NBA

All hell broke loose when Dillon Brooks hit Donovan Mitchell below the belt during the Cavs vs. Grizzlies game on Thursday ... with both players getting ejected after a physical altercation.

The heated moment went down in the third quarter of Cleveland's 128-113 win over Memphis at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse ... with Brooks missing a shot and throwing his arm back -- making contact with Mitchell's groin -- as he fell to the court.

Mitchell -- who's been dealing with a groin injury this season -- immediately retaliated by throwing the ball at Brooks and shoving him.

Players and coaches for both teams intervened before things could escalate even worse ... but both players were booted from the contest.

Mitchell went after Brooks in his postgame presser ... saying the guy has a reputation for being a dirty player.

"That's just who he is,'' Mitchell told reporters. "We've seen it a bunch in this league with him. Him and I have had our personal battles for years."

"Quite frankly, I've been busting his ass for years."

"This has happened to other players throughout this league, and it's bulls*** if I'm being honest with you," he added. "It's complete bulls***. It's one thing, you know, you got Ja [Morant], you got [Desmond] Bane, you got Jaren Jackson. Those guys, they talk s*** and that's fine, that's all a part of basketball. We all grew up playing that way."

"But when you start doing little cheap s***, that ain't it."

Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff also addressed the scuffle ... saying, "A guy should have the right to stand up for himself. I thought Donovan did that. I'm proud of our guys."

"We don't have those guys that start s***, but we have guys who don't run from s*** and you have to in this league."

Mitchell says he will appeal the ejection -- as he says he was defending himself.

The Cavs backed Mitchell in the locker room after the game ... honoring him with the Junkyard Dog Chain, which goes to the grittiest player of the game.

Kyrie Irving has reportedly demanded a trade ... giving the Brooklyn Nets an ultimatum -- either trade the NBA superstar, or watch him walk away in free agency,

The news just broke minutes ago ... with reports saying Irving wants to be traded ahead of the trade deadline on Feb. 9 -- but if that doesn't happen, he will sign with another team come August, according to Shams Charania.

Irving is in the final year of a four-year, $136 million contract with the Nets ... and was reportedly seeking a long-term extension from the franchise.

Kyrie -- who has been with Brooklyn since 2019 -- initially came to the Nets with his teammate and friend, Kevin Durant -- but now, it appears he wants out of BK ASAP.

Irving was the subject of trade rumors this past summer ... but the NBA champ came into the season with the hopes the Nets would one day sign him to a long-term deal.

The Nets are facing a dilemma -- trade Kyrie and split up him and KD, or watch Irving leave for nothing when he becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

Dejounte Murray should be good on sauce from Chick-fil-A FOREVER, or at least through the NBA season ... 'cause the Hawks star was gifted an enormous box filled with Polynesian packets!

The Hawks guard got the surprise gift in the locker room right after the team's 132 to 100 win over the Suns in Phoenix on Wednesday.

Of course, the NBA All-Star is obsessed with Chick-fil-A and their Polynesian sauce ... in fact, DJ was even eating CFA before the Hawks-Suns game.

Murray's love of the sauce is well known, so when rookie guard Adrian Griffin Jr. handed him a box wrapped with paper printed with IG messages from fans talking about his love of the sweet and sour sauce, DJ knew what was in the box.

"I already know what it is," Murray laughed, "Polynesian! Haha!"

And, unlike Karl-Anthony Towns roasting his teammate Anthony Edwards over his eating habits, it doesn't seem like anyone on the Hawks is bothered by DM's obsession with the sugary CFA sauces.

It might be because Murray -- who joined Trae Young and the Hawks last June following a trade -- has been eating on the floor, averaging 21.2 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game.

LeBron James' first-ever #6 Lakers jersey -- which he wore on the opening night of the 2021-22 NBA season -- is hitting the auction block ... and could sell for a ton of dough, TMZ Sports has learned.

A rep with SCP Auctions tells us the gold Nike "Icon" Edition jersey James sported against the Golden State Warriors on October 19, 2021, is up for grabs ... and it's a big deal, considering it's the first time he rocked #6 for L.A., instead of his Cleveland-era #23.

The bottom left corner of the piece of history shows LeBron's jersey size (54) and the date of the game, 10-19-21, handwritten on the tag.

The jersey has gone through several layers of authentication -- it was entered into the NBA and MeiGray Game-Worn Jersey Authentication Program -- and was photo matched to the 1st and 2nd half of the contest against the Warriors.

Remember, James switched from #23 to #6 in June 2021 ... just four months before the NBA season started. LeBron previously wore the #6 when he was with the Miami Heat for four seasons (2010-2014).

