NBA

Chauncey Billups pleaded not guilty in a federal courthouse in Brooklyn on Monday, a month after he was arrested for allegedly helping the mafia rig underground poker games, a scandal that rocked the NBA.

The now-suspended Portland Trail Blazers head coach was arraigned on charges relating to wire fraud and money laundering, appearing alongside 30 other defendants in the Eastern District of New York.

Bond was set at $5 million. Billups put up his Colorado home as collateral, securing his release.

According to the feds, defendants, including members from four of the five crime families in NYC, would lure unsuspecting wealthy targets to card games under the guise they were legit ... using celebrities like Billups to make them appear legit.

LeBron James was quite the football player in high school ... but how about football?? USMNT player Diego Luna tells TMZ Sports he woulda been a BEAST on the pitch in his prime!!

There's always an athlete claiming they could dominate another sport ... so when we ran into Luna at LAX this week, we had to ask which American jock could actually pull it off for the Red, White, and Blue.

"LeBron man, put him up top," Luna said. "Scoring goals, just bossing people around. That would be pretty sick."

Rodney Rogers -- a basketball star who shined in college and went on to have a productive NBA career -- has died ... his alma mater, Wake Forest University announced.

WFU's athletic department released a statement from Rodney's wife, Faye, Saturday morning ... stating Rogers passed away peacefully Friday surrounded by loved ones.

Faye mentions Rodney rising above adversity -- he was paralyzed from the shoulders down in a 2008 ATV accident -- keeping upbeat and joyful despite all his challenges. Faye did not reveal a cause of death.

Los Angeles Clippers' Chris Paul -- regarded as one of the best point guards in NBA history -- is retiring.

The NBA star announced his plans to retire following the 2025-26 season on X Saturday morning, along with a compilation of photos from childhood until now, and some clips of the greatest moments of his celebrated career.

Along with the video, he wrote ... "Back in NC!!! What a ride…Still so much left…GRATEFUL for this last one!!" His message comes ahead of his game against the Charlotte Hornets in his home state of North Carolina.

Joey and Jesse Buss -- who have minority ownership shares with the Los Angeles Lakers -- have just been kicked to the curb by their own team ... and based on a statement released by the two bros, they ain't too happy about it.

The surprise news came just minutes ago via Shams Charania ... who reported Joey and Jesse will no longer hold their scouting roles in the Lakers' front office as the franchise reorganizes its basketball operations department.

Jerry's sons commented on the matter ... saying, "We are extremely honored to have been part of this organization for the last 20 seasons. Thank you to Laker Nation for embracing our family every step of the way."

Patrick Beverley won't be appearing on Barstool platforms anytime soon -- Dave Portnoy just revealed the former NBA player is "taking forced time away" following his arrest for felony assault.

The Barstool Sports founder explained his employee's status during "The Unnamed Show" on Wednesday ... saying Beverley -- who has a the "Hoopin' N Hollerin'" podcast with the company -- has "gotta figure all this out."

"We'll let the facts play out," Portnoy said. "Certainly, with what is hanging there, we can't have him be part of what we're doing right now, and we got to see how it settles, but this is horrible."

Lonzo Ball and Michael Porter Jr. believe they would have been forces to be reckoned with in the WNBA as teenagers ... with both NBA stars claiming they'd dominate against pro women's players before they were old enough to drive cars.

MPJ stopped by Lonzo's "Ball in the Family" podcast recently ... and at one point in their chat, the current Brooklyn Nets player brought up how A'ja Wilson said she could beat Knicks guard Josh Hart one-on-one.

The convo then transitioned into how Patrick Beverly said a WNBA team could beat an NBA team's bench players ... which Lonzo wasn't buying.

Bronny James has left the nest, according to his dad, LeBron, who revealed his oldest child moved into his own place ... and joked that his son has been ghostin' him ever since.

The Lakers superstar mentioned Bronny, 21, had vacated the James family home when a reporter asked about his son's growth in the NBA after Tuesday's game in Los Angeles.

"It's been great to see and to watch," James said.

Patrick Beverley's legal team is disputing the allegations that led to his felony assault arrest ... with his attorney claiming the ex-NBA player's sister's side of the alleged incident is not accurate.

