NBA

Jaylen Brown says he feels terrible for the talented young men on the Donda Academy hoops roster who are missing out on opportunities because of Kanye West ... so he's doing something about it -- by offering to sponsor any event that will host the team.

Brown took to Twitter on Friday to announce his plan ... explaining kids shouldn't be punished for West's antisemitic rants.

"These student-athletes can’t be negatively impacted by this," 26-year-old Brown said. "We all must ensure they complete their senior yr both academically & athletically."

Remember, Donda Academy's hoops team was booted from the Scholastic Play-by-Play Classics -- a high-profile tournament -- over Ye's controversial comments.

The tourney explained the decision in a statement ... saying, "Kanye's words and actions violate our values as a company and a country, and what we seek to ensure at all of our events -- a spirit of diversity, sportsmanship, inclusion, equity, and mutual respect."

"Unfortunately, we cannot in good conscience host an organization founded and directed by Mr. West at our events."

The tourney is a huge deal ... which is why Brown is so passionate about ensuring the players -- including five-star guards Robert Dillingham and AJ Johnson -- have a chance to showcase their talents.

As we previously reported, Jaylen and Rams star Aaron Donald announced their departure from Ye's Donda Sports company amid the backlash surrounding the embroiled artist.

Brown initially said he would remain with Donda -- but had a change of heart and apologized, saying, "I've been able to reflect and better understand how my previous statements lack clarity in expressing my stance against recent insensitive public remarks and actions."

This is really sweet.

Floyd Mayweather didn't only hook up two young fans in a major way, gracing the boys with some spending cash and a promise of tickets to an NBA game ... the boxing legend spent quality time with the youngsters, and even gave an impromptu "interview."

We're told the two young fans were selling candy/waiting for Floyd outside the Ritz in Los Angeles. When Mayweather saw them, he busted out his wallet and handed each a Benjamin ... and even answered a few hard-hitting questions.

"Floyd Mayweather, how do you feel about stopping boxing?" the future reporter asked.

TBE answered ... "You know how it is. Our philosophy is 'Never stop getting it!'"

The interviewer shot back, "The internet says you stopped boxing 'cause you're 40 years old."

Floyd laughed, amused by the question.

Mayweather also told the kids he was going to hook them up with some tickets to an upcoming NBA game at Crypto.com Arena.

And the kids were super excited! In fact, Floyd's buddy, Jona Rechnitz, says one of the kids, after learning about the tix, said "We always sell chocolates to people leaving the arena but we've never been inside the arena before."

LeBron James says he can no longer support the Dallas Cowboys -- the NBA superstar revealed he denounced his beloved team years ago over the organization's handling of the national anthem protests.

LeBron was always a massive fan of America's Team -- in fact, he even previously stated Jerry Jones offered him a contract to play for the 'Boys during the 2011 NBA lockout.

But, in recent years, the Lakers icon suddenly started showing love for his hometown Cleveland Browns ... which left fans wondering if he was still backing Dallas.

In an Instagram Live session on Thursday, LeBron explained he is, in fact, done with the Cowboys ... saying he was upset over the belief that players were told they would lose their spot on the team if they joined Colin Kaepernick's movement and took a knee during the "Star-Spangled Banner."

"I had to sit down on the Cowboys man," James told his business partner, Maverick Carter. "It's just things that were going on when guys were kneeling and guys were having the freedom of speech and wanted to do it in a very peaceful manner."

"A lot of people in they front office and a lot of people that ran the organization was like, 'If you do that around here, then you will never play for this franchise again.'"

"I just didn't think that was appropriate."

Remember, Jones and the Cowboys knelt in solidarity before a Monday Night Football matchup back in 2017 ... but stood back up once the anthem started playing.

The moment came on the heels of President Donald Trump's call to fire any "son of a bitch" who took a knee for the anthem ... but James seemingly didn't think that was enough.

A fan attending the Nets vs. Mavericks game on Thursday night ended up spending most of his evening in custody ... because he was arrested for throwing a cup of ice that nearly hit Luka Doncic on the court.

According to the NYPD, 24-year-old Justin Boatswain hurled the object during the middle of overtime at Barclays Center in Brooklyn ... as Kevin Durant was trying to sink some free throws.

Video from the game's broadcast shows the cup landed about six feet from the Mavericks' best player -- startling Doncic as ice splattered everywhere.

