NBA

Charlotte Hornets hooper James Bouknight lay passed out in his Mercedes-Benz AMG GT with a bag of Doritos and a Glock handgun in his lap before he was arrested for DWI ... a photo obtained by TMZ Sports appears to show.

The 22-year-old former 11th overall pick (2021) was arrested around 2 AM early Sunday morning in a parking deck in Mecklenburg County, NC for driving while intoxicated.

It's a bit misleading, 'cause Bouknight wasn't actually moving at the time of the arrest ... he was allegedly conked out in the driver's seat of his $100K Benz, blocking access to the garage.

Witnesses tell us security attempted to wake up James, but despite repeatedly pounding on the window, they couldn't get his attention.

When they looked through the car's windshield (the tint made it difficult to see through the other windows), security saw a weapon on James' lap -- a .40 caliber Glock 23.

That's when security called the cops ... who responded and were ultimately able to wake up the 6'4" guard and place him under arrest.

Bouknight was booked, before being released on $2,500 bond.

He was NOT charged with any crime relating to the gun ... North Carolina doesn't require a permit to open carry a weapon.

Draymond Green says he did not pay attention to the chaos that ensued after TMZ Sports posted video of his practice attack on Jordan Poole ... admitting he has no idea how much it "blew up" because he doesn't spend time on the Internet.

The Golden State Warriors star detailed what exactly went down on Friday, October 7 -- the morning we published the violent altercation -- and he says he wasn't scrolling through the thousands of tweets and Instagram posts reacting to the video.

"I don't really read many tweets at all," Green said on NBA on TNT. "And, so I was just chilling at home with my children. If you want me to be honest with you, I still don't know how much the world may think it blew up."

Green makes it clear he never cared for anyone's opinion ... and the aftermath of the Poole altercation didn't change that.

Green says he received some solid advice following the incident ... adding he was told to "look at all the upsides."

"Like, the world has seen one of your worst moments," he says. "Look at the upside and I can live with that."

As we previously reported, Green spent a few days away from the team as a result of the incident ... and was fined, but not suspended.

James Harden didn't break out the razor for his face, shirt OR his shoes for the 76ers' opening night ... leaving the fuzz on all three for Philly's much-anticipated first game of the year!!

The superstar point guard showed off the furry 'fit on his way into TD Garden ahead of the Sixers' game against the Celtics ... lookin' both comfy and swaggy.

He had on some tan slippers, a purple sweater, some pajama-like bottoms ... and he topped it all off with a sweet Louis Vuitton bag.

Of course, he left on his signature beard as well -- and, as he entered the arena, he didn't say anything to reporters ... looking locked in.

Harden has been known to take risks with his pregame looks -- he is, after all, VERY involved in the fashion world ... but this is a next-level look for even him.

P.J. Tucker, meanwhile, also strolled into Boston with an outlandish look ... sportin' some hot-pink shoes, pants and jacket.

Lamar Odom says he had nothing to do with the post on his personal Facebook page about missing Khloe Kardashian ... 'cause as it turns out, he hasn't had access to that social media account in YEARS.

A recent update on the ex-Lakers superstar's verified page made rounds this week ... with many assuming the 42-year-old was publicly expressing his prolonged feelings for his ex-wife.

"Missing my best friend #memories for life," the post read alongside a throwback pic of the couple cuddled up together.

The account also went on to defend the post ... saying, "Didn't know we not allowed to miss someone regardless if mistakes were made. I'm human just like everyone else but I get it I let people down and I will pay for it forever and that's okay too."

Lamar's current rep, Gina Rodriguez, tells TMZ Sports an old manager is actually behind the Khloe posts ... as well as anything else popping up on his page.

As we previously reported, Lamar fought like hell to regain access to his socials after cutting ties with his old management ... but his Facebook is the last one he still hasn't gotten back.

Klay Thompson clearly isn't a fan of Ronnie 2K -- and he proved that by going after the video game influencer and straight-up calling the guy a "clown."

The face of the NBA 2K franchise made an appearance on ESPN on Monday ... where he said players who want a better skill rating need to play better and stop bribing him with shoes and other perks.

