NBA

The Phoenix Suns are looking to get ahead of a potentially damning report of racism, sexism and sexual harassment within the organization ... alleging the claims are "completely baseless."

The statement comes shortly after NBA insider Jordan Schultz claimed a "massive story" accusing team owner Robert Sarver of several incidents of misconduct was looming.

Before the report was published, the Suns released a scathing statement bashing the allegations as nothing more than a hit piece.

"We understand that an outlet is considering publishing a proposed story that makes completely baseless claims against the Suns organization concerning a variety of topics," the team said Friday.

"Documentary evidence in our possession and eyewitness accounts directly contradict the reporter's accusations, and we are preparing our response to his questions. We urge everyone not to rush to judgement here."

"Especially based on lies, innuendo, and a false narrative to attack our organization and its leadership."

Depending on the severity of the allegations, Sarver's role within the organization could be in jeopardy ... and it wouldn't be the first time an owner would be forced to sell their team.

Donald Sterling was handed a lifetime ban from the NBA back in 2014 ... after TMZ Sports published audio of the businessman spewing racist remarks to his then-mistress V. Stiviano.

As for Sarver, he claims to have been blindsided by the allegations ... saying he's against racial or sexual discrimination of any kind.

"While I can't begin to know how to respond to some of the vague suggestions made by mostly anonymous voices, I can certainly tell you that some of the claims I find completely repugnant to my nature and to the character of the Suns/Mercury workplace and I can tell you they never, ever happened," Sarver said Friday.

"I don't begin to know how to prove that something DIDN'T happen, and it is difficult to erase or forget ugly accusations once they are made. Even hints of racism or sexism in our culture today are toxic and damaging and should not be lightly raised," he added.

"I categorically deny any and all suggestions that I used disparaging language related to race or gender, I would like to think that my actions and public record regarding race, gender, or discrimination of any kind, over a lifetime in business and community service, will adequately answer any questions anyone might raise about my commitment to equality and fairness."

Shaquille O'Neal has gotta be happy as hell right now -- the NBA legend is FINALLY parting ways with his humongous Orlando mansion after 3 years on the market!!

The 31,000-square-foot pad is insane -- it has 12 bedrooms, 11 baths and four half baths, a chef's kitchen and a fancy 17-car garage.

The lakefront property also has a 95-foot long luxury pool, a home theater with reclining seats, an aquarium room, cigar and wine bar plus a recording studio.

Of course, an NBA legend's home wouldn't be complete without a basketball court -- and this crib more than that with a 6,000 square-foot "Shaq Center" with bleachers.

TMZ's own Harvey Levin even squared up with the Hall of Famer on that same court for a quick game of one-on-one ... and hilariously lost (please don't fire us).

Shaq's been trying to sell the crib for 3 years -- listing it at $28 million in 2018.

The price dropped several times since -- plus renovations and upgrades -- and finally sold with Benjamin Hillman of Premier Sotheby's International Realty for an undisclosed amount, according to People.

The Cowboys hate the Eagles on the field, and they clearly hate them off of it now too -- 'cause Noah Brown just crapped all over Jason Kelce for criticizing Ben Simmons this week.

Kelce went off on the 76ers star on Thursday ... telling reporters that the disgruntled point guard needs to quit crying about his situation in Philadelphia and just play basketball better.

When Brown, one of Dak Prescott's favorite receivers, got word of those comments on Friday -- he snapped, and said in a series of social media posts that Kelce needs to mind his own damn business.

"All these Philly athletes tryna s*** on Simmons for a extra pat on the back from Philly fans," Brown wrote. "Cornball activity."

"Idk when speaking on another man habits and accountability to something that ain't got s*** to do w you became cool."

He added, "S*** corny."

Brown went on to say he thinks Philly fans are going to jump down athletes' throats no matter what they say in this situation ... explaining he believes the city only likes its players when they play well.

"Philly still gone fye u up next time u f*** up so sit back and mind ya business," he said.

The debate over the NBA's anniversary team has begun -- with Klay Thompson PISSED over getting snubbed from the list.

88 voters -- ranging from people like Michael Jordan to Stephen A. Smith -- selected 75 players they think are NBA's greatest.

The league revealed the list (which ended up being 76 players because of a tie) this week for their 75th anniversary ... and the Golden State Warrior sharp shooter didn't make it.

"Maybe I'm just naïve in my ability to play basketball," the 31-year-old said of being off the list on Thursday.

"But in my head, I'm TOP 75 of all time."

