NBA

Byron Scott thinks top NBA players should take a more active role in advocating for Black coaches ... just like Kobe Bryant did for him back in the day.

59-year-old Scott says he likes and respects Steve Nash -- but couldn't help but feel disappointed when he saw the Brooklyn Nets hired Nash as head coach over other well-qualified Black candidates.

"My first thought was why didn’t Mark Jackson or some other African-American guys who have coached in this league at least get an opportunity to coach with the Brooklyn Nets?"

Fact is, Scott says ... "We don't get jobs that are that set and that good -- where you got 2 stars like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant."

Scott believes Black coaches usually get opportunities with teams that are in pretty bad shape ... unlike Nash and the stacked Nets.

Scott says his opinion is based on his OWN experience -- he took over the Hornets when they were only an 18-win team and New Jersey coming off a 20-win season.

"We don’t get those jobs where there is built-in superstardom guys on that roster right away."

"We get the kind of jobs where you have to make something out of nothing and when you don’t or you’re not able to do it, they’ll say, 'Well, we gave him the opportunity.'"

So, what's the solution? Scott says he wants to see more powerful NBA players go to bat for Black candidates.

"Our players don’t do a good enough job for advocating for Black coaches and that's just something that we need to change as well."

Charles Oakley is straight-up confused about why the Brooklyn Nets hired Steve Nash as their new head coach ... when there are so many other qualified coaches with actual coaching experience!

The NY Knicks legend didn't beat around the bush when we asked him about the Nash hiring ... telling us straight up, "We need more Black coaches in the NBA."

Oakleys says like everyone else in the NBA world, he had no idea Nash was even interested in a coaching gig ... "but that's how the world is."

"People hire their friends, people that they believe in. Somebody must believe in Steve Nash, a great player."

But, Oakley says there are plenty of Black coaches -- like Mark Jackson, Pete Myers and Jason Kidd -- who have been waiting for jobs ... and got beat out because "this guy comes out of the blue."

"That goes to show you we're still behind the 8 ball," Oak says ... "That's what we're trying to fight for, equal opportunity."

"Hopefully, We can get more Black coaches in the NBA because it's a Black league. We should have more Black coaches. More Black owners and GMs."

In case you're wondering, in the 2018-19 season, roughly 82% of NBA players were people of color, according to an ESPN report.

Kendall Jenner traveled northeast with boyfriend Devin Booker -- double dating with pals Justin and Hailey Bieber -- during a trek to ID.

Kendall and her Phoenix Suns BF have been making the rounds over the last few months. They've been camping, dining, and just hanging out ... and they've amped it up since the Devin left the NBA bubble.

They also did some ordinary stuff, like taking Devin's dog to the vet.

Justin and Hailey have been making the rounds these days as well. They rented an RV and have been tooling around the country, recently making a stop in Cody, Wyoming to visit Kanye.

First Steve Nash sighting after the big news!!!

The newest Brooklyn Nets head coach celebrated his new gig with an Italian dinner at one of NYC's most popular restaurants on Thursday ... and you better believe TMZ Sports was there.

The interaction outside Carbone was super quick -- only 12 seconds long -- but Nash tells us he's already touched base with his teams 2 biggest stars, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant ... and they're excited to work together!!!

Nash was wearing a mask on his way out of the restaurant due to the whole COVID-19 sitch ... but we're guessing he had a huge grin underneath it, considering he just landed what many consider the best available coaching job in the NBA right now.

Of course, we had a LOT more we wanted to ask Nash ... but there's only so much you can do with 12 seconds. Hey, we'll take it.

As we previously reported, the NBA Hall of Famer signed a 4-year deal to take over as head coach of the Nets ... which came as a surprise as nobody knew that he had thrown his hat in the ring.

Ya knew this was coming ...

The Charlotte Hornets have officially cut ties with play-by-play guy John Focke ... after the broadcaster says he "mistyped" when tweeting out the N-word last month.

Remember, Focke was tweeting about the Utah vs. Denver playoff series and went to comment on the teams ... only he didn't say "Nuggets."

"Shot making in this Jazz-(n-word) game is awesome!" Focke posted in the since-deleted tweet. "Murray and Mitchell going back and forth what a game!"

Focke quickly apologized, saying, "I don’t know how I mistyped, I had (and have) no intention of ever using that word."