Klay -- who's publicly had an axe to grind with 2K recently -- went after Ronnie in the comment section of the video clip ... saying, "Y'all really interviewed this clown?" Klay wrote.

This isn't the first time Klay has gone after Ronnie -- real name Ronnie Singh -- and the popular franchise ... the 4-time champ eviscerated 2K the over his 88 three-point rating earlier this year.

The Warriors superstar shared a screenshot on his Instagram story when the ratings were released ... writing, "NBA 2K has been doo doo since SEGA Dreamcast NBA 2K."

Klay also posted an image showing him and Steph as the two players with the most 3-point field goals made in history, adding, "Put some respect on my name you bums @NBA2K."

For good measure ... KT said Madden was better than 2K.

Charlotte Hornets guard James Bouknight was arrested for allegedly driving while impaired early Sunday morning ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The 6'4", 160-pounder was booked around 1:51 AM, according to the Mecklenburg Sheriff's Office in North Carolina. His bond was listed at $2,500.

Bouknight was a star for the UConn Huskies before going 11th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft.

He averaged 4.6 points in 31 games in his rookie campaign ... including a 24-point performance against the Sacramento Kings.

Bouknight's arrest adds to a hellish offseason for the Hornets ... after star Miles Bridges was accused of abusing his girlfriend in front of their children. Former Charlotte forward Montrezl Harrell -- who recently signed with the Philadelphia 76ers -- was also busted for having marijuana in his car.

The Hornets released a statement ... saying, "We are aware of the incident involving James Bouknight and are in the process of gathering additional information."

"We will have no further comment at this time."

Story developing ...

The Boston Celtics came up with a special way to honor Bill Russell this season ... with the late Hall of Famer getting a tribute on the team's alternate jersey.

The Cs made the announcement on Monday via IG with photos of Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and Grant Williams rockin' the new gear -- and they're pretty dope.

The jerseys are dark green, black, and gold featuring 11 gold diamonds on the sides ... to symbolize the number of NBA championships Russell had won during his career.

There's also another set of 11 gold diamonds surrounding Russell's No. 6 jersey number on the waistband ... and the new scripted Celtics wordmark was inspired by Slade’s Bar & Grill, a spot that was owned by Russell in the 1960s.

The Celtics also shared a tribute video of the jersey release ... showing throwback highlights of Russell and what he meant not only to the NBA but to the world.

"Paying homage to a true champion," Celtics said in the caption, "and the Gold Standard of what it means to be a Celtic ☘️."

FYI, Russell -- who played center for the C's from 1956 to 1969 -- helped design the city edition unis with the team before he passed this July at the age of 88.

The Celtics will wear the tribute gear 11 times this year -- another homage to his title wins -- and will start with their season opener against the 76ers on Tuesday.

Draymond Green wants to keep it professional, and Jordan Poole says he'll do just that -- telling reporters his teammate apologized for punching him during practice ... and now his focus is on winning another championship.

Poole -- who just inked a 4-year, $140 million extension with the Warriors -- spoke with the media for the first time since the violent altercation ... and said he's looking to move past the whole ordeal.

“He apologized," Poole said ... calling their interaction "professional."

"We're here to play basketball and everybody in the locker room and on the team knows what it takes to win a championship, and we're gonna do that on the court."

Poole says the two will handle themselves in a professional manner moving forward ... adding, "We're here to win a championship and keep hanging banners."

As we previously reported, Green seemed indifferent about his personal relationship with Poole after the incident ... saying it's up to Jordan if he wants to repair their friendship.

"As far as us moving forward, Jordan's a professional, I'm a professional," Green said last week. "We have a job to do."

While Poole didn't blatantly take a shot at Green, his statement seemed cold ... leaving it fair to assume the guys aren't grabbing a beer together anytime soon.

Of course, we're told the practice altercation went down after Poole got cocky over his contract negotiations ... but Warriors players adamantly deny any change in his attitude leading up to the punch.

Now that Poole got paid, it leaves a big question mark on Draymond's future with the team ... especially since he didn't get an extension of his own.

