NBA

Devin Booker opened a can of worms by going after the Raptors mascot ... 'cause now the Spurs' fuzzy character is getting in on the fun with a "Cone of Silence."

If you missed it, the Phoenix Suns star had referees move the Raptor from underneath the basket in the empty Scotiabank Arena last week ... claiming the dino was being too distracting.

Fast forward to Monday, and the San Antonio Spurs' beloved Coyote mascot decided to poke fun at the incident ... by holding "Quiet" and "Shhh" signs and rocking a "Cone of Silence" over his head during Booker's free throws.

Booker noticed what was going on and laughed it off ... 'cause even he had to admit the troll job was pretty epic.

FYI -- Booker had a solid outing at the charity stripe ... going 7-for-8.

The Spurs aren't alone in trolling D-Book -- last Friday, the Indiana Pacers mimicked the Raptors incident by putting someone in a dinosaur costume right behind the basket.

LeBron James' youngest son Bryce James had himself quite the performance on MLK day ... the 14-year-old hooper dropped 21 points -- including a slick layup -- and dad was pumped!

Bryce, like older brother Bronny, plays for Sierra Canyon in Los Angeles ... one of the top teams in the country.

Check out the clip ... Bryce starts the fast break, avoiding defenders in the process before finishing with a jelly layup at the basket.

Of course, LBJ was hyped ... and showed his youngest son some love for the insane layup package.

"Bryce did what?" LeBron posted on Instagram. "Young🤴🏾Keep Going," he added.

Athleticism clearly runs in the family. Just a couple years after Bronny started dunking, Bryce accomplished the feat during warmups last month.

Charles Barkley has some pretty strong words for the Philadelphia 76ers ... telling TMZ Sports it's time they stop being stubborn and trade disgruntled star Ben Simmons already.

We spoke with Charles at LAX ... and asked whether he agreed with Doc Rivers' son, Austin Rivers, who told us he thought Simmons' Sixers career was over.

And it's safe to say Chuck agrees.

"He's never going to play another game in Philly," Barkley said. "The fans won't forgive him."

"They have to make a trade," he added. "You have to move on from a bad relationship. They're not using him and Joel Embiid has been playing great this year, so they're wasting his talents."

Barkley -- who spent 8 seasons with the Sixers -- is familiar with how ruthless Philly fans can be ... recalling times they were hard on him when he played for the org.

"I know those fans very well," Barkley said. "I thought my name was Charles Barkley Son of a Bitch for a long time when I was there."

CB offered some suggestions on how to end the Simmons saga ... saying Philly needs to hop on the phone and call the Boston Celtics, the Houston Rockets, or the Sacramento Kings to help get a deal done.

Speaking of the Kings, Barkley wasn't too fond of SAC trolling Lakers star Russell Westbrook for his shooting slump the other night ... telling us, "The Sacramento Kings should not be making fun of anybody."

Warriors part-owner Chamath Palihapitiya is attempting to clarify his controversial comments made about Uyghur concentration camps in China ... acknowledging his initial statements came off as cold, and claiming he really does care about human rights.

Palihapitiya -- who owns a minority stake in the Warriors franchise -- came under fire for his recent appearance on the "All-In Podcast" ... in which he said, "Nobody cares about what’s happening to the Uyghurs."

According to the U.S. Dept. of Labor, more than 1 million Chinese Uyghurs have been detained in mass detention camps. There are reports that they've been subjected to slave labor, sterilization and rape.

But as Palihapitiya put it, "Of all the things I care about, yes it is below my line."

The Warriors quickly denounced the billionaire's comment ... saying, "his views certainly don't reflect those of our organization" ... adding he has zero day-to-day operating functions within the team.

Amid the backlash, Palihapitiya released a short statement Monday trying to put out the fire.

"In re-listening to this week's podcast, I recognize that I come across as lacking empathy," Palihapitiya said. "I acknowledge that entirely."

"As a refugee, my family fled a country with its own set of human rights issues so this is something that is very much a part of my lived experience."

"To be clear, my belief is that human rights matter, whether in China, the United States, or elsewhere. Full stop."

Chinese affairs have become a huge issue within the NBA ... starting with now-Philadelphia 76ers GM Daryl Morey tweeting support for protesters in Hong Kong ... and more recently, with Enes Kanter Freedom calling on the Association to take a stand against the Chinese government over human rights violations.

