NBA

LeBron James is back on the movie scene -- this time, it's behind the camera ... producing a new flick about Native American basketball!!

SpringHill Company -- LBJ and Maverick Carter's production business -- will be teaming up with director Sydney Freeland to make the sports drama for Netflix called 'Rez Ball.'

The movie is about the Chuska Warriors -- a Native American high school basketball team in New Mexico that has to step it up to win a championship after losing their star players, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

FYI, Rez Ball is actually short for Reservation Basketball ... which is a different form of hoops that is played by Native Americans in Arizona, New Mexico and other states.

No word on the casting but the filming will take place in NM and is scheduled to be released in 2022 or early 2023.

Freeland -- who is known for her 2014 film, "Drunktown's Finest" -- is stoked to work on this project ... saying, "basketball on the Rez is like high school football in West Texas."

"What we want to do is bring people into our world, to tell a story about the people and places we know, and what better way to do that than through a sports movie?"

"We are so excited with the team we’ve assembled and can’t wait to bring this to the screen.”

James just finished acting and co-producing 'Space Jam: A New Legacy' that blew up the box office, making $31.7 million opening weekend.

Adrian Griffin -- Toronto Raptors assistant coach and ex-NBA player -- is firing back at his ex-wife, suing for libel after she accused the hoops coach of domestic violence on social media.

47-year-old Griffin filed a defamation suit in New York ... blasting ex, Audrey Sterling, as a bitter woman, hell-bent on destroying his life and career by any means necessary.

As we previously reported, Sterling accused Griffin of getting physical with her while she was pregnant, accusing Adrian of choking her, throwing her against the wall, and dragging her across the lawn. She also claimed he wasn't taking care of their kids.

But, the ex-Seton Hall star is adamant that's straight-up BS intended to keep Griffin from getting an NBA head coaching gig.

"These were all lies, completely fabricated to take advantage of the current online climate where a woman’s unsupported accusation would be inherently believed, no matter how false or far-fetched," Griffin's attorney wrote in the lawsuit.

"In today’s lost cancel culture, where angry mobs patrol the bowels of social media ready to pounce, an accusation, with or without evidence, is the equivalent of a conviction. Sterling knew her accusations to be false. She made them anyway, and persisted in making them, until her thirst for blood was quenched."

AG's lawyer went as far as to call the ploy a "Twitter jihad" where his client had a choice ... "either pay off his ex-wife to end her campaign of lies, or see his career destroyed."

FYI, Adrian and Audrey were married in 1996 ... and have 4 children together. They divorced in 2015.

Since they split, Griffin's attorney says "[Audrey] has harbored an extreme hatred towards [Adrian], in addition to an undying thirst to sabotage [his] career, ruin [his] life, in general, and make [his] miserable as often as possible."

Griffin is considered one of the best players in Seton Hall history ... and played 9 years in the NBA. He's been an assistant coach since 2008 ... working with teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, OKC Thunder.

He joined the Toronto Raptors in 2018 ... and is still currently on the coaching staff.

How's Steph Curry celebrating yet another massive contract extension with the Warriors??

Apparently by jettisoning to L.A. with his wife, Ayesha, to enjoy a fancy meal!!!

We got the NBA superstar out at TAO in Hollywood Wednesday night just one day after he agreed to a new $215 MILLION extension with Golden State ... and dude certainly looked happy!!

The 33-year-old was swagged out in a tight, buttoned-up polo, some black pants, fresh white kicks and a purple hat. He was also carrying bags of delicious goodies from one of the best restaurants in L.A.!

Ayesha, meanwhile, looked great as always ... and it's clear the couple is thrilled to have Steph's immediate basketball future all set up perfectly.

Of course, Tuesday's contract extension marks the SECOND time in Steph's career that he's inked a $200-plus million deal with the Warriors ... so, yeah, he's got PLENTY of reasons to celebrate.

NBA offseason is set to last a few more months, too ... so we fully expect to see the Currys keep on living it up for a while.

Health officials say the large crowd gatherings for Milwaukee Bucks' playoff games both in and near the NBA champion's arena this summer spurred a spike in COVID cases.

Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson made the announcement Tuesday ... saying findings have revealed more than 400 recent coronavirus cases in the state of Wisconsin could be linked back to large gatherings near Fiserv Forum in July.

