Basketball

The Clippers might've lost Sunday, but that didn't stop Russell Westbrook from having a blast celebrating his 35th trip around the Sun ... dancing the night away at his birthday party with his wife, Nina!

Nina shared video of the special moment with her 9x NBA All-Star hubby on Instagram on Monday ... showing the two hand in hand, twirling on the dance floor, celebrating Westbrook's bday.

You can hear Russ's family and friends, including L.A. rapper/singer Blxst, cheerin' them on while Nina, who claims to not be the dancing type, gives it all she has.

"The birthday boo gets one dance outta me," Nina joked.

Russ and Nina have been together since they met in 2007 when both of them played college ball at UCLA.

Of course, Westbrook went on to be the 4th pick in the NBA Draft in 2008, while Nina hit the books hard, graduating with her bachelor's in psychology and master's in clinical psychology.

She is now a licensed marriage and family therapist.

The couple tied the knot in August 2015 and welcomed their first son, Noah, in May 2017. They had two more kids, twin daughters Skye and Jordyn, in 2018.

"Happy Happy Birthday Suga!," Nina said in an IG post. "You’re so loved and appreciated! Never forget it! I love you!"

Unfortunately, the bday shenanigans come after the Clippers 5th consecutive loss ... putting them squarely in 11th place in the West with a 3-6 record.

Westbrook had 12 points and 5 assists in the loss ... and a dope party!

Gillie Da Kid's one-on-one basketball challenge to Jamal Crawford has been accepted -- and the ex-NBA Sixth Man of the Year is strongly hinting declaring he won't go easy on Gillie!!

JC got wind of Gillie flapping his gums about him during a recent episode of "Million Dollarz Worth of Game," and promised to light up Gillie just like the infamous "Martin" episode where his face got turned into hamburger meat after challenging Tommy "Hitman" Hearns to a boxing match!!!

Gillie was attempting to convince Wallo, Cam'ron and Mase that he was a better baller than JC off the strength of his past wins against actively hooping artists such as Chris Brown, Rowdy Rebel and Rob49.

Everyone stated the obvious -- an ex-pro is more skilled than a great amateur, but Gillie argued he would get his buckets on JC in spite of their size difference.

JC is widely known for being the oldest player to score 50 points in an NBA game and now travels the globe looking for competition like the B-ball version of Ryu from "Street Fighter" ... and is promising a Gillie KO!!!

College basketball and social media star Haley Cavinder has a new home -- she just announced she'll be suiting up for the TCU women's basketball team for her final year of eligibility after unretiring last month.

22-year-old Haley -- 1/2 of the popular Cavinder Twins -- made the move official on Monday ... sharing photo shoot shots of her wearing a Horned Frogs jersey and crown while sitting on a throne.

"The last rodeo #committed," Haley said.

Her sister clearly approves ... adding, "GO FROGSSS BABY" and "mom just bought purple cowboy boots after seeing this," in the comments.

Of course, the Cavinders are successful on and off the court -- they have NIL deals with companies like Betr Media and WWE ... and are among the most-profitable college athletes out there right now.

The former Miami WBB duo previously announced they would forego their final year of ball to expand their brand and business ventures ... but Haley later backtracked and said she would continue her career after taking time off.

She explained her decision to return in an interview with Forbes ... saying, "I think ending it with Hanna and announcing that we were done and not going to take our fifth year, I felt -- honestly, to be very transparent -- a lot of pressure."

"There was nothing filling the love for the game, and I just truly was like, I know I'm going to regret it down the road if I don't go back," Haley said.

The Frogs are getting a solid player -- Haley earned second-team All-ACC honors last season, averaging 12 points and four rebounds.

Tyrese Maxey's thoughts were elsewhere after scoring 50 points in the Sixers win Sunday ... he dedicated the career-best performance to teammate Kelly Oubre Jr. after the star guard was badly hurt in a hit-and-run accident the day before.

As we previously reported, Oubre Jr. -- who joined the 76ers in September -- suffered broken ribs and other injuries when he was hit by a vehicle while walking in Philly on Saturday, hospitalizing the NBA star.

The Sixers played the Pacers the day after the accident ... and Maxey went off, dropping 50 points, with 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks!

It was Maxey's best game, but he gave the shine to his teammate and friend.

"Man, this had nothing to do with me," the guard told a reporter after the 137-126 win. "This all Kelly Oubre, man."

"We praying for him. I love my dog, I just met him but I love him. Hope he gets well soon."

The Sixers -- who are currently leading the Eastern Conference with an 8-1 record -- tried to reach Oubre, who is home now, after the win but sent him a video message instead.

"Get better soon, KO," Sixers coach Nick Nurse said while recording the clip.

