Basketball

Nia Long is finally breaking her silence on the cheating scandal involving her fiancé, suspended Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka -- saying she was devastated when the news broke two months ago ... and still is.

As we previously reported, Udoka -- hired as the Celtics HC last year -- was shelved for the entire 2022-23 season in September ... after having an inappropriate relationship with a female staff, violating team policy.

Long -- who got engaged to Udoka in 2015 and has an 11-year-old son with the coach -- hasn't spoken publicly about the scandal until recently doing an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

"I think the most heartbreaking thing about all of this was seeing my son’s face," the actress said, "when the Boston Celtics organization decided to make a very private situation public."

"It was devastating, and it still is."

The "Friday" actress -- who did not discuss her relationship status with Udoka -- also called out the Celtics for not reaching out when they revealed the personal details of the scandal.

"If you're in the business of protecting women — I’m sorry, no one from the Celtics organization has even called to see if I’m OK, to see if my children are OK. It’s very disappointing.”

In spite of that, Long said she had "a tribe of women and men" instead ... protecting and comforting her through this difficult time.

Plus, Long is looking forward to directing her first film ... and it's a love story.

"I have to commit myself to that because I think sometimes when so much is happening, it takes your breath away and then it’s like you’re holding your breath, and you feel this angst and this panic of constantly being in fight-or-flight survival mode," Long said.

Vanderbilt head coach Jerry Stackhouse was ejected after completely going off on referees during their game on Wednesday ... so bad that he had to be escorted off the court by security!!

The former NBA star -- who started coaching Vandy in 2019 -- went berserk after his center Liam Robbins received a tech for tapping his head while celebrating a dunk in the 2nd half of their away game at VCU.

You can see Stackhouse furiously calling out the refs over the call ... receiving a tech for the blowup, which of course pissed him off even more.

That's when Stackhouse got in referee Bart Lennox's face right in the middle of the court ... and it got so intense that Vandy's coaching staff had to restrain him.

That was enough to get Stackhouse ejected ... and escorted to the locker room by security.

The 48-year-old spoke about the incident during his postgame press conference ... saying the officials need to do better overall.

"I thought tonight's game was poorly officiated," Stackhouse said.

"Kids gon make gestures during the course of the game when they have big plays. I felt like that was one that shouldn't have been called on my guy at that juncture in the game."

To make matters worse, the Commodores lost 70-65 to the Rams ... but Stackhouse isn't placing the blame at his player's feet.

"I don't think that tonight's loss was self-inflicted. I felt like this was a poorly officiated game, and they need to be better."

The Lakers might need to switch up their promotional giveaways at this point ... 'cause yet another fan sank a half-court shot at Wednesday's game -- resulting in a $25,000 payday!!

The unbelievable moment went down during a break in the action at Crypto.com Arena ... when the man selected for the MGM Rewards Big Shot Jackpot pulled up from deep -- and drained the shot!!

The dude fell to his knees to soak in the moment ... before getting back up and hyping the crowd.

It's a helluva shot, but it's even more insane considering what went down at Tuesday's game.

Remember, a fan went ballistic just two days ago after succeeding in the same challenge ... which came with a fat $75k check. The bucket had the Lakers players going wild ... with Anthony Davis giving the guy a big hug.

The probability of this happening AGAIN is so slim ... especially when most participants can't even make it to the end of the court, let alone come close to nailing the shot.

The scoring continued for LeBron James and Co. ... with the Purple & Gold running away with the 128-109 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

LeBron James went after media members following the Lakers' win on Wednesday night ... blasting them for not asking about the racial controversy engulfing Jerry Jones -- while wondering why they were so "quick to ask us questions" about the Kyrie Irving drama earlier this year.

The NBA star unleashed the scolding unprompted after reporters had just finished peppering him with questions about L.A.'s 128-109 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

"I got one question for you guys before you guys leave," the 37-year-old said. "I was thinking when I was on my way over here, I was wondering why I haven't gotten a question from you guys about the Jerry Jones photo."

Of course, 'Bron is referring to the 1957 picture that resurfaced last week ... showing the Dallas Cowboys owner as a teenager standing with a group of white classmates who were trying to prevent six Black students from entering an Arkansas school.

"When the Kyrie [Irving] thing was going on, you guys were quick to ask us questions about that," James said ... before continuing, "When I watch Kyrie talk and he says, 'I know who I am, but I want to keep the same energy when we're talking about my people and the things that we've been through,' and that Jerry Jones photo is one of those moments that our people, Black people, have been through in America."

"And I feel like as a Black man, as a Black athlete, as someone with power and a platform, when we do something wrong, or something that people don't agree with, it's on every single tabloid, every single news coverage, it's on the bottom ticker. It's asked about every single day."

