NBA

Despite Miles Bridges' off-court troubles, LaMelo Ball is pulling for him to make a return to the Charlotte Hornets ... telling reporters he misses his teammate on Monday.

As we previously reported, the Hornets decided not to sign Bridges to a max extension after he was arrested and charged with felony domestic violence earlier this offseason ... after allegedly hitting the mother of his children in June.

Prior to the alleged violent incident, MB was Melo's go-to guy on the court ... so when the All-Star sat down with the media on Monday, he was asked if he's going to miss that chemistry without Bridges this season.

"Definitely miss him," the 21-year-old said.

"Talking to him day and day just seeing what it is, but other than that ... I haven't really heard too much or anything."

Melo says he's pulling for Bridges to make a return to Charlotte ... but added, "Not really tryna throw the negative energy."

"Just keep it positive."

Of course, Bridges was a key piece to the Hornets team -- averaging 20.2 points, 7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game last season. He's currently a free agent.

Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook have had their share of battles over the years ... but the guys are far from enemies, and have even seemingly become buddies in the process.

Beverley made the remarks at Lakers media day Monday, recalling a never-before-told story when Russ looked out for Bev's sister one night.

Bev said Russ -- a member of the Rockets at the time -- got his sister courtside tickets so she could see Pat play.

"I'm in so much game mode that the only thing I hear is my sister," Beverley said. "I turn around like what the f*** is going on.

"I absorb what he says. I look at my sister, she's on the floor."

Beverley said he went up to Westbrook during the game and acknowledged the gesture ... saying, "That's real as f***. That's real."

Pat -- who was traded to the Lake Show in August -- said from then on, things have been smooth sailing for him and Russ, despite public perception.

"If I was to name a best friend," Beverley said, "I been on the team three weeks, four weeks, It'd easily be him. We work out together. We lift weights together. We chat all the time."

Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams is opening up about the findings in the Robert Sarver investigation ... saying he was "disgusted" by the owner's use of the n-word.

Williams spoke with reporters at Suns media day on Monday ... and was asked about Sarver repeating the racial slur several times during the course of his ownership.

"In reference to that word, I don't like it," Williams said. "I never have, especially when I was younger and I learned what that word meant. I learned how demeaning it was towards humanity, not just black folks."

"And when I saw the report, I was not happy about it. Quite frankly, disgusted. It's not a word you repeat any time."

Williams said he was bothered about the report ... and says he understands the slur has become a more "socially accepted word" in the Black community -- but it doesn't make Sarver's actions right.

Despite all the damning allegations against Sarver, Williams says he never once thought about leaving the Suns ... and wanted to help bring change to the franchise.

Celtics star Jaylen Brown admits he was blindsided by the allegations against Boston head coach Ime Udoka ... saying he was both "shocked" and "confused" over it all.

Brown made the revelation after he was asked by reporters at the team's media day on Monday what his reaction was when he found out Udoka had been accused of having a consensual relationship with a female Celtics staffer -- all allegedly while he was still dating Nia Long.

"My initial reaction, we were all shocked at what was going on," Brown said ... before adding, "A little confused a little bit, but a lot of information wasn't being shared with us."

Brown -- who's been with the Celtics the last six seasons -- said there have been no conversations between him and Udoka since the coach was suspended for the scandal.

Jayson Tatum also spoke about Udoka and the season-long suspension levied against the C's head man ... calling it "a lot to process."

"Coming into this season," the star wing said, "you feel a certain way, and coming off last year, you're excited. Trying to do all these things."

"Along with everyone else, just still trying to process it all, knowing we start practice tomorrow."

NBC Sports Boston reporter Amanda Pflugrad also called out the Celtics at the start of Monday's event ... as well as the social media users who posted the names of female employees to speculate on the identity of the staffer.

"Every woman in our organization has worked extremely hard to get where she is at, and she deserves and earns everything that she has right now," she said. "For things in the Celtics, and what we’re doing moving forward, things do need to change. You need to stand up, support us and hear us."

Dwight Howard tells TMZ Sports he's dead serious about his interest in joining the WWE -- explaining he'd trade the basketball court for the wrestling ring this year if the offer was right.

Howard showed back in July he certainly has the chops to cut it in the squared circle -- delivering an epic promo after crashing a WWE tryout in Nashville.