Shaquille O'Neal is putting his ass on the line with his latest bet -- literally -- saying if Phoenix wins the NBA title this year, he'll walk two blocks with the word "Suns" written on his butt cheeks.

Seriously.

The Big Aristotle came up with the idea on "The Big Podcast with Shaq" ... after his co-host, Nischelle Turner, claimed it wasn't a foregone conclusion that the Warriors would win it all in 2022.

"Place a bet on it," Shaq told Turner. "Let's do something crazy and embarrassing."

O'Neal then came up with the wild idea ... saying that if Phoenix were to win the championship this season instead of Golden State, he'd slap the team's name on his keister.

The Hall of Famer -- who played for several teams throughout his NBA career -- even said he'll post the footage of him fulfilling the bet live on his IG.

Of course, both the Suns and Warriors have been two of the best teams in the league all season ... so Shaq's bet could very well blow up in his face.

Phoenix and GSW have played each other three times already ... with the Dubs winning two out of the three matchups.

LeBron James is quickly getting over the Lakers' struggles and focusing on the positives ... by losing his mind over his wife's latest Instagram post.

The Lakers are below .500 with a 21-22 record so far this season, forcing the King to publicly apologize via social media on Sunday.

While LBJ's social media activity seemed like a downer, it got much better once Savannah posted a gorgeous look on Instagram Sunday night ... with Bron gushing multiple times over the shot.

"When you walked downstairs I said to myself 'GODDAMN!!! That’s MINE'🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥," LBJ said in response to Savannah's red hair and black outfit.

"SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL Queen 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍"

James didn't stop there ... he reposted the video on his own IG, saying, "GODDESS QUEEN 👸🏾!!"

"Lucky Black Man I am. SHEESH she’s BAD!!," he added. "It’s gone be a great week when you start it off with a Monday like this!"

Of course, LeBron and Savannah -- who were were high school sweethearts -- got married in 2013 and have three kids together ... Bronny, Bryce and Zhuri.

Russell Westbrook can't catch a break -- the Lakers star was hilariously mocked by the Sacramento Kings' in-house DJ on Wednesday ... who played the song "Cold As Ice" every time he missed a shot.

It's no secret -- Russ hasn't necessarily been lights-out from the field recently ... and the shooting slump continued against the Kings in Sacramento.

Check out the clip -- you can hear the DJ drop a snippet of Foreigner's "Cold As Ice" track every time Westbrook missed a shot.

BTW, Russ finished the game with just 8 points -- going 2-14 from the field -- so the song was played quite a bit.

But, that wasn't the only troll job of the night -- in the waning moments of the game, the Kings put up a graphic on the scoreboard ... calling Westbrook the "Ice Cold Player Of The Game."

This isn't the first time we've seen the former MVP struggle to shoot the rock. In fact, here are some of Russ' most recent shooting woes.

7-of-19 vs. MIN

7-of-19 vs. SAC

4-of-14 vs. ATL

2-of-12 vs. MEM

2-of-14 vs. SAC

Westbrook brushed it all off after the game ... telling reporters "That's funny. I hope they played that the last 14 years, too. It's funny they play it now. That's cute."

To Russ' credit, he did take personal responsibility for his shooting struggles ... saying, "Man, who you telling. I can't f**king hit a shot, boy."

You can tell Lamar Odom still has love for his ex-wife, Khloe Kardashian, based on what he's saying about her recent embarrassment at the hands of Tristan Thompson ... and telling us what'd he do to comfort her.

We got the former NBA superstar Wednesday at the Atlanta Fish Market in Buckhead, and he said he hasn't reached out to Khloe since TT copped to getting another woman pregnant.

LO says he and Khloe haven't seen each other in a long time, but he feels like this would be a great time to be able to give her a hug.

Rocking a fur coat as he and his manager, Tonita B, entered the restaurant ... Lamar echoes what a lot of people have said about Khloe being a strong woman -- and he also told us what advice he'd give her ... if he had the opportunity for a face-to-face.

While we asked directly about Tristan, Lamar clearly didn't want to discuss him ... simply saying "he's corny" for what he did. TT and Lamar have butted heads in the past, like earlier this year after Lamar left a comment on a Khloe post.

Of course, Lamar's had his challenges over the years -- including his nearly-fatal OD in 2015 -- and other substance abuse struggles, but he seems to be on the straight and narrow lately.

