NBA

Ben Simmons' time in Philadelphia is up ... at least that's what Austin Rivers truly believes, telling TMZ Sports he doesn't see the 3-time All-Star suiting up for the 76ers ever again.

Of course, the Denver Nuggets guard's dad, Doc, has been trying to mend the relationship between Ben and the Sixers org. for months now ... but BS has yet to play a minute of hoops for Philly this season.

And when we asked Austin about the situation, he says he doesn't see Simmons playing for the Sixers ever again.

"No man, probably not. I don’t think so," Rivers answered. "If he hasn’t suited up by now, then I don’t think so."

Austin says his dad and the team have done everything in their power to retain the 25-year-old ... despite Simmons' desire to be traded.

"S***, they tried, bro," he said. "Look how long it’s been. I think they tried to keep him. He wants to go somewhere else obviously."

Rivers ultimately wishes BS well saying ... "I just want the young man to be happy. He’s talented. He’s a great player."

As we previously reported, Doc told us he'd love to have BS back with the Sixers. But so much has transpired since then ... and with neither side budging, it certainly feels like Austin's right.

Life has changed so much for Shawn Bradley since he was paralyzed in a tragic bike accident last year, the former NBA star admitted he battles suicidal thoughts regularly.

The 7-foot-6, ex-Dallas Mavericks fan favorite made the revelation during recent interviews with Sports Illustrated -- explaining things have not been easy since he suffered a serious spine injury in a Jan. 20, 2021 bicycle crash.

"Maybe it'd be better if this was just all over," Bradley says he sometimes thinks to himself in the wake of the tragedy.

"Yes, those thoughts creep in -- and they're real. I can't ever imagine myself acting on those thoughts, but I definitely have them."

Bradley revealed that when a minivan bumped into the back of his bike in the accident last year, he landed on a parked car and damaged vertebrae in his neck so badly, he was paralyzed from the chest down.

Because of the injury, the once towering basketball player has been relegated to a wheelchair -- which he and his wife, Carrie, said have made even the simplest tasks, like going out on dates or even getting around his home, nearly impossible.

Bradley now needs help eating and bathing ... and he says when friends and former teammates have seen him in his new state, it can get overwhelming.

"People that I'm very close with, the first time they see me, it's emotional," Bradley said. "It's extremely draining."

Bradley, though, says he has realistic goals of improving his ability to move around his big frame in the near future. He said the family is also hoping to move into a more wheelchair-friendly home soon.

Devin Booker was so pissed at the Toronto Raptors' mascot during a game on Tuesday -- he made the refs move it so he could shoot free throws in peace.

For real.

The wild scene happened during the Suns' tilt with Toronto in Canada, where no fans were allowed in the building due to a recent surge in COVID cases in the area.

Toronto, though, did allow its mascot to attend ... and as Booker was shooting some crucial free throws with 6.5 seconds left in the game -- the person in the furry suit jumped up and down.

Booker nearly missed his first shot over it -- and then he was so ticked about it, he made the refs put a stop to it.

"Booker's complaining about the Raptor, the lone fan that is there," the TV broadcaster said during the game. "He's been sent away!"

Booker eventually sunk the free throws and the Suns got the W ... and afterward, Devin confirmed he was hot about the situation.

"I was just trying to get him out the way," Kendall Jenner's BF said. "It worked."

"I'd rather be shooting them without him down there. We play shooting games all the time everyday. These two do the same thing and I complain then. That's just me."

Fortunately, Booker said he and the red dinosaur will have no beef going forward ... he told media members, "We hashed it out. We're cool now."

Ja Morant is as ruthless as he is athletic -- the Grizzlies star savagely mean-mugged a kid in a Warriors jersey during Memphis' game Tuesday night ... but he's at least now apologizing for the cold shoulder.

In the fourth quarter of the Grizzlies' game against Golden State ... Morant took over, and hit a huge clutch bucket to extend Memphis' lead.

As his momentum carried him into the crowd, though, a young kid in a Warriors jersey was hoping to slap hands with the 22-year-old phenom after the sweet layup.

But, Ja paid the youngster no mind -- and instead, appeared to hit him with a death stare!!

"He was disrespectful with that jersey on," Morant said of the interaction in a postgame interview. "We in Memphis. It looked like he wanted to cheer but he had that jersey on."

But, Morant did eventually say he was sorry ... and added that he was hoping to get the kid's information so he could send him some Grizzlies gear to replace the Dubs colors.

