NBA

Ex-NBA player Eric Bledsoe was arrested for domestic violence on Wednesday ... just hours after reports he is signing with the CBA's Shanghai Sharks, TMZ Sports has learned.

We're told cops received a call about a domestic incident around 11:13 PM ... with a victim claiming she had been slapped by her boyfriend.

Officers responded to the Lost Hills, Calif. residence ... and after an investigation, arrested Bledsoe for misdemeanor domestic violence.

32-year-old Bledsoe was booked at the Lost Hills Sheriff's station ... and has since bonded out.

A photo was posted to Bledsoe's girlfriend's Instagram account after the incident ... appearing to show a red mark on her face. The caption said, "NO RELATIONSHIP LIKE THIS IS EVER WORTH STAYING IN."

The woman added ... "Domestic violence is real! This wasn't the first time but I sat here and stayed so it's my fault!!"

"ERIC BLEDSOE really is a monster."

The post has since been deleted.

Bledsoe -- a Birmingham, Alabama native -- was a star for the Kentucky Wildcats from 2009-10 ... and was picked 18th overall in the 2010 NBA Draft.

He played for the Clippers, Suns, Bucks and Pelicans over the course of his career.

Kyrie Irving is fed up with people criticizing Ben Simmons as the hooper tries to reclaim his All-Star status in Brooklyn after years of injury and disappointment ... saying people need to "give him a f***ing chance!"

Irving spoke candidly when addressing the media after the Nets 110-99 loss to the Bucks, defending Simmons, who's been receiving heat for his early-season struggles.

"If we're going to come in and be honest as a team," Irving said, "I'm not trying to be critical over what Ben's done right or done wrong every night."

"You guys keep coming here asking me, 'what about Ben? what about Ben?' He hasn't played in two years. Give him a f***ing chance. We stay on his s***."

Simmons, 26, was traded to the Nets last season, but the former Philadelphia 76er didn't play a game for Brooklyn due to a back injury.

Ben's return to the Nets' lineup was supposed to spell good news for Brooklyn, considering Kevin Durant and Kyrie were already in place, but Simmons has struggled offensively.

The Nets, meanwhile, have a 1-3 record, and though it's early, Simmons is averaging career lows in points (5.2 ppg) and rebounds (5.8 rpg) -- leaving many to wonder if the three-time All-Star can ever be the same player.

However, Kyrie doesn't seem too worried about Ben ... and feels it's important for the Nets to support him by giving him "positive affirmations."

Hopefully for Ky, standing up for Ben won't hurt his pockets ... players have been fined in the past for cursing at postgame pressers (see Russell Westbrook, 2017, fined $15K).

Delonte West has been arrested again, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to the Fairfax County Police Dept. in Virginia, officers were called to a local parking lot at around 5:53 PM on Oct. 15 after they say witnesses saw the former NBA player trespassing in a vehicle.

Cops say when they arrived on scene, they found West near the parking lot ... but claim he became combative when they attempted to slap cuffs on him.

According to an FCPD spokesperson, West took off running ... but was tracked down a short distance away. He was eventually taken into custody.

Cops say West was ultimately booked on four criminal charges over the incident -- vehicle trespassing, entering a vehicle, fleeing from law enforcement and drunk in public. Jail records show he was released from custody on Oct. 16.

The news for West fans is troubling ... considering the embattled ex-Dallas Mavericks point guard had appeared to be turning his life around. He had landed a tryout with the Big3 earlier this year .... and even scored a gig with a flooring company in June.

In fact, just after he was hired, the company said it was thrilled with the job West was doing.

But, Mark Cuban told us earlier this month he had been made aware that things weren't going smoothly with his former player ... saying West was still struggling with some issues.

Will Smith visited the Los Angeles Lakers to talk about staying strong in the face of adversity ... as the team tries to salvage its season after dropping its first three games.

Smith spent quality time with the Lake Show discussing themes that will be a part of his upcoming film, "Emancipation," such as the benefits of togetherness and practicing gratitude when difficult times arise.

WS got some facetime with Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka, and the team presented the 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' star with a No. 14 Lakers jersey.

The message in Will's talk was profound ... and came at a time when the Lakers have been experiencing constant scrutiny, a feeling Smith experienced earlier this year.

