New York Knicks

The NY Knicks have determined an idiot fan SPIT on Atlanta Hawks superstar Trae Young during Wednesday night's game at MSG ... and now the mouthy fan has been banned indefinitely.

It all went down with around 8 minutes left in the 4th quarter of the Knicks vs. Hawks playoff game ... when Young was trying to inbound.

Video footage shows someone sitting behind 50 Cent appear to spit at Young -- leading Young to comment after the game, "Damn ... crazy!"

Young also asked 50 Cent if he was "good" following the incident.

The NY Knicks were disturbed by the footage and launched an investigation to see if the fan had spit at Young intentionally -- and now, they have detrained it was, in fact, on purpose.

"We investigated the matter and determined that this patron, who is not a season ticket holder, did indeed spit on Trae Young," the team announced Thursday.

"And for that reason, [the fan] is now banned from The Garden indefinitely."

"We apologize to Trae and the entire Atlanta Hawks organization for this fan's behavior. This was completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our venue."

The team notes cops are now involved saying -- "We have turned the information over to the appropriate authorities."

In theory, the fan could be prosecuted if officials decide to pursue a case against him.

So far, the fan has not been publicly identified.

Story developing ...

Just when you thought the trash talk in the Hawks vs. Knicks series couldn't get any better ... here's NYC mayor Bill de Blasio throwing more fuel on the fire, shading the hell out of Trae Young!!

The 60-year-old -- rockin' a NY Knicks ball cap -- took time out of his daily press briefing Tuesday to take shots at the Atlanta star ... and it was aggressive!

The mayor accused Young of crying for calls ... and told him to straight-up stop.

"Stop hunting for fouls, Trae," de Blasio said. "I want to quote Steve Nash -- great player, great coach -- he says, ‘That’s not basketball.'"

de Blasio continued, "Trae, that hawk's not going to fly in New York City. Come on. Play the game the right way."

Of course, Trae ripped the soul out of the Knicks during the first game of their playoff series on Sunday ... hitting a game-winning floater and talking all kinds of smack to the crowd at Madison Square Garden afterward.

Even Trae's Dad got involved ... puffing out his chest and celebrating BIG-TIME after the shot.

NY fans -- who chanted "F*** Trae Young" throughout the game -- have since fired away all over social media ... and it's all getting REALLY good.

Clearly, de Blasio thinks his Knicks can back up all the talk, though ... he continued to Trae during his rant Tuesday, "I think the Knicks are going to teach you a lesson."

The Kendall Jenner-Devin Booker relationship is still clearly going strong ... the "KUWTK" star hit up MSG to watch her man vs. the Knicks on Monday -- and the dude BALLED OUT for her!!

Kendall and some friends got box seats for the Suns game in New York ... and D Book certainly put on a show for them.

The 24-year-old NBA star scored 33 points in 41 minutes ... and led Phoenix to a 118-110 come-from-behind victory.

And, Kendall was clearly impressed ... cameras caught her smiling and giggling throughout the evening!!

The two began to get cozy about a year ago, when they were spotted on a road trip to Sedona ... and they've seemed to grow into quite the couple over the past 12 months.

They've been seen out on dates plenty of times ... with Kendall even posting a sappy pic of the duo for Valentine's Day last February.

As for any sort of "Kardashian Curse," there clearly ain't one here ... Devin is having a hell of a season with Kendall by his side, averaging 25.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game!!

You name a song after Tyler Herro, you get a Tyler Herro game-worn jersey!!

That's exactly what happened to Jack Harlow Monday night -- the rapper linked up with the Miami Heat star after they took on the Knicks ... and was gifted Herro's sweaty threads right off his back.

Of course, Harlow gave the 21-year-old sharp-shooter the ultimate shoutout in October 2020 with his single titled -- you guessed it -- "Tyler Herro."

In fact, Herro made a guest appearance in the music vid ... when Harlow says, "My homeboy, Tyler, he play in South Beach. He told me this summer he gon' fix my jumper."

Harlow -- who's fresh off performing the hit track on "Saturday Night Live" this past weekend -- decided to stay in town a few extra days to watch his buddy play at MSG ... all while mingling a bit more with 'SNL' star Pete Davidson.

Harlow and Herro got to chat after the game ... and posed for a pic on the court while Harlow held up his new gift.

