NBA

"I've been trying to find good people for so long. I'm tired, bro."

That's former NBA hoops star Michael Beasley, the #2 overall pick in 2008 (behind D. Rose), opening up about how failed relationships in his life have made him insular and distrusting of people -- and it's had a negative impact on his mental health.

Beasley joined former NFL players Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder, and Fred Taylor on "The Pivot Podcast" for a candid conversation where he fought through tears and dished on everything from his mother stealing from him to living an isolated life where he only plays basketball and sits home alone.

"I don't know no one that ain't stole from me," Beasley said. "Everybody except for my kids stole from me."

"Every step of the way, I asked for help."

The conversation took a turn ... in ways going from an interview to an intervention. Clark, Chowder and Taylor pleaded with Beasley, telling him isolating himself from the world because he's been mistreated in the past isn't the solution.

The men even offered help ... with Crowder, who lives near MB, telling the hooper he'd love to hang and chill while their kids play together.

"You have kids. I have kids. Come to my house. We can get bounce houses for the kids, we can sit back on the porch, drink a couple beers, drink some wine, hang out," Crowder pleaded.

You'll recall ... Beasley was heavily touted coming out of Kansas State, where he averaged over 26 points a game during his one and only season. The 6-foot-9 forward was selected right after Derrick Rose in the NBA Draft ... with the number 2 overall pick.

Beasley was often compared to Kevin Durant -- as both guys could basically get a bucket at will. But, their pro careers have gone in different directions. KD's one of the greatest hoopers ever ... meanwhile, Beasley's become an NBA journeyman.

He played 11 seasons in the NBA ... spending time with the Timberwolves, Knicks, Bucks, Rockets, Suns and Lakers.

But, he never really established himself as a premier superstar in the NBA, something many thought was a certainty.

This interview sheds light on some of the awful things Michael's lived through ... and gives a peek at the person, not just the player.

NBA baller Myles Turner ain't a fan of bricks ... but he's still clearly cool with building things -- 'cause he just put together a Titanic replica using 9,000 Legos!!!

The Indiana Pacers center took to Twitter to show off the impressive feat ... revealing the finished plastic boat in a smiling photo.

No word on how long it took Turner to accomplish the task -- but check out the size of the piece -- it's nearly as big as the 6-foot-11 basketball player!!

"9,000 Pieces And Many Cuss Words Later…" Turner said of the boat in his post.

Of course, the achievement shouldn't shock anybody -- Turner is an avid Lego builder who's put together some seriously impressive things over the years.

In a video of his favorites that he posted to social media on Tuesday, Turner showed off that he's built a Death Star, a Batwing, a Disney castle and much more over the years.

Want an autograph from not one, not two, but THREE G.O.A.T.s?!

A basketball card featuring signatures from three of the greatest basketball players ever -- Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant -- is up for sale ... and its current price is $160,000!!

TMZ Sports is told ... the unique '08 Upper Deck Radiance card features the John Hancock of 3 NBA legends in one place ... and is in great condition -- its centering has a grade of 9.5, corners have a 8.5 grade, and edges have a 9.0.

The card is pretty special -- Kobe, MJ, and Bron's images are featured on the front ... with their individual autographs in blue ink on see-through surface next to their respective photos.

The back of the card sports the Lakers, Bulls, and Cavs logos ... representing the three franchises the basketball icons were synonymous with during their storied careers.

PWCC Marketplace listed the card ... and exec. Jesse Craig tells us pieces of memorabilia like this are in high demand.

"Collectors are increasingly seeking out autographs from athletes considered to hold ‘immortal’ status in their sport," Craig says ... explaining all three athletes' autographs on one card is extremely difficult to find.

On top of that, there are only 5 copies of this exact card in existence ... so yeah, this thing is special.

PWCC tells us a card bearing the names of Bryant, MJ, and James sold for $322,260 back in October 2021, according to public sales data ... and considering the names involved, don't be surprised if this sells for even more.

"It’s an insanely scarce offering that exists, and we’re extremely excited that it is up for auction at PWCC."

There's only four days left in the auction ... before PWCC's extended bidding window begins on Saturday.

Jason Kelce is apparently a man of many talents ... it turns out, the Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman can both bench press defensive linemen AND sing!!!

The NFL star showed off his huge pipes on Monday night -- belting out the national anthem before the 76ers' game against the Nuggets ... and dude did a great job!!

Kelce stood at center court for the song, rocking a Sixers shirt, and serenaded a capacity crowd with his rendition of the "The Star-Spangled Banner."

The fans in the crowd loved it, cheering on every note -- and check out the video, Kelce sure seemed to feel like he crushed the performance.

As for why the Eagles Pro Bowler was tapped to be the guest singer for the game, it's all because of charity.