The Hornets have concluded their investigation into the incident ... and have decided to part ways with the first-year broadcaster.

"The Charlotte Hornets announced today that John Focke will not return as the team's radio broadcaster due to a violation of the organization's social media policy," the team said Friday.

Steve Nash has been tapped as the new head coach of the Brooklyn Nets ... leaving many wondering, WHAT?!!?

WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?!!

46-year-old Nash is a Hall of Famer and widely regarded as a genius when it comes to basketball -- but seems nobody had any idea he wanted to become a head coach!

The Nets say they secretly interviewed Nash -- along with a bunch of other top candidates -- as a full-time replacement for Kenny Atkinson, who was fired back in February.

Jacque Vaughn had taken over as interim head coach -- and the Nets liked him so much, he'll remain on the coaching staff under Nash.

Vaughn is reportedly now the highest-paid assistant coach in the NBA.

As for Nash, he signed a 4-year deal -- but so far, no word on the money. Not like he needs the cash, Nash reportedly made over $146 million in contract money during his NBA playing career.

“I am honored to have this opportunity with such a 1st-class organization," Nash said in a statement.

"Coaching is something I knew I wanted to pursue when the time was right, and I am humbled to be able to work with the outstanding group of players and staff we have here in Brooklyn."

Nash takes over a stacked Nets team that includes superstars like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.

The Nets issued a statement about the hiring process to bring on Nash.

"After meeting with a number of highly accomplished coaching candidates from diverse backgrounds, we knew we had a difficult decision to make,” General Manager Sean Marks said.

"In Steve we see a leader, communicator and mentor who will garner the respect of our players."

Nash played 18 seasons as a player in the NBA -- and was a 2-time NBA MVP, 8-time NBA All-Star and 5-time assist champion.

After he retired in 2015, Nash became a player development consultant with the Golden State Warriors.

Top NBA draft prospect Cole Anthony ain't running from the dumpster fire that is the Knicks ... in fact, the former UNC star says he'd embrace being selected by NY!!!

"I mean, look," the projected 1st-round pick tells TMZ Sports, "hey, it would be cool!"

Of course, the Knicks are kind of in Anthony's genes ... his father, Greg Anthony, was drafted by NY back in 1991 and played with the team for the first 4 seasons of his lengthy NBA career.

But, the Knicks have devolved into a complete mess since Papa Anthony roamed Madison Square Garden ... and it's gotten so bad, a ton of free agents have passed on signing there the past couple years.

Cole, though, tells us he'd be fired up if the Knicks took him in October's draft ... adding he's going to give "everything I can" to any team that's willing to take a shot on him.

It'd make sense for the Knicks ... Cole was a MONSTER at UNC despite injuries last season -- he averaged 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 22 games for the Tar Heels.

By the way, Anthony -- who was out at Cove Lounge in NYC for an event to give back to children over the weekend -- also told us his old UNC teammates are fighting like hell to make sure there's a college basketball season this year.

The NBA just hit Marcus Morris with a $35,000 fine for that hard foul on Luka Doncic during Game 6 of the playoff series between the Clippers and Mavs.

Morris and Doncic had been going after each other for the entire series -- things were chippy -- but things came to a head in the 1st quarter of Game 6 when Marcus hit Luka in the face while Doncic was going up for a layup.

A scuffle ensued. The players had to be separated. Morris was ejected from the game.

Now, to make matters worse for Morris ... he's gotta come out of pocket to the tune of $35k for "recklessly striking" Doncic, according to the NBA.

"The amount of the fine was based in part on the fact that Morris has been disciplined on several prior occasions for physical altercations on the court," the NBA said.

Later in the game, a rattled Doncic lost his cool over a foul call -- and threw the ball at the feet of one of the refs.

Doncic argued that he didn't intend to hit the ref -- just bad luck.

The NBA has fined Doncic over that incident to the tune of $15,000.

The Clippers ended up winning the game and the clinching the series, sending Doncic and the Mavs out of the NBA Bubble.

It may be the offseason for Ben Simmons, but the NBA superstar is getting right back into competition mode ... taking part in a HUGE Call of Duty tournament backed by FaZe Clan.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Simmons -- who recently invested in FaZe Clan -- is part of a celeb-packed lineup for the "Twitch Rivals: FaZe Face-Off Ft. Warzone" event going down on September 17.