And, when we got him out at LAX this week, he made it clear that wasn't just a one-off thing ... telling us he really has a desire to eventually go head-to-head with Roman Reigns, Bobby Lashley and the rest of the WWE's best in the near future.

In fact, Dwight said if the offer to wrestle in the WWE was better than one an NBA team could give him -- he'd have no qualms taking it.

"Whatever opportunity is best," the NBA free agent said.

As for what kind of personality Dwight would have in the org. -- he said he could be both a hero and a villain.

Triple H, meanwhile, seems to be down to give him the shot ... in a recent interview, WWE's CCO said all Dwight would have to do is give him a call and they could get things rolling.

“The ball’s in his court,” Triple H said ... "He came by our tryouts in Nashville, was incredibly entertaining, jumping in promos by himself and then with others -- incredibly entertaining."

The Celtics employee with whom Ime Udoka had an affair helped make all his travel arrangements ... and that job sometimes included organizing travel for his fiancee, Nia Long.

Sources connected to the couple and the NBA franchise tell TMZ ... one of the staffer's duties included planning Udoka's team-related travel, and we're told she was also involved in booking travel for Nia to come to Boston or to road games.

Perhaps most upsetting for Nia is that the employee had a hand in Nia's arrangements to move to Boston permanently, according to our sources.

TMZ broke the story ... Nia had just moved east a little over 2 weeks ago with Kez, her 10-year-old son with Ime.

The Celtics are not releasing the name of the employee, but we're told Nia has been told who she is.

Team President Brad Stevens got choked up Friday during a news conference ... saying the scandal had been particularly upsetting for all their female employees -- due to speculation about who had the affair with Udoka.

As we've reported, the team suspended its head coach for the entire 2022-23 season after what it says was a months-long investigation into his conduct.

Ray Allen went off on a famous YouTuber after the guy attempted to pull a fart prank on the NBA Hall of Famer ... telling him, "keep it moving!"

In the video, which was posted on YouTube, Allen was picking up a few things at Target when he noticed he was being followed by Lofe, a YouTube star with nearly one million subscribers.

Lofe is seen walking over to Allen and making incessant farting noises near him as someone recorded the prank, setting the former Celtics star off.

"My man! I know you hear me," Allen is heard saying in the clip ... "You following me around trying to do some bulls**t over here. I know you hear me. Keep it moving!"

Allen continued to scold the YouTuber ... blasting the guys for recording after he asked them to stop.

The guys told Allen they were simply taking pictures of him, but the NBA champ wasn't thrilled with the explanation, saying, "I'm not cool with that."

Nia Long says she's gonna need all the support she can get after getting blindsided by her fiance, Celtics Coach Ime Udoka ... who we've learned kept her in the dark about his affair, even though the team busted him months ago.

Sources connected to the team and the couple tell TMZ ... Nia had moved to Boston with Kez, her 10-year-old son with Ime, just 2 weeks ago, and the couple was house hunting.

The sad twist for Nia is that when she moved, Ime was already fully aware his affair with a married front office staffer was about to blow up. We're told Ime knew way back in July the team was aware of the affair, and was launching an investigation.

Meanwhile, we're told Nia only found out about it in the last few days ... and only because Ime knew it was about to go public.

Nia tells TMZ, through her rep Shannon Barr ... "The outpouring of love and support from family, friends and the community during this difficult time means so much to me. I ask that my privacy be respected as I process the recent events. Above all, I am a mother and will continue to focus on my children."

The social media backlash against Ime, and support for Nia, was swift as soon as the Celtics announced on Wednesday they'd be punishing him.

On Thursday night, the Celtics officially suspended him for the entire upcoming 2022-23 season.

The Boston Celtics had known about the allegations against Ime Udoka for a couple months at the most ... team owner Wyc Grousbeck said on Friday.

Grousbeck addressed the situation surrounding his team's head coach publicly for the first time with media members since banning Udoka on Thursday for one full year, and while he declined to get into any specifics of the case, he did say the Celtics were first made aware of the claims at some point this summer.

Grousbeck says the team immediately brought in a law firm to investigate ... and it concluded its probe on Wednesday.

After learning of the firm's findings, Grousbeck said, the Boston owner and other execs within the Celtics org. decided to suspend Udoka for the entirety of the 2022-23 season.

Grousbeck reiterated Friday that the punishment could go on longer than just one year.

