NBA

The Rajon Rondo trade to L.A. is a dream come true for Clippers player Terance Mann ... who IDOLIZES Rondo so much, he's been carrying the guy's rookie card in his wallet for years!!!

AND HE PROVED IT ON CAMERA!!

Check out Mann whipping out his 2006 Topps #251 Rondo rookie card during Thursday's news conference with the media ... right after the Clippers announced Rajon was coming to town!

24-year-old Mann -- a 2019 draft pick -- explained he's been carrying the card in his wallet since 7th grade because he thinks it's good luck!

Mann explained ... "Somebody gave it to me, then I made the A-team for my travel team. I was like, 'Man, it’s gotta be this card!'"

Mann continued, "So I kept the card, and I kept getting better and better at basketball."

Hey, if it works ... why break tradition?!

Now, with the collectibles market blowing up at record levels -- Mann needs to get Rondo to SIGN the card (and get it authenticated) and it could be worth a fortune!!

Big night for Dwight Howard in his return to Staples Center on Thursday -- first he got his 2020 NBA Championship ring ... and then he got EJECTED!

Remember, Howard was part of the Lakers team that won it all in Orlando during the bizarre bubble season of 2020.

After the season, he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers ... right around the time Danny Green was traded from L.A. to Philly.

Both returned to Staples for the first time this season on Thursday where the Lakers honored the two with a ring ceremony before tipoff.

Big smiles. Big diamonds. Everyone seemed to be in a great mood.

But, everything changed when the game began -- Howard got into it with Lakers tough guy Montrezl Harrell in a chippy 1st quarter.

Things culminated with Howard intentionally bumping Harrell as time expired in the 1st quarter -- Harrell shoved him back.

Howard got the technical and was ejected from the game.

At least he had a sparkly parting gift ...

Ultimately, the 76ers got the win -- even without Dwight -- taking down the champs in a 109 to 101 victory.

We interrupt this standard NBA post-game press conference ... WITH A SPECIAL VIDEO MESSAGE FROM DRAKE?!

Yep, the rap superstar FaceTime'd his pal Kyle Lowry while the Toronto Raptors star was facing the media following Wednesday night's game against the Denver Nuggets.

There are rumblings that Toronto will trade Lowry to another team before the NBA trade deadline (Thursday at 12 PM PT) -- which means Wednesday could have been the last time Lowry rocked the Raptors uniform.

During the presser, Lowry admitted it was "kind of weird tonight not knowing what the next step would be" ... but when Drake's name popped up on his cell phone, his mood changed.

"Guys, we have a special guest here," Lowry told reporters during the video news conference.

That's when Lowry held up his phone and showed everyone Drake was on FaceTime!

"If you guys have any questions, I’m here to translate," Drake said ... "I’m his translator!"

Lowry laughed a quipped back, "No you’re not. No!! I’ll hit you when I’m done, bro."

Really funny moment between Lowry and Drake -- who's not just a Raptors superfan, he's also the team's official "global ambassador."

LaMelo Ball is officially on the mend after undergoing surgery to fix his fractured right wrist on Tuesday ... with the Charlotte Hornets rookie stepping out in NYC with his arm in a sling hours after going under the knife.

The youngest Ball brother flew to the Big Apple to have the procedure performed by Dr. Michelle Carlson at the Hospital for Special Surgery ... which will keep him sidelined for at least the next month.

19-year-old Ball was spotted leaving his hotel in NYC Tuesday afternoon in his Puma shirt and shoes ... as well as a pair of $1,100 Chrome Hearts sweatpants.

Of course, Melo went down with the injury on Saturday against the L.A. Clippers ... and the team initially feared he would miss the remainder of the season.

But, there's now hope the Rookie of the Year frontrunner could still return in 2021 ... depending on how quickly he heals up ... and if the Hornets can reach the playoffs (they're currently the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference).

Ball tweeted shortly after the surgery saying, "extremely blessed" ... which is great news all around.

NBA legend Elgin Baylor -- one of the greatest basketball players of all time -- has passed away of natural causes, the Los Angeles Lakers announced Monday. He was 86.

Baylor was selected with the first overall pick to the Minneapolis Lakers in 1958 ... and spent his entire 14-year career with the franchise.

The 6'5" forward won Rookie of the Year in 1959 ... and was named All-Star Game MVP that same year.

Baylor was an 11-time All Star and 10-time First Team All-NBA selection for the Lakers. He was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1977 ... and his #22 jersey was retired in 1983.

Baylor was also honored with a statue outside Staples Center in 2018.

Baylor ranks as one of the greatest to ever don the Purple & Gold -- he's ranked 4th in points scored, 1st in total rebounds and 6th in assists.

Baylor went on to coach the New Orleans Jazz from 1974-1979 after his playing days ... and later spent 22 years as GM of the Los Angeles Clippers, earning Executive of the Year honors in 2006.

