Washington Wizards

Another Washington Wizards player has backed out of the NBA's restart in Orlando ... this time, All-Star guard Bradley Beal has officially opted out of the bubble due to a shoulder injury.

As we previously reported, Wizards breakout star Davis Bertans recently elected to sit out the remainder of the season to focus on free agency ... with an expected big payday on the horizon.

The team will have to move forward without the league's 2nd-leading scorer ... with Washington making the call to pull Beal from the restart later this month.

"This was a difficult decision and one that I did not take lightly as the leader of this team," Beal said in a statement. "I wanted to help my teammates compete for a playoff spot in Orlando, but also understand that this will be best for all of us in the long term."

The Wizards say Beal had been dealing with a nagging right rotator cuff injury all season ... and it only got worse during the hiatus.

Many believe the news puts the final nail in the coffin for Washington's chances at a playoff run. The team is currently 9th in the Eastern Conference -- 5.5 games behind the Orlando Magic -- with 8 games left to jump into postseason contention.

With Beal and Bertans out of the restart, the Wizards' next-leading scorer is 22-year-old Rui Hachimura ... who averages 13.4 points a game.

LET'S DO THE IMPOSSIBLE, RUI!!! WE BELIEVE IN YOU!!!!

Beal was originally intending to join the team in Orlando ... but will now stay home to focus on rehab.

If the Washington Wizards are gonna make a long-shot run for the NBA playoffs, it'll be without one of their best players ... 'cause Davis Bertans has decided to skip the restart in Orlando.

The 27-year-old Latvian star is set to have a HUGE offseason in free agency ... and considering D.C. has a slim chance at making noise when the season picks back up, Adrian Wojnarowski reports Bertans will sit out the restart.

As of right now, the Wizards are sitting at 9th in the Eastern Conference ... 5.5 games behind the Orlando Magic with 8 games left to jump into playoff contention.

Bertans -- who is averaging 15 points with a 43% 3-point percentage -- will be one of the most sought-after free agents during the offseason ... and given his history of ACL injuries, the move makes sense.

The decision will be costly to Bertans' bank account though ... he'll miss out on $604,752 (about $75k a game) according to Bobby Marks.

Bertans is one of the first players to publicly decide to sit out the season restart ... and more will be expected before the June 24 deadline.

Michael Jordan is the one player EVERY hooper in NBA history wished they had the chance to team with during their careers ... right??

Nope!!! So says Jerry Stackhouse ... who reveals being Jordan's teammate actually SUCKED in 2002 ... and he wished it never happened.

"Honestly, I wish I never played in Washington and for a number of reasons," Stackhouse said on "The Woj Pod."

"It was really challenging to be able to be in a situation with an idol who at this particular point, I felt like I was a better player," Stack said.

It may sound crazy for JS to say he was ever better than the G.O.A.T. ... but let's remember, MJ was NOT the real MJ we all know and love during his Wizards days.

Jerry points out the season was off to a better start because the offense was running through him ... and then MJ had to take over.

"He wanted to get a little more isolations on the post, of course, so we had more isolations for him on the post."

To add insult to injury ... Stackhouse's old team, the Detroit Pistons, ended up winning the title 2 years after he was traded to D.C. ... and the Wizards never sniffed the playoffs.

Stackhouse says he never really had much fun that season ... and ended up losing respect for Jordan.

It's been nearly 14 months since John Wall has stepped foot on an NBA court ... but he tells TMZ Sports he's learned a VERY valuable lesson during his time away from the game.

The Washington Wizards superstar ruptured his Achilles back at the beginning of 2019 after falling in his D.C. home ... and has been working like crazy to get back to 100%.

We spoke with Wall about his time away from the game ... and he's got some solid advice for players in similar situations.

"I learned what not to do is not to rush back and just take my time," Wall says.

Of course, Wall has been going viral for being able to dunk in pregame warm-ups recently ... which appears to be a good sign for recovery ... but the 29-year-old makes it clear he ain't coming back 'til he's fully ready to ball.

