding communities."

"Their objective is to unleash chaos and mayhem without consequence by falsely claiming they, in fact, are victims."

Now, 27-year-old Harris is lashing out at the statement ... saying, "I honestly can’t believe what I’m reading."

"Black Lives Matter a hate group?! This statement and your whole press release at that is disgusting to read. RESIGN!"

Rapper Meek Mill echoed Harris' statement, saying "True colors.... welcome to PA!"

Harris isn't alone in demanding Gale's removal from office ... there's already a change.org petition calling for him to step down.

Washington Bullets legend Wes Unseld -- who won Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season -- has died at 74, his family announced Tuesday.

"It is with profound sadness that we announce that our adored husband, father and grandfather Wes Unseld passed away peacefully this morning surrounded by his family following lengthy health battles, most recently with pneumonia," Unfeld's family said in a statement.

"He was the rock of our family -- an extremely devoted patriarch who reveled in being with his wife, children friends and teammates."

Unseld was the #2 overall pick in the 1968 NBA Draft and played his entire career with the Bullets ... and won ROTY and MVP in his first season in the league. The only other player to win both awards in the same season was Wilt Chamberlain.

He went on to win an NBA title and Finals MVP in 1978 and made 5 All-Star appearances.

The family continued ... "He was our hero and loved playing and working around the game of basketball for the cities of Baltimore and Washington, D.C., cities he proudly wore on his chest for so many years."

NBA champ Kevin Love -- whose middle name is Wesley in honor of Unseld -- spoke about the loss, saying, "Proud to be named after such a great man. A Legend and a Leader."

"Wes, you will be missed by the NBA family and all people who’s lives you touched. Rest In Peace."

Unseld's #41 jersey was retired after his retirement in 1981 ... and he went on to coach the Bullets from 1988-94. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.

Unseld is survived by his son, daughter, daughter-in-law, grandchildren and wife of 50 years, Connie.

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich says he's absolutely fed up with President Donald Trump ... firing off a flaming-hot statement on POTUS' handling of the recent protests in America.

“He’s not just divisive. He’s a destroyer," Pop told The Nation. "To be in his presence, makes you die. He will eat you alive for his own purposes."

He continued ... "I’m appalled that we have a leader who can’t say 'black lives matter.' That’s why he hides in the White House basement. He is a coward. He creates a situation and runs away like a grade schooler."

"Actually, I think it’s best to ignore him. There is nothing he can do to make this better because of who he is: a deranged idiot."

Of course, POTUS faced backlash after he tweeted of the looting in Minneapolis, "These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen." He also tweeted, "when the looting starts, the shooting starts."

Pop -- who has been passionately outspoken about his issues with Trump -- makes it clear he has a problem with how the president reacted to the protests turning violent.

"It’s unbelievable," the NBA coach said. "If Trump had a brain, even if it was 99 percent cynical, he would come out and say something to unify people. But, he doesn’t care about bringing people together. Even now."

"That’s how deranged he is. It’s all about him. It’s all about what benefits him personally. It’s never about the greater good. And, that’s all he’s ever been."

But, it's not just Trump who Pop's pissed about ... he says the whole system needs to change.

"In the end, what we have is a fool in place of a president, while the person who really runs the country, Senator Mitch McConnell, destroys the United States for generations to come."

NBA star J.R. Smith beat the living daylights out of a man who allegedly smashed his car window during the wild protests in L.A. ... and TMZ Sports has the video.

You can see ... the 6'6", 225-pounder unleashed a barrage of violent kicks on the man -- landing several times in the head.

When the guy finally stands up on his feet, Smith delivered a final punishing overhand right to the guy's dome.

Finally, some of J.R.'s friends step in and the other guy scurries off in a hurry.

Smith explained the attack in an emotionally charged video -- saying, "One of these motherfu**king white boys didn't know where he was going and broke my f**king window in my truck."

"Broke my sh*t."

Smith says his truck was parked in a residential area -- away from the stores that were being looted.

We're told the incident took place around the Fairfax area -- near the famous Flight Club sneaker shop, which had just been looted.

"I chased him down and whooped his ass," Smith said.

Smith says the incident was NOT fueled by race or hatred -- it was simply revenge for messing with his truck.

