NBA

Karl-Anthony Towns wanted all the smoke Wednesday night ... savagely trolling Lakers guard Russell Westbrook over a horrible air ball he shot during the Lakers vs. Timberwolves game.

The funny exchange happened late in the fourth quarter of Minnesota's win over L.A. ... when Russ thought he lined up a corner three, but instead, came up with nothing but air.

Broadcast cameras caught Towns -- who was in perfect position to grab the "rebound" -- immediately making fun of the dude over the shot, looking to the sky as if to see what caused Russ to miss everything.

The Timberwolves broadcasters got a kick out of Karl's reaction ... with one saying, "KAT is looking where the wind is," before asking, "Did somebody open up a door?"

Wolves star Patrick Beverly then got in on the ribbing ... clowning the Lakers during Minnesota's blowout win.

Pat Bev appeared to mouth "trash" -- while making a gesture with his nose as if something stunk -- after intercepting a pass from Westbrook and starting a T-Wolves fast break.

A short time later, Pat was seen staring down LeBron James and flexing in his direction ... before going over to give the King a pat on the backside.

The Minnesota fans in the arena ate it up ... and Pat played to the crowd -- but Russ appeared to be furious over it all afterward.

When being interviewed by reporters after the loss, Russ said he won't pay any attention to Minnesota's trash talk because "Nobody over there's done anything in the league."

Beverly eventually responded on Twitter, saying, "Playoffs every year. 2 western conference finals with 2 different Teams individual stats or team stats? I thought it was a team sport??"

Kevin Durant wanted no part of exchanging playful banter with a courtside fan on Wednesday -- telling a man bluntly, "Shut the f*** up and sit down."

The interaction happened at some point during the Nets' game against the Mavericks at Barclays Center in Brooklyn ... when a fan urged Durant to score more points during a small break in play.

"Kevin!" the fan shouted while the NBA superstar was hunched over just feet away. "You've got to take this game over!"

Durant took about a millisecond to digest the comment -- before he unleashed a savage response.

"You've got to shut the f*** up and sit down," he said, not even taking his hands off his knees to deliver the chirp. "Sit your ass down."

Durant did ultimately try his best to take over -- scoring 23 points and logging 6 rebounds and 10 assists -- but the Nets ultimately fell to Dallas, 113-111.

After the game, a man shared video of the incident with KD on Twitter -- and Durant actually ended up responding to it -- poking fun at the fact that a fine from the NBA was no doubt heading his way.

Michael Jordan and Tony Romo bro'd down on Wednesday -- getting in a round of golf together at a swanky course in Mexico.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the NBA's GOAT and the former Dallas Cowboys superstar hit up El Camaleón Mayakoba Golf Course in Playa del Carmen -- and looked quite chummy while hitting it around.

In video of one of the holes they played, you can see the guys were chattin' on the green while their partners tried to sink putts.

Jordan smoked a cigar, while Romo had a big smile on his face.

We're told Tony ended up making his 20-footer right after the video ended -- and several fans that had gathered to watch cheered with joy. Jordan, meanwhile, missed his putt on the hole, we're told.

We also got footage of Romo's drive on the ensuing hole -- and it's clear, the dude still has a really pretty golf swing.

No word yet on who got the better of whom out on the course -- we're told the two were actually still getting holes in as of late Wednesday afternoon.

If you were wondering, they both have incredibly impressive golf handicaps -- so it's unclear who's the favorite.

Karl-Anthony Towns reached new heights during Monday's 60-point performance ... and the NBA star dedicated the special moment to his late mother.

The Timberwolves center went off against the San Antonio Spurs ... dropping 32 points in just in the 3rd quarter alone, while adding 17 rebounds in the 149-139 victory.

It was an emotional moment for KAT ... not just because of the accomplishment, but Monday also marked the 2-year anniversary of when his parents ended up in the hospital with COVID-19.

His mother, Jacqueline, died a month later (April 13, 2020) due to complications from the virus.

KAT reflected on the moment on Twitter ... saying, "Two years later, I walked into AT&T Center with the greatest guardian angel that I could ever ask for and dropped 60 against the winningest coach of all time."

FYI, Towns' 60 points is the most scored by a player in a single game this season ... and it's an all-time high for the Timberwolves franchise.

KAT continued ... "I say this to say, no matter what life throws at you, you can come out of it stronger. Tough times don't last, tough people do."

"Miss you Momma. This game ... my life ... is for you ♥🕊"

Towns' mom has been honored in many ways -- KAT has Jacqueline's name engraved in the headrests of his Maybach and commissioned special jewelry pieces ... and Kean University's basketball court is named after her.

"I've been trying to find good people for so long. I'm tired, bro."