"Anytime people gather I think it's important to recognize -- anytime there's a large gathering of people -- we're going to see the virus spread," Johnson said.

Johnson explained all of the new cases did not necessarily stem from one day of celebrating the basketball team -- but rather were a culmination of fans crowding closely together throughout the Bucks' playoff run.

"That [more than 400 cases] number is from the entire month of July," Johnson said. "So it's not linked directly to one day, the Final game -- it's through the entire course of the month of July."

Johnson said she and other officials expect the number of cases linked to Bucks crowds to continue to rise ... saying they're still collecting data that suggests more positive tests are coming.

TMZ Sports has obtained video showing the controversial arrest of New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes ... an incident LAPD is now investigating for possible use of excessive force.

The clip starts with 21-year-old Hayes -- the #8 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft -- tussling on the ground with 3 police officers who are attempting to control and cuff Jaxson. One of the cops presses his taser against the Pelican center's chest and shocks him.

Backup eventually arrives and the video shuts off as the man recording is approached by police.

Hayes was ultimately taken into custody around 3 AM before being treated at a local hospital for minor injuries sustained during the altercation. He was charged with resisting arrest ... and posted a $25K bond.

On Tuesday, Los Angeles PD Chief Michael Moore announced the department launched an investigation into the arrest after Hayes alleged force was applied to his neck -- causing him difficulty breathing.

It's important to note the video we obtained starts with Jaxson on the ground and the taser against his body. TMZ Sports did not edit the starting point of the video.

However, what happened before the video starts rolling is critical ... 'cause cops say Hayes is the one who started and escalated the physical confrontation.

Police claim when they arrived on the scene, Hayes attempted to enter the home -- despite their commands -- before he ultimately shoved an officer, injuring him.

"Body worn video captured Hayes repeatedly attempting to enter the
residence despite officers blocking his path and verbal commands for him to remain outside,'' police said in a statement.

"Officers requested a backup and they attempted to place Hayes' hands behind his back; however, Hayes broke free of the officers' grasp and pushed one of the officers into a wall.''

IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING!!!

Carmelo Anthony is teaming up with his bestie, LeBron James -- the 10-time All-Star just signed a 1-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers!!!

Of course, LBJ and Melo have been tight for 20 years ... but aside from Team USA action, the two never suited up for the same NBA team.

UNTIL NOW!!!

Melo's manager, Bay Frazier, made the news official on Tuesday ... but the official terms of the deal have not been announced just yet.

Anthony is 37 years old now, but the guy has proven he can still hoop -- averaging 13 points a game and playing a key role with the Portland Trail Blazers last season.

Anthony is one of the best players of his era -- he's made the All-NBA team 6 times, was the scoring champ in 2013 and is 10th in points in league history.

Kyrie Irving says he NEVER should've publicly bashed Nike over the "trash" Kyrie 8s ... saying he's working with the Swoosh to fix the problem ASAP.

Of course, Irving blasted the sneaker giant after pics of his next signature shoe leaked on social media ... saying he hated the way they looked and he had nothing to do with their creation.

Now, Irving's clearly had a change of heart ... admitting he should've handled the whole situation differently.

"When you're building something great, there sometimes comes a point when you need to recalibrate and refocus to ensure everyone involved is aligned. This is where the KAI11 brand and Nike are," Irving told Shams Charania.

"It was unfair to put the blame on Nike or any one person. With that being said, we are diligently working, restructuring, and reimagining things together to make sure we get it right."

It's unclear if anything will change on the Kyrie 8 ... or if this will delay the drop.

LiAngelo Ball is getting another opportunity to make his NBA dream come true -- the middle Ball bro has joined LaMelo's Charlotte Hornets for the Summer League.

Of course, it's been a tough road for Gelo, who went undrafted in 2018 -- he was picked up as a practice player for the G-League's OKC Blue in late 2019 and signed to the squad in March 2020 ... but the COVID-19 pandemic prevented him from seeing the court.

Ball was given another shot during training camp with the Detroit Pistons in December 2020 ... and was cut prior to the first preseason game.

Now, Gelo has the chance to show what he's got -- with the Hornets announcing he'll be playing for them during Summer League play this offseason.

Ball has shown serious promise when on the court ... averaging 12.6 points in Lithuania.

