NBA

Klay Thompson won’t let people forget that he was left off the NBA’s 75th-Anniversary team any time soon ... 'cause he showed up to the Warriors practice rocking a #77 Jackie Moon jersey!!

Remember, Klay said he was going to channel Will Ferrell's "Semi-Pro" character this season ... saying, "We goin full Jackie Moon this year."

While Moon sports #33, Klay repped #77, which he's been trolled with after being left off the NBA's 75th-anniversary team.

Thompson wasn’t pleased when the list (which had 76 players due to a tie) dropped at the beginning of the season ... saying, "Maybe I'm just naïve in my ability to play basketball, but in my head, I'm TOP 75 of all time."

Thompson has a reason to be pissed -- he's a 3-time champ, 5-time All-Star, holds the record for most points in a quarter, the most 3 pointers made in a game and is tied for most 3-pointers made in a single playoff (98) with his teammate, Stephen Curry.

Despite his beef with the list, that didn’t stop his teammates -- Curry and Draymond Green -- from having fun at his expense.

Steph and Dray left a #77 jersey with Thompson on the back in Klay’s locker as the Dubs prepared for practice earlier this week … and Klay, being the good sport that he is, decided to roll with the joke.

Kevin Durant is opening up about the Nets' early-season struggles … admitting that the team misses having their superstar Kyrie Irving out on the floor.

Irving hasn’t been allowed to practice or play at all this season since he’s unvaccinated ... and it doesn’t look like that’s changing any time soon.

The Nets picked up their third loss of the season last night — losing to the Miami Heat at home 106-93 — prompting one reporter to ask KD what’s "missing" with the team’s offense.

"I know what you want me to say," Durant joked before getting real. "Yeah, we do miss Kyrie. We do. He’s a part of our team."

"For the most part we been generating great shots, we been getting into the paint. It’s a matter of us knocking them down. I think it’ll come."

Brooklyn’s offense has clearly struggled without KI ... the squad is currently 25th in points per game in the NBA.

Supporters of Irving took to the streets this past weekend to advocate that the Brooklyn Nets star be allowed to play … and looking at this Nets offense through 5 games, it might explain why they went so hard.

“When I found out Derrick [Rose] tore his ACL, I remember the smells, who I was with, everything. I had the same feeling of when I saw the plane hit the tower [on Sept. 11th]. People will be like, ‘He’s crazy for saying that.’ No. I’m telling you how I felt.”

That's former NBA star Joakim Noah explaining he was so devastated when a young D-Rose suffered the serious injury, it harkened him back to the day thousands of Americans died in one of the darkest days in America's history.

36-year-old Noah -- who last played with the Clippers in 2020 -- dropped the shocking quote about his close friend during a long form conversation with ESPN.

Of course, the injury happened during the 2011-2012 NBA playoffs. The Bulls were the #1 seed in the East ... and were playing the Sixers in the 1st round of the playoffs.

Chicago won game 1, but the game was marred by the ACL tear to Rose, the leagues reigning MVP.

With only about a minute left in the game, Rose tore the ligament in his left knee.

Before the season ending injury, D-Rose was a rebound and assist away from a triple double (23 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists).

The Bulls ended up losing the series ... and although Rose -- now one of the NY Knicks' best players -- has come back since as a highly capable player, but never returned to pre-injury form.

"We really believed we were gonna win that championship," Noah says.

"That was our time. Derrick represented that much hope. Every time he stepped onto the court, we had the most special player in the world. That's a lot of hope to carry on one person."

P.J. Tucker's insane shoe collection ain't just for show ... 'cause the NBA forward sported some ultra-rare kicks during pregame warm-ups this week -- and they're worth $25k!!!

Sneaker fanatics went CRAZY when they noticed Tucker rocking the Jordan 4 retro Eminem Carhartts before going up against the Brooklyn Nets in the Barclays Center ... and it's for good reason.

These specific shoes are NOT easy to get -- when the Black Chromes were released in 2015, they were made exclusively for Eminem's family and friends.

And, according to top sneaker sites, Stock X, GOAT and Flight Club, these limited kicks have a price tag of $25,000!

One fan even joked about it ... saying, "Mans is warming up in shoes worth college tuition."

BTW -- that $25k price is for a size 7 and 8 in men ... Tucker wears a size 14, so he might've put up more $$ for his pair. That, or he has the best hookup in the game.

Jordan brand did make an additional 10 that were auctioned to the public via eBay -- and Em donated one pair in 2020 to raise money for a COVID-19 relief fund.

