Basketball

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar took a nasty spill at a concert in Los Angeles -- and the NBA legend ended up in the hospital with a broken hip, TMZ has learned.

His rep, Deborah Morales, tells us ... Kareem was attending the show Friday night -- but it was unclear who was performing and where. Anyway, the former Lakers star center accidentally fell to the floor, shattering his hip.

Paramedics quickly responded and transported Kareem to the hospital for treatment.  His condition was not disclosed.

Morales said Kareem was "deeply appreciative" of the support he received from the Los Angeles Fire Department on site and the "amazing medical team and doctors at UCLA Hospital who are taking great care of (him)."

Based on what his rep is saying, it sounds like Kareem is going to be OK.

Britney Spears está disparando contra Justin Timberlake y lo que ella considera su falta de habilidades en el baloncesto, afirmando que era un mal perdedor cuando ella lo derribaba en la cancha.

La estrella del pop usó su Instagram el viernes para molestar un poco al cantante de "Suit & Tie". Sin dar nombres, dijo: "Nunca mencioné cómo le gané en el baloncesto 🏀 y él lloraba... sin faltar el respeto 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️ !!!"

La frase de Britney no es una coincidencia. Como recordarán, Justin abordó la controversia que lo rodea a partir del libro de memorias de Britney, "The Woman In Me", durante su actuación en Las Vegas el miércoles por la noche.

Justo antes de cantar "Cry Me a River" Justin miró a la multitud y dijo: "Sin faltar el respeto", y la canción había sido criticada por Britney por estar relacionada a su fallida relación. Se piensa que Justin la escribió después de descubrir que Britney lo engañaba.

Así que sí, Brit hablando de Justin llorando después de perder un juego, dos días después de que él interpretara "Cry Me a River". El enigma está prácticamente escrito en la pared.

Britney Spears is firing a shot at Justin Timberlake and what she considers his lack of basketball skills, claiming he was a sore loser when she'd take him down on the court.

The pop star took to Instagram Friday to throw some shade at the "Suit & Tie" singer ... without naming names, she writes, "I never mentioned how I beat him in basketball 🏀 and he would cry … no disrespect 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️ !!!"

Britney's phrasing is no coincidence ... you'll recall, Justin addressed the controversy surrounding him and Britney's memoir, "The Woman In Me," during his performance in Las Vegas Wednesday night.

Right before singing, "Cry Me a River," JT looked to the crowd and said, "No disrespect" ... and the song was one Britney slammed for the connection to their broken relationship. It was alleged Justin wrote it after he had caught Britney cheating.

So yea ... Brit talking about Justin crying after losing a game, two days after Justin performed "Cry Me a River" -- the writing's practically on the wall.

Offset estuvo de fiesta en Miami hasta las 5 AM para celebrar su 32 años sin ninguna preocupación en el mundo. Todo, mientras su esposa Cardi B claramente estaba muy molesta en casa por el estado de su matrimonio.

Offset no solo tuvo una, sino dos fiestas de cumpleaños el jueves. Primero él y su equipo fueron vistos dentro de un lugar muy popular en el Miami Design District, el 'Coco Miami' hasta las 3 AM y luego en un club de South Beach llamado 'Playa' hasta las 5 AM.

Offset usó gafas de sol toda la noche, mirando sin inmutarse en las dos fiestas y estuvo rodeado de mujeres, con una furgoneta llena de ellas.

También asistieron a la fiesta el productor Southside, el hijo de Diddy, Justin Combs, Ari Fletcher y los jugadores de los Miami Heat Jaime Jaquez Jr. y Thomas Bryant.

Ahora sabemos que Offset estaba celebrando como un hombre soltero. Cardi se descargó explosivamente en un directo de IG, que deja bastante claro que su relación ha terminado.

Ella acusó a su marido de jugar con ella y "de sentirse muy orgulloso de él" por su nuevo álbum en solitario, el que ella le ayudó a promover.

Offset partied in Miami until 5 AM to celebrate his 32nd birthday without a care in the world -- while his wife, Cardi B, was back at home clearly upset over the state of their marriage.

Offset had not one but two birthday bashes Thursday ... he and his crew were seen inside the Miami Design District hotspot 'Coco Miami' until 3 AM and then hightailed it to South Beach club 'Playa' until 5 AM.

Offset wore shades all night, looking unbothered at both of the parties as he was surrounded by women -- complete with a sprinter van full of 'em.

Also in attendance at the party was producer Southside, Diddy's son Justin Combs, Ari Fletcher and Miami Heat players Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Thomas Bryant.

We now know Offset was celebrating as a single man ... Cardi went live on IG in an explosive rant that pretty much signaled their relationship is over.

She accused her estranged hubby of playing mind games and "feeling himself" because of his new solo album -- which she helped him promote.

