NBA

Longtime NBA player Tony Snell is opening up on a recent health discovery ... revealing he was diagnosed with autism last year.

The 31-year-old shared the news with "Today" on Friday ... saying his son's own diagnosis gave him the courage to get checked out as well.

As it turns out, Snell says the signs were there throughout his life ... explaining he was often independent and alone, and struggled to connect with people on a personal level.

"I was not surprised because I always felt different," Snell said. "I was just relieved like, 'Oh, this is why I am the way I am.' And it just made my whole life, everything about my life make so much sense."

"It was like a clarity, like putting some 3-D glasses on."

Snell believes if he knew his diagnosis earlier, he would have not made it in the NBA ... because people would have "put a limit or cap on my abilities."

The former 20th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft has played 9 seasons in the league ... suiting up for the Bulls, Bucks, Pistons, Hawks, Trail Blazers and Pelicans.

He currently plays for the G League's Maine Celtics.

Ja Morant will miss more than a quarter of the 2023-24 NBA season as a result of his second gun-flashing incident -- the league just slapped the Memphis Grizzlies star with a 25-game suspension.

Adam Silver announced the punishment just minutes ago ... saying, "Ja Morant’s decision to once again wield a firearm on social media is alarming and disconcerting given his similar conduct in March for which he was already suspended eight games."

"The potential for other young people to emulate Ja's conduct is particularly concerning. Under these circumstances, we believe a suspension of 25 games is appropriate and makes clear that engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated."

Morant was initially suspended without pay after showing a gun while at a Colorado strip club in March ... which he later apologized for and vowed to seek help.

Just two months later, the All-Star was spotted holding a weapon during an Instagram Live session with his friend.

The suspension begins immediately ... and Ja is forbidden from attending any team events, including preseason games prior to the start of the 2023-24 campaign in October.

The punishment will also hurt Morant's pockets -- he will lose approximately $12 million in salary during his time away from the court.

"For Ja, basketball needs to take a back seat at this time," Silver added. "Prior to his return to play, he will be required to formulate and fulfill a program with the league that directly addresses the circumstances that led him to repeat this destructive behavior."

There were rumors Morant's team was claiming the gun shown in the video was actually fake ... but the Association said Friday it concluded the firearm was real.

As part of the punishment, Morant will be required to meet certain conditions before he will get the green light to return to the court.

If he hits the criteria, Morant will be available to play in December.

Michael Jordan's run as owner of the Charlotte Hornets is coming to an end -- the basketball legend has agreed to sell the team to a group that includes several A-list stars.

The Hall of Famer will hand the reins over to businessmen Gabe Plotkin (who already owns part of the Hornets) and Rick Schnall.

The buyer group also includes rapper J. Cole and country singer Eric Church, the team announced Friday.

MJ initially bought a minority stake of the franchise back in 2006 ... and took the position of Managing Member of Basketball Operations.

He became a majority owner in 2010 ... buying the rest of the team from BET founder Robert L. Johnson for $275 million.

The two sides will put pen to paper in the next few days, according to reports.

Plotkin bought part of the Hornets back in 2019 ... a move that, in hindsight, is now considered the first step in phasing Jordan out of ownership.

Plotkin is the founder of Tallwoods Capital ... and Schnall is co-president of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, a private equity firm.

Conor McGregor has been accused of raping a woman at Game 4 of the NBA Finals earlier this month ... but the UFC star says the allegations are not true.

According to demand letters, authored by attorney Ariel Mitchell, that were sent to McGregor, the NBA and the Miami Heat this week ... the incident happened just after the Nuggets had won, 108-95, on June 9 at the Kaseya Center in Florida.

McGregor played a big part in the entertainment at the game -- he sat in courtside seats  and even participated in a halftime skit where he punched a Heat mascot multiple times while promoting his Tidl Sport recovery spray.

But, according to the letters, obtained by TMZ Sports, at one point later on during the evening ... he "violently" sexually assaulted a woman inside of a men's bathroom.

In the letters, Mitchell claims that NBA and Heat security helped separate the woman from her friend ... and then forced her into a restroom that McGregor and his security guard were already inside of.

In the letters, Mitchell says "security refused to let [the woman] exit or allow anyone else, including her friend, inside the bathroom." The lawyer then claims McGregor emerged from inside of a handicap stall "and shoved his tongue in the victim's mouth and aggressively kissed her."

According to the letters, the woman was able to get McGregor off of her by telling him she had to urinate ... but then McGregor allegedly forced her to have oral sex with him.

McGregor, 34, is then accused of grabbing the woman and pinning her against the wall ... before attempting to sodomize her.

