NBA

Devin Booker says he's currently fighting COVID ... revealing on a Twitch stream over the weekend he's been battling the virus for about a week -- and it's sapped him of his taste and smell.

The NBA superstar -- who's been famously dating Kendall Jenner for the past year -- broke it all down for his followers while playing "Call of Duty" on Sunday.

"I got the 'vid, man," Booker said ... adding later in the stream, "Honestly, I'm feeling straight, man. Only thing that I'm dealing with is no taste, no smell. Which is the worst part of it."

"But," Booker continued, "I'm about a week in. I'm going to be back in no time. No time."

Booker -- who vacationed all over the globe with Jenner in August -- declined to say if he was vaccinated or not ... but did mention on the stream, "You can still get COVID with the vaccine."

Booker is now expected to miss the start of the Phoenix Suns' training camp while he recovers from the virus.

It's unclear, meanwhile, if Jenner has also contracted COVID.

Think your new J's are the s**t? Nah, think again ... 'cause somebody just copped a real deal pair of Michael Jordan's worn underwear, and they cost about 3 grand!!

We're serious ... a lucky Jordan fan just bought a one of a kind pair of boxers at Lelands Auction Saturday night ... with the final bid coming in at $2,784.

As we previously reported, the gray and black boxers hit the auction block in August ... and the company says the trunks have evidence of "definite use" by the G.O.A.T. himself.

It's not what ya think ... there are some loose threads and a dry cleaning tag attached to the drawers.

While you may think most people wouldn't want to get their hands on these skivvies, think again ... there were 19 bids!!!

Lelands secured the garment from Jordan's buddy and bodyguard John Michael Wozniak, who you might remember from "The Last Dance" documentary.

Woz also gave the company other items worn by MJ -- suits, coats, dress shirts and ties that were included in the auction lot.

Jeffrey Jordan, Michael Jordan's 32-year-old son, is accused of assaulting staff at a hospital in Arizona Friday night, where he was being treated for an injury he sustained in a bar, TMZ Sports has learned.

Here's the deal ... Jeffrey was at Casa Amigos bar in Scottsdale when he "fell and hit his head," according to police. They say Jordan then became combative with security who were attempting to escort him out of the bar to receive medical attention.

Scottsdale PD, who were in the area for an unrelated call, were summoned to assist. Cops interviewed bar staff, and eventually deemed the incident "medical in nature," not criminal. An ambulance was called to transport JJ to a hospital.

After arriving at a local hospital, that's when things allegedly took a turn.

Jeffrey is accused of assaulting hospital staff while being treated for the injury he sustained at the bar. A report for aggravated assault, a felony, was taken at the hospital.

As for Jeffrey's side, our sources tell us he was confused and disoriented following the fall.

Jordan was NOT arrested or charged with a crime. As of this morning, he still remains in the hospital.

Police tell us the relevant reports will be sent to the Maricopa County Prosecutors Office ... where they will review the case and determine if charges are warranted.

6'1" Jeffrey, MJ's oldest son, played college basketball at the University of Illinois, before transferring to the University of Central Florida in 2010. He played 107 college basketball games over his career, averaging about 2 points a game.

Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert says the NBA can come knocking on his door any time it wants ... telling TMZ Sports he ain't scared of the league's "random" drug tests!!

Of course, it's become quite the trend in the Association -- you post a jacked pic on Instagram, you get "randomly" hit up for a test.

Just ask Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox, who posted a shirtless pic showing off his buff bod in the gym earlier this month ... and then got contacted the very next day.

Before that, then-Lakers player Alex Caruso was "randomly" selected to test just one week after a photoshopped pic of him looking like the Hulk went viral on social media.

Are ya starting to see the trend here??

Gobert could be the next guy to fall victim to the NBA's far-from-sneaky ways ... 'cause the 3-time defensive player of the year posted a snap looking absolutely shredded on social media earlier this week ... so when we saw him out at LAX, we had to ask if he was worried.

"No, I'm not worried," Gobert told us. "I'm all clean, all organic, all-natural, all work."

The journey has been long and grueling, but Isaiah Austin has officially made it to the NBA -- the ex-college hoops star has received a fellowship to work for the league’s front office this season!!

Remember, Austin was a talented center coming out of Baylor and was projected to be a first-round pick in the 2014 NBA Draft ... until his medical reports showed an underlying condition of Marfan Syndrome, which affects the connective tissue in the body.

At the time, this would put a halt to his league aspirations ... but the NBA showed love by giving him an honorary draft pick.

