Basketball

LeBron James is racing to Tyreek Hill's cameraman's defense ... ripping the NFL for suspending the guy for his role in one of the Dolphins receiver's touchdown celebrations earlier this year.

The Lakers forward took to his Instagram page to blast The Shield late Wednesday evening ... just days after Hill's photog said Roger Goodell's league might remove him from its sidelines forever for participating in Hill's backflip celly during a game in October.

"Man," the NBA superstar wrote, "this is F'd UP!!!"

"Suspended for the year and possibly for good!" James added. "C'mon NFL! Do better! S*** ain't that serious."

A lot of people on social media certainly agreed with The King's stance ... because, after all, Hill's endzone party with his cameraman has so far been one of the best moments of the year in the NFL.

It all happened back on Oct. 15 ... after Hill scored six against the Carolina Panthers.

Once he crossed the goal line, he raced through the endzone -- and when he noticed his photog and good pal Kevin Fitzgibbons filming him, he grabbed the guy's cam and performed a selfie backflip. Fitzgibbons jumped up and down, and Hill appeared to be in great spirits after it too.

The league, however, clearly didn't love it -- refs penalized Hill for it during the game for using a prop, and officials fined him for it afterward. Later, the league pulled Fitzgibbons' credentials for the remainder of the 2023 season as well.

In a video posted to his TikTok page this week, the 20-year-old photographer said he understood the NFL's decision ... and said he was grateful for the opportunity it gave him. He added that he hoped the league would let him back next year.

Teyana Taylor is still making public appearances despite all her divorce drama with Iman Shumpert ... and she's looking fine as usual.

The singer just showed up to do an interview on Jimmy Kimmel's talk show ... so it's clear she's unbothered by the nasty split.

Teyana's body is scorching hot here ... she's showing off her super toned abs, with nothing covering skin from her waist to her chest.

Normally, we would call this post-breakup hotness ... but, let's face it, Teyana has always looked like this ... so eat your heart out, Iman!!!

TMZ broke the story ... Teyana accused Iman of being a jealous spouse aggravated and annoyed by her Hollywood career, among other nasty claims.

Teyana was quietly divorcing him, but Iman revealed their full names in a recent court filing, exposing their split. As a result, she's disappointed and frustrated with him.

Despite the bad blood, Teyana's promoting her projects ... and it will be interesting to see if Jimmy asks her about the split.

The "Bayou Barbie" is slated to return this week -- LSU Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey just announced Angel Reese will be back on the court this Thursday ... ending her mysterious 4-game absence.

Mulkey made the revelation during her press conference ahead of the Tigers' key matchup against 9th-ranked Virginia Tech ... telling reporters, "She will play tomorrow."

It's unclear whether Reese will start or come off the bench.

What also remains fuzzy is why exactly Reese wasn't playing in the first place ... as Mulkey has been consistently tight-lipped about the details surrounding her absence.

Reese's time away started when the 6-foot-3 forward was benched in the 2nd half of LSU's win against Kent State on Nov. 14 ... and she missed the next few games, including the Cayman Islands Classic tournament.

Rumors were circulating around social media that it may have been her grades, while Outkick reported she was suspended for an "attitude adjustment." Neither rumor has been confirmed.

"That’s what coaches do. Sometimes y'all know about it and sometimes you don't," Mulkey said of the situation last week. "Sometimes you want to know more than you're entitled to know."

11:33 AM PT -- The NBPD just released a statement on the Josh Giddey investigation ... saying officials are actively seeking more information and pursuing all leads and evidence to get the facts of the case.

NBPD says the investigation remains active ... and is working to conduct a "fair and thorough" process.

The inquiry into whether Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey had an inappropriate relationship with a minor has hit a roadblock -- TMZ Sports has learned the alleged teen and her family are refusing to cooperate with officials.

Law enforcement sources tell us police would obviously like to speak with the purported female and those close to her to gather more information regarding the social media claims that made rounds over the weekend ... but as of right now, no one is talking.