Oubre -- averaging 16.3 points and 5.1 rebounds with the Sixers -- is going to be out for a while ... though the team is hopeful he can return before the end of the season.

Ben Affleck and his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, haven't always been on the best terms after divorcing, but lately -- including this weekend -- they're 2 peas in a co-parenting pod.

The 2 exes -- who share 3 children together -- were hanging out Sunday in Santa Monica, where their son Samuel had a basketball game ... and while they were waiting for their kid so they could all leave, BA and JG were laughing something fierce in the lobby.

Take a look ... mom and dad chatted each other up and smiled ear to ear as they talked. Eventually, Sam wrapped up the game and they all left together ... in real good moods.

BTW, it's just the 2 of them here -- no J Lo or the other kids in sight -- so it seems this was just a day for the father-mother-son trio, which is a cool thing to see.

We already know Ben and Jen (and Jen) have a blended family these days ... and they're always in and out of each other's lives, especially for big events and holidays. The fact Ben and Jennifer can meet up like this without any issues is sort of a rarity in Hollywood.

That's not to say these two haven't had their issues post-divorce.

We've seen them argue in public before, including one instance from 2019 where they got testy on the street. With that said, they're on the same page more often than not ... and seem to care a great deal about each other in the years since their marriage ended.

In fact, it was Garner here who took Ben to rehab in 2018 ... so she's certainly there for her ex when he needs it.

She also appears to get along with BA's new wife and her own children ... JG has been seen taking the whole kid troupe out and about in public, and vice-versa obviously.

Ben Affleck y su ex esposa, Jennifer Garner, no siempre han estado en los mejores términos después de divorciarse, pero últimamente se les ha visto bastante alegres a decir verdad.

Los divorciados comparten tres hijos juntos y pasaron el domingo en Santa Mónica, donde su hijo Samuel tenía un partido de baloncesto. Mientras esperaban a su hijo para que todos pudieran salir, Ben y Jennifer se reían a viva voz en el vestíbulo.

Echa un vistazo; mamá y papá charlaban y sonreían de oreja a oreja mientras hablaban. Al final, Sam terminó el juego y se fueron todos juntos y de muy buen humor.

A propósito, sólo había dos de ellos aquí, ninguno de J Lo o algún otro niños a la vista, por lo que parece que esto era un día exclusivamente para el trío padre/madre/hijo, lo que es una novedad.

Ya sabemos que Ben y Jen (y Jen) tienen una familia mixta estos días y siempre están entrando y saliendo de la vida del otro, especialmente para los grandes eventos y días festivos. El hecho de que Ben y Jennifer pueden reunirse de esta manera sin ningún tipo de problemas es una especie de rareza en Hollywood.

Eso no quiere decir que estos dos no hayan tenido sus problemas después del divorcio.

Los hemos visto discutir en público antes; recordemos esa vez en 2019 cuando se pusieron irritables en la calle. Dicho esto, últimamente parecen estar en la misma página más a menudo que no y parecen preocuparse mucho el uno por el otro en los años desde que terminó su matrimonio.

De hecho, fue Garner aquí quien llevó a Ben a rehabilitación en 2018 por lo que ciertamente está allí para su ex cuando lo necesita.

Ella también parece llevarse bien con la nueva esposa del actor y sus propios hijos, Jennifer ha sido vista llevando a toda la tropa de niños en público y viceversa, obviamente.

Kelly Oubre Jr. está en el hospital luego de ser golpeado por un carro en un en la ciudad para la que juega y aunque parece que se recuperará, no está nada bien.

Según los Philadelphia 76ers (en el que Oubre es titular) su jugador estrella de 27 años de edad, fue víctima de un conductor imprudente la noche del sábado en el barrio de Center City de Filadelfia, donde Oubre estaba fuera de casa, al parecer, durante una noche libre en el calendario del equipo.

Los detalles de lo que sucedió exactamente son un poco difusos... pero pareciera que fue golpeado en la esquina de Broad y Locust Street, con el vehículo en cuestión huyendo de la escena sin dejar rastro. Como resultado del golpe, Oubre habría sufrido algunas lesiones.

Shams Charania informa que el jugador tiene costillas rotas, contusiones y otras lesiones y actualmente está hospitalizado. El personal del equipo, incluyendo a Daryl Morey, apareció anoche para visitarlo y obviamente, va a estar fuera por un tiempo.

Kelly Oubre Jr. is in the hospital and on the mend after getting struck by a car in a hit-and-run in the city he plays for -- and while it sounds like he'll recover ... he's banged up.

According to the Philadelphia 76ers -- on which Oubre is a starter -- their 27-year-old star player fell victim to a reckless driver Saturday night in the Center City neighborhood of Philly ... where Oubre was out and about, it seems, during a night off in the team's schedule.