Elgin's wife, Elaine, released a statement on his passing ... saying, "Elgin was the love of my life and my best friend."

"And like everyone else, I was in awe of his immense courage, dignity and the time he gave to all fans."

Lakers governor Jeanie Buss added ... "Elgin was THE superstar of his era - his many accolades speak to that."

"He was one of the few Lakers players whose career spanned from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. But more importantly he was a man of great integrity, even serving his country as a U.S. Army reservist, often playing for the Lakers only during his weekend pass."

"He will always be part of the Lakers legacy. On behalf of the entire Lakers family, I’d like to send my thoughts, prayers and condolences to Elaine and the Baylor family."

Baylor is survived by his wife, children and sister.

Losing frickin' sucks ... and if you need any proof, just check out Rockets head coach Stephen Silas ... who had an equally sad and hilarious reaction to Houston's 20th-straight loss on Sunday.

The Rockets have become one of the worst teams in the league over the past 2 months ... and haven't won a game since before Valentine's Day(!!!)

After losing a close 114-112 contest to the OKC Thunder on Sunday, Silas was asked if he thought the weight of the losing streak was building and affecting how the Rockets play.

Visibly frustrated, Silas rubs his forehead and goes completely silent for an awkward 10 seconds to gather his thoughts ... before muttering one subdued, "Yeah."

You have to feel for the guy -- Silas is in his first season as an NBA head coach, and he was placed in an extremely tough situation to succeed.

If you don’t remember, James Harden forced his way out of Houston in January to go play in Brooklyn ... and Russell Westbrook was traded before the season even started.

On top of that, emerging star Christian Wood -- who was dominating so far this season -- missed a month due to an ankle injury.

Ever since Wood went down, the Rockets have been awful ... posting an 11-30 record so far this season.

It's good to be Michael B. Jordan!

Not only did the "Black Panther" star sit courtside when the Washington Wizards took on the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday ... but Russell Westbrook also gave him the jersey off his back!!

... and turns out, Russ has an 8-pack!

Brody's Wizards didn't get the win -- but they played well ... cutting a 14-point Nets lead down to 1 with just 3 minutes to go in the game.

Ultimately, the Nets emerged victorious in a 113 to 106 win -- thanks to 28 points from Kyrie Irving and 26 from James Harden.

Westbrook racked up 29 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists -- and after the final buzzer ... he walked over to a masked-up Michael B. Jordan, dapped him up and gave him his jersey.

Russ also signed a personal message for the actor -- pretty cool moment.

Of course, Michael B. Jordan is also in pretty insane shape -- famously transforming his body for his roles in "Creed" and "Black Panther."

Terrible news for LaMelo Ball ... the 19-year-old broke his wrist over the weekend which will most likely end his 2020-21 NBA season.

The Charlotte Hornets star rookie -- the #3 overall pick in this year's NBA Draft -- suffered the injury Saturday night while trying to make a spectacular shot against the L.A. Clippers at Staples Center.

Ball landed on his right wrist -- and appeared to be in pain immediately.

Ball clutched his wrist before getting it checked out by a team doc -- and now, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski says the injury will almost certainly end Melo's sensational rookie campaign.

The Hornets announced an MRI confirmed Melo has a fracture in his right wrist. No official word on how long he'll be out.

But, Woj -- citing sources -- says it's just a matter of time before he's formally shelved for the season.

Woj notes the injury specifically affects "the area of the thumb on his shooting hand" ... and Ball will be following up with Dr. Michelle G. Carlson at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NY to confirm he needs to undergo a procedure.

Melo has been killing it this season -- averaging 15.9 points per game -- along with 6.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds.

He was the frontrunner to win the NBA's Rookie of the Year Award ... we'll see if the voters feel he's done enough in his shortened season to give it to him despite the injury. Seems like a lock at this point.

Eric LeGrand is ready to be an inspiration for Shawn Bradley ... the former Rutgers football player tells TMZ Sports he'd love to talk with the NBA legend and let him know life is NOT over despite his new condition.

LeGrand -- who overcame a tragic football injury in 2010 to become one of the most inspiring men on the planet -- says he wants to make it clear to Bradley that the guy can still make a difference even after he was paralyzed in a January bicycle accident.

"People think when spinal cord injuries happen, that life is just over," LeGrand says.

"And, in the beginning, when you go through an adjustment period, you're going to have those moments and it's understandable."

But, Eric says he's willing to help the 48-year-old get through that time ... and learn he can still be as successful at life as he was before the injury.

"As time starts to go on, you start to realize, 'OK, this is my new life,'" LeGrand says, "'this is my adjustments to it, I can still make a difference.' And, that's why I want to offer whatever I can offer."

