NBA

Erik Spoelstra's ex-wife, Nikki, is clapping back at the haters for saying she "fumbled the bag" after the Miami Heat head coach signed a record-breaking eight-year, $120 million extension ... calling the commentary as shallow as a kiddie pool.

As we previously reported, Erik and the former Heat dancer announced their divorce in November 2023 after 7 years of marriage.

Now that Erik is putting pen to a much different set of papers, some trolls decided to put their focus on Nikki for missing out on her ex's big payday.

Nikki was clearly fed up with the narrative on Wednesday ... going to Instagram to fire off a response.

"Lol. I'm going to address this comment NOT as it pertains to my personal life choices but as it relates to a general thought process that I believe a lot of people have and that a lot of people have harassed me with over the years," the 36-year-old said.

"According to crass, ignorant, uninformed society at large, women can't win."

Nikki went on to point out how she believes women's love is seen as superficial -- that they can’t genuinely be in love with a successful person unless they want their money ... if a lady chooses a relationship with an average person, she’s an "idiot."

She also explained she won’t ignore the chatter because it’s been messing with her mental health for years ... and called on people to be nicer with their words.

To finish her point, the mother of three let her followers know she is not the one to be tried with their "bulls***."

Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic reached his boiling point after his team lost to the Lakers on Tuesday ... teeing off on referees for giving L.A. 23 free throws in the fourth quarter.

Rajakovic -- who's in his first season with the Dinos -- didn't hold back in his rant to media members after the 132-131 loss ... calling it "outrageous" the Purple and Gold continued to get calls in their favor ... and suggesting officials were helping LeBron James and Co. win the contest.

"What happened tonight, this is completely B.S.," Rajakovic told reporters. "This is shame. Shame for the referees, shame for the league to allow this. Twenty-three free throws for them, and we get two free throws in the fourth quarter. Like, how to play the game? I understand -- respect for All-Stars and all that, but we have star players on our team as well."

Rajakovic points out his star player Scottie Barnes was worthy of getting calls as he drove to the rim throughout the game ... but finished with just two attempts from the charity stripe.

"How is that possible? How are you going to explain that to me?"

Lakers star Anthony Davis had 41 points in the matchup ... with 11 coming from free throws in the final period. Toronto only had 13 free-throw attempts throughout the game.

"They had to win tonight?" Rajakovic added. "If that's the case, just let us know, so we don't show up for the game. Just give them a win. But, that was not fair tonight. And this is not happening first time for us. Scottie Barnes is going to be All-Star. He's going to be the face of this league, and what's happening over here during whole season, I've been holding it back, it's complete crap."

LeBron got wind of Rajakovic's comments ... and his response was simple -- "I feel like they fouled and we didn't."

Ex-NBAer Evan Turner also weighed in on the Serbian coach's gripe ... with many calling him out for what is being considered a xenophobic take on the matter.

"You gotta let your assistant coaches do the rant when 'you have accent,'" Turner said on Instagram.

German hooper Dennis Schroder was quick to check him ... replying, "Bro chill."

The Los Angeles Lakers weren't the only ones who won in Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night ... a fan did too -- after he took home $100K by sinking a half-court shot!!

It all happened during a break in the action of L.A.'s game against the Toronto Raptors ... when Fidel Olmos stepped onto the hardwood to compete in a shooting contest.

The game was simple ... if Olmos hit the bucket from 47 feet out, he'd take home some serious coin. If he didn't, well, at least he got to grace the same floor as LeBron James for a moment.

But, Olmos was able to drain the basket ... and when he hit it -- the crowd went wild. Even Lakers star D'Angelo Russell -- who was right near the basket when the ball went through -- had to give it up for the guy.

The 34-year-old California native told ESPN's Dave McMenamin after he made the shot that it was super improbable ... considering he's only made two in his whole life previously.

Olmos said he's going to use the money to pay off his debt, help a couple of folks out, and treat himself.

"I would've been OK with 20 bucks," he said, "but this feels good!"

