Brooklyn Nets

Kyrie Irving showed appreciation for fans eager to meet him in Chicago this week ... by signing autographs and taking pics with a big crowd of supporters.

TMZ Sports is told ... Irving embraced the impromptu meet-and-greet and spent a moment with everyone in the crowd right outside the Nets' team hotel in the Windy City.

In the video, you can see Irving swarmed as he was presumably on his way to the team bus ... with the mob of fans handing the star point guard various items to sign.

As it turns out, we're told there was a group of Irving fans waiting outside the same hotel on Wednesday, and Kyrie promised that if they returned Thursday, he would stay and interact with as many people as time permitted.

Of course, the Nets were in Chi-Town to take on the Bulls at the United Center ... but Brooklyn fell to Chicago, 121-112, snapping a 12-game winning streak.

The Nets have been clicking on all cylinders since Kyrie returned from his suspension on Nov. 20 against Memphis ... reasserting themselves as a powerhouse in the East.

Despite all the controversy surrounding Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets star is still a fan favorite ... 'cause he's currently leading all Eastern Conference guards in NBA All-Star votes.

The league released the first return of fan votes on Thursday -- with LeBron James and Kevin Durant both leading their conference with over 3 million votes each.

What stood out, though, was the voting numbers for the guards ... with Irving currently sitting in the number one spot ahead of Donovan Mitchell -- who recently scored 71 points in a game -- and James Harden.

This comes after the 30-year-old received endless criticism for a tweet last October ... when Kyrie shared the link to a 2018 film that contained antisemitic content.

Initially, Irving -- who signed with the Nets in 2019 -- refused to apologize for the post. He was suspended by the organization. Nike even ended their longtime relationship with the hooper.

Irving eventually said sorry to the Jewish community in a lengthy post on social media ... saying, "I had no intentions to disrespect any Jewish cultural history regarding the Holocaust or perpetuate any hate."

But, given the voting tabulations, it seems that's all water under the bridge (or a vote against cancel culture). It doesn't hurt that the Nets are ballin'!

Since Ky's return from the suspension on Nov. 20, the Nets have won 18 out of their last 22 games and are currently tied for 2nd in the Eastern Conference.

Kyrie Irving could be close to finding a new sneaker partner ... so says Musiq Soulchild, who tells TMZ Sports he's heard the Nets superstar is talking to a new shoe company about a potential deal in the aftermath of his split with Nike.

We spoke to the "B.U.D.D.Y." artist at DASH radio in L.A. this week ... and he revealed to us that he got the shoe scoop after securing a pair of dope kicks from Devlin Carter at SIA Collective.

Musiq -- real name Taalib Hassan Johnson -- said he was told that Irving and Carter, who runs the "Somewhere In America" brand that's based out of Oakland, Calif., have been speaking in earnest about a future collab.

"I think that will be an awesome decision," said Musiq, who also raved about the SIA shoes he was wearing.

Of course, Kyrie is looking for a new shoe sponsor after he and Nike parted ways earlier this month ... following his suspension for tweeting a link to a film containing controversial and antisemitic content.

Irving has made it known he wants a new partner ... covering up his shoes' swooshes during a Dec. 7 game with the messages "I AM FREE" and "Logo Here."

Ben Simmons has found himself in the middle of Tory Lanez's high-profile assault case -- and now, the Nets superstar is defending himself after he was accused of messing around with Megan Thee Stallion.

On Monday, the defense gave their opening statement in Lanez's trial -- where he's accused of shooting Meg in L.A. in 2020 following an argument. While addressing the jurors, Tory's attorney suggested it could've been Meg's friend, Kelsey Harris, who fired the shots, after the women were feuding.

Enter Simmons.

The defense claims Meg had a history of hooking up with men Kelsey's been with ... and accused her of doing just that with the NBA star, which they say caused a huge argument between the women.

But 26-year-old Simmons was quick to shut it down ... posting a viral video on his Instagram story of Rick Ross yelling, "Accusations. These are false accusations," during a segment with Swerve in Our Glory when the Florida rapper visited AEW Dynamite.

Ben didn't name Meg, Tory, or Kelsey in the post, but, c'mon.

It's only day 1 of the trial, but it's evident the defense's strategy is to convince the jurors that it was Kelsey who fired the gun, not Tory.

