NBA's Cameron Payne Arrested In Arizona ... Allegedly Gave False Report To Cops

Philadelphia 76ers guard Cameron Payne was arrested in Arizona on Friday morning, TMZ Sports has learned ... after cops claim he gave officers a false report.

According to the Scottsdale Police Department, authorities were called out to investigate a disturbance in Scottsdale at around 2:44 AM -- and came into contact with Payne and another individual.

It's unclear exactly what happened next -- cops did not give any further specific details -- although the SPD says Payne was arrested on the scene and booked on one charge of refusal to provide a truthful name and one count of false report to law enforcement.

Drew Gordon Ex-NBAer Dead At 33 After Car Crash ... Aaron Gordon's Brother

UPDATE

10:56 AM PT -- Officials say Drew Gordon was driving a three-wheel Vanderhall Carmel when he crashed with a GMC Sierra pickup around 1 PM on Thursday.

Gordon died at the scene, while the 25-year-old driver of the GMC and a passenger were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Officials say the preliminary investigation indicates Gordon's vehicle crossed the center line and made contact with the GMC ... and impairment does not appear to have played a role in the accident.

Former NBA player Drew Gordon -- the brother of Denver Nuggets star Aaron Gordon -- died in a car accident in Portland on Thursday. He was just 33 years old.

Gordon was a star athlete growing up in California ... earning All-American honors at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose.

He went on to play college ball at UCLA and the University of New Mexico for two seasons each ... and later signed with numerous professional clubs in Europe, before making his NBA debut with the Philadelphia 76ers in November 2014.

Saquon Barkley Claps Back At Angry New York Fans ... After Attending Sixers-Knicks In Philly

Saquon Barkley's goin' in on New York fans who were irked at his presence at the 76ers vs. Knicks game in Philadelphia Thursday night, with the NFL star telling the supporters of his former team to get over him jumping ship!

"It’s been two months… lol no way ya can still be this mad! Mf can’t even go to a basketball game 😂😂😂," 27-year-old Barkley tweeted on X after he was heckled for attending the game at the Wells Fargo Center in the City of Brotherly Love, where he sat courtside with Eagles WR A.J. Brown.

Of course, Barkley -- drafted by the G-Men in 2018 -- signed with the Eagles ... the Giants hated rivals, this offseason.

Tracy Morgan Gives Tyrese Maxey The Bird ... After Game-Tying Shot

The birds were flyin' at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday ... all thanks to diehard Knicks fan Tracy Morgan, who couldn't help but share his frustrations with Sixers star Tyrese Maxey by giving him the finger!!

The hilarious (not so much for New York fans) moment went down in the closing seconds of the Knicks' Game 5 matchup against Philadelphia ... when the former Kentucky Wildcat pulled up from behind the arc to tie things up at 97.

The shot completed the Sixers' late-game push ... coming back from down six in the last 30 seconds to force overtime.

Joel Embiid Pissed Knicks Fans Took Over Philly ... 'It's Not Okay!'

The Wells Fargo Center looked and sounded more like Madison Square Garden on Sunday ... 'cause Knicks fans took over the Sixers' arena for Game 4 of their NBA Playoff series -- and Joel Embiid's pissed!

The Knicks beat the Sixers, 97-92, taking a 3-1 series lead ... and their fanbase let their presence be known.

During the live broadcast, you could hear the Knicks faithful cheering -- louder than the Sixers fans -- as the Knicks won the pivotal game behind Jalen Brunson's epic 47-point performance.

Kelly Oubre Jr. Cops Launch Internal Affairs Investigation ... After Car Accident

Kelly Oubre Jr.'s recent car accident has raised some questions within the Philadelphia Police Department ... and now, an internal investigation has been launched.

TMZ Sports has learned -- the PPD's Internal Affairs Division is looking into the handling of Monday night's crash involving Oubre and another driver ... specifically officers' response and actions while at the scene.

