Dallas Mavericks

Mark Cuban says despite a rehab stint and some recent positive updates, Delonte West is still struggling to get on the right path.

The Dallas Mavericks owner told TMZ Sports out in NYC this week that he's been keeping in contact with his former player ... and, sadly, he said West is continuing to fight to get healthy.

"It's a struggle for him," Cuban said. "I mean, addiction is awful. And mental illness is awful. He's at the point in his life where he's got to want to be helped."

West has battled substance abuse issues in his past -- and has been spotted panhandling in the streets several times in the last few years.

But, back in 2020, Cuban helped him check into a rehab facility. And, this past June, West landed a flooring gig -- and appeared to be getting back on his feet.

Cuban, though, said West still has a long way to go.

"You know, he's got to want to help himself first," Mark said. "I've tried. I know it's tough on him, but I wish him nothing but the best."

Years ago, Mark Cuban allowed Steve Nash to walk -- after six successful seasons in Dallas -- and the Mavs owner still hasn't forgiven himself, calling the blunder the billionaire's biggest basketball regret.

OSDB caught up with the 64-year-old owner in NYC this week ... and asked which move he kicks himself over in his almost 23 years of NBA ownership.

"Probably letting Steve Nash go. Yeah, I regret that. It's been almost 20 years now, and I still regret it," Cuban said.

Of course, Nash played six seasons in Dallas, and even made two All-Star teams. But, when his contract expired in 2--4, Steve left for the Phoenix Suns.

At the time, Nash said he was "sad to leave my teammates," but excited to be "going somewhere where they really wanted me."

He went on to win back-to-back NBA MVP awards.

It's not that things didn't work out for the Mavs, too. They made the Finals in 2006, losing to the Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal-led Miami Heat.

Then, in 2011, the Mavs once again made the Finals ... but this time, Dirk Nowitzki wouldn't be stopped. Dallas beat LeBron James' Miami squad in 6.

Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Luka Doncic ditched basketballs for rackets this weekend -- hitting tennis courts in Dallas for charity -- and it turns out the trio of hoopers have no issues whatsoever channelin' their inner-Serena Williams!!

The Dallas Mavericks icons -- plus Ben Stiller and a whole host of other celebs and athletes -- all competed in the fifth-annual Dirk Nowitzki Pro Celebrity Tennis Classic on Sunday ... and they looked GOOD.

The NBA ballers partnered up with some of the biggest names in tennis for the tournament, including Andy Roddick and Mark Knowles ... and they went at it at the SMU Tennis Complex for hours.

The guys showed off some serious athleticism, hitting big-time shots -- all while joking around with each other.

In fact, at one point, Stiller hilariously dissed Nowitzki with a fake handshake after a match!

Nash, though, ended up getting the last laugh on everyone ... the Brooklyn Nets head coach came out on top of the tourney after he and his partner, Spencer Papa, defeated British tennis star Luke Bambridge and his partner, Leo Antonio.

It all looked like a great time ... but the best part? The proceeds from the tourney are going to Nowitzki's foundation -- which focuses on children's wellbeing, health and education.

Mark Cuban isn't waiting for the NBA season to start to hit the court -- 'cause the 64-year-old Dallas Mavericks owner had a shooting session with a famed trainer, and his jump shot is sick!!

Cuban had a 1-on-1 sesh for almost 3 hours with Chris Matthews -- referred to as "Lethal Shooter" by his millions of followers online -- where the two worked on everything from form, mechanics, and footwork.

In the video, you see Matthews working with the billionaire on a series of mid-range jumpers and three-pointers, and the "Shark Tank" star did his best Steph Curry impersonation.

"His dedication to the game was unreal, didn’t want to leave the court," Chris said of Cuban's performance. "Now that’s locked in! Keep doing your thing, brother," he added.

Matthews has worked with NBA superstars Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis most recently, and his prowess as a shooter has garnered the respect of LeBron James.

Matthews, 37, is one of the most sought-after shooting coaches in the world ... and that's why NBA and WNBA stars regularly go to him when they want to work on their J.

Cuban looked damn good on the court ... and seemed to grasp the techniques and tips Chris was employing during their workout, knocking down shot after shot.

An autographed Luka Dončić rookie card with an actual patch from a game-worn jersey is about to hit the auction block, and TMZ Sports has learned it could sell for 7 figures!!

The super-rare card -- soon headed to the PWCC Premier Auction -- is 1 of just 5 copies in existence. The last time a similar card sold, it went for a million bucks.

Officials at PWCC tell us this isn't just any ordinary NBA rookie card ... in fact, reps say the keepsake is one-of-a-kind due to the Emerald color scheme it boasts.

