Basketball

The Saturday night tiff between LeBron James and Rockets head coach Ime Udoka all started over a "bitch" comment -- a word that the Lakers star blasted Udoka for using "so loosely."

The quarrel went down during Los Angeles' tilt with Houston at Crypto.com Arena ... after Udoka was pissed with James for pleading with officials for a foul call.

Arena microphones captured Udoka telling LeBron, "Stop crying like bitches, man" -- and during a break in the action on the court a short time later, LBJ went after Udoka.

"We're all grown men," James said to the coach, "that bitch word ain't cool. Don't use it so loosely."

Udoka, however, didn't back down ... and a heated exchange then ensued.

"What're you going to do about it?" Udoka can be heard saying.

Eventually, the referee threw Udoka out of the game after he appeared to call James "soft-ass boy."

Gloria Allred can add another high-profile case to her resume ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned the famed attorney has been hired by the girl at the center of the investigation into OKC star Josh Giddey as cops work to determine if he had an inappropriate relationship with a minor.

We broke the story earlier in the week ... Newport Beach PD launched an investigation into the situation, but the girl and her family are not cooperating with law enforcement.

Now that Allred is involved, it begs the question ... why?

She could be tasked with liaising with cops, or even talking to Giddey's people about a potential settlement.

We reached out to the powerful attorney who told us, "We represent the family and we have no comment."

21-year-old Giddey is one of the better young players in the league, and the story has gotten a lot of attention ... but that's not a foreign concept to Allred.

Among some of her firm's high-profile cases ... she represented over 50 women who accused Bill Cosby of misconduct. She also worked for several women who accused former U.S. Congressman Anthony Weiner of sending sexually explicit photos and messages.

There are still a lot of questions surrounding the alleged relationship, which first came to light publicly last weekend, including the girl's age, the state where it allegedly took place, and the nature of their relationship.

Gloria Allred puede añadir otro caso de alto perfil a su hoja de vida porque TMZ Sports ha indagado que la famosa abogada ha sido contratada por la chica en el centro de la investigación a la estrella de Oklahoma City Thunder, Josh Giddey, mientras los policías determinan si tuvo una relación inapropiada con una menor de edad.

A principios de esta semana publicamos la noticia... La policía de Newport Beach inició una investigación sobre la situación, pero la niña y su familia decidieron no cooperar con las autoridades a cargo.

Ahora que Allred está involucrada, surge la pregunta, ¿por qué?

Ella podría ser la encargada de servir como enlace con la policía, o incluso de hablar con la gente de Giddey para llegar a un posible acuerdo.

Nos pusimos en contacto con la poderosa abogada, quien nos dijo: "Representamos a la familia y no tenemos comentarios".

Giddey, de 21 años, es uno de los mejores jugadores jóvenes de la liga y esta historia ha recibido mucha atención. Aunque eso no es algo extraño para Allred.

Entre algunos de los casos más aclamados de su bufete está la representación a más de 50 mujeres en la acusación de mala conducta contra Bill Cosby. También trabajó para varias mujeres que denunciaron al excongresista Anthony Weiner de enviarles fotos y mensajes sexualmente explícitos.

Todavía hay muchas preguntas en torno a la supuesta relación, que salió a la luz pública por primera vez el pasado fin de semana, incluida la edad de la chica, el estado en el que supuestamente tuvo lugar y la naturaleza de su relación.

Congrats are in order for Luka Doncic and his fiancée, Anamaria Goltes -- the NBA star and the model just introduced their baby girl to the world!!

The Dallas Mavericks hooper and Anamaria shared the amazing news on Instagram on Friday ... captioning a picture of the little bundle of joy with one word -- "Gabriela."

This is the first child for the pair ... and their famous friends couldn't be happier for them.

"Congrats my man!" Patrick Mahomes said in the comment section ... with many others -- including Luka's mom, Mirjam Poterbin -- showing love as well.