An NBA player being compared to Charles Barkley isn't always a good thing -- especially when it comes to golf ... because Mortiz Wagner is giving Chuck a run for his money for WORST SWING EVER!!!

NO EXAGGERATION -- THIS DUDE IS A PRO ATHLETE AND COULDN'T HIT THE BROADSIDE OF A BARN!!!

Here's the deal ... 22-year-old Mortiz joined the rest of his Washington Wizards teammates for an outing at Top Golf in Virginia on Monday -- and saying it went poorly for Wagner is a gross understatement.

Watch the vid ...the 6'11" power forward missed so badly, he nearly took a chunk out of the floor mat ... and his Mulligan swing wasn't much better.

But, is it worse than Barkley??? Watch and compare ...

And, get this, Mo's swing was so terrible ... Wagner's ex-Lakers teammate, Josh Hart, went to social media to make fun of him.

"Bro what is this...." Hart wrote.

Wagner tried to defend his painful assault on golf balls by firing back, "This was literally my worst try. I hit that thing over the net one time I swear."

Sure, Mo ...

As for the Hart-Wagner rivalry ... the two have been good for a TON of laughs over the last year -- remember when Josh got after Mo for his Michigan ring last season?!?

You're looking at the face of Cup Noodles ... the biggest star to come out of Japan in years -- NBA rookie Rui Hachimura -- who's telling TMZ Sports why he's PUMPED to get his NBA career going in the U.S. 

The 21-year-old became the first Japanese-born player selected in the 1st round of the NBA Draft when the Washington Wizards took him with the 9th overall pick ... and man, he looks stoked! 

And, get this ... we asked Rui if he feels any pressure now that he's in the NBA, dude SCOFFED -- telling us his rabid fan base back home has already prepared him for NBA superstardom. 

"It's been always like this," Rui said ... "but right now especially its crazy."

The 6' 8" Hachimura gained a massive following playing for Gonzaga ... making an Elite 8 run in 2019 and earning the West Coast Conference 2019 Player of the Year honors. 

He signed a massive deal to endorse both Cup Noodles and Nike -- and you can tell he's fired up about it! 

Ex-Lakers player Dwight Howard doesn't think the drama in LakerLand is a big deal -- in fact, he thinks it's all being blown out of proportion because "it's just business."

We got Dwight leaving Catch in West Hollywood over the weekend -- and had to ask him if saw any Lakers front office dysfunction during his 1 season stint with the team in 2012-13.

"It's part of basketball," Howard told us ... "It's just business. Not drama. It's just business."

In other words, Howard doesn't seem too shocked by the situation in L.A. -- almost like he's seen stuff like this with other organizations too and Dwight would know ... he's played for 6 teams.

We also asked Howard about the back injury that sidelined him for most of last season -- and he told us things are on the upswing.

"It's solid. I'll be good ... just continue to get right."

Howard only played 9 games this season before undergoing season-ending spinal surgery to relieve pain in his glutes.

Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Jalen Mills is apologizing after being arrested for fighting an NBA player in the streets of Washington D.C. this weekend ... and he swears it won't happen again!

As we previously reported ... the NFLer was arrested early Saturday morning after cops say he beat up Washington Wizards player Devin Robinson outside Opera Ultra Lounge.

FYI, Mills is 6'0", 191 pounds ... Robinson is 6'8", 200 pounds.

Cops say Robinson was reportedly transported to a nearby hospital to be treated for injuries suffered in the brawl. The Wizards have said they will be parting ways with Robinson.

Now, Mills is breaking his silence on the incident ... saying, "In response to the events that took place last weekend, I want to sincerely apologize to the Philadelphia Eagles organization, my coaches, teammates and my fans."

One person is notably missing from apology list -- DEVIN ROBINSON!!!!!

Still, Mills says to his fans, "I can assure you this will not happen again."

After the incident, the Eagles issued a statement saying they're aware of the situation and looking to get more info. So far, they have not said if Mills will be punished by the team but it seems likely.

