NBA

Angel Reese doused Kevin Durant dating rumors back in September ... but the NBA superstar might have just reignited them with a sly pregame comment over the weekend.

In the leadup to the Phoenix vs. Minnesota game in Arizona on Sunday, Suns players were asked to shout out their favorite female athlete of all-time to honor the start of Women's Empowerment Month.

Most of the guys went the chalk route -- choosing legends like Diana Taurasi and Serena Williams. Others showed love to their college's alumni ... while Grayson Allen picked his wife, former pro soccer player Morgan Reid Allen.

The hits keep coming for Dallas Mavericks fans ... just a couple weeks after the org. shockingly traded away superstar Luka Doncic, it revealed its now jacking up its ticket prices too.

The Mavs said in a statement Monday because of "ongoing investments in the team and fan engagement" ... they're raising prices for 2025-26 season tickets by about 8.5 percent.

The team insisted fans will still be getting a deal if they purchase the tix instead of going to the secondary market -- claiming Mavs supporters can save up to 23 percent by locking in for the long haul.

The big winner at the Oscars was "Anora," but Ben Stiller was more focused on something happening thousands of miles away on Sunday ... the New York Knicks' matchup against the Miami Heat.

Stiller was a presenter at the biggest night in Hollywood ... experiencing a stage "malfunction" while announcing the Best Set Design category -- an obvious ploy to get some laughs.

Despite having a big job in the festivities, it's clear the "Severance" director wasn't gonna let it get in the way of his diehard Knickerbockers fandom ... as he sent out a celebratory social media post after New York narrowly beat Miami in overtime, 116-112.

An impromptu pre-Oscars party went down at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday ... with big actors like Timothée Chalamet and Ben Affleck snagging courtside seats for the Lakers' win over the Timberwolves.

LeBron James and Co. handled business for the Purple and Gold ... coming away with the 111-102 victory thanks to the King's stat sheet-stuffing night with 33 points, 17 rebounds and six assists.

Ball knower and "A Complete Unknown" star Timmy C was clearly loving the action ... giving a big smile as he took it all in. He seemingly had a bit of a costume change during his night out ... as he was spotted wearing two different shirts.

Gregg Popovich won't be back on the NBA sidelines anytime soon ... as the three-time coach of the year announced he will miss the rest of the season as he continues to recover from a stroke he suffered in November.

Popovich released a statement minutes ago ... saying interim head coach Mitch Johnson and the staff "have done a wonderful job and the resolve and professionalism the players have, sticking together during a challenging season, has been outstanding."

"I will continue to focus on my health with the hope that I can return to coaching in the future."

Luka Doncic knows how to get on his new fan base's good side -- he hooked up Laker Nation with free parking for L.A.'s big matchup with the Dallas Mavericks!!

The dope gesture from Doncic (and Jordan Brand) was revealed before the Slovenian hooper's "revenge" game on Tuesday ... which marked the first time he lined up against his former team.

Tons of spectators flocked to Crypto.com Arena for the tilt  ... and some who drove to the venue were met with a pleasant surprise -- "Free Parking. Courtesy of Luka Doncic."

Aaron Gordon has plenty of support these days ... thanks to his new underwear campaign.

The Denver Nuggets forward dropped down to his skivvies for his partnership with SAXX Underwear -- known for their "superior comfort" pouches -- and yeah ... the dude is attracting some attention to his crotch.

"Ball is life," the 29-year-old said in the IG caption. "@saxxunderwear knows this."

Devin Booker is heartbroken over Hooters possibly filing for bankruptcy ... but the NBA star will be able to wipe his tears with some wet naps -- as DoorDash is offering to keep him fully stocked on wings until the beloved establishment shutters for good.

The popular sports-themed restaurant chain has closed several locations nationwide ... and reports claim it's working with a law firm to prepare a bankruptcy filing.

Although it's not confirmed to happen just yet, the Phoenix Suns guard is still devastated by the possibility ... and wrote the restaurant a message on the X app, saying, "Plz don't go."