After 2 years away from the game, another medical evaluation allowed Austin to play professionally overseas in Taiwan, China, Serbia, Puerto Rico and Lebanon. He even scored the opening point of the 2021 BIG3 season.

Now, Austin is happy to move on from his playing career and start his life off the basketball court in retirement.

"Here I am, in year five, and I’m ready for the next stage of my life," Austin told Shams Charania.

Austin says he's out to prove he's willing to start from the ground-up and earn a living by learning the ropes in each department the league has to offer.

Austin’s fellowship will start October 4 and last a full year ... and he’ll be looking to work with an official team by next season.

An L.A. Lakers fan is suing an LAPD cop ... claiming the officer shot him in the head with a rubber bullet while he was peacefully celebrating the Lakers championship last year, and now he wants the officer to pay up.

The fan, Kimberly Marroquin, filed the civil lawsuit Thursday in California … claiming she was peacefully and legally celebrating the 'ship against the Miami Heat on October 11, 2020 ... around 9:15 PM.

"Without warning or provocation", the suit reads, the officer "shot [Marroquin] in the head with a less lethal rubber projectile round."

Marroquin was "unarmed and never posed a threat," according to the lawsuit.

She’s going after an unnamed officer, the Captain she claims was responsible for overseeing the area where she was celebrating, and the City of Los Angeles.

As a result of the alleged excessive force, the plaintiff claims she "suffered severe pain and suffering, mental anguish, humiliation, and emotional distress, and incurred economic losses" from mounting medical bills.

The lawsuit also accuses the LAPD of failing to properly train their officers ... as well as refusing to punish cops who screw up.

Marroquin is asking for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, medical costs, and attorneys' fees. The exact amount she's seeking is unclear.

We've reached out to the LAPD, who told us they don't comment on pending litigation.

LeBron James may not want to talk about it, but the NBA superstar did get -- or is getting -- the COVID-19 vaccine ... so says GM Rob Pelinka, who claims the whole Lakers roster will be fully vaxxed by the start of the season.

King James has danced around the question for months ... electing to keep his vaccine decision a family matter.

But, Pelinka revealed L.A.'s entire roster will, in fact, be at 100% vaccination status when the season kicks off ... and in case you didn't know, LBJ is on the Lakers.

"On opening night, all of the players that are currently signed on our roster will be deemed fully vaccinated," Pelinka told reporters Thursday. "We’re grateful for that."

Pelinka says it's a sigh of relief to know the team and staff members will not face any setbacks due to people within the organization being unvaccinated.

Of course, LeBron previously brushed the topic off ... calling it "not a big deal" back in May.

"Anything I do off the floor is predicated to my family for the majority or 99.9% of that," James said at the time.

"It’s about the health and safety of my family," he added. "That’s what it came down to. Being available to my teammates on the floor is about taking care of my body and me doing everything I can to make sure I’m available both mentally, physically and spiritually as well."

"But, anything of that nature is all family talk."

There was strong indication Bron had been vaccinated prior to the first round of the NBA playoffs last season ... when the league explained he would not have to quarantine following an appearance at an outdoor event.

Had he not been vaxxed, James would have been forced to stay away from the team for a period of time.

Dwight Howard says his own mother was shocked while watching her fave show -- "The Masked Singer" -- because she found out her baby boy was the "Octopus!!!"

The NBA veteran, and current L.A. Lakers star, joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday to tell us all about his experience on the Fox show -- and why he went to great lengths to keep his appearance top secret from his mom.

It's super sweet ... Dwight says she was just like every other viewer across the country, watching his unmasking after he'd dropped a pretty good version of the Little Richard classic, "Tutti Frutti."

Keep in mind, he pulled that off while being 6'10" and draped in his heavy costume and headgear.

Unfortunately for the Howard fam, Dwight was eliminated at the end of Wednesday night's season premiere, but it sounds like she'll continue watching even though he got the boot.

It turns out ya can't really say ANYTHING about a player without breaking the NBA's anti-tampering rules ... 'cause Warriors owner Joe Lacob just got hit with a $50k fine this week -- for basically saying he's not interested in landing Ben Simmons.

The Warriors have been named as one of the potential landing spots for the 25-year-old ... after the struggling Philadelphia 76ers star demanded a trade this offseason.

Lacob was asked about the team's potential interest in Simmons during an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle this week ... and it definitely didn't sound like they were jumping head-first into the Simmons sweepstakes.

