NBA

The Cleveland Cavaliers are hoping to make a fan-favorite phrase their own ahead of the NBA playoffs -- the team submitted paperwork to trademark the term "Cavalanche."

According to the USPTO, the filing was made on Wednesday ... the same day the team beat the Miami Heat to became the first in the Association to punch a ticket to the playoffs this season.

The filing stated it would be used for clothing items -- most likely once the NBA postseason kicks off in a few weeks -- but no additional details were provided.

Andy Isaac -- a popular Detroit sports fan -- has passed away after a nearly two-decade battle with cancer.

The announcement was made to his X account Thursday morning ... with his loved ones saying, "Andy passed away peacefully this morning beside his loving family. We thank you all for your support and love over the years."

The news comes on the heels of Isaac announcing he was entering hospice care, as his battle with the disease "has finally taken its toll on me, it has finally stripped me of my quality of life."

Jared Goff and Christen Harper spent one of their final baby-less days taking in some ball -- they hit the Intuit Dome Wednesday night for the Clippers vs. Pistons matchup -- and the former L.A. Rams star made it clear his allegiances are firmly with Detroit.

Goff sported a Tigers ballcap for date night with his pregnant wife ... and even though the two were clearly rooting against the home squad, the Lions quarterback sure felt big love inside Steve Ballmer's new building.

Fans begged him for autographs ... and, at one point, he got to go onto the court to snap some pics with Pistons legends Rip Hamilton and Jalen Rose.

A true piece of basketball history is about to hit the auction block!

Michael Jordan AND Kobe Bryant's first game-worn NBA jerseys will soon be available to bidders at Sotheby's ... with experts estimating the two tops could combined fetch up to $20 million!

TMZ Sports has learned that Jordan's Bulls jersey is from his NBA preseason debut on October 5, 1984 ... where His Airness dropped 16 points at the Peoria Civic Center in Illinois.

Barack Obama took in a Clippers game Wednesday night in Los Angeles, without his better half by his side.

The former prez was seated courtside with L.A. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his spouse, Connie Snyder, but Barack's famous wife -- Michelle -- was nowhere to be found.

Still, Barack had a good ol' time watching the Clippers beat the Detroit Pistons 123-115 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

LeBron James made the buckets, but it's a lucky fan who will reap the reward ... 'cause Topps has created a 1-of-1 trading card, complete with the NBA legend's autograph, and a piece of his arm sleeve from the historic game!

The collectible company showed off the rare piece in a tweet on Wednesday -- hours after Bron surpassed the mind-blowing milestone -- a card that contains James' John Hancock and part of his white Nike shooting sleeve.

LeBron also inscribed "50K Points" under his signature.

A man allegedly impersonating an NBA agent was arrested last week ... after he was accused of stealing $769,000 in earrings -- and then swallowing them when he was confronted by cops.

The Orlando Police Department claimed in court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, the wild incident unfolded after Jaythan Gilder cruised into a Tiffany & Co. store at the Mall at Millenia and told clerks he was shopping for some jewelry on the behalf of an unnamed Orlando Magic player.

Cops say the store manager told officers Gilder was taken to a VIP room by two store associates to browse some high-end items. Soon after, though, Gilder allegedly grabbed a ring and some earrings valued at over $769K and attempted to flee.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and a bevy of other A-listers pulled up to the Lakers game Tuesday night and were treated to history ... as LeBron James became the first-ever NBA player to score 50,000 points right before their eyes!!

The milestone was reached in the first quarter of the Lakers' 136-115 win over the New Orleans Pelicans at Crypto.com Arena ... when James hit a 3-pointer off a pass from Luka Doncic.

DiCaprio, Maguire, Orlando Bloom and Floyd Mayweather were all just feet away from the shot ... glued to the action in their courtside seats.

Jennifer Hudson was nearly drilled by a stray basketball at the Knicks game Tuesday night -- and while Common did his best to save the day ... she still appeared to end up with quite the ouchie.

The singer/actress cruised to Madison Square Garden with her boyfriend to catch New York's tilt with Steph Curry and the Warriors ... but unfortunately for the two, they got a little too close to the action in the tilt's second quarter.

Miles McBride attempted to steal a basketball right in front of the courtside couple -- but instead of corralling it, he knocked it right near Hudson's noggin.

1:22 PM PT -- Kyrie Irving just went live on Instagram to address the bad news ... saying while it's not the outcome he would have hoped for, he's fully committed to recovering and getting back on the court.

Uncle Drew seemed to be in good spirits as he showed off propped-up leg in a compression wrap ... and thanked his fans for their support following the ailment.

Their teams might be on the opposite ends of the wildest trade of the season, but LeBron James and Luka Doncic are sending positive vibes Kyrie Irving's way ... after the Mavericks star suffered a torn ACL during Monday's game.

The heartbreaking moment went down with under three minutes left in the first quarter of the Mavs' contest against the Kings. As Irving drove to the hoop, his knee buckled and he fell to the ground in pain.

Even with Kyrie struggling to put weight on his left leg, the 36-year-old knocked down two free throws before exiting the matchup ... which the team called a "left knee sprain."

It was later revealed on Tuesday his season was over after tearing his ACL.

Detroit Pistons star Malik Beasley's wife, Montana Yao, has filed for legal separation ... one day before their fifth wedding anniversary, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 27-year-old model -- who shares two kids with the NBA vet -- filed the docs on Tuesday ... citing "irreconcilable differences."

Yao is seeking spousal support, according to court docs we obtained.

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."