Los Angeles Clippers

Clipper Darrell dice que el puñetazo que le envió a estrellarse contra el suelo después de un partido en Los Ángeles el año pasado todavía le está causando problemas. Le comentó a TMZ Sports que actualmente le están impidiendo ir a ver a su amado equipo en persona este año.

El superfan de los Clippers cuyo nombre real es Darrell Bailey, sufrió la lesión inicial el 12 de diciembre de 2022, luego de que un guardia de seguridad lo golpeó en la barbilla después de una disputa en el Crypto.com Arena.

Darrell dice que a pesar haberse recuperado durante 11 meses, todavía no está bien: "Todavía estoy en terapia".

Dice que los dolores de cabeza son frecuentes y los mareos son habituales, añadiendo que nunca "se burlará de otro jugador en la vida". Tiene algunas conmociones cerebrales debido a la horrible experiencia que sufrió.

"Los dolores de cabeza y los mareos siguen ahí", dijo.

Much of Clips Nation is panicking over the team's disastrous start with James Harden, but not the team's most loyal fan, Clipper Darrell, who tells us he has complete confidence that the squad will not only turn things around but will also be a top seed in the Western Conference!

And, they could even compete for an NBA title.

Yes, Darrell Bailey is doubling down on the Clippers ... despite them being winless at 0-5 since acquiring the former NBA MVP from the Philadelphia 76ers about 2 and a half weeks ago.

"Anytime a new person comes in, especially of James Harden's caliber, it's gonna take time," Clipper Darrell explained, before making it clear he still has faith in Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Russell Westbrook and the rest of the roster's ability to mesh with The Beard.

"I still believe in this team. I know we're having a hard time right now, but this team is definitely going to prosper."

Not everyone feels the same way ... Darrell admits much of the fan base is, let's call it, highly concerned.

"Oh no, they're freakin' out, they're freakin' out! They're goin' crazy! 'I told you, I didn't want him!' But hey, ya gotta believe. It's early in the season. Now if this was March, Babcock. Come on! I'd be pulling my hair out."

The good news for the 3-7 L.A. ... the NBA season is still young. We asked Darrell to look in his crystal ball and predict where the team stands after the full 82 games.

"Second seed," CD said, continuing ... "We definitely gonna be a top 3 team, but I'm looking at second seed. I want first, but I ain't gonna be greedy."

The Clippers might've lost Sunday, but that didn't stop Russell Westbrook from having a blast celebrating his 35th trip around the Sun ... dancing the night away at his birthday party with his wife, Nina!

Nina shared video of the special moment with her 9x NBA All-Star hubby on Instagram on Monday ... showing the two hand in hand, twirling on the dance floor, celebrating Westbrook's bday.

You can hear Russ's family and friends, including L.A. rapper/singer Blxst, cheerin' them on while Nina, who claims to not be the dancing type, gives it all she has.

"The birthday boo gets one dance outta me," Nina joked.

Russ and Nina have been together since they met in 2007 when both of them played college ball at UCLA.

Of course, Westbrook went on to be the 4th pick in the NBA Draft in 2008, while Nina hit the books hard, graduating with her bachelor's in psychology and master's in clinical psychology.

She is now a licensed marriage and family therapist.

The couple tied the knot in August 2015 and welcomed their first son, Noah, in May 2017. They had two more kids, twin daughters Skye and Jordyn, in 2018.

"Happy Happy Birthday Suga!," Nina said in an IG post. "You’re so loved and appreciated! Never forget it! I love you!"

Unfortunately, the bday shenanigans come after the Clippers 5th consecutive loss ... putting them squarely in 11th place in the West with a 3-6 record.

Westbrook had 12 points and 5 assists in the loss ... and a dope party!

Kayla Nicole might not be with Travis Kelce anymore, but she had no issue getting the best seats in the house when the Lakers hosted the Clippers on Wednesday -- enjoying the contest from a courtside view.

The model and fitness influencer appeared in great spirits as she celebrated her 32nd birthday a day early at Crypto.com Arena ... seemingly blocking out all the outside noise related to her ex's new relationship with Taylor Swift.

Of course, KN recently spoke out about Kelce's new romance ... saying she had to distance herself from the situation by unfollowing her good friends Patrick and Brittany Mahomes on Instagram to protect herself.

While Kayla and Travis' romance is dunzo, there was still love in the air at the game -- recently-married Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and comedian Jay Mohr couldn't help but share a kiss while LeBron James and Co. secured the 130-125 win in overtime.

The arena was packed with star power -- popular K-pop group LE SSERAFIM also got to check out the Purple & Gold in their custom L.A. jerseys ... and the Laker Girls paid tribute to the quintet by doing a dance to their hit song, "ANTIFRAGILE."

