NBA

Devastating news for Karl-Anthony Towns ... the NBA star announced he's tested positive for COVID-19 ... just 9 months after his mother passed away from a lengthy battle with coronavirus.

The 25-year-old says he received the news prior to the Minnesota Timberwolves' matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies -- which has been postponed -- and will isolate and follow all protocols immediately.

"I pray every day that this nightmare of a virus will subside and I beg everyone to continue to take it seriously by taking all of the necessary precautions," KAT said Friday.

"We cannot stop the spread of this virus alone, it must be a group effort by all of us."

KAT's mother, Jacqueline Towns, contracted COVID-19 in March 2020 and was put in a medically induced coma due to complications.

She tragically passed away on April 13.

KAT's father, Karl, Sr. also previously tested positive for the virus ... but made a full recovery.

Towns continued ... "It breaks my heart that my family, and particularly my father and sister continue to suffer from the anxiety that comes along with this diagnosis as we know all too well what the end result could be."

Towns sends an incredibly powerful message to his family ... vowing to beat the virus and be there for his loved ones moving forward.

As the anniversary of Kobe and Gianna Bryant's deaths approaches, Vanessa's sharing her daily battle to cope with such heartbreaking loss ... and offering some advice.

Vanessa says ... "Grief is a messed up cluster of emotions. One day you're in the moment laughing and the next day you don't feel like being alive."

She then speaks directly to people who understand her pain, adding ... "Find your reason to live. I know it's hard. I look at my daughters and I try to push through that feeling for them."

As you know ... Vanessa's husband and 13-year-old daughter were both killed in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020 along with 7 others, including the pilot.

From time to time, Vanessa's shared her efforts to pick up the pieces and care for her and Kobe's 3 other girls ... but she's never spoken this openly about her struggle with grief.

Hall of Famer Charles Barkley says NBA and NFL athletes deserve preferential treatment with COVID-19 vaccines ... claiming it's only fair considering how much they pay in taxes.

The NBA is currently dealing with a COVID nightmare ... with at least 10 games being postponed due to positive tests or close contacts through less than a month of play.

The "Inside The NBA" analysts were discussing the status of the league following the Golden State Warriors vs. Denver Nuggets game Thursday night ... when Chuck gave his eye-opening take.

"We need 300 million shots, give a thousand to some NBA players ... NFL players, hockey players," Barkley said. "As much taxes as these players pay, they deserve some preferential treatment."

Kenny Smith followed up by questioning if that's fair when it could literally be a "life or death" situation for regular folk who don't have the same resources as pro athletes ... but Barkley doubled down.

"We can't go there," Smith clapped back. "I don't think you can go there."

Barkley noted he personally believes 1,000 vaccines to NBA players would not take away from at-risk or elderly people who could benefit more from the vaccine ... and claims his plan would keep the season alive.

Of course, both NBA and NFL commissioners Adam Silver and Roger Goodell have already shot down the idea of giving their players vaccines while essential workers and others wait in line.

The NBA recently modified its health and safety protocols after 16 players tested positive for the virus ... but Chuck clearly thinks more needs to be done to save the season.

James Harden is saying goodbye to his home of 9 years with an emotional tribute ... saying he is "forever indebted" to the city after failing to bring the Larry O'Brien trophy back to Houston.

The 2018 MVP had a messy breakup with the Rockets to say the least ... from asking for a trade, to partying in ATL and Las Vegas during training camp, to publicly bashing the team.

But, JH put all that aside in his final message to H-Town ... thanking the organization and city for taking a chance on him.

"What can I write? What words can convey all the ways I feel," Harden said Friday.

"Houston you welcomed me with no guarantees. Took a leap of faith and it changed my life and the lives of my family, forever. This organization, this city has given me everything I could ask for and more."

He added ... "Before the scoring titles, long before MVP, you believed. For that I am forever indebted. The city opened its arms and welcomed me and my family as one of its own and for that I am forever indebted."

FWIW -- the Rockets won their first game of the post-Harden era Thursday night ... beating the San Antonio Spurs 109 to 105. So, things aren't all bad in H-Town!!

The superstar continued ... "I gave my mind, body and soul in hopes of bringing the glory to the city. I fell short and for that, I am forever indebted. It’s far from a goodbye, as I pay all my debts."

Kyrie Irving has been hit with yet another fine this season ... this time, the Brooklyn Nets superstar will have to cough up $50,000 for violating the league's health and safety protocols.