As you know, Kyrie came under fire earlier this month after he tweeted out a link to an antisemitic film. He refused to apologize for it for days ... and, as a result, the Brooklyn Nets guard was suspended for eight games. LeBron addressed the issue multiple times, saying his former Cavaliers teammate "caused some harm to a lot of people" ... but claimed the punishment was excessive.

Jones, meanwhile, has been under siege the last few days ... after The Washington Post published the controversial photo of him last week. The 80-year-old, though, has avoided any punishment from the NFL ... while denying any participation in barring the black students from the school. He said he was simply a curious observer.

He added during a Monday radio interview, "I think the key thing is, for me, is that it's a misread if you think that I don't recognize how monumental those days were."

Prince William and Kate Middleton spent their first night in the U.S. at a Celtics game, as one Royal controversy has exploded and another is on the way.

The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge were front and center at the Celtics game Wednesday night against the Miami Heat -- they're in town for Friday's Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony ... created by William to find solutions for global warming.

When they popped up on the jumbotron, there was a smattering ... maybe more than a smattering of boos. Now we all know that's the way Boston fans roll, but their appearance came just hours after William's Godmother, Lady Susan Hussey, stepped down from her Royal duties after asking some racist questions at an event.

And, then there's Harry and Meghan ... hours after the game Netflix dropped a trailer for their upcoming documentary, and it's clear as day they're going after the fam. Harry says, "No one sees what goes on behind closed doors. I had to do everything I could to protect my family."

The two brothers will NOT see each other during William's 3-day stay in the States. So much for a reconciliation after the Queen's death.

The controversial, antisemitic film Kyrie Irving shared on Twitter -- "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America!" -- is not being removed from Amazon ... says company CEO Andy Jassy.

"As a retailer of content to hundreds of millions of customers with a lot of different viewpoints, we have to allow access to those viewpoints, even if they are objectionable — objectionable and they differ from our particular viewpoints, Jassy said, who is Jewish, at The New York Times' DealBook Summit in New York City.

Jassy's comments come in the face of the retail giant facing public backlash for still carrying the book and film on its platform, which Irving shared last month.

"The reality is that we have very expansive customer reviews," he continued ... "For books with a lot of attention — especially public attention — customers do a good job monitoring other people."

Jassy told the New York Times it's a slippery slope when deciding what type of content should no longer be sold on the platform ... adding instances where violence or pedophilia is being encouraged is more "straightforward."

Of course, Jassy's comments aren't going to sit well with Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), who publicly campaigned for Amazon to join Barnes & Noble in taking the book/film down.

Dwyane Wade is going after his ex-wife again over her decision to try to block their daughter's name and gender change ... this time calling Siohvaughn Funches-Wade's objection to the court petition both "libelous" and "nonsensical."

Wade spelled it all out in new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, saying his 15-year-old daughter, who is transgender, should be allowed to legally change her name and gender ... despite Funches-Wade's objection filed earlier this month.

Wade argues in the docs it's all in Zaya's "best interest" ... saying, "A court order affirming her identity will allow Zaya to live more comfortably and honestly in all aspects of her life -- from simple introductions and food orders, to applying for a driver's license and filling out college applications."

He added in the docs, "This petition is about allowing Zaya to take on the milestones of being a young adult with confidence and joy."

Earlier this month, Funches-Wade argued in court documents that the move should barred ... alleging, among other things, that Dwyane "may be pressuring our child to move forward with the name and gender change in order to capitalize on the financial opportunities that he has received from companies."

Dwyane called the allegations B.S. in a social media post shortly afterward ... and he expounded on that opinion further in Tuesday's filing.

"Siohvaughn's allegations are libelous at their core, and are, at best, nonsensical," Wade's attorneys wrote in the docs. "Dwyane filed this Petition because Zaya asked him to."

A fan had the time of his life at the Lakers game on Monday night -- he hit an epic half-court shot, won $75,000 ... AND got a hug from L.A. superstar Anthony Davis!!!

It all went down at Crypto.com Arena during the Lake Show's contest with the Pacers ... when L.A. officials invited a man wearing a black Lakers-fitted cap to shoot his shot at a $75K cash prize during a break in the action.

The fan took one dribble, got a running start -- and then heaved up the basketball that somehow found nothing but the net!

The dude then did his best Justin Jefferson impersonation, hitting "The Griddy" all over the court ... while high-fiving courtside fans.

AD was so happy the guy got the cash ... the Lakers big man had to join in the celly too -- throwing his arms around the fan near center court.