As we previously reported, cops told us Oubre's Lamborghini ran a red light and hit a 2023 Hyundai Elantra ... with both cars being towed from the scene.

NBA's Kelly Oubre Jr. Considering Hiring Personal Driver ... After Car Accident

Philadelphia 76ers hooper Kelly Oubre Jr. is considering handing over the keys after his recent car accident ... revealing he's mulling over the idea of hiring a personal driver.

Oubre -- who had 15 points and 7 rebounds in Thursday night's Game 3 matchup -- spoke about his wreck after the Sixers' big win ... saying he's doing fine, but will likely make some drastic changes to his day-to-day as a result of the incident.

"Everything is good," the 28-year-old said, according to reports. "I'm okay. The people that were involved were okay, but I need to probably get a driver or something and just stay off the road and behind the wheel, but everything is good. I'm good."

Kelly Oubre Jr. Wrecks Lambo In Car Crash ... Hours After Game 2 Loss

Kelly Oubre Jr. lost a playoff game Monday night and then he lost his beloved car ... TMZ Sports has learned he wrecked his Lamborghini in a crash just hours after the Sixers fell to the Knicks in Game 2 of their postseason series.

The Philadelphia Police Dept. tells us the wreck happened at around 1:45 AM on Tuesday ... shortly after Oubre and the 76ers dropped a heartbreaker at Madison Square Garden, 104-101.

Cops say Oubre's 2021 matte purple Lambo "disregarded a red traffic signal" ... and plowed into a 2023 Hyundai Elantra.

Kelly Oubre Jr. Shades Knicks Ahead Of Playoffs Celeb Row Doesn't Care!!!

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NO LOVE FOR THE GAME

Philadelphia 76ers hooper Kelly Oubre Jr. just gave the New York Knicks some bulletin board material ahead of their playoff matchup ... claiming the famous fans at Madison Square Garden couldn't give two craps about the games.

KO fired off the hot take at Sixers practice on Friday ... initially praising the diehard supporters and the basketball atmosphere in the Big Apple -- before turning heel REAL quick.

"The fans are pretty crazy," Oubre told reporters. "They have a really good culture of being wild and loving basketball to the root and the core of it. It's definitely called the 'Mecca of Basketball' for a reason. The lights are super bright."

Philadelphia 76ers Unveil Iverson Statue ... That's It?!?

The 76ers just unveiled their new Allen Iverson statue ... and its stature has fans all across the NBA world scratching their heads -- wondering why the hell it's so small!!

Take a look at The Answer's new bust -- which Philadelphia officials just placed outside the Sixers' practice facility on Friday -- it's about the size of the Heisman Trophy!

In total, including its base, it appears to be less than six feet tall ... as AI -- who stands at 6'0 -- was quite literally at eye-level with it.

People who loved the Hall of Famer's game quickly took to social media to clown it ... with famed internet personality Jomboy writing, "Sixers promised Allen Iverson a statue and gave him a toy soldier."

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Shrunken Statue
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Added basketball reporter Jeff Goodman, "Where’s the rest of the statue???"

Iverson, though, didn't seem to have much of an issue with it ... when he spoke with reporters about the figurine, he called it a whale of honor.

And, to be fair, most of the statues that currently reside outside of the team’s Camden practice facility aren't all that big … for instance, Charles Barkley's is only a few inches taller than him.

But still, the internet wasn't pleased nonetheless.

It, of course, has been a rough year for NBA statue-makers ... as back in February, the Lakers revealed a sculpture honoring Kobe Bryant that was riddled with spelling errors.

The Miami Heat are in the works to erect a Dwyane Wade statue in the fall ... here's to hoping that one can avoid similar pitfalls.

Kelly Oubre Jr., Nick Nurse Fined $50k Each ... For Yelling At Refs

Philadelphia 76ers hooper Kelly Oubre Jr. and his head coach, Nick Nurse, are gonna have to write out a check to the NBA -- the two were just fined $50,000 each for going ballistic on referees after their 108-107 loss to the Clippers on Wednesday.

