NBA

Glen "Big Baby" Davis just pled no contest to felony battery stemming from an April 2018 incident at a West Hollywood nightclub -- but he ain't going to jail, TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story ... the former Boston Celtics player was accused of beating the hell out of a man outside Factory nightclub -- causing major injuries.

In fact, the victim was hospitalized for fractures in his face and ribs as well as a broken tooth.

Sources told us ... it all started when Davis almost hit the man with his car -- when the man confronted the NBA player, Davis allegedly picked him up and slammed him on the concrete.

Davis was initially charged with felony assault with intent to cause great bodily injury and faced up to 7 years in prison -- but Wednesday, he cut a deal with prosecutors that will likely keep him out of the big house.

We're told Davis agreed to plea no contest to felony battery -- and in exchange, the assault charge was dropped.

As part of the deal, Davis must complete 320 hours of community labor by the end of 2020 and must pay $104k in restitution to the victim.

If Davis completes those terms, he'll be formally sentenced -- and the judge will decide if he'll get probation. The battery charge will also be reduced to a misdemeanor.

Move over, Wilt ... there's a new member of the 100-point game club -- NBA star Jarrett Culver's older brother, J.J. Culver!!

The 6'5" senior out of Wayland Baptist scored the absurd figure in his NAIA game against Southwestern Adventist in Plainview, Texas on Tuesday ... logging 100 points in just 38 minutes.

The stat line is wild ... J.J. took 62 shots, including 33 3-pointers, and added 27 free throw attempts. He also had 5 steals, 2 blocks, nine rebounds and an assist!

The numbers were so crazy, his older brother -- who was the No. 6 overall pick of the Minnesota Timberwolves in last year's NBA draft -- said of the guard, "jj you a legend brother."

As for the game itself, J.J.'s squad obviously won ... beating the hell out of Southwestern Adventist, 124-60.

"Definitely a dream come true," J.J. said of the night. "I put in a lot of work for this. I love playing basketball and thanks everyone for the support."

J.J. -- who's just the second-ever NAIA player to hit the 100-point mark -- added, "Couldn’t have done it without my Coaches, Teammates, and Family."

Humble guy too!

Juice WRLD's death is another heart-breaking example of the drug epidemic in rap ... so says ex-NBA player Larry Sanders, who tells TMZ Sports he hopes people can learn from the tragedy.

TMZ broke the story ... the 21-year-old died on Sunday after suffering a seizure. Law enforcement sources say the "Robbery" rapper swallowed a bunch of Percs to hide them from the feds during a drug raid, which could have played a role in his death.

Of course, rappers like Mac Miller and Lil Peep have also died due to drug-related issues ... and Sanders says the glorification of drugs in rap culture is becoming a serious issue.

"I think these kids are starting young and it's getting embedded into the culture," Sanders says.

"It's an epidemic. Hopefully, the kids can learn from these horrible mistakes and make better choices, but it seems like the outcome's the same."

Of course, Sanders has been outspoken about his own battle with depression and anxiety ... and has become an advocate for mental health treatment in the hopes people can explore safer options than self-medicating.

"The conversation is what's gonna be important ... inspiring the youth to be brave enough to talk about how they feel."

Scottie Pippen ain't ready to hear all of those Luka Doncic comparisons to Michael Jordan -- telling TMZ Sports there's one MAJOR difference between the two guys.

Some backstory ... earlier this week, the Dallas Mavericks star passed MJ for the most consecutive games with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists since the NBA/ABA merger in '76.

Combine that with the fact Doncic is averaging a near triple-double per game right now (30 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 9.2 assists) and you get why people are making the comparisons to Jordan.

So, when we saw Pippen at Il Pastaio in Bev Hills ... we had to ask how he felt about the Luke vs. MJ talk -- and (shocker!) he still thinks His Airness is in a class by himself.

"He got 6 titles yet?!" Pippen said with a smirk.

For his part, Luka AGREES with Pippen ... also shutting down comparisons while talking with reporters.

David Fizdale is back on the West Coast -- returning to Los Angeles just days after he was fired as head coach of the NY Knicks.

Fizdale hasn't talked publicly about the situation ever since he got the ax on Dec. 6 --  and when we saw him at LAX, the 45-year-old made it clear he's still not ready to open up.