Unfortunately for the guy and the rest of the Lakers supporters in attendance, the half-court shot was just about the only highlight of the evening ... as L.A. blew a 17-point lead to lose the game 116-115.

A U.S. Marine Corps vet was the star of the show at the Laker game on Monday ... when she filled her prosthetic leg with beer and chugged it on video!!

The whole thing was displayed on the scoreboard during L.A.'s matchup against the Indiana Pacers ... when Annika Hutsler took advantage of her very first NBA game in epic fashion.

The fans in attendance clearly loved the stunt ... cheering her on as she downed her drink.

The move resulted in Hutsler earning the title of "fan of the game" ... which came with a $100 gift card.

Hutsler -- who enlisted in the USMC in 2017 -- decided to have her leg amputated in 2019 after several attempts to have a tumor removed from her foot ... and has since transitioned to careers in acting, modeling and sports.

In fact, she won silver medals in the 100-meter and 200-meter wheelchair races at the U.S. Department of Defense Warrior Games.

Brittney Griner will face horrific conditions during her time in a Russian prison ... with environments that will include homophobia, racism and 16-hour work days.

According to The Nation's Dave Zirin, prisoners in Mordovia -- where Griner was taken to earlier this month -- are barely treated like humans.

Bigotry is commonplace, medical care is nearly nonexistent ... and, Zirin says, inmates are expected to sew the uniforms for police and guards.

In fact, it's unclear if Griner will even get a bed that will fit her 6-foot-8 frame.

Musician Nadya Tolokonnikova, a founder of the feminist group Pussy Riot, spent two years in Mordovia following a 2012 arrest, and per Zirin, described the place as hell, where "beatings and torture" are common.

Griner's camp, however, has insisted the WNBA star is trying to remain brave in the face of it all ... saying in a statement following her move to Mordovia earlier this month that "Brittney is doing as well as could be expected."

"Despite the fact she is alone and now nearing her ninth month in detention separated from her loved ones," her reps said, "she is trying to stay strong."

Griner has been detained in Russia since February after she was accused of bringing hashish oil in her luggage to a Moscow airport. In August, she was sentenced to nine years in prison. An appeal of that sentence was denied in October.

Pete Davidson and Emily Ratajkowski have gone as public as you possibly can in Hollywood -- attending an NBA game together ... sitting courtside, no less.

The new couple -- who've been maintaining a relatively low profile lately -- blew the doors wide open Sunday by crashing the New York Knicks' showdown with the Grizzlies, snagging the best seats in the house ... and not trying to hide the fact they were a pair whatsoever.

While there didn't seem to be any obvious PDA between them ... Em and Pete were all smiles, and not shying away from cameras either. In fact, the Knicks' own Twitter account posted a photo of them cheesin' it up, and tagging EmRat too.

It's pretty funny ... their presence was actually acknowledged during the broadcast, although the TV guys didn't seem to know who Emily was, 'cause they skipped over in the namedrop.

They also didn't seem to know PD all that well either ... completely butchering his name.

They were sitting next to Ben Stiller and Jordin Sparks -- so there was a lot of star power in the house. But for Pete and Emily to pop is a big deal, seeing how they've seemingly been trying to lay low as they've hit the town in and around NYC.

They were spotted hanging 2 weeks ago in Brooklyn -- the first time they'd been seen on camera amid rumors they were linking up. Pete did something similar with Kim Kardashian ... trying to keep it on the DL for a while, then finally embracing the spotlight.

Seems like he's fast-tracking things this time around, though ... nothing says we're dating like a night out at MSG during primetime TV.

Say hello to the hottest new item in the Big Apple!

Kobe Bryant's 19-year-old daughter is getting court-ordered protection from an alleged stalker ... who her team says has an obsession with her and with guns.

Natalia Bryant got a judge to sign off on a temporary restraining order against 32-year-old Dwayne Kemp.

TMZ broke the story ... Natalia claims Kemp has been under the delusion they're in a relationship ... she says the harassment has been going on for 2 years, and escalating. She says he recently showed up at USC, creeping around buildings where she's taking classes. He's even shown up at her sorority house.

What's especially scary ... according to court docs, Kemp has been convicted of at least 4 crimes, including one involving a firearm. Cops say he's in the process of buying a gun, and he's made clear on social media he's interested in an AK-47 and/or a fully automatic Glock.

Natalia says Kemp once sent her a DM with an image of her late father Kobe and wrote, "Thankful For Him Birthing You, Hopefully We Can Birth Him… 'Kobe,'" adding a red heart to the message. The docs say Kemp had the hopes of having "a Kobe-like child together."

A Texas school district is investigating claims that disgusting, racist noises were made toward a Black female basketball player during a H.S. game over the weekend ... after the student section appeared to make monkey sounds as she shot free throws.

