Basketball

Russell Westbrook unloaded on a heckling fan during Sunday's game against the Charlotte Hornets ... with the LA Clippers star cussing the guy out -- and it was all captured on video.

The tense interaction went down prior to the second half of the Clips' 130-118 road win at the Spectrum Center ... when Russ addressed a spectator who, according to witnesses, had been mouthing off about him in the first two quarters.

The clip of the interaction shows Russ scolding the balloon hat-wearing Hornets supporter ... explaining his jeers went too far.

"I got kids, don't disrespect my name," Russ is heard saying during the exchange ... adding, "I don't give a f***" to whatever the spectator replied.

It appears a team staffer was right next to Russ throughout the convo ... probably to make sure things didn't escalate.

The 35-year-old vet has been vocal about the hate thrown his way during games -- especially the "Westbrick" nickname -- saying the effect the name-calling has had on his family goes far beyond the average trolling.

The NBA has also taken action against mouthy fans ... kicking people out on numerous occasions if the athletes on the hardwood complain.

Larry David seems to have had a miserable time watching UConn make its way into the Final Four on Saturday ... at least that's what the internet is thinking from this footage of him.

The "Curb Your Enthusiasm" star couldn't hide his disdain as UConn beat out Illinois during the March Madness faceoff on Saturday at TD Garden in Boston. The famous curmudgeon was filmed biting his nails and looking seriously annoyed as UConn dominated Illinois.

LD appeared less than comfortable in his front row seat too ... as he was also photographed stretching out his onto the banister in front of him.

Robbie Avila's about to make himself a LOT of money ... 'cause the Indiana State hoops star tells TMZ Sports there are eyewear companies lining up to work with him after becoming a viral sensation!!

The 6'11" goggle-wearing center was quite the fan favorite this college basketball season ... with his impressive highlights earning him nicknames like Cream Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Nerd, and, his favorite, Rob Wave.

Since then, the NIL business has been boomin' for the Sycamores star ... and he's lovin' it!

"NIL is huge now!" Avila told TMZ Sports. "It's a really big thing with college sports."

"Obviously, I've had a couple of eyewear companies reach out to kinda brand with my goggles. Being able to take full advantage of this is, you know, something I'm able to do here."

The sophomore athlete -- who averaged 17.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game this season -- said the team doesn't mind all the attention he and his specs have been getting ... but admitted it can get bothersome at times when he's out and about.

Despite the rising stardom, Avila and the team's focal point is the National Invitation Tournament semifinals on Tuesday against the No. 2-seeded Utah Utes.

"They're another really, really good team playing at a high level right now," Avila said. "So just being able to execute what we need to do well."

Caitlin Clark's got a tough decision ahead of her -- play in the WNBA or take $5 mil to shoot in the Big3 -- but Reggie Theus tells TMZ Sports if he were the Iowa superstar, the choice would be simple ... play in the women's league.

We caught up with the 2022 Big3 Coach of the Year out at LAX this week just after it was revealed Ice Cube had offered the Hawkeyes hooper 5 Ms to play in as little as eight games … and it wasn't hard to tell he's glad he's not in Clark's shoes in this situation.

He told us on the one hand, the cash would be incredible ... but on the other, playing in the WNBA is lifelong dream material.

If Caitlin Clark does take Ice Cube up on his $5 million offer to play in the Big3, it's clear Nancy Lieberman wants dibs ... telling TMZ Sports she'll make sure the Iowa sharpshooter is ready to take down some former NBA vets!

Lieberman -- an ex-WNBA star who actually played for the Los Angeles Lakers' Summer League team in 1981-- has been the head coach of the Big3's Power since 2018.

She called the 3-on-3 org. "super competitive," but check out the clip -- it's clear as day she thinks Clark would be able to get buckets amongst the men.

"I think her teammates would set her up for success if this is what she chose," the 65-year-old said. "I would love to coach someone like Caitlin Clark. If given the opportunity, I certainly am not afraid of the moment."

If Clark decides to take the WNBA route instead, Lieberman won't sweat it ... as she feels it might force the women's league to up its pay wages.

"I think it's gonna push our friends at the W to increase salaries or some of the things that are gonna be negotiated in the CBA," Lieberman said.

"She's changing us financially and I think everybody should applaud her."

The celebs marched right into the month with sexy shots nearly blowing out the scoreboard! Social media was packed with Hollywood playing their most revealing pics ... clearly the famous folks got MAD GAME!