As we previously reported, the NBA was investigating video of a maskless Irving attending a private birthday party for his sister earlier this week, which is against the league's COVID-19 policy.

The rule states players cannot attend indoor events exceeding 15 people.

The Association handed down its punishment Friday ... and while KI was hit with the $50k fine, he will also forfeit game checks for the 2 games he missed following the party, which amounts to $816,898, according to insider Bobby Marks.

It's not the first time Irving has had to pull out his wallet this season ... he was fined $25k for refusing to speak to the media.

The latest development adds to the drama-filled season for Irving -- who went MIA on the Nets last week for "personal reasons."

G.S. Warrior star Kelly Oubre claims his ex-GF tried to extort him out of nearly $3 million ... and if he didn't pay up, she'd launch a smear campaign intended to destroy his reputation.

The allegations are part of a lawsuit filed by the 25-year-old hooper in Los Angeles.

Oubre -- a 6-year NBA vet who was a former 1st-round draft pick -- claims his ex, Makena LeDuff, contacted him on January 11, 2021, and demanded a large sum of money ... or she would retaliate against him.

"Makena demanded that Kelly her pay her nearly $3 million or she would make public her false, scurrilous, and extortionate allegations by the end of the week," the lawsuit reads.

The suit claims LeDuff contacted Oubre and threatened to say he was engaged in "criminal conduct" and make other false allegations ... all "crafted to cause maximum and irreparable harm to Kelly, his reputation, and his career."

If this case sounds familiar ... well, that's 'cause it is.

Oubre first filed suit against LeDuff back in 2019 .... saying she became an absolute nightmare after they broke up. He claims she stole his 2 dogs, Soul and Saint, slashed his tires and refused to leave the house he was renting in Beverly Hills.

Kelly says he still hasn't gotten his dogs back ... and now the situation has escalated with the threats. So, his attornies amended their initial complaint ... and now they're seeking punitive damages against LeDuff.

That's not all -- Oubre also claims Makena threatened to hurt him with a thinly veiled threat she posted on social media back in August 2019.

"Makena posted a photo on her Instagram account, where she intimated that she would take physical action against Kelly, Kelly’s friends, or anyone else that tried to enter the house to help Kelly to retrieve his things," the lawsuit claims.

The suit continues ... "Specifically, the photo showed Makena in the backyard of the Beverly Hills house, wearing one of Kelly’s favorite hats, while at the same time brandishing a rifle. In the caption, Makena wrote, 'Exercising ALL my rights.'"

James Harden's new upscale restaurant in Houston isn't even open yet, but the place is getting flooded with bad reviews ... courtesy of a bunch of pissed-off Rockets fans!!

Despite being shipped to the Brooklyn Nets this week, Harden's restaurant -- named "Thirteen" after his jersey number -- is set to open its doors later this month.

A number of passionate fans used the restaurant's review section as an opportunity to troll the hell out of their new nemesis ... leaving a bunch of angry 1-star reviews of the place.

Here are a few examples of the reviews:

"Literal trash just like James harden"

"Owner doesn’t know how to cook it up in the court."

"Doesn't quite have that championship taste."

"toxic owner, food just never comes out finished. definitely a choking hazard. owner walked out on the chefs he brought in himself. wouldn’t touch this place with a 4 mile long pole."

One fan even used the same words from Harden's final post-game presser with the Rockets ... saying, "I literally have done everything that I can. I mean, this situation is crazy. It's something that I don't think can be fixed"

There are a LOT more we could share ... but you get the point.

Some fans, however, are taking the higher road by trying to combat the bad reviews with 5 stars and kindness, like this guy who said, "The owner carried my team for 8 years and made us relevant."

The new spot will offer fine wine, cocktails and steaks ... so folks can at least enjoy that even if Harden is gone.

Got a James Harden jersey and a dirty whip?? You're in luck, 'cause one Houston car wash is giving out free washes in exchange for #13 Rockets threads!!

The 2018 MVP is officially a member of the Brooklyn Nets after a blockbuster trade on Wednesday ... forming a super team with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

I Car Wash in H-Town came up with a solution for sad fans ... by taking their now-useless jerseys and offering their top tier wash in return, as ABC13 reported.

So, what's gonna happen to all the Harden jerseys?? TMZ Sports spoke with owner Sean Qureshi, who says he's hoping to TORCH 'EM ALL when JH returns to Houston as a Net.