Mitchell says in the letters the woman was able to elbow McGregor repeatedly -- which gave her a window to escape. However, she allegedly fled in such a hurry, she left her purse -- which Mitchell says McGregor's security guards "held hostage" until she pleaded with them for its return.

According to the letters, the woman finally got away from it all ... and went on to report the assault to local authorities on Sunday morning. Mitchell tells us an officer then encouraged the woman to seek out an attorney.

In the letters, which were sent following the woman's meeting with cops, Mitchell said the woman is seeking settlements with the NBA, the Heat, and McGregor in lieu of litigation.

Reps for McGregor, however, said in a statement Thursday morning the "allegations are false."

"Mr. McGregor will not be intimidated," they added.

The Heat released a statement Thursday afternoon saying the org. is aware of the allegations and is "conducting a full investigation" into the matter. The NBA added in a statement of its own, "We are aware of the allegations and are working with the team to gather more information."

The UFC also addressed the alleged incident ... saying it, too, is aware of the claims and is working on getting more information.

"UFC will allow the legal process to play out before making any additional statements."

The Denver Nuggets championship parade just took a somber turn ... a police officer was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries after being struck by a firetruck that was participating in the ceremonies.

According to the Denver Police Dept. ... the incident happened just minutes ago while the truck was driving along the parade route in the Mile High City.

You can see in video from the scene, Nuggets superstars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray -- as well as the Larry O'Brien trophy -- were on the vehicle when the accident occurred.

It's unclear how exactly the officer was hurt ... but cops said in a statement Thursday afternoon they have launched an investigation into it all.

Jokic and Murray were not harmed during the incident -- and both were escorted off the truck by officials. The two are now up onstage addressing the huge crowd of supporters that have been out since early Thursday morning celebrating the team's first-ever title.

The Denver Nuggets' NBA championship parade is officially underway ... and things are already off to a hot start -- with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope getting into a beer-chugging contest with a fan in the crowd!!

The awesome moment went down as the team made its way through the streets on firetrucks ... when KCP decided to hop off and down some brews with a lucky supporter.

The basketball player destroyed his competition ... but no one seemed to really be keeping score, as the two hugged it out at the end -- and the fan lost his damn mind.

Not everyone was guzzling the beers on hand, though -- Christian Braun did a sort of Triple H/"Stone Cold" Steve Austin combination by spitting out his drink as his truck cruised down the street.

Finals MVP Nikola Jokic has his whole family with him for the celly ... so we take it he'll mostly be on his best behavior -- but we're hoping he decides to let loose a bit.

The parade will end at Civic Center Park ... where the team will hold its rally.

Hopefully, there will be some boozed-up speeches on the horizon!!

Austin Reaves' hot streak continues -- fresh off his breakout season with the Lakers, the former undrafted NBA prospect has inked a signature shoe deal that's reportedly worth millions!!

The 25-year-old signed a multi-year contract with Chinese brand Rigorer that could "reach over seven figures per year," according to Shams Charania ... and it includes getting his very own sneaker, the "AR1."

Reaves talked about the business move on Thursday ... saying, "If you would have told me I'd have had a signature shoe at 18, I'd have looked at you and called you a liar."

"Honestly, I'm blessed to play basketball for a living and I just have to pinch myself sometimes to really understand what's going on."

Reaves blew up this past season ... becoming an important piece on the Lakers roster, averaging 21 points a game in the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets.

The Arkansas native's shoe deal isn't the only major source of income -- he's expected to be a big target in free agency, with teams prepping to offer him more than $50 million over four years.

A Michael Jordan fan just spent a staggering sum of money to own some of the NBA legend's most iconic memorabilia ... dropping over $1 MILLION to nab His Airness' "Flu-Game" sneakers!!

The shoes -- which Jordan wore during Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz while he battled an illness -- were bought at auction Wednesday ... coming in with a final price tag of $1,380,000.

Somehow, it was not the highest price ever for Jordan sneakers -- a pair from the 1998 Finals and a pair from his rookie season previously netted more -- but, according to the man who facilitated the auction, Ken Goldin, they're an unreal purchase nonetheless.

In fact, the auction expert previously told TMZ Sports back in April that he believed they were simply "the most valuable sneakers of all time."

Jordan scored 38 points while wearing the Jordan 12s in the pivotal game in Salt Lake City. Despite battling an ailment that left him, at times, completely exhausted on the court, he still was the key reason the Bulls won the game. Chicago would later go on to lock up the NBA title on the heels of the victory.

Following the game, Jordan signed the kicks and then handed them over to Utah Jazz ball boy Preston Truman ... who had helped MJ with postgame snacks in years prior.

Truman then held onto them for over a decade, before he sold them at auction back in 2013. They hadn't been seen again ... until Goldin's auction this year.