Even though the trial just started, it's a critical piece of information. If the defense can create reasonable doubt that Kelsey, and not Tory, fired the shots ... he'll be found not guilty.

Kyrie Irving gave the middle finger to Nike with a message on his signature shoes Wednesday night ... covering the swoosh logo and etching "I am Free Thank You God I am" on a patch of tape after his breakup with the sneaker giant.

Irving hit the court at Barclays Center for the first time since becoming a shoe-free agent on Monday ... and while he decided to keep wearing his own kicks, he made sure to distance himself from his former partner.

Irving rocked the Nike Kyrie 3 PE in the "Raygun" colorway for the matchup against the Charlotte Hornets ... but if you look closely, the side logo is covered with black tape.

Kyrie switched kicks mid-game -- which is not uncommon for NBA players -- and the second pair also had the Swoosh scribbled out with black marker.

You'll recall ... the brand suspended its relationship with Kyrie after he tweeted a link to a film containing antisemitic content ... saying there was no place for hate speech at Nike.

Irving, however, continued to don Nike sneakers during games ... though it's unclear if he was contractually obligated to or if the decision was a personal choice.

Right after news broke that the Kyrie era was over at Nike, the 30-year-old tweeted out a GIF that read, "There's nothing more priceless than being free."

Lil Baby's birthday was technically on December 3, but the rapper isn't just limiting his celebrations to one day -- seemingly celebrating all month.

Baby's festivities took him to Houston Monday, where he partied with James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers after they lost to Harden's former squad, the Houston Rockets.

Bouncing back after an L in the club is very familiar territory for JH13 -- and he and Lil Baby switched courses for one of H-Town's illustrious strip clubs.

With Harden in tow, Baby rapped along to his "Danger" lyrics while previewing the insane stack of cash they set aside for the dancers, which undoubtedly had them throwing cash all night!!!

The evening is giving a serious case of déjà vu ... Baby got wild with James, Travis Scott, and Meek Mill for his birthday in March after losing by 29 points -- against another one of his former teams, the Brooklyn Nets.

Ab-Soul’s having an eventful stay in NYC -- having a run-in with Jay-Z, and a cool courtside experience with Kevin Durant and co.

The TDE rapper inadvertently became part of the action Wednesday night as he watched the Brooklyn Nets play the Washington Wizards -- and he was NOT caught slipping in 4K when a loose ball bounced his way.

Soulo skillfully managed to catch the rock from his courtside seat and, most importantly, did not spill a drop of his drink!!!

Later that evening, still cool as a fan with a drink in hand ... he was surprised when Jay-Z greeted him as he walked into a lounge. Jay even proclaimed him the "young god" of rap!!!

The two later flicked it up in a booth, sparking collab rumors for Soulo’s upcoming album “Herbert,” which drops on December 16, but he still hasn’t unveiled his feature list yet.

TMZ Hip Hop reached out to TDE President Punch to see what, if anything, is in the works. We'll let ya know if we hear back.

Kyrie Irving, suspended since November 3rd, has rejoined his Nets teammates and is expected to play Sunday night ... nearly a month after posting a link to a controversial movie.

30-year-old Irving was at Nets shootaround Sunday morning -- hours before BK plays the Grizzlies at Barclays -- once again told reporters he wasn't antisemitic.

"I don’t stand for anything close to hate speech or antisemitism or anything that is going against the human race," Irving said.

"I feel like we all should have an opportunity to speak for ourselves when things are assumed about us and I feel it was necessary for me to stand in this place and take accountability for my actions, because there was a way I should have handled all this and as I look back and reflect when I had the opportunity to offer my deep regrets to anyone that felt threatened or felt hurt by what I posted, that wasn’t my intent at all."

Of course, it was way back on October 27th Kyrie tweeted a link to the movie "Hebrew to Negroes: Wake Up Black America" ... a film full of antisemitic tropes.

Irving eventually deleted the tweet ... but refused to apologize for giving the movie attention. After multiple missed opportunities to apologize, the Nets suspended Kyrie on November 3, saying he was "unfit" to be a Net.

But, after meeting several criteria ... including a face-to-face with NBA commissioner Adam Silver, the Nets organization believes Kyrie has done enough.

Barnes & Noble has pulled the controversial book "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake up Black America" off its shelves ... while Kyrie Irving continues to face backlash for promoting it.