Just call Kyle Kuzma Santa Claus ... 'cause the NBA star decided to give back by delivering 20,000 essential goods to families in Flint, Michigan and Washington D.C. for the holidays!!

TMZ Sports is told ... the Washington Wizards forward -- who signed a $102 million deal in June -- took it upon himself to leave a huge impact through his Kyle Kuzma Family Foundation's Golden Ticket initiative.

We're told the 28-year-old gifted 20k items to families in Flint and D.C. ... and the delivery included clothes, essential home goods, water and toys for the kids.

Kuzma kicked things off earlier this month in Flint with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department ... going door to door and handing out 10,000 items -- including water from Pathwater.

Kuz also made deliveries in the nation's capital on Thursday with 10,000 more units ... in partnership with Good Projects, Hearts of Empowerment Washington Wizards and Zapps Wholesale.

We're told D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser was so moved by the gesture, the basketball player was recognized with a proclamation.

This isn't the first time Kuzma made an amazing donation to those in need ... during Thanksgiving weekend, he donated $60k worth of clothing to female inmates at the county jail in Flint.

It's a gesture that was important to Kuz, as he recently partnered with I.G.N.I.T.E. and R.I.S.E., two jail reforms that support incarcerated women to re-enter society.

Kuz also gave 15 single mothers in Flint a $1k shopping spree for the holidays.

Steve Kerr apparently sees no issues with the NBA's choice to hit Draymond Green with an indefinite ban this week ... saying Thursday his star player's recent behavior just needs to change.

The Warriors head coach opened up on the suspension that Adam Silver levied on his star player earlier this week -- and he made it clear, he's in favor of the lengthy timeout.

"The one who choked Rudy [Gobert], the one who took a wild flail at Jusuf [Nurkic], the one who punched Jordan [Poole] last year -- that's the guy who has to change," Kerr said.

"You look at the past year and what's happened," the coach continued, "it's clear he needs the opportunity to change."

Kerr explained to media members that for much of Green's career, he's not had issues with the power forward ... saying he believes most of Draymond's outbursts prior to 2022 included tolerable yelling at refs or innocuous ball throwing.

However, Kerr said the behavior he's displayed in the last year -- which most recently included taking a swipe at Jusuf Nurkic's face during an altercation in Tuesday night's Warriors vs. Suns game -- just cannot continue.

"To me, this is about more than basketball," Kerr said. "It's about helping Draymond. I think it's an opportunity for Draymond to step away and to make a change in his approach and his life."

Draymond Green would be breathing a lot easier today if Shaquille O'Neal were running the NBA ... 'cause the Lakers legend says he'd only suspend DG two games if league punishments were up to him.

O'Neal made the declaration while speaking with Babcock and Charles on "TMZ Live" on Thursday -- less than 24 hours after Green was banned by Adam Silver indefinitely for smacking Jusuf Nurkic in the head during an altercation in the Warriors vs. Suns game.

Shaq says he believes Green had no bad intentions when he flailed his right arm into Nurkic's face -- explaining he's buying the Warriors star's explanation that he was simply trying to sell a call.

"I don't think Draymond said, 'Hey, I'm going to punch this guy just 'cause he's pulling my jersey,'" Shaq said.

The Diesel went on to tell the guys that he believes the play was merely a flop gone wrong.

Of course, Silver and the NBA apparently disagree ... because they've banned Green from suiting up for Golden State for the foreseeable future.

Shaquille O'Neal is weighing in on the Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. Pacers game ball debate -- and he's making it clear, he's siding with the Greek Freak in the tiff.

The beef, of course, began late Wednesday night -- after Indiana players felt following their 140-126 loss to the Bucks ... the rookie who scored his first-ever points during the contest, Oscar Tshiebwe, deserved the game ball more than Antetokounmpo, who dropped a franchise-record 64 points.

Obviously feeling differently than Indiana's players, Antetokounmpo went to the Pacers' locker room area to retrieve it -- but, chaos then proceeded to break out.

When Shaq joined Charles and Babcock on Thursday's "TMZ Live" and spoke about the commotion ... he said Giannis had every right to be upset with the situation -- believing the two-time MVP should have been the one who ultimately walked away from the arena with the memento.

"By the letter of the law," Shaq said, "if you're playing at home, you should get the ball if something spectacular happens."

Giannis did end up with a game ball -- though he told media members afterward he wasn't sure if it was the basketball he used to record his historic night.

Mark Cuban, meanwhile, told TMZ Sports earlier Thursday that if the game had happened in his home arena, he believed whichever team had the rookie deserved it most.

"That's a big deal that only happens once," the Mavericks owner said.

Mark Cuban says if he were in charge of the ball at the center of the Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. Pacers tiff ... the Bucks superstar would be disappointed -- 'cause he would've given the memento to Indiana.