Is he naïve, though? Well, let's take a look ...

Thompson is a 3x champ, 5x All Star, holds the record for most points in a quarter, the most 3 pointers made in a game and ties the record for most 3-pointers made in a single playoffs (98) with his teammate Stephen Curry -- who made the list.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr agrees with Thompson ... and feels Draymond Green should be on there too, saying, "I definitely think that both guys are top 75."

"Just based on winning and two-way basketball and everything that really matters more than statistics. What matters is if you’re winning championships, that’s what counts."

To be fair, selecting only 75 players is a pretty tough task ... and many, who would be considered top level, didn't make the cut.

Some notable names ... Grant Hill, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Penny Hardaway and Dwight Howard also got left off the list.

At the end of the day, should Thompson be up there?? Maybe he'll make the 100-year anniversary list.

Ben Simmons is NOT persona non grata in the Philadelphia 76ers locker room ... 'cause teammate Tobias Harris says the team will welcome the All-Star back with open arms when he's ready to go.

The 25-year-old -- who demanded a trade earlier this year -- spoke with coach Doc Rivers and teammates Friday morning ... reportedly telling them he's not mentally ready to play.

He also accepted the fact he -- as well as the team -- needs to take responsibility for how things have transpired.

While superstar Joel Embiid previously sounded off against the Simmons/Sixers saga, at least one team leader is backing #25 ... with Harris speaking out and saying the team will "respect his privacy and space during this time."

"When he’s ready, we will embrace our brother with love and handle our business on the court," Harris said. "That's it, that's all."

The Philadelphia Sixers need to trade Ben Simmons ASAP, so says Charles Barkley ... telling TMZ Sports it has to happen now that the All-Star is acting like a complete "jerk" around his team.

Simmons was suspended for the team's season opener on Wednesday after 76ers head coach Doc Rivers kicked him out of practice for "detrimental conduct."

We spoke with Barkley the same day of the disciplinary action --- and he tells us that the one-game suspension won't solve the issues.

"They should've suspended him longer," the Hall of Famer says, "he's not going to be better Friday."

"Today is Wednesday, they only suspended him for a day. They should suspend him for longer. Plain and simple."

In fact, Chuck believes the Sixers should ship his ass outta town -- and is contemplating why Simmons even bothered showin' up to the Sixers' facility if he was gonna "be a jerk."

"I'm disappointed. If he wasn't gon' play, he should have never came to training camp," Chuck says.

"You don't come to work and then be a jerk. You don't practice with a cell phone in your pocket!"

Well, that trade might not come anytime soon -- 76ers GM Daryl Morey said this spectacle can last four years unless they get a "difference-maker" type of trade.

Knicks star Julius Randle was just slapped with a $15K fine for tossing the basketball into the stands, in celebration, after NY downed the rivals Boston Celtics in a double-OT thriller.

The game went down Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden ... and Randle played out of his mind, dropping 35 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists.

As the clock wound down on the nail-biter of a game, Randle tossed the ball from one end of the court, high into the air, and into the stands past the opposing basket.

Unfortunately, the NBA wasn't in the mood to celebrate ... and they hit Julius with a $15K fine.

"New York Knicks forward Julius Randle has been fined $15,000 for throwing the game ball into the spectator stands," Byron Spruell, President of League Operations announced on Thursday.

But, don't cry too much for JR ... he scored a 4-year, $117 million extension this off-season, meaning he makes over $250K every game.

Buckle up, folks -- if you're sick of the Ben Simmons vs. Philadelphia 76ers drama now, just wait 'til we're still talking about it in 2025 ... 'cause GM Daryl Morey says he's fully prepared to hold out against the All-Star's trade demand for the next 4 years.

It's been nothing short of a crap storm in the City of Brotherly Love this season ... with 25-year-old Simmons wanting to be shipped to another team, but the Sixers refusing to make a deal unless they get a superstar in return.

Morey was asked just how long he's willing to deal with Simmons in a radio interview on Thursday ... and oh boy.

"You're going to think I'm kidding and I'm not -- this could be 4 years," Morey told 97.5 The Fanatic.

BTW -- Ben's 5-year, $177 million deal lasts through 2025 ... so Morey is making it sound like Ben's only way out could be through free agency when he's 29 years old.

"Unless Ben Simmons is traded for a difference-maker, we are in the prime of Joel's career, we have to get back either Ben Simmons playing well for us, that will help us win the championship, or we have to get back a difference-maker for Ben Simmons."