Khloe and Lamar got married in 2009, and Khloe filed for divorce in 2015 ... but she withdrew the filing when he suffered his OD so that she could make medical decisions on his behalf while he was in a coma. The divorce was finalized in 2016.

Ben Simmons' time in Philadelphia is up ... at least that's what Austin Rivers truly believes, telling TMZ Sports he doesn't see the 3-time All-Star suiting up for the 76ers ever again.

Of course, the Denver Nuggets guard's dad, Doc, has been trying to mend the relationship between Ben and the Sixers org. for months now ... but BS has yet to play a minute of hoops for Philly this season.

And when we asked Austin about the situation, he says he doesn't see Simmons playing for the Sixers ever again.

"No man, probably not. I don’t think so," Rivers answered. "If he hasn’t suited up by now, then I don’t think so."

Austin says his dad and the team have done everything in their power to retain the 25-year-old ... despite Simmons' desire to be traded.

"S***, they tried, bro," he said. "Look how long it’s been. I think they tried to keep him. He wants to go somewhere else obviously."

Rivers ultimately wishes BS well saying ... "I just want the young man to be happy. He’s talented. He’s a great player."

As we previously reported, Doc told us he'd love to have BS back with the Sixers. But so much has transpired since then ... and with neither side budging, it certainly feels like Austin's right.

Life has changed so much for Shawn Bradley since he was paralyzed in a tragic bike accident last year, the former NBA star admitted he battles suicidal thoughts regularly.

The 7-foot-6, ex-Dallas Mavericks fan favorite made the revelation during recent interviews with Sports Illustrated -- explaining things have not been easy since he suffered a serious spine injury in a Jan. 20, 2021 bicycle crash.

"Maybe it'd be better if this was just all over," Bradley says he sometimes thinks to himself in the wake of the tragedy.

"Yes, those thoughts creep in -- and they're real. I can't ever imagine myself acting on those thoughts, but I definitely have them."

Bradley revealed that when a minivan bumped into the back of his bike in the accident last year, he landed on a parked car and damaged vertebrae in his neck so badly, he was paralyzed from the chest down.

Because of the injury, the once towering basketball player has been relegated to a wheelchair -- which he and his wife, Carrie, said have made even the simplest tasks, like going out on dates or even getting around his home, nearly impossible.

Bradley now needs help eating and bathing ... and he says when friends and former teammates have seen him in his new state, it can get overwhelming.

"People that I'm very close with, the first time they see me, it's emotional," Bradley said. "It's extremely draining."

Bradley, though, says he has realistic goals of improving his ability to move around his big frame in the near future. He said the family is also hoping to move into a more wheelchair-friendly home soon.

Devin Booker was so pissed at the Toronto Raptors' mascot during a game on Tuesday -- he made the refs move it so he could shoot free throws in peace.

For real.

The wild scene happened during the Suns' tilt with Toronto in Canada, where no fans were allowed in the building due to a recent surge in COVID cases in the area.

Toronto, though, did allow its mascot to attend ... and as Booker was shooting some crucial free throws with 6.5 seconds left in the game -- the person in the furry suit jumped up and down.

Booker nearly missed his first shot over it -- and then he was so ticked about it, he made the refs put a stop to it.

"Booker's complaining about the Raptor, the lone fan that is there," the TV broadcaster said during the game. "He's been sent away!"

Booker eventually sunk the free throws and the Suns got the W ... and afterward, Devin confirmed he was hot about the situation.

"I was just trying to get him out the way," Kendall Jenner's BF said. "It worked."

"I'd rather be shooting them without him down there. We play shooting games all the time everyday. These two do the same thing and I complain then. That's just me."

Fortunately, Booker said he and the red dinosaur will have no beef going forward ... he told media members, "We hashed it out. We're cool now."

Ja Morant is as ruthless as he is athletic -- the Grizzlies star savagely mean-mugged a kid in a Warriors jersey during Memphis' game Tuesday night ... but he's at least now apologizing for the cold shoulder.

In the fourth quarter of the Grizzlies' game against Golden State ... Morant took over, and hit a huge clutch bucket to extend Memphis' lead.

As his momentum carried him into the crowd, though, a young kid in a Warriors jersey was hoping to slap hands with the 22-year-old phenom after the sweet layup.

But, Ja paid the youngster no mind -- and instead, appeared to hit him with a death stare!!

"He was disrespectful with that jersey on," Morant said of the interaction in a postgame interview. "We in Memphis. It looked like he wanted to cheer but he had that jersey on."