Sorry, AMC ... LeBron James didn't need a movie theatre giant for his daughter's Halloween night, 'cause he built his own setup Wednesday -- and it was AWESOME!!

The King put together a massive projector and a bunch of comfy seats for Zhuri and her friends to enjoy the new Addams Family flick, and the youngest James loved it all.

The 7-year-old took to IG to show off the structure on the James mansion's back lawn ... revealing balloons, snacks, "Addams Family Values 2" blankets and much more.

"Since Halloween is coming up," Zhuri said, "my parents let me and some of my friends have a movie night in the backyard 🍿🎬!"

She added, "We streamed The Addams Family 2 movie and it was pretty funny!"

The fun night was just the latest good evening for Zhuri ... 'cause it was her birthday less than a week ago, and you know LBJ went all out for that occasion too.

In fact, Bron posted a mushy note to his baby girl for the special day, saying, "You’re seriously one of a kind!"

"Never a down, dull, stale moment when you’re around. You excite/ignite a whole room simply by yourself! ENERGY UNMATCHED! I LOVE YOU ♾ & BEYOND my ❤️"

Jay-Z almost got a lapful of his drink at the Nets game Wednesday ... and it's all 'cause Brooklyn co-owner Clara Wu Tsai got a little too excited following a big play!!

The scene was hilarious ... just seconds before halftime of the Nets' game against the Heat, Blake Griffin threw down a dunk that brought Wu Tsai out of her courtside seat.

Video shows the team's co-owner clapped, and then grabbed Hov by his left arm to celebrate with the rapper.

The problem ... Jay's drink was in that arm's hand, and it spilled all over the place!!!

The cup looked to be filled with red wine, too ... but, thankfully, it missed Jay's jeans and sneakers -- and the 51-year-old was able to laugh it all off.

Of course, we're sure Jay would've been fine with it regardless ... he and Wu Tsai are good friends, and are famously partners in REFORM -- the org. the two helped develop in order to fight criminal injustice in America.

A young fan got the surprise of a lifetime at her first-ever NBA game Tuesday ... with Russell Westbrook kicking off his shoes and gifting her the sneaks off his feet after the Lakers' win!!

The adorable moment happened after L.A.'s game against the Spurs in San Antonio ... when Westbrook noticed a young girl rockin' a LeBron James jersey and holding a purple and yellow sign.

The posterboard read: "Brodie, can I have your 👟👟" ... and Westbrook was quick to say yes!!

Cameras caught the L.A. superstar throwing her the shoes -- and you can see in her reaction, she was absolutely shocked by the adorable gesture!!

"In her first NBA game and Lakers game with an OT win nothing could have been better for her," the little girl's father wrote in a social media post following the game.

"She literally kept repeating 'I can't believe this is real.' I'm so proud of you for staying consistent and thankful for Brodie for being so generous and making this the best experience ever."

The post was so cool, it even caught the eye of Westbrook ... who wrote in the comment section, "Appreciate your support. Hope you guys enjoyed the game."

Things are getting tenser than a lethal game of Red Light, Green Light -- "Squid Game" creator Hwang Dong-hyuk heard LeBron James bashing the show's ending loud and clear ... and fired back by clowning his panned 'Space Jam' movie!!

James was heavily critical of the Netflix series' final scene ... discussing his dissatisfaction with Anthony Davis in front of reporters after a preseason game earlier this month (don't worry, we won't spoil it here ... but seriously, why haven't you watched yet?!?)

Hwang was asked about James' review in a recent interview with The Guardian ... and his response is clearly dissing the King's recent "Space Jam: A New Legacy" flick, which currently has a 26% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

"Have you seen Space Jam 2?" Hwang asked in response to James' comments.

"LeBron James is cool and can say what he wants. I respect that. I'm very thankful he watched the whole series."

So, will Hwang roll out an alternate ending to appease James' critique??? Don't hold your breath.

"But I wouldn't change my ending," he added. "That's my ending. If he has his own ending that would satisfy him, maybe he could make his own sequel. I'll check it out and maybe send him a message saying, 'I liked your whole show, except the ending.'"

Delonte West repeatedly hurled homophobic slurs and said he was a better basketball player than LeBron James during his arrest last week ... and the disturbing scene was all captured on police video obtained by TMZ Sports.

West was stopped by cops in Boynton Beach, FL, on Oct. 19 ... after officers say he was yelling and banging on a local police station's doors.

Cops say he was holding two open containers of alcohol -- one beer, one vodka -- during the episode ... so they ordered him to the ground.