The matchup ended in quite the controversy -- the Sixers forward drove to the basket to attempt a game-winning bucket ... and despite making contact with Paul George, a foul wasn't called.

Oubre and Nurse were irate over the no-call after the buzzer -- Oubre even flipped the bird at the officials ... and Sixers staffers had to step in to keep the two from going further.

Many believe Oubre also pointed at each official and called them a "bitch."

Tsunami Papi admitted after the game he knew a fine was coming … and he was right -- 'cause the league handed down the punishment for "verbally abusing and directing an obscene gesture" at the officials.

Nurse's fine was for "aggressively pursuing and verbally abusing game officials."

Oubre shared his regret over his actions ... saying, "I want to apologize for just losing my cool … I just ask for forgiveness. It wasn't cool, so I'll take whatever penalties come with that."

While the financial punishment is nothing to scoff at, ex-NBA player Lou Williams predicted KO would actually get a heftier fine … saying, "This is $25,000 per bitch, without a doubt."

Oubre's gotta be thrilled his guess was wrong!!

Kelly Oubre Jr. Appears To Call Refs Bitches ... After Missed Call

A hefty fine is surely coming Kelly Oubre Jr.'s way -- the Philadelphia 76ers hooper absolutely unloaded on referees over a blown call at the end of Wednesday's game ... appearing to call them a bunch of bitches.

The Sixers' 108-107 loss to the LA Clippers ended in controversy ... when KO drove the lane in hopes of getting the lead in the final seconds of the contest, but made contact with Paul George instead.

Oubre and Sixers coach Nick Nurse were both LIVID over the non-call after the buzzer ... yelling at officials and needing to be restrained.

The internet lipreaders seemed to figure out what Oubre said in the confrontation ... claiming Oubre pointed at Kevin Scott, Brandon Adair and JB DeRosa individually and said, "you're a bitch, you're a bitch, you're a bitch."

It didn't stop there -- some believe Oubre even started talking about their relatives ... also referring to them as bitches.

Some on the internet have felt the 28-year-old's frustration was perhaps warranted ... as Scott admitted after the game a foul should've been called on the play.

Despite being technically right, Oubre expressed remorse for his actions in the locker rooms ... saying, "I want to apologize for just losing my cool, because that's something I try to work on each and every day, and try to represent God in the best way I possibly can, and that wasn't it."

"So I just ask for forgiveness."

Oubre added he will accept any penalty handed his way.

Danny Green de la NBA Si Curry se postulara a presidente... ¡¡¡Votaría por él!!!

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Yo votaría por él
TMZSports.com

Si Steph Curry incursionara en política después de terminar su carrera, ya tendría un voto de Danny Green porque el jugador de la NBA le dijo a TMZ Sports que el país podría usar a alguien de la liga en el gobierno, así que ¿por qué no Steph?

Curry mencionó la posibilidad de presentarse durante una entrevista que se emitió en "CBS Mornings" esta semana, afirmando que está abierto a una posición en el gobierno después de que se termine su carrera con Golden State.

Green -un veterano de la NBA que jugó para los 76ers esta temporada- dijo que Curry es el candidato perfecto de la liga para un puesto así y que apoyaría en un 100 por ciento al Splash Brother si viera su nombre en una papeleta.

"Si alguien de nuestra liga va a representarnos de esa manera, sería él", dijo el jugador de 36 años. "Yo votaría por él".

"Hace las cosas bien", continuó Green. "Un tipo espiritual, con fe, que usa su plataforma para grandes cosas. Es un buen ser humano. ¿Cómo puedes odiar a Steph Curry?".

Green continuó elogiando a la estrella de los Warriors por incluso considerar una carrera en política, señalando que no es exactamente la ruta más fácil después del baloncesto.

¡Green también nos dijo qué jugador de la NBA le gustaría ver como compañero de Curry y, convenientemente, uno de los chicos que mencionó es uno de los antiguos compañeros de equipo de Steph!