Remember ... the 54-year-old Philadelphia native faced immense public backlash and consequences, including a 10-year ban from the Academy Awards, for slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars.

Smith seemingly became public enemy No. 1 for the viral moment -- but he eventually apologized to Rock and has been doing damage control ever since to repair his public image.

Ultimately, Smith wanted to instill in the Lakers that no matter how grim things look, the only way to overcome them is by sticking together and appreciating the struggle.

The Celtics will be without Grant Williams for one game -- the NBA just suspended the forward after making contact with a referee during Boston's matchup against the Bulls this week.

The call was made during the 4th quarter of the Celtics game on Oct. 24 ... after Williams was charged with a blocking foul against Zach LaVine.

The 6'6" baller disagreed with the call and unintentionally bumped into referee Cheryl Flores as he got up with frustration.

Williams was immediately ejected for making contact ... and he was so pissed, he had to be forced into the United Center tunnel by Celtics coaching staffers.

The NBA's Executive VP Joe Dumars announced Williams was suspended for one game without pay "for recklessly making contact with and directing inappropriate language toward a game official."

If Karl-Anthony Towns was trying to be a leader for publicly criticizing Anthony Edwards' diet, it had the complete opposite effect -- so says Chandler Parsons, who's calling the star's comments "super wack."

As we previously reported, KAT told reporters he wants to help change what the 2020 #1 overall pick is putting in his body after a bad loss on Monday ... saying, "I know y’all think it’s funny up here when he talks about Popeyes and all that s***. That doesn't make me happy to hear."

Parsons got wind of KAT's statements ... and he's completely against how he went about it.

"It's just super corny for him to say that," Parsons said on FanDuel TV's "Run It Back."

"I don't know if it's his attempt of trying to be a leader, but leaders don't do that in public. Leaders privately pull their player or their teammate over there and they talk about that or they get with the training staff, they get with the chef, they get with whatever they have to get  to to address this issue."

He added ... "You do not air that out after a bad loss when emotions are already high. Doing that to another star player on the team, I just think that's completely out of bounds. That's not how you lead. That's not how you get things done and I just think that's super wack."

La La Anthony is spillin' more tea on her marriage to Carmelo ... revealing this week that the Knicks trade for her former NBA superstar hubby led to the couple's "demise."

The T.V. personality went on Alex Cooper's "Call Her Daddy" podcast on Wednesday to talk about the difficulties of being a wife of a 10-time NBA All-Star ... and she unveiled that everything was good between the two -- until New York got involved.

La La -- who married Melo in July 2010 -- says their relationship was gravy when the basketball player was starring for the Denver Nuggets ... but got dicey when he was traded to the Knicks in February 2011.

“When we lived here [in New York] under all of that [attention], that's when things became complicated," La La said.

"I think that was kind of the start. Now that I look back, that was kind of the start of the demise of the marriage."

The NY native says the bright lights of the city weren't the only things that started the problems between her and Melo, but they were some of the hardest things to deal with.

"That's not the only reason things didn't work out, but things got tough with New York. Just constantly being under the spotlight and people watching every little thing."

La La ultimately filed for divorce from Melo in 2021, citing irreconcilable differences, but she told Cooper they're still friends ... and are co-parenting their 15-year-old son, Kiyan, without issues.

"It wasn't all bad," she said. "Like, we had great, great times."

La La says she is dating again ... but is not open to NBA players anymore.

An NBA fan didn't keep her head on a swivel while she was trying to take her courtside seat at a game on Tuesday night -- and she paid for it ... getting drilled in the noggin by an errant pass.

The painful moment happened just a few minutes into the Mavericks vs. Pelicans game in New Orleans ... when a woman had her back turned to the court as Dallas was trying to get a bucket on the floor.

Luka Doncic threw up a shot, missed, and when Dorian Finney-Smith grabbed the rebound -- he looked to kick the basketball out to one of his teammates.

The problem? His pass was tipped out of his hand -- and then it made a beeline for the unsuspecting woman's head.

The ball clanked off the back of her dome with some force ... but, fortunately, she appeared to be OK. Also, like a true champ, she didn't spill any of the water she was holding -- and laughed it all off.