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), commended B&N Tuesday morning ... saying the bookseller's decision to yank the book should set a precedent.

Greenblatt then turned his attention to Amazon, revealing he wrote to the company over a week ago, looking to have a conversation about the book/films presence on the giant retailer's website. The ADL CEO says he'd like a disclaimer added to the book and film, at the least.

Greenblatt added the book and film "will lead directly to the harm of Jews," adding Amazon needs to follow B&N's lead before it's too late.

Of course, Kyrie landed in hot water after tweeting a link to the controversial film.

The Nets eventually suspended Irving for an indefinite amount of time. He hasn't played since  November 1 ... and it's unclear when he will return.

Amazon is carrying the book and movie on its website.

Former NBA big man Marcin Gortat is inviting Kyrie Irving to come with him to his home country of Poland ... explaining to TMZ Sports he believes the trip would help educate the Nets star on Jewish history.

Gortat, who is not Jewish, was born and raised in Poland ... a country that experienced the terrors of World War II, Nazi Germany and the horrors of the Holocaust.

He told us out in LA this week that he found Kyrie's promotion of the antisemitic film "Hebrew to Negroes: Wake Up Black America!" to be "completely wrong" ... and he then extended the 30-year-old an invite to Poland to help him learn why he feels so strongly about it all.

"If he wants to learn something about the stuff he was talking about," Gortat said of Irving, "I can invite him to Poland and he will learn more about the whole situation."

Irving has issued an apology for his controversial tweet ... and after meeting with NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Nets owner Joe Tsai this week -- both men said they truly believe the basketball player is not antisemitic.

Irving's indefinite suspension, however, has still remained in place -- and it's unclear when the Nets will lift the ban.

Gortat, who played against Irving multiple times during his 12-year NBA career, wouldn't say whether or not he believed the punishment was fitting ... noting it was a team decision.

Following a meeting between Adam Silver and Kyrie Irving this week ... the NBA commissioner now says he has "no doubt" that the Nets star is not antisemitic.

The Association's honcho and the controversial Brooklyn point guard caught up on Tuesday ... and while Silver declined to get into the specifics of their chat during an interview with the New York Times on Thursday ... he did say he came away from the meeting sure that Irving was not full of hate.

"He's someone I've known for a decade," Silver told the outlet, "and I've never heard an antisemitic word from him or, frankly, hate directed at any group."

Silver requested the meeting with Irving after the basketball player had tweeted out a link to "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America!" -- a film filled with antisemitic tropes.

The commish had called Irving's decision to press send "reckless" ... while blasting him for his refusal to immediately apologize. Irving was eventually hit with an indefinite ban from the Nets -- and ultimately said he was sorry.

Silver admitted the league and the Nets should have acted sooner regarding a suspension for Irving over it all ... telling the NYT, "We may have been able to get there faster. I accept that criticism."

But, he did say he believed both the Nets and the league got the suspension right in the end.

Irving is eligible to come off the ban later this week -- though it's unclear if that will actually happen ... as Brooklyn has imposed a myriad of conditions the 30-year-old must meet in order to return to the floor.

Silver also took aim at Amazon during his talk with the NY Times ... clearly believing the film Irving tweeted out shouldn't have a place in the org.'s marketplace.

For its part, Amazon has not yet removed the film ... and has not commented on the situation.

LeBron James says he knows what Kyrie Irving did was wrong ... but the Lakers superstar still came to the Nets point guard's defense Thursday, claiming the punishment KI is now facing is just too much.

James, who played with Irving for several seasons in Cleveland, took to Twitter to relay his stance on the matter to his fanbase ... writing out several tweets while he was in the middle of rehabbing a lower-body injury.

"I told you guys that I don’t believe in sharing hurtful information," James said. "And I’ll continue to be that way, but Kyrie apologized, and he should be able to play. That’s what I think. It’s that simple."

Irving was suspended by the Nets last Thursday after he repeatedly refused to apologize for tweeting out a link to the antisemitic film, "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America!"

The team called the ban indefinite -- saying Irving would have to satisfy "a series of objective remedial measures that address the harmful impact of his conduct" in order to return to the floor.

According to Shams Charania, some of the stipulations included sensitivity training, antisemitic training and meetings with Jewish leaders.