Kelce agreed to perform at the Wells Fargo Center if his former teammate, Connor Barwin, raised $100,000 or more for his Make The World Better Foundation by the end of 2021, and once he did, it was singing time for JK.

The Brooklyn Nets' bank account is a little lighter today ... the team was just hit with a $50K fine for breaking COVID-19 protocol and allowing Kyrie Irving in the Barclay's Center locker room.

The NBA announced the 5-figure fine Monday afternoon.

"The Brooklyn Nets organization has been fined $50,000 for violating local New York City law and league health and safety protocols during the team’s March 13th game against the New York Knicks at Barclays Center," the NBA said in a statement.

"The violation occurred when the Nets permitted Kyrie Irving, who was in attendance at the game, to enter the team’s locker room."

So, what'd the Nets do that was wrong?

Irving is allowed in the arena to watch games inside the arena, but not in a "workplace environment," which the league considers the locker room, according to  Woj, a league insider.

The rules go back to NYC's COVID-19 safety protocols ... which places restrictions on unvaccinated workers. Irving is not vaxxed.

The Nets beat the Knicks, 110-107.

Ayesha Curry poured her heart out for her NBA superstar husband on his special day ... sending Steph a super-romantic note on his birthday.

Steph turned the big 3-4 on Monday ... and Ayesha was there to congratulate her husband on another year of life.

"Happy birthday to the love of my life!," Ayesha said on Instagram. "You bring our family so much joy and happiness. We love you beyond measure. The year ahead is bright and I can’t wait to watch you grow and thrive even more."

"To my favorite person in the world, happy birthday @stephencurry30 ! 🥰🥰🥰."

Steph and Ayesha first met when they were in high school. After years of dating, Steph proposed to Ayesha ... and the two tied the knot in 2011. The power couple has been married for more than 10 years and now have three children together -- Riley Elizabeth, 9, Ryan Carson, 6, and Canon W. Jack, 3.

Of course, Steph's wife doesn't mess around when it comes to their union -- she recently denied rumors alleging they were in an open relationship ... saying the claims are "ridiculous" and calling it disrespectful to her marriage to make such an insinuation.

Ayesha is by far Steph's biggest cheerleader -- she was in the building at Madison Square Garden when Steph passed Ray Allen for the most 3-pointers made in NBA history.

It's clear their love is going stronger than ever!!

One of the biggest beefs in NBA history has officially been squashed -- Kevin Garnett extended an olive branch to Ray Allen at his jersey retirement ceremony on Sunday ... and it was beautiful.

Of course, there was bad blood between the two Celtics champions ever since Allen left Boston to join the Miami Heat in 2012 ... breaking up the big three of KG, Allen and Paul Pierce after one title.

Tensions still appeared be high between KG and Allen during this past All-Star Weekend ... when Garnett hit his ex-teammate with a piercing stare during the 75th anniversary team ceremony.

But, all the hatred is a thing of the past -- as Allen was in attendance at KG's retirement ceremony ... with the two embracing at center court in the middle of the Big Ticket's speech.

"It's good to see Ray Allen here," Garnett said during the special moment. "Real s***. It's good to see you, man."

Allen then approached KG and gave him a hug ... with Pierce joining in for the touching moment.

KG says Allen should be the next Celtic to have his number in the rafters ... making him the final member of the big three to receive the honor.

Jason "White Chocolate" Williams felt the heat for saying Kobe Bryant is not a top-five all-time Laker -- and, now, he's retracting his statement, officially deeming the Black Mamba L.A.'s G.O.A.T.

The former point guard says he misunderstood the question on the "Players Choice" podcast last week when he said he was "not sure" if Bryant was a top-five Laker.

"In the conversation you all heard," Williams said in a lengthy post on his social media page Sunday, "my thinking was that we were talking about ALL the greatest NBA players EVER who wore the Laker purple and gold jersey for at least ONE season."

"I wasn’t talking about the greatest LAKER ever… because of course that’s Kobe!!! Kobe IS the Lakers!!! 💛💜"

In other words ... Williams says he thought the question was strictly from a basketball standpoint -- NOT what each player actually meant to the franchise.

In his IG statement, Williams explained he believes Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James are better hoopers than Bryant, but they don't mean nearly as much to L.A. as Kobe.

"My bad if I've hurt any of y’all feelings, it’s just my opinion!!!" Williams said. "I love this game and I respect this game!! It has nothing to do with Kobe bustin my team’s ass just about every time we played them either."

Kyrie Irving is throwing NYC's vaccine mandate policy right back in its face on primetime TV -- taking in a home game, maskless, from the stands ... but not able to step onto the court.

The awkward scene played out live Sunday during the Nets' home game against Knicks ... which was being carried by ESPN. During the 2nd quarter, the camera panned to KI, who was shaking hands with people down near the bottom of the stands, and then going up to his seat a few rows up.