Ben has been clear he won't change his mind about wanting out ... his body language was awful at practice, and it got so bad he was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team.

Dwyane Wade was able to mix in a little golf practice with work Wednesday ... snagging a courtside lesson from PGA Tour star Tony Finau as he watched his Jazz play!!

Utah's new part-owner was taking in the Jazz game against OKC, when at one point during the contest, he turned to Finau to pick his brain about golf.

Cameras in the arena caught Tony giving Wade tips on how to work his hands before striking the ball ... and it seems Dwyane was receptive to the tutoring.

The broadcast announcers knew exactly what was going on, too ... making the scene even funnier.

"That's a free lesson," one said with a laugh.

Of course, the impromptu drills shouldn't surprise anybody ... Dwyane's been an avid golfer since retiring from the Association, and he's been spotted on courses often.

In fact, back in February, he got a 1-on-1 lesson from Tiger Woods ... one in which El Tigre taught him how to line up, tee up his ball and swing closer to his body.

Eagles star Jason Kelce clearly ain't pleased with the way Ben Simmons is handling business with the Sixers ... telling reporters Thursday he thinks the NBA star should shut up and "play better."

Simmons has been a problem in Philly for the past few months -- wanting out of the city so badly, he actually got thrown out of practice this week and then suspended by the team.

Kelce, though, says he's got the perfect solution for Simmons to fix all the woes -- and it's simply to just be a better basketball player.

"Everybody can bitch and complain about how tough this city is to play in -- just play better, man," the 33-year-old Eagles O-lineman said. "This city will love you."

Kelce added, "If I go out there and play really good, nobody's going to have any choice but to love me or appreciate me as a player."

Seems Simmons really ain't even down to try that route ... 'cause the point guard was spotted at Sixers practice this week loafing around and appearing to go through drills with his phone in his pocket.

And, with the 25-year-old's star teammate, Joel Embiid, saying he "doesn't care about" Simmons anymore ... it all looks like the guy will be jettisoned soon.

For Kelce -- who's Travis Kelce's big bro, by the way -- he clearly thinks that's a shame ... and perhaps even a cowardly way to bow out of Philadelphia.

The NBA may have another Daryl Morey situation on its hands -- the league's Chinese broadcast partner has pulled Boston Celtics games from its site after Enes Kanter publicly denounced President Xi Jinping as a "brutal dictator" and posted a pro-Tibet video.

Kanter shared a nearly 3-minute long speech on the "cultural genocide" going on in Tibet ... saying, "Under the Chinese government's brutal rule, Tibetan people's basic rights and freedoms are nonexistent."

"They are not allowed to study and learn their language and culture freely. They are not allowed to travel freely. They are not allowed to access information freely. The Tibetan people are not even allowed to worship freely."

Shortly after Kanter posted his video, TenCent -- China's site for watching the NBA -- pulled Celtics replays and highlights from the web ... and Boston's upcoming games are no longer listed on the schedule.

FYI, Tencent reportedly signed a $1.5 BILLION deal to broadcast NBA games for 5 years. The Chinese market is incredibly important to the NBA, as basketball is very popular amongst the country's 1.44 billion population.

The situation is familiar to the backlash the league faced after Morey (who was GM of the Houston Rockets at the time) tweeted "fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong" back in 2019.

The tweet created a ton of backlash in China ... with massive Chinese e-commerce site Taobao yanking all Rockets merchandise and CCTV pulling NBA games from broadcast.

Worth noting -- now that Morey is the GM in Philadelphia, Sixers games are not available to stream on Tencent either.

Kanter -- who's been an outspoken activist throughout his career -- took his message one step further by wearing "Free Tibet" sneakers at the Celtics vs. Knicks game on Wednesday ... which were designed by Chinese-Aussie artist Badiucao.

Jamal Murray is letting Denver Nuggets fans know their boy is almost back -- posting footage of him completing a dunk six months after ACL surgery!!

The NBA star tore his ACL in his left leg when he drove by Golden State Warriors' Andrew Wiggins in April -- ending his season.

Murray had ACL surgery right after ... and is showing major progress 6 months later by posting a video on his IG of him completing a dunk.

The 24-year-old guard posted video of his journey back on Wednesday ... showing him on crutches following the surgery before fast-forwarding to the new footage of him jumping straight up for a dunk.

Murray appears to land back on the hardwood with no issue ... which is awesome to see.

