NBA

Longtime NBA referee Eric Lewis is retiring ... just a couple months after the league announced it was looking into allegations he wrongfully used social media.

The 19-year-vet, who's officiated over 1,200 regular-season and playoff games, informed the league of his decision on Wednesday ... according to NBA officials.

The league added its probe into Lewis' alleged social media activity is now closed.

As we previously reported, the NBA initially began its investigation back in the spring ... after some claimed now-deleted tweets regarding the league's officiating came from a burner account belonging to the 52-year-old.

The NBA, of course, does not allow refs to publicly comment on officiating ... and while they looked into the matter, they pulled Lewis from his role as an NBA Finals ref.

At the time, Adam Silver said he didn't think it would be "appropriate for him to work" the games amid the allegations.

Jack Harlow dropped the visuals for his song, "Denver," on Wednesday ... and fittingly, he enlisted one of the city's biggest stars to appear in the music video -- Jamal Murray!!

The Kentucky-based M.C. released the project minutes ago ... which shows the Nuggets champion smiling from ear-to-ear alongside him at about the halfway point.

It's a brief appearance, but it's a cool move by Harlow to show love for the young baller fresh off bringing a title to the Mile High City earlier this year.

Jack is no stranger to rubbing elbows with NBAers -- remember, the guy named a song after Tyler Herro back in 2021, and featured the Miami Heat hooper in the video for that track as well.

Harlow also had his infamous controversy with Lou Williams during the COVID-19 pandemic ... when he posted a selfie of them together at Magic City in Atlanta when the then-Clippers guard left the NBA bubble for a funeral.

No issues this time around ... as Murray thanked Harlow for the special shoutout.

Stan Van Gundy is getting a ton of support from his Orlando Magic family after the loss of his beloved wife ... with a ton of former players and staffers coming together to visit the coach -- including Dwight Howard, Vince Carter and Patrick Ewing.

Marcin Gortat -- who played center on the Magic from 2007 to 2010 -- shared a photo of the crew with Van Gundy on his Instagram just days after Kim suddenly passed away at the age of 61.

Several stars smiled as they posed with coach ... with the big man explaining the meeting was all about SVG.

"We all came out to support our leader and one of the best coaches in history of the game," Gortat said." Coach Stan Van Gundy. #nba #family #orlando #florida."

Howard -- who played under Van Gundy for five seasons -- penned an emotional Instagram post when Kim passed away ... saying he would always be there for him.

"We've been through it all, and these are the times that we need each other the most. My deepest condolences, thoughts, and prayers go out to you from the bottom of my heart," Howard said.

"I want you to know that myself and everyone from our Orlando team loves you and has your back through this time!"

Paul Pierce is opening up on the most terrifying experience of his life ... revealing his near-fatal stabbing in 2000 shaped him into the man he is today.

The Celtics legend reflected on his past in an emotional conversation on Monday night's episode of Fox's celebrity competition show, "Stars On Mars" ... explaining the Boston nightclub incident -- in which he was stabbed 11 times -- completely changed his point of view.

"I've showed endurance in my life because I never gave up," Pierce said in the clip. "I kept going and going."

The Truth added he was at the "lowest point in my life" when he got in the altercation ... saying, "I was like 23 years old, living my dream, and then all of a sudden I'm fighting death."

But, instead of letting the stabbing derail his journey, Pierce said it made him want to work even harder.

"Not only was it a low point, it was a high point for me, too. It changed my thinking, it changed my mindset, it changed how I lived."

Pierce compared the stabbing to his experience on the show ... as he spent the first few days struggling to gain any ground, but persisted and made it to the very end.

"It's kinda been my life, starting at the bottom and rising up."

Pierce went on to play every game of the 2000-01 season ... eventually bringing a championship to the Celtics in 2008.

NBA players aren't the only ones dragging Noah Lyles for smearing the NBA's "World Champion" title ... Drake took time out from his 'Blur' Tour to rub the track star's nose in his commentary!!!

Drake reps Toronto first and foremost, but even he had to cringe at Lyles' comments and hopped on DJ Akademiks' page to react  ... "He thought this speech was gonna be so hard in the mirror the night before...now the whole league doesn't rate u 😂😂😂"

Lyles' NBA slander also proved to be easy fodder Monday for Charlamagne tha God's "Donkey of the Day" -- countless previous 'DoD' culprits have hailed from the state of Florida and Noah, being born and raised in Gainesville, found himself to be no exception.

Lyles, dominated over the weekend at the World Athletic Games in Budapest, Hungary ... winning 3 Gold medals and many think he got too big-headed to formulate a serious thought.

As Charlamagne -- and several NBA stars noted -- the league attracts the best players from all over the WORLD, and the last 3 MVPs have all been non-American ... and 2 of them won back-to-back!!!

Noah Lyles clearly ruffled feathers when he criticized NBA players for calling themselves "world champions" after winning an NBA title ... 'cause Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Draymond Green and other hoop stars clapped back at the track star for the perceived shade!

If you missed it, Lyles, who just won three golds (100m, 200m, 4x100m relay) at the World Athletic Games in Budapest, Hungary, criticized NBA players for calling themselves "world champions," saying NBA players shouldn't get that moniker when they only play in the U.S. and Canada.