During this initial period of shock over the injury, though, LeGrand says he has all the empathy in the world for the former Dallas Mavericks superstar.

"My thoughts and prayers definitely go to him and his family and I truly do mean that," LeGrand says. "Because when you suffer something like this, it's life-altering and it flips and turns your life upside down."

Erik Spoelstra -- the only Asian-American head coach in the NBA -- ain't buying the notion that the massacre in ATL wasn't racially motivated ... and he's really pissed off about it.

The Miami Heat head coach -- who's of Filipino descent -- sounded off during a media session Friday ... saying the shooting incident which claimed 8 lives is nothing short of "sickening."

"Look, I’m Asian-American, I’m proud to be Asian-American, and seeing what’s happening with another outright form of racism and hatred really is sickening," Spoelstra said ... "It breaks my heart.”

There is some controversy over the suspected motive -- officials say 21-year-old Robert Long has admitted to opening fire at 3 Asian-run spas in the Atlanta area, killing 8 people ... but he told authorities the incident was more about his "sex addiction" than racism.

6 of the 8 victims are Asian -- and leaders in the Asian community are saying the attack was CLEARLY racially motivated.

Add Spoelstra to the list of people not buying what Long is selling.

"You have to see that this is wrong. It’s heartbreaking and this shows you where we are," Spoelstra continued.

"There is hatred abundantly still out there and people feel empowered to attack the Asian community ... and I just pray in my heart that this can stop."

As we previously reported, the L.A. Lakers and the Atlanta Hawks honored the victims with a moment of silence before Thursday night's games.

LeBron James has also spoken out against the shooter -- calling him a "coward ass young man."

His leg is still busted ... but Klay Thompson's jumper is still wet as hell!!

The 31-year-old is still rehabbing his torn right Achilles, but it hasn't impacted his ability to shoot the 3-ball ... just watch this video showing Klay nailing TWELVE long-distance shots in a row during a workout with Warriors staffer Zaza Pachulia.

Yeah, Klay isn't running around yet -- but every time Zaza dishes him the rock, Thompson hits nothing but net ... until that pesky 13th shot!

"Pure water," the Splash Bro quipped as he sank shot after shot -- the guy looks like a frickin' scoring machine!

Thompson hasn't seen live NBA action since Game 5 of the 2019-2020 NBA finals when he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee while driving to the hoop.

Tragedy struck again in Nov. 2020 when Klay tore his right Achilles at a pickup game with other NBA players.

Earlier this week, Klay spoke with reporters and gave an update on his recovery -- saying, "I'm not running yet but I'm running on the treadmill underwater and that's good for my psyche."

He added that he's hoping to return to action by opening day of the 2021-22 NBA season.

By the way, the 12 shots in a row are super impressive -- but his Splash Bro, Steph Curry, once hit 100 straight 3s in one of the most epic shooting displays of all time.

These guys ... unreal.

The King just gave his stamp of approval to Charlotte Hornets star rookie LaMelo Ball ... saying the 19-year-old is looking pretty "damn" impressive for a young rookie.

LeBron's Lakers took on Melo's Charlotte Hornets at Staples Center on Thursday -- logging a solid 26 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds in a losing effort against the defending champs.

The Lakers ultimately won the game 116 to 105 -- thanks to a 37-point effort from James -- and during the post-game presser, Bron admits Melo looked pretty good out there!

"I think he's, ya know, damn good ... to be his age," Bron said.

"His speed, his quickness, his ability to make shots at all facets, ya know in the paint, floaters, threes, he has the 3-tier already, and he's going to only get better."

In other words, Brown says Melo can score from everywhere.

LeBron continued ... "Every game is a learning experience for him. He's going to get better and better as the season goes on, as his career goes on, and so on and so on.”

James ain't lying ... Ball is having a great rookie season -- the #3 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft is averaging 16 point-per-game, 6.2 assists, and 5.9 rebounds on the season.

He’s also the reigning 2-time Eastern conference rookie of the month.

James also praised Melo's big bro, Lonzo Ball -- Bron's former teammate who is now a member of the New Orleans Pelicans -- saying both of the Balls are special players.

"[Melo] and Zo are two just very unique players in our league, and they showcase that every night."

Two NBA teams paid tribute to the victims of the massacre in Georgia -- with the Lakers labelling the incident as an "act of anti-Asian racism."

As we previously reported, officials say 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long went on a shooting spree in Atlanta Tuesday night, killing 8 people, including 6 Asian women.

Officials have not said if race was the motivating factor in the shooting -- with one sheriff’s office spokesman suggesting Tuesday that "sex addiction" was the driving force.

Asian community leaders have called BS -- insisting race was obviously a factor since the gunman seemingly targeted Asian-ran spas in his rampage.