But, Morant did eventually say he was sorry ... and added that he was hoping to get the kid's information so he could send him some Grizzlies gear to replace the Dubs colors.

Kyrie Irving was not pleased with Nassir Little Monday night -- the Brooklyn Nets star claims the Blazers forward could have seriously injured him while diving for a loose ball in the middle of the game ... calling the move "unnecessary."

Check out the play -- both players were trying to secure possession during the 4th quarter ... when Nassir dove to the floor, causing Kyrie to land awkwardly while trying to avoid stepping on Little.

Irving tweaked his ankle as a result ... but managed to finish the game. He spoke with reporters about the moment during postgame interviews ... saying it was a "bad" play.

"I tried to get out of the way, but I just felt like that was just unnecessary," he said.

"For him to dive that far to the ball, I just tried to get out the way. Just an unnecessary play."

Kyrie -- who's only playing in Brooklyn's road games at the moment due to his COVID-19 vaccination status -- says he spoke with refs ... telling them they need to do a better job of protecting players.

"I could have broke my ankle or done something worse," Irving said. "Not a good play. No place for that in basketball."

"I get the intent from Nassir, but it could've been avoided. All good, we move on."

Little got wind of Irving's comments ... and doubled down on the play via Twitter.

"I would never hurt someone on purpose, I have the utmost respect for Kyrie!" he said. "But y'all are delusional if you think this is a bad play, and id do it again."

"Idgaf what y'all talkin about."

Despite the tweaked ankle, Irving says he'll be ready to go when the Nets take on the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.

The Miz shouldn't expect an honorary key to Philadelphia anytime soon ever ... 'cause the WWE Superstar just took a giant dump on the City of Brotherly Love, telling fans he totally gets why 76ers star Ben Simmons wants out of dodge.

WWE's "Monday Night Raw" was in town at the Wells Fargo Center -- the Sixers home arena -- when The Miz addressed fellow star wrestler, Edge, and chose to take a dig at Philly.

"After looking at this crowd I can say with the utmost conviction that I stand with Ben Simmons," Miz said. "I too would give up $33 million dollars just to not play in this crap city."

"I mean have you seen yourselves," he continued, "Can you blame him?"

The Miz -- one of WWE's best heels -- was met with a barrage of boos from thousands of people in the audience ... something the former WWE champion is accustomed to.

Of course, the Simmons saga is a sensitive issue for the city and organization. The 25-year-old hooper has yet to step foot on the court for a game ... and the season is halfway over.

Ben and the Sixers have been involved in a nasty back-and-forth ... with the All-Star forward telling the org. he would sit out the entire season -- and forfeit the $33 million owed to him -- if they did not meet his trade demands.

Halsey is not letting Grizzlies player Desmond Bane get away with coming at the King ... ripping the guard for being rude to LeBron James and having a "big a** f***in' mouth."

23-year-old Bane was clearly chirping throughout the Lakers' home game against Memphis ... and it got so heated at one point, LBJ shoved the guy for continuously running his mouth.

The award-winning singer -- who's a die-hard Lakers fan -- was sitting courtside through it all ... and had some words for DB after the game.

"Courtside observations: Bane got an unnaturally loud and rude big a** f***in mouth," Halsey said via Twitter.

Grizzlies fans quickly replied with shots of their own ... but Halsey wasn't having it.

"Bruh shut the f*** up," Halsey replied, "This man LeBron almost had to give him a masterclass in decorum."

"Everyone s*** talks but word on the court was 'he’s a problem.'"

FYI, Bane -- who's in his second season with the Grizz -- replied to Halsey's analysis with a few laughing emojis and a thumbs down ... but he later deleted the tweet.

Sideline reporter Kristina Pink needed to be helped off the Crypto.com Arena floor on Sunday ... after she slipped on water and fell HARD following a postgame interview.

Pink had just finished up a post-win chat with L.A. shooting guard Amir Coffey, when she lost her balance and went crashing to the floor.

Pink horrifyingly landed on the court face-first ... and the thud of her fall could be heard loud and clear on broadcast microphones.

Somehow, though, Pink avoided serious injuries in the tumble ... writing on her social media page after the game that she's expected to be fine.

"For everyone asking, I’m ok," said Pink, who does games for NFL on Fox in addition to her role with the Clippers. "There was water on the court... Appreciate all the messages."