Doncic is missing his first game of the season as the Mavs face off against the Memphis Grizzlies in a few hours. His absence was originally disclosed as personal reasons, but now we know it was for his daughter's arrival!

Doncic has been dating Goltes since 2016 ... and the two first met in Croatia when they were just kids. On July 7, they announced their picturesque engagement in Slovenia.

Adidas woke up and chose violence on Friday ... the sportswear giants went straight for "dusty" Kevin Durant's neck after he took a shot at T'Wolves star Anthony Edwards' sneakers, and fans are losin' it!

It all started when the question was posed ... would KD, a Nike-signed athlete, ever rock Edwards' signature Adidas kicks? 35-year-old Durant answered the question himself, emphatically writing, "Won’t EVER see me put a big toe in them Mfers."

Adidas wasn't going to take that lying down ... their official account, with over 4 million followers, responded, and it was harsh.

"U dusty," Adidas replied. "Bouta retire soon anyway."

The burn has since been deleted, begging the question ... was the tweet sent accidentally from the official brand X account?

That's an answer we don't yet have ... but there's some evidence it wasn't a mistake.

Adidas later added, "Meant to send that from the burner account..."

Of course, Kevin, as NBA fans are well aware, has been caught using burners in the past.

FYI, Edwards' AE1s drop on December 16 ... just in time for Christmas.

Mitchell Robinson is a good NBA player, but he's an even better human being -- his high school coach just revealed he's been rooming with the New York Knicks center after his wife tragically passed away earlier this year.

Former Chalmette H.S. coach Butch Stockton shared the heartwarming story during the Knicks' win over the Pistons on Thursday ... when he spoke with a reporter about the 7'0", 240-pound big man's incredible gesture.

Stockton -- whose wife, Dawn, passed away in September after a cancer battle -- explained Robinson would visit them every day in the hospital prior to her death ... and he built a strong bond with the couple.

Coach said at Dawn's funeral, Robinson told everyone he was going to bring him to the Big Apple ... and he held up on that promise.

"He said, 'Coach, there’s no reason you stay down here in Louisiana anymore,'" Stockton said. "'You come to New York with and enjoy yourself and get your mind back straight because you know how much you loved your wife and I loved your wife.'"

"It's just been a great situation, to be honest with you."

Robinson -- who's averaging 6 points and 11 rebounds this season -- spoke about his roomie after the game ... saying they will continue to live together until the end of the 2023-24 campaign.

Angel Reese is happy to finally be back with the LSU Tigers, and now she's explaining the 4-game hiatus ... saying the absence was for her mental health, so she could reset and refocus within the team.

The 6-foot-3 forward rejoined the Tigers on Thursday for their home game against Virginia Tech ... and Reese scored 19 points in the 82-64 win.

Fans were thrilled to see their Bayou Barbie back in action ... as she had been away from the team since her benching on the Nov. 14 game. Head coach Kim Mulkey was mum on the reason why.

But, now Reese is providing an explanation, speaking to the media postgame, admitting it was a long two weeks away, but it was something that needed to be done.

"Taking time to yourself is really important," Reese said, "I feel like it's just something important, resetting, refocusing within the team. I'm just happy to be back."

"My mental health is the most important before anything and I'm gonna make sure I'm okay before anything because I don't wanna cause any harm or cancer in the locker room."

Reese added, "I want to people realize that I'm not just an athlete. I'm a human, too. I go through things."

The 21-year-old said she got a lot of support from her true friends ... including Shaq, who reached out every day during her absence.

"We FaceTime every day, he checked on me, called me every single day to make sure I was good.," Reese said.

The 2023 NCAA champ also had a message for everybody who trashed her, speculating her time away had to do with bad grades or a bad attitude.

"Whatever stories that were wrote or written, don't believe everything you read," Reese said. "I'm back and I'm happy. I'm here and I'm moving forward. I'm going to take this team and help take this team as far as I can."