Kyrie Irving was not pleased with Nassir Little Monday night -- the Brooklyn Nets star claims the Blazers forward could have seriously injured him while diving for a loose ball in the middle of the game ... calling the move "unnecessary."

Check out the play -- both players were trying to secure possession during the 4th quarter ... when Nassir dove to the floor, causing Kyrie to land awkwardly while trying to avoid stepping on Little.

Irving tweaked his ankle as a result ... but managed to finish the game. He spoke with reporters about the moment during postgame interviews ... saying it was a "bad" play.

"I tried to get out of the way, but I just felt like that was just unnecessary," he said.

"For him to dive that far to the ball, I just tried to get out the way. Just an unnecessary play."

Kyrie -- who's only playing in Brooklyn's road games at the moment due to his COVID-19 vaccination status -- says he spoke with refs ... telling them they need to do a better job of protecting players.

"I could have broke my ankle or done something worse," Irving said. "Not a good play. No place for that in basketball."

"I get the intent from Nassir, but it could've been avoided. All good, we move on."

Little got wind of Irving's comments ... and doubled down on the play via Twitter.

"I would never hurt someone on purpose, I have the utmost respect for Kyrie!" he said. "But y'all are delusional if you think this is a bad play, and id do it again."

"Idgaf what y'all talkin about."

Despite the tweaked ankle, Irving says he'll be ready to go when the Nets take on the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.

The Miz shouldn't expect an honorary key to Philadelphia anytime soon ever ... 'cause the WWE Superstar just took a giant dump on the City of Brotherly Love, telling fans he totally gets why 76ers star Ben Simmons wants out of dodge.

WWE's "Monday Night Raw" was in town at the Wells Fargo Center -- the Sixers home arena -- when The Miz addressed fellow star wrestler, Edge, and chose to take a dig at Philly.

"After looking at this crowd I can say with the utmost conviction that I stand with Ben Simmons," Miz said. "I too would give up $33 million dollars just to not play in this crap city."

"I mean have you seen yourselves," he continued, "Can you blame him?"

The Miz -- one of WWE's best heels -- was met with a barrage of boos from thousands of people in the audience ... something the former WWE champion is accustomed to.

Of course, the Simmons saga is a sensitive issue for the city and organization. The 25-year-old hooper has yet to step foot on the court for a game ... and the season is halfway over.

Ben and the Sixers have been involved in a nasty back-and-forth ... with the All-Star forward telling the org. he would sit out the entire season -- and forfeit the $33 million owed to him -- if they did not meet his trade demands.

Halsey is not letting Grizzlies player Desmond Bane get away with coming at the King ... ripping the guard for being rude to LeBron James and having a "big a** f***in' mouth."

23-year-old Bane was clearly chirping throughout the Lakers' home game against Memphis ... and it got so heated at one point, LBJ shoved the guy for continuously running his mouth.

The award-winning singer -- who's a die-hard Lakers fan -- was sitting courtside through it all ... and had some words for DB after the game.

"Courtside observations: Bane got an unnaturally loud and rude big a** f***in mouth," Halsey said via Twitter.

Grizzlies fans quickly replied with shots of their own ... but Halsey wasn't having it.

"Bruh shut the f*** up," Halsey replied, "This man LeBron almost had to give him a masterclass in decorum."

"Everyone s*** talks but word on the court was 'he’s a problem.'"

FYI, Bane -- who's in his second season with the Grizz -- replied to Halsey's analysis with a few laughing emojis and a thumbs down ... but he later deleted the tweet.

Sideline reporter Kristina Pink needed to be helped off the Crypto.com Arena floor on Sunday ... after she slipped on water and fell HARD following a postgame interview.

Pink had just finished up a post-win chat with L.A. shooting guard Amir Coffey, when she lost her balance and went crashing to the floor.

Pink horrifyingly landed on the court face-first ... and the thud of her fall could be heard loud and clear on broadcast microphones.

Somehow, though, Pink avoided serious injuries in the tumble ... writing on her social media page after the game that she's expected to be fine.

"For everyone asking, I’m ok," said Pink, who does games for NFL on Fox in addition to her role with the Clippers. "There was water on the court... Appreciate all the messages."

Atlanta Hawks hooper John Collins has high hopes for his clothing line ... telling TMZ Sports he wants his brand to reach iconic heights like Adidas and Supreme.

24-year-old Collins recently launched his very own line -- "The Baptist" -- which recently hit the shelves in places like Foot Locker and Champs.

The former Wake Forest star tells us he's just getting started ... and his dream is to make his business a household name among some of the biggest clothing brands in the industry.