The Knicks took heat over the past few days for not being particularly nice to Fizdale in their initial press release about the firing ... but issued a revised statement on Sunday.

"The New York Knicks organization would like to thank David Fizdale for his leadership and professionalism over the past two seasons. He represented the organization with nothing but class. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors."

The NY Post claims the Knicks delayed the release of the statement because the two sides were still legally working out their separation agreement ... which could be why it took Fizdale so long to get on a plane and head out West.

Fizdale included a statement in the release ... saying coaching the Knicks "has been a great honor."

He added, "While it is obviously disappointing that we couldn’t deliver the wins we wanted on the court, I am very proud that we were able to establish a system which values accountability, respect, and hard work."

"Although the short-term results weren’t what I hoped for, I’m confident the culture and values we prioritized will contribute to the growth and future success of the core young players who are already improving each and every day.”

It would be historic ... but Charles Barkley says Becky Hammon should NOT consider the NY Knicks head coaching job because it would set her up for failure!

Of course, the Knicks are in the market for a new head coach after firing David Fizdale last week -- and a lot of people are calling for James Dolan to make Becky the first female head coach in NBA history.

42-year-old Hammon has created a lot of buzz in the NBA coaching world -- she was a 6-time WNBA All-Star before becoming an assistant with Gregg Popovich's Spurs in 2014. Pop has praised her as a coaching star and it seems like it's only a matter of time before she takes a head coaching job.

There are rumblings Hammon is interested in the Knicks job ... but Barkley is warning her to stay FAR AWAY from the dumpster fire that's the Knicks.

"Somebody's gonna give her a chance," Barkley tells TMZ Sports ... "I don't think she should take THAT job. Don't take a bad job!"

As we previously reported, people are pretty upset with the Knicks for axing Fizdale -- with Michael Rapaport calling for a celebrity boycott of the organization.

Long story short ... Rap says Knicks owner James Dolan has ran the organization into the ground and he feels like a celebrity boycott is the only way to show Dolan the fans won't stand for it anymore.

Barkley says he ain't with the boycott but understands Rap's frustrations.

Ex-NBA player Guerschon Yabusele -- who now plays professionally in China -- was fined by the CBA this weekend for not looking at the Chinese flag during the national anthem.

... but Yabusele insists he was NOT trying to disrespect anyone.

The 23-year-old French baller -- who played 2 seasons with the Boston Celtics -- was fined $1,400 and given a "serious warning" for not meeting the league's requirements for anthem etiquette before the Nanjing Tongxi Monkey Kings' game against the Zhejiang Golden Bulls.

Of course, showing any sort of disrespect to the national anthem has major consequences in China -- a law was passed in 2017 that made it a crime, which carries a maximum 3-year jail sentence.

It's also in the Chinese Basketball Association handbook that players must look at the flag during the "March of the Volunteers."

But, Yabusele says he wasn't trying to make any sort of political statement -- he reportedly clarified in a statement on social media that he was praying during the anthem.

"I have the same routine, I've been doing this my whole career and I wanted to apologize for the people that took it Personnal [sic] because it was not my point," Yabusele said.

"I will show my respect during the Chinese national anthem and keep my head up for now on, Love you guys."

Obviously, this isn't the first major issue with China and basketball this year -- the Houston Rockets were essentially blackballed there after GM Daryl Morey tweeted out support for Hong Kong.

Lizzo damn near blew the lid off Staples Center when she twerked her butt off.

It all went down Sunday night during a break at the Timberwolves-Lakers game ... while the Laker Girls were performing to the rapper's famous track "Juice," Lizzo got all hyped up ... rapping along before going HAM.

Lizzo -- who was sitting courtside -- was right there on the jumbotron for all to enjoy ... dancing before turning around and putting on a twerk show ... proudly displaying a black thong and fishnet tights. The crowd went absolutely NUTS.

BTW ... during an interview with FOX Sports, Lizzo shoots her shot at T'Wolves star Karl Anthony-Towns. Lizzo loves her some KAT ... like, A LOT.

Not to be outdone ... the Lakers steamrolled past the T'Wolves 142-125 behind Anthony Davis' season-high 50 points.