"I think we are always looking at everything to see if we can improve our team," Lacob said.

"We would always look. In some ways, [trading for Simmons] doesn't really fit what we're doing. He makes a lot of money."

Lacob also said Simmons is very talented, but questioned whether he can finish games down the stretch and if he would fit well with Draymond Green.

In other words, Lacob's not salivating to bring Simmons to the Bay ... but, nonetheless, he was hit with a $50k slap on the wrist on Wednesday.

Introducing the newest member of the Orlando Magic ... a 6'2" guard from Fayetteville, North Carolina ... J. Cole!!!

Okay, so maybe not quite ... but the superstar rapper DID work up a sweat with a bunch of Magic players at a workout this week -- and he looked GOOD!!

Of course, Cole is known for his skills on the mic AND the court ... and rap legend/former NBA hopeful Master P told us back in 2020 the rapper was interested in pursuing a career in the league.

Now, Cole was able to put his skills to the test against guys like Cole Anthony and R.J. Hampton ... with the Magic posting footage of the squad hooping on Wednesday.

The vid is impressive -- Cole holds his own against the pros by draining three-point shots and dishing dimes.

Cole even got to chat it up with the guys after ... saying, "Any time I get to act like a kid around professionals, I appreciate it."

The Magic even gave Cole his own custom #15 jersey to top it all off!!

But, does Cole really have what it takes to be in the NBA?? Ex-pro Larry Sanders certainly thinks so -- he told us back in August 2020 the dude could legit make it if he worked at it.

Keep ballin' out, J.!!

If you're looking for a sweet deal on a Texas mansion ... ex-NBA star Jermaine O'Neal just dropped the price of his decked-out mega-mansion -- and now it only cost $9.9 million.

The former Indiana Pacers center built this beauty on 5 acres of land in Southlake, Texas (about 25 miles from Dallas) back in 2012.

And, the 16,477-square-ft. estate is dope -- featuring 8 bedrooms, 10.5 bathrooms, a giant living room with a gorgeous staircase, top-notch kitchen, full gym, an elevator and a 6-car garage.

The best part? The cribs entertainment. There's a full indoor basketball court (of course) and a big outdoor pool with a waterslide.

There's also a bowling alley and pool table in the game room!

The house has been on the market for over 500 days. O'Neal even put the property up for auction in December 2019 ... but the reserve price of $11.49 million was not met, according to the Star-Telegram.

JO slashed the price by almost $2 million and re-listed the house on the open market for $9,999,900.

Almost seems like a steal for the chance to live like a legit NBA All-Star ... exactly what O'Neal was during his career.

A huge LAPD police union is going scorched earth on the Los Angeles District Attorney after he decided NOT to charge Jaxson Hayes with a felony, following the arrest of the New Orleans Pelicans star in July.

"George Gascon's latest criminal's first airball puts a target on the back of every police officer in Los Angeles," the Los Angeles Police Protective League tells TMZ Sports.

The LAPPL -- which reps over 9,000 cops in L.A. -- continued, "Gascon's refusal to prosecute Jaxson Hayes for violently attacking and injuring an officer during his n-word laced tirade is nothing more than a declaration that it's open season to attack cops and it's shameful."

The union is livid that Gascon's office decided against charging Hayes with any felonies ... despite the fact he seemingly pushed an officer on video.

FYI, Gascon is a polarizing figure. His critics have accused him of being soft on crime ... and failing to protect law enforcement officers.

Still, Hayes isn't totally out of the water criminally ... it's still possible the city attorney could levy a misdemeanor charge(s) against Jaxson.

We broke the story, 21-year-old Hayes -- the 8th overall pick in the 2018 draft -- was arrested for battery on a law enforcement officer after Jaxson got physical with a cop who was investigating a domestic violence call after Hayes' GF allegedly said she was scared her hooper BF was going to physically harm her.

Police released body camera footage ... and it seems Hayes pushed an officer, injuring him in the process, according to LAPD.

What happened next has caused some controversy.

Cops eventually got Hayes to the floor, but the struggle continued. An officer deployed his taser at least once. At one point during the arrest, Hayes said he couldn't breathe.

As a result, LAPD launched an investigation to determine if excessive force was used. That investigation is still ongoing.

As for the LAPPL, they weren't done ... they also went in on the NBA for failing to discipline Hayes, or condemn his actions.