The ladies also had a special meet and greet with Laker legend Magic Johnson, who fanboyed out and asked for a pic outside the arena.

Chaewon, Kazuha, Eunchae, Sakura and Yunjin were really into the game ... going crazy for the home team after the final buzzer -- so it really was a "Perfect Night" for the group.

Actor Jeremy Renner proved once again he's doing well after his serious accident earlier this year ... smiling from ear-to-ear as he caught the action from the front row.

Other big names include Swae Lee, Latto, Mike WiLL Made-It, internet star Corinna Kopf, Jimmy Iovine and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, who might be the only celeb who didn't go home happy.

Everyone in attendance didn't get to check out the Clips' newest star, James Harden ... who wasn't available to play following his big trade from the Philadelphia 76ers.

Puede que Kayla Nicole ya no esté con Travis Kelce, pero no tuvo ningún problema para conseguir los mejores asientos cuando los Lakers recibieron a los Clippers el miércoles, disfrutando de la competencia desde una vista privilegiada de la cancha.

La modelo e influencer de fitness parecía de muy buen humor mientras celebraba su cumpleaños número 32 un día antes en el Crypto.com Arena, aparentemente bloqueando todo el ruido exterior que ha provocado la nueva relación de su ex con Taylor Swift.

Por supuesto, Kayla habló recientemente sobre el nuevo romance de Kelce diciendo que tuvo que distanciarse de la situación y por eso tomó la decisión de dejar de seguir a sus buenos amigos Patrick y Brittany Mahomes en Instagram para protegerse.

Aunque el romance de Kayla y Travis ya se terminó, el amor aún estuvo presente la noche del partido, con los recientemente casados Jeanie Buss, propietaria de los Lakers, y el comediante Jay Mohr compartiendo un beso, mientras LeBron James y compañía aseguraban la victoria 130-125 en el tiempo extra.

El estadio estuvo repleto de estrellas. El popular grupo de K-pop LE SSERAFIM también pudo ver a los Purple & Gold con sus camisetas personalizadas de L.A., y las Laker Girls rindieron homenaje al quinteto bailando su canción de éxito, "ANTIFRAGILE".

Las chicas también tuvieron un encuentro especial con la leyenda de los Lakers Magic Johnson, que se hizo fan y les pidió una foto afuera del estadio.

Chaewon, Kazuha, Eunchae, Sakura y Yunjin realmente se metieron en el partido y enloquecieron de alegría tras el pitido final, así que fue una "noche perfecta" para el grupo.

El actor Jeremy Renner demostró una vez más que se encuentra bien tras su grave accidente a principios de este año, sonriendo de oreja a oreja mientras seguía la acción desde la primera fila.

Otros grandes nombres incluyeron a Swae Lee, Latto, Mike WiLL Made-It, la estrella de Internet Corinna Kopf, Jimmy Iovine y el propietario de los Clippers Steve Ballmer, que podría ser la única celebridad que no se fue a casa feliz.

Ninguno de los asistentes pudo ver a la nueva estrella de los Clips, James Harden, quien no estuvo disponible para jugar tras su gran traspaso desde los Philadelphia 76ers.

James Harden is going going, back back, to Cali Cali -- the NBA superstar was shipped to the L.A. Clippers in a blockbuster deal late Monday night ... officially ending all his drama with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The trade went down while many on the East Coast were catchin' Zs -- Harden, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev will join the Clips in exchange for Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Kenyon Martin Jr. and some draft picks -- including two first rounders.

The transaction was pretty much inevitable -- 34-year-old Harden made it clear he didn't want to play in Philly anymore ... claiming he felt Sixers GM Daryl Morey was a "liar."

The Beard sat out all preseason ... and when he finally showed up ahead of the season opener, the team told him to turn around and head home.

He did not play a single minute for the Sixers this season.

The Clippers will now have Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Harden and Russell Westbrook for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

It's a bit of a homecoming for Harden -- he grew up in SoCal ... playing high school ball at Artesia in Lakewood.

Ex-NBA star Gilbert Arenas seemed thrilled with the move -- saying, "CHEF HARDEN BACK HOME," on X.

Amir Coffey's July arrest has led to criminal charges ... TMZ Sports has learned the Clippers forward was hit with two misdemeanors late last month.

The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office has filed one count of carrying a loaded firearm and one count of carrying a concealed firearm against Coffey ... after alleging he had a gun in his ride during a routine traffic stop in Hollywood earlier this summer.

We broke the story ... a car Coffey was in was initially pulled over on July 30, after authorities claimed it had been speeding at around 2:30 AM.

