Basketball

Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant had a pregame exchange with two fans ahead of Thursday night's game ... confronting the Mavericks supporters after being called a "bitch."

The whole exchange was captured on video ... showing KD running out of the tunnel for warmups -- but coming to a screeching halt after hearing the word hurled his way.

Durant quickly approached the two fans -- who appeared to have great seats for the game -- and they went back and forth for a good 30 seconds before the two-time NBA champ waved his hand in disgust and rejoined his teammates.

Of course, the NBA has a history of kicking heckling fans out of games at a player's request ... and it appeared the pair of Dallas backers were about to be escorted out of American Airlines Center before Durant returned to the scene and intervened.

It's unclear what was said between Durant and the fans ... but according to reporter Jonah Javad, the hooper saved them from getting the boot.

As for the game, Durant finished with 23 points and six rebounds ... but the Suns fell to the Mavs, 123-113.

The assault charge Isaiah Stewart had been facing for allegedly socking Drew Eubanks in the face was dismissed on Thursday ... after prosecutors said the Phoenix Suns player didn't want to move forward with the case against the Detroit Pistons center.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, officials filed a motion in Arizona to dismiss the case this week ... explaining Eubanks "no longer desires prosecution in this matter."

A judge signed off on the motion a short time later -- putting Stewart in the clear.

The 22-year-old was slated to have a hearing in the case on Friday -- less than two weeks after cops say witnesses told them he had punched Eubanks in the parking tunnel of the Footprint Center following an argument just before they were slated to compete in a game against each other.

But, a court official tells us the hearing has now been scrapped following the dismissal of the case.

Stewart, however, was still punished by the NBA for his involvement in the altercation ... the league said Thursday it was hitting him with a three-game ban without pay.

Rudy Gobert might've had the best All-Star break in the entire NBA ... 'cause the Minnesota Timberwolves big man's girlfriend just announced they're having a baby!!

The couple shared the exciting news with a number of romantic pregnancy photoshoot pics ... showing him embracing Julia Bonilla's bump during a sunset on the beach.

Rudy also posted a picture palming Julia's growing tummy with his hand ... with his fingers covering the majority of her midriff.

Gobert had a one-word statement on the reveal ... saying, "Legacy," while Julia added, "The better half of us."

The couple's friends expressed their excitement -- from Jordyn Woods to Joakim Noah, Austin Rivers, Trey Lyles and more.

It's unclear how long Gobert and Bonilla have been official -- he's a pretty private guy -- but the two spent the Christmas holidays together with family in Minnesota ... so we take it they've been serious for a while now.

The baby could grow up to be pretty gifted on the court if it takes after pops, considering he's 7'1", a three-time All-Star and a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Former Houston Rockets guard Robert Reid, an NBA star who spent 13 years in the league, died earlier this week following a battle with cancer.

Reid was 68 years old ... and had been battling an illness, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The Rockets announced the sad news on Tuesday, writing, "The Fertitta Family and the Houston Rockets are deeply saddened by the passing of former player, Robert Reid, whose contributions were instrumental in guiding the Houston Rockets to their first two NBA Finals appearances in 1980-81 and 1985-86."

Reid, a 6'8" guard/forward who was a second-round draft pick in 1977, averaged 11.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 blocks a game during his NBA career -- 10 seasons of which were spent in Houston, just a few hours from where he grew up in San Antonio, TX.

He also played for the Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Philadelphia 76ers.

Reid, who was teammates with the legendary Moses Malone, scored 10,448 points in 919 NBA games.

Current Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta also reacted to news of Reid's death, saying ... "It is with great sorrow that my family and I received the news of the passing of Rockets legend, Robert Reid. I have had the privilege of knowing Robert for over 40 years, and his presence always brought joy and positivity to any room he entered."

Reid was 68.

The 21-year-old who lost his leg during a car accident involving Haywood Highsmith earlier this month is now suing the NBA player ... claiming the hooper's careless driving caused the entire tragedy.