Simmons -- AKA "FaZe Simmo" will join big names like Marshmello, Slim Jxmmi, Carnage, Lil Durk, Bulls star Zach LaVine and USWNT Allie Long in the Call of Duty competition, which is the first event from FaZe Clan's new series with the Twitch Rivals streaming service.

The competition will also feature FaZe Clan regulars like FaZe Apex, FaZe Rug, NICKMERCS, FaZe Temperrr, and FaZe SWAGG ... as well as a bunch of other well-known streamers.

The event will consist of up to 20 teams of 4 players ... who will compete for a prize pool of $75,000!

It's been a big year for FaZe Clan ... the org. just wrapped up tournament for the game Valorant -- which was viewed online more than 5.2 MILLION times!

Oh yeah, and Bronny James just joined the squad!!!

The mother of Trevor Ariza's 12-year-old son claims the NBA star has physically abused their child on multiple occasions and she's demanding a restraining order on the child's behalf, ASAP.

But, Ariza says the allegations are patently false -- and he's fighting back in court docs of his own.

The 35-year-old Portland Trail Blazers star opted out of the NBA restart in the Orlando bubble -- reportedly to spend time with his son.

Ariza and the mother of his child, Lana Allen, have been locked in a custody battle for a while.

But, Allen recently filed new court documents in Los Angeles accusing Ariza of carrying out a pattern of domestic violence against the child, dating back to 2019.

The details are graphic -- but the allegations are that Ariza, a strong, pro athlete, clearly crossed a line when dishing out corporal punishment on at least two occasions.

Allen claims she reported the alleged abuse to the LAPD, which documented the alleged injuries and looped in the Dept. of Child and Family Services.

In new court docs, Allen is requesting a restraining order against Ariza in hopes of keeping him away from the child.

She claims the child "fears" his father and is "not safe in his care."

Ariza has filed a response to the allegations -- strongly denying the accusations of child abuse and vowing to clear his name.

Ariza says it's Allen who's been alienating him from the child -- causing a rift in their relationship.

Ariza says, "what is occurring here is in fact [Allen's] abuse of the minor child by her relentless, cruel loyalty conflict for [the child], alienation campaign and selfishly driven attempts to interfere in father and son's relationship."

Jimmy Butler says he refuses to let his family join him inside the NBA bubble in Orlando ... because it's a "business trip" and he doesn't want to be distracted!

FOR REAL!

The Miami Heat star explained himself to "NBA on TNT" sideline reporter Allie LaForce -- who passed it along to viewers Monday night while Butler was DROPPIN' 40 on the Milwaukee Bucks.

LaForce said while some players and coaches were excited to finally welcome wives girlfriends and children into the bubble -- people they haven't seen in person in months -- Jimmy was drawing a hard line.

"No offense to families but Jimmy Butler said, 'This is a business trip for me. I’m not messing around.'"

"Everyone wants to have their family, without a doubt. But we’ve been doing this for this long. What’s another couple of months?"

Jimmy concluded, "It is an individual decision and I respect that decision that my teammates make but for me, I’m here for business.”

WOW.

Butler has a baby daughter back home who's about to turn one in October ... but she'll have to chill out before Daddy can celebrate!

Meanwhile, Butler has definitely been handling business -- he played spectacularly Monday night ... and has led the Heat to the Conference Semifinals, where they're already up 1-0 on the mighty Bucks.

Of course, not everyone feels the same as Jimmy -- Toronto Raptors star Fred VanVleet brought his family into the Bubble this week ... and the reunion was ADORABLE!

The NBA has warned players to make sure their guests don't wild out at games -- no cussing, no storming the court, etc.

This is the most adorable video you'll see today!!

Toronto Raptors star Fred VanVleet reunited with his 2 kids after more than a month inside the NBA bubble on Monday ... and they were so excited to see their daddy, they ran right into his arms!!

Of course, players and families are starting to reconnect during the 2nd round of the playoffs ... with a limited number of loved ones allowed to enter the bubble after quarantining.

FVV's high school sweetheart, Shontai Neal, shared the emotional moment on Instagram ... showing 1-year-old Fred Jr. and 2-year-old Sanaa overly excited to see their dad on the Disney World campus.

The VanVleets have been supporting their dad from home ... with Sanaa cheering on Fred from home in a cute video last month.

Another insanely rare trading card could crack the $2 MILLION mark at auction ... and no, it's neither MJ nor LeBron.