According to law enforcement, officers said the vehicle smelled like marijuana -- so they searched it and found a loaded gun they say Coffey claimed was his.

Coffey was then placed into custody -- and spent several hours behind bars before he was released.

Clippers forward Amir Coffey was arrested in L.A. on Sunday morning ... after cops say they found a loaded gun in his ride during a routine traffic stop.

Law enforcement tells TMZ Sports ... officers pulled over a car that Coffey was a passenger in at around 2:30 AM in Hollywood -- after they say they saw it speeding.

When cops approached the vehicle, they said it smelled like marijuana -- so they searched it, and found a loaded gun.

Cops say Coffey admitted it was his -- and he was then arrested for misdemeanor possession of a firearm. We're told one other person at the scene was cited for weed.

Records show Coffey was booked into jail at around 5:05 AM -- though he was released four hours later on his own recognizance.

He's due in court for a hearing on the matter later next month.

If the Clippers acquire James Harden in a deal with the Sixers this year ... Baron Davis tells TMZ Sports he thinks it could lead to a title for Los Angeles at the end of the season.

"I think that'd be dope!" the former NBA star said.

Davis seemed super fired up about the possibility for his former team while hosting a party to celebrate his SailGP team investment earlier this month ... telling us a guy like Harden is exactly what L.A. needs.

He explained ... Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and the rest of Clips move at such a frenetic pace most of the time that adding a guy like Harden could help change things up for the better.

"The Clippers need another playmaker," he said. "Somebody that can get fouled and slow the game down."

As for if the trade could actually happen ... it does seem like a very real possibility. After all, Harden's reportedly been upset with the Sixers' brass -- and seems to want out badly.

Brandon Miller's 📍 Cloud Nine ... 'cause the Charlotte Hornets rookie just met Paul George -- the man he considers the G.O.A.T. -- and the Clippers star offered to mentor the #2 overall pick throughout his NBA career!

"Use me, use me as much as you want," George told Miller. "Use me as a resource, bro. That's what I'm here for. I want to help you in every step that you need if you need."

The All-Star continued ... "Make that journey a lot smoother and easier for you."

The two finally linked up on George's podcast weeks after the former Crimson Tide hoops star revealed PG13 was the player he considered to be the greatest ever ... not LeBron James, Michael Jordan or anyone else.

Of course, fans roasted Miller for picking George over James and Jordan ... but it's clear BM couldn't care less as he sat down with the L.A. Clippers.

"It's exciting just him being in my presence," Miller said to PG's co-host. "It's definitely a great moment, been lookin' up to him for a long time."

Miller explained to George that he became his GOAT when he played on the Indiana Pacers and put Chris "Birdman" Anderson on a poster back in the day.

"Now I'm up here with him, now I get to compete against him I think is an even better experience."

Of course, George knows what it takes to be an NBA star ... he's been in the league for 13 seasons and is an 8-time All-Star, NBA's Most Improved Player, in addition to many other earned accolades.

Miller, were it not for Victor Wembanyama, would've been the top pick ... and many people believe he has Kevin Durant-like skills on the court. So, skies the limit ... and Paul's there to help.

The stars were out both on and off the hardwood at the Clippers vs. Suns playoff game Thursday night ... as Floyd Mayweather, Queen Latifah and the Cavinder Twins all pulled up for the huge contest!!

Game 3 of the two teams' series went down at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles ... and even though both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George sat with injuries, the A-listers still packed the venue.

Mayweather, as usual, sat courtside ... and he was joined there by Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan, who was just booted out of the playoffs last week.

Famous basketball twins Haley and Hanna Cavinder also had some great seats ... and they were even gifted personalized Clippers jerseys for the night too.

Scooter Braun, film producer Dick Wolf, Disney CEO Bob Iger and "Black-ish" creator Kenya Barris were all there to watch the Clips go at it with Devin Booker as well.

Queen Latifah -- who was just inducted into the National Recording Registry -- also made an appearance with a big smile on her face.

Everyone who got a ticket saw a heck of a game ... though the home squad ended up ultimately losing to Phoenix, 129 to 124.

Russell Westbrook got into a heated confrontation with a fan Sunday night ... and, at one point, told the man, "Watch your mouth, motherf***er," and it was all captured on video.

It all went down during game 1 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix ... Russ, on video, repeatedly told the guy wearing Suns gear to watch his mouth as the two exchanged words.

It's unclear what led to the encounter ... but it happened in the club area during halftime of Game 1 of the Clippers-Suns first-round matchup.

According to a Suns insider, visiting players have been going through the club area where the incident occurred all season to get to the visitor's locker room.

As for the game ... Westbrook struggled to hit shots all night, scoring just nine points on 3 of 19 shooting from the field.