Alekxei Pino filed the lawsuit on Friday in Florida ... alleging he was helping assist a stranded motorist on Feb. 6 in Miami when Highsmith barreled into him in his 2021 Audi A5 at a high rate of speed.

Pino claims in the suit Highsmith was going over the roadway's legal speed limit before he hit him ... causing an above-the-knee amputation.

Pino also claims he suffered other significant injuries in the crash ... and has since undergone numerous medical procedures to address the damage.

Pino's attorney, Manuel Dobrinsky, said in a statement this week his client is actually still in the hospital recovering ... "with a very long road of rehabilitation ahead of him."

Pino and his lawyer are asking for unspecified damages but estimate it will be in excess of $50,000.

Pino's family, meanwhile, has also set up a GoFundMe, hoping to raise $100,000 to help him with the recovery process.

As we previously reported, cops said in a police report Highsmith was traveling 45 MPH in a 40 MPH zone before the accident a short time after the Heat beat the Orlando Magic at the nearby Kesaya Center.

Cops stated in the docs they believed drugs and alcohol were not involved ... though they did say Highsmith may have been distracted by unknown circumstances. They ultimately cited him for careless driving.

The Heat said in a statement following the crash that their "hearts go out to those who were injured."

Highsmith sat out of the Heat game the night following the wreck ... although he returned to the floor on Feb. 11 against the Celtics, and played 23 minutes.

Mac McClung is the back-to-back NBA Slam Dunk champion, but even he has his doubts about going at the King ... telling TMZ Sports he'd "probably" lose to LeBron James in a contest!!

The 25-year-old G League star wowed the crowd yet again during All-Star festivities this past weekend ... edging out Celtics star Jaylen Brown to take home the trophy in Indy.

We spoke with the high-flying athlete about what's next following his big victory ... and while he's planning to finish out this season strong before going back to the drawing board for new dunks, there's one thing you can probably take off his "To-Do" list -- a showdown with LeBron.

"[LeBron's] the man, I don't know if I'd want to go up against him," Mac told us during his celebrity shift at Raising Cane's in Orlando. "He'd probably beat me, for sure."

Worth noting -- LeBron famously never did the dunk contest ... something fans practically begged him to do for years, considering he's one of the greatest rim-rattlers in league history.

Despite the lack of experience in the event, Mac thinks the Lakers superstar would be his biggest competition yet ... even at 39 years old.

Mac admitted he's still on the fence about whether he'll go for a three-peat ... but if he does, he's just looking to go up against anyone who actually WANTS to participate.

There's more ... Mac also weighed in on his drive-thru shift at the chicken finger joint ... and he's a natural!!

Popular streamer Kai Cenat invaded Shannon Sharpe's show to set the record straight on his height ... confronting the Hall of Famer for calling him "three feet" tall on national television -- and the whole interaction was hilarious!!

Shannon had social media buzzing when he evoked Kai's height while dissing Jaylen Brown's dunk contest performance on Monday's edition of "First Take" -- ripping the Celtics star for leaping over a sitting Cenat ... when other guys had more impressive attempts with big men like Shaquille O'Neal.

Cenat got wind of Sharpe's comments ... and he went BALLISTIC on his livestream, jumping up and yelling expletives directed at the former tight end.

But he wasn't satisfied with sounding off in front of his viewers ... he had to step onto Shannon's turf on his "Nightcap" show to clear the air even further.

"Why you call me three feet?" Kai said. "Hold on, bro. Stop lying to these people."

Cenat insisted he's actually 5'9" ... but regardless, Shay Shay explained his stance, insisting his issue had more to do with Brown's decision-making than the YouTuber's stature.

Ultimately, it appears the two sides are on good terms now ... and were able to bury the hatchet.

A college basketball game looked more like the Royal Rumble on Monday ... with the postgame handshakes going from sportsmanlike to straight-up violent in one of the wildest brawls to date.