The alleged incident went down during East Central's matchup against Marble Falls on Friday ... when EC senior Asia Prudhomme was lined up at the charity stripe.

Students in attendance can be heard on video shouting during Prudhomme's free throws ... seemingly imitating monkeys.

Prudhomme shared the clip on social media after the game ... saying, "This is sad, heartbreaking and uncalled for."

"Can't even play basketball without ignorance and racism in the stands. This really broke my heart, my coaches and teammates."

ECHS athletic director Suzette Arriola told WFAA Marble Falls officials were alerted about the students' actions ... but no one was removed from the game.

Arriola also claims the noises were made several other times throughout the game.

Marble Falls announced Monday an investigation is underway.

"Marble Falls School District has an unyielding commitment to love every child and inspire them to achieve their fullest potential, and this applies to children outside of our school district as well."

"We will continue to work with administration at East Central High to fully investigate and hold students accountable for their actions."

Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan got an earful from a troll at the Chargers game on Sunday ... when a heckler went after the reality TV star for dating Michael's son -- and it's all on video.

48-year-old Pippen and Jordan, 31, were posted up in some solid seats during their date at SoFi Stadium ... but at one point, a fellow spectator decided to share his two cents on Larsa dating Scottie's nemesis' son.

"Hey Larsa, that's what you're doing?" the fan said. "You're with the boy, Mike's son? You a cold motherf***er, ain't you! You're cold as a motherf***er, homie."

The couple appeared to take it in stride ... with both brushing off the verbal jab. Ex-NBAer Chandler Parsons had a close look at the whole thing ... but seemingly thought it best to mind his own business.

Of course, the heckler is referring to Scottie and MJ's ongoing beef ... which was reignited following the release of the "Last Dance" series.

Pippen was miffed over the doc ... saying he deserved much more credit for his role with the team, and claiming MJ used the show to persuade the younger generation of hoop fans into believing he was better than LeBron James.

Their relationship is so bad ... their former teammate, Charles Oakley, believes the two sides will never speak to each other again.

Now that Larsa and Marcus have gone public with their romance, some have called her out for dating someone close to her ex's biggest enemy.

But, we're told that doesn't really matter to the couple ... as they've gotten really close over the past few months -- which was made clear with cozy trips to Rolling Loud and, more recently, the beach in Miami.

Kyrie Irving, suspended since November 3rd, has rejoined his Nets teammates and is expected to play Sunday night ... nearly a month after posting a link to a controversial movie.

30-year-old Irving was at Nets shootaround Sunday morning -- hours before BK plays the Grizzlies at Barclays -- once again told reporters he wasn't antisemitic.

"I don’t stand for anything close to hate speech or antisemitism or anything that is going against the human race," Irving said.

"I feel like we all should have an opportunity to speak for ourselves when things are assumed about us and I feel it was necessary for me to stand in this place and take accountability for my actions, because there was a way I should have handled all this and as I look back and reflect when I had the opportunity to offer my deep regrets to anyone that felt threatened or felt hurt by what I posted, that wasn’t my intent at all."

Of course, it was way back on October 27th Kyrie tweeted a link to the movie "Hebrew to Negroes: Wake Up Black America" ... a film full of antisemitic tropes.

Irving eventually deleted the tweet ... but refused to apologize for giving the movie attention. After multiple missed opportunities to apologize, the Nets suspended Kyrie on November 3, saying he was "unfit" to be a Net.

But, after meeting several criteria ... including a face-to-face with NBA commissioner Adam Silver, the Nets organization believes Kyrie has done enough.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince is breathing easier heading into the holiday season ... TMZ Sports has learned he will not face charges stemming from his drug arrest.

According to court documents, a grand jury declined to charge him with possession of a controlled substance last week. Days later, prosecutors dismissed the gun charges he was facing related to the case as well.

Prince was initially pulled over by the Arlington Police Dept. in Texas back on May 19 ... after officers said he was driving with an expired registration. During the stop, cops say the basketball player told them he had two handguns in the car ... so officers asked him to get out of the vehicle.

During an effort to retrieve the guns from the car, cops say they found a vape pen ... and searched his ride further. They say they then found a canister with marijuana inside.

Following test results on the vape pen, cops obtained a warrant for Prince's arrest -- and in Miami in August, the 28-year-old was taken into custody over it.

"The charges were dropped because the search was clearly illegal," Prince's attorney, Kent Schaffer, told us in a statement on Friday. "On top of that, carrying a gun is legal in Texas, if not encouraged, and the amount of marijuana alleged to be in the vehicle was probably les than a usable quantity."