That's when officers turned on their body cameras -- and you can see in the footage, they needed to point a taser at the former NBA player while insisting he gets down to get him to comply.

When West finally dropped to the floor, officers told him they were detaining him for "open container and resisting" ... and the 38-year-old then went on a lengthy, rambling rant that included anti-gay rhetoric.

West repeatedly used the f-word, called cops bitches, and claimed he was Jesus Christ and the President of the United States.

In his rant, West also said, "N****, I was better than LeBron James. I'm better than Jordan. I was the best n**** to play every sport. Shut the f*** up!"

West continued to spout words off incoherently before cops finally put him into the back of a squad car.

In the police report, officers noted West reeked of booze and appeared to be drunk.

West was ultimately hit with three charges over the incident, including obstruction/resisting without violence, open container and disorderly intoxication.

He's due in court for a hearing on the case next month.

Buy all the Nikes you want ... nothings toppin' these 1984 kicks Michael Jordan rocked back in the day, 'cause the historic sneakers just sold for a record $1.47 million at auction!

The size 13 white and red Nike Air Ships are from Jordan's fifth game of his 1984 rookie season -- the first model of basketball sneakers worn by His Airness as a pro athlete.

In fact, Nike made these -- and a black and red colorway (known as the 'Bred') -- for the Hall of Famer while the Air Jordan 1s were still being made.

MJ signed and gave the priceless kicks to a Denver Nuggets Ball Boy, Tommie Tim III Lewis -- who kept them safe -- until recently putting the kicks on the market with Sotheby's.

Sotheby's expected to sell the rare sneakers for over $1 million -- and did they ever -- closing Sunday with a final price of $1,472,000.

The lucky (and clearly wealthy) MJ fan who copped the kicks is Nick Fiorella, a high-end sports memorabilia collector.

And, that's a record for the highest-priced sneakers in an auction. The outright most expensive pair of sneakers ever belongs to a fan who copped Kanye West's “Grammy Worn” Nike Air Yeezy 1 prototypes. Those went for $1.8 million at a private sale.

Richard Jefferson has big beef with a former NBA ball boy ... admitting he was a jerk to the guy, but explained it's all 'cause the man used to stare at his "junk" in the locker room.

Jefferson broke it all down in a now-deleted TikTok over the weekend ... responding to a video that a former ball boy had made recently.

In the ball boy's vid, he claimed Jefferson was "always condescending" and was "the biggest jerk I met."

Jefferson revealed he did, in fact, often give the guy the cold shoulder ... but said it was for good reason.

Jefferson accused the man of staring at his groin often, as well other players' ... and then comparing their sizes.

"What he's saying is true, I never interacted with him, but let me explain why," Jefferson said in his video response. "You literally admit to looking at our junks when we were in the locker room."

Jefferson continued, "That is why I didn't interact with you. That is why I avoided you ... That's why I didn't talk to you -- because you were looking at our junks the whole time."

Jefferson concluded his video by railing against the man further.

"I just thought you wanted the attention, I'll give you the attention," Jefferson said. "That is why I never interacted with you."

The Phoenix Suns are looking to get ahead of a potentially damning report of racism, sexism and sexual harassment within the organization ... alleging the claims are "completely baseless."

The statement comes shortly after NBA insider Jordan Schultz claimed a "massive story" accusing team owner Robert Sarver of several incidents of misconduct was looming.

Before the report was published, the Suns released a scathing statement bashing the allegations as nothing more than a hit piece.

"We understand that an outlet is considering publishing a proposed story that makes completely baseless claims against the Suns organization concerning a variety of topics," the team said Friday.

"Documentary evidence in our possession and eyewitness accounts directly contradict the reporter's accusations, and we are preparing our response to his questions. We urge everyone not to rush to judgement here."

"Especially based on lies, innuendo, and a false narrative to attack our organization and its leadership."

Depending on the severity of the allegations, Sarver's role within the organization could be in jeopardy ... and it wouldn't be the first time an owner would be forced to sell their team.

Donald Sterling was handed a lifetime ban from the NBA back in 2014 ... after TMZ Sports published audio of the businessman spewing racist remarks to his then-mistress V. Stiviano.

As for Sarver, he claims to have been blindsided by the allegations ... saying he's against racial or sexual discrimination of any kind.

"While I can't begin to know how to respond to some of the vague suggestions made by mostly anonymous voices, I can certainly tell you that some of the claims I find completely repugnant to my nature and to the character of the Suns/Mercury workplace and I can tell you they never, ever happened," Sarver said Friday.