The game was halted for several minutes as officials cleaned up the mess.

Boatswain was immediately ID'ed as the cup-thrower, according to cops, and was escorted from his seat. Authorities say he was ultimately arrested and charged with a misdemeanor for interfering with a sporting event.

Doncic had some other interesting moments with fans in Brooklyn earlier in the night, too ... he was spotted jawing with some courtside attendees throughout the contest.

At one point, he appeared to tell one of them, "Shut up, p***y."

The game, though, went on to conclude without further issue ... the Mavs won 129-125, and Doncic logged a triple-double with 40 points.

One of the most die-hard celebrity Laker fans is resorting to a public plea to turn things around ... with Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea calling on GM Rob Pelinka to do something ASAP.

"Either blow it all up and rebuild, or mortgage the future to fix the lack chemistry and skill on this basketball team," Flea said in a passionate Twitter post on Wednesday.

"Do not let another season meander its way down the drain, wasting the great LeBron James’ sunset of his career."

The cry for help comes after the Purple & Gold's abysmal 0-4 start to the season ... and as Flea has put it recently -- "This Laker team is not equipped to win."

Many have criticized Russell Westbrook's play ... but really, the Lakers' struggles are far beyond just one player.

It's getting so bad for the Lakers, LeBron has already started posting cryptic Instagram messages ... saying, "How long will you be taken for granted."

Matt Barnes says he's in full support of the transgender community ... but when it comes to trans athletes competing in sports, he believes "Whatever you're born, I feel like you should play in that space."

Barnes made his thoughts on the controversial topic crystal clear in an interview with VladTV ... where he was asked about the potential of trans athletes competing in the WNBA.

"I don't like that," Barnes said.

"If you're born a woman, you should play women's sports. If you're born a man, you should play men's sports. I think the sports thing is a little different."

Barnes made sure to note he is "pro-make your choice" ... but when it comes to sports, it's a completely different situation.

Barnes referred to Lia Thomas, the transgender NCAA swimming champion, whose accomplishments were questioned because she was born a male and started hormone therapy in 2019.

Lia faced backlash from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Caitlyn Jenner ... who both felt Thomas' success resulted from an unfair advantage.

Ex-NBA player Eric Bledsoe was arrested for domestic violence on Wednesday ... just hours after reports he is signing with the CBA's Shanghai Sharks, TMZ Sports has learned.

We're told cops received a call about a domestic incident around 11:13 PM ... with a victim claiming she had been slapped by her boyfriend.

Officers responded to the Lost Hills, Calif. residence ... and after an investigation, arrested Bledsoe for misdemeanor domestic violence.

32-year-old Bledsoe was booked at the Lost Hills Sheriff's station ... and has since bonded out.

A photo was posted to Bledsoe's girlfriend's Instagram account after the incident ... appearing to show a red mark on her face. The caption said, "NO RELATIONSHIP LIKE THIS IS EVER WORTH STAYING IN."

The woman added ... "Domestic violence is real! This wasn't the first time but I sat here and stayed so it's my fault!!"

"ERIC BLEDSOE really is a monster."

The post has since been deleted.

Bledsoe -- a Birmingham, Alabama native -- was a star for the Kentucky Wildcats from 2009-10 ... and was picked 18th overall in the 2010 NBA Draft.

He played for the Clippers, Suns, Bucks and Pelicans over the course of his career.

Kyrie Irving is fed up with people criticizing Ben Simmons as the hooper tries to reclaim his All-Star status in Brooklyn after years of injury and disappointment ... saying people need to "give him a f***ing chance!"

Irving spoke candidly when addressing the media after the Nets 110-99 loss to the Bucks, defending Simmons, who's been receiving heat for his early-season struggles.

"If we're going to come in and be honest as a team," Irving said, "I'm not trying to be critical over what Ben's done right or done wrong every night."

"You guys keep coming here asking me, 'what about Ben? what about Ben?' He hasn't played in two years. Give him a f***ing chance. We stay on his s***."

Simmons, 26, was traded to the Nets last season, but the former Philadelphia 76er didn't play a game for Brooklyn due to a back injury.

Ben's return to the Nets' lineup was supposed to spell good news for Brooklyn, considering Kevin Durant and Kyrie were already in place, but Simmons has struggled offensively.