In this capacity -- as a spectator -- he's totally okay to not wear a mask and move about ... as that is now NYC's policy on events like this, regardless of vaccine status. However, their rule pertaining to private employees hasn't changed -- namely, those folks have to be vaccinated, and Kyrie isn't.

Still ... the irony of the sitch reeks of hypocrisy, but more importantly ... it reeks of a lack of common sense, something that Doris Burke and other announcers broached with trepidation ... because, if we're being honest, the regulations here just don't make sense anymore.

Kyrie's former teammate, LeBron James, was not as shy about expressing his indignation over NYC's backwards thinking. In response to someone pointing out what a joke this is, he wrote ... "FACTS FACTS FACTS!! It literally makes ABSOLUTELY ZERO SENSE!!! They say if common sense was common then we’d all have it. Ain’t that the truth."

LBJ has been outspoken on the pandemic, especially the further into it we've gotten. Remember, it was just in December that he suggested the latest strains were more like the flu or the cold than anything else ... something he was slammed for at the time, as some felt he was downplaying the seriousness of the virus.

Rich Paul is giving actor Damson Idris -- who's playing the NBA super-agent in a biopic about his life -- a big stamp of approval ... telling TMZ Sports he's a huge fan (and friend) of the "Snowfall" star.

We talked to the 40-year-old agent as he left LAX Thursday night ... and we asked Rich about the upcoming film about his life, and the actor who will portray him.

"I like Damson a lot. He's a great friend of mine," Paul said, adding, "Damson's great man, he's doing a great job. That's my brother."

Not much, if anything, was known about the project or its cast until Idris recently broke the news during an appearance on "The Breakfast Club."

"I am about to play Rich Paul," Idris announced on the show.

"It is time we start cherishing black moguls and Rich is someone that people need to know. This guy has completely changed the game, and I'm happy and fortunate to call him a big brother, and I can't wait to honor his story."

Paul, LeBron James' longtime agent, has a fascinating story. He met LBJ at an airport in Akron, Ohio when he was in his early 20s, and James was 18.

The story goes ... Rich approached Lebron and tried to sell him some throwback jerseys. The guys obviously hit it off, and fast forward almost 20 years, Paul has become one of the most respected and powerful agents in the entire sports world.

And, Paul -- who also reps the likes of Anthony Davis, John Wall, Ben Simmons and other stars -- isn't just a superagent ... he's a celebrity in his own right.

Case and point ... Rich dates Adele.

Delonte West is attempting a hoops comeback ... the former NBA player who's battled addiction and legal issues over the years tried out for the Big 3 today -- and it's pretty great to see.

38-year-old West was in Washington D.C. at the Athletic Republic for tryouts for the 3-on-3 league that mostly features retired NBA stars.

Guys like Joe Johnson, Reggie Evans, and Leandro Barbosa played in the Big 3 last season.

No word yet on how Delonte performed at the tryout (West looked good knocking down a couple 3s) ... but just the fact he's out there is encouraging.

West -- who last played in the NBA for the Dallas Mavericks during the 2011-2012 season -- has had several run-ins with the cops over the years since leaving basketball.

Just a few months back, in October, Delonte was arrested outside a police station in Palm Beach County, FL for allegedly banging on the door of the station, before cursing out cops.

But, Delonte -- who has battled addiction -- worked very hard to get himself back on track (with the help of supporters like Mark Cuban).

We broke the story a few weeks back that West was busting his ass in the gym in an effort to prepare for today's tryout.

During his time in the NBA, West -- the 24th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft -- was no scrub. DW played 8 seasons for the Celtics, SuperSonics and Cavs ... in addition to the Mavs. He averaged 10 points, 3 rebounds and nearly 4 assists a game for his career.

It's not yet known if Delonte will make a team ... but just the fact he's out there is the real win here.

Jason "White Chocolate" Williams is wrong ... Kobe Bryant's not only in the top five greatest Lakers of all time -- he's number one!

... that's according to former Los Angeles Lakers center (and former Kobe teammate) John Salley, who tells TMZ Sports there is no better Laker ever than the Black Mamba.

"Kobe is the greatest Laker of all time," Salley said outside of LAX this week.

Of course, Williams is clearly not in agreement with Salley -- because he said on the popular basketball podcast "Players Choice" earlier this month that he wasn't sure if Kobe belonged even in the top-five Laker conversation.

Williams didn't elaborate on why ... but he said he knew the opinion would ruffle feathers.

Salley wasn't pissed about the former NBA point guard's hot take -- but he made it clear to us, Kobe is his No. 1 all-time.

"When you say greatest Laker, I'm just going to go with Jerry West, then it was Magic Johnson," the four-time champion said. "And then, 20 years of Kobe changed the whole attitude."

