NBA

NBA champ Festus Ezeli might be one of the most positive dudes on the planet ... 'cause he's spin zoning the Warriors' awful season into an actual GOOD thing!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the ex-Dub at LAX about his old team stumbling out of the gates this season ... and he says despite being 3-17 and dead last in the West, there are things to be excited about.

... just maybe not for a while.

"I actually think that this year is the best thing that can happen to the Warriors," Ezeli says. "They’re rebuilding. They have a chance to work on their bench."

"So I feel like, with this year, they can use it to get those guys to get some game time, to get confidence, to get better and come back healthy next year."

Of course, this year has felt like a bit of a mulligan for the Warriors -- Klay Thompson AND Steph Curry are sidelined with injuries ... leaving everything up to Draymond Green and D'Angelo Russell.

Not ideal.

But, Festus says it's not all over for Golden State as long as they still keep that core intact.

Jahlil Okafor will be able to eat all the damn turkey he wants this Thanksgiving weekend ... 'cause the NBA baller tells TMZ Sports he's no longer vegan!!!

Of course, Jahlil famously went "mostly" animal-free and lost 20 pounds back in 2017 ... after thinking eating less meat would help while recovering from a knee injury.

But, that's all a thing of the past now ... 'cause the New Orleans Pelicans stud says blood work done with his old team, the Brooklyn Nets, showed his iron was low.

One dude who's gonna be crushed to hear the news is vegan advocate, John Salley, who told us last month Okafor should help Zion Williamson with his diet while recovering from a knee injury.

Okafor's numbers have been consistent in year 2 with the Pels -- averaging 9.9 points and 5 rebounds a game -- so the meat ain't holdin' him back.

Here's Drake RUNNING HIS MOUTH LAST NIGHT -- talking smack to 76ers star Joel Embiid at the Raptors game ... while rocking his giant custom championship ring!

Of course, Drake is basically the official Raptors spokesperson and talked A LOT of trash to players during the '18-'19 championship run ... it was fun to watch.

But, with Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green both on other teams, we were wondering if Drake would keep that same energy this season. Answer -- YES.

Check out Drake chanting, "MVP," at Joel Embiid as he had his worst night of his career -- scoring ZERO points on 11 shots as the Raptors went on to win 101 to 96.

As for Drake's ring, the rapper went to famous jeweler Jason of Beverly Hills to get him a one-of-a-kind piece to commemorate his team's title run.

The piece is incredible -- it's got 30 carats of diamonds, which is more than any other championship ring in NBA history.

Jason told TMZ Sports ... "Drake had me fly to Turks and Caicos for an emergency design meeting."

"It's a championship that's dear to his heart and he wanted to create an over the top ring that not only paid homage to his city but made a statement above and beyond anything else in history."

This is a very cool moment ... Carmelo Anthony made HISTORY during the Portland vs. Chicago game on Monday, and he FaceTimed with his son to make sure he was included!

Melo scored 25 points as the Trail Blazers beat the Bulls at the United Center in Chicago -- passing Alex English to become the 18th all-time scorer in NBA history.

Huge moment for 35-year-old Melo ... and his wife, La La Anthony, was in the stands too! In fact, she busted out her phone to FaceTime their son, Kiyan, so he could witness the whole thing.

You gotta watch the clip ... when Melo sees the phone, he salutes his son -- and it's awesome!

Melo finished the game with 25 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists ... and threw down one monster dunk that reminded everyone of the old days!

In fact, the crowd loved it so much, they busted out a "We Want Melo" chant in the 4th quarter!

The New York Knicks are claiming Richard Jefferson straight-up LIED about getting a contract offer from the team before he retired ... saying RJ is just blowing smoke.

The Knicks could NOT have been happy with the comments Jefferson made on ESPN this weekend ... when he said he chose RETIREMENT over a contract with the Knicks because they suck.

"I refused to play for the Knicks," Jefferson said during the Knicks vs. Nets broadcast on Sunday night.

"Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin -- they don't really care. Me, I was the one person that said, 'Knicks? No. I’ll retire.' That’s why I retired."

"They were the one team that offered me a job, and I decided to retire," RJ continued ... "It’s true. I decided to retire instead of playing for the Knicks."

Now, the Knicks are clapping back through the team's official PR Twitter account ... saying, "For clarification purposes, it is not true that the New York Knicks offered Richard Jefferson a contract in either the summer of 2018 or 2019."

So, someone's lying ...

As for Jefferson, dude had a solid NBA career -- he played 17 seasons in the league and won an NBA title with the Cleveland Cavs in 2016.

Did you know ... there are SIX former Duke Blue Devils with the New Orleans Pelicans -- 5 players and the General Manager -- and Jahlil Okafor LOVES it!

"It's a brotherhood," Okafor tells TMZ Sports ... "We're all connected no matter when he played at Duke."