That's former NBA hoops star Michael Beasley, the #2 overall pick in 2008 (behind D. Rose), opening up about how failed relationships in his life have made him insular and distrusting of people -- and it's had a negative impact on his mental health.

Beasley joined former NFL players Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder, and Fred Taylor on "The Pivot Podcast" for a candid conversation where he fought through tears and dished on everything from his mother stealing from him to living an isolated life where he only plays basketball and sits home alone.

"I don't know no one that ain't stole from me," Beasley said. "Everybody except for my kids stole from me."

"Every step of the way, I asked for help."

The conversation took a turn ... in ways going from an interview to an intervention. Clark, Chowder and Taylor pleaded with Beasley, telling him isolating himself from the world because he's been mistreated in the past isn't the solution.

The men even offered help ... with Crowder, who lives near MB, telling the hooper he'd love to hang and chill while their kids play together.

"You have kids. I have kids. Come to my house. We can get bounce houses for the kids, we can sit back on the porch, drink a couple beers, drink some wine, hang out," Crowder pleaded.

You'll recall ... Beasley was heavily touted coming out of Kansas State, where he averaged over 26 points a game during his one and only season. The 6-foot-9 forward was selected right after Derrick Rose in the NBA Draft ... with the number 2 overall pick.

Beasley was often compared to Kevin Durant -- as both guys could basically get a bucket at will. But, their pro careers have gone in different directions. KD's one of the greatest hoopers ever ... meanwhile, Beasley's become an NBA journeyman.

He played 11 seasons in the NBA ... spending time with the Timberwolves, Knicks, Bucks, Rockets, Suns and Lakers.

But, he never really established himself as a premier superstar in the NBA, something many thought was a certainty.

This interview sheds light on some of the awful things Michael's lived through ... and gives a peek at the person, not just the player.

NBA baller Myles Turner ain't a fan of bricks ... but he's still clearly cool with building things -- 'cause he just put together a Titanic replica using 9,000 Legos!!!

The Indiana Pacers center took to Twitter to show off the impressive feat ... revealing the finished plastic boat in a smiling photo.

No word on how long it took Turner to accomplish the task -- but check out the size of the piece -- it's nearly as big as the 6-foot-11 basketball player!!

"9,000 Pieces And Many Cuss Words Later…" Turner said of the boat in his post.

Of course, the achievement shouldn't shock anybody -- Turner is an avid Lego builder who's put together some seriously impressive things over the years.

In a video of his favorites that he posted to social media on Tuesday, Turner showed off that he's built a Death Star, a Batwing, a Disney castle and much more over the years.

Want an autograph from not one, not two, but THREE G.O.A.T.s?!

A basketball card featuring signatures from three of the greatest basketball players ever -- Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant -- is up for sale ... and its current price is $160,000!!

TMZ Sports is told ... the unique '08 Upper Deck Radiance card features the John Hancock of 3 NBA legends in one place ... and is in great condition -- its centering has a grade of 9.5, corners have a 8.5 grade, and edges have a 9.0.

The card is pretty special -- Kobe, MJ, and Bron's images are featured on the front ... with their individual autographs in blue ink on see-through surface next to their respective photos.

The back of the card sports the Lakers, Bulls, and Cavs logos ... representing the three franchises the basketball icons were synonymous with during their storied careers.

PWCC Marketplace listed the card ... and exec. Jesse Craig tells us pieces of memorabilia like this are in high demand.

"Collectors are increasingly seeking out autographs from athletes considered to hold ‘immortal’ status in their sport," Craig says ... explaining all three athletes' autographs on one card is extremely difficult to find.

On top of that, there are only 5 copies of this exact card in existence ... so yeah, this thing is special.

PWCC tells us a card bearing the names of Bryant, MJ, and James sold for $322,260 back in October 2021, according to public sales data ... and considering the names involved, don't be surprised if this sells for even more.

"It’s an insanely scarce offering that exists, and we’re extremely excited that it is up for auction at PWCC."

There's only four days left in the auction ... before PWCC's extended bidding window begins on Saturday.

Jason Kelce is apparently a man of many talents ... it turns out, the Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman can both bench press defensive linemen AND sing!!!

The NFL star showed off his huge pipes on Monday night -- belting out the national anthem before the 76ers' game against the Nuggets ... and dude did a great job!!

Kelce stood at center court for the song, rocking a Sixers shirt, and serenaded a capacity crowd with his rendition of the "The Star-Spangled Banner."

The fans in the crowd loved it, cheering on every note -- and check out the video, Kelce sure seemed to feel like he crushed the performance.

As for why the Eagles Pro Bowler was tapped to be the guest singer for the game, it's all because of charity.

Kelce agreed to perform at the Wells Fargo Center if his former teammate, Connor Barwin, raised $100,000 or more for his Make The World Better Foundation by the end of 2021, and once he did, it was singing time for JK.