As for Robinson, details about his injuries and current condition are unknown.

Mills was a key part of the Eagles' 2017 Super Bowl team -- and had 9 tackles in the big game.

Two professional athletes from the NBA and NFL, respectively, were busted by cops this weekend after allegedly getting into a brawl on the street.

Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Jalen Mills and Washington Wizards forward Devin Robinson were both arrested early Saturday morning outside of the Opera Ultra Lounge in D.C. and cited for disorderly affray, which is cop talk to fighting in public.

It's unclear if either of the men were sent to jail, but Devin was reportedly taken to a hospital afterward.

According to a police report, obtained by the AP, Jalen and Devin were involved in a verbal altercation which escalated into a physical altercation on the sidewalk adjacent to Opera. No official word on what exactly led up to the alleged fight, but reports have come out suggesting Devin was pissed Jalen was in town ... but didn't play for a D.C. team.

Both players will probably feel the fallout of their alleged actions -- especially Devin, who's already out of a job next season.

The Wizards released a statement saying they wouldn't be extending Devin a contract for the 2019-20 season. He played seven games for the Wizards this year but mostly spent time playing in the G League.

Kwame Brown is callin' BS on the NBA's one-and-done rule ... telling TMZ Sports, "To tell a young man he can go shoot a gun but he can't go earn a living, that, to me, doesn't make any sense."

Of course, the infamous NBA rule is back making headlines this year after Zion Williamson made it emphatically clear in just a few weeks at Duke he was ready for the pros.

But, the league still has its draft rule in place -- saying players need to spend a year in college before they can play for one of its 30 teams -- and thus, Zion remains a Blue Devil.

Enter 37-year-old Brown -- who went straight from high school to being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft when he was selected by the Washington Wizards.

Brown thinks the 1-and-done rule is just ridiculous -- telling us there's simply no place for it in today's society.

"Free enterprise," Kwame says ... "Go and get that money."

As for Brown ... we had to ask if he regrets not going to college straight outta high school given his NBA career didn't flourish the way he expected it to -- and his answer was a big, fat HELL NO!!!

"Factor out the numbers, I know economics," Kwame tells us ... "I own four companies!"

It's been 2 weeks since Bobby Portis was traded to the Washington Wizards, but the dude is clearly still upset with the Chicago Bulls ... telling TMZ Sports how the team straight "blindsided" him.

"I was very disappointed," Porter tells us ... "I was getting ready for a game, not knowing it was gonna happen ... you know, getting blindsided."

"But, I'm just happy to be with a team now that really wants me. I can't wait to get back started."

The 24-year-old was drafted by the Bulls in the 1st round of the 2015 NBA Draft -- and obviously felt he would be a Bull for a long time.

But, Chicago sent him packing in a deal for Otto Porter Jr. -- and now Portis is focused on settling in with his new team in his new city.

"They have a good basketball culture here," Portis said ... "I'm just happy to be a part of it."

By the way, the Wizards are only 2 games out of the playoff race -- and Portis is optimistic they can make a serious run.

They boycotted #45 ... but the Golden State Warriors got LOTS of love for #44 -- with the entire team meeting with Barack Obama on Thursday before taking the court against the Wizards.

Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and the rest of the squad met with President Obama at his Washington D.C. office ... and then posed for a group photo afterward.

Unclear what they all talked about -- but after the game, Durant told the media, "It was amazing."

Draymond described the meeting this way to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne -- "A private team meeting, team event, it was good."

Of course, the Warriors famously boycotted the White House after winning the NBA Championship in 2017 ... after visiting Obama in 2016 and 2015.

Durant previously told TMZ Sports, "We don't f*ck with [Trump]."

They DO, however, like Nancy Pelosi ... the Speaker of the House not only attended the Warriors vs. Wizards game on Thursday -- she also met with players after the game, including Draymond.

By the way, the Warriors won the game 126 to 118.

11:51 AM PT -- Enes Kanter has just responded ... saying Hedo is the "delusional" one because his information is WRONG and Enes has the documents to prove it.

