Basketball

The University of Connecticut isn't playing around this year ... with both their men's and women's hoops teams in the Final Four, the U isn't takin' any chances, removing all the light poles from the campus to stop any debauchery square in its tracks!

TMZ Sports talked to UConn on Tuesday -- and with both basketball teams just two wins away from Natty's -- we asked about precautions ... given how crazy things got during last year's celebration after the men won.

Remember, students caused hella damage to the Storrs campus, including ripping down light poles and throwing them through buildings.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese's highly anticipated rematch dominated the ratings on Monday ... 'cause ESPN says the Iowa vs. LSU women's Elite Eight contest generated 12.3 million viewers -- making it the most-watched women's game on record.

The sports network confirmed the massive numbers less than 24 hours after the Hawkeye beat the Tigers, 94-87 ... clinching their 2nd-straight trip to the Final Four.

Not only was it the most-viewed women's game -- ESPN added it was the biggest audience ever for a college basketball game on its platform.

Women's hoops has continuously risen in popularity ... as the Sweet Sixteen round broke a record with 2.4 million views -- a 96% increase!!

The overall women's tournament has also seen a huge spike ... with an average of 1.1 million viewers.

Of course, hats off to stars like Clark, Reese, Paige Bueckers, Juju Watkins, Flau'jae Johnson and Kamilla Cardoso ... who have undoubtedly helped bring in new eyeballs this season.

Their influence has also resulted in NIL deals ... as well as a $5 million offer for Clark to join Ice Cube's Big3 league.

Caitlin Clark ... that's why Angel Reese is famous, according to Jason Whitlock who says the LSU hooper only got big 'cause she taunted the Iowa superstar -- no more, no less.

The polarizing columnist and host shared his harsh opinion after Reese -- the SEC Player of the Year -- and the Tigers lost to the Hawkeyes in the Elite Eight of the Women's NCAA tournament on Monday.

Clark was unstoppable ... leading all scoring with 41 points. Reese put up her 27th double-double of the season (17 points and 20 rebounds) ... but that didn't change JW's opinion.

"We can officially quit putting Angel Reese on Caitlin Clark's level," the 56-year-old said. "Stop it."

"One is an all-time great player. The other got famous for taunting. The rivalry is dead."

Of course, Whitlock is referencing to last tourney's memorable moment ... when Angel mocked Caitlin during the title game, which LSU won, 102-85.

AR also used John Cena's famous "You Can't See Me" hand gesture ... something Clark had previously employed.

Reese became a big star after the calendar flipped on March Madness ... and has since been everywhere, including the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

But, it's clearly taken a toll on her. Following the end of LSU's season last night, Reese talked about some of the struggles since becoming famous.

As for Clark, she's in the process of collecting just about every record that exists ... but she hasn't won a title (yet).

The journalist who called LSU women's basketball players "dirty debutantes" in a column last week has just issued an apology ... admitting, "I have failed miserably in my choice of words."

Ben Bolch wrote the controversial piece for the Los Angeles Times last Friday ... and it was almost immediately met with backlash. Critics slammed the way he compared the UCLA women's basketball team to "milk and cookies," while calling the Tigers' players "Louisiana hot sauce" -- insisting it was both racist and misogynistic.

In fact, LSU coach Kim Mulkey and her star player, Hailey Van Lith, were so offended by the article, they both used portions of their meetings with media members over the weekend to rail against Bolch.

The reporter clearly heard the criticism ... because on Monday afternoon, he issued a lengthy mea culpa.

In his statement -- which he posted to his X page -- Bolch acknowledged his words were "not appropriate" and were "deeply offensive."

"It was not my intent to be hurtful," he said, adding his employer did not require him to write the note, "but I now understand that I terribly missed the mark."

He concluded his message by writing, "I am deeply sorry."

For the L.A. Times' part, they swapped out portions of Bolch's original article ... writing in an editor's note, "The original version of this commentary did not meet Times editorial standards. It has been edited to remove language that was inappropriate and offensive."

Utah Jazz general manager Justin Zanik revealed he's been dealing with a serious health condition .... admitting he was in kidney failure after he was diagnosed with a disease that left only 14% of the organ's function.

The 49-year-old went into detail about the discovery on Monday ... explaining his wife, Gina, was concerned that he looked thinner and tired -- so she begged him to get a physical after missing the last eight annual exams.

Zanik -- who became the NBA team's GM in 2019 -- set up an appointment with the Jazz physician David Petron in September 2023 ... and was told he was in kidney failure.

The diagnosis is Polycystic Kidney Disease -- an inherited disorder where cysts develop on the kidneys causing them to work less -- and Dr. Petron said Zanik only had 14% of the kidney's use left.

Zanik will have to get a transplant -- something his father did 21 years ago ... and he found a match with his wife's best friend's husband. The procedure will happen on Tuesday.

"I'm a fixer by nature. My job with the Jazz, my role with my family -- I mean, I was a [player] agent for 15 years. I fixed a lot of s***. I'm the one who's supposed to help," Zanik said.

"I'm the one who's supposed to take care of everything. I really didn't know how to ask for help, but I had to get over it. I knew I had to get over it."

Zanik's children were also diagnosed with advanced forms of PKD ... and were told that Ava, Oskar, and Lucy would need transplants before they were 30 years old.

"We're going to do this together," Zanik said. "We're stronger together."

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."