The front of the card features 23-year-old Luka shooting a jump shot ... along with the patch from his Mavs jersey.

Luka, the third overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, has become one of the most effective offensive players in the world ... he's virtually unstoppable.

Dončić, a native of Slovenia, has drawn parallels to NBA legend Larry Bird for his ability to score, rebound, and facilitate at an elite level -- in addition to the leadership skills he displays.

Despite only playing 4 full seasons, Luka is already 10th on the NBA's all-time triple-double list -- with 46 -- behind Bird, who's ahead of him at 9th on the list.

And, PWCC exec Jesse Craig says the card could actually end up being a bargain.

"The question now is if he can win a ring. If he leads Dallas to a championship – or to multiple championships – the demand for his assets is likely to keep going up. To find this card, in this low of quantity, right now is an incredible opportunity.”

No, Luka Doncic is not poundin' cold ones before Dallas' huge playoff game against the Warriors ... the Mavericks tell TMZ Sports the photo of the star with a beer making its rounds on social media on Wednesday is an old pic.

Luka, according to a Mavs spokesperson, has been in the training room all morning gearing up for the first game of the Western Conference Finals -- not getting a buzz on at a restaurant.

"I can tell you this wasn't taken today," the spokesperson said.

Unclear when the photo of Luka holding a beer was actually snapped ... but seems Dallas fans can now go back to presuming the point guard will be completely sober for Game 1 against the Warriors.

Lil Wayne once said "You don't want to start Weezy, 'cause the F is for finisher" ... and he's proving to back his words with Mark Cuban -- firing back in his beef with the Dallas Mavericks owner and saying, "I will piss in ya f'n mouth ho."

The back-and-forth between the rapper and billionaire has been brewing ever since the Young Money rapper called Luka Doncic a "ho" on Twitter last week ... prompting Cuban to respond after Dallas defeated the Suns by 33 points in Game 7 on Sunday.

Wayne didn't take the jab lightly ... unleashing a pretty disgusting response to Cubes in a since-deleted tweet.

"Mark Cuban don’t make me get u smacked boy U playing w me??" Tunechi said. "I will piss in ya f'n mouth ho."

Shortly after, Wayne followed up for good measure writing, "Ya lil bitch its up."

Now, Wayne might have been a bit of bad luck for the Suns -- as soon as he tweeted about Luka, the Mavs turned the series around and ended Phoenix's season in blowout fashion.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban got the last laugh over Lil Wayne on Monday ... firing back at the legend for calling Luka Doncic a "ho" -- by using one of Weezy's very own song lyrics!!

Of course, Wayne -- who is a big Chris Paul supporter -- was sitting courtside as he watched the Suns lose Game 7 to the Mavs in pathetic fashion behind Luka's 35 points on Sunday.

Wayne ended up getting a ton of blame for the 123-90 blowout loss ... with folks claiming his "Luka a ho" tweet from May 8 gave the Mavs too much motivation.

Cubes shared his two cents on Monday ... and the clapback's gotta sting.

"'It’s a s*** show, put you front row' #MFFL," Cuban's tweet read with a pic of Wayne at the game.

Of course, the line comes from Tunechi's hit, "Uproar" from 2018 ... and ya gotta admit, Cuban's taking the win on the court AND on Twitter here.

Patrick Beverley is getting blasted by current and former NBA hoopers after criticizing Chris Paul on TV this morning ... with Damian Lillard and Matt Barnes going in on the NBA vet.

Pat Bev ripped Paul -- aka the "Point God" -- on 'First Take' on Monday for his abysmal performance in Game 7 against the Mavericks, saying head coach Monty Williams should've benched the future HOF'er.

FYI, Paul scored 10 points in 30 minutes. The Suns got their doors blown off, losing 123-90 ... at home.

The criticism didn't sit well with Dame, who hit social media and wrote ... "Bra on TV acting like his word law. Speaking on private convos and praying on mfs downfall. This weird behavior smh 🤷🏽‍♂️ … I ain’t got a horse in the race."

Beverley, who was eliminated from the playoffs in the first round, said he knew the Mavs would win yesterday because "aint nobody afraid of anybody over there in Phoenix, man."

"Everybody in the league knows that," he continued.

And, Dame wasn't the only person Bev rubbed the wrong way (today) ... Matt Barnes went in on PB on ESPN's 'NBA Today.'

"I feel like what Pat Beverley did today to Chris Paul was completely disrespectful and out of the line," Barnes said. "Pat Bev is talking like he's that guy. You're not that guy."

He continued ... "Chris Paul played terrible this year and his numbers are still better than your career numbers have ever been," Matt said, adding, "The disrespect needs to be checked."