It's a significant component to the whole situation ... as a lack of cooperation will make it much more challenging for officials to determine whether any laws were broken.

As we previously reported, Giddey is being accused of having an intimate relationship with an underage girl from California ... with photos and videos allegedly depicting them together.

The NBA is "looking into" the matter ... but Giddey has continued to play for the Thunder following the bombshell allegations.

The 21-year-old was asked about the claims at practice on Friday ... but elected not to speak on it.

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault also shot down a question regarding the inquiry prior to Tuesday night's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves ... saying he would not discuss anything off-court related in reference to Giddey, and he will continue to play.

Giddey played 28 minutes and scored 10 points in the loss to the Wolves ... and fans at the Target Center showed their disproval by booing him relentlessly throughout the contest.

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and his wife, Nikki, are calling it quits -- the couple just announced they are getting a divorce after a seven-year marriage.

The Spoelstras released a joint statement to the Miami Herald on Wednesday ... saying it was a difficult decision to call it quits.

"We are both grateful for our relationship and remain fully committed to co-parenting our children and continuing to make them our shared priority," they said.

"We appreciate everyone’s support as we move to the next stage of our lives and thank you for respecting our family’s privacy."

Spoelstra -- who became head coach for the Heat in 2008 -- met Nikki when she was a dancer for the Miami organization at 18 years old.

Erik proposed to Nikki during the summer of 2015 ... and they got married at the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens in Miami a year later.

The couple have two sons, Santiago and Dante, together and recently had a daughter, Ruby, who was born in 2022.

La investigación que acusa a Josh Giddey de tener una relación inapropiada con un menor de edad se ha topado con un obstáculo, TMZ Sports ha descubierto que el supuesto adolescente y su familia se niegan a cooperar con los funcionarios.

Fuentes policiales nos dicen que a la policía, obviamente, le gustaría hablar con la supuesta mujer y las personas cercanas a ella para reunir más información con respecto a las afirmaciones de los medios sociales que hizo rondas durante el fin de semana, pero por ahora, nadie está hablando.

Es un componente importante de toda la situación. La falta de cooperación hará que sea mucho más difícil para los funcionarios determinar si se violaron las leyes.

Como informamos anteriormente, Giddey está siendo acusado de tener una relación íntima con una chica menor de edad de California, con fotos y videos que supuestamente muestran juntos.

La NBA está "investigando" el asunto, pero Giddey ha seguido jugando para los Thunder después de las acusaciones.

Le preguntaron al jugador de 21 años sobre las afirmaciones en la práctica del viernes, pero optó por no hablar al respecto.

El entrenador de los Thunder, Mark Daigneault, también rechazó una pregunta sobre la investigación antes del partido del martes por la noche contra los Minnesota Timberwolves, diciendo que no discutiría nada fuera de la cancha en referencia a Giddey, y que seguirá jugando.

Josh Giddey didn't exactly get a warm welcome at the Thunder-Timberwolves game in Minnesota on Tuesday ... 'cause fans booed the NBA guard/forward all night long amid allegations he had a relationship with an underage girl.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... police in Orange County (CA) have launched an "inquiry," with the mission of finding out what, if anything, went down between now-21 year Giddey and the teen.

Despite cops looking into things, and the NBA launching its own investigation, Giddey is still active and in OKC's starting lineup ... but the fans weren't exactly welcoming when he pulled up for their In-Season tournament game against the T'Wolves Tuesday night in the Twin City.

Several fans took videos, and you can hear the crowd voicing their disapproval of the Australian-born hooper every time he touched the ball at Target Center court.

He was also booed during player introductions.

Thunder's head coach Mark Daigneault was asked about our report during a pre-game press conference ... and refused to comment on "anything as it relates to Josh off the court."

Giddey dropped 10 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, but it wasn't enough ... the Thunder lost to the Timberwolves, 106-103.

Big news out of Big D ... Mark Cuban is selling his majority stake in the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, while still holding onto the reigns in basketball operations.