Later in the game, retired NFL head coach Sean Payton showed off exactly how fans are supposed to handle themselves while courtside ... using some cat-like reflexes to nab a tipped ball that came his way before it did any harm.

The fire that completely destroyed NBA commentator Mike Breen's home last month was caused by a "careless disposal of staining material," officials tell TMZ Sports.

We broke the story ... the play-by-play man's Long Island house was engulfed by heavy flames at around 4 AM on Sept 25 -- and it was deemed a complete loss after the inferno was extinguished. Thankfully, no one was hurt or at the residence at the time of the fire.

After a thorough investigation, Nassau County Chief Fire Marshall Michael Uttaro tells us the blaze originated in the garage ... due to materials that had been improperly stacked in the space.

"The house was under construction," Uttaro said ... adding, "When all those materials are stored in a pile, they can combust causing a rapid fire."

Uttaro says fires like these have sadly become commonplace ... telling us "it happens often" -- but he said he's happy Breen and his family are safe.

Breen -- who's been an NBA announcer for 30 seasons and has become known for his "Bang!" call -- thanked everyone for their support during the Knicks' preseason game days after the incident.

Karl-Anthony Towns wants to help Anthony Edwards make some serious improvements in his life ... and it starts with ditching his love for fried chicken.

Following Minnesota's 115-106 loss to the Spurs Monday night, reporters asked KAT if there was any merit to Edwards blaming himself for the team's lackluster performance.

Towns revealed the reason he believes the Wolves were sluggish on the court ... and vowed to fix the situation.

"Maybe I can do a better job teaching him how to take care of his body," Towns said. "Diet and everything. That'll be on me."

Despite playing back-to-back nights, the Wolves were heavy favorites against the Spurs, but they looked fatigued -- and Edwards finished with 9 points.

KAT thinks it's time to change what Ant's putting in his body ... which he admits has made him upset.

"I know y’all think it’s funny up here when he talks about Popeyes and all that s***," Towns said. "That doesn't make me happy to hear."

After seeing the COVID-19 illness affect him and his family, KAT has adopted a more health-conscious mentality, which he hopes spreads to 21-year-old Edwards.

Towns -- in his eighth season in Minnesota -- said that as high-level athletes, there's a responsibility on him to make sure his teammates are taking care of their bodies.

Jaylen Brown says he's sticking with Donda Sports, despite repeated antisemitic remarks made by founder Kanye West ... comments the Celtics star says he adamantly condemns.

On Monday, Jaylen was asked about his business relationship with Ye's company, telling the Boston Globe he won't be jumping ship.

"First, I don’t condone any hurt, harm, or danger toward any group of people or individuals whatsoever," said Brown, who joined Donda Sports in May shortly after Rams star Aaron Donald.

Brown said despite the criticism embroiling West, he's more focused on the agency's mission and positive impact.

"The reason why I signed with Donda Sports, it represented education, it represented activism, disruption, it represented single-parent households, and a lot more people are involved in something like that."

Of course, Kanye has repeatedly made antisemitic comments ... 'cause lucrative business partners like Balenciaga dropped him. Adidas, his biggest partner, has faced tremendous pressure to part ways with Ye.

Brown defined his current relationship with West as a "sensitive subject," adding that it's hard to comment on it because it's being "evaluated."

"He’s someone who's obviously dealing with a lot of adversity that’s in front of him right now, and everybody can see it, and it’s public," 26-year-old Brown said.

Mitch Kupchak's wife is calling quits on the couple's 30-year marriage ... the Charlotte Hornets exec's wife has filed for divorce.

Claire Kupchak filed the docs in Los Angeles on Monday, TMZ Sports has learned.

In the documents, Claire cited "irreconcilable differences" as the grounds for the split. She marked Oct. 21 as the date of separation. She's asking for spousal support.

Mitch and Claire initially got hitched way back in August 1992 ... and had two children together. Tragically, their daughter, Alina, died in 2015 after battling an illness.

Their adult son, Maxwell, currently works with Mitch in the Hornets' front office.

Mitch took over the Hornets' GM job in 2018 and was responsible for picking superstar LaMelo Ball with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Before his time in Charlotte, Mitch won multiple NBA titles as a player and as the famed GM of some of the best Kobe Bryant-led Lakers teams.