Even if James Harden broke the scoring record and scored 100 points in a game, there's still one thing keeping him from being the greatest Rockets player ever -- A RING!! -- so says Kenny Smith.

The Beard has been going OFF this season -- averaging nearly 39 points and 8 assists through 19 games -- leaving some fans wondering if Harden has what it takes to go down as the G.O.A.T. in Houston.

TMZ Sports spoke with the Jet at LAX on Monday and had to ask if Harden's ever gonna take the throne from Hakeem Olajuwon ... and while he says Harden's "in the conversation," Smith says James still needs some work.

"You gotta win championships," Smith tells us. "The scoring records are great and that's putting him in the conversation."

"The assists, his overall play. But, the greatests are always measured by championships."

For the record, Hakeem has 2 rings and 2 Finals MVPs on his resume.

Enes Kanter already has a sick retirement plan in place when his NBA career comes to an end ... telling TMZ Sports he's already in talks to join WWE full time!!!

Of course, the Boston Celtics star is no stranger to the squared circle -- he VERY briefly held the 24/7 Championship at Monday Night Raw back in September, but then lost it moments later to R-Truth.

We spoke with the 27-year-old about his future plans with Vince McMahon's company ... and he says the wheels are already moving for a career in wrasslin'!!!

"I'm ready, I'm actually already talking to some people," Kanter tells us.

Oh, and by "some people," he doesn't mean *just* "some people" ... Kanter says he's met with Triple H and Paul Heyman ... and it's just a matter of WHEN not IF.

Kanter -- who is in his 9th season in the Association -- says he's still hoping to play at least 5-6 more years of hoops before he considers throwing on the spandex for the wrestling gig, so he's in no rush.

Isaiah Thomas is siding with Kyrie Irving in his feud with Celtics fans ... saying the crowd should consider players' mental health before booing the hell outta them.

Remember, fans were pissed when Irving sat out his highly-anticipated return to Boston last week, chanting "Kyrie sucks" throughout the game.

Irving responded by RIPPING the fans, saying "This Game of Sports entertainment matters more than someone’s mental health and well being right? Or the real life things that happen to people everyday but they still have to Perform for the NBA and its fans? Right?"

You can read the whole thing below. Irving didn't hold back.

Enter IT -- who famously got a huge tribute from the Celtics in his first game back in Beantown -- and he tells TMZ Sports the fans should've thought things through before throwing out the boo birds.

"He might've been going through some real-life stuff," Thomas says. "I understand how the fans are, but you gotta take that into consideration."

Metta World Peace didn't even wait an hour to make a play for David Fizdale's job -- claiming he should be the next coach of the Knicks 'cause he's got that NYC street ball mentality!

The ex-NBA star meant no disrespect to Fizdale --- who was fired in his 2nd season --- and gave Fiz credit for what he was able to accomplish in his short time as head coach.

"Shoutout to Coach Fiz. I mean you deserved it man," MWP says ... "You put in work. I watched you over the years."

But, what the Knicks are missing is that NYC mindset, according to Metta who says growing up in Queens and later playing for the Knicks make him the perfect candidate.

"I will absolutely bring that street mentality to the Garden."

"Let's get it poppin' New York City. The fans chill out, you already know what it is. All that booin', we gon' boo yall if I'm in the Garden."

He adds, "We coming to win and that's it ... it's just my love for New York City."

For now, the Knicks have tapped Mike Miller as interim coach -- and there are rumblings NY is seriously considering Mark Jackson for the full-time gig.

Look, Metta knows it's a tough job and he ain't the frontrunner ... but he's making his case anyway!

"It's one of the best jobs in sports. Block out the fans. They act hard but really they just want to win."

"I'm making it official, I'm no longer a Knicks fan!!!"

That's Michael Rappaport officially ENDING his NY Knicks fandom -- saying he's "disgusted" with the team for firing head coach David Fizdale and can no longer justify rooting for 'em.

"I'm serious. I am a fan of the past Knicks. I'm not rooting for this team."

Rap says the only way to send a message to Knicks management is through a celebrity boycott -- and he's calling out the stars by name!!!