The L.A. Lakers aren't buying the "sex addiction" explanation -- and straight-up labeled the incident as a hate crime when the team held a moment of silence on Thursday evening when the team hosted the Charlotte Hornets.

"The Lakers family was saddened to hear the events late Tuesday night in Atlanta Georgia where 8 people lost their lives in an act of anti-Asian racism," the announcer said over the P.A. system before tip-off.

"As an organization, the Lakers stand in solidarity with the Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders community and are committed to taking action towards being a part of the change we want to see take place."

"At this time, please join the Lakers organization in a moment of silence for the 8 victims of this senseless tragedy."

Over in Atlanta, the Hawks also held a moment of silence for the victims -- noting, "We stand with the entire Asian community in grief and solidarity over Tuesday's senseless and tragic acts of violence."

The announcer read a statement over the loudspeaker which said, "Independent of the motivations, racist and gender-based crime have absolutely no place in our society and we're committed to being an ally to communities in need."

"Please join me in a moment of silence in memory of those whose lives were lost on Tuesday."

Meyers Leonard is free to stream on Twitch again -- we've learned his ban has been lifted just over a week after he used an anti-Semitic slur during a video game session.

Remember, the former Miami Heat player was playing "Call of Duty" on March 9 when he hurled the K-word at an opposing player.

Twitch immediately blocked Leonard from the platform -- and the NBA hit Meyers with a $50k fine and a 1-week suspension.

Leonard apologized for using the slur and he's been working with various Jewish leaders to educate himself about why the word is dangerous and offensive ever since.

Now, Leonard's Twitch account has been reactivated -- which means he can get back to playing games in front of his 69,000 followers.

So far, Leonard has not logged back on -- and we're told he doesn't plan on doing so for a while -- while he continues to focus on educating himself.

In the meantime, Leonard has been traded from the Miami Heat to the OKC Thunder (though the Thunder don't plan on keeping him) ... and Meyers' wife issued a statement thanking the Heat franchise and the fan base.

"Our experience with the Heat has been anything but ordinary. Yet, it was nothing but exceptional", Elle Leonard said in a statement on social media.

Meyers Leonard's time in South Beach is over -- the Miami Heat are trading the controversial center just one week after he spewed an anti-Semitic slur on a live stream.

The Heat are shipping the 29-year-old and a 2027 2nd-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Trevor Ariza, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski ... but OKC is not expected to keep Leonard once the trade is completed.

In other words, the Thunder didn't want Leonard ... the team just used his contract to make the trade work.

As a good faith gesture to the Heat, Leonard waived his no-trade clause to help get the deal done.

Remember, Leonard was handed a one-week suspension and a $50,000 fine by the NBA after he called an opponent a "f***ing k*** bitch" during a video game sesh on March 9.

The NBA also required Leonard to participate in a cultural diversity program as part of his punishment.

NBA commish Adam Silver condemned Leonard's remarks ... calling them "inexcusable and hurtful" ... adding, "such an offensive term has no place in the NBA or in our society."

Leonard apologized following the incident ... saying he did not know about the history of the slur, but did not want to use it as an excuse.

"I acknowledge and own my mistake and there's no running from something like this that is so hurtful to someone else."

As we previously reported, Leonard has been in touch with various Jewish groups and leaders from the community in an effort to educate himself about why the word he used is offensive and dangerous ... and we're told he's committed to continuing that work no matter what happens with his NBA career.

For now, we're told Leonard is staying in Miami to continue to train and rehab -- and continue his education with a broad range of leaders in the Jewish community.

There's a good chance Leonard doesn't play NBA ball again for a while -- he played in 3 games in 2020-21 and underwent season-ending surgery in February.

NBA legend Shawn Bradley was badly injured in a bad car vs. bicycle accident in Utah back in January that has left him paralyzed, the Dallas Mavericks confirmed Wednesday.

The 48-year-old -- known for his 7'6" frame -- was riding on his bicycle near his home in St. George, Utah on Jan. 20, 2021 when he was struck from behind by an automobile.

"The accident caused a traumatic spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed," the Mavericks said.

"After undergoing neck fusion surgery, Bradley has spent the last eight weeks hospitalized and undergoing rehabilitation."

Doctors have told Bradley his road to recovery "will be both long and arduous, perhaps an even more difficult physical challenge than playing professional basketball."

The Dallas Mavericks say Bradley's wife, Carrie, has been by his side the entire time ... and note Shawn is "in good spirits."

Mavs owner Mark Cuban issued a statement saying, "We are saddened to hear of Shawn's accident. Shawn has always been incredibly determined and shown a fighting spirit."

"We wish him nothing but the best in his recovery. He will always be a part of our Mavs family."

Bradley was the #2 overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft -- he was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers, but played the majority of his career in Dallas.

Among his accomplishments, Bradley led the NBA in blocks in 1997 and competed for Germany on the international stage.