What's interesting -- Gelo's older bro, Lonzo, is a free agent this summer ... and there are rumblings he could end up being teammates with Melo when it's all said and done.

Kyle Kuzma's SUV was stolen ... and then taken on a joy ride that led to a high-speed chase, and an eventual crash.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Kuzma's Chevy Tahoe SUV was stolen somewhere in Hollywood and eventually became involved in a police pursuit around 1:30 AM early Sunday morning. The chase, we're told, ended with the suspect hitting a cop car, and sending an officer to the hospital with minor injuries.

The suspect was eventually nabbed, and we're told he'll be booked on a number of charges. Eyewitnesses on the scene tell us the Tahoe came to a halt when it finally crashed into a gate at Belmont High School, just outside of DTLA ... which is a ways from Hollywood proper.

We're told the driver was detained, and taken to a hospital ... as they appeared to have suffered some sort of a leg injury. Some of the aftermath of that wreckage was captured by photogs who showed up on the scene ... and it looks like a lot of police were called in to deal.

It's unclear if the vehicle was stolen from Kyle's house, or just off the streets somewhere.

In any case -- sources familiar with the situation confirm to TMZ that the SUV is, indeed, registered to Kyle ... but we've been assured, he had nothing to do with the incident itself. We're told Kyle's manager drives the car, and is the one who filed the police report. Kyle wasn't even made aware the car was gone until sometime Sunday morning.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver says he's smoothed things over with LeBron James about his hatred for the play-in tournament ... telling TMZ Sports he believes the Lakers superstar now "understands" the purpose for the extra games.

Remember, LeBron went OFF on the idea of the new tourney back in May ... saying, "Whoever came up with that s*** needs to be fired."

But, the Association went forward with the format for the 2022 season ... making things official earlier this week.

So, when we spoke with Commish out in NYC this week ... he told us he personally spoke with King James about the tourney -- and it sounds like things are allllll good.

"We talked about it," Silver told us. "I think at the end of the day, I understand. Especially if you went deep last year and you have that end, you have that many sort of games on your legs."

"You're not looking forward to more games. But, I think he understands the context of the league."

Silver says despite James' initial gripe, it was the NBA Players' Association that ended up voting in favor ... but he's totally down to collab on a common ground to make both sides as happy as possible.

"At the end of the day, the Players Association speaks for the players, and they've approved this format for next season," he added.

"So, I think we wanted to get one more season under our belt that wasn't a pandemic season, so we could really get a sense of how it works."

"But, I'm more open to tinkering with it if necessary."

Lamar Odom has been ordered to pay his ex nearly $400,000 ... after a judge ruled the former NBA star hadn’t pay a cent of support in over a year.

In court docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, a New York judge ruled Odom had stopped making payments to his ex, Liza Morales, in June of last year, despite a 2015 settlement agreement requiring the NBA legend to pay thousands of dollars per month for the benefit of the former couple’s two kids.

In all, the court hit Odom with a $380,549 tab, including $91,220 in outstanding child support, $88,117 in missed rent, $161,305 for their children's college funds and expenses, and nearly $40k for her legal fees and expenses.

Morales had sued Odom back in May, claiming the former basketball player had missed all the payments he agreed to make since June 2020.

In the court's ruling, the judge noted Odom did not show up for a key hearing in the case in June "despite due notice."

Russell Westbrook wasted no time getting back to work after becoming a Laker -- the NBA superstar got in an intense workout in LA on Friday ... and he says he's feeling "great!!!"

32-year-old Brodie -- who grew up in SoCal -- has been touring his old stomping grounds after the news broke Thursday ... including a trip to The Nice Guy in WeHo with his buddy, Kevin Hart.

But, it was back to business on Friday ... with the 2017 MVP working up a shirtless sweat at a nearby training facility.

Westbrook is clearly happy -- the smile hasn't left his face since the deal ... and who knows if it'll ever leave!!

The guy even shared a tweet hyping up his new team just minutes ago ... saying, "HomeTeam. WHYNOT?"

Westbrook also spoke with cameras briefly as he left his workout ... saying, "I feel good, brother."

When asked how it feels to be coming home, he replied, "great!"

Russell Westbrook couldn't have looked happier right after his big trade to the Lakers ... hitting an L.A. hot spot with Kevin Hart on Thursday -- smiling from ear-to-ear!!!