"It's always been a part of me, to be honest," James said when asked about the switch. "Six has a lot of meaning to me, from my family and numbers and things of that nature to what I believe in and things of that sort, but my mentality doesn’t change."

King James finished the night against the Warriors with a game-high 34 points to go along with 11 rebounds and five assists -- but the Dubs spoiled LeBron's night, defeating the Lakers, 121-114.

Master P's son, Mercy Miller, is proving yet again he's a baller on the hardwood ... this time throwing down an insane dunk in a game -- against Bronny James' much-touted high school team no less!

Miller's epic flight happened on Wednesday night when his Notre Dame squad was taking on James' Sierra Canyon team in a highly anticipated game in L.A.

In the fourth quarter of the contest -- which ended up being an 88-61 blowout win for Notre Dame -- Miller drove into the lane, took off on one foot and then hammered home the basketball while blowing through a defender.

The dunk nearly took the roof off of the arena -- as the hundreds of spectators in attendance went wild when the junior guard finished at the rim.

Miller's pops was pleased with the 2-pointer to say the least, sharing a vid of the poster on his IG page -- while writing, "Hard work pays off. The beast came out and showed 'NO MERCY.'"

Matt Barnes and 2 Chainz threw praise on Mercy in the comment section as well.

Of course, this ain't the first time Miller has raised eyebrows on the court ... back in his sophomore season, the Univ. of Houston commit dropped an eye-popping 40 points in one game!!

Kevin Durant got his wish -- WNBA superstar Breanna Stewart just signed with the New York Liberty ... and he's hyped!!!

The former Seattle Storm forward announced her decision Wednesday by posting a video wearing her new team's merch ... and playing Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' "Empire State Of Mind" in the background.

Durant -- who was actively recruiting Stewart to the Big Apple -- went straight to Twitter when he saw the news ... saying, "Aye, don’t call my phone lookin for tickets this summer, they gone."

"Let’s get it @nyliberty."

Of course, the Brooklyn Nets star is probably patting himself on the back just a little bit ... considering he revealed on Monday he was texting the 2-time WNBA champ, telling her to join the NY team.

"I hit Stewie the other day," Durant said on the Boardroom podcast. "And I never do this, and was like, 'Yo, it would be an incredible dynasty in New York City if you came here."

He's right -- Stewart is one of the best in the WNBA ... and now, she's joining star guard Sabrina Ionescu and 6'6" forward Jonquel Jones to make a Big 3.

Ionescu is clearly stoked over the new addition ... and shared a photoshopped pic of the trio together after the massive deal.

Stewart wasn't the only big signing in the WNBA's offseason ... Candace Parker officially signed with the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.

New York Liberty versus the Vegas Aces for the 2023 WNBA Finals? We'll see!!!

LeBron James made his return to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night -- and in turn, so did a ton of celebs ... and the king didn't disappoint in NYC as a bunch of Hollywood's A-listers cheered him on.

LBJ went off in the game against the Knicks -- logging 28 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists  ... as the Lakers knocked off the home team in overtime, 129-123.

Emma Stone, Michael B. Jordan, Jon Stewart and Pete Davidson -- sporting a new haircut! -- seemed to love it all ... rockin' big smiles on their faces as the L.A. superstar did his thing.

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, former NHL star Henrik Lundqvist and comedian, Hasan Minhaj were also in attendance.

Of course, Spike Lee -- as usual -- was in the building ... though he wasn't in good spirits as his favorite team got dumped on by L.A.

All the celebs sat near each other in courtside seats ... with most appearing to have a hell of a time while rubbing elbows with one another.

It should be noted there was no date spotted on Davidson's arm ... but he seemed to be content riding solo and hanging with Stewart for the big hoops night, nonetheless.

Celebrities won't get another chance to watch LeBron hoop at the Mecca again until 2023 -- this was the Lakers' lone appearance at MSG this season.

The charges against Amar'e Stoudemire stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident at his home in December have been dismissed ... after prosecutors say the victim did not cooperate with the investigation.

As we previously reported, STAT was accused of striking one of his teen daughters across the face at least twice.

But the 40-year-old adamantly denied the accusations ... saying he would never lay a finger on another human being.

The Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office confirmed to CBS Miami on Tuesday, the charges related to the Dec. 2022 incident have been dropped "due to the failure of the victim to cooperate in the prosecution of the criminal case."

Stoudemire tells TMZ Sports ... "A little over a month ago, my family’s world was turned upside down as I faced allegations that we all knew to be untrue – which I instantly and publicly denied."