BTW, Harlow picked a solid game to attend -- Herro racked up 18 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds in the 98-88 win for the Heat.

No word on whether Herro ever helped Harlow with his jumper ... but the rapper DID team up with Quavo to beat Lil Baby and 2 Chainz in a celeb game during All-Star weekend.

Life on the outside is proving to be GOOOOOD for Bobby Shmurda -- the formerly incarcerated rapper got the VIP treatment at the Brooklyn Nets game on Monday ... and a signed jersey from superstar James Harden!

The 26-year-old had been in custody since December 2014 after he was charged with conspiracy to murder and other gun charges.

In 2016, Shmurda copped a plea deal to conspiracy to possess weapons and possession of a weapon -- and was sentenced to 7 years in prison followed by 5 years probation.

He was released in February 2021 and immediately embraced by rap stars like Quavo. He also had a big presence during NBA All-Star Weekend.

And, the celebration continued Monday night at Barclay's Center where Shmurda enjoyed a VIP suite to watch the Nets take on the NY Knicks.

After Brooklyn secured the W, James Harden took off his game-worn jersey and presented it to Shmurda -- along with a personal message and signature on the threads.

Shmurda was so fired up about the gift, he went right to the media and showed it off while sporting that sick new gold chain he recently scooped up.

Charles Oakley's assault case against Madison Square Garden NY just got new life -- thanks to an appeals court ruling.

Remember, Oakley had sued MSG, owned by James Dolan, for assault, battery, defamation and other allegations stemming from the infamous Feb. 2017 incident when Dolan ordered Oakley to be removed from Madison Square Garden.

The case was dismissed in federal court in Feb. 2020 -- but now, an appeals court has ruled Oakley CAN proceed with the assault and battery portions of his suit.

So, why?

The appeals court believes the lower court didn't analyze Oakley's assault and battery claims correctly -- and he deserves a shot to put on evidence that MSG security used unreasonable force when they kicked him out.

Oakley says in his complaint that security roughed up him and repeatedly shoved him to the ground -- all while Oakley claimed he did nothing wrong.

Oakley is obviously happy his lawsuit can move forward -- telling TMZ Sports in a statement, "I am appreciative of the appeals court as I now have a chance to show the world what I said from day one was true."

"The truth is going to come out at trial and Dolan will be held responsible for what he did."

Oakley's attorney Douglas H. Wigdor also commented ... saying, "As we have always stated, Mr. Dolan and MSG acted improperly, and unlawfully, when they violently threw Mr. Oakley out of MSG without provocation."

"We are pleased that the Second Circuit has allowed Mr. Oakley to have his day in court and to finally be able to hold Mr. Dolan accountable for his actions."

"This is a great day for Knicks fans and fans of Mr. Oakley, and we look forward to the truth of what happened finally coming out."

Sources connected to the case tell us MSG is confident with its position -- noting 7 out of the original 9 claims were dismissed for the second time, including all claims against James Dolan.

We're told MSG believes it behaved appropriately in coordination with the NYPD and are confident in the final outcome.

"Just sell the damn team and shut up!"

That's U.S. Congressman Max Rose clapping back at NY Knicks owner James Dolan after the billionaire donated money to his political opponent ... after Rose called for Dolan to sell the team!!

It's a feud that escalated quickly right here on TMZ Sports -- and it's only getting nastier.

Rose -- a decorated war veteran and lifelong Knicks fan -- told us he's sick and tired of watching the Knicks suck ... and publicly called for Dolan to sell the damn team already!

Dolan -- who's banned fans from Madison Square Garden for urging him to sell -- clearly saw the clip and immediately began a campaign to support Rose's opponent, GOP Congressional candidate Nicole Malliotakis.

According to the NY Post, Dolan sent an email to friends bashing Rose and trying to rally support for Malliotakis.

"Max Rose thinks he can make our team and my ownership his political platform," Dolan said in the email obtained by The Post.

"I need to let him know that we will not stand for this. The best way to do this is to help his opponent. He is in a tight race for the US Congress in Staten Island. ... Please join me in helping Nicole defeat Max Rose for Congress."

So, we called up Rep. Rose ... and yeah, he had some thoughts!

"Well, we all know that Jim Dolan has the Midas Touch ... so I'm not exactly too concerned here. Look, I didn't make it political, he did! My message was simple: for the good of New York City to make the Knicks great again -- sell the damn team!"