LeBron James turned to raw fish and sexy mood lighting to get over yet another miserable Lakers loss on Sunday night ... hitting Nobu just minutes after his squad fell to the Blazers.

LBJ hit up the popular sushi restaurant in Malibu ... right after his team suffered a gut-wrenching 106-104 defeat to Portland.

James' dinner outfit -- a green Nike sweatsuit -- suggests he went straight from Crypto.com Arena to the restaurant ... 'cause it was the same getup he wore during his postgame press conference.

James didn't seem to be all that heartbroken over the L at dinner -- cameras caught him smiling as he opened the car door for his wife, Savannah.

Of course, he was anything but smiles earlier in the evening -- when the Lakers fell to 0-3 on the season despite leading the game with less than a minute remaining.

In fact, at one point during the end of the 4th quarter, he appeared to be upset with Russell Westbrook ... after the star point guard missed a pull-up jumper with 18 seconds left on the shot clock and 30 seconds left in the game.

Video shows James threw up his hands in confusion -- before he ran back on defense.

Ja Morant is celebrating the start of the NBA season with some new ice -- a black and white diamond pendant reppin' his nickname ... with a matching Audemars Piguet watch!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... it all came to be when the Memphis Grizzlies superstar was talking to an owner at Ice Box on Instagram Live about making him a one-of-a-kind diamond watch.

During the convo, the two came up with the perfect idea -- not only would the hooper get a watch, but he'd also get a custom chain to match!!

The brainstorming sesh resulted in Morant's new black and white diamond Miami Cuban chain with an iced-out "12" clamp and pendant ... representing Ja's jersey number.

Morant -- who calls himself "12SKII" -- also got the word SKII on the bail of the pendant.

We're told the pendant comes with 20 carats of black and white VS quality diamonds and the Cuban link has 60 carats. Both pieces are made with 14-karat white gold and weigh an overall 400 grams.

As for the 22-year-old's new watch ... we're told it's worth over $100k and fully customized to Ja's liking with black diamonds.

Of course, buying jewelry from the Ice Box in Atlanta is a hobby for Morant -- he just bought some bling in August while congratulating a newlywed couple.

In April, he went on a $55k shopping spree and took some tequila shots with rapper, Gunna.

Some encouraging news from Alonzo Mourning ... the NBA legend says his friend and former teammate Dikembe Mutombo is in "good spirits" after receiving treatment for a brain tumor.

The NBA announced last week that the Hall of Famer was diagnosed with a brain tumor .. and was set to receive treatment in ATL.

On Friday, Mourning provided an update on Dikembe's condition.

"Thanking God this morning!" the former Miami Heat player said in the IG caption, "My brotha is on the mend and in good spirits!!!"

And, you can see it on Mutombo's face ... he's all smiles with his longtime friend.

Remember, Mourning and Mutombo go way back -- before playing together on the New Jersey Nets (2003), the two were teammates under John Thompson on the Georgetown Hoyas from 1988 to 1991.

When Mourning and Mutombo entered the league, they immediately became a problem. Both players won Defensive Player Of The Year multiple times, and led the league in blocks.

They've also both been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball of Fame.

"Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers," Mourning said, "Prayer is truly uplifting."

Fivio Foreign is blaming arena production staffers for his recent performance woes during the Brooklyn Nets' halftime show ... and says he needs a redo to make the city proud.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Fivio at the scene of the crime -- Barclays Center, the Nets' homecourt -- and his view of the disastrous performance is his production team would've handled things perfectly, unlike the one he worked with that night.

Fivio says everything was fine during soundcheck, but at halftime, his inner earpiece was lower than the crowd noise ... and the sound was delayed in his ear.

ICYMI, Fivio got fried on social media because the Brooklyn rapper seemed to forget his lyrics altogether for a full 3 songs.

Fivio tells us Internet reactions didn't phase him much ... he remembers getting trashed online when his sound went out performing with Kanye West during one of his many Donda events last year.

He's also laughing off haters claiming he was too high to remember the words -- Fivio tells us that chapter of his life is over, and he dropped a few bars about it.