AKA, Street Justice.

Dennis Rodman says he's seen enough looting, destruction and chaos, and he's begging people to pull back -- "We're human beings, not f**king animals."

The NBA Hall of Famer says he's not trying to minimize the issues of police brutality and racial injustice -- and seemingly supports the peaceful protests -- but clearly believes people are crossing the line.

"Someone needs to come out and say, 'Hey, guys. Why are we looting? Why are we stealing? Why are we creating more issues?'"

"This is a bad, bad situation -- but [if you're going to protest], protest in the right way. You don't have to go and burn down things, steal things."

Rodman says society is already dealing with "enough issues with COVID right now" -- and wants to see an end to the chaos surrounding the protests.

Michael Jordan says he is "deeply saddened, truly pained and plain angry" over the killing of George Floyd -- and is calling for "peaceful" action to create systemic change.

"I see and feel everyone’s pain, outrage and frustration," Jordan said in a statement Sunday ... "I stand with those who are calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of color in our country."

"We have had enough."

MJ says he doesn't have the answers -- "but our collective voices show strength and the inability to be divided by others. "

"We must listen to each other, show compassion and empathy and never turn our backs on census brutality."

Jordan calls for people to "continue peaceful expressions against injustice and demand accountability."

"Our unified voice needs to put pressure on our leaders to change our laws, or else we need to use our vote to create systemic change."

"Every one of us needs to be part of the solution, and we must work together to ensure justice for all."

Michael Jordan wore a special pair of modified Air Jordan 1s to support his left foot after a freak injury during his 2nd NBA season -- and now, those game-worn kicks are hitting the auction block.

... and they're expected to fetch around $500,000!!!

Remember, MJ broke his left foot during the 3rd game of the 1985-86 season for the Chicago Bulls ... an injury that sidelined him for 6 weeks and almost ended his career.

When he returned, Nike whipped up a special version of the AJ1s -- with an extra strap to provide stability for MJ's left foot.

The specially modified version of the shoes were never offered on the open market -- they were just offered to MJ.

This particular pair was worn by Jordan on March 29th, 1986 -- according to "Gotta Have Rock And Roll" auction ... a game in which MJ scored 24 points in 23 minutes against the Knicks

The auction company says ... after the game, Jordan met with a young fan and gave him the shoes. He even autographed 'em.

Now, that fan is ready to part ways after 34 years ... and with the success of "The Last Dance," the timing is probably perfect.

By the way, the shoes are different sizes -- the left is a size 13 and the right is size 13.5.

The auction is set to go down July 22-31 ... hope you saved up!

The end of the basketball drought is (possibly) in sight -- with NBA commissioner Adam Silver targeting a July 31 return to the 2020 season.

The league notified team owners about the goal date on Friday ... in hopes to finally continue action after suspending the season on March 11.

It's a bit of good news for NBA fans, but one big question that still remains -- will the Association skip straight to the playoffs, or will it allow teams to earn their spots in the postseason?

According to Shams Charania, the league is considering 4 possible scenarios ...

Option 1 -- Go straight to the playoffs with the 16 teams that are currently at the top of each conference

Option 2 -- Allow the top 20 teams to compete in group/stage play

Option 3 -- Have 22 teams continue the season and have a play-in tournament to determine final seeding

Option 4 -- Bring all 30 teams back and have a 72-game season with play-in tourney

Of course, most NBA players (like LeBron James) want the season to come back ... but Blazers superstar Dame Lillard recently said he won't play if Portland doesn't have a "real shot" at earning a postseason berth.

Stephen Jackson is at the forefront of the fight for justice in the killing of his friend George Floyd ... saying he's going to do whatever it takes to make sure the officers are convicted.

The ex-NBA star revealed this week that he's known Floyd for more than 20 years ... saying they even called each other "twin."

Jackson -- alongside Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, rappers Bun B and Trae The Truth, and actor Jamie Foxx -- gave an emotional speech at a news conference in Minneapolis on Friday.

"I'm here because they're not gonna demean the character of George Floyd, my twin," Jackson said.

"You can't tell me when that man had a knee on my brother's neck, taking his life away with his hand in his pocket that that smirk on his face didn't say, 'I'm protected.'"