Take your seats and keep your eyes on key players like Hailey Bieber who bounced up on the feed in a red-hot bikini, Meg Thee Stallion scored hella points and likes with her sweltering mirror selfie, and Sommer Ray shared a buzzer-beating shot showcasing her toned buns!

Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett is breaking his silence on his little brother's death ... saying Nathan's passing is "a lot tougher" than any other loss he's experienced in his life.

The NBA player was emotional when he spoke about his late 19-year-old brother with reporters at Friday's practice ... his first time rejoining the Raptors since the family tragedy.

"I’ve had some people in my life, but this one hit a little harder for me," Barrett said.

"This one is definitely a little different, it’s a lot tougher, and I just think that you’ve gotta push forward every day, gotta be able to try to figure it out."

The Barrett family released a statement earlier this month ... saying Nathan was surrounded by family members and loved ones at the time of his death, although additional details have not been made public.

Nathan was also an athlete -- he followed in his brother's footsteps by playing basketball at Montverde Academy. However, he changed course and was pursuing a career as a pilot.

"If I know my brother, he would want me to be here, to be playing," Barrett added, "to try to continue to make the Barrett legacy grow."

Philadelphia 76ers hooper Kelly Oubre Jr. and his head coach, Nick Nurse, are gonna have to write out a check to the NBA -- the two were just fined $50,000 each for going ballistic on referees after their 108-107 loss to the Clippers on Wednesday.

The matchup ended in quite the controversy -- the Sixers forward drove to the basket to attempt a game-winning bucket ... and despite making contact with Paul George, a foul wasn't called.

Oubre and Nurse were irate over the no-call after the buzzer -- Oubre even flipped the bird at the officials ... and Sixers staffers had to step in to keep the two from going further.

Many believe Oubre also pointed at each official and called them a "bitch."

Tsunami Papi admitted after the game he knew a fine was coming … and he was right -- 'cause the league handed down the punishment for "verbally abusing and directing an obscene gesture" at the officials.

Nurse's fine was for "aggressively pursuing and verbally abusing game officials."

Oubre shared his regret over his actions ... saying, "I want to apologize for just losing my cool … I just ask for forgiveness. It wasn't cool, so I'll take whatever penalties come with that."

While the financial punishment is nothing to scoff at, ex-NBA player Lou Williams predicted KO would actually get a heftier fine … saying, "This is $25,000 per bitch, without a doubt."

Ice Cube will have to wait a bit longer to get an answer from Caitlin Clark on his $5 million Big3 offer ... the Iowa superstar just revealed she hasn't considered the deal yet -- as her current focus is solely on winning the NCAA tournament.

The 22-year-old spoke with reporters about Cube's proposal on Friday afternoon -- one day before she's slated to take the court against Colorado in the Sweet 16 -- and she made it clear, it's not even remotely on her mind right now.

In fact, she said she just learned of the offer this week -- at "the same exact time you all did."

Duke Blue Devils star Jared McCain is offering up his apologies to anyone up in arms over a little bit of nail polish ... saying painting his fingertips is a form of self-care for him -- and he's gonna keep being himself.

Dudes wearing nail polish has always been a pearl-clutching controversy for some reason ... despite big celebs like Harry Styles, Machine Gun Kelly and Heisman winner Caleb Williams famously rocking the look lately.

The freshman guard -- who dropped 30 points in Duke's win over James Madison on Sunday -- has also donned flashy nails on the court throughout his college career ... showing team spirit with some blue and white paint during games.

McCain's fashion choice even landed him a Name, Image and Likeness deal with Sally Hansen ... and when he was doing a paid promo with the brand, he explained why he made it a tradition.

"Just do some self care time, I think everybody should do some self care for themselves," McCain said. "For me, it's nail painting. Sorry if that offends any of you guys."

McCain revealed "there's really no crazy reason to it" -- ultimately, it's a practical move as it keeps him from biting his nails ... and one day, he thought it would be cool to add some color.

McCain explained he then had a basketball game after that appointment ... and when he had a good performance, he decided to keep up with it (even though he doesn't consider himself superstitious).

Seems pretty harmless, but some folks can't get over it -- even Williams has faced backlash during his stellar college career for painting his nails, too.

Forget poppin' bubbly, the Illinois men's basketball team got in a water gun fight to celebrate its big Sweet 16 win on Thursday ... and the celly got so wild, head coach Brad Underwood actually ditched his top for it!

