NBA

Mark Cuban says despite a rehab stint and some recent positive updates, Delonte West is still struggling to get on the right path.

The Dallas Mavericks owner told TMZ Sports out in NYC this week that he's been keeping in contact with his former player ... and, sadly, he said West is continuing to fight to get healthy.

"It's a struggle for him," Cuban said. "I mean, addiction is awful. And mental illness is awful. He's at the point in his life where he's got to want to be helped."

West has battled substance abuse issues in his past -- and has been spotted panhandling in the streets several times in the last few years.

But, back in 2020, Cuban helped him check into a rehab facility. And, this past June, West landed a flooring gig -- and appeared to be getting back on his feet.

Cuban, though, said West still has a long way to go.

"You know, he's got to want to help himself first," Mark said. "I've tried. I know it's tough on him, but I wish him nothing but the best."

Ben Wallace knows being an NBA coach isn't easy, but the former NBA star tells TMZ Sports that his ex-teammate Darvin Ham is the perfect man for the Lakers' job.

"I know he's a great locker room guy," Wallace said at LAX this week ... "I think the guys are going to rally around him. I think his message is going to be on point for that team."

"I think it's just a matter of him buying into the system and going out there playing basketball. You can look at the team and tell they're built to win."

Wallace, who played 16 seasons in the NBA, primarily with the Pistons (he also played for the Wizards, Bulls, Magic, and Cavs), says NBA coaches don't get enough credit for the work they put in.

FYI, Wallace and Ham played together from 2003 to 2005 ... and won a championship together in 2004.

Ben -- a four-time All-Star and four-time Defensive Player of the Year -- visited his old pal at Lakers practice this week, where he was seen talking with Patrick Beverley, who was recently acquired by trade.

The Lakers had an extremely disappointing 2021-22 season, going 33-49, and missing the playoffs.

We also asked Ben if he had interest in becoming a head coach himself, and while Big Ben didn't rule out the possibility, he told us he's not looking to dedicate his entire life to the job ... 'cause he's enjoying life.

"That's a lot of work," Wallace said ... "It's a lot of work. I'm back around the team. Maybe I'll get that buzz once or twice, but for now, I'm enjoying what I'm doing."

Wallace also spoke about "Undrafted" -- the cannabis company he launched with RAIR Cannabis -- along with his own strain, "Undrafted," which he hopes to bring to L.A. (it's currently in Michigan).

"Not trying to replace anything," the NBA champ said about marijuana, adding, "It worked for me. I just encourage people, if you're doing something and it works for you, you should stick with it."

Nia Long doesn't have much to say about her partner's cheating scandal -- but her body language and accessories speak volumes.

The actress was approached by a photog Saturday in L.A. -- where she surfaced for the first time with her son, Kez -- and the obvious was asked ... how's she feeling about the fact that Celtics HC Ime Udoka was found to have been in an extramarital affair with a staffer?

She stayed mostly silent, saying she didn't want to comment -- but when asked if she's working things out with Ime, watch how she reacts ... it's telling. Since the news broke of her fiancé's infidelity, she's kept a low profile -- and hasn't been seen publicly until now.

Also of note ... it doesn't look like Nia's wearing her engagement ring, although she doesn't always rock it when out and about. Still, at a time like this -- it seems important.

As we reported ... sources tell us Nia felt blindsided by the whole thing, especially since he had moved her and their kid to Boston somewhat recently -- even though the investigation had been taking place for months, with no one giving her a heads up until it hit the fan.

We've also been told that the cheating hits close to home -- because the woman with whom Ime hooked up was actually known to Nia personally. She actually helped Nia move to Boston, and was involved in team-related travel too.

Shaq ain't down to outspend Jeff Bezos for the Phoenix Suns ... but if the billionaire wants to join forces in an effort to own the NBA franchise -- The Big Diesel tells TMZ Sports he's in for that!

Shaq says he initially had interest in buying Robert Sarver's share of the org. after the disgraced owner announced last month he was putting it up for sale -- but when he found out Bezos potentially wanted in, he was all out.

Shaq explained even with his deep pockets -- he's reportedly got a net worth of around $400 MILLION -- he wanted no part in competing with Bezos' checkbook.

"Nobody on this planet can compete with Big Man JB," Shaq told us this week, before adding, "Because you know what? I just ordered 50 things off Amazon today. Big Man JB got that money coming in!"