"I wanna be looked at like Supreme," Collins tells us. "I wanna be looked at like Adidas ... I wanna be looked at in that sphere, so I just gotta keep working. Be consistent."

As for whether he's been speaking with any designers who have come before him, Collins says he's taken inspiration while also being true to himself.

You can tell the guy's seriously passionate about the brand -- Collins says he's as hands-on as they come ... making every choice from design down to the fabrics.

As for who he'd like to model his Baptist clothing line on the runway?!? He's got some huge names in mind.

WNBA star Angel McCoughtry says Becky Hammon taking the Aces' head coaching job shouldn't be looked at as a "step back" ... telling TMZ Sports both the WNBA and the NBA are on "the same level."

"Why is that considered a step back?" the WNBA forward said at LAX this week.

"She's coaching elite women that are just as good as LeBron, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Steph Curry. These women are just as good."

Hammon became the Las Vegas Aces' HC last month -- and some have perceived it to be a disappointment, considering many believed she deserved to be an NBA HC right now.

After all, she served eight seasons as an assistant coach under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio ... and did have interest from NBA teams with vacant head coaching jobs this past offseason.

But, McCoughtry believes going to the WNBA is by no means a "setback" ... telling us straight up, "The WNBA and NBA are not two separate things."

McCoughtry added that she believes Hammon will ultimately end up being the first female HC in the NBA one day regardless.

The 5x WNBA All-Star added that the 44-year-old's new contract with the Aces -- which made her the WNBA's highest-paid coach in history -- should be groundbreaking for female athletes and coaches moving forward.

"Great thing for our league, for her and breaking barriers with the pay," Angel said. "That's a record because at the end of the day, she's opening it up for players to have record contracts as well."

Julius Randle was so pissed with Knicks fans on Thursday night ... the star forward ran down the court and gave the sellout crowd the thumbs down gesture -- explaining after the game it was to meant to say "shut the f**k up."

"I really don't give a f**k what anybody has to say, to be honest," Randle said of the hand sign. "I'm out there playing. Nobody knows the game out there better than I do, compared to what everybody has to say."

"So, I really don't give a s***. I just go out there and play."

Randle -- who won the NBA's Most Improved Player award last season but has struggled to replicate the same play this year -- has had a rocky relationship with Knicks fans this season ... and it all came to a head during NY's game against the Celtics on Thursday.

Randle made a tough basket and then turned to the Madison Square Garden crowd and pumped his thumb downward.

And, even though the Knicks ultimately came back from a 25-point deficit to win the game, it was clear afterward that Randle is still furious with his fan support -- or lack thereof.

Randle's gesture was ultimately panned by the guys on "Inside the NBA" ... with Kenny "The Jet" Smith telling the Knicks vet that fans cheering and booing are a part of the game.

"Honestly, I wouldn't do that anywhere. New York -- that could be on Mars," Kenny said of Randle's gesture. "I'm not engaging in the 19,700 that's in Madison Square Garden. I'm engaging with the 12 dudes on that other team."

Of course, this isn't the first time we've seen a high-profile New York athlete rub sports fans the wrong way with a hand gesture -- just last summer, Mets shortstop Javy Baez gave fans at Citi Field the thumbs down after they booed the team during a slump.

Like Randle, Baez was also criticized for the move ... and he later issued an apology over it all.

Shaq is back on the mic -- the NBA legend just teamed up with EDM superstar Steve Aoki to drop a new banger ... and the song is 🔥🔥🔥!!

Shaquille O'Neal -- AKA DJ Diesel -- dusted off his notebook and came up with some words for "Welcome to the Playhouse" ... rapping about being at the top of the game and partying like crazy.

"Do you know what the cost to be the boss is? 'Til you got more endorsements than loses," the Hall of Famer raps ... adding, "Do you want Shaq to put you in your place? I'll make Steve throw a cake in your face."

Aoki was clearly pleased with Shaq's performance ... sharing a behind-the-scenes vid of when he first heard the verse.

O'Neal even sprinkled some hoop terms into his verse ... saying, "Turn your wrist overshoot a jump shot. Follow through then you won't get blocked."

FYI -- Aoki had been teasing the collab all week ... posting a pic with Shaq (but cropping the big man's head out).

As we previously reported, Shaq has been welcomed with open arms in the DJ universe ... with Diplo telling us back in 2019 the ex-Laker has all the skills needed to kill it in the industry.

Now that the new song is out, it's time to rage -- and just in time for Shaq's annual Funhouse Super Bowl bash in L.A. next month.