No word on who Wednesday's buyer was ... but something tells us they're very rich -- and, now, very happy.

LeBron James' second-oldest son is celebrating his Sweet Sixteen on Wednesday ... and the Los Angeles Lakers superstar made sure to wish Bryce a happy birthday with a special shout-out to the teen hooper.

"SCREAMING HAPPY 16th BIRTHDAY 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️ to my Twin MAXIMUS @_justbryce!!!!!!" Bron said on Instagram. "I LOVE YOU YOUNG 🤴🏾!!!"

"Keep going up and up and up! Love the young man you are and becoming every single day!! 🙏🏾🤎🤎🤎🤎🤎🤎👑."

LeBron's tribute also came with several recent pics of Bryce ... showing him balling out on the court and enjoying some downtime as well.

LBJ's oldest kid, Bronny, just graduated from Sierra Canyon High School and will attend USC in the fall ... and Bryce is slated to suit up for Campbell Hall for his remaining two years before college -- so yeah, we're all officially old.

The bday also means there could be another member of the James Gang on the road ... and if Bryce is getting his license, we're sure he'll be riding around in style.

The Miami Heat may have lost the NBA Finals, but there's at least some good news for the organization -- Conor McGregor says Burnie the mascot is A-OK after getting his bell rung at the hands of the UFC superstar!

"The mascot is good. It was a skit, and all is well," the 34-year-old former champ said Tuesday in NYC.

"I spent a lot of time with him afterward, we talked it out, everything is great. It was all part of the show!"

Remember, McGregor participated in what was supposed to be a fun, friendly routine with Burnie during game 4 of the Finals in Miami on Friday, when things took a turn for the worse for the furry creature.

Conor was promoting his Tidl Sport recovery spray ... when Burnie -- wearing oversized boxing gloves -- squared up with McGregor.

That was all The Notorious needed to see ... and he smashed Burnie with one of his vicious patented left hooks. The mascot went down to the ground before McGregor hit him with a brutal ground-and-pound strike to the head.

Unfortunately, Conor hits hard, as the guy in the Burnie costume found out, resulting in a reported trip to the hospital.

But, by Conor's account, he escaped serious injury and is okay.

Dillon Brooks continues to catch strays after his trash talk blew up in his face this season ... 'cause the NBA hooper is now a punchline in Polo G's new freestyle -- and it's harsh!!

The Chicago artist dropped the vicious bar while appearing on "Justin Credible's Freestyles" with Power 106 in L.A. ... where he flowed over Ja Rule's classic "New York" beat.

It only took a few seconds for Polo to name-drop the former(?) Memphis Grizzlies player ... saying, "If he a lame like Dillon Brooks, I take him straight off the roster."

Justin immediately started cracking up ... but Polo was just getting started, freestyling for another two minutes before it was all said and done.

Of course, Brooks has been the butt of many jokes after calling LeBron James "old" and washed up in the middle of Memphis' first-round matchup against the Lakers ... which L.A. ended up winning in six games.

After the Grizzlies were sent packing, there were reports Memphis had no interest in bringing Brooks back "under any circumstances" ... which was later refuted by his agent.

Ja Morant gave Lil Wayne the cold shoulder when the rapper tried to lend a helping hand following his recent gun controversy ... so says Skip Bayless, who claims he was given the information from the Young Money honcho himself.

The FS1 host shared Wayne's apparent side of the story on the "Skip Bayless Show" podcast this week ... saying the "Kant Nobody" M.C.'s personal experiences influenced his decision to reach out to the All-Star guard.

According to Skip, Wayne reminisced on his own time spent on Rikers Island for gun possession ... and made it known he didn't want Ja to end up in the same cell.

Skip says the message was delivered ... but claims Ja and his team never got back to Wayne.

Wayne isn't the only rapper concerned about Ja's well-being.

Cam'ron, who says he dashed his own basketball dreams to pursue moves in the streets, has also been publicly telling Ja to revert course ... especially since the Dipset rapper doesn't think a career in hip-hop is in the cards for the Grizzlies star.

Skip's gonna need to map out a game plan to discuss more of Ja's plight -- he's currently without a debate partner at "Undisputed" after Shannon Sharpe announced his departure on Tuesday.

The mass shooting after the Nuggets' championship win in Denver on Tuesday morning appeared to be sparked by a drug deal gone wrong ... this according to cops.

Denver chief of police Ron Thomas made the revelation on Tuesday afternoon ... explaining that they discovered cash, firearms and what appeared to be fentanyl at the scene -- all signs that point toward a botched drug deal.

Two people, Thomas said, are in police custody -- though their exact involvement remains unclear.