The Brooklyn Nets' bank account is a little lighter today ... the team was just hit with a $50K fine for breaking COVID-19 protocol and allowing Kyrie Irving in the Barclay's Center locker room.

The NBA announced the 5-figure fine Monday afternoon.

"The Brooklyn Nets organization has been fined $50,000 for violating local New York City law and league health and safety protocols during the team’s March 13th game against the New York Knicks at Barclays Center," the NBA said in a statement.

"The violation occurred when the Nets permitted Kyrie Irving, who was in attendance at the game, to enter the team’s locker room."

So, what'd the Nets do that was wrong?

Irving is allowed in the arena to watch games inside the arena, but not in a "workplace environment," which the league considers the locker room, according to  Woj, a league insider.

The rules go back to NYC's COVID-19 safety protocols ... which places restrictions on unvaccinated workers. Irving is not vaxxed.

The Nets beat the Knicks, 110-107.

Ayesha Curry poured her heart out for her NBA superstar husband on his special day ... sending Steph a super-romantic note on his birthday.

Steph turned the big 3-4 on Monday ... and Ayesha was there to congratulate her husband on another year of life.

"Happy birthday to the love of my life!," Ayesha said on Instagram. "You bring our family so much joy and happiness. We love you beyond measure. The year ahead is bright and I can’t wait to watch you grow and thrive even more."

"To my favorite person in the world, happy birthday @stephencurry30 ! 🥰🥰🥰."

Steph and Ayesha first met when they were in high school. After years of dating, Steph proposed to Ayesha ... and the two tied the knot in 2011. The power couple has been married for more than 10 years and now have three children together -- Riley Elizabeth, 9, Ryan Carson, 6, and Canon W. Jack, 3.

Of course, Steph's wife doesn't mess around when it comes to their union -- she recently denied rumors alleging they were in an open relationship ... saying the claims are "ridiculous" and calling it disrespectful to her marriage to make such an insinuation.

Ayesha is by far Steph's biggest cheerleader -- she was in the building at Madison Square Garden when Steph passed Ray Allen for the most 3-pointers made in NBA history.

It's clear their love is going stronger than ever!!

One of the biggest beefs in NBA history has officially been squashed -- Kevin Garnett extended an olive branch to Ray Allen at his jersey retirement ceremony on Sunday ... and it was beautiful.

Of course, there was bad blood between the two Celtics champions ever since Allen left Boston to join the Miami Heat in 2012 ... breaking up the big three of KG, Allen and Paul Pierce after one title.

Tensions still appeared be high between KG and Allen during this past All-Star Weekend ... when Garnett hit his ex-teammate with a piercing stare during the 75th anniversary team ceremony.

But, all the hatred is a thing of the past -- as Allen was in attendance at KG's retirement ceremony ... with the two embracing at center court in the middle of the Big Ticket's speech.

"It's good to see Ray Allen here," Garnett said during the special moment. "Real s***. It's good to see you, man."

Allen then approached KG and gave him a hug ... with Pierce joining in for the touching moment.

KG says Allen should be the next Celtic to have his number in the rafters ... making him the final member of the big three to receive the honor.

Jason "White Chocolate" Williams felt the heat for saying Kobe Bryant is not a top-five all-time Laker -- and, now, he's retracting his statement, officially deeming the Black Mamba L.A.'s G.O.A.T.

The former point guard says he misunderstood the question on the "Players Choice" podcast last week when he said he was "not sure" if Bryant was a top-five Laker.

"In the conversation you all heard," Williams said in a lengthy post on his social media page Sunday, "my thinking was that we were talking about ALL the greatest NBA players EVER who wore the Laker purple and gold jersey for at least ONE season."

"I wasn’t talking about the greatest LAKER ever… because of course that’s Kobe!!! Kobe IS the Lakers!!! 💛💜"

In other words ... Williams says he thought the question was strictly from a basketball standpoint -- NOT what each player actually meant to the franchise.

In his IG statement, Williams explained he believes Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James are better hoopers than Bryant, but they don't mean nearly as much to L.A. as Kobe.

"My bad if I've hurt any of y’all feelings, it’s just my opinion!!!" Williams said. "I love this game and I respect this game!! It has nothing to do with Kobe bustin my team’s ass just about every time we played them either."

Kyrie Irving is throwing NYC's vaccine mandate policy right back in its face on primetime TV -- taking in a home game, maskless, from the stands ... but not able to step onto the court.

The awkward scene played out live Sunday during the Nets' home game against Knicks ... which was being carried by ESPN. During the 2nd quarter, the camera panned to KI, who was shaking hands with people down near the bottom of the stands, and then going up to his seat a few rows up.