"Think about what's been happening in the 21st century. On an aggregate basis, the Knicks have the worst record in the NBA and nonetheless, they have spent the most! What more signs do you need that this guy has been a world failure?"

"They've gone through over 10 coaches, a massive amount of executive staffs, trading players left and right. The only constant has been Jim Dolan. So, let's sell! This has been a tough year but in 2021, New York can turn the corner. Jim Dolan sell, we can say goodbye to Bill De Blasio and we can finally beat this pandemic."

There's more ... Rose also brings up Dolan's beef with NYK great Charles Oakley and warns Dolan, "I will not be silenced."

"Right now, this is an absolute disgrace!"

That's N.Y. congressman Max Rose going IN on Knicks owner James Dolan ... saying the dude should sell the team ASAP -- and adding he believes even our TMZ Sports camera guy could do a better job!!!

"They don't make the playoffs. Nothing's happening," Rose told us in an angry rant on Capitol Hill in D.C. "Every year that they don't make the playoffs, New York City loses out."

"We lose a piece of our soul. Sell tomorrow. Sell today. Do it for the good of all of us, brother!"

Rose continued, "Look, the Knicks got to stay. Dolan's just got to sell. Drives the team into the ground, man! It's disgraceful!"

Of course, Rose's remarks now beg the question ... will Dolan go after a congressman?!?!

You'll recall ... James does NOT take criticism lightly -- and has punted multiple fans recently from Madison Square Garden, including a "sell the team" heckler back in 2019.

Seems Rose's comments could put him in perma-ban territory as well ... which would make for an incredible storyline -- given, you know, Rose is a decorated war hero in addition to a congressman.

Top NBA draft prospect Cole Anthony ain't running from the dumpster fire that is the Knicks ... in fact, the former UNC star says he'd embrace being selected by NY!!!

"I mean, look," the projected 1st-round pick tells TMZ Sports, "hey, it would be cool!"

Of course, the Knicks are kind of in Anthony's genes ... his father, Greg Anthony, was drafted by NY back in 1991 and played with the team for the first 4 seasons of his lengthy NBA career.

But, the Knicks have devolved into a complete mess since Papa Anthony roamed Madison Square Garden ... and it's gotten so bad, a ton of free agents have passed on signing there the past couple years.

Cole, though, tells us he'd be fired up if the Knicks took him in October's draft ... adding he's going to give "everything I can" to any team that's willing to take a shot on him.

It'd make sense for the Knicks ... Cole was a MONSTER at UNC despite injuries last season -- he averaged 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 22 games for the Tar Heels.

By the way, Anthony -- who was out at Cove Lounge in NYC for an event to give back to children over the weekend -- also told us his old UNC teammates are fighting like hell to make sure there's a college basketball season this year.

NY Knicks player Taj Gibson is stepping up to help finance the funeral of Davell Gardner Jr. ... after the 1-year-old boy was tragically shot and killed in Brooklyn last week.

Gardner was shot around 11:30 PM on July 12 when two gunmen opened fire on a family barbecue at the Bedford-Stuyvesant playground. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died a short time after.

Gibson -- who also organized a peace walk against gun violence in Bed-Stuy after Gardner's death -- will pay for the pay the funeral and wake, a rep for the NBAer told the Brooklyn Paper.

The report also says the 35-year-old will work through his Taj Gibson Foundation to provide Gardner's family with additional financial support while dealing with the tragedy.

Gibson has been vocal against gun violence in his home city ... and uses his charity to help provide "resources and inspiration to the youth of New York City to help keep them healthy and to help them reach their full potential in life," according to its website.

Ex-Knicks stud Chris Childs is going off on James Dolan ... telling TMZ Sports the New York owner mishandled the Spike Lee situation and is turning the team into a JOKE!!!

"This has to stop because it's starting to be the laughingstock of the league," Childs says. "And, I hate to see that."

If you missed it, Lee and the Knicks spent all of Tuesday fighting over the entrance the movie mogul used at Monday night's game. In fact, the beef got so bad, Spike vowed to not return to MSG again this season.

We spoke with Childs -- who played with the Knicks from 1996-2001 -- and he's laying the blame for all of the drama squarely at Dolan's feet.