Barnes was clearly not here for Pat Bev coming after CP3, a future NBA Hall of Famer, and feels next time he needs to be put in his place for coming at Paul -- a star in the league.

As for Pat Bev and CP3, this is just the latest drama in their long-standing rivalry. Remember, Beverley pushed Paul in the back during the Western Conference Finals last season.

Beverley served a one-game suspension for his actions, but ultimately seemed to squash the beef with Paul on social media, wishing CP3 good luck during the 2021 NBA Finals.

Chris Paul says a Mavericks fan had an extremely inappropriate interaction with his family during Sunday's playoff game in Texas ... claiming the Dallas supporter "put his hands on my mom."

The incident allegedly went down at some point during the Suns' loss to the Mavericks at American Airlines Center.

Paul's mother, wife and kids were in attendance at the game sitting near the Phoenix bench ... when, according to Paul, a fan physically contacted them.

"Wanna fine players for saying stuff to the fans but the fans can put they hands on our families," Paul said after the game, "f*** that!!"

According to ESPN, the fan allegedly put his hands on Paul's mom, and also pushed the NBA star's wife. The outlet reports Paul's kids saw it all happen.

Video shot by fans near the Suns' bench appears to show part of Paul's reaction to learning of the fan's alleged actions.

In the clip, you can see Paul was furious with a Mavericks fan, clearly telling the guy, "Hey! I'll see you later!"

In another video from the arena, Paul can be seen telling security guards, "He put his hands on my mom."

The Mavericks said in a statement after the game they were aware of the incident and the fan was removed from the stadium.

"The Dallas Mavericks are aware of an incident between a fan and the family of Chris Paul," the team said. "It was unacceptable behavior and will not be tolerated. The Mavericks, along with American Airlines Center, swiftly removed the fan from today's game."

Luka Doncic had big beef with a fan during the Mavericks vs. Suns game on Wednesday night ... and things got so testy between the two, the Dallas star actually needed to be restrained from going after the Phoenix supporter.

The incident happened as Luka was leaving the floor at halftime of Dallas' playoff game with the Suns in Arizona ... when a heckler said something to Doncic that he clearly didn't like.

Broadcast cameras caught Luka trying to go after the fan -- who was wearing a Devin Booker jersey -- before Mavericks personnel had to step in to stop a potential physical altercation.

Luka eventually dropped the issue after pointing his finger at the man -- and headed to the Mavericks' locker room.

After the game, the 23-year-old point guard said the fan crossed the line with his heckles.

"He was just saying some reckless things, man," Doncic said. "I'm not going to repeat that. A lot of fans say that because they know we can't do nothing."

"If it was something normal, I wouldn't even look because I don't care. But, sometimes you're in a bad mood and they say some bad stuff. It's normal, we're people, man, and it's normal to turn around and get mad."

To add insult to injury, Luka's Mavericks went on to lose the game to the Suns, 129-109. Dallas is now down 0-2 in the series.

Mark Cuban is adamant that a Mavericks exec did not sexually assault Donnie Nelson's nephew ... saying in a statement that the former Dallas GM's claims are a lie.

Cuban issued the strongly-worded response after 59-year-old Nelson made the allegations in a lawsuit filed in Dallas County.

In the suit, Nelson said his nephew was interested in getting a job in sports and entertainment -- and went to interview with Jason Lutin, Cuban's chief of staff with the Mavericks, about openings in the NBA team's org in 2020.

Nelson claims the two talked while out at lunch during a work trip in Chicago -- when Nelson says Lutin asked Nelson's nephew to go back to his hotel room to talk further.

In the docs, Nelson claims that's where Lutin sexually harassed and sexually assaulted his nephew.

Nelson says his nephew notified the Mavs of the incident ... but claims Cuban swept it all under the rug, insisting Cuban bought "his way out of the problem."

Nelson added that when he learned of the alleged incident months later and brought it up to Cuban and others in the org., Cuban and the Mavericks asked him to sign a confidentiality agreement and remain quiet about it all.

Nelson claimed Cuban wanted to silence him "so the Mavericks could hide from the public and the Mavericks' employees that the Mavericks were allowing a sexual predator to continue working for the Mavericks." He added that he believes he was eventually wrongly fired over it all.

In a statement to ESPN on Thursday, Cuban insisted none of Nelson's claims were true, saying, "Everything in that filing is a lie."

"We did multiple complete investigations and the only person that did not live up to the standards of the Dallas Mavericks was Mr. Nelson," Cuban said. "He was fired as a result. He was well aware of the investigation. He refused to fully participate. I will say it again, everything he said is a lie."