The scrap went down after Texas A&M-Commerce defeated Incarnate Word 76-72 at the Alice P. McDermott Convocation Center in San Antonio .... when at some point in saying "good game," two opponents got ticked off and bumped into each other.

It's unclear what exactly led to the altercation, but it quickly escalated ... with players from both teams throwing hands.

Despite the attempts of coaches, staffers, and peaceful athletes to break it all up, the fight continued for at least a minute before the teams were separated.

According to the ESPN broadcast, a "young girl" in the crowd was injured at some point ... and another team manager was bleeding from the face.

Both teams addressed the incident in a statement shortly after the game ... saying, "The University of the Incarnate Word and Texas A&M University-Commerce apologize for the behavior exhibited by our respective men's basketball programs following the game on Monday night."

"There is no place in college sports for such actions. The unsportsmanlike conduct that occurred after the game does not reflect the values of the universities involved, as well as the Southland Conference and their member institutions."

Adele finalmente explicó por qué estaba con una cara de aburrida y malhumorada en el partido de las estrellas de la NBA hace un par de años y, al parecer, todo tiene que ver con los equipos de filmación que osaron desafiar sus deseos.

La cantante abordó la historia durante su residencia en Las Vegas el fin de semana y explicó lo que se ha convertido en uno de los memes más famosos de la artista británica. Seguro ya lo han visto, la cámara muestra a la cantante sentada en la cancha, mientras ella mira torpemente a su alrededor, muy seria y evitando hacer contacto visual.

Adele dice que el equipo de filmación de la NBA le había preguntado si estaría bien grabarla durante la transmisión y ella dice que se negó cortésmente porque "realmente no le gusta ser famosa" y se contentó con que su novio Rich Paul hiciera el desplante.

Bueno, ellos terminaron filmándola de todos modos y eso la hizo enojar.

Adele dice que en lugar de participar con la cámara como se suponía -o cómo otros harían en esa situación- decidió hacerse la tonta y solo escanear la arena.

En cuanto a sus labios carnosos -otra observación que la gente ha hecho sobre el video-, Adele insiste en que son naturales y que no necesita relleno. De todos modos, el punto más importante es que estaba súper malhumorada y desafiando con la mirada a la NBA.

Es bastante gracioso que Adele pensara que podría pasar desapercibida en un evento lleno de estrellas, especialmente cuando estaba sentada junto al agente de la NBA más prominente de la liga, el tipo que literalmente representa a LeBron James y una tonelada de otros jugadores de alto nivel.

Desde entonces, Adele ha seguido siendo bastante tímida en público con Rich, pero cuando está en su propio evento en Las Vegas es un libro abierto y muy conversadora.

Adele finally explained why she was making such a goofy ass face at the NBA All-Star game a couple years back -- and, apparently, it all has to do with film crews defying her wishes.

The singer got into the story over the weekend at her Vegas residency and explained what's become one of the most famous Adele memes. You've seen it by now ... the camera cuts to her sitting courtside, but she's awkwardly looking around avoiding making eye contact.

Adele says an NBA film crew on hand had asked ahead of time if it'd be okay to record her during the broadcast, which she says she politely declined because she "really doesn't like being famous" and was content with her boyfriend Rich Paul doing the schmoozing.

Well, they ended up circling back and filming her anyway ... and that ticked Adele off.

Adele says that rather than engage with the camera like she was supposed to -- or how others might in the situation -- she decided to play dumb and just scan the arena, all aloof.

In terms of her very full lips -- another observation people have made about the now-viral clip -- Adele insists it's all-natural, noting she doesn't need filler. Anyway, the bigger point here is that she says she was sulking in the moment ... and expressing defiance against the NBA.

It's pretty funny that Adele thought she could go unseen/unnoticed at a star-studded event -- especially when she was seated next to the most prominent NBA agent in the league ... the dude who literally reps LeBron James and a crap ton of other high-level players.