"My plan is to burn them," Qureshi said. "I'm gonna make sure with local fire department just to make sure everything is on the up and up. But if they allow me to, whenever Harden comes back for the first game with the Nets, I'm burning them all that day."

Quereshi says he's preparing for around 50 fans to take him up on his offer ... meaning he expects to lose money in the promotion.

The apple doesn't fall too far from ... The Worm?!

That's definitely the case in the Rodman family ... 'cause Dennis Rodman's soccer-playing daughter, Trinity, has entered the NWSL draft -- and it's likely she'll be a 1st-round pick!!

NWSL officials announced Tuesday that the NBA legend's daughter had officially registered for the league's draft ... and some pundits now believe she has a chance to possibly be the #1 overall pick when selecting begins Wednesday evening!

Of course, if ya follow women's soccer closely, this ain't too much of a surprise ... Trinity has been BALLIN' on the pitch for years, and has future superstar written all over her.

The 18-year-old tallied eight goals and six assists as part of the U.S. youth national team that won the 2020 CONCACAF under-20 women's title last spring.

Trinity had been all set to begin a collegiate soccer career at Washington State in 2020 ... but, because of the COVID pandemic pushing the season into 2021, she was able to possibly forego that career to pursue one in the NWSL.

The league is set to begin its draft at 4 p.m. PT on Wednesday ... with Louisville's Racing Louisville FC selecting first.

The second pick, which some believe could be Trinity, belongs to the Washington Spirit.

It appears James Harden is on the verge of getting a one-way ticket outta Houston ... 'cause Rockets head coach Stephen Silas told the NBA superstar to stay home after ripping the team in a post-game interview.

31-year-old Harden unleashed on the Rockets after their 117-100 loss to the Lakers on Tuesday night ... saying, "we're just not good enough" and claiming the situation is beyond repair.

In wake of Harden's comments, a clearly fed up Silas explained why The Beard was absent from practice Wednesday.

"We felt that it was best for the group and best for James not to come to practice," Silas said.

Harden's teammate, John Wall, spoke out about #13's reaction to the team's 3-6 start ... saying, "It’s only been nine games. Come on, man, you want to jump off the cliff after nine games?"

"When you have certain guys in the mix that don’t want to buy in all as one, it’s going to be hard to do anything special, to do anything good as a basketball team."

DeMarcus Cousins wasn't as nice Wednesday afternoon.

"My interest is to play with John Wall, to be brutally honest," Cousins said.

"The (James Harden) disrespect started way before. This isn't something that all of a sudden started last night."

"It's completely unfair to the rest of the guys in the locker room."

Of course, Harden's name was in the news all offseason -- JH was spotted in ATL and Las Vegas while his teammates were in Houston preparing for the season ... claiming he was "training" for the season.

There are rumors Harden could be shipped to the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia Sixers or other potential teams as a result of the drama ... so it's very possible he's played his last game in Houston.

LeBron James is now $100 richer ... and it's all thanks to a mid-game bet he made on an insane no-look 3-pointer with teammate Dennis Schroder!!

The Lakers were already easily handling the troubled Houston Rockets early in the game Tuesday night ... holding a 21-point lead through the first quarter.

But, the real fun started a few minutes into the second, when Schroder yelled out a proposition to Bron to nail a wide-open corner 3 ball for $100.

"Bet a Benjamin on it!" Schroder said from the bench a few inches away.

Naturally, LBJ pulled up, took the shot, turned around and looked Schroder dead in the eyes and said "BET!!" before the ball even made its descent to the hoop.

Of course, the ball hit nothing but net, and the Lakers bench went absolutely bonkers!!

So, why did LeBron flip around before the shot even went in like he was Steph Curry?? It's all about that bet etiquette!!

"A bet isn't official until you look a man in the eye, so I had to look him into the eye."

Schroder also commented on the shot, calling it straight-up "legendary."

Lamar Odom is back ... but the 2x-NBA champion isn't returning to the hardwood -- he's fighting!!

TMZ Sports has learned that the 41-year-old ex-NBA star has inked a deal with Celebrity Boxing ... and will step into the ring on June 12 at the Showboat Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.

The 6'10" Odom doesn't currently have an opponent ... but CB creator Damon Feldman tells us he's working on a big-name celeb to duke it out with Lamar.

Of course, Odom is no stranger to fighting ... he literally fought for his life after collapsing at Dennis Hof's Nevada brothel back in 2015.

Lamar attempted a basketball comeback ... and was briefly part of Ice Cube's Big3 League.