Ex-NBA star Jason "White Chocolate" Williams just pissed off a whole lot of Kobe Bryant fans ... saying he's "not even sure" the Black Mamba is a top-five Laker of all-time.

The former point guard made the shocking claim on the popular hoops podcast "Players Choice" this week ... while discussing where the NBA's greatest should land on an all-time rankings list.

"I haven't really thought about where I got Kobe," Williams said. "But, Kobe's not as high on my list as people would really think he should be."

"I'm not even sure he's on the top five of the all-time greatest Lakers."

One co-host kind of agreed with Williams ... but several others on the show thought the dude was crazy.

Of course, Laker Nation is surely clenching its fists over Williams' comments ... because nearly everyone who's rooted for the Purple and Gold has him pinned somewhere definitively in their top three.

Williams -- who spent 12 seasons in the NBA with the Kings, Grizzlies, Heat and Magic -- went head-to-head with Bryant throughout his career, so it's plausible his opinion was formed as a result of firsthand experience.

Williams didn't mention who he'd possibly have above Kobe ... but the Lakers do have a rich history of ballers (Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Shaquille O' Neal and LeBron James, to name a few).

Kobe's place amongst the Laker icons, though, is cemented in the eyes of many L.A. fans ... as he won five titles, two finals MVPs, and one regular-season MVP in his 20-year career.

Steph Curry is back in the good graces of 10-year-old Warriors fan PJ O'Byrne -- who was crushed when the 3x champ didn't play in the game she recently attended -- hooking up the young girl with some free courtside tix to see him hoop!

PJ originally received tickets to see Golden State play the Denver Nuggets back in December for her birthday, but a COVID-19 outbreak forced the game to be postponed.

It was rescheduled for Monday in Denver, but Steph didn't travel with the team and ultimately missed the game ... leaving one of his biggest fans, PJ, visibly devastated.

O'Bryne -- who was holding a "Go Warriors! MVP Steph Curry" sign in anticipation of seeing her favorite player hit the court -- was in tears when she received the news that #30 wasn't playing.

Well, Steph and the Warriors org. made things right ... providing the girl and her family tickets to Thursday's game against the Nuggets, giving Steph an opportunity to apologize in person.

Before tipoff, Curry made his way over to O'Bryne and her family (they had great seats) ... and briefly chatted with PJ, who was crying ... only this time, tears of joy.

The Nuggets also provided her with MVP jerseys.

PJ got to see a heckuva performance too. Steph didn't just drop 34 points ... he also surpassed 20,000 total career points, and led the Warriors to a thrilling comeback victory over the Nuggets, 113-102.

76ers fans greeted Ben Simmons with boos and trash talk as he took the court before Thursday's game ... marking his first return to Philadelphia since his trade to the Brooklyn Nets.

Remember, the 25-year-old guard made it clear he wanted out of Philly ... and was willing to lose out on millions of dollars as he refused to suit up for the Sixers this season.

Simmons finally got what he wanted last month ... after the Sixers traded BS, Seth Curry and Andre Drummond to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for James Harden.

Simmons returned to Wells Fargo Center -- this time as a visitor -- in black and white gear for Thursday's matchup against the Sixers ... and despite being out with an injury, the fans let him hear it during pre-game shootaround.

In fact, the 3-time All-Star was heckled way before getting to the arena -- he was surrounded by an angry crowd while getting onto the team bus ... with one fan saying, "Ben Simmons, you stink!"

Fans were also booing Simmons outside the Four Season in downtown Philadelphia ... with one fan actually thanking him for the Nets trade.

"Thanks for James, man" one fan yelled.

The Utah Jazz organization is stepping up to help the Ukrainian people amid the Russian invasion ... by providing more than 32,200 nights of housing for refugees fleeing the country.

The team made the announcement on Wednesday ... saying it teamed up with Airbnb.org -- a nonprofit devoted to providing housing to those in need -- to make the gesture happen.

Jazz Executive chairman and co-owner Ryan Smith spoke about the decision to help out ... saying, "Connection and community have never been more important than it is today."

"Millions of people have been forced to leave behind their entire lives in Ukraine. Airbnb.org is connecting host families with refugees in need, creating safe havens when so many communities are being torn apart."

He added ... "And we can’t stop there. I encourage every organization to support Airbnb.org’s important initiative, to magnify their impact and house enough refugees to fill their arenas or workplaces.”

The incredibly kind gesture comes at a time when Ukraine is being ravaged every day by violence at the hands of Vladimir Putin and Russian troops -- forcing many of its citizens to flee out of safety concerns.

In fact, more than 2.1 million people have evacuated since February 24.

Airbnb co-founder and chairman of Airbnb.org, Joe Gebbia, was extremely thankful for the commitment from the team ... saying, "I cannot begin to express my thanks to the Utah Jazz Foundation for their support of Airbnb.org’s work."