But, if Bezos wanted Shaq's help -- and a little of his cash -- O'Neal says his ears are open.

"If he wants me on board, I would gladly like to talk to him," Shaq said.

"But," he continued, "as far as trying to own a whole team by myself, and go up against -- let me tell you something, I'm scared of Big Man JB. Shaq O'Neal is scared of Big Man JB!"

It's unclear if Bezos has real interest in the team -- and if he'd even consider being business partners with the NBA legend.

Years ago, Mark Cuban allowed Steve Nash to walk -- after six successful seasons in Dallas -- and the Mavs owner still hasn't forgiven himself, calling the blunder the billionaire's biggest basketball regret.

OSDB caught up with the 64-year-old owner in NYC this week ... and asked which move he kicks himself over in his almost 23 years of NBA ownership.

"Probably letting Steve Nash go. Yeah, I regret that. It's been almost 20 years now, and I still regret it," Cuban said.

Of course, Nash played six seasons in Dallas, and even made two All-Star teams. But, when his contract expired in 2--4, Steve left for the Phoenix Suns.

At the time, Nash said he was "sad to leave my teammates," but excited to be "going somewhere where they really wanted me."

He went on to win back-to-back NBA MVP awards.

It's not that things didn't work out for the Mavs, too. They made the Finals in 2006, losing to the Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal-led Miami Heat.

Then, in 2011, the Mavs once again made the Finals ... but this time, Dirk Nowitzki wouldn't be stopped. Dallas beat LeBron James' Miami squad in 6.

The bromance between Stephen Curry and Suga is continuing to blossom ... with the Warriors superstar gifting the BTS member some signed worn shoes after Golden State's preseason contest in Tokyo!!

As we previously reported, the two have basically become besties during the Dubs' trip to Japan ... with Suga hitting up their practice and handing out signed albums to the whole team, and getting a signed Curry jersey from the 2022 MVP.

The whole hangout was documented on social media ... which had the entire BTS ARMY excited the huge basketball fan was getting a personal experience with one of the NBA's best teams.

The 29-year-old K-pop icon was present for GSW's 96-87 win over the Washington Wizards on Friday ... and after the game, the buds met up for yet another special moment.

Curry decided to give Suga a special sneaker gift ... saying, "Here you go, my man. These are the ones I warmed up in."

"Thanks for coming. All the best. My kids loved the video, so thank you, bro. Appreciate you coming."

Suga looked appreciative of the gesture ... and we're sure he'll take great care of the sneaks.

Joel Embiid is officially a U.S. citizen -- the Sixers big man just revealed he was sworn in at a recent ceremony in Philadelphia!!

Embiid -- a native of Cameroon -- told the Associated Press Thursday that his wife, Sports Illustrated model Anne De Paula, and their young son factored into his decision to go through the process.

"I've been here for a long time," Embiid told the outlet. "My son is American. I felt like I'm living here, and it's a blessing to be an American."

The 28-year-old -- who averaged 30.6 points per game last season for Philadelphia -- also has citizenship in France.

Embiid is following in the footsteps of other NBA athletes who have obtained U.S. citizenship recently ... like Enes Kanter Freedom, who opted to add "Freedom" to his name during the process.

The former KU star has been in the NBA since 2014 ... and has become one of the league's most dominant big men over the past six seasons.

No word on whether this changes Embiid's national team allegiances to the Red, White and Blue ... right now, he says he's only focused on winning a championship in Philly.

The NBA is retiring Bill Russell's number, but Hall of Famer Ben Wallace wants to see the league do the opposite on opening night ... telling TMZ Sports it would be awesome to have every player wear #6 in honor of the late Celtics legend.

As we previously reported, the league decided to permanently make #6 off-limits throughout the league after Russell's passing in July ... with exception of those who are already donning the digit, like LeBron James and DeAndre Jordan.

Wallace -- who wore #6 at one point during his stellar career with the Pistons -- says he's cool with those who decided to keep their current number ... telling us, "I don't think it's a problem with them wearing number six. They couldn't foresee the passing of Mr. Russell."

The four-time Defensive Player of the Year goes on to make a suggestion of his own ... adding, "If it was up to me, I'd start the season where everybody would have to wear #6."

Russell -- who won 13 titles (11 as a player, two as a player-coach) -- passed away at the age of 88 ... after contributing decades of his life to the Association.

