NBA

Charles Barkley made it clear Thursday night he's no fan of JJ Redick's apparent criticism of his "Inside The NBA" show ... ripping the coach as "a dead man walking" for several moments while live on-air.

Redick initially kicked off the war with Chuck back on Dec. 20 ... when he strongly implied the Hall of Famer's constant criticism of the game on TNT is one of the biggest reasons why ratings are down.

"If I'm a casual fan," the L.A. manager told media members, "and you tell me every time I turn on the television that the product sucks, well, I'm not going to watch the product."

Timothée Chalamet's wish to play Ernie Johnson in a biopic might come true ... 'cause the actor just got a big thumbs up from the "Inside the NBA" host himself!!

Timmy C -- who portrays Bob Dylan in the new "A Complete Unknown" movie -- recently revealed he'd be down to honor the longtime sports TV show host on the big screen ... if he were to ever take on another biopic.

E.J. got wind of Chalamet's comments on Thursday ... and he said the "Dune" star gave him a ton of cred with his family.

LeBron James' son, Bryce, is taking his talents to Tucson -- the 17-year-old high school star just announced he's committed to the Arizona Wildcats basketball program!!

Bryce shared the news on his social media pages just minutes ago ... saying he's all-in on his decision.

"100%committed," Bryce said alongside a few emojis to represent the school's "Bear Down" rally cry and an edited photo of himself in an Arizona uniform.

The NBA just punished Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson for his role in Sunday's scrap with Tyler Herro ... handing down a two-game suspension.

The Association announced the penalty in a statement ... days after Thompson and Herro were ejected from the Rockets vs. Heat game for starting an on-court brawl at the Toyota Center.

During the incident, Thompson tossed Herro to the ground WWE-style before an inbound pass late in the fourth quarter ... with the two sides jawing and grabbing at each other's jerseys right before the big moment.

LeBron James says he could play at a "high level" in the NBA for up to seven more years, but will walk away from the sport long before that ever happens ... telling reporters his thoughts on retirement have intensified over time.

The King spoke with the media on his 40th birthday ... and he opened up on how much longer he'll continue his legendary career.

When asked if he'll know when it's time to hang it up for good, James said it won't be due to lack of ability ... as he has more gas left in the tank -- but he plans to go out on top.

The FBI is warning pro athletes to be vigilant ... confirming Monday groups of organized thieves are targeting stars' homes in search of high-priced valuables.

The feds issued the alert just a couple days after NBA superstar Luka Doncic became the latest A-lister to have his place broken into ... explaining criminals are hitting residences belonging to big-time players while they're on the road or at games.

"These homes are targeted for burglary due to the perception they may have high-end goods like designer handbags, jewelry, watches, and cash," FBI officials said, according to ABC News.

Kings star De'Aaron Fox has a bone to pick with Lou Williams ... calling out the ex-NBAer for comments he made regarding Mike Brown's firing in Sacramento -- saying it's nothing but "bulls***."

The former Sixth Man of the Year was weighing in on Sac-Town's surprising decision to sack Brown last week ... when he claimed on FanDuel's "Run It Back" he heard there was "pushback" from players over Fox getting blamed for the team's woes prior to the move.

Williams went on to say the front office had to decide whether to stick with the current roster or keep the former Coach of the Year -- and Brown obviously ended up getting the short end of the stick.

The disturbing trend of celebrity athletes having their homes broken into continued over the weekend ... as Luka Doncic's Dallas-area residence was burglarized.

According to the Mavericks superstar's business manager, Lara Beth Seager, the break-in occurred on Friday night ... as the Mavs were in Phoenix for a game against the Suns.

Thankfully, Seager said in a statement, no one was home at the time of the incident ... and "Luka and his family are safe."

The NBA turned into the WWE on Sunday ... when Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson threw Miami Heat star Tyler Herro to the hardwood during an intense altercation -- resulting in utter chaos.

The wild moment happened with just over 30 seconds left in the Heat's 104-100 road win over the Rockets ... when Thompson was applying heavy pressure on Herro ahead of an inbound pass.

The two grabbed each other's jerseys ... but Thompson took it one step further and forced the sharp-shooter to the ground.

Kiyan Anthony's first action on a Syracuse court is still roughly a year away, but La La Anthony tells TMZ Sports she's already planning her gameday outfits!!!

The mother of the four-star shooting guard -- who she shares with NBA legend Carmelo Anthony -- made it clear to us while leaving the Million Dollar Giveback event in NYC this week that she's "going to be that mom."

"I don't have [the 'fits] yet," she told us, "but I think I'm going to be that mom that's, like, Syracuse-geared out. For sure."

A super rare Michael Jordan rookie card -- complete with a Chicago Bulls team set -- is about to hit the auction block ... but if collectors really want it, they better have some deep pockets, 'cause TMZ Sports has learned it's expected to sell for nearly half a million dollars!

Heritage Auctions is overseeing the sale of the 12-card lot ... and experts there tell us it's all so unique, bidding could get up to $400,000.

The cards were first introduced to the public in a Star Company 1984 release ... and the price tag is so high because of the Jordan piece -- which is considered one of his most valuable Bulls collectibles.

Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković was forced to hit the showers early on Thursday night ... after he went ballistic on some refs following a non-call.

The 45-year-old's meltdown happened in the fourth quarter of Toronto's game against the Memphis Grizzlies ... as his team was trailing 125-103.

The Raptors were trying to make a comeback, but when a pair of players didn't get whistles after appearing to be fouled ... Rajaković absolutely flew off the handle.

Pat Riley is putting an end to all the speculation Jimmy Butler is up for grabs ... releasing a statement to flat-out say the Miami Heat are not trading their superstar player.

The declaration comes in the wake of a report from NBA insider Shams Charania, who claimed the six-time All-Star was hoping for a change of scenery before the February trade deadline.

Charania also fueled chatter when he claimed the team was warm to the idea of shipping him elsewhere earlier this month ... which led Butler's reps to fire back with a passionate denial.

Not only do LeBron and Bronny James rock the same uniforms on the court, they have identical threads off it, too -- 'cause the Lakers' father-son duo threw on some matching pajamas for Christmas with the whole family ... and the pics are adorbz!!

On the heels of his 31-point performance in the Purple and Gold's big win over the Warriors, King James shared a glimpse of his family's holiday festivities ... which included Mom and Dad wearing red jammies as they posed in front of a beautifully decorated tree with their three kids.

20-year-old Bronny and 17-year-old Bryce had big smiles on their faces ... so even though some kids their age would roll their eyes, they were good sports about it all.

LeBron James wants the NFL to stay in its own lane ... saying even though he loves his football as much as the next person, the league needs to leave the Christmas entertainment to the NBA.

King James made the declaration in his on-court interview following the Los Angeles Lakers' thrilling 115-113 road win over Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday ... hours after the NFL's two games were completed.

Despite the Shield's matchups involving some of the biggest athletes in the league like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry -- as well as performances from Mariah Carey and Beyoncé -- the football action wasn't nearly as exciting  ... as neither contest was competitive.

The most wonderful time of the year always comes with a full slate of basketball matchups ... which means it's also TMZ Sports' cue to present the wives and girlfriends of the NBA's Christmas Day games!!

The first matchup is at the iconic Madison Square Garden where the New York Knicks will host the San Antonio Spurs ... and Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart's wives, Ali and Shannon, will certainly be rooting for the home team.

Chris Paul's wife, Jada, will likely be there, too ... as this could very well be the last holiday game for the future Hall of Fame guard, who's in his 20th season.