He also referred to Hedo as "Erdogan's lap dog."

Here's the statement ...

"This is my travel document: It’s NOT a visa issue!!! I CAN go to London. Either you are delusional, or still Erdogan’s lap dog.. Keep wagging your tail."

Ex-NBA player Hedo Turkoglu is going OFF on fellow Turkish hooper Enes Kanter -- claiming Enes is "delusional" and "irrational" if he REALLY thinks the Turkish government is plotting to kill him.

Kanter has been beefing with Turkey president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for years -- often comparing Erdogan to Hitler. Kanter has been branded a terrorist in Turkey and is reportedly facing prison time if he ever returns.

Just last week, Kanter said he would not be traveling with the NY Knicks to the U.K. to play the Wizards out of concern he would be more susceptible to Turkish assassins who want him dead.

Enter Turkoglu ... the President of the Turkish Basketball Federation who just came out SWINGING at Kanter -- saying Enes' story is flat-out wrong and dangerous.

"I received with concern the news about the delusions targeting the Republic of Turkey of Enes Kanter, who pledged his loyalty to the ringleader of Fetullashist Terrorist Organization (FETO), and his statement that he would miss the game in London due to fears of being assassinated by Turkey."

"We know that he has not been able to travel to many countries due to visa issues since 2017. In other words, Kanter cannot enter the U.K. not because of fears for life as he claims but due to passport and visa issues. This being the long known truth, he is trying to get the limelight with irrational justifications and political remarks."

"Such remarks constitute another example of the political smear campaign Kanter has been conducting against Turkey as well as his efforts to attribute importance to himself by covering up the contradictions in his sports career."

"Kanter not only targeted the Republic of Turkey, governed by the rule of law, with unjust accusations but he also regarded the British security forces as weak and attempted to harm Turkish-British relations."

"It is obvious that this person's remarks are irrational and distort the truth."

Trevor Ariza ain't making any bold predictions about his new team ... 'cause when he landed in D.C. after being traded Sunday -- he told TMZ Sports he has no idea if the Wizards can win the East!!!

Ariza was sent packing by the Suns in a trade over the weekend ... and when we got the NBA star after he touched down at Dulles -- he said he has no expectations for his new squad yet.

"Shoot, I don't know. I'm just getting here, bruh!"

Seems Trevor's already a good luck charm ... the Wizards scored one of their biggest wins of the season Sunday night, beating LeBron James' Lakers, 128-110.

Pete Davidson gets by with a little help from his friends ... and courtside seats at the Knicks game.

The 'SNL' star looked like he was really enjoying himself Monday night at Madison Square Garden, as he watched his NY Knicks take on the visiting Washington Wizards. Pete was smiling and having a drink while seated next to his pals -- comedian John Mulaney and actress Chloe Sevigny.

Not sure who the guy in the Washington shirt is, but he should be happier now ... his team won.

Pete's good time came hours after he addressed online the public bullying he's been dealing with since his relationship with Ariana Grande began ... and after it ended. Pete blasted the trolls for harassing him, saying ... "No matter how hard the internet or anyone tries to make me kill myself. I won't."

Grande responded online early this morning, telling her fans to "be gentler" with Pete and others ... saying she cares deeply about Davidson and his health. She added ... "I will always have irrevocable love for him and if you've gotten any other impression from my recent work, you might have missed the point."

How do NBA superstars prep for the regular season?? If you're John Wall, you dance your freakin' face off at the club ... and TMZ Sports has the video!!

Two nights before the Wizards' season kicks off, the All-Star guard hit up The Park at 14th Tuesday night for one final rager ... straight-up gettin' it while Lil Wayne's "Uproar" blasts in the speakers.

You can see in the footage Wall is having a blast -- dancing with everyone right in front of the DJ booth and sippin' on some Ciroc with the owner of the club.

Wall's famous for his dance moves -- and Troop 41 even released a song dedicated and inspired by his trademark dance.