Since then, Adele has continued to be pretty camera-shy out in public with Rich -- but when she's in her own environment in Vegas ... she's an open book, and very chatty.

GloRilla wants to sink her teeth into Damian Lillard -- and the Memphis rapper is willing to knuckle up with anyone who's standing in her way!!!

After the Milwaukee Bucks superstar snagged the MVP honors at last night's NBA All-Star Game in Indy, GloRilla snagged a photo-op of her own ... asking which woman Dame belonged to and marked her territory with a stiff warning.

"Whoever she is can’t whoop me so I really dgaf," Glo wrote on X.

Hopefully, there won't be a need for fisticuffs. Dame filed for divorce from his wife Kay'La last October and has been pushing to get a championship after leaving his longtime Portland Trailblazers team.

Glo's clearly choosing up ... The Milwaukee Bucks superstar had the NBA on Dame Time all weekend.

He partied hard on Saturday after winning the 3-point contest, where he became the first player since a guy named Michael Jordan to win an ASG event and MVP.

St. John's head coach Rick Pitino went scorched earth on his basketball team Sunday night, tearing into his soft players and the "s***" university facilities during an unforgettable post-game presser!

"We are so nonathletic that we can't guard anybody without fouling," the legendary coach said after his team's 68-62 loss to Seton Hall at UBS Arena on Long Island in NY.

Pitino continued, "And, really it's not about losing. Even winning, when I watch the film, I see unathletic plays, I see people that don't handle the ball, that are just interested in taking quick shots. It's been a disappointing year."

The first half went St. John's way ... the Red Storm, which once led by 19 points, took a 41-29 lead into the half. But, thanks to turnovers and poor shooting by SJU, the Pirates came charging back in the second, securing the pivotal W with a late run.

FYI, it's a game that was critical for both bubble teams. St. John's, now 6-9 in Big East play, has a lot of work to do. Seton Hall, 10-5 in conference, is sitting in a much better position after the victory. SHU has a resume that boasts wins over UConn and Marquette, and 3 other quad 1 teams.

Pitino also singled out individual players ... calling Drissa Traore, Chris Ledlum, Sean Conway and Joel Soriano "slow laterally," while calling Brady Dunlap "weak."

Pitino, a 2x NCAA champion (though the '13 Louisville title was vacated), said his team's issues go back to recruiting.

“We recruited the antithesis of the way I coach, with speed, quickness, fundamentals, strength and toughness,” Pitino said, adding, “It’s a good group, they try hard, but they’re just not very tough.”

As for their athletic facilities, Pitino clearly believes they're lacking, but isn't going to blame a locker room for a loss on the court.

“Do we have s****y facilities? Yes, we do. Having s****y facilities has nothing to do with not guarding.”

SJU is located in Queens, NY ... and the school has an on-campus arena, though they play a handful of games at Madison Square Garden and other larger local arenas.

As for his thoughts on the year, Rick, who has been coaching since the '70s, admits he isn't having any fun.

"I’m not gonna lie to you. This is the most unenjoyable experience of my lifetime. This has been so disappointing.”

Damian Lillard and Mac McClung were big winners during NBA All-Star Weekend ... and the two champs celebrated like it -- getting the VIP treatment at a celeb-packed hot spot on Saturday.

The Milwaukee Bucks superstar and G League standout were victorious in the Three-point and Slam Dunk contests, respectively ... and shortly after they got their shiny, new hardware, they made their way to Sei Less NYC's popup party in Indianapolis.

The gathering had an impressive guest list ... including Allen Iverson, Draymond Green, Fabolous, Druski, Paulo Bancero, Anthony Edwards and Trae Young.

Mac was loving the cuisine, even making his way to the back kitchen to hang with the chefs and thank them for the grub.

We're told Dame and McClung weren't the only ones with a reason to party -- ex-NBAer Al Harrington was also feeling the love on his 44th birthday ... getting surprised with a cake!!

Steph Curry no deja lugar a dudas, es el mejor tirador de tres puntos de todos los tiempos, independientemente del género.