The billionaire is selling his majority stake to Miriam Adelson ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

While Mark is selling a stake reportedly valued at $3.5 billion, he will retain some shares in the team and be the lead decision-maker when it comes to basketball ops.

Cuban bought the team in 2000 for $285 million, so he’s getting a huge return on investment!

Miriam is the billionaire widow and heiress of Sheldon Adelson and his Las Vegas casino empire ... Forbes has her net worth at $32.3 billion, making her the fifth richest woman in the world.

Our sources say Adelson has plans to build a new arena for the Mavs, and, if a gambling bill passes in Texas, we’re told she might also build a casino in Dallas.

Miriam is reportedly selling $2 billion of her shares in Las Vegas Sands Group to make the Mavs purchase.

Under Cuban, the Mavericks have been perennial contenders in the NBA's Western Conference, winning the franchise's first and only NBA championship in 2011, defeating LeBron James and the Miami Heat.

Earlier this week, Cuban revealed he's leaving ABC's "Shark Tank" after the upcoming 16th season.

Lots going on in Mark’s world … including cohosting “TMZ’s Merry Elfin’ Christmas” special, premiering Dec. 5 in primetime on Fox!

Grandes noticias de Big D... Mark Cuban está vendiendo su participación mayoritaria en los Dallas Mavericks de la NBA, aunque todavía se aferra a las operaciones de baloncesto.

El multimillonario está vendiendo su participación mayoritaria a Miriam Adelson, según ha confirmado TMZ Sports.

Aunque Mark está vendiendo su participación supuestamente valorada en $3,5 mil millones, conservará algunas acciones en el equipo y será el principal responsable de la toma de decisiones cuando se trate de las operaciones relacionadas al baloncesto.

Cuban compró el equipo en 2000 por 285 millones de dólares, ¡así que está obteniendo grandes ganancias de su inversión!

Miriam es la multimillonaria viuda de Sheldon Adelson y heredera de su imperio de casinos en Las Vegas. Según Forbes, su patrimonio neto asciende a 32.300 millones de dólares, lo que la convierte en la quinta mujer más rica del mundo.

Según nuestras fuentes, Adelson planea construir un nuevo estadio para los Mavs y, si se aprueba una ley sobre el juego en Texas, también podría construir un casino en Dallas.

Al parecer, Miriam está vendiendo 2.000 millones de dólares de sus acciones en Las Vegas Sands Group para realizar la compra de los Mavs.

Bajo Cuban, los Mavericks han sido contendientes perennes en la Conferencia Oeste de la NBA, ganando el primer y único campeonato de la NBA de la franquicia en 2011, derrotando a LeBron James y los Miami Heat.

A principios de esta semana, Cuban reveló que dejará "Shark Tank" de ABC después de la próxima temporada 16.

4:00 PM -- Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault was just asked about our report prior to Tuesday's matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves ... and while he stated he will not comment on Josh Giddey's off-court situation, he reaffirmed Giddey will be available for the game.

Police are doing their due diligence on the recent troubling allegations surrounding Oklahoma City Thunder player Josh Giddey ... with officials opening an inquiry into whether he had an inappropriate relationship with a minor.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports ... Newport Beach PD is currently investigating the allegations involving Giddey made on social media over the past week ... to see if there is any validity to the claims and if any laws were broken.

As we previously reported, anonymous X accounts accused the 21-year-old Australian athlete of having an intimate relationship with a minor based in California ... and pictures and videos of Giddey with an alleged underage girl quickly spread online.

The NBA announced on Friday it was "looking into" the matter ... but so far, Giddey -- who has remained active with the Thunder following the allegations -- has declined to speak on it.

Of course, Giddey could be in trouble both criminally and professionally -- the age of consent in California is 18, while it is 16 in Oklahoma.

Giddey is currently averaging 12.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 16 games this season.

We covered the story on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert are no longer living under the same roof as their bitter divorce now plays out publicly ... something she blames squarely on her estranged husband.