Dennis Schroder is finally explaining one of the most puzzling contract moves in NBA history ... revealing exactly why he REJECTED an $80+ million offer from the Lakers, only to sign a deal worth less than $6 mil!

His (old) agent told him to pass on the incredibly lucrative offer!!!

Remember, the star PG said no to a 4-year deal worth $84M from the Purple and Gold back in 2021 ... thinking he could get more elsewhere.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen ... and instead, Dennis ended up signing a $5.9 million deal with the Celtics.

The NBA vet is finally explaining what happened, telling Yahoo Sports, "I would've signed it."

"I would never just leave money on the table. My mom didn’t raise me that way."

Of course, fans incessantly trolled the German athlete for what's considered to be one of the biggest fumblings of the bag in NBA history.

Schroder admitted going from $84 to $6 mil was a tough pill to swallow, but he understands he still got paid a crapload of money, and life with his wife Ellen and their family is awesome.

"I had two healthy kids, my mom, my siblings. I can buy anything I want," Schroder said.

"I had a $70 million contract before. A guy from Germany? From Braunschweig? I’m more than blessed. I’m with the people who love me and was there through the darkest days."

Schroder -- who's averaging nearly 15 points and 7 assists per game this season for the Raptors (he's playing on a 2-year, $25.4M deal) -- also said he plans to play into his 40s, believing he's got a lot left in the tank.

Teyana Taylor says Iman Shumpert ignores the safety of their children when they're in his care ... accusing him of smoking weed and being under the influence when he's with them.

The singer takes some shots at the former NBA player's parenting skills in new legal docs from their nasty divorce ... and Teyana's not pulling any punches.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Teyana claims Iman consistently fails to properly care for their two kiddos ... accusing him of failing to feed them despite being in the family home.

What's more, Teyana says Iman smokes marijuana around the kids and is sometimes under the influence when caring for them.

In one instance, Teyana claims Iman put the kids in a rideshare in Chicago and had them dropped off at the United Center alone while he had a private driver take him to the arena.

Add it all up and Teyana claims Iman "consistently demonstrates a clear disregard for the safety of the minor children."

Tristan Thompson has a new job outside of the NBA -- the Cleveland Cavaliers player has been named the newest Global Ambassador for the Special Olympics!!!

The 2016 NBA champion and Special Olympics International announced the news on Tuesday ... with Thompson saying he's "excited and honored" to partner with the sports organization that provides competitions for five million athletes (kids and adults) with disabilities.

"This is a great opportunity to support an amazing organization, but also use my platform and voice to help support athletes with intellectual disabilities," Thompson said.

"As a Global Ambassador, I will help inspire others to be more inclusive and take action to help change the stereotypes that exist for people with disabilities."

Thompson -- who is in his second stint with Cleveland -- will help promote the organization ... as well as work with local and global entities through activations by the Special Olympics.

In fact, the Cavs are hosting 40 athletes from Special Olympics France for a basketball clinic while they're in Paris for their game against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.

Thompson will join a list of several NBA/WNBA players who are also Global Ambassadors for the Special Olympics ... including Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker and Elena Delle Donne of the Washington Mystics.

"Special Olympics is honored to name Tristan Thompson as our newest Global Ambassador," CEO Mary Davis said. "Tristan demonstrates passion and dedication to creating a more inclusive world where exclusion has no place, and everybody belongs and is respected."

"We join Tristan in his commitment to elevating inclusion in communities around the world and look forward to working with him to positively change the lives of people with intellectual disabilities."

Of course, Thompson working with the Special Olympics hits close to home ... his younger brother, Amari, was born with disabilities.

Tristan Thompson tiene un nuevo trabajo fuera de la NBA, ¡¡¡el jugador de los Cleveland Cavaliers ha sido nombrado como nuevo Embajador Global de las Olimpiadas Especiales!!!

El campeón de la NBA en 2016 y Special Olympics International anunciaron la noticia el martes. Thompson dijo que estaba "emocionado y honrado" de asociarse con la institución, que organiza competencias para 5 millones de atletas (niños y adultos) con discapacidades.