El tirador de los Golden State Warriors se enfrentó a la estrella de la WNBA Sabrina Ionescu en un concurso de triples durante el fin de semana del NBA All-Star Game.

Steph ganó el concurso 29-26, pero eso no fue un golpe en el rendimiento de Sabrina, porque sus 26 puntos empataron el número de Damian Lillard del concurso de tres puntos de la NBA que tuvo lugar durante la noche, que finalmente él ganó.

A propósito, Sabrina retrocedió y lanzó desde la distancia de tres puntos de la NBA, añadiendo unos treinta centímetros a la distancia desde la que normalmente lanza para el New York Liberty. Ella utilizó el balón WNBA ligeramente más pequeño para disparar.

Curry es un experto en triples y ha ganado de concurso de la NBA dos veces y ostenta el récord de más triples.

Después del concurso, los dos competidores fueron increíblemente elogiosos el uno con el otro. Steph dijo que la presencia de Sabrina en el evento inspiraría a un montón de personas a seguir persiguiendo sus sueños de baloncesto, mientras que Sabrina aplaudió a Steph por mostrarle respeto compitiendo contra ella.

Eso no significa que no hubiera un poco de sabor antes del concurso, con Sabrina diciéndole a los periodistas que Steph estaba hablando basura durante una ronda de práctica antes del evento.

Sabrina también dijo que está lista para una revancha. Por cierto, el All-Star Game del próximo año será organizado por los Warriors.

Steph Curry's leaving no doubt ... he's the greatest three-point shooter of all time -- gender be damned.

The Golden State Warriors sharpshooter faced off with WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu for a head-to-head three-point contest during NBA All-Star Game weekend ... going shot for shot beyond the arc.

SC won the contest 29-26, but that's no knock on SI's performance ... 'cause her 26 points tied Damian Lillard's number from the NBA three-point contest that took place earlier in the evening -- and, he won the whole dang thing.

BTW ... Sabrina backed up and shot from NBA three-point distance, adding about a foot and a half to where she normally shoots for the New York Liberty. She did use the slightly smaller WNBA ball to shoot.

Curry's an expert on three-pointers ... he's a two-time winner of the NBA contest -- on top of holding the record for most career threes made.

After the contest, the two competitors were incredibly complimentary of each other. Steph said Sabrina's presence at the event would inspire a whole lotta kids to keep chasing basketball dreams while Sabrina applauded Steph for showing her respect by competing against her.

That doesn't mean there wasn't a little gamesmanship before the contest ... with Sabrina telling reporters Steph was talkin' some trash during a practice round before the event.

The Splash Bro reigns supreme ... but Sabrina also said she's jonesing for a rematch. FWIW, next year's All-Star Game is being hosted by the Warriors.

Some amazing Kobe Bryant items are looking for a new owner -- including a Draft Day ticket and gold-painted handprints -- and they're all going to go to the highest bidder at auction!!

The two rare pieces are a part of Goldin's "Iconic Collection Honoring Life & Career of Kobe Bryant" ... and the stub stands out, as it sparked the very beginning of Mamba's Hall of Fame career.

The Continental Airlines Arena ticket has the event date (6/26/96) etched on it ... as well as the customized NBA Draft in New Jersey logo.

Of course, the 1996 draft is considered one of the most talented in NBA history ... featuring Bryant (the 13th overall pick), Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Ray Allen, Steve Nash, Jermaine O'Neal, Derek Fisher and more -- so the original owner certainly saw a fair share of future greats.

Another cool item is the 33x25-inch framed clay handprints Kobe made during a tour of Paris in 2017 ... which were covered in gold paint as part of a project for French artist Sacha Schwarz.

There's also a photo to match the moment Bean put his paws in the molding to provide authentication.

We're told both items are estimated to sell in the thousands ... in fact, the gold-plated hands are expected to go for $20k!!

There are other great pieces as well -- things like game-used jerseys and unique trading cards.