Tyler Herro and Jusuf Nurkic's tussle just cost 'em a chunk of change -- the NBA has fined both players $25,000 for their involvement in an on-court altercation, league officials announced Friday.

It all went down during the 4th quarter of Wednesday night's Heat vs. Blazers game ... when Nurkic set an on-ball screen on Herro, knocking him to the hardwood floor in the process.

A frustrated Herro got up and ran after Jusuf -- shoving him in the back from behind. Nurkic retaliated by swiping at Herro's face with his left hand.

In video of the incident, you can see right after Nurkic -- the 7-foot, 290-pound center -- hopped over Tyler's body ... the 6'5" sharpshooter made a direct dash towards the Blazers big man.

Both players were ejected for the scuffle ... and on Friday, the Association handed down more punishment.

"Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic and Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro have each been fined $25,000 for their roles in an on-court altercation," Byron Spruell, NBA prez of league operations said.

Fortunately, nobody was hurt or injured -- players from both teams and officials were able to diffuse the situation before it could escalate further.

Kendall Jenner is putting on the full-court press for her basketball star boyfriend ... telling her 242 MILLION social media followers to vote Devin Booker into the All-Star Game!!

Jenner -- who's been dating D-Book since 2020 -- posted a campaign on social media Friday ... calling for everyone to get the Phoenix Suns baller a trip to Cleveland for the 2022 festivities.

"y'all know i wanna see #DevinBooker play in the All-Star Game #NBAAllStar," Jenner tweeted.

Booker -- who's averaging nearly 24 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists this season -- is currently trailing big names like Stephen Curry, LeBron James and even Klay Thompson ... who hasn't played a minute of hoops this year due to an injury.

Thompson currently has 367,743 votes (fourth among guards) ... and D-Book has 338,526 votes, ranking him one spot behind Klay in the voting process.

The good news?? The All-Star game won't be played until Feb. 20, 2022 ... so she's still got plenty of time to rally people to vote for her man.

Jenner and Book have been one of the hottest couples since officially going public on Valentine's Day in 2021 -- taking lavish trips and showing a ton of PDA.

Wizards analyst Glenn Consor is under fire for jaw-dropping comments made about Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. during Wednesday's game ... with LeBron James seemingly calling for his job.

The moment took place after KPJ hit a game-winning three-pointer to beat the Wizards, 114-111 ... with Consor saying, "Kevin Porter Jr. -- like his dad -- pulled that trigger right at the right time."

The issue??? Porter's dad, Kevin Porter Sr., was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a 14-year-old girl in 1993.

Porter Sr. claimed at the time he accidentally pulled the trigger -- which a witness later backed up -- but he spent more than 4 years behind bars as a result of the incident.

Porter Sr. later died in 2004 ... after he was shot 5 times in an incident at a bar.

Considering the Porter family's history, social media erupted in frustration over Consor's statement during the game ... including LeBron, who went off on the analyst early Thursday morning.

"Oh he thought this was cool huh!!??," James said on Twitter. "Nah we ain't going for this! Sorry but this ain't going to fly!"

He added ... "How insensitive can you be to say something like this. Beat it man! I pray for you but there's no place in our beautiful game for you!"

Others who spoke on the comments are hoping Consor mistakenly thought KPJ's father was former NBA player Kevin Porter, who led the league in assists 4 times during his 11-year career.

Porter Jr., Consor, the Wizards and the NBA have yet to comment on the situation ... but we'll keep you updated as soon as someone talks.

Kyle Lowry was so pissed off after being ejected from his game Wednesday night -- the NBA star appeared to call a ref a "p***y" repeatedly ... and loudly.

The heated incident all went down in the second quarter of the Heat vs. Blazers game ... after Lowry was tossed for lightly throwing a ball toward a ref.

You can see in footage of the play, after Miami was called for a foul ... Lowry threw the basketball underhand at an official, who clearly didn't love the act.

The ref called a technical on the Miami star -- and because it was the second one he had received during the evening, Lowry was booted from the game.

The 35-year-old, though, didn't leave quietly -- cameras caught him screaming at the ref on his way off the floor, appearing to call the man a "p***y" at least three times.

After the game, crew chief Derek Richardson explained Lowry was assessed his second technical foul "for continuous complaining and throwing the ball at a game official in an unsportsmanlike manner."

Despite losing Lowry, the Heat went on to win the game, 115-109.

A fine for Lowry, meanwhile, is likely coming in 3 ... 2 ...