Definitely a good sign for Nuggets fans who are anxiously waiting for their star to return ... but they might have to wait a little longer as he makes his way back to 100%.

"That’s the biggest thing for me coming back, is having confidence in it," Murray said this week.

"That’s just going to come with time. And I can’t rush time."

Luka Doncic hasn't played a minute of the 2021 season yet, but the Dallas Mavericks star is already making highlight plays ... by donating Jordan shoes and other merch to children at local hospitals!!!

The 22-year-old wanted to give back to his new home ahead of the new campaign, so he put together goodie bags filled with the sneaks, hoodies, socks, bags, letters and signed photos for 80 kids at Children's Health in Dallas and Plano.

On top of the swag, Luka also provided a "Luka and Bobi" coloring book, which features a story of his friendship with teammate Boban Marjanovic, as well as individual-sized pizzas with pepperonis in the shape of his #77 AND dessert to kids and staffers throughout the hospital.

Luka spoke about the gesture, saying he wanted to hand deliver the gifts to all the kids, but wasn't able to due to health and safety concerns.

"I really wish I could have been there to meet and talk to the kids but hopefully this surprise brought a smile to their faces and encouraged them to stay strong," Doncic said.

"I just want all the kids and parents to know I'm thinking of them!"

The kids certainly felt the love ... and the pics and videos from the big surprise will warm your heart.

Awesome stuff, Luka.

Chris Brown has entered the Kyrie Irving COVID-19 vaccine saga ... calling the NBA star a "real hero" for refusing to get the jab.

The musician -- who has been tight with Uncle Drew for years -- sang Irving's praises as he remains banned from Brooklyn Nets practices and games for being unvaccinated ... posting to Instagram on Wednesday to share his two cents.

"I stand with my brother," CB said. "WHOEVER DON'T LIKE IT ... Go live your damn life."

"IT'S HIS CHOICE AND A DAMN GOOD ONE"

Of course, Irving is adamantly against getting vaccinated to be able to play this season ... despite reports claiming he is NOT anti-vax, but standing up for people losing their jobs over vaccine mandates.

Irving has been bashed left and right for holding firm on his stance ... with NBA commish Adam Silver even publicly calling for him to get vaxxed so he can get back to hooping.

Breezy -- who's previously taken issue with Juvenile's pro-vaccine remix of "Back That Azz Up" -- wants it known he's not siding with the criticism.

LeBron James may be Nike's billion-dollar man, but the guy still loves incredibly expensive designer sneakers ... 'cause the NBA superstar rocked $1,000 Prada shoes on his way to the Lakers game on Wednesday.

LBJ went full Bruce Wayne as he made his way to Staples Center for the season opener against the Golden State Warriors ... wearing an all-black Thom Browne suit and the clunky kicks to round out the look.

As it turns out, the "Cloudbust Thunder Technical Fabric Sneakers" come with a hefty price tag -- more than 5 times the amount his own signature sneaks cost.

Remember, LBJ is tied to the Swoosh for life with a deal reportedly worth 10 figures back in 2016 ... after initially signing with Nike back in 2003.

LBJ was clearly sending a message with his wardrobe choice as he heads into season 19 -- saying, "Bron Wayne/🦇. Put the logo in the sky and I got it from there" on Instagram.

Ex-NBA player Delonte West spent Tuesday night in jail after being arrested for an alleged drunken incident with cops, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The former hooper -- who played 8 seasons in the Association -- was booked at 10:32 p.m. in a Palm Beach County, Fla. jail and was released at 5:46 a.m. Wednesday, records show.

According to an incident report, cops say West was initially stopped by officers after he was yelling and banging on the glass doors at a police station in Boynton Beach.

Officers say West was yelling and cussing ... while holding open bottles of beer and vodka.

In the report, cops say West tried to walk away from the scene, but he was ordered to stop and put down the drinks.

The officers say 38-year-old West initially complied, but then got up and put his hands inside his pants -- 'causing one of the cops on the scene to unholster their taser.

Cops say West then responded to verbal commands ... and was ultimately cuffed and arrested -- though officers note he "continued to be belligerent" in the back of a squad car.

Cops added in the report that West reeked of alcohol and appeared to be drunk.

Court records show West was ultimately hit with three charges from the incident -- obstruction/resisting without violence, open container, and disorderly intoxication.

Records show he's due in court for his arraignment later next month.

West has struggled with substance abuse in the past -- and had entered into a rehab facility in 2020 with the help of Maverick's owner Mark Cuban to try to address the issues.