The Dallas Mavericks honcho didn't mince words when talking about the topic to TMZ Sports on Thursday ... saying, "if you have a rookie who's never scored before in an NBA game, that's a big deal that only happens once."

"So," he continued, "I'd give the ball to the rookie."

Of course, Giannis felt differently following Milwaukee's 140-126 win over Indiana at the Fiserv Forum on Wednesday night ... going absolutely ballistic when the Pacers wanted to hand the ball off to Oscar Tshiebwe for scoring his first NBA basket instead of to the two-time MVP who had just scored 64 points.

Antetokounmpo ran to the front of the Pacers' locker room to confront them -- before he sprinted back on the court to complain to arena officials about the ball some more.

Eventually, a basketball was given to Giannis ... though he told reporters afterward he wasn't sure if it was actually the one he used to drop a franchise-high mark for points during the game.

Cuban said the home team should ultimately be the one to make the call in the situation -- though he said he'd just have to give it up to the rookie in this instance ... but would still do something nice for Giannis.

"With situations like that," he said, "I'd take the box score, I'd get his teammates to sign it and I'd frame it for him."

He added that if Giannis really wanted the ball -- he recommended bartering with the rookie for it ... perhaps by signing a jersey or even forking over some cash.

Flau'jae Johnson's doing way more than hooping in arenas now ... 'cause the LSU star and rapper performed in front of a huge crowd at Rod Wave's concert in Atlanta -- and the fans loved it!

The Tigers guard -- who's got some downtime before LSU's next game on Dec. 17 -- was front and center at Rod's "Nostalgia" tour alongside Ari Lennox, Toosi, G Herbo and Eelmatic.

Several fans immediately recognized the 2023 NCAA champ when she took the stage ... and captured footage of her performance of her hit song, "Big 4."

Flau'jae's no stranger to the stage -- as we previously reported, she performed for LeBron James and his guests at his UNINTERRUPTED party this summer ... and also put on a show for LSU fans after the Tigers' NCAA title win in April.

Remember, Flau'jae -- who was named the 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year -- is serious about her rap career just as much as basketball ... and has dropped several tracks and music videos that have gotten hundreds of thousands of views.

Johnson -- who's averaging 11.3 points and 7 rebounds per game this season -- is even signed to Roc Nation ... and hopes to do a collab with J. Cole and Lil' Wayne.

Pacers legend George McGinnis -- who won two ABA titles and an MVP award -- passed away on Thursday after a suffering medical emergency last week.

According to the Pacers, McGinnis -- who played for Indiana from 1971 to 1975 before the NBA merger -- died at the Community North Hospital days after he went into cardiac arrest at his home.

"We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Hall of Famer George McGinnis," the Pacers said in a statement on Instagram.

"He was the very definition of an Indiana basketball legend, a champion, and Hall of Fame athlete. But he was more than that. George was family."

The Pacers drafted the 6-foot-8 power forward out of Indiana University ... and he quickly became a key player for Indiana's two ABA championship wins in 1972 and 1973.

He went on to become such a legend for the Pacers, the organization retired his No. 30 jersey. McGinnis is only one of only four Pacers to ever receive that honor.

McGinnis also played for the Sixers and Nuggets ... before he ended his career with the Pacers again.

"From his all-state high school days to his time as an IU All-American and, of course, to his legendary ABA championship runs with the Pacers, George McGinnis shaped so many of the fondest basketball memories for generations of Hoosiers," the Pacers said.

"A passionate advocate for his fellow ABA players and a present, smiling face around the franchise, George has been as synonymous with our Pacers franchise as anyone."

"He will be greatly missed, and all of us at Pacers Sports & Entertainment will keep George and his family in our prayers."

McGinnis was 73 years old.

Draymond Green is getting help amid his suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct ... a practice he's quite familiar with, as he previously discussed his emotional struggles in a sit-down with self-help guru Deepak Chopra.

The Golden State Warriors star is reportedly seeking counseling after striking Jusuf Nurkic in the face during Tuesday's matchup against the Phoenix Suns ... with the NBA stating he must meet certain conditions before rejoining his team.

While Draymond said after the game the whole incident was just an accident, the Association clearly felt otherwise ... making his punishment indefinite to allow him to "take the time he might need to deal with challenges he’s facing," according to Adrian Wojnarowski.

As we previously reported, Green acknowledged his on-court rage in the Prime Video show, "The Sessions," last year ... where he explained how rage is "100%" part of his identity as a player.

"I go on the floor and no matter what, no matter who gets in the way, it's coming out. But, it's emotionally draining," Green said in the session with Chopra.

Green said he has always had a chip on his shoulder en route to the NBA ... but even after finding success as a pro, he never let his "I'm not supposed to be here" mentality go.