Sources close to the exes tell TMZ, Teyana is incredibly disappointed and frustrated with Iman -- her husband of 7 years -- for deciding to make their identities public in a recent court filing in their divorce case.

Teyana had sought to not only protect their kids from this mess, but Iman as well ... which is why she initially filed divorce docs, back in January, using just their initials. The divorce was proceeding in private, but after his latest legal move, that privacy's completely out the window.

Teyana's attorney, Tanya Mitchell, echoed this sentiment, writing in a legal doc, "We were able to keep this divorce matter private as Ms. Taylor requested for eleven (11) months in this case prior to Mr. Shumpert's MOTION revealing the parties' legal names and making the private matter public."

She continued, "This matter would very likely still be private if Mr. Shumpert's MOTION TO SUBSTITUTE TRUE LEGAL NAMES AS REAL PARTIES IN INTEREST was not filed ..."

Our sources say Teyana and Iman are NOT living under the same roof -- though Teyana made it seem like they were on good terms in September, when she announced their separation.

In fact, we're told communication between Teyana and Iman is minimal ... and they only chat if it has to do with their 2 children. Basically, things ain't so rosy at the moment.

TMZ broke the story ... Teyana accused Iman of being a jealous spouse, with him allegedly being annoyed and aggravated with her burgeoning career, including on the acting front -- among lots of other messy allegations.

Teyana Taylor e Iman Shumpert ya no comparten el mismo techo mientras su amargo divorcio se desarrolla en público… algo de lo que ella culpa directamente a su esposo.

Fuentes cercanas a los ex cónyuges le contaron a TMZ que Teyana está increíblemente decepcionada y frustrada con Iman, su esposo de 7 años, por decidir hacer públicas sus identidades en una reciente presentación judicial en su caso de divorcio.

Teyana había buscado no solo proteger a sus hijos de este lío, sino también a Iman, razón por la cual presentó inicialmente documentos de divorcio, en enero, usando solo sus iniciales. El divorcio había avanzado de forma privada, pero después de su última movida legal, esa privacidad se fue completamente a la basura.

Nuestras fuentes alegan que Teyana e Iman NO están viviendo bajo el mismo techo, aunque Teyana hizo parecer que estaban en buenos términos en septiembre, cuando anunció su separación.

De hecho, nos cuentan que la comunicación entre Teyana e Iman es mínima… y solo hablan si se trata de sus 2 hijos. En resumen, las cosas no son tan positivas en este momento.

TMZ publicó la noticia… Teyana acusó a Iman de ser un esposo celoso, alegando que él estaba molesto y frustrado con su creciente carrera, incluyendo en el ámbito actoral, entre muchas otras acusaciones desordenadas.

Russell Westbrook found himself quarrelling with fans yet again on Monday night ... and this time, he needed to be separated from the tiff by not only his teammates, but his opponents as well.

The Clippers star got into the heated spat with what appeared to be a couple of men at Crypto.com Arena toward the end of L.A.'s 113-104 loss to Denver.

Video from the scene shows Westbrook began verbally jarring with the courtside fans during a break in the action late in the fourth quarter ... before he returned as the final buzzer sounded to argue some more.

The 35-year-old point guard was clearly peeved at the guys ... though, thankfully, a referee, his teammates, and a few Nuggets players helped pull him away from it all.

Afterward, Westbrook refused to say specifically what the altercation was all about ... though he seemed to insinuate the fans had said something inappropriate about his family.

"Fans think they can say whatever they want," he told a throng of media members. "I'm not going to say [what they said] now because it's not appropriate, but I'm just protecting myself."

"Just unfortunate fans think they can get away with saying anything and, personally, I won't allow it."

Of course, this is hardly Westbrook's first heated incident with hecklers ... just seven months ago, he got into a screaming match with a man following a playoff game in Phoenix. Numerous other times recently -- including several instances during one of the worst seasons of his career in 2022 -- he beefed with fans as well.