Udoka is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a female staffer during his one year as Celtics coach. Neither the team nor Udoka has addressed the allegations specifically, though Udoka did issue an apology on Thursday night following the announcement of his ban.

"I want to apologize to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family for letting them down," Udoka said. "I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team's decision. Out of respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment."

Udoka was hired by the Celtics in June 2021. Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said they had no indication that he had been guilty of any misconduct at his previous jobs during his interview process.

"Nothing but glowing remarks," Stevens said.

Lamar Odom is not romantically involved with transgender actress/model Daniiellè Alexis ... despite a few social media posts sparking speculation they're dating.

Sources close to Lamar tell TMZ ... the former NBA player is currently single and is not seeing Daniiellè, but they do know each other and are friendly -- which is pretty clear from her social media.

We're told Lamar and Daniiellè met back in June when he was in L.A. for the BET Awards. Our sources say Lamar was shopping when a car pulled up, Daniiellè hopped out and asked for a photo ... and afterward, they exchanged numbers.

They kept in touch, and when he recently moved back to L.A. they grabbed lunch together because they were both in town. Daniiellè's an aspiring actress, and our sources say they typically chat about the industry.

Daniiellè's posted a couple photos of Lamar, which got the dating rumor mill going ... but we're told they are just friends.

BTW, our sources also tell us Lamar has no problems with the transgender community, in general, and obviously has no issue with Daniiellè being a transgender woman -- there's simply no romantic spark between them.

Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka reportedly had an inappropriate relationship with a female staffer ... and he's now facing a suspension over it all.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday night the 45-year-old was found to have had a "consensual intimate relationship" with a woman who has a role on the Celtics' staff -- a violation of Boston's franchise guidelines.

As a result, according to Woj, Udoka is facing a ban from the team that could be "significant." Udoka's job, however, is not believed to be on the line.

Further details regarding the allegations were not disclosed. Udoka and the Celtics have yet to address the report.

Udoka -- who took the Celtics job in 2021 and led the team to an NBA Finals appearance in his first year as head man -- has been in a relationship with actress Nia Long since 2010.

The couple reportedly got engaged back in 2015 -- and has one child together.

Udoka played in the NBA for nearly a decade in the early 2000s -- and began his coaching career with the Spurs following his playing days in 2012.

He later coached for the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets before joining the Celtics.

Don't sleep on Drake's ability on the basketball court ... 'cause the hip hop superstar can flat out hoop, so says Dribble2Much, Drizzy's longtime trainer.

TMZ Sports recently talked to Dribble2Much -- AKA Johnny Stephene -- and we asked him, who is the best hooping rapper.

"Big shoutout to my boy Drake right now because listen, me and Drake have been working for several years. We're good friends, first of all, and he really loves basketball. He loves the game. The fact that he loves the game and so passionate about getting better at something that he loves, put us on the same level as far as mentality-wise."

FYI, in addition to Drake, Dribble2Much has worked with celebs like 2 Chainz (and many more), and NBA superstars like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, DeMar DeRozan and Chris Paul.

So, when the man says Drake can play ... listen.

Drake wasn't always regarded as a good player. In fact, he was routinely clowned on social media back in the day for his perceived lack of ability on the court.

But, Johnny says there's been a huge improvement.

"Listen, he's not that Drake from five years ago my man. He's got way better, man. I'm excited just because it's healthy for him to be playing and just being happy doing what he loves. That's dope."

His biggest strength?

"Shooting the ball."

Ben Simmons says things got so nasty between him and the 76ers ... that at the height of their tension, it felt like everyone in the org. was "just trying to f*** with me now."

Simmons finally opened up about his breakup with Philly on JJ Redick's "The Old Man and the Three" podcast ... and he said during the worst part of their relationship back in Oct. 2021, he thought multiple high-ranking people in the franchise, including head coach Doc Rivers, were out to get him.

"I actually spoke to Doc before practice," Simmons said when recalling the infamous fall workout that he was booted from and later suspended over. "I was like, 'Doc, I'm not ready. Mentally, I'm not ready. Please, just understand that.'"

"I tried to let him know prior," Simmons continued. "He was like, 'Well, I'm going to put you in any way.'"

Simmons said early on in the practice, Rivers put him on the floor. Predictably, Simmons didn't handle it well, and Rivers kicked him out. The Sixers later banned him 1 game for it all.