In this capacity -- as a spectator -- he's totally okay to not wear a mask and move about ... as that is now NYC's policy on events like this, regardless of vaccine status. However, their rule pertaining to private employees hasn't changed -- namely, those folks have to be vaccinated, and Kyrie isn't.

Still ... the irony of the sitch reeks of hypocrisy, but more importantly ... it reeks of a lack of common sense, something that Doris Burke and other announcers broached with trepidation ... because, if we're being honest, the regulations here just don't make sense anymore.

Kyrie's former teammate, LeBron James, was not as shy about expressing his indignation over NYC's backwards thinking. In response to someone pointing out what a joke this is, he wrote ... "FACTS FACTS FACTS!! It literally makes ABSOLUTELY ZERO SENSE!!! They say if common sense was common then we’d all have it. Ain’t that the truth."

LBJ has been outspoken on the pandemic, especially the further into it we've gotten. Remember, it was just in December that he suggested the latest strains were more like the flu or the cold than anything else ... something he was slammed for at the time, as some felt he was downplaying the seriousness of the virus.

Rich Paul is giving actor Damson Idris -- who's playing the NBA super-agent in a biopic about his life -- a big stamp of approval ... telling TMZ Sports he's a huge fan (and friend) of the "Snowfall" star.

We talked to the 40-year-old agent as he left LAX Thursday night ... and we asked Rich about the upcoming film about his life, and the actor who will portray him.

"I like Damson a lot. He's a great friend of mine," Paul said, adding, "Damson's great man, he's doing a great job. That's my brother."

Not much, if anything, was known about the project or its cast until Idris recently broke the news during an appearance on "The Breakfast Club."

"I am about to play Rich Paul," Idris announced on the show.

"It is time we start cherishing black moguls and Rich is someone that people need to know. This guy has completely changed the game, and I'm happy and fortunate to call him a big brother, and I can't wait to honor his story."

Paul, LeBron James' longtime agent, has a fascinating story. He met LBJ at an airport in Akron, Ohio when he was in his early 20s, and James was 18.

The story goes ... Rich approached Lebron and tried to sell him some throwback jerseys. The guys obviously hit it off, and fast forward almost 20 years, Paul has become one of the most respected and powerful agents in the entire sports world.

And, Paul -- who also reps the likes of Anthony Davis, John Wall, Ben Simmons and other stars -- isn't just a superagent ... he's a celebrity in his own right.

Case and point ... Rich dates Adele.

Delonte West is attempting a hoops comeback ... the former NBA player who's battled addiction and legal issues over the years tried out for the Big 3 today -- and it's pretty great to see.

38-year-old West was in Washington D.C. at the Athletic Republic for tryouts for the 3-on-3 league that mostly features retired NBA stars.

Guys like Joe Johnson, Reggie Evans, and Leandro Barbosa played in the Big 3 last season.

No word yet on how Delonte performed at the tryout (West looked good knocking down a couple 3s) ... but just the fact he's out there is encouraging.

West -- who last played in the NBA for the Dallas Mavericks during the 2011-2012 season -- has had several run-ins with the cops over the years since leaving basketball.

Just a few months back, in October, Delonte was arrested outside a police station in Palm Beach County, FL for allegedly banging on the door of the station, before cursing out cops.

But, Delonte -- who has battled addiction -- worked very hard to get himself back on track (with the help of supporters like Mark Cuban).

We broke the story a few weeks back that West was busting his ass in the gym in an effort to prepare for today's tryout.

During his time in the NBA, West -- the 24th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft -- was no scrub. DW played 8 seasons for the Celtics, SuperSonics and Cavs ... in addition to the Mavs. He averaged 10 points, 3 rebounds and nearly 4 assists a game for his career.

It's not yet known if Delonte will make a team ... but just the fact he's out there is the real win here.

Jason "White Chocolate" Williams is wrong ... Kobe Bryant's not only in the top five greatest Lakers of all time -- he's number one!

... that's according to former Los Angeles Lakers center (and former Kobe teammate) John Salley, who tells TMZ Sports there is no better Laker ever than the Black Mamba.

"Kobe is the greatest Laker of all time," Salley said outside of LAX this week.

Of course, Williams is clearly not in agreement with Salley -- because he said on the popular basketball podcast "Players Choice" earlier this month that he wasn't sure if Kobe belonged even in the top-five Laker conversation.

Williams didn't elaborate on why ... but he said he knew the opinion would ruffle feathers.

Salley wasn't pissed about the former NBA point guard's hot take -- but he made it clear to us, Kobe is his No. 1 all-time.

"When you say greatest Laker, I'm just going to go with Jerry West, then it was Magic Johnson," the four-time champion said. "And then, 20 years of Kobe changed the whole attitude."