Outside of Reese's return and LSU's win, Mulkey also got her 700th victory, making her the fastest coach to reach the mark in men's and women's basketball.

LeBron James is vowing not to miss Bronny's first college basketball game ... revealing he will skip his day job with the Lakers to watch his son play for USC if their schedules overlap.

The King spoke with reporters following L.A.'s 133-110 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday ... hours after it was announced his oldest son was cleared to return to hoops following his cardiac arrest in July.

LBJ said it's a "proud moment" for his entire family ... and he's so excited for 19-year-old Bronny, he's already let the team know he won't be available to play if his kid's debut falls on the same date as a Laker game.

"Looking forward to his first game," James told reporters. "Whenever he's cleared and whenever he's ready to have his first game, I already told my teammates that if they play on the same day we're playing, then I'm going to have to catch them the next game."

LeBron's teammates jokingly let out groans after his comment ... but he made it clear the James Gang is his priority.

"Family over everything, champs. I love y'all. But, I definitely gotta see Bronny's first game whenever he's cleared and ready to go."

As we previously reported, Bronny will have a final evaluation with USC staffers and participate in practice next week ... and will make his first game appearance soon after.

The Lakers and USC have five potential scheduling conflicts over the next couple of weeks -- Dec. 28 and 30, and Jan. 3, 13, and 17.

Mikey Williams was all smiles leaving a San Diego County courtroom on Thursday ... 'cause he formally cut a sweet deal with prosecutors in his shooting case that will allow him to avoid jail time.

The 19-year-old Univ. of Memphis basketball commit had been facing multiple felony charges in the case -- including five counts of assault with a firearm and one count of shooting at an occupied vehicle -- after he was arrested in April for his alleged role in a shooting that went down outside his Jamul, Calif. home back on March 27.

However, following his pact with prosecutors on Thursday ... Williams pled guilty to just one single count of making criminal threats in order to close out the case.

According to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, in exchange for the plea, Williams must attend Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, gun safety, and anger management classes ... as well as complete 80 hours of community service. If he does all of the above by his sentencing date on Aug. 12, 2024 -- and keeps his nose clean -- the charge will be reduced to a misdemeanor, and, perhaps more importantly, he'll stay out of a cell.

Video of Williams following Thursday's court proceedings showed the hooper was happy with the resolution in the case ... walking away from the courthouse with a grin on his face.

"I feel good," Williams said on camera. "All glory to God."

Deputy District Attorney George Modlin told reporters, meanwhile, he, too, was happy with the results of Thursday's plea deal.

"Cases are individually looked at," Modlin said. "There is no rubber stamp for any type of case, but when we looked into the details of Mr. Williams' age, lack of criminal record, everything that took place that night, both sides got together and worked really hard and came up with a resolution that we both believed creates justice for Mr. Williams and the community, keeps the community safe and creates the proper safeguards."

Bronny James has been given the green light to resume his athletic career -- medical officials have cleared the USC freshman to play basketball again ... just four months after suffering cardiac arrest during a workout.

A rep for LeBron James' family shared the great news on Thursday ... saying the 19-year-old hooper will have a final evaluation with USC staffers in the coming days before joining his teammates at practice next week.

The statement added once Bronny gets some practices under his belt, he will suit up for the Trojans "soon after."

"The James family would like to express their gratitude to the incredible medical team, the entire USC community, and especially the countless friends, family, and fans for their love and support," the statement said. "Fight On!"

Bronny was sidelined for USC's first seven games of the 2023-24 season ... with the team going 5-2 in his absence.

The Trojans play Gonzaga on Saturday, which means they'll have at least one more game without #6. Based on the statement, it sounds like Bronny could make his debut either December 10 against Long Beach State ... or a week later against Auburn.

TMZ Sports broke the story -- Bronny collapsed on the court during a workout on campus on July 24. It was later determined he had "an anatomically and functionally significant Congenital Heart Defect," which caused the cardiac arrest.

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.