The details of what exactly happened are a little murky at the moment ... but it sounds like he got hit at the corner of Broad and Locust Street, with the vehicle in question fleeing the scene without a trace. As a result of the hit, Oubre is said to have sustained some injuries.

Shams Charania reports the SF/G is dealing with broken ribs, bruises and other abrasions ... and he's currently hospitalized. Team personnel, including Prez Daryl Morey, showed up last night to visit him ... obviously, he's going to be out for a while.

Joe Smith has a message for the cynics who believe his public feud with wife Kisha over OnlyFans was a big publicity stunt ... adamantly denying they set up the whole thing for publicity!!

The 48-year-old former #1 overall NBA draft pick shared his side of the story during an interview with VladTV this week ... where he explained how he found out his partner, former adult actress Kisha Chavis, got back into the X-rated content.

"Nah, that's not what happened and that's not what's going on right now," Smith said.

"It's a real issue. The video hurt, but then also, the fact that the way I had to find out about the OnlyFans page, that's another thing on top of that that hurts as well."

The 16-year NBA vet said he caught Kisha scrolling through her profile on her phone, which led to the infamous video on social media.

Obviously, Kisha recorded the whole thing, and Smith took it as a smack in the face when she uploaded it to the internet ... and he believes if they had kept it between themselves, they could have talked it out.

"I wouldn't put my business out in the streets, I wouldn't put nothing like this out in the streets unless it was real official, and I didn't do this one so it's hurting," he added.

"It's hurtful and I gotta listen to people's opinions every day, all day right now about my relationship and that's something I never wanted to be involved in."

Harvey and Charles spoke to Kisha on "TMZ Live" last week, and she told her side of the story ... and she sees it a bit differently than Joe.

The Atlanta Hawks' idea of running an "OnlyFans" style promo with their mascot this week isn't sitting well with at least two of their players ... who took to social media on Thursday to hilariously drag the team over the vid.

The clip was dropped by the NBA org on its social media pages early Thursday morning to promote ATL's involvement in the league's new in-season tournament.

It featured Harry the Hawk seductively posing on a bed in his ATL gear ... while a woman whispered about Atlanta fans "knowing where the real action is."

"Hawks fans know just where to get it," the woman said in the video. "Join in and wake up your wild side."

Some found the footage funny -- but others, including Atlanta stars Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, didn't exactly love it.

"MANNNNNNN," Murray wrote on his X page while sharing the video, "DELETE THIS S***!!!!!!!'

Added Young, "I had no part of this.. 🤦‍♂️."

Victor Wembanyama got the opposite of a warm welcome in his first game at Madison Square Garden ... 'cause a bunch of ruthless Knicks fans made it clear they're not believing the hype surrounding the hoops phenom -- chanting "overrated" in the middle of the game!!

Of course, the San Antonio Spurs' No. 1 overall pick ruffled some feathers with the home crowd prior to Wednesday's matchup with New York ... when he said the Mecca wasn't as big as he expected.

Knickerbocker backers promised to give the 19-year-old hell as a result of his comments ... and they held true to their word throughout the contest -- booing and heckling the 7'4" hooper every chance they got.

Their efforts may have worked ... 'cause Wemby didn't have his best outing -- going 4-14 from the field en route to 14 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and a block.

Some people on social media weren't too pleased with the Knicks fans' antics -- saying it's wild to make such a claim eight games into his career ... especially when he's had some amazing performances in the Association so far.

Victor Wembanyama better prepare for the most hostile environment when he takes the court for his debut at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday ... 'cause the NBA star just pissed off the entire Knicks fanbase for downplaying the iconic venue.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft was speaking to reporters ahead of the Spurs' matchup against New York ... when he was asked about playing in the Mecca for the first time.

The 19-year-old certainly seemed unenthused with his response ... saying, "It’s not as big as I expected, but still the vibe is here."

Wemby's remark was shared all over social media ... and of course, the Knicks fans didn't take it well.

"He gone learn todayyyyyy 😂😂😂😂!" one Knicks fan said on Instagram ... while another hilariously added, "Oh I'll show you big, Mr. Wobblymama."

"That’s cause you big as hell ... don’t disrespect the Garden," a Knicks backer echoed. "You see how we treat Trae Young when he come here 😂😂."

Of course, that user is referring to the hell Knicks fans put the Atlanta Hawks star through over the years -- chanting "f*** Trae Young" and more ever since he became the current villain for the entire organization.

Knicks fans AND players are prepared for Wemby ... especially Mitchell Robinson, who said earlier this week he knows how to handle a 7'4" guy like Victor.

"I'm not really worried about the tallness s***," the 7-foot center said. "Just go out there and play hard."

And Mitch knows he can count on Knicks fans to be loud as hell during tonight's game after Wemby's "diss."