Of course besides Okafor (who played with Duke for 1 season in '15) ... you've got Zion Williamson, JJ Redick, Brandon Ingram, Frank Jackson and GM Trajan Langdon, who played at Duke from '94 to '99.

"We all have each other's back and it's amazing that we're all together on the Pelicans," Okafor told us Sunday outside Staples Center.

Okafor praised all of his Duke teammates -- and even gave us an update on Zion, who's missed every game this season with a knee injury.

"He looks good," Okafor said ... "He's in high spirits, he's doing all the right things to get himself back on the court."

Zion is expected to return to the Pels in December -- and Okafor says the team can't wait to finally get the #1 overall NBA Draft pick back.

Derrick Rose. Dwyane Wade. Candace Parker. Anthony Davis. Which baller from Chicago is the BEST to come outta the Windy City???

Well, there's no one better to ask than Chicago native and Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas ... who's settling the debate with TMZ Sports once and for all.

Of course, there has been a lot of talk about the rich hoops history in Chi-Town after AD declared it "the Mecca of basketball."

We spoke with Zeke about the long list of basketball greats to come out of his hometown ... and asked who ranks at the top of the list -- AND IT AIN'T ISIAH THOMAS!!!

"No one has won more and been as successful as Dwyane Wade. I mean, we all honor him, we love him. Right now, he's the winner."

Thomas says he doesn't mind handing the title over to D-Wade .. saying, "All of us from Chicago, we're all winners. We're all champions. But, Dwyane Wade has a very special place in all our hearts."

Here's LeBron James tearing such a ferocious fart in an Oklahoma City parking lot ... it made Chris Matthews' coffee mug blush.

There's a story here ...

LeBron and Chris Paul were leaving Mohagany Prime Steakhouse in Oklahoma City on Thursday night (one day before the Lakers played the Thunder) ... when a couple of young fans spotted the stars in the parking lot.

The fans shouted out to the NBA superstars hoping to get an autograph (they were shut down) ... but they got something better.

Bron -- wearing sweatpants -- stopped in his tracks, lifted his left leg, and blasted out an ass honk so loud, you could hear it across the parking lot.

Notice, if you will, the increase in volume and intensity as he tries to clear it out before getting inside his waiting SUV.

Not only did the fans crack up laughing (because farts are hilarious) but you can hear the guys in the car give Bron some crap for trailing it into the car.

C'mon bro ... don't hotbox the ride!!!

Of course, LeBron's farts have made news before -- when he stink bombed the Cleveland Cavs bench wayyy back in the day.

DeMarcus Cousins just caught a huge break in his harassment case ... the NBA star's charges have been dropped, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

We broke the story ... the Lakers center's ex-girlfriend, Cristy West, told police she recorded a phone call with Cousins in which he threatened to "put a bullet in your f**king head" if she wouldn't let their 7-year-old child attend his wedding.

Cousins was facing a domestic violence charge -- 3rd-degree misdemeanor for harassing communications -- which carries a maximum sentence of 1 year behind bars.

Cousins was slated to have his arraignment Friday -- but the case was dropped and won't be moving forward.

One source close to DeMarcus tells us, "It was a just and fair outcome."

Unclear exactly why the case was dropped but it's not unheard of for prosecutors to bail on a case like this if the victim stops cooperating with authorities.

Despite the court situation, the NBA is still investigating on their own and could mete out punishment if they deem necessary.

The fans might be super pissed about load management ... but Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas says Kawhi Leonard taking days off has been PERFECT for the NBA superstar.

It's been one of the biggest debates of the season -- with the Klaw electing to sit out several big-time matchups to nurse a nagging knee injury, despite looking pretty much 100% when he DOES take the court.

TMZ Sports spoke with the Pistons legend about the issue ... and he totally understands why Kawhi wants to take a break to make sure he stays healthy, even if fans get upset.

"I do understand it, and you have to say it's been extremely successful for Kawhi," IT said outside Capitale in NYC ... pointing out Leonard has done this for most of his career.

"So for Kawhi, it's been perfect for him and it has worked out well for him."

But, of course, the big issue is Kawhi is one of the top 2 hottest players in the league ... and people wanna see him play. So, when folks drop up to thousands of dollars in hopes of seeing the Klaw play, just to have him ride the bench ... it doesn't sit well with the fans.

IT understands where the spectators are coming from ... and thinks there will have to be some sort of compromise before the NBA loses support.

"For the fans, I can see how some might be disappointed. At some point in time, the NBA, the players all of them gotta figure out how everyone can be satisfied because we do need the fans and we need the fan support to keep the machine going."

Proud Dad moment for Dwyane Wade on Thursday night ... the NBA legend got to watch his son play in his HS season opener -- and the kid threw down a sick alley-oop!!

The show all went down in front of a sold-out crowd in San Diego ... where Zaire Wade's Sierra Canyon squad beat the hell out of Montgomery HS, 91-44, in its 2019 debut.