"Today, I’m grateful that after a full investigation, all charges were dismissed. Fortunately, my family and most importantly, my incredible children are all doing well. My faith in the goodness we all possess has never wavered and has never been greater. My love for my family is without limits."

He continued ... "I am appreciative of all the respect and support received from family, friends and colleagues. Now that this chapter is closed, I look forward to all the great moments ahead with my family."

Cavs forward Isaac Okoro had a religious experience while listening to 'Take Me To Church' on Monday ... and hilariously performed the song in the team's hot tub!!

The 22-year-old former 5th overall draft pick was sitting in the team's hot tub (hey, gotta take care of the body) minding his business, listening to Hozier's hit single when his teammate Darius Garland walked in.

While the music was blasting, Garland started singing the chorus, and that's when Okoro got up and put on a show.

"Offer me that deathless death, Good God, let me give you my life, Take me to church!" the two belted out.

Okoro's choreography was on point with a hilarious backward fall into the hot tub to conclude his performance .. and Garland couldn't help but laugh.

Of course, Okoro and Garland have a lot to be happy about ... they just whooped the Los Angeles Clippers 122-99 on Sunday. The Cavs are currently ranked 5th in the Eastern Conference.

Plus, Garland -- who signed a five-year deal worth $231 million last season -- is averaging 21.9 points and 8.2 assists per game.

BTW, the song might ring a bell for Cavs fans ... it's the track that was playing in LeBron James' Beats by Dre commercial when he returned to Cleveland.

John Mayer is revealing his secret to getting pumped up before Dead and Company concerts ... saying Hall of Famer Bill Walton, showers him in compliments!!!

The 45-year-old musician opened up on his relationship with the former big man during Walton's "Throw It Down" alternative NBA broadcast on Monday ... explaining how the die hard Grateful Dead fan gets him ready to hit the stage before shows.

"When Bill gives you advice, he looks you dead in the eye and everything stops," Mayer said.

"He speaks with this cadence -- 'Go out there. Give it your absolute all. Don’t be shy. They are here to watch you play. Go play to the greatest of your ability ... and some of the greatest compliments I’ve ever been given are from Bill Walton."

Of course, Mayer plays guitar and sings for the GD spinoff band -- so Walton has seen him perform countless times. He even took the stage with the band in 2015.

In fact, Mayer says Walton -- who stands at 6'11" -- is easily recognizable in the crowd ... referring to the guy as "air traffic control" for the fans in attendance.

Bill explains his reasoning for holding his hands up in the sky during shows ... saying he spent 4.5 years immobile with a deteriorating spine, and now that he's able to move -- he's making the best of it.

Karl-Anthony Towns isn't gonna like this -- NBA star Anthony Edwards just opened up about his Chester's Hot Fries obsession ... admitting he eats at least 21 bags a week!!

The Minnesota Timberwolves guard listed the 10 things he can't live without during a GQ Sports interview on Monday -- and naturally, his beloved snack food made the cut.

"The best chips that were ever made," the 21-year-old said. "I've been eating 'em since I was probably like five years old."

"I probably eat like 3 a day. You do the math ... what's that 21 bags? Yeah, I eat that many!"

In fact, AE says he probably eats more than that depending on how much time he has during the day.

Of course, this might not sit well with KAT -- Remember, the Wolves center called out Edwards for being sluggish on the court ... and blamed AE's love for Popeyes chicken for his performance.

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

Well, his recent performance on the court says otherwise. In Minnesota's last three wins, Edwards averaged 32 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists per game -- plus, he's shooting at 55% from the field.

Some rappers make NBA highlights just by sitting courtside -- but a few artists actually got on the court this weekend to make some Top 10-worthy jumpers!!!

Both Travis Scott and The Game got the royalty treatment during the Utah Jazz win over the Dallas Mavericks Saturday inside Vivint Arena ... and were able to shoot around before the game, targeting nothing but the bottom of the net.

Not to be outdone, YG sank a half-court shot Sunday inside Moda Center, decked out in baggy gear from his 4Hunnid line.

The "Alone" rapper was in Portland for his Red Cup Tour stop and got to see his Lakers beat the Trail Blazers before hitting the stage.

Game hit a couple of consecutive long bombs and went the extra mile and campaigned for an NBA 10-day contract. He also called out Gillie Da Kid to pull up to his home court in L.A. and earn an ass-whooping!!!

Gillie's one of the better shooters in hip hop ... even showing out NBA organizations in the past, so this could get interesting.

Master P is still the only traditional rapper who played in the NBA, having suited up for both the Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors in the late '90s.

Things are clearly getting quite serious between Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan -- the two now have a secret handshake ... one that they seal with a big smooch!!