Chopra told the four-time champion there's nothing wrong with anger, as it can be a release for him -- just like laughter or sleep.

But hostility, he continued, is more about seeking revenge or "getting even" ... which is much more dangerous.

While Draymond appeared to pick up what Chopra was putting down, it didn't put a stop to his on-court issues -- not only did he hit Nurkic in the face, but he also choked Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert earlier this season, which led to a suspension.

Giannis Antetokounmpo went nuts on the court Wednesday night, dropping a career-high 64 points -- and then he went ballistic because of it, losing his mind after the Pacers wouldn't give him the game ball from the evening.

The scene was wild ... the Bucks superstar thought he was entitled to the basketball due to his historic performance in the 140-126 victory in Wisconsin -- but Indiana players felt their rookie, Oscar Tshiebwe, should get it for scoring his first-ever NBA points.

Giannis was so incensed that the Pacers wouldn't hand it over -- he actually ran down one of the Fiserv Forum tunnels to insist that his opponents give it back.

A scuffle broke out while Giannis was screaming for the ball -- and Pacers coach Rick Carlisle told media members his team's general manager, Chad Buchanan, took a shot to the ribs from a Bucks player amid the chaos.

Giannis eventually ran out onto the floor to try to get someone to get him the ball -- screaming at anyone who would listen.

It's ultimately unclear who kept the memento -- Giannis was given a "game ball," though he seemed to question whether or not it was the real one after all the commotion died down.

"I have a ball, but I don't know if it's the game ball," Giannis told reporters. "It doesn't feel like the game ball to me. It feels like a brand-new ball. I can tell. I played, what, 35 minutes today. I know how the game ball felt. The ball that I have, which I'll take and I'll give it to my mom, for sure -- but I don't know if it's actually the game ball."

Memorabilia drama aside, Giannis' night was truly one NBA fans will have a tough time forgetting ... his 64 points broke Michael Redd's franchise record of 57. He added 14 rebounds, three assists, four steals and one block during the contest as well.

Nonetheless, Giannis clearly wishes he was ensured to have the real No. 1 keepsake from the evening.

Draymond Green is going to be away from the Golden State Warriors for a while ... the NBA hit him with an indefinite suspension after he smacked one of his opponents in the face.

The NBA says Draymond's "repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts" is playing into his indefinite suspension.

Draymond was ejected from Tuesday's game against the Phoenix Suns ... when he got way too physical with Jusuf Nurkic, whacking him in the head with a hard right hand during a scrap in the third quarter. Draymond was hit with a flagrant foul 2 and booted from the game.

It's the second suspension for Draymond already this NBA season ... he was hit with a 5-game ban just last month after putting Minnesota Timberwolves star center Rudy Gobert in a chokehold.

The NBA says Draymond's suspension will begin immediately -- the Warriors play the Clippers Thursday night -- and "he will be required to meet certain league and team conditions" before being reinstated.

Draymond is expected to meet Thursday with Warriors brass and his agent Rich Paul to discuss counseling ... according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

NBA fans are calling for yet another suspension for Draymond Green ... this time after the Warriors superstar was ejected for whacking one of his opponents in the face with a hard right hand.

The incident happened in the third quarter of Golden State's game against the Suns in Phoenix on Tuesday ... when Green appeared to be trying to back down Jusuf Nurkic during an inbounds play.

As Green attempted to shimmy his way into the paint, Nurkic provided some resistance -- and in response, Draymond spun around, flailed his arms and made contact with the Suns center's head.

Nurkic immediately crumpled in pain -- and a short time later, Green was hit with a flagrant foul 2 and tossed from the action.

The ejection was the third for Green this season -- and the second one since he was given the boot for putting Rudy Gobert in a chokehold during the Warriors' game against the Timberwolves last month.

Following Tuesday night's latest incident, Green told media members he didn't mean to hit Nurkic -- and apologized for his actions.

"As you know, I am not one to apologize for things I mean to do, but I do apologize to Jusuf because I didn't intend to hit him," Green said after the game. "I sell calls with my arms. I don't fall to sell a call. I'm not a flopper. So I was just selling the call 'cause he was grabbing me and pulling my hip back. So, I spun away and unfortunately I hit him."

Nurkic, meanwhile, wasn't pleased with the play -- though he was at least able to crack a bit of a smile about it all with media members following the game.

"Personally, I feel like that brother needs help," Nurkic said. "I'm glad he didn't try to choke me."

As you know, Green has been suspended multiple times in his career for similar acts -- including a five-game ban in November for the way he put his hands on Gobert.

Most expect a suspension to be handed down sooner than later for the Nurkic play too -- it just remains to be seen how many contests Green will be forced to sit out.