Hall of Fame point guard Magic Johnson said in the aftermath of Russell's death that the NBA should retire #6 across the league in honor of his legacy -- and that's exactly what happened.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver explained the decision at the time ... saying, "Bill Russell's unparalleled success on the court and pioneering civil rights activism deserves to be honored in a unique and historic way."

"Permanently retiring his No. 6 across every NBA team ensures that Bill's transcendent career will always be recognized."

Last year it was Snoop Dogg ... and Shaq's calling on some of his celebrity friends once again to help him raise cash for a great cause -- the NBA Hall of Famer's throwing his 2nd annual "The Event" in Las Vegas -- and the lineup's packing serious star power!

"We've got some great performers," Shaq told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weekdays on FS1), saying ... "H.E.R., Pitbull, Maroon 5, Maren Morris, John Mulaney, you know this is one of the biggest fundraisers of the year. You know the mission of the Shaquille O'Neal Foundation is to help underserved youth reach their full potential."

The event goes down at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Sin City on Saturday ... and Shaq has partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs and Communities in Schools. All of the money raised will go directly towards charity ... not administrative fees or anyone's pockets.

"All proceeds, all proceeds go to helping underserved youth. Not 85 cents on the dollar, not 95 cents, 100 percent. All proceeds go to helping underserved youth."

Shaq, of course, wants people who are financially able to help ... but if you can't, O'Neal still wants you to come out and enjoy the show.

"We just want people to come and have fun because if you look at the stars we have now, this is a big-time concert."

And, if last year's event is any indication, Saturday's party will be lit. Snoop and Shaq took the stage together in 2021, and performed "Nuthin' but a G Thang."

The Splash Brothers probably won't be called the Sumo Brothers any time soon ... 'cause Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson both went head-to-head against wrestling legend Hakuhō Shō -- and they hilariously failed to make him budge!!

The Golden State Warriors met up with Hakuhō while visiting Japan for a slate of preseason games this week ... and naturally, they had to test their strength against the highly decorated retired pro.

Despite getting pointers from Hakuhō, both Steph and Klay have a heck of a time getting him to move an inch ... but you gotta give them credit for trying against one of the greatest sumo wrestlers of all time.

But, the craziest part?? Hakuhō appeared to be wearing socks on the hardwood floor ... but there was no slippage issue here!!

FYI -- Hakuhō holds the record for most wins in the top division with 1,093 ... more than 200 victories over second place.

Hakuhō wasn't the only big name hanging with the Warriors this week -- BTS' Suga was also in attendance ... and gifted the players autographed albums!!

Famous NBA commentator Mike Breen's home in Long Island was completely destroyed in a massive fire over the weekend ... and officials tell TMZ Sports the blaze is under investigation.

The incident happened on Sunday at 4:03 AM when the Manhasset-Lakeville F.D. received calls from Breen's neighbors ... as well as an alert by the residential automatic fire alarm.

When MLFD arrived on the scene, they "encountered a fully involved house fire."

You can see in a video -- captured by MLFD -- the home was engulfed in flames and the roof of the garage was collapsing in the inferno.

"Numerous hand lines, as well as 2 ladder pipes and a deck gun, were used to battle the fire," officials said.

You can also see a car in the driveway during the clip ... but an MLFD spokesman tells us no one was in the residence and there were no injuries.

We're told the fire is currently under investigation.

Breen is in his 30th season as an NBA broadcaster and is currently the play-by-play commentator for NBA on ABC and lead announcer for the Knicks on MSG Network.

He is famously known for yelling "BANG!" after major shots during games and has been the lead play-by-play announcer for the NBA Finals since 2006.

The 61-year-old has also announced Olympic games, NFL games, and college basketball.

Breen was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021 and received the Curt Gowdy Media Award that's given to the best basketball writers and broadcasters.

Adam Levine's getting dragged for his cheating scandal, but as he gets ready for a big gig in Vegas ... he's getting strong support from the man throwing the event ... Shaquille O'Neal.

Shaq tells TMZ Sports ... Adam is still good in his book, despite the Maroon 5 frontman's alleged infidelity, because Adam's always done charity work for children in need.

Adam and Maroon 5 are getting set to perform this weekend at The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation's annual fundraising gala, "The Event" in Las Vegas ... and Shaq says Adam's dedication to charity shows his true character, in his book.

While there's a lot of anticipation to see Adam on stage for the first time since multiple women accused him of sliding into their DMs -- including one who says they had a physical relationship -- Shaq says the only thing that matters is having Adam and Maroon 5 there to help raise money.