Sonny Vacccaro -- the shoe brand industry legend -- tells TMZ Sports he's absolutely fired up for his upcoming biopic ... explaining he loves that Matt Damon is playing him in the movie!!!

"This is the best thing that I could have ever imagined," the 83-year-old said. "And it's bigger because I never imagined it could happen. It's off the charts. It's off the charts."

Damon and Ben Affleck have teamed up to make the movie about Vaccaro's life -- with Affleck set to play famed Nike honcho Phil Knight in the flick.

Producers promise the movie will tell the story of how Vaccaro and Knight relentlessly pursued Michael Jordan to sign a shoe deal with Nike back in the 1980s. Filming officially kicked off this summer.

Further details surrounding the script haven't been made public yet -- and while Vaccaro himself is unsure of the minutia of the movie, he's pumped for it nonetheless.

"I can't explain," Vaccaro said. "I'm 83 years old. It was complete surprise to me. It's an unbelievable honor and I believe in what they're going to do is going to be the truth on the film."

Vaccaro says he and his wife, Pam, were actually invited to the set recently, and they had a blast. He tells us us they got to meet with Damon while there, and told him they share a funny connection with Jason Bourne.

Vaccaro also told us he was blown away when he saw the entire cast -- explaining, "It's like 'Gone With The Wind' or something. I mean, my God, there are no guys that the world's not going to know."

Dikembe Mutombo has been diagnosed with a brain tumor ... and the 56-year-old Hall of Famer is receiving treatment in Atlanta, the NBA announced Saturday.

“NBA Global Ambassador and Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo is currently undergoing treatment for a brain tumor. He is receiving the best care possible from a collaborative team of specialists in Atlanta and is in great spirits as he begins treatment."

The statement continued ... "Dikembe and his family ask for privacy during this time so they can focus on his care. They are grateful for your prayers and good wishes.”

The family has not released any further information.

Mutombo played 18 seasons in the league ... spending mostly with the Nuggets, Rockets and Hawks. He also played with the Knicks and Nets in shorter stints. Dikembe was a 4x Defensive Player of the Year and made 8 All-Star teams.

Dikembe was inducted into the Naismith Basketball HOF in 2015.

Aside from being one of the most dominant defensive players in NBA history, Dikembe is one of the most philanthropic athletes of his generation.

Mutombo has opened hospitals and schools in Africa, and even welcomed U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken to the Congo this summer.

Iman Shumpert says Draymond Green's punch on Jordan Poole was "bogus" ... telling TMZ Sports after watching the viral video, he sees why there was such public outrage.

We spoke with Shump at LAX this week ... and the former hooper kept it real, saying it's ultimately up to the Warriors to decide punishment, and they opted not to suspend the 4x champ.

"It's a grown man business," Shumpert said. "I'm sure they got to spoke about it amongst themselves. Whatever they choose to do, we got to honor that," he continued.

We asked Shump if he thinks the punch will fracture the Dubs' team chemistry as they prepare to defend their title.

"I don't think so," said Iman, who played 10 seasons in the NBA with the Knicks, Cavs, Kings, Nets, and Rockets. "They'll be alright," he added.

FYI, IS won a championship with Cleveland in 2016.

Green -- who stepped away from the team for just under a week after punching Poole at practice -- said Thursday he's not worried about co-existing with Jordan because they're professionals.

"We both know how to play basketball," Draymond said. "We're paid to do a job, and we're gonna come and do that job to the best of our ability."

Brittany Renner dusted off her cleats and hit the soccer field this week ... showing she's still got it when it comes to juggling balls.

The former college soccer star had the camera rolling when she got in a workout ... juggling the soccer ball for a minute straight without letting it hit the ground.

Brittany's skills are truly impressive -- she juggles at her feet and thighs ... and tops it off with a header.

Of course, Brittany -- who has a child with Charlotte Hornets hooper P.J. Washington -- previously showed off her skills while playing with rapper 6ix9ine.

Renner played college ball at Jackson State ... and has remained close to her old stomping grounds, hitting up JSU to talk to Deion Sanders' football team about groupies.

Draymond Green says he will be able to coexist with Jordan Poole and compete for a championship together ... but when it comes to being buddies again, he's "not sure" that's going to happen.

