NBA

Brandon Clarke's body has officially been cleared to be released to his family ... but the mystery surrounding his sudden death remains unclear.

According to the Los Angeles Medical Examiner's website, the ME has declared the NBA star's body ready for release, however his cause and manner of death is currently deferred ... pending additional testing as authorities investigate.

As we previously reported, Clarke’s death came just days before he was due in court to face multiple criminal charges, including trafficking a controlled substance and felony fleeing.

The Los Angeles Fire Department PIO confirmed to TMZ Sports they responded to a medical emergency call around 5 PM on Monday ... and when paramedics got to the scene, the 29-year-old male was declared deceased.

TMZ Sports confirmed his death is being investigated as a possible overdose ... with officials finding drug paraphernalia inside the home the Memphis Grizzlies player was staying at.

The NBA is devastated by Brandon Clarke's death ... with the Memphis Grizzlies player's teammates over the years sharing heartfelt tributes on social media.

Kyle Anderson, who had two stints with the Grizzlies, said he was "so f***in hurt" by the loss ... adding, "I love u so much brother i wish i coulda been there for u im so f***in hurt man."

Ja Morant published a picture of them together with a caption that read, "love you broski. gone way too soon. it's bigger than basketball."

"still our goat BC15."

The fallout continues over a controversial George Floyd joke made by Tony Hinchcliffe at "The Roast of Kevin Hart" ... with fellow stand-up comic and actor Lil Rel calling the moment gross ... and shaming the crowd for not booing.

Lil Rel posted his thoughts to Instagram on Tuesday morning ... saying he found the moment so "disgusting," he wondered what he would have done had he been there ... but he's pretty sure he already knew.

If you didn't watch Sunday's live roast on Netflix ... Hinchcliffe proclaimed to Hart ... "The Black community is so proud of you… right now George Floyd is looking up at us all laughing so hard he can't breathe."

Luka Doncic just revealed his fight for his daughters has forced him to back out of playing for his national team this summer ... explaining his kids "will always come first in my life" as he seeks joint custody.

Doncic -- who missed the Lakers' entire playoff run with a hamstring injury -- dropped the statement after L.A.'s season came to an end at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday ... saying his focus is on his family this offseason, and he loves his little ones "more than anything."

"As I continue working toward joint custody of my daughters, I have been forced to make a difficult decision between traveling and playing for the Slovenian national team and being with my daughters this summer," Doncic said. "Unfortunately, it has been made extremely difficult for me to see them over the past eight months."

NBA star Miles Bridges asked a judge to order his ex Mychelle Johnson to submit to a psychological evaluation, claiming she has an "obsessive fixation" on his new girlfriend ... TMZ has learned.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, the Charlotte Hornets star claimed Mychelle has been acting quite erratically in the past couple of months.

He says the exes share four minor children and have had a temporary custody and support deal in place since 2023.

Former NBA player Desmond Mason is behind bars in Oklahoma after being arrested for a felony warrant out of Texas last week.

According to the local police department, Mason was picked up in Bricktown on Thursday ... but was taken to a local hospital for treatment due to a medical issue before being booked.

Mason is still in the Oklahoma County Detention Center as of Monday ... and is being held on "flight to avoid," which is used for someone crossing borders to dodge prosecution, News 9 reports.

Austin Reaves was in a heated feud with officials throughout the Lakers' Game 2 loss to the Thunder on Thursday ... and it came to a head when he appeared to call a ref a "p***y" during an argument late in the contest.

The moment went down with less than six minutes left in the fourth quarter ... when Reaves went at it with John Goble, who yelled in the L.A. star's face amid an argument over a call.

Reaves wasn't having any of it ... and took issue with how Goble handled the ordeal, calling it "bulls***."

Miles Bridges was granted a temporary restraining order against his ex, Mychelle Johnson, after claiming she showed up to his NBA game to cause trouble ... TMZ has learned.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, a North Carolina judge signed off on Miles’ request to keep Mychelle at least 500 yards from him, his home, and the Charlotte Hornets facilities.

The judge instructed Mychelle not to harass the NBA star or his girlfriend, Shara, and not to cyberstalk Miles.