FYI -- MSG seats 19,500 people ... and yeah, it's gonna sound like that in a few hours.

Zion Williamson won't be suiting up for the New Orleans Pelicans' matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday ... an announcement that came just a few hours after his pregnant girlfriend posted a picture from a hospital bed.

The 23-year-old former No. 1 overall pick was officially listed as "out" for the road contest for "personal reasons" ... and his partner's recent social media activity might explain what exactly sparked his absence.

Zion and his lady, Ahkeema, announced back in June they were having a baby girl with a lavish gender reveal party ...  and she recently stated she was 38 weeks along in her pregnancy.

So, there's a chance Williamson's first child could be here soon -- if not already -- and naturally, he'd want to be around his girl for the monumental moment in his life.

Of course, Zion was over the moon when he first went public with his upcoming fatherhood ... even sending his future kid a special message.

"My baby, you’re going to see this at some point," Williamson said in a touching vid. "I don’t know what the future holds, but mommy and daddy love you."

"If you don’t know nothin' else in this world, know that mommy and daddy love you -- for life."

How do you make 6'4" Tom Brady look short? Stand him next to rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama ... who happens to be a full foot taller than the football G.O.A.T.!

The 7x Super Bowl champ shared photos of his meeting with the San Antonio Spurs rookie on Tuesday, alongside billionaire friend Michael Rubin.

Even though Wemby's height is no secret (he's around 7'4"), it's still mind-boggling to see him towering over someone as tall as Brady ... and fans got a kick out of the pics!

Brady had some fun with the caption, and even worked in a shot at former teammate Julian Edelman.

"Usually I’d make some joke here about how I think I could get 10 and 10 against you, but let’s be real… you’d send my jumper into the club level 😂😂😂," Brady wrote on IG.

"PS: @edelman11 This is how you felt all those years???"

Of course, Edelman is 5'10" ... so he's giving up about 6 inches to his quarterback.

Brady's son also got to meet the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft ... and Tom challenged anyone to see the trio in a pickup game.

"3 on 3, who's got next?!" Brady said in his IG story.

Jordan Poole is finally addressing the rumors he shelled out half a million bucks on a date with Ice Spice ... and the Washington Wizards guard says it's all fake news!!

The 24-year-old hooper's hilarious denial came during a meet-and-greet with fans this week ... when one young supporter asked him straight-up if there's any truth behind the talk of an extravagant romance with the MC.

"Definitely not," Poole said. "Definitely cap!"

If you're not aware of how this came to be, rapper Cam'ron started the drama back in May when he called out Poole -- then on the Golden State Warriors -- for his playoff performance.

"Jordan Poole, you spent $500,000 on an Ice Spice date," Cam said on his "It Is What It Is" podcast. "You’re a munch and you’re playing like a f***ing munch."

"This is not you from last year, bro. Go back to Milwaukee and figure it the f*** out and get back in the playoffs, 'cause you look crazy."

Fans ran with the $500k rumor ... especially since Ice Spice is one of the hottest female rappers out right now, and Poole had signed a four-year, $140 million extension months prior.

Poole's adamant response should be enough to clear his name of the wild rumor ... but it probably won't stop the internet trolls from sticking to it for entertainment purposes.

Poole's teammate sitting beside him thought his answer was hilarious ... but at least we now know straight from his mouth.

Let's play devil's advocate here -- Poole only denied dropping a ton of dough on a date with IS, so it's entirely possible he DID take her out ... just for much less. But it looks like she's never addressed the rumor in the first place.

Bronny James could be one step closer to making his college basketball debut -- the USC guard is slated to have a health checkup later this month ... and if all goes well, he will be cleared to practice with his teammates.

The update came from Bronny's NBA superstar pops, LeBron, on Monday ... who doubled down on the chances his eldest son could see game action for the Trojans this season after suffering cardiac arrest on the court while training in July.

"Things are going in the right direction with Bronny's progress," LeBron told reporters after the Lakers' 108-107 loss to the Miami Heat. "He's doing rehab. Every week, he gets to do more and more."

No. 21-ranked USC kicked off its college season against Kansas State ... and of course, Bronny did not play. He has been with his teammates as he recovers ... even dancing during USC's annual Trojan HoopLA event at the Galen Center last month.

"We have a big moment at the end of this month to see if we can continue to go forward," LeBron continued. "If he's cleared, then we'll not be too long from him getting back on the floor and back with his teammates and practicing with the notion of being back on the floor and playing in a game situation."

"Everything is on the up and up. We're proud of his progress, we're proud of his strength."

As we previously reported, it was determined Bronny had "an anatomically and functionally significant Congenital Heart Defect," which caused his cardiac arrest on July 24.