James clearly feels it's all too much ... adding, "Help him learn- but he should be playing. What he’s asked to do to get back on the floor I think is excessive IMO. He’s not the person that’s being portrayed of him."

Kyrie Irving is facing justified consequences for propagating antisemitic views -- despite some in the Black community feeling like he's getting a "lashing" ... so suggests Rev. Al Sharpton.

We got the civil rights leader in NYC Wednesday to speak about the growing sentiment that KI is being overly-punished and made an example of by the powers that be in the NBA ... even though he's apologized for his controversial comments of late.

The Reverend says people should denounce bigotry no matter what, and that applies to Kyrie too. He says just because African-Americans have been subjected to racism and mistreatment historically doesn't mean it's okay to normalize hatred of another group.

Sharpton also seems to be hinting that the two shouldn't automatically be conflated.

Sharpton apparently believes Kyrie's promotions were antisemitic -- and that he's on the side of those who are calling for accountability.

Even though Kyrie has tried walking it all back, some feel it's empty because he's implied the Holocaust is simply a cultural issue important to Jews, rather than an outright atrocity.

Since then, he's been suspended and has met with Commissioner Adam Silver, who's Jewish. But the debate about his treatment rages on, especially across racial/cultural lines.

Ime Udoka will not be the next head coach of the Brooklyn Nets after all -- the team just elevated Jacque Vaughn to the position after parting ways with Steve Nash.

There were reports the Nets were eyeing the Celtics coach -- who is currently serving a one-year suspension for having an improper relationship with a female employee.

Team owner Joe Tsai reportedly faced pushback from "strong voices" against hiring Udoka ... pleading to go in a different direction when hiring Nash's replacement.

Of course, the Nets were already facing a ton of issues without Ime ... from Kyrie Irving's backlash for sharing a link to an antisemitic film on social media, Kevin Durant's offseason trade demand and the team's underperforming start to the 2022-23 campaign.

Vaughn played in the NBA from 1997-2009 ... suiting up for five different teams.

JV is 65-161 as a head coach -- he spent just over 2 1/2 seasons with the Orlando Magic ... and served as interim head coach for the Nets after Kenny Atkinson got canned in March 2020.

Kyrie Irving reportedly had a "productive and understanding visit" with NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Tuesday.

The report comes just 5 days after the All-Star guard was suspended at least 5 games for failing to adequately apologize for sharing a film containing antisemitic beliefs on Twitter.

Silver was furious with Irving after several opportunities to denounce antisemitism and the contents of the film ... saying he would be meeting him in person to address the matter.

"While we appreciate the fact that he agreed to work with the Brooklyn Nets and the Anti-Defamation League to combat antisemitism and other forms of discrimination, I am disappointed that he has not offered an unqualified apology and more specifically denounced the vile and harmful content contained in the film he chose to publicize," Silver said at the time.

According to Shams Charania, the meeting went down earlier today ... and the report states it went well for both sides.

The report says the conversation is "paving the way" for the Nets and Irving to move forward ... which could potentially mean his return to the court once the 5-game punishment is up later this week.

Nick Cannon is ripping the Brooklyn Nets for "dehumanizing" Kyrie Irving with a list of demands that must be completed before he can return ... comparing the team to a master attempting to break a slave.

Cannon defended Irving during a conversation with Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt this week ... saying, "I can wholeheartedly say I know Kyrie Irving is not antisemitic."

Greenblatt says he took serious issue with Irving sharing a film that questioned the legitimacy of the Holocaust ... which he explained is dehumanizing to Jewish people.

Cannon says it goes both ways, though ... claiming the conditions of Irving's suspension -- including meeting with Jewish leaders and completing training -- is similar to "buck-breaking."

Nick explained the term for Greenblatt, saying ... "The slave masters would bring the buck -- the one that gets out of line -- so all the other slaves would see lash after lash, show them the power to set an example. 'This is what you must do to fall in line.' So, when we see the 6 things that Kyrie must do to get his job back, that's dehumanizing."

Cannon came under fire for making antisemitic comments in 2020, when he agreed with long-held stereotypes about Jewish people ... including having control over banks and much of the world's wealth. Nick also suggested white people were "a little less" than dark-skinned people.

He also defended ex-Public Enemy member Professor Griff for saying back in the late '80s Jews spread wickedness around the world.

Cannon later apologized for his comments ... saying he was "ashamed of the uninformed and naïve place that these words came from."