You can tell Timothée Chalamet feels like he hit the relationship jackpot with Kylie Jenner ... 'cause the two were putting on a full PDA playbook courtside.

Check out these super cute snaps of the pair all wrapped up together at the New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night -- staring into each other's eyes, grinning ear to ear ... with Timmy even leaning in for a kiss at one point.

Basically, they looked very locked in and very in love ... and just in case it wasn’t obvious enough, the duo even pulled up in matching Knicks colors.

Jarred Vanderbilt's dislocated right pinkie injury was so gruesome, Oklahoma City Thunder players looked nothing short of horrified at the sight of it ... with cameras capturing their stunned reactions in real time.

The Los Angeles Lakers player hurt his digit while attempting to block Thunder big man Chet Holmgren's dunk in the middle of the second quarter ... when his hand hit the backboard and knocked his finger backwards.

The pain was immediate ... and Vanderbilt shouted out in agony as he hunched over and hid his hand.

Some New York Knicks' players went from courtside glory to curbside rejection ... getting turned away from one of the hottest Met Gala after-after parties in NYC ... TMZ has learned.

Multiple sources tell TMZ ... several Knicks stars tried to hit up Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter's ultra-exclusive bash at Zero Bond late Monday night -- just hours after their Game 1 playoff win -- but couldn't get past the door.

In case you didn't know ... the Knicks didn't just win .... they obliterated Philly 137-98 and made history in the process as the first NBA team ever to win three consecutive playoff games by 25 points or more.

Paul Pierce's baby mama Princess Santiago isn't hiding out after the former NBA All-Star's bombshell admission ... and she's got the child right by her side.

Santiago was spotted out in Beverly Hills on Tuesday for the first time since Pierce admitted to being the father. She was seen grabbing a bite at an outdoor restaurant ... calmly cradling her 2-month-old son King Rafael Santiago Pierce as the custody battle with Pierce plays out behind the scenes.

The vibe was low-key and all about mom duty. In the pics, she keeps things intimate, holding the baby close and even leaning in for a sweet kiss ... clearly locked in on her newborn despite the headlines swirling around her.

New York Knicks fans acted like they've never experienced a playoff win on Monday ... and their celebration got so rowdy, ex-NBA star J.R. Smith went crashing to the ground amid all the chaos.

The scene broke out as spectators exited Madison Square Garden following the 137-98 victory ... and among the happy folks was the former Knick.

Naturally, the crowd was happy to see the beloved baller ... and it started off on a good note ... with Smith puffing on something in his mouth and celebrating with his hands in the air.

Timothée Chalamet is trading the Met Gala for The Mecca of Basketball.

The A-Lister is sitting courtside at an important playoff game for his favorite NBA team instead of accompanying his "partner of three years" Kylie Jenner to the biggest night in fashion.

Timmy is a huge New York Knicks fan ... and he's front and center at halfcourt watching the home team play the visiting Philadelphia 76ers in the first game of their playoff series.

Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini are a modern-day Jack and Rose love story ... at least they were during ESPN's "Inside the NBA" on Sunday -- when the two were trolled with an edited pic of them doing the iconic "Titanic" pose.

The funny moment went down as the desk reacted to the Boston Celtics getting eliminated in the first round of the playoffs at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers ... when producers put some players and local legends on a boat for their "gone fishing" bit.

But it wasn't just Mark Wahlberg, Bill Simmons, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck getting thrown into it ... check out the front of the boat -- it's none other than the Patriots coach and NFL insider pulling a Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

The New York Knicks have a real shot at winning it all this season -- even though the Oklahoma City Thunder still exists -- so says Richard Jefferson, who tells TMZ Sports all the pieces are in place ... they just can't shoot themselves in the foot.

We caught up with the NBA analyst fresh off calling the Knickerbockers' BTA performance on the Atlanta Hawks in Game 6 of the first round on Thursday ... and he actually said the losing team shouldn't be embarrassed by the 140-89 result -- it was just the Knicks' night.

With that dominant outing in mind, does he feel like Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson and the rest of the gang can really make some noise ... or will they come up short yet again??