The Nets, meanwhile, have a 1-3 record, and though it's early, Simmons is averaging career lows in points (5.2 ppg) and rebounds (5.8 rpg) -- leaving many to wonder if the three-time All-Star can ever be the same player.

However, Kyrie doesn't seem too worried about Ben ... and feels it's important for the Nets to support him by giving him "positive affirmations."

Hopefully for Ky, standing up for Ben won't hurt his pockets ... players have been fined in the past for cursing at postgame pressers (see Russell Westbrook, 2017, fined $15K).

Delonte West has been arrested again, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to the Fairfax County Police Dept. in Virginia, officers were called to a local parking lot at around 5:53 PM on Oct. 15 after they say witnesses saw the former NBA player trespassing in a vehicle.

Cops say when they arrived on scene, they found West near the parking lot ... but claim he became combative when they attempted to slap cuffs on him.

According to an FCPD spokesperson, West took off running ... but was tracked down a short distance away. He was eventually taken into custody.

Cops say West was ultimately booked on four criminal charges over the incident -- vehicle trespassing, entering a vehicle, fleeing from law enforcement and drunk in public. Jail records show he was released from custody on Oct. 16.

The news for West fans is troubling ... considering the embattled ex-Dallas Mavericks point guard had appeared to be turning his life around. He had landed a tryout with the Big3 earlier this year .... and even scored a gig with a flooring company in June.

In fact, just after he was hired, the company said it was thrilled with the job West was doing.

But, Mark Cuban told us earlier this month he had been made aware that things weren't going smoothly with his former player ... saying West was still struggling with some issues.

Will Smith visited the Los Angeles Lakers to talk about staying strong in the face of adversity ... as the team tries to salvage its season after dropping its first three games.

Smith spent quality time with the Lake Show discussing themes that will be a part of his upcoming film, "Emancipation," such as the benefits of togetherness and practicing gratitude when difficult times arise.

WS got some facetime with Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka, and the team presented the 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' star with a No. 14 Lakers jersey.

The message in Will's talk was profound ... and came at a time when the Lakers have been experiencing constant scrutiny, a feeling Smith experienced earlier this year.

Remember ... the 54-year-old Philadelphia native faced immense public backlash and consequences, including a 10-year ban from the Academy Awards, for slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars.

Smith seemingly became public enemy No. 1 for the viral moment -- but he eventually apologized to Rock and has been doing damage control ever since to repair his public image.

Ultimately, Smith wanted to instill in the Lakers that no matter how grim things look, the only way to overcome them is by sticking together and appreciating the struggle.

The Celtics will be without Grant Williams for one game -- the NBA just suspended the forward after making contact with a referee during Boston's matchup against the Bulls this week.

The call was made during the 4th quarter of the Celtics game on Oct. 24 ... after Williams was charged with a blocking foul against Zach LaVine.

The 6'6" baller disagreed with the call and unintentionally bumped into referee Cheryl Flores as he got up with frustration.

Williams was immediately ejected for making contact ... and he was so pissed, he had to be forced into the United Center tunnel by Celtics coaching staffers.

The NBA's Executive VP Joe Dumars announced Williams was suspended for one game without pay "for recklessly making contact with and directing inappropriate language toward a game official."

If Karl-Anthony Towns was trying to be a leader for publicly criticizing Anthony Edwards' diet, it had the complete opposite effect -- so says Chandler Parsons, who's calling the star's comments "super wack."

As we previously reported, KAT told reporters he wants to help change what the 2020 #1 overall pick is putting in his body after a bad loss on Monday ... saying, "I know y’all think it’s funny up here when he talks about Popeyes and all that s***. That doesn't make me happy to hear."

Parsons got wind of KAT's statements ... and he's completely against how he went about it.

"It's just super corny for him to say that," Parsons said on FanDuel TV's "Run It Back."

"I don't know if it's his attempt of trying to be a leader, but leaders don't do that in public. Leaders privately pull their player or their teammate over there and they talk about that or they get with the training staff, they get with the chef, they get with whatever they have to get  to to address this issue."

He added ... "You do not air that out after a bad loss when emotions are already high. Doing that to another star player on the team, I just think that's completely out of bounds. That's not how you lead. That's not how you get things done and I just think that's super wack."