"Esta es una gran oportunidad para apoyar a una organización increíble, pero también para utilizar mi plataforma y mi voz para apoyar a los atletas con discapacidad intelectual", dijo Thompson.

"Como Embajador Mundial, ayudaré a inspirar a otros a ser más inclusivos y a tomar medidas para ayudar a cambiar los estereotipos que existen sobre las personas con discapacidad".

Thompson, que está en su segunda etapa con los Cleveland, ayudará a promover la organización y trabajará con entidades locales y globales a través de activaciones de las Olimpiadas Especiales.

De hecho, los Cavs están recibiendo 40 atletas de Special Olympics Francia para una clínica de baloncesto mientras están en París para su partido contra los Brooklyn Nets el jueves.

Thompson se unirá a una lista de varios jugadores de la NBA/ WNBA que también son Embajadores Globales de las Olimpiadas Especiales, incluyendo estrellas de los Phoenix Suns como Devin Booker y Elena Delle Donne de los Washington Mystics.

"Para Special Olympics es un honor nombrar a Tristan Thompson como nuestro nuevo Embajador Mundial", declaró Mary Davis, directora ejecutiva de la organización. "Tristan demuestra pasión y dedicación para crear un mundo más inclusivo, donde la exclusión no tenga cabida y todo el mundo pertenezca y sea respetado".

"Nos unimos a Tristan en su compromiso por elevar la inclusión en las comunidades de todo el mundo y esperamos trabajar con él para cambiar positivamente la vida de las personas con discapacidad intelectual".

Por supuesto, que Thompson trabaje en los Juegos Olímpicos Especiales le afecta de cerca, pues su hermano menor Amari nació con discapacidad.

The accolades for Kobe Bryant and Tiger Woods continue to pour in ... it was just revealed the two sports legends will now be inducted into the newly created Orange County Hall of Fame in California later this week!!

The late NBA superstar and the golfing icon will join eight others -- including Gwen Stefani and Walt Disney -- as part of the new HOF's first-ever class.

The ceremony will kick off on Friday at the County Administration North (CAN) Building in Santa Ana -- about an hour southeast of Los Angeles.

The HOF was launched early last year to recognize those who "shaped Orange County through their remarkable contributions" ... and officials deemed the Black Mamba and the Big Cat as two people who it just had to recognize first.

Bryant, of course, played in Southern California for 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers ... spending most of those years living in Newport Beach with his family before his tragic death in 2020.

Woods, meanwhile, grew up in Orange County ... learning how to strike balls in Cypress before his golfing career really took off.

Both athletes have previously gotten honors in the county -- officials declared Aug. 24 as Kobe Bryant Day following his passing ... while Woods has his own Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim that's helped over two million students through its programs.

In addition to Woods, Bryant, Stefani and Disney ... American diver Greg Louganis -- who won gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Summer Games -- and seven-time Olympic swimming medalist Amanda Beard will also be inducted Friday.

Bill Medley, Frank Jao, General William Lyon of the United States Air Force, and Henry Segerstrom, who was the founding chairman of the Segerstrom Centers for the Arts in Orange County, round out the class.

Ja Morant was a man of few words after learning his 2023-24 season was over ... going to social media to express his frustrations by simply saying, "Damn dawg."

The Memphis Grizzlies broke the news Monday night ... saying their superstar guard suffered a partial dislocation of his right shoulder during Saturday's training session.

The team said Morant continued to experience soreness and instability in the following days ... so he underwent an MRI, which revealed an underlying labral tear.

The ailment brings Morant's revenge tour to a screeching halt ... as he was out to make up for time lost after missing the first chunk of the season due to his gun-related suspension.

As we previously reported, Morant was quick to make sure his haters knew he heard all the talk in his first game back ... yelling he "kept receipts" after nailing the game-winning bucket against the New Orleans Pelicans last month.

Ja -- who missed Sunday's matchup against the Phoenix Suns -- was understandably bummed about his season being over ... also sending out a blue heart and posting "just waiting for the sun to come out..." later Monday night.

Lamar Odom says LeBron James and the Lakers can make it out of their current slump, they just gotta get into shape -- well, one in particular