"As for the NBA, their silence is deafening when it comes to one of their players assaulting an officer and thwarting a domestic violence investigation. Apparently, their policy on preventing domestic violence was created more for SportsCenter than it is to actually hold its players accountable. Real classy."

We reached out to the DA's office ... but they declined comment.

Ben Simmons' time in Philadelphia appears to be all but over -- the NBA star will reportedly bail on Sixers training camp next week ... and has given the team the cold shoulder for more than a month.

The 25-year-old has been rumored to want out of the City of Brotherly Love this offseason ... and according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Simmons appears to be standing his ground.

Woj also says Simmons is fully prepared to be fined or suspended until he is shipped off to a new team.

If it is, in fact, the last time the guard plays for Philly, his last appearance will leave a bad taste in fans' mouths -- he averaged 9.9 points a game in the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Atlanta Hawks this past postseason.

Despite the offensive struggles, NBA/BIG 3 star Joe Johnson told us last week BS' jump shot is NOT broken ... and said it's a confidence issue more than anything.

Great news for Cedric Ceballos ... the former NBA star says he's finally home after battling COVID-19 in the ICU for weeks.

The 1992 NBA Dunk Champ first announced he was in the ICU for 10 days on Sept. 7 by posting a photo of himself with an oxygen mask on -- saying COVID was "kicking my butt".

And, even after testing negative for COVID a week later, he was still in the ICU with breathing issues linked to the virus -- and asked everyone to pray for him.

Well, the prayers apparently worked ... Ceballos thanking everyone -- including medical professionals -- on Tuesday for getting him back home alive.

"Hello everyone, after 20 straight days on death row, through his grace and your well wishes and prayers, I AM HOME," Ceballos said on his social media.

"I can not thank each and every one of you enough for your help. The doctors and nurses did a great job especially in my darkest days, when I needed that extra push."

Ceballos added, "There are two things that get you through something like this whether you were vaccinated or not. 1, your will to fight and want to live and 2, your health care, because you are treated way different if you are covered, than not."

"Thanks again everyone and I will see you soon…."

The 52-year-old played in the NBA for 11 season with the Suns, Lakers, Mavericks, Pistons and Miami Heat -- mostly known for his blindfolded dunk in the 1992 Slam Dunk competition.

Ceballos also made the 1995 All-Star team and played overseas after retiring from the NBA.

JJ Redick is stepping away from the game of basketball -- the longtime sharpshooter just announced he's retiring from the NBA to focus on his family and start the next chapter of his life.

37-year-old Redick -- who averaged nearly 13 points over 940 career games -- broke the news on his "The Old Man And The Three" podcast Tuesday ... saying hoops is no longer his #1 priority, and he knew it was time to walk away.

"Today, I am officially retiring from the game of basketball," Redick said in an accompanying Instagram post.

"Thank you to EVERYONE who was a part of my journey and career. I started playing basketball 30 years ago in my backyard on an uneven path of dirt, gravel, and grass. It was on that court that my dreams began to form."

"Reality has far surpassed my dreams!! So thankful for 15 years in the NBA and all the amazing relationships and memories along the way."

Of course, Redick was a college superstar at Duke ... and eventually went to the Orlando Magic with the #11 overall pick in 2006. He also played for the Bucks, Clippers, Sixers, Pelicans and Mavericks during his career.

Redick led the NBA in 3-point percentage in 2015-16 ... going 47.5% from behind the arc.

Redick says he's now looking forward to spending more time with his wife and kids ... as well as repairing an Achilles injury he's been dealing with.

Any NBA team in need of a 7-time All-Star, look no further ... 'cause Joe Johnson tells TMZ Sports he's not ready to retire anytime soon -- and he wants to compete!!

40-year-old Johnson hasn't played in the Association since 2018, but there's no question the guy can still hoop -- he reportedly just won his second BIG3 MVP in 2021 after scoring 182 points in the regular season.

Given all his recent success in the 3-on-3 league, we had to ask if his focus is solely on Ice Cube's org. ... or if he's still got gas left in the tank to ball out in the NBA -- and he's clearly not thinking about riding off into the sunset just yet.

"No, I'm not done. We'll see what happens here ... We'll see, man. We'll see. I don't have nothing definite to tell you, to be honest with you. But, I'mma be out here to try to get things done."

JJ has had a helluva career so far -- he averaged 16 points a game since joining the league in 2001. He had a shot with the Detroit Pistons after the 2019 BIG3 season ... but was eventually waived before taking the court.

As for his incredible 2021 season, Johnson has a simple, yet perfect, reaction.