"You can't tell me that he didn't feel that it was his duty to murder my brother and then he was gonna get away with it."

The officer -- Derek Chauvin -- has been arrested and charged with 3rd-degree murder and manslaughter ... and Jackson says he will fight to make sure all officers involved get proper punishment.

"I'mma use everything I have to get a conviction, to get all these motherf**kers in jail. Excuse my French, I'm angry. I'm a proud black man."

Powerful statement from Jalen Rose.

The ex-NBA star -- now a regular on ESPN -- went off on "Get Up!" on Friday about the civil unrest following the killing of George Floyd.

Just watch. Here's the transcript.

"I wish America loved black people just as much as they love black culture."

"There's so many times that it gets cherry-picked and it gets piggybacked but only when it's convenient and sometimes it happens in entertainment and athletics."

We're not here designed only to entertain."

"We're actually living and breathing human beings that have a multitude of intelligence, work ethic, discipline and talent. We've overcome a lot just like so many other races."

"This didn't just start happening. You can Google. We've been sprayed with water hoses, we've been attacked by dogs. We've overcome it. I'm old enough to remember 'I Have a Dream,' 'Fight the Power,' 'Screw the Police.' Now it's 'I Can't Breathe.'"

"This is not new and it's not going to come from just us. We need people who aren't black. We need people who aren't brown. When you know these things are happening in your society to have a voice, a legitimate one. Lock and step with us. Protest with us. Post with us. Not just when it's convenient. When it can be uncomfortable."

"The image of Colin Kaepernick taking a knee before a football game during the national anthem is the exact same one that we see in Minnesota ... when a guy was laying on the ground for over 8 minutes handcuffed with a knee to his neck and was murdered."

Is that Dennis Rodman? Why is he putting a 9-pack of toilet paper in the middle of a busy street during a rainstorm?

Is he signing that guy's cast? Smoking a cigar? Aggressively hitting on women?

Is that a cop? He's definitely wearing a mask. Why isn't anyone else?

SO MANY QUESTIONS! BARELY ANY ANSWERS!

Welcome to another edition of, "The Bizarre Adventures of Dennis Rodman!!"

Here's the deal ... this video was shot on Sunday at the American Social gastropub in Ft. Lauderdale.

Witnesses tell us Rodman showed up with some friends around 3:45 PM and seemed to be on a mission to entertain.

No one seems to know where Rodman found the toilet paper -- but he was flaunting it like it was still Week 1 of quarantine!

At one point, he ran the TP into the street -- but we're told a police officer who was in the area instructed him to pick it up. Dennis complied.

"Entitled and spoiled? Mf watch yo mouth."

Damian Lillard just went OFF on ESPN's Dan Orlovsky over his criticism of the NBA star ... and the former Lions QB took the heat so hard, he issued an apology to Dame within minutes of the rant.

Here's the backstory ... Lillard said earlier this week he would sit out NBA games this summer if the league didn't provide his Trailblazers a "true opportunity" to make the playoffs.

Orlovsky took issue with those comments on Thursday's "Get Up!" ... and ripped the Portland superstar for coming off as "spoiled" and "entitled."

When Lillard got word of the name-calling ... he didn't hold back, taking aim at Orlovsky on social media, "Entitled and spoiled? Mf watch yo mouth. My background, family, and character couldn’t be further FROM entitled and spoiled. I said what I said!"

Lillard didn't stop there ... bashing Orlovsky for being a career backup in the NFL -- saying, "You sat out ya whole career basically."

To his credit, Dan was quick to backpedal off his comments ... writing back to Lillard, "No you’re right I was wrong to use that phrase at the end. That’s my bad."

"My comment started with saying I hope we all realize nothing is meaningless anymore. And if it’s about protecting loved ones-100%. I shouldn’t have said entitled or brat and that’s on me and my bad."

Doesn't seem Lillard cared much for the mea culpa ... 'cause he fired right back, "Go back on TV w @realskipbayless and tell all those viewers that."

"And tell skip I can answer his question as well 'what have I done' since y’all got so much to say. And I don’t know either one of y’all."

Apparently not -- Skip Bayless hosts 'Undisputed' on FS1 these days and hasn't been on ESPN in years!