However, the former MVP was a presence on the glass, securing ten rebounds and making the game's defensive play, blocking Devin Booker's shot and sealing the deal for the Clippers.

Forget LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard ... Odell Beckham Jr. might have been the biggest star at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday night -- at least, that's based on the reaction he got outside of the stadium, where he was mobbed by a throng of fans!!

The NFL superstar could hardly move as he attempted to make his way inside the downtown L.A. venue for the pivotal Lakers vs. Clippers game ... as people tried to get photos with him -- and recruit him to their favorite team.

To his credit, Odell handled the situation super well -- posing for a few selfies ... and even joking with our photog about his next NFL team!!

Seems the L.A. crowd wanted to see him in Las Vegas next season for some reason -- as multiple fans pled with the free-agent wide receiver to sign with the Raiders.

Once inside, Odell had a killer spot for the big game ... sitting just a few feet away from the Clippers' bench.

Unclear which team he was rooting for -- he was dressed in neutral colors -- but hopefully for him it was the Clippers ... 'cause the Lakers got smacked pretty good, 125-118.

Beckham wasn't the only celeb in the building taking in the action ... Michael B. Jordan was courtside too -- but no word if the guys ended up rubbin' elbows.

Scary moment for Paul George on Tuesday night ... he suffered a gnarly knee injury in the Clippers' game against the Thunder -- and his status going forward is now in question.

George hurt his leg in the fourth quarter of the contest against OKC -- as he was coming down from grabbing a rebound.

Broadcast cameras showed when he landed on the court, he awkwardly bumped into Luguentz Dort ... causing his knee to bend backward.

The 32-year-old immediately crumpled to the court in pain. Trainers tended to him for several minutes, before they helped him off the floor. George didn't appear able to put any pressure on the leg.

Clips head coach Ty Lue didn't have much of an update on his star after the game -- but, reportedly, George was seen leaving Crypto.com Arena on a cart with his leg locked in an extended position.

Of course, George is no stranger to severe injuries ... back in 2014, he suffered a gruesome broken leg while playing for Team USA. The knee he injured Tuesday was a part of that same leg, though the two ailments don't appear to be related.

The Clippers ended up losing the game without George -- and they'll certainly need him moving forward if they want to avoid more of that ... they're currently in a fight with seven or eight other teams vying for some of the last spots in the playoffs.

Get well soon, PG.

Bones Hyland has only been a Clipper for a minute, but the former Nuggets star can already bond with his new teammates over a horrific incident they experienced last month ... admitting "we thought it was over wit" after their plane was struck by lightning.

It all went down on Feb. 25 -- the Clippers were flying to Denver for a contest against Hyland's former team the following day ... when disaster suddenly struck.

The Clippers' team plane began to shake and rattle moments after departing from LAX ... and several players reported hearing a loud bang before the plane's engine went silent momentarily.

"Us players, we're trying to nap away," Eric Gordon told ESPN, calling it the second-worst flight he has experienced in his 15 NBA seasons. "Oh, everybody was up after that for sure."

The engine eventually came back on ... but multiple staffers aboard the aircraft echoed Gordon's sentiments -- saying it was one of the worst moments they've experienced on a flight, according to the outlet.

The Delta Air Lines plane transporting the Clippers landed safely in Colorado ... but the team noticed visible damage on the tail of the aircraft, indicating it had, indeed, been struck by lightning.

As if the lightning-strike scare wasn't horrifying enough ... just four days later, the team was walking the tarmac at LAX to board their charter flight to San Francisco when it started hailing.

Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue quipped, "Our luck was so bad, we even got struck by lightning."

Shannon Sharpe is a man of many words ... but the NFL legend dropped one you definitely can't say while on live television on Thursday -- accidentally muttering the F-word!!!

Sharpe used the TV no-no on "Undisputed" while in a heated convo with his cohost, Skip Bayless ... as the two were discussing the Clippers and Russell Westbrook.

Sharpe tried to make an analogy ... when, suddenly, an F-bomb flew outta his mouth.

"If I'm making fried chicken and somebody says, 'I got some chocolate for you,'" Sharpe said. "What the hell? Yeah, I like chocolate but what the f*** that have to?"

The FS1 commentator immediately caught himself ... and said, "Oops, sorry!"

He then joked, "You got me up here cursing, Skip," before finishing his thought, "Why would I need chocolate to go with fried chicken?"

Sharpe eventually continued making his point to Bayless ... and both men agreed the Clippers were better off before they added Russ to their team.

Of course, this isn't the first time the guys have used some PG-13 language on the show ... Skip recently accused Mavericks star Luka Dončić of "bitching" about foul calls.