However, the hooper has turned his attention to pugilism (temporarily, at least) ... and we're told he's fully committed to busting his ass in the boxing gym ahead of his upcoming fight.

It's worth noting, the last time a basketball player stepped in the ring, he got ROCKED (sorry, Nate).

So, goes without saying, Lamar hopes history doesn't repeat itself!!

Tip for all trolls looking to come at Philadelphia 76ers guard Danny Green ... ya better be ready to eat your words -- 'cause the dude WILL clap back!!

Here's the deal -- it's fair to say Green seriously struggled against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night ... going 0-9 and racking up a whopping 2 total points in 28 minutes.

Naturally, one fan let Green have it after the final buzzer ... yelling at the 12-year vet to do better as he walked into the locker room.

"Man, you gotta start shooting better, man," the heckler said after the Sixers' 112-94 loss to the Hawks. "You was 0-10, bruh. 0-10!!!"

That's when Green put the dude in his place ... reminding him just exactly who he was talking to.

"I got 3 rings, n****," Green said ... acknowledging his success with the San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Lakers.

Of course, Green is known for being a sharp-shooter ... but Internet trolls are never shy to give the 33-year-old an earful when he has an off night.

It even got to the point where Green claims he and his fiancee were on the receiving end of death threats after missing a wide-open 3 pointer in Game 5 of the NBA Finals last season.

The NBA is looking into videos appearing to show Kyrie Irving partying at a nightclub without a mask -- all while he’s been MIA from his team.

The Brooklyn Nets superstar hasn’t played an NBA game since January 5. Tonight will be the 4th game he's missed. Neither BK or Kyrie have explained his absence ... outside of the team saying it was for personal reasons.

This is where the situation gets even stranger ... 'cause videos have now surfaced that seem to show a maskless Irving celebrating his sister's birthday with his family at a North New Jersey night spot this week.

We're told the NBA is aware of the videos ... and plans to review the circumstances surrounding the situation -- and will almost certainly speak to Irving.

A big deal not only because Kyrie's being paid $136 mil to hoop ... but the NBA has strict COVID-19 protocols in place -- and clubbing is definitely NOT permitted.

FYI, after a hot start -- and now without Irving -- the Nets have lost 2 games in a row and are 5-6.

Even with the NBA's strict coronavirus guidelines, the season has gotten off to a rocky start ... with multiple games being postponed thanks to positive tests and/or close contacts.

In other words, if the NBA determines the videos are new and Kyrie violated the rules ... don't expect to see him on the court anytime in the near future.

The NBA season is stumbling out of the gates ... with multiple games being postponed due to COVID-19.

The league has been hit hard with the virus over the past week ... as the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks and more have been struggling to put enough men on the court due to the NBA's Health and Safety protocols.

Fresh off the Heat's matchup with the Celtics being postponed Sunday, the Association has now pushed back 2 more games -- Mavs vs. New Orleans Pelicans and Celtics vs. the Chicago Bulls.

Of course, the league requires an 8-man roster in order to compete ... and the Heat and Mavs have been unable to fit that requirement as they conduct contact tracing following positive or inconclusive tests within their organizations.

The Philadelphia 76ers have also dealt with COVID-related issues after Seth Curry tested positive last week.

Despite the mess, the league officials say they will NOT postpone the season ... as they anticipated some hiccups along the way.

A basketball card collector hit the JACKPOT -- pulling an ultra-rare, 1-of-1 Zion Williamson card -- and he's not wasting any time CASHIN' IN on the super valuable piece.

Here's the deal ... an Australian fan ponied up $750 to reserve 1 card from a box of 2019-20 Panini Flawless Basketball cards (a box generally runs around $7K).

The man lives thousands of miles away (and we're still in a pandemic), so an employee from Firehand Cards in Southern California pulled the card on Christmas Eve ... while the fan watched online (see video below).

Keep in mind ... the fan knew he bought a card, but had NO IDEA which one.

The card was a Zion NBA Logoman ... arguably the most sought after basketball card of the year. The card contains Williamson's signature, and patch from a game-worn jersey from his rookie season with the Pelicans.

The fan hit up Ken Goldin of Goldin Auctions, and they struck a deal to put the card on the auction block.

Goldin arranged for his nephew who lives in Cali to pick up the card from the shop ... and deliver it to PSA -- a premiere memorabilia grading service. A day later the card was graded mint condition, and is now on the auction block.

GA tells us they expect the card to bring in around $750,000 ... once the auction goes live January 11.