La La Anthony is spillin' more tea on her marriage to Carmelo ... revealing this week that the Knicks trade for her former NBA superstar hubby led to the couple's "demise."

The T.V. personality went on Alex Cooper's "Call Her Daddy" podcast on Wednesday to talk about the difficulties of being a wife of a 10-time NBA All-Star ... and she unveiled that everything was good between the two -- until New York got involved.

La La -- who married Melo in July 2010 -- says their relationship was gravy when the basketball player was starring for the Denver Nuggets ... but got dicey when he was traded to the Knicks in February 2011.

“When we lived here [in New York] under all of that [attention], that's when things became complicated," La La said.

"I think that was kind of the start. Now that I look back, that was kind of the start of the demise of the marriage."

The NY native says the bright lights of the city weren't the only things that started the problems between her and Melo, but they were some of the hardest things to deal with.

"That's not the only reason things didn't work out, but things got tough with New York. Just constantly being under the spotlight and people watching every little thing."

La La ultimately filed for divorce from Melo in 2021, citing irreconcilable differences, but she told Cooper they're still friends ... and are co-parenting their 15-year-old son, Kiyan, without issues.

"It wasn't all bad," she said. "Like, we had great, great times."

La La says she is dating again ... but is not open to NBA players anymore.

An NBA fan didn't keep her head on a swivel while she was trying to take her courtside seat at a game on Tuesday night -- and she paid for it ... getting drilled in the noggin by an errant pass.

The painful moment happened just a few minutes into the Mavericks vs. Pelicans game in New Orleans ... when a woman had her back turned to the court as Dallas was trying to get a bucket on the floor.

Luka Doncic threw up a shot, missed, and when Dorian Finney-Smith grabbed the rebound -- he looked to kick the basketball out to one of his teammates.

The problem? His pass was tipped out of his hand -- and then it made a beeline for the unsuspecting woman's head.

The ball clanked off the back of her dome with some force ... but, fortunately, she appeared to be OK. Also, like a true champ, she didn't spill any of the water she was holding -- and laughed it all off.

Later in the game, retired NFL head coach Sean Payton showed off exactly how fans are supposed to handle themselves while courtside ... using some cat-like reflexes to nab a tipped ball that came his way before it did any harm.

The fire that completely destroyed NBA commentator Mike Breen's home last month was caused by a "careless disposal of staining material," officials tell TMZ Sports.

We broke the story ... the play-by-play man's Long Island house was engulfed by heavy flames at around 4 AM on Sept 25 -- and it was deemed a complete loss after the inferno was extinguished. Thankfully, no one was hurt or at the residence at the time of the fire.

After a thorough investigation, Nassau County Chief Fire Marshall Michael Uttaro tells us the blaze originated in the garage ... due to materials that had been improperly stacked in the space.

"The house was under construction," Uttaro said ... adding, "When all those materials are stored in a pile, they can combust causing a rapid fire."

Uttaro says fires like these have sadly become commonplace ... telling us "it happens often" -- but he said he's happy Breen and his family are safe.

Breen -- who's been an NBA announcer for 30 seasons and has become known for his "Bang!" call -- thanked everyone for their support during the Knicks' preseason game days after the incident.

Karl-Anthony Towns wants to help Anthony Edwards make some serious improvements in his life ... and it starts with ditching his love for fried chicken.

Following Minnesota's 115-106 loss to the Spurs Monday night, reporters asked KAT if there was any merit to Edwards blaming himself for the team's lackluster performance.

Towns revealed the reason he believes the Wolves were sluggish on the court ... and vowed to fix the situation.

"Maybe I can do a better job teaching him how to take care of his body," Towns said. "Diet and everything. That'll be on me."

Despite playing back-to-back nights, the Wolves were heavy favorites against the Spurs, but they looked fatigued -- and Edwards finished with 9 points.

KAT thinks it's time to change what Ant's putting in his body ... which he admits has made him upset.

"I know y’all think it’s funny up here when he talks about Popeyes and all that s***," Towns said. "That doesn't make me happy to hear."

After seeing the COVID-19 illness affect him and his family, KAT has adopted a more health-conscious mentality, which he hopes spreads to 21-year-old Edwards.

Towns -- in his eighth season in Minnesota -- said that as high-level athletes, there's a responsibility on him to make sure his teammates are taking care of their bodies.