Zaire only scored 6 points ... but he made two of them REALLY count -- catching a lob and putting it home, all while Dwyane watched from his courtside seat!!

Of course, Wade was also there to support his best buddy LeBron James' son, Bronny, who was playing in his first-ever HS game.

And, Wade got to see the young James ball out too ... 'cause the kid scored 10 points off the bench and knocked down some DEEP triples!!!

Poppa James couldn't make the trip -- the Lakers are on the road to play Oklahoma City on Friday night -- but something tells us Dwyane's already given him the full report.

David West is pissed off at the NCAA over James Wiseman's punishment ... telling TMZ Sports the org. should be giving young players opportunities, not taking them away.

The Memphis superstar just got slapped with a 12-game suspension and $11,500 fine after the NCAA determined he accepted a loan of the same amount from Penny Hardaway in 2017 -- before he took over at UM.

We broke the news of the ruling to West outside Chin Chin in LA on Wednesday ... and he disagrees with the move.

"I'm not a fan of the NCAA, so I don't think he should've been suspended," West says. "The kid deserves opportunities. Period. I'm always gonna be in favor of the kid."

West agrees that the projected #1 overall pick in the 2020 Draft should appeal the decision because he shouldn't miss another minute of basketball ... adding he's an advocate for allowing players to be compensated.

But, the NBA champ ain't alone -- Reggie Miller went to Twitter to voice his confusion over the fine, saying, "How is the family going to pay this when they had problems moving in the first place?? Asking for a friend..."

Ex-NFL player DeAngelo Williams added, "now in order for wiseman to get the 11k+ is to now break the very rule u accused him of in the first place lmao this has to be a joke right?"

Memphis superstar James Wiseman has been suspended 12 games and must donate over $11k to charity -- but he plans to appeal the punishment.

Wiseman, the NCAA, and Memphis has been locked in a back-and-forth battle over his eligibility for weeks after it was determined the 18-year-old violated college rules by taking $11,500 from Penny Hardaway in 2017 -- before he became Memphis head coach.

Wiseman's college career was up in the air after the suspension was handed down ... considering he's expected to go #1 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft.

But, given the new punishment ... Wiseman will be able to return Jan. 12 against South Florida.

The fight's not over, however ... Memphis released a statement shortly after the ruling.

"Based on case precedent, the circumstances of this case and other mitigating factors, the university will immediately appeal this decision."

Charles Barkley says there's "no excuse" for saying he would "hit" a female political reporter -- but insists the whole thing was an attempted joke gone bad.

Axios reporter Alexi McCammond says she was talking with the NBA legend about who he's supporting in the upcoming Presidential election ... and that's when he said, "I don’t hit women, but if I did I would hit you."

Here's the backstory ... McCammond says Barkley was initially explaining why he supported Gov. Deval Patrick -- former 2-term gov. of Mass. -- but then changed up and said he was supporting Pete Buttigieg.

When McCammond questioned him about the switch, Barkley allegedly made the comment about hitting her.

McCammond says she objected to the comment and Barkley told her she "couldn't take a joke."

Barkley has since issued an apology ... saying, "My comment was inappropriate and unacceptable."

"It was an attempted joke that wasn’t funny at all. There’s no excuse for it and I apologize."

McCammond is now reacting to Barkley's apology -- saying, "The comments Charles Barkley made to me are not acceptable."

"Threats of violence are not a joke, & no person deserves to be hit or threatened like that."

Carmelo Anthony is FINALLY making his NBA return Tuesday night ... and ex-NBA star Jalen Rose says he's expecting the newest Trail Blazer to make an immediate impact.

It's been 374 days since Melo saw the court ... but he'll be making his highly-anticipated return when Portland takes on the Pelicans in a few hours.

TMZ Sports spoke with Rose out in NYC about Anthony getting picked up ... and he's elated the "Free Melo" campaign is over.

"I'm happy that he back in the league," Rose tells us. "I think it's a great pickup to have a Hall of Famer back in the league and have the opportunity to end on his own terms."

SHOOT THE J ... SHOOT IT!!!!

Dave Chappelle worked on his jumper at Lakers practice on Monday -- and if that's not the most L.A. sentence of the day, we don't know what is.

Chappelle linked up with the whole squad at the team facility and even posed for pics with LeBron James, who was wearing some REALLY short shorts (are Dave's arms bigger than Bron's BTW?)

But, when the team took the court, Chappelle went with 'em and even got pointers from Lakers guard Quinn Cook to improve his stepback game, according to Lakers reporter Dave McMenamin.

Of course, ya can't watch Dave hoop without thinking about that legendary "Chapelle's Show" skit with Charlie Murphy ... you know the one, THE PRINCE BASKETBALL GAME!

Chappelle kept his street clothes on this time around ... and while we wasn't exactly hitting all his shots, he's no Chance The Rapper either.

No word on why Dave was at practice ... but the team HOOKED HIM UP with his own custom Lakers jersey!! Wonder if they brought pancakes too?!