Of course, Brodie was the centerpiece of a MASSIVE deal between the Lake Show and Washington Wizards ... with Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and draft picks getting shipped out of town for the 2017 MVP.

Westbrook -- a SoCal native -- wasted no time celebrating his big homecoming ... rolling through The Nice Guy with his comedian friend just a few hours after the news broke.

Hart spoke with our camera guys Thursday night ... saying the move means "everything" for the Lakers.

While there are some folks wondering how the new Big 3 of Bron, Russ and Anthony Davis would mesh, the guys certainly seem to get along off the court.

Remember, James hosted Westbrook at his L.A. home for stogies a few years back ... and the L.A. Times reports the trio met up prior to the trade and agreed to put their egos aside.

LeBron certainly seems THRILLED with the trade ... posting a photoshopped pic of his new teammate in the Purple and Gold on Instagram.

LeBron James is getting another superstar on his squad ... and it ain't Lola Bunny -- Russell Westbrook has been traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster deal!!!

The rumors had been swirling for weeks ... with many expecting the Lake Show to try and bring in another piece to help the King and co. return to the NBA Finals.

Now, it's become a reality -- with LA sending Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and a 2021 first-round pick to the Washington Wizards in exchange for the 2017 MVP, according to ESPN.

It's a HUGE move -- Brodie is a triple-double machine ... averaging 23 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists on his 13-season career.

It also allows Westbrook -- who is a Southern Cali native -- to return back to his roots and play for his hometown!!

LeBron has yet to address the trade ... but he's hosted Westbrook at his L.A. crib in the past, so we're sure he's all for bringing in another friend.

Now, the question is, does this new Big 3 dethrone the Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden as the most dangerous trio in the game right now???

The pick is in ... the Detroit Pistons have selected Oklahoma State superstar Cade Cunningham first overall in the NBA Draft!!

The decision was a total no-brainer -- Cunningham was Big 12 Player of the Year and an All-American with the Cowboys ... averaging 20 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists per game in his lone college season.

He was an absolute beast at the high school level as well ... winning national player of the year honors at Montverde Academy in Florida.

With all that success at the HS and college level, it was no surprise the guy was going #1.

Of course, draft night is also all about the #fashion -- and TMZ Sports got footage of the guys as they headed over to Barclays Center earlier Thursday night ... with everyone all decked out in some of the best draft day suits we've ever seen!!!

Florida State forward Scottie Barnes is going the LeBron/Zion route -- rocking an all-white look. Congo's Jonathan Kuminga sticks out with some awesome orange threads.

There are also some eye-popping looks ... but ya gotta give credit to the guys for trying new styles!!

Jalen Green pulled off a bedazzled pinstripe suit and makes it look easy ... while Jalen Suggs also had a similar attention-grabbing ensemble.

There was also a tribute to the late Black Mamba -- LSU's Cam Thomas honored his favorite player of all-time, Kobe Bryant, with a special design inside his blazer.

Cole Anthony -- last year's 15th overall pick -- is confessing his biggest rookie year screw up ... laying down wayyy too much cash on a chain prior to draft night.

TMZ Sports ran into the Orlando Magic star only hours before the 2021 NBA Draft ... and we asked the 2nd year hooper out of UNC how he treated himself after being picked in last year's 1st round.

"Before the draft, I bought myself a chain which I immediately regretted," the 21-year-old said. "It was a lot of money at the time ... at the time, it was a lot. I ain't going to lie to you."

FYI, Anthony signed a near-$16 million, 4-year deal with Orlando in the November draft (it was delayed over COVID-19).

Tonight, 60 more young fellas are about to strike it rich ... and Cole has some sound financial advice for the soon-to-be millionaires.

"You don't owe nobody nothing. Don't come in there trying to take care of a thousand people, man. Just take care of yourself. Take care of your mom and dad, if necessary," Anthony says.

"And, just focus on basketball."

Seems former NBA star Jermaine O'Neal would agree ... 'cause when we got the ex-Indiana Pacer out in NYC earlier this week, his biggest piece of advice to the future rookies was also to be smart with their cash!

"I think the most important thing is saving, right?" the 42-year-old said. "You know, put aside some money. You work hard, you should be able to choose what you want to buy. But don’t spend it all in one place."