The way Shaq sees it ... he's not in a position to cast judgment on Adam.

For what it's worth, Adam and his pregnant wife, supermodel Behati Prinsloo, are presenting a united front -- this week they hopped on a private jet for a getaway before his Sin City gig. Adam's also denying having sex with any of his accusers, but admits he "crossed a line."

LeBron James has a new team -- the four-time NBA champ is the newest owner of a professional pickleball team ... and he's teaming up with a group of other hoops stars!

Major League Pickleball announced Wednesday an ownership group, LRMR ventures, led by LeBron James and business partner, Maverick Carter, had purchased a new squad.

Joining the four-time MVP in his latest business venture is his former teammate in Cleveland, Kevin Love, and his good friend and rival over the years, Warriors star Draymond Green.

As MLP expands, the list of high-profile names wanting to associate with the growing sport rises.

Retired NFL quarterback Drew Brees became the owner of the Mad Drops Pickleball Club in July ... joining Lakers co-owner Jim Buss who is a part of the ownership group.

James already has an ownership stake in Fenway Sports Group, the owner of the Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park, and Liverpool F.C., the English Premier League soccer team.

And now, James can add this latest acquisition to his impressive portfolio.

Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Luka Doncic ditched basketballs for rackets this weekend -- hitting tennis courts in Dallas for charity -- and it turns out the trio of hoopers have no issues whatsoever channelin' their inner-Serena Williams!!

The Dallas Mavericks icons -- plus Ben Stiller and a whole host of other celebs and athletes -- all competed in the fifth-annual Dirk Nowitzki Pro Celebrity Tennis Classic on Sunday ... and they looked GOOD.

The NBA ballers partnered up with some of the biggest names in tennis for the tournament, including Andy Roddick and Mark Knowles ... and they went at it at the SMU Tennis Complex for hours.

The guys showed off some serious athleticism, hitting big-time shots -- all while joking around with each other.

In fact, at one point, Stiller hilariously dissed Nowitzki with a fake handshake after a match!

Nash, though, ended up getting the last laugh on everyone ... the Brooklyn Nets head coach came out on top of the tourney after he and his partner, Spencer Papa, defeated British tennis star Luke Bambridge and his partner, Leo Antonio.

It all looked like a great time ... but the best part? The proceeds from the tourney are going to Nowitzki's foundation -- which focuses on children's wellbeing, health and education.

Dub Nation has a new K-Pop megastar in its fanbase -- it's Suga from BTS ... and he's already got Steph Curry's attention!!

1/7 of the most popular music act on the planet posted a snap with a customized "SUGA" Warriors jersey to his nearly 39 million Instagram followers on Monday ... seemingly confirming his allegiance to the Bay Area team.

Of course, the NBA champs have had some major support from K-Pop idols in the past ... from NCT's Chenle and Mark to GOT7 rapper, BamBam, who actually became the team's official global ambassador last season.

Suga's post was quickly noticed by the Warriors' biggest superstar ... who said, "Love the jersey SUGA!! See you soon ✈️"

There's speculation Suga is following in BamBam's footsteps as the team's newest ambassador ... but TMZ Sports is told that's not the case. However, there's rumblings Suga could attend the Warriors' preseason game in Japan later this week.

As we previously pointed out, BamBam's role with the team helped get Andrew Wiggins a starting spot in the All-Star Game ... with all the Ahgases (AKA GOT7 fans) voting on social media to secure the honor for the 27-year-old Canadian hooper.

On top of that, fans lined up for hours just to get a special BamBam x Warriors merch collab as well ... so yeah, the power of K-Pop is real.

There's no doubt Lamar Odom is his daughter's biggest fan ... because he pulled up to her first-ever fashion show to support her in a big way.

Lamar was at 24-year-old Destiny's show at MainRo in Hollywood Saturday -- cheering her on from the audience.

We're told Destiny opened the event -- which was a BIG deal for the model, especially with it being her first time. Goes without saying, Lamar is extremely proud of his daughter.

The show was called "Couture Fighting Cancer 2nd Annual Fashion Show" ... a night that benefits cancer survivors.

Destiny made the move this month from NYC to Los Angeles to live with Lamar and pursue her modeling career. Destiny is the daughter he shares with his ex, Liza Morales.

BTW -- this comes on the heels of many speculating Lamar's been romantically involved with transgender model/actress Daniiellè Alexis ... something he's denied.