"I don't begin to know how to prove that something DIDN'T happen, and it is difficult to erase or forget ugly accusations once they are made. Even hints of racism or sexism in our culture today are toxic and damaging and should not be lightly raised," he added.

"I categorically deny any and all suggestions that I used disparaging language related to race or gender, I would like to think that my actions and public record regarding race, gender, or discrimination of any kind, over a lifetime in business and community service, will adequately answer any questions anyone might raise about my commitment to equality and fairness."

Shaquille O'Neal has gotta be happy as hell right now -- the NBA legend is FINALLY parting ways with his humongous Orlando mansion after 3 years on the market!!

The 31,000-square-foot pad is insane -- it has 12 bedrooms, 11 baths and four half baths, a chef's kitchen and a fancy 17-car garage.

The lakefront property also has a 95-foot long luxury pool, a home theater with reclining seats, an aquarium room, cigar and wine bar plus a recording studio.

Of course, an NBA legend's home wouldn't be complete without a basketball court -- and this crib more than that with a 6,000 square-foot "Shaq Center" with bleachers.

TMZ's own Harvey Levin even squared up with the Hall of Famer on that same court for a quick game of one-on-one ... and hilariously lost (please don't fire us).

Shaq's been trying to sell the crib for 3 years -- listing it at $28 million in 2018.

The price dropped several times since -- plus renovations and upgrades -- and finally sold with Benjamin Hillman of Premier Sotheby's International Realty for an undisclosed amount, according to People.

The Cowboys hate the Eagles on the field, and they clearly hate them off of it now too -- 'cause Noah Brown just crapped all over Jason Kelce for criticizing Ben Simmons this week.

Kelce went off on the 76ers star on Thursday ... telling reporters that the disgruntled point guard needs to quit crying about his situation in Philadelphia and just play basketball better.

When Brown, one of Dak Prescott's favorite receivers, got word of those comments on Friday -- he snapped, and said in a series of social media posts that Kelce needs to mind his own damn business.

"All these Philly athletes tryna s*** on Simmons for a extra pat on the back from Philly fans," Brown wrote. "Cornball activity."

"Idk when speaking on another man habits and accountability to something that ain't got s*** to do w you became cool."

He added, "S*** corny."

Brown went on to say he thinks Philly fans are going to jump down athletes' throats no matter what they say in this situation ... explaining he believes the city only likes its players when they play well.

"Philly still gone fye u up next time u f*** up so sit back and mind ya business," he said.

The debate over the NBA's anniversary team has begun -- with Klay Thompson PISSED over getting snubbed from the list.

88 voters -- ranging from people like Michael Jordan to Stephen A. Smith -- selected 75 players they think are NBA's greatest.

The league revealed the list (which ended up being 76 players because of a tie) this week for their 75th anniversary ... and the Golden State Warrior sharp shooter didn't make it.

"Maybe I'm just naïve in my ability to play basketball," the 31-year-old said of being off the list on Thursday.

"But in my head, I'm TOP 75 of all time."

Is he naïve, though? Well, let's take a look ...

Thompson is a 3x champ, 5x All Star, holds the record for most points in a quarter, the most 3 pointers made in a game and ties the record for most 3-pointers made in a single playoffs (98) with his teammate Stephen Curry -- who made the list.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr agrees with Thompson ... and feels Draymond Green should be on there too, saying, "I definitely think that both guys are top 75."

"Just based on winning and two-way basketball and everything that really matters more than statistics. What matters is if you’re winning championships, that’s what counts."

To be fair, selecting only 75 players is a pretty tough task ... and many, who would be considered top level, didn't make the cut.

Some notable names ... Grant Hill, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Penny Hardaway and Dwight Howard also got left off the list.

At the end of the day, should Thompson be up there?? Maybe he'll make the 100-year anniversary list.

Ben Simmons is NOT persona non grata in the Philadelphia 76ers locker room ... 'cause teammate Tobias Harris says the team will welcome the All-Star back with open arms when he's ready to go.

The 25-year-old -- who demanded a trade earlier this year -- spoke with coach Doc Rivers and teammates Friday morning ... reportedly telling them he's not mentally ready to play.

He also accepted the fact he -- as well as the team -- needs to take responsibility for how things have transpired.

While superstar Joel Embiid previously sounded off against the Simmons/Sixers saga, at least one team leader is backing #25 ... with Harris speaking out and saying the team will "respect his privacy and space during this time."

"When he’s ready, we will embrace our brother with love and handle our business on the court," Harris said. "That's it, that's all."