He said it was just one of a few things the Sixers did that month that had rubbed him the wrong way.

"It seems like everyone's just trying to f*** with me now," Simmons said, recalling the events. "Like, I'm getting fined for not lifting weights, but, physically, I'm like one of the strongest guys on the f***ing team."

"So they're fining me for little things. It was just a buildup."

Simmons did admit "obviously I didn't handle things the right way, but also the team didn't either and the people who had that power."

The 26-year-old was ultimately traded to the Nets for James Harden in February.

"For me, I was trying to -- for myself, personally -- get to a good place," Simmons said of all the drama. "To get back on the floor. Getting on the floor was my priority and trying to get myself to a place where I was mentally good to do that."

"And I was in such a bad place where I was like, 'F***. Like, I'm trying to get here and you guys are, like, throwing all these other things at me to where you're not helping.' That's all I wanted was help."

Robert Sarver will give up both the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Mercury after the NBA found he did use the n-word multiple times during his tenure as an owner in the leagues.

The 60-year-old announced in a lengthy statement on Wednesday morning that he is "beginning the process of seeking buyers for the Suns and the Mercury" following the NBA's findings.

"Words that I deeply regret now overshadow nearly two decades of building organizations that brought people together -- and strengthened the Phoenix area -- through the unifying power of professional men's and women's basketball," Sarver said, before adding, "but in our current unforgiving climate, it has become painfully clear that that is no longer possible -- that whatever good I have done, or could still do, is outweighed by things I have said in the past."

In addition to using the racial epithet on at least five different occasions, the NBA also said Sarver made inappropriate comments towards women, and didn't treat his employees fairly or equally.

Commissioner Adam Silver fined Sarver $10 million and suspended him one year over it all ... and insisted the punishment was strong enough.

But, after fans and multiple star players -- including LeBron James, Chris Paul and Draymond Green -- called for more severe sanctions ... Sarver decided it was best to move on from his roles with the NBA and WNBA teams.

"I do not want to be a distraction to these two teams and the fine people who work so hard to bring the joy and excitement of basketball to fans around the world," Sarver said. "I want what's best for these two organizations, the players, the employees, then fans, the community, my fellow owners, the NBA and the WNBA. This is the best course of action for everyone."

"In the meantime, I will continue to work on becoming a better person, and continuing to support the community in meaningful ways. Thank you for continuing to root for the Suns and the Mercury, embracing the power that sports has to bring us together."

New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson proposed to his longtime girlfriend like a true basketball player -- getting down on one knee and poppin' the question on a hoops court -- and it worked, 'cause she said yes!!

The NBA point guard and Ali Marks shared the news on social media on Tuesday -- revealing the proposal went down at their old high school's court in Illinois.

"you are a lifetime," said Marks, who shared pics of the couple's romantic evening on the Stevenson H.S. court.

"forever," Brunson added.

While unorthodox, the proposal's venue was absolutely fitting ... considering Brunson and Marks -- who's a physical therapist -- began dating at the high school years ago.

The two were initially there on Tuesday to see Brunson be inducted into the school's Hall of Fame.

Several NBA players congratulated Brunson following his reveal of the news -- and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban even claimed to have known it was going to happen.

"See how I predicted that," Cuban said. "Congrats 🎉🎉🎉"

There are a lot of new beginnings for Brunson recently ... the 26-year-old -- who had been a Dallas Maverick since 2018 -- just signed a four-year, $104 million deal with the Knicks in July.

Trevor Ariza's wife has filed for divorce from the NBA player ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to court documents, Bree Anderson Ariza filed the documents on Tuesday, citing "irreconcilable differences."

In the docs, Bree asked for physical and legal custody of their two children, but did check the box for child visitation to be granted to Trevor. She also asked for spousal support.

Bree and Trevor were married back in April 2018, when the basketball player was a member of the Houston Rockets. A date of separation for the two was listed as "TBD" in the docs.

The couple had dated for several years before they formally tied the knot.

Ariza -- who's now an NBA free agent after playing for the Lakers this past season -- has previously been involved in a high-profile custody dispute with an ex ... back in 2020, Lana Allen alleged he had physically abused their child.

Ariza denied the allegations, and a judge ruled in Dec. 2020 Ariza had not -- and did not -- pose a threat to his son.