Michael Jordan's offspring shared a vid of the couple's new intimate finger-locking greeting on his social media page Sunday night -- showing further that he and Scottie Pippen's ex are, in fact, an item.

In the clip, you can see Marcus and Larsa slapping hands repeatedly -- before Marcus, as part of the shake, put his arm over her head and pulled her in to give her a kiss.

It's a cute and romantic moment for the two -- but it also shows things have certainly progressed to perhaps official relationship status for the couple.

You'll recall, despite getting very close over the past few months, the duo has insisted they're nothing more than just good friends. But they've now each posted each other on their social media pages in the last few days -- with Larsa sharing a snap last week of the two holding hands in front of a Jordan floral arrangement.

For what it's worth, Marcus captioned his handshake video with the words, "Twistin’ up my fingers for my twin" -- something that sure seems to indicate things are heating up.

7x NBA champ Robert Horry was ejected from his son's basketball game Friday night for screaming "you suck" at the referees, and TMZ Sports has video of the incident.

52-year-old Horry's son Christian is a junior at Harvard Westlake, one of the top private schools in L.A., where he is a star guard. Harvard-Westlake was playing St. Francis in Flintridge, CA Friday night.

During the 3rd quarter, Christian picked up his 4th foul, according to a spectator, and "Big Shot Bob" wasn't exactly pleased with the call ... so he began yelling at the refs.

The video starts with Horry, mid-sentence, screaming "You suck!" while standing in the bleachers. It's not seen on the video, but this is when the ref points at Robert, and tosses him out of the game.

But, Horry didn't stop, continuing, "Hey ref, you talking about me? You suck! Oh, you're mad at me because I said you suck?"

Robert then climbed down the stands, where he stood on the sideline, jawing at the ref. It's difficult to understand what he's saying.

A few seconds later, someone came over to corral RH, and they began walking towards the gym exit.

Horry briefly stopped to talk to the HW coach. The guys quickly put an arm around each other, and Robert continued on.

Horry, who played with the Rockets, Suns, Lakers, and Spurs over his 17-season NBA career, won more championships (7) than almost any other player in NBA history (only 6 players won 8 or more titles). Robert was known for his ability to knock down big shots in clutch moments.

The man who Matt Barnes spit on during the 49ers game last weekend is now suing the former NBA champ ... alleging the ex-hooper caused him injury, emotional distress and more during the incident.

David Patterson Jr. -- the ex of Barnes' current fiancee -- filed the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, in L.A. County Superior Court on Friday.

In the suit, Patterson Jr. claims he had no idea Barnes would be at the much-anticipated Niners vs. Cowboys playoff game in Santa Clara on Sunday ... but said when the two happened to run into each other in a concourse at Levi's Stadium, they began yelling at each other from about 20 feet away.

Patterson Jr. says Barnes then came up to him unprovoked and spat directly in his face. The 37-year-old alleged multiple cell phone cameras captured the incident.

He's suing for battery, assault, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He's asking for unspecified damages.

Patterson Jr. added in the docs that this was nowhere near the first run-in he's had with his ex-wife's new fiance ... claiming Barnes had harassed him and threatened him repeatedly in the past.

Patterson Jr. says he's got text messages that show the former Golden State Warriors forward called him a "bitch," "clown," "fat f***" and more. He also says at one point in 2022, Barnes told him, "Pull up & get your ass whooped in front of your kids. I'm done talking."

For his part, Barnes said in an application for a temporary restraining order against Patterson Jr. earlier this week that his fiancee's ex was the one who had been harassing him and making threats against him over the past few months.

Barnes also said Patterson Jr. was the aggressor in the altercation at Levi's Stadium.

LeBron James is the king on the court and now on the auction block too -- the NBA superstar's used jersey from Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals just sold for $3.7 million ... a new record!!

Sotheby's announced the final price tag for the incredible piece of memorabilia Friday morning -- making it the highest-selling game-worn James jersey to date.

This specific #6 jersey is the exact threads James wore when the Miami Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs, 98-88 ... securing LeBron's second championship.

It was a historical night for James ... as it was the first Game 7 of his NBA career, and he secured his second NBA Finals MVP award in the process.

The jersey sold for $3,680,000 at the auction ... which makes it the third most valuable game-worn jersey ever sold at Sotheby's, and among "the highest prices achieved for any game-worn jersey on the open market."

Sotheby's tells TMZ Sports it was purchased by a private collector.

"Today's tremendous result comes at a pivotal time in LeBron James' career, where he is in arm's reach of clenching the all-time points record -- one of the NBA's most revered accolades," Sotheby's officials said on Friday.