"You know what hurts me the most is that I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have ‘world champion’ on their head. World champion of what? The United States?!" Lyles said.

"Don't get me wrong, I love the U.S., at times, but that ain't the world. That is not the world. We are the world. We have almost every country out here fighting, thriving, putting on their flag to show that they are represented. There ain't no flags in the NBA."

Several NBA stars caught wind of 26-year-old Lyle's comments.

"Somebody help this brother," Durant wrote in the comments, while Booker left a face-palm emoji.

Draymond -- a 4x NBA champ -- also had a few words for the world's fastest man ... "When being smart goes wrong 🤦🏿‍♂️".

NBA players weren't the only ones clappin' back ... fans also flooded Lyles' IG comment section, with one writing, "Your insecurity is insane. Sorry track isn’t the premier sport in the US."

Of course, Lyles is technically right. The NBA championship is played in North America. But, the NBA teams feature the best players from not just America or Canada, but around the world. Giannis, Jokic, etc.

Doctors have gotten to the bottom of Bronny James' cardiac arrest, saying after extensive testing they've discovered a congenital heart defect that CAN be treated ... and the James family hopes he can continue his basketball career.

After consultations with some of the top heart doctors around the country, physicians believe they've identified the cause of Bronny's cardiac arrest.

"It is an anatomically and functionally significant Congenital Heart Defect which can and will be treated," a statement released by the family said.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... 18-year-old Bronny's heart stopped on July 24 during a workout on USC's campus in L.A.

James spent the weeks after getting evaluated at the Mayo Clinic and other medical institutions ... all in an effort to find out why he went into cardiac arrest.

Bronny appears to be doing much better. He's been spotted out around Los Angeles, most recently attending a Dodgers game and Drake concert with his dad.

As for his basketball future, the family is optimistic he can return to the court.

Gorilla Nems isn't feeling appreciated by the New York Knicks after lending them his trusty catchphrase ... and he's flipping them the bird as a staff, organization, and entire crew!!!

Bootleg Kev struck an apparent nerve with Nems when he asked if he gets free Knicks tickets since flipping his "Bing Bong" track into a remix for the team, and the Coney Island rapper went off.

Nems claims the NYK have "disgusting" business tactics, and are snakes in the grass ... and he says they make him jump through hoops to catch any hoops action at MSG.

He claims the team tried to offer him crappy seats after he participated in a celebrity b-ball game, but Nems says he wants courtside or nothing.

We gotta say, that's a pretty tall order -- everyone knows those Garden seats are always filled with A-listers -- and yet, Nems feels the team owes him a Spike Lee-adjacent seat.

Knicks fans know the "Bing Bong" soundbite well ... it plays in MSG every time the team makes a 3-pointer. You'd think that would make Nems a life-long Knicks fan, but that relationship's clearly soured.

Forget game-worn memorabilia ... how about a leather outfit rocked by an NBA legend?!

Wilt Chamberlain's two-piece disco suit, worn by oner of the coolest athletes of all time, is on the block at SCP Auctions ... and is expected to sell for a pretty penny (bids start at $20k)!

SCP described the suit as one of the "most unique" items from the Big Dipper ... a fit he not only wore on multiple occasions including during a visit to the Playboy Mansion, but he was also photographed in the threads over the years.

The blazer and pants are in "wearable condition" and come with horse hair and feather tassels attached. Instead of buttons, the designer used stones and leather.

"This suit certainly aligns with Chamberlain's larger-than-life attitude," SCP said, "and can be photo-matched to multiple images of Wilt enjoying the nightlife in the 70s."

SCP got its hands on the rare fit from a private owner who obtained it at auction in the early 2000s.

Of course, anything worn by Wilt is gonna cost you ... the Philadelphia-born baller, a 4x league MVP, is considered one of the greatest to ever play the game of basketball.

Wilt earned many accolades during his 14-year career. He made 13 All-Star teams, was a 7x scoring champion and 11x rebounding champion. He won 2 NBA titles and was the Rookie of the Year. Chamberlain could do whatever he wanted on the court.

Off the court, Wilt was known for his alleged exploits with the opposite sex ... claiming to have slept with over 20,000 women. With the disco suit, we're inclined to believe him.

Dennis Rodman just added more ink to his body to honor his girlfriend ... this time, he got a huge photo of her face tattooed right on his butt cheek.

The NBA legend hit up an artist in Florida this week to get the piece done -- the second time this summer he's gotten a tribute tat for Yella Yella placed on his body.

You'll recall, the first time was back in July -- when he got her portrait put on his face. This time around, he opted for his backside ... while adding a photo of his face to the imagery as well.

Rodman shared a video of the whole process on his social media pages on Thursday ... revealing Yella Yella had no idea of his plans when the two went on a late-night venture to the tattoo parlor.

In the footage, you can see the tats came out great ... taking up one-half of the 6-foot-7, former basketball player's butt.

The best tennis player in the world is no match for Jimmy Butler -- the NBA superstar proved he's got serious skills on more courts than just the hardwood ... by scoring a point off Carlos Alcaraz during a U.S. Open charity event!!