It's an ultra-rare signed Giannis Antetokounmpo basketball card that features a piece of a game-worn jersey from the Greek Freak's rookie season.

The card was originally pulled out of a pack of Panini America's 2013-14 high-end "National Treasures" line ... and features the NBA "Logoman" patch from one of Giannis' rookie jerseys.

It's a 1-of-1 card -- so, it's super rare -- but the fact it was graded a MINT 9 by the Beckett Grading Service makes it even more desirable for hardcore collectors.

Even better ... the signature on the card received a perfect "10" grading from the Beckett autograph evaluators as well.

Again, the high-grading number makes a HUGE difference for collectors at the high-end level.

The person who initially pulled the card from a pack years ago sold it to another collector -- and after changing hands a few times, it's now hitting the auction block over at Goldin Auctions, where they believe there's a strong chance it could break the record for most expensive basketball card ever sold.

Of course, a rare (and similar) LeBron James' 2003-2004 Upper Deck rookie card is currently the G.O.A.T. piece when it comes to basketball cards ... it famously sold for $1.8 MIL last month.

The LeBron card was NOT a 1-of-1 -- there were 23 of those made ... and Bron has bragged that he has a few sitting around at his home.

The rare-card market is ON FIRE right now -- a Topps 2009 Superfractor Mike Trout card just sold at auction for $3.93 mil ... the most expensive sports trading card to ever sell on the open market.

As for Giannis, the bidding began at $250k on Monday -- and after a flurry of quick bids, it's already about to crack the $500,000 mark!!!

Ken Goldin, who runs Goldin Auctions, says he wouldn't be surprised if it cracked $2 mil by the time the bidding ends on Sept. 20th.

Remember when everyone said the trading card market was dead?!

Look out Ryan Lochte, there's a new guy in the pool gunning for gold -- 7'6" Boston Celtics center Tacko Fall!!

Of course, the fan-favorite giant has been using his free time in the NBA bubble to try out some new sports ... including hitting the links to golf with Orlando Magic center Mo Bamba.

The big guy is now taking on another challenge -- swimming -- and jumped in the pool with his teammates Jaylen Brown and Enes Kanter for his very own lesson.

The results are hilariously awesome ... with Kanter and Brown carrying Tacko through the pool while he works on his form.

There are no water wings in sight ... but then again, all Fall has to do is stand up in the water and he'll be good.

The Celtics have been HOT since entering the bubble and currently have a 1-0 lead on the Raptors in the 2nd round of the playoffs, so there's still plenty of time for improvement.

Family and friends are about to invade the NBA bubble ... which means the league had to send out a reminder to all teams -- NO #%*@ing swearing at games!!!

Of course, games have been a LOT more quiet without fans during the league's restart in Orlando ... with hot mics picking up some not-so-nice words during action -- we're looking at you, Carmelo Anthony.

Now that there will be loved ones in the stands, the league sent out a memo on Monday ... telling the owners and senior execs to remind their guests -- KEEP IT PG, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. You are at Disney World, after all.

The memo prohibits "profane or objectionable language" as well as stepping on to the court mid-game, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The memo also states guests can't interact with refs at all ... especially in a disrespectful manner.

While Woj says the rules addressed "all governors and senior team basketball operations personnel," we take it the players' fams and friends will not be allowed to let the F-bombs fly or step foot on the hardwood, either.

In other words, as LeBron James would tell his mother -- "sit your ass down!!!"

Jamal Murray says his shoes -- honoring George Floyd and Breonna Taylor -- inspired his INSANE 50 point performance against Utah on Sunday ... and the post-game video is emotional stuff.

"These shoes mean a lot," Murray told Jared Greenberg after a must-win Game 6 playoff performance against the Jazz.

The 23-year-old Denver Nuggets star was overcome with emotion after the victory -- but he pulled himself together to explain why the shoes mean so much to him.

"These shoes give me life," Murray said ... "Even though these people are gone, they give me life. They help me find strength."

"In life you find things that hold value, things to fight for, and we found something worth fighting for as an NBA, as a collective unit. I use these shoes as a symbol to me to keep fighting all around the world."

"Like I said, they give me a lot of power to keep fighting."

Murray led the Nuggets in scoring Sunday night in their 119-107 victory -- in his second 50 point performance of the series.

He's the first player to drop 40 points in 3 straight NBA playoff games since Allen Iverson did it in 2001.