NBA's Danny Green If Curry Ran For POTUS ... 'I'd Vote For Him!!!'

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I'd Vote For Him
TMZSports.com

If Steph Curry gets into politics after his career ends, he's already got a vote from Danny Green ... 'cause the NBA player tells TMZ Sports the country could use someone from the league in office -- so why not Steph?!

Curry mentioned the possibility of running during an interview that aired on "CBS Mornings" this week, claiming he's open to a position in the government after his run with Golden State ends.

Green -- a longtime NBA veteran who played for the 76ers this season -- said Curry is the perfect candidate from the league for a gig like that ... and he would 100 percent support the Splash Brother if he saw his name on a ballot.

"If anybody from our league is gonna represent us in that fashion, it'd be him," the 36-year-old said. "I'd vote for him."

"He does things the right way," Green continued. "Spiritual guy, faith, uses his platform for great things. He's a good human being. How can you hate Steph Curry?"

Green went on to praise the Warriors star for even considering a career in politics ... noting it ain't exactly the easiest post-basketball route to take.

Green also told us which NBA player he'd like to see be Curry's running mate ... and, fittingly, one of the guys he mentioned is one of Steph's old teammates!

LeBron James Slams Joel Embiid Critics After Injury ... Where's Your Apology?!?

LeBron James is fuming over the Joel Embiid knee injury news -- slamming all the talking heads who criticized the Sixers star for missing games ... and calling on them to admit they were wrong.

The reigning MVP suffered a lateral meniscus injury in his left knee during Philly's game against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday ... and it was later announced he'd be sidelined at least through the weekend as the team figures out how to treat the ailment.

29-year-old Embiid had missed multiple games due to soreness in that same knee ... and at the time, several analysts ripped him and questioned the legitimacy behind his reason for sitting.

Now that Embiid is out an undisclosed amount of time and at risk of missing out on MVP contention due to the league's requirements for award eligibility ... LeBron is shining a light on the folks who had it completely wrong.

King James went to social media to voice his frustrations ... saying, "Where are all the media outlets, tv media personalities, hot takes that talked so much 💩 about Joel Embiid about missing those games when he knew what he was dealing with."

"Now he’s out with an injury because of it. Not 1 person has went back on tv or their dumbass podcast and apologized to that MAN!! No accountability 🗑️🗑️🗑️"

Embiid has played in 34 games so far this season ... and if he misses four more contests, he will lose his shot at top league honors -- despite averaging 35 points, 11 rebounds and nearly six assists.

James clearly wants Embiid to get more respect ... but he may not want to hold his breath if he thinks anyone's gonna backtrack on their takes.

Ex-NBA Player Eric Montross Dead At 52 ... After Cancer Battle

Eric Montross -- the ninth overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft -- has passed away after a battle with cancer, his family announced Monday.

He was just 52 years old.

Montross was a star for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels ... winning a national championship in 1993 before playing eight seasons in the pros for the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors.

"The family of Eric Montross (Laura, Sarah, Andrew, and Megan) is announcing that he passed away on Sunday, December 17, surrounded by loved ones at his home in Chapel Hill," a statement released by UNC said.

"Eric was diagnosed with cancer in March 2023, and his family is grateful for the tremendous support and the truly overwhelming love expressed by so many people as he battled with his signature determination and grace."

"They also thank the many members of the medical community -- and particularly those at UNC Lineberger Cancer Center -- who matched his fight with equal passion. To know Eric was to be his friend, and the family knows that the ripples from the generous, thoughtful way that he lived his life will continue in the lives of the many people he touched with his deep and sincere kindness."

Montross was an All-American for UNC ... and received All-ACC honors in 1993 and 1994.

He scored 2,071 points and recorded 2,159 rebounds over the course of his NBA career ... and went on to provide color commentary for Tar Heels basketball games after announcing his retirement in 2003.