Ex-NBAer Patrick Beverley is being sued for chucking a basketball at a pair of Indiana Pacers fans during a playoff game last year ... with the spectators claiming the incident is still affecting their lives to this day.

Pat Bev -- who was a member of the Milwaukee Bucks at the time -- threw the ball into the Pacers crowd twice in the closing minutes of the May 2024 matchup ... a contest that ultimately ended his team's season.

Two women -- Jessica Simmons and Katie Lanciotti -- claim Beverley's actions were completely unprovoked ... and being hit by his tosses resulted in mental and physical pain -- including medical expenses.

LeBron and Bronny James are adamantly denying they did anything wrong ... after the superstar father-son duo were sued in late 2024 over an alleged car accident.

In legal docs obtained by TMZ Sports, Bron and Bronny "deny each and every allegation contained in the complaint" ... which was filed by two women, April Almanza Lopez and Kiara Rae McGillen, in Los Angeles County on October 22, 2024.

The plaintiffs claim the James' were responsible for a November 13, 2022 automobile accident that resulted in injuries requiring medical attention.

LeBron James just launched his own E1 Series powerboat racing team this year ... and one of his drivers believes the NBA superstar's involvement will attract a whole new audience to the up-and-coming sport.

The Los Angeles Lakers champ revealed his investment in the water sport on January 23rd ... announcing that the AlUla team will join Tom Brady, Will Smith, and others in the E1 all-electric powerboat racing series for the 2025 season.

His team includes two drivers -- Catie Munnings, who is also a rally driver, and Rusty Wyatt, who told us he's hyped to be a part of James' crew.

Luka Doncic was once the face of the franchise, but now the Dallas Mavericks refuse to even show his mug -- with the team editing the Slovenian hooper out of a hype video weeks after trading him to Los Angeles.

The Mavs dropped a new promo on Friday to seemingly get heartbroken and shocked Dallas backers to care about the team again ... but the big takeaway was the fact that any clips featuring Doncic included lazy editing -- like turning his body into a shadow and throwing a logo over his face for good measure.

While the plan might have been to get folks to focus on the players still on the squad, the effort had the opposite effect ... as fans quickly shared screenshots to call the team out.

LaVar Ball's clearly not down in the dumps over his medical situation ... in fact, he's already joking about it!!

The Big Baller Brand co-founder filmed a Cameo on Thursday for one of his biggest fans -- TikTok user "Primby" -- and in the message, he cracked a joke about his recent amputation surgery.

Ball said to the camera that he was aware everyone's "heard what happened" to his right foot ... but then he laughed off the matter.

JJ Redick couldn't help but sing LeBron James' praises after a 40-point performance ... to the point where he knew his admiration would come off as "glazing."

The Los Angeles Lakers coach spoke at length about King James' impressive outing in the Purple and Gold's 110-102 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday ... saying the 40-year-old simply isn't "normal" -- mentally or physically.

"I believe I saw the other day that he's a billionaire," Redick said. "And he's playing on the second night of a back-to-back at 40 after 22 years with every freakin' record and every accolade."

Donovan Mitchell lost his train of thought during his postgame interview on Thursday ... and it was all thanks to Darius Garland breaking out in song.

The hilarious interaction went down after the Cleveland Cavaliers secured a 110-97 road win over the Brooklyn Nets ... when Spida was trying to weigh in on Evan Mobley's impressive outing -- but Garland had other plans.

During Mitchell's response, Garland was heard in the background jamming to Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR's "Gimme A Hug" .... and it's clear it wasn't the first time he belted out the tune.

LaMelo Ball made sure to stop by and see how his dad was doing prior to torching the Lakers on Wednesday ... saying "it was only right" to check in on LaVar after his recent foot amputation.

The Charlotte Hornets star shared the pic on Thursday ... showing him posing with his famous dad -- who was standing with help from a knee scooter -- at what appeared to be their Chino Hills home.

"seen my dawg b4 da game it was only right i love u pops 5L and after," Melo said on Instagram.