Of the 10 people that sustained gunshot wounds, authorities said they believe five or six were innocent bystanders. All 10, thankfully, are now in "fair condition," according to officials ... though five still remain in the hospital.

The gunshots initially broke out about a mile from Ball Arena at around 12:30 AM ... roughly three and a half hours after Denver beat Miami to win the NBA title in Game 5.

Officials praised the actions of responding officers -- releasing video from the scene that showed cops running toward the gunshots in an effort to keep people safe.

An investigation into it all, officials added, remains ongoing.

Larsa Pippen says she was in super stealth mode in the early days of her relationship with Marcus Jordan ... admitting she gave her boyfriend an alias in her phone to keep people from finding out about their budding romance.

The 48-year-old reality TV star revealed the sneaky tactic in the couple's new podcast, "Separation Anxiety" ... saying she initially couldn't risk having people find out what was going on behind the scenes.

"I could never really put you under your name in my phone," Pippen said. "So I had you under Marc Jacob."

"I didn't want anyone to know when you called me."

Marcus seemed to completely understand the reasoning behind it -- after all, Scottie Pippen is Larsa's ex-husband, who has major beef with Marcus' pops, Michael Jordan ... and the two knew there was going to be a lot of "interest" if word got out that they were dating.

But, the couple decided to say to hell with the hate after a few months ... which was made clear after they started packing on the PDA wherever they went.

Marcus also spoke about how things got started ... and apparently Yo Gotti was right, 'cause it really does go down in the DMs.

"I do remember going on a trip to the Bahamas, taking a big group of friends, hit you in the DMs just saying, 'Hey, look we going to the Bahamas, you're more than welcome to come,'" Jordan said.

"I'll probably say that's the first move."

Pippen also had a few words for the trolls who still don't believe she just met Marcus a few years ago ... since Scottie and MJ played together for over a decade

"Like, I threw your 5th birthday or something," Pippen said. "Like, no, by the way, I never met you before."

Larsa admitted she feared she would never find true love again ... claiming there was no one out there who really got her attention the way Marcus does.

"I think I might be single forever because there's no one that's cute, funny, smart," Pippen said.

"Then when you and I first got together, I was like, 'Oh, my God, this is the guy.' This is the guy I prayed for, 'cause I really prayed for a best friend and I feel like I got my best friend."

The Drake curse may officially be over. The hip-hop superstar hit on two massive bets when the Denver Nuggets secured the 'chip in 5 games, profiting over 800 grand!

The 36-year-old superstar placed two bets on the Denver Nuggets back on June 1, before game 1 was played. The first wager ... risking $1 million on the Nuggets to win the series outright (pays 1.23 mil total). The second ... Drizzy put up $250K on the Nuggets winning the series in 5 games (pays $850K).

All told (assuming Drake isn't holding back any losing tickets), the rapper, minus what he risked, won $830K!

It's a good sign for many of the most popular teams across the sports landscape. Of course, Drake's notorious for rooting for, and betting on teams or athletes ... who have then had a reputation for losing.

Thus, the Drake curse.

The Kentucky Wildcats basketball team fell victim to it, and so did the Alabama Crimson Tide football team. Conor McGregor, too (though Khabib probably deserves the credit here).

Not all have fell victim. Drake's beloved Toronto Raptors won the title in 2019, Tyson Fury, who the rapper supported against Deontay Wilder in 2021, also won.

Now, you can add the Nuggets to that list.

An NBA championship celebration in Denver quickly turned from jubilation to terror ... as 10 people were injured in a mass shooting in the city following the Nuggets' win.

According to the Denver Police Dept. ... the shooting took place about a mile from Ball Arena at around 12:30 AM on Tuesday morning.

Full details surrounding the incident are not yet clear -- cops described the scene as "a complex" situation -- though they did say 10 total people had sustained gunshot wounds.

Cops revealed one of the injured has been identified as a suspect. Three others, police said, are in critical condition. The rest "are believed to have non-life-threatening injuries."

"As far as what led up to this altercation that resulted in the shots being fired, that’s still under investigation at this time," a police spokesperson said. "It did occur in the area where we had largest gathering of folks celebrating during the night."

Photos from the scene show authorities have marked off the area with caution tape as an investigation continues.

Just prior to the shooting, it had been nothing but a good time for those in the city who were celebrating the Nuggets' 94-89 Game 5 victory over the Heat.

Fans had climbed street poles to cheer on their NBA team with others -- before they hurled themselves into happy crowds below.

Others were seen shooting off fireworks to commemorate the team's first-ever title.

Inside the arena, meanwhile, Nuggets players couldn't have been happier to finish off their championship run ... the guys doused each other in booze in the locker room -- and at one point, series MVP Nikola Jokic tossed Jamal Murray into a pool.