Green addressed the media for the first time since rejoining the Warriors on Thursday ... and made it clear he's ready to put last week's practice altercation behind him and focus on the season.

Draymond says he hung out with his kids during his time away from the team ... and had some "long days" dealing with the aftermath of the practice punch.

When it comes to repairing his personal relationship with Poole, which used to be tight, Green says the ball is in his court ... and it certainly doesn't sound like he's holding his breath.

"I'm not sure," Green added. "As I said before, that's not up to me. Nor do I think there's much relevance."

"Quite frankly, we both know how to play basketball and that is the most important for us. We're paid to do a job and we're gonna come and do that job to the best of our ability. We wanna continue to win so we gonna do what we have to do to win."

As TMZ Sports previously reported ... the beef between Draymond and Poole started in the parking lot and escalated at team practice last Wednesday, where our sources on site say Poole called several fouls during a scrimmage, and Draymond called him a "bitch" multiple times as a result.

Sources say Poole has been getting "cocky" lately over an upcoming contract, but multiple players have flat-out denied that's the case.

The beef between Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook may not be over after all ... because Russ appeared to snub Pat during the Lakers' preseason game Wednesday night.

The awkward moment occurred in the third quarter of the home game against the Timberwolves ... when Beverley tried to rally his teammates on defense.

In the clip, Pat -- who was acquired via trade in the offseason -- was calling for a team huddle with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Lonnie Walker IV.

The issue ... Westbrook was reluctant to join Pat Bev's impromptu meeting on the court, leading AD to go over to Russ to see why he refused to join the huddle.

Beverley seemed to sense Russ wanted no part of his motivational speech, but that didn't stop him from repeatedly motioning for Westbrook to be included in the discussion.

The cringe moment -- which had the sports world talking -- comes as the Lakers prepare to kick off their season next week against the defending champion Golden State Warriors.

Even Jake Paul chimed in on the situation, writing, "Lakers need to pull the plug and trade Russell Westbrook for their sake and for The Brodie’s sake."

"He’s a star and needs his own team. Lakers need less stars and more Pat Bev’s," he continued.

The Lakers missed the playoff last season ... and with incidents like this, they could be in danger of history repeating itself.

Dwight Howard says his iconic Superman cape from the 2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest was used to score in more ways than one -- he says he's worn it during sex!!

The hilarious convo went down on a new episode of "BS w/ Jake Paul" ... when the Problem Child's girlfriend/co-host Julia Rose bluntly asked Howard if he ever threw on the look for a bit of intimacy.

Howard was caught off guard by the question, but laughed it off and nodded ... which was more than enough to confirm the deed.

"He did!!" Paul laughed. "Dwight Howard had sex in the cape!"

But it wasn't just a one-time thing -- Howard admitted to wearing his cape while getting it on multiple times following the contest.

"Oh my God!" Rose yelled. "I love it!"

All good things come to an end, however -- the cape has officially been retired since the 36-year-old placed it in a plaque.

"Every time I look at it, it's like a gold medal. Ahhh!"

Ex-NBA star Ben Gordon was arrested AGAIN on Wednesday ... this time, in connection to an open assault case for a 2020 incident in Manhattan.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 39-year-old was being processed in Queens after allegedly hitting his 10-year-old son multiple times at the airport on Monday, when NYPD ran a background check and discovered an open investigation for misdemeanor assault in Harlem.

We're told the case stems from an alleged incident on March 13, 2020 ... when Ben is accused of getting in a heated argument with an adult female friend and grabbing the cell phone in her hand.

Sources tell us a scuffle ensued ... in which Ben allegedly injured the woman's finger and eye, causing pain and swelling.

The woman went to police and filed a report ... and the case remained open.

Shortly after Ben made bail at his arraignment in the airport case, he was then taken into custody on Wednesday and taken to the Harlem precinct for processing.

While it's another legal issue for Gordon, his attorney, Joshua Kirschner tells TMZ Sports he believes the former Bulls star's name will be cleared in the case.

"It’s very early in the case and we believe he will be completely exonerated once the investigation is complete," Kirschner says.