Lutin also denied the claims in a statement.

You could say LeBron James had a crappy night.

The Lakers superstar described exactly how he was feeling after losing to the Dallas Mavericks at home on Tuesday ... saying bluntly, "I feel like poop right now."

The Lakers suffered a 109-104 loss at Crypto.com Arena ... their 7th L in 10 games.

After the disappointing outing, LeBron was asked about his confidence level as L.A. plummets to the bottom of the Western Conference ... and despite the lack of success and a clear feeling of sadness, he's still holding out hope for a turnaround.

"Until you stomp me out, cut my head off, bury me 12 feet under, then I got a chance," James said. "So, that's my confidence."

"At the end of the day, we gotta come in and win ball games and play better."

James then detailed how he's feeling during the slump ... saying, "I hate losing. I feel like poop right now, but tomorrow's a new day and I'mma be prepared and ready for the Clippers on Thursday."

James and Co. found themselves down big early against Luka Doncic and the Mavs ... a theme that's become all too familiar to Lakers fans this season.

The Lakers have been so awful this year -- their own fans booed them off the court on Sunday during an embarrassing loss to the Pelicans.

Tensions got so high during that game, James clapped back at a fan ... which he also addressed after Tuesday's game.

"If you follow my career, I will get into it with a fan. So, that wasn't nothing out of the ordinary for me," James said.

The 37-year-old said he doesn't mind fans booing or cheering him ... but he won't tolerate someone trying to tell him how to do his craft.

"Can't tell me how to play basketball. Not him. Not that guy."

Delonte West is back on the basketball court ... and TMZ Sports has learned the ex-NBA star is training for a chance at playing in Ice Cube's BIG3 league!!

Sources tell us the 38-year-old has been training at the Pat The Roc Basketball Academy in Gaithersburg, Maryland every single day for the past month ... in hopes of making a huge comeback.

We're told despite everything that's happened recently, West hasn't lost his touch ... and looking at footage that surfaced online this week, it's true.

In video posted on social media, the guy is able to hit several shots ... and his handles look great as well!!

Not only has West been training hard for his return, we're told he's also been speaking to the kids at the academy and shelling out advice on hoops.

Remember, DW -- the 24th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft -- played 8 seasons in the league for the Mavs, Celtics, Cavaliers, and SuperSonics ... but fell on hard times with mental struggles and substance abuse.

With the help of his family and Mavs owner Mark Cuban, he entered rehab in 2020.

Luka Doncic hasn't played a minute of the 2021 season yet, but the Dallas Mavericks star is already making highlight plays ... by donating Jordan shoes and other merch to children at local hospitals!!!

The 22-year-old wanted to give back to his new home ahead of the new campaign, so he put together goodie bags filled with the sneaks, hoodies, socks, bags, letters and signed photos for 80 kids at Children's Health in Dallas and Plano.

On top of the swag, Luka also provided a "Luka and Bobi" coloring book, which features a story of his friendship with teammate Boban Marjanovic, as well as individual-sized pizzas with pepperonis in the shape of his #77 AND dessert to kids and staffers throughout the hospital.

Luka spoke about the gesture, saying he wanted to hand deliver the gifts to all the kids, but wasn't able to due to health and safety concerns.

"I really wish I could have been there to meet and talk to the kids but hopefully this surprise brought a smile to their faces and encouraged them to stay strong," Doncic said.

"I just want all the kids and parents to know I'm thinking of them!"

The kids certainly felt the love ... and the pics and videos from the big surprise will warm your heart.

Awesome stuff, Luka.

The battle between Mark Cuban and Cole Beasley over the COVID vaccine is still going strong ... 'cause the Dallas Mavericks owner tells TMZ Sports he's still pushing for the NFL star to get vaccinated.

The two have gone back on forth on social media for weeks over Beasley's anti-vax stance ... and when we got Cubes out in NYC this week, he reiterated he desperately wants the Bills player to get the shots.

"Cole's a good guy, but, you know," Mark said, "getting vaccinated isn't just about you, it's about everybody else as well."

Cuban tells us he believes getting the vaccine is necessary to help protect at-risk people from contracting COVID-19 ... and he REALLY wishes Beasley would change his stance.

"There's 16.9 million cancer survivors in this country," Cuban said. "Three million-plus people who are immuno-compromised. And, when you don't get vaccinated, it's not just about you. It's about other people as well."

Of course, Beasley has dug his feet firmly in the ground on not getting the vaccine ... saying earlier this summer, "I may die of COVID, but I'd rather die actually living."

Beasley has been booed even at home this year in Buffalo over his comments ... but he's remained staunch in his beliefs regardless.