"Jerry Seinfeld Howard Stern, Chris Rock, Tracy Morgan, all the cast of SNL ... I know you get to go to the Garden Suite and get the free meals and the shrimp cocktails and the cookies ... DON'T GO TO GAMES ANYMORE!"

"Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande ... don't do it! Go to see 'Cats' on Broadway. Go to see 'Book of Mormon' ... Netflix and chill."

In fact, Rap -- who stars in "Atypical" -- is out on his U.S. comedy tour ... which should help him take his mind off the Knicks but you gotta watch the clip. He's PISSED!!!

The woman who accused Luke Walton of sexually assaulting her in a hotel room in 2017 has officially dropped her lawsuit against the NBA coach, TMZ Sports has learned.

Kelli Tennant -- a former sports reporter -- had sued Walton claiming he forced himself on her in a Santa Monica hotel room while he was an asst. coach with the Golden State Warriors.

In her lawsuit, Tennant claimed Walton forced kisses on her neck, face and chest -- and despite telling to stop, he held her down, groped her breasts and groin, and rubbed his erection on her leg.

Tennant claimed she was "in shock and fear. She was afraid she was about to be raped," the suit states.

Walton, who now coaches the Sacramento Kings, had adamantly denied wrongdoing -- claiming Tennant, was the person who initiated their meet-up, insists it was "platonic" and nothing sexual ever occurred.

Now, Tennant has filed new court docs calling off the suit -- asking a judge to dismiss with prejudice, which means she can't refile it.

Unclear if Walton and Tennant struck a settlement -- but it's not uncommon in situations like this.

We reached out to Tennant's attorney for comment, so far, no word back.

The NBA also investigated the allegations -- but decided NOT to punish Walton and noted Tennant did not cooperate with their probe.

After she filed the lawsuit, Tennant held a press conference -- and said she did not go to law enforcement because she feared it would jeopardize her career.

We asked if there was any video or photo evidence to help prove Tennant's case, and her attorney essentially told us no.

L.A. Clippers player Patrick Patterson hit the streets of Bev Hills with his wife this week ... in the wake of a social media war that erupted over their interracial marriage.

Some quick background -- Patterson posted an anniversary message to his wife Sarah on IG back in October ... which didn't go over well with one of his followers who suggested Sarah only married him because he's an NBA player.

"I bet she’s the only one in her family history to date a black. Stay woke my guy."

Patterson clapped back -- saying, "So I should settle for a bulldog and act like I’m happy with my life and preach ‘keep it in your race’ to the world as if Dr. King didn’t fight/die for equality, acceptance, all cultures loving one another, and no hate? No thanks. That may be your life but I don’t want that for mine or for my family. Color doesn’t matter. Wake up."

People were furious with Patterson, claiming the "bulldog" comment was insulting to black women.

30-year-old Patterson -- a 1st round pick in the 2010 NBA Draft -- apologized and said the comment was only directed at the commenter's wife ... but acknowledges he shouldn't have used the term in the first place.

Now, Patterson tells TMZ Sports he and his wife are trying to move on from the controversy  -- saying, "At the end of the day, what happened, happened. I apologized for it, I would just like to leave it at that."

We asked Patterson if he and his wife are treated differently in real life as opposed to social media.

"The only experience that matters is the one that I share with my wife right here and that's the love we share. At the end of the day, nothing else matters."

"Social media is one thing, it's a different animal. The real world's a whole new animal, so each aspect is different from another in their own way."

Drake and Joel Embiid may act like they hate each other's guts ... but it turns out the dudes are actually BROS behind closed doors, so says Sixers partner Michael Rubin!!

It always gets ugly between the 6 God and Embiid when Philly plays the Toronto Raptors ... with Drizzy and the All-Star trading jabs at any opportunity.

Most recently, Drake mocked Embiid for going scoreless last week -- clapping in Embiid's face and thanking him for racking up a goose egg on the score sheet.

TMZ Sports spoke with Rubin outside Madison Square Garden on Friday about the beef ... and he says while it looks legit on paper, it's all love when the cameras are off.

"It's all fun, they're good friends off the court," the billionaire businessman tells us.

Drake's gotten a lot of heat for his antics -- remember when he gave Raps coach Nick Nurse a mid-game back rub??