On Monday night, Westbrook explained that now that his children are older ... he's simply refusing to take any cross-the-line shade from fans.

'Tis the season of giving and Kyle Kuzma is off to an amazing start ... the NBA star donated $60k worth of clothes to female inmates preparing for release from county jail in his hometown of Flint, Michigan!

The Washington Wizards forward also launched an initiative to refurbish housing conditions for the women who are locked up.

The Kyle Kuzma Family Foundation partnered with I.G.N.I.T.E. and R.I.S.E., two jail reform organizations that support incarcerated women as they prepare to re-enter society.

Kuzma revealed the collaboration at the 23rd I.G.N.I.T.E. graduation ceremony at the county jail on Sunday ... by surprising the female inmates, and announcing the big $60k donation.

The 6'9" baller also handed out presents to kids who were there to visit their moms.

That's not all Kyle's doing ... the 28-year-old also launched "Kuz's Corner," which will help refurbish living conditions at the Genesee County Jail.

"Kuz’s Corner provides incarcerated female inmates something to reach towards, and prove to themselves, and others of their worth and value," the foundation said in a press release.

"The females chosen to reside in Kuz’s Corner have set themselves apart as role models in their behavior, mentorship, and strive to return to the community as a better neighbor."

Kuzma -- who's averaging nearly 23 points a game this season -- cares deeply about his foundation which helps single mothers and children in Michigan, the DMV (D.C. Metro area), and Los Angeles ... a cause that hits close to home.

"When I was growing up, she worked two jobs and that hard work and dedication, just to make ends meet, put food on the table," Kuzma said about his mom Karri on GMA.

"That’s been my inspiration my entire life."

Aquí hay una historia loca -- Dominique Wilkins abrió recientemente un paquete de antiguas tarjetas de la NBA... y para su suerte, ¡¡sacó su propia tarjeta de novato!!

Todo esto fue documentado en video... cuando la leyenda de los Hawks se unió al director general de OTIA Sports, Jason Koonce, para romper un lote sin abrir de tarjetas de baloncesto Fleer de 1986 con la esperanza de encontrar una tarjeta de novato de Michael Jordan en el paquete.

Para su información -- la serie Fleer de 1986 está repleta de tarjetas de novatos de la época... incluidos MJ, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon y, por supuesto, Dominique Wilkins.

El tirón fue bastante divertido -- el "Human Hightlight Film" recordó cómo jugó contra varios jugadores a medida que iba desvelando la baraja... que contenía grandes nombres como Magic Johnson, Larry Bird y Bill Walton.

Una vez que Wilkins se topó con su propia cara, el grupo de chicos empezó a alborotarse... con Koonce jurando hasta la extenuación que la carta no había sido plantada.

"Esto estaba sellado, no estaba planeado", dijo Koonce en el video. "Eso es una locura".

"Por la vida de mis hijos, ¡esto no fue montado!"

La tarjeta podría tener un alto valor dependiendo de su estado... ¡algunas en muy buen estado se cotizan actualmente en internet por miles de dólares!

Here's a crazy story -- Dominique Wilkins opened a pack of old NBA cards recently ... and as luck would have it, he pulled his own rookie card!!

The whole thing was documented on video ... when the Hawks legend joined OTIA Sports CEO Jason Koonce to break an unopened batch of 1986 Fleer basketball cards in hopes of finding a Michael Jordan rookie in the pack.

FYI -- the '86 Fleer set is filled with a ton of rookie cards of that era ... including MJ, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon and, of course, Dominique Wilkins.

The pull was pretty cool -- the Human Highlight Film reminisced about playing against several players as he revealed the deck ... which featured big names like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Bill Walton.

Once Wilkins came across his own face, the group of guys started freaking out ... with Koonce swearing up and down the card was not planted.

"This was sealed, this was not planned," Koonce said in the video. "That is insane."

"On my kid's life, that was not set up!"

The card could be pretty valuable depending on its condition ... some in great shape are currently listed online for thousands of dollars!!