"Spike Lee has been coming to these game forever," Childs says. "If he wants to land a helicopter through the roof, let him!"

Childs added, "He hasn't done anything, but support that franchise when they're at their lowest. So, how do you embarrass that man like that with your flashlight cops? Tell him he can't use that entrance? And, that only comes from the top."

Childs says Dolan is allowing his personal feelings to get in the way of properly running the team ... and tells us the guy's issues with Lee, Charles Oakley and combative fans at MSG prove that.

"So, let's stop playing games," Childs says. "Keep it a buck. Dolan, you're in your feelings right now and you're just picking on everybody."

"It seems that he's so sensitive. He has rabbit ears. He hears everything and it gets to him."

Of course, Childs has had his own battle with Dolan in the past ... remember, back in 2017, he was famously not invited to the reunion of the 1998-99 Knicks squad.

More NY Knicks drama ... this time involving their biggest fan, Spike Lee -- who got into an altercation with security at MSG and told 'em, "You wanna arrest me like Charles Oakley?!"

The whole thing went down at Madison Square Garden right before the Knicks took on the Houston Rockets ... when security reportedly blocked Lee from using a restricted entrance into the building.

During the exchange (captured on video) you can hear Lee saying "no one told me" he wasn't allowed to use that particular entrance ... and he dug in his heels, "I'm staying right here."

A Knicks spokesperson has said the entrance was not designated for fans -- with sources saying it was supposed to be for media and staffers only.

The good news ... Lee met with Knicks' owner, James Dolan, and the two smoothed things over. And, even better for Lee and the Knicks, THEY ACTUALLY WON THE GAME!

The Knicks have been AWFUL this season -- one of the worst records in the NBA -- but they still manage to draw A-List celebs to their games ... including Chris Rock, Pete Davidson, Kenan Thompson and more.

In fact, NY Giants QB Daniel Jones and his RW, Sterling Shepard, were sitting courtside along with fellow NFL stud Jamal Adams.

Guess Michael Rapaport's call for celeb boycott ain't exactly workin' ...

As for the game, Knicks rookie RJ Barrett scored 27 points and Julius Randle had a 16-point, 16-rebound double-double to lead the team to a 125-123 win over Houston.

Bad news for Charles Oakley -- the ex-NBA star just lost his perfect excuse for skipping the lousy Knicks games ... 'cause Oak's getting welcomed back to Madison Square Garden!!

As we previously reported, the Knicks legend's lawsuit against his old team and James Dolan was dismissed earlier this week ... which initially stemmed from his public ejection from a game in 2017.

Of course, Oak was literally dragged out of the arena by several guards ... and hasn't stepped foot in MSG since.

After the legal victory, it seemed like Dolan was ready to put all the drama in the past ... saying, "Maybe now there can be peace between us."

First step in mending the relationship?? Getting Oakley back at Knicks games ... which became more of a possibility now that their legal battle is a thing of the past.

Is the war between Charles Oakley and James Dolan finally over??

The Knicks owner sure hopes so ... 'cause Dolan is calling for peace after Oak's lawsuit against him was dismissed on Wednesday.

Of course, Oakley sued Dolan and Madison Square Garden back in 2017 after Dolan sent security to physically remove the Knicks legend from the arena. He was dragged out and arrested in a wild scene captured on video.

Oakley sued for defamation, assault and false imprisonment claiming he was unfairly targeted by Dolan over unflattering public comments he made about the state of the Knicks.

At the time, MSG staffers claimed Oak was drunk during the incident -- which Oakley vehemently denied.

But, Dolan claimed victory on Wednesday when the federal judge ruled Oakley's case was weak and ultimately dismissed the lawsuit.

The judge explained his decision, saying, "From its inception, this case has had the feel of a public relations campaign, with the parties seemingly more interested in the court of public opinion than the merits of their legal arguments."

"That is perhaps understandable, given the personal and public nature of the dispute."

"But while basketball fans in general, and Knicks fans in particular, are free to form their own opinions about who was in the right and whether Oakley’s ejection was motivated by something more than the whims of the teams owner, the fact remains that Oakley has failed to allege a plausible legal claim that can meet federal pleading standards."

The Knicks released a statement on the dismissal ... saying, "We thank the court for its ruling. This was an incident that no one was happy about. Maybe now there can be peace between us."

So, will Oak and Dolan REALLY bury the hatchet???