Letitia Quinones-Hollins tells TMZ Sports the details laid out from Beverley's 15-year-old sister to cops in the probable cause affidavit were "given at a time when emotions were high" and don't tell the truth or the complete story.

"Patrick is not a violent man and was not violent that night," Quinones-Hollins said Tuesday. "In fact, he was very respectful with the authorities that night and encouraged others to do the same."

TMZ Sports has obtained more details surrounding Patrick Beverley's arrest -- the ex-NBA player is accused of punching his sister in the eye and choking her for up to 30 seconds at a Texas home.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Beverley's sister told officials she left the home in the middle of the night without permission to see her boyfriend at a nearby park on Nov. 14.

When she returned home, her mother, Lisa, was awake ... and told her to enter her room. Lisa then told her daughter to call the boyfriend and tell him to pick her up.

What do LiAngelo Ball and Drake have in common? They both scored platinum singles this year!!

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announced the milestone accomplishment for Gelo's debut track on Monday ... saying "Tweaker" officially hit one million digital units sold.

This is huge news for the 26-year-old athlete-turned-rapper ... as he randomly launched his music career just months ago. Per RIAA, the only other hip-hop and R&B artists to secure platinum singles in 2025 are Drake, Lil Tecca, BigXthaPlug, and Mariah The Scientist.

Hey Mavs, TMZ Sports just found your next general manager -- METTA WORLD PEACE!!!

We spoke with the former NBA star this week ... days after the Dallas Mavericks fired Nico Harrison, who was responsible for one of the worst trades in NBA history -- Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis.

We started the conversation by asking for Metta's reaction to the firing ... but he caught us off-guard when he said he wanted to take Harrison's job!!

It's safe to say Kevin Love is a future Hall of Famer ... and when that day comes, the NBA star tells TMZ Sports he would be honored to get the recognition "as a Cavalier."

We caught up with the 2016 champion and five-time All-Star this week ... and talked all about his NBA present and future, legacy in Cleveland, recent Instagram antics and partnering up with Shift Naturals, a lineup of non-alcoholic products to help folks unwind after a long day.

At 37 years old, the Utah Jazz forward said he's started to think about what retirement life would be like ... but as of right now, he's open to playing a few more seasons.

5:15 PM PT -- Patrick Beverley has spoken out since news broke of his arrest, saying via social media ... "Please don’t believe everything you see on the internet. Hope all is well LUV."

Letitia Quinones-Hollins, attorney for Patrick, tells TMZ in a statement ... "Patrick Beverley has no criminal record. He cares deeply about his little sister – a young lady, a minor. Given that, when he unexpectedly found her alone in the home with an 18-year-old man in the middle of the night, he was understandably concerned, as any brother would be about his sister. However, we don’t believe what followed happened the way it’s been described and we look forward to the opportunity to address that in court."

Ex-NBA player Patrick Beverly has been arrested in Texas for felony assault, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 6'2" point guard was taken into custody on Friday at the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office in Richmond, Texas.

According to jail records, the charge against Beverley is Assault on a Family Member/Household Member Impeding Breath or Circulation. It's listed as a third-degree felony.

Stephen Curry is leaving his longtime team -- not the Golden State Warriors ... the NBA superstar is parting ways with Under Armour after more than a decade together.

The news came minutes ago ... with the apparel and shoe company confirming the Curry Brand will go independent after the Curry 13 release next year.

UA founder Kevin Plank addressed the split in a press release ... saying, "It's been an incredible privilege to work with Stephen, who as President of Curry Brand has been much more than an ambassador – he's become a thoughtful and strategic business leader."

Klay Thompson just unloaded on a pair of ex-NBA stars for their graphic chat about Megan Thee Stallion ... calling Patrick Beverley and Jason Williams "so disgusting and disturbing" for disrespecting his girlfriend.

As we previously reported, White Chocolate made shocking comments on the "Hoopin’ N Hollerin'" podcast on Wednesday ... hinting the Dallas Mavericks hooper's relationship with the rapper might be to blame for his slump this season.

"It only takes one p**** to drag a battleship across the desert. That's how powerful it is," WC told Pat Bev. "Klay Thompson, I ain't sayin' that's what it is ... but that might be what it is."