The Miami Heat hooper was serving as an honorary ball boy for the Spanish star's contest against Frances Tiafoe at the Stars of the Open at Louis Armstrong Stadium on Wednesday ... when all of a sudden, he decided to step in and show off his tennis game.

Okay, so Butler might not be the next Federer ... but he certainly held his own as he rallied with the No. 1-ranked Alcaraz, who was obviously taking it easy on the six-time All-Star.

At one point, Butler asked Alcaraz to hit him with a fast serve so he could prove he could successfully return ... but didn't get his wish, as his opponent put in about 5% power on his attempt.

But, it was Jimmy Buckets who got the crowd roaring by the end of the point ... sneaking a shot past Alcaraz to come out on top!!

Kimberly Van Gundy -- the wife of former NBA coach and analyst Stan Van Gundy -- tragically died last week, the family announced.

She was 61.

Stan, who coached the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons and New Orleans Pelicans over the course of his career, met Kimberly at Castleton State College in Vermont in the mid-1980s ... where he was the head coach of the men's basketball team at the time.

Kimberly and Stan got married on May 28, 1998 ... and celebrated their 25th anniversary earlier this year.

"I lost my big sister Kimberly Abbott Van Gundy on Wednesday," Kimberly's sister, Catherine, said in a statement last week. "She was one of my favorite people and I will forever miss her. Rest in peace, Kim."

Kimberly's obituary page reads ... "Kimberly's kindness and love for all around her was shown through her charitable works and activism."

A cause of death was not announced.

Kimberly leaves behind her husband and four children -- Shannon, Michael, Alison and Kelly.

The tributes are pouring in on what would have been Kobe Bryant's 45th birthday ... with the late Lakers legend's wife, Vanessa, sharing an emotional post.

"Happy birthday, baby. I love you always & forever. ❤️ #82378," Vanessa said on Instagram alongside several pics of the couple together.

Bryant's former teammates like Caron Butler and Carlos Boozer showed love in the comments ... as well as Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, who said, "A timeless and inspiring love story ❤️❤️❤️❤️."

Bryant has been the center of countless social media posts on Wednesday ... as many have been sharing their favorite memories.

Kobe and Vanessa first met on a music video set back in 1999 ... and were married 19 years before the five-time champion's death in 2020. They had four kids together -- Natalia, Gianna, Bianka and Capri.

Drake paid homage to LeBron James on Monday night, but on Tuesday, he tipped his cap to another Laker legend -- Kobe Bryant -- and the impromptu tribute to the Mamba was pretty cool.

Drizzy was performing yet another show at Crypto.com Arena as part of his "It's All A Blur" tour -- his sixth stop in the City of Angels this month -- and when someone threw a black, Bryant Lakers jersey on stage ... he paused his show to remember the Hall of Famer.

The 36-year-old rapper picked up the No. 24 uni and told the sold-out crowd at the venue where Bryant played almost all of his home games for his entire NBA career, "I'mma hold this up 'cause we got to show love to Kobe one time."

"Ya'll make some noise for Kobe at this time," he added.

The fans in attendance roared for several moments ... before Drake continued on with his performance.

It's the second time in as many days that Drake has urged his crowd to support the Lakers -- at Monday's show in Crypto, he featured James and the L.A. star's son, Bronny, a couple times during the concert.

Tuesday's tribute, though, was perhaps the most fitting ... considering this week is a special one for Bryant and his family.

The split between Nia Long and Ime Udoka is getting nastier ... the actress is now asking for primary custody of the couple's child -- after she claims the NBA head coach has been failing to support the kid.

Long made the allegation in a court filing in Los Angeles last week ... while requesting a judge give her primary legal and physical custody of their 11-year-old son, Kez.

According to the docs, however, she did ask the judge to allow Udoka a reasonable opportunity to visit their kid to the extent "consistent with the child's best interest."

A ruling on the petition has not yet been handed down. Udoka has yet to respond.

As we reported, the couple broke up in late 2022 after 13 years together ... following allegations that Udoka had an affair with a team staffer while he was the Boston Celtics' coach.

Long had said at the time that the scandal was revealed that she was heartbroken ... adding that it was all "devastating" to her and her family.

James Harden's bank account is 5 zeros lighter this morning ... the NBA slapped the perennial All-Star with a huge 100 grand fine for saying he wouldn't play for the Philadelphia 76ers, despite being under contract.

"The NBA announced today that Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden has been fined $100,000 by the NBA for public comments on August 14 and 17 indicating that he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless traded to another team," the Association announced.

"The league’s investigation, which included an interview of Harden, confirmed that these comments referenced Harden’s belief that the 76ers would not accommodate his request to be traded."

Of course, it was just last week when the 2018 NBA MVP blasted the Sixers exec while at an Adidas event, saying, "Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of."

In case there was any doubt, James doubled down.

"Let me say that again. Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”

Once James returned to the States, he was asked whether the relationship with Morey and the team could be salvaged ... to which he said no.

Harden is set to be a free agent after this season ... but he's made it clear, despite being owed over $30 million, he won't play for the 76ers.