The H2O battle happened just minutes after the Fighting Illini pulled off a 72-69 upset win over No. 2-seeded Iowa State in the NCAA tournament.

Underwood -- sans tee -- kicked off the war by busting through a curtain with his staff and blasting a giant super soaker on his players.

Quincy Guerrier, Max Williams, AJ Redd and the rest of the dudes came prepared, though, and returned fire with their own smaller water pistols.

The whole celebration was a vibe ... and the team certainly deserved it -- as this is the first Elite Eight they've reached since 2005.

"This team's got swag," Underwood said after the win. "They don't fear the moment, they don't fear anything, they compete."

Jeremy Roach isn't planning on letting a dislocated finger get in the way of him putting on a show in the Sweet Sixteen on Friday ... the Duke hoops star tells TMZ Sports he'll be good to go against Houston!

ICYMI, the senior guard injured his pinky during the Blue Devils' NCAA tournament win over James Madison on Sunday.

Even though it looked painful as hell, it thankfully wasn't broken ... and according to Roach, he won't be limited much by the dinged digit when Duke faces off with the Cougars.

Teyana Taylor is convinced Iman Shumpert's relationship with a woman is negatively impacting their children -- so much so, she wants an expert to get involved in their divorce ... TMZ has learned.

In new court documents, obtained by TMZ, Teyana's attorney asks the court to let her call on a child psychologist to testify about something she says went down a couple weeks ago, when their daughters were staying with their father.

According to the docs, the ex-NBA star had a female friend and her daughter staying at his home during his parenting weekend with the daughters. Teyana's attorney says they know this because Teyana saw the woman's daughter and heard the woman during a FaceTime check-in with their daughters.

Michigan politician Matt Maddock is adamant that several buses filled with the Gonzaga men's basketball team were actually packed with "illegal invaders" -- and despite being proven wrong ... he's still insisting it's true.

Maddock posted the nonsense on his X page on Wednesday night ... after seeing three large buses get a police escort away from the Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

The MI House of Representatives member -- a Republican -- said to his nearly 2,000 followers, "Happening right now. Three buses just loaded up with illegal invaders at Detroit Metro."

NBA center Isaiah Hartenstein is opening up on how people react when they find out he's actually Black ... saying the experience is like something straight out of a "Key and Peele" sketch.

The 25-year-old hooper's teammates, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, got right to the point when they invited him on their "Roommates" podcast this week ... when the former asked Hartenstein straight-up, "Are you Black?"

The six-year vet broke it all down ... explaining his dad, Florian, is Black.

"You know how it's like lightskin? I'm brightskin," Hartenstein said. "I'm above lightskin."

The 7'0" big man went on to point out there's one big difference he notices after folks learn he's Black ... and he compared it to the famous skit from the Comedy Central show, when Jordan Peele's Barack Obama character bases his handshake approach on race.

"When they find out I'm Black, it changes," Hartenstein added. "The whole vibe changes -- it goes from, 'Hey Zay, how are you doing?' to 'Yo, Zay, what up, man? You good?'"

A hefty fine is surely coming Kelly Oubre Jr.'s way -- the Philadelphia 76ers hooper absolutely unloaded on referees over a blown call at the end of Wednesday's game ... appearing to call them a bunch of bitches.

The Sixers' 108-107 loss to the LA Clippers ended in controversy ... when KO drove the lane in hopes of getting the lead in the final seconds of the contest, but made contact with Paul George instead.

Oubre and Sixers coach Nick Nurse were both LIVID over the non-call after the buzzer ... yelling at officials and needing to be restrained.

The internet lipreaders seemed to figure out what Oubre said in the confrontation ... claiming Oubre pointed at Kevin Scott, Brandon Adair and JB DeRosa individually and said, "you're a bitch, you're a bitch, you're a bitch."

It didn't stop there -- some believe Oubre even started talking about their relatives ... also referring to them as bitches.

Some on the internet have felt the 28-year-old's frustration was perhaps warranted ... as Scott admitted after the game a foul should've been called on the play.

Despite being technically right, Oubre expressed remorse for his actions in the locker rooms ... saying, "I want to apologize for just losing my cool, because that's something I try to work on each and every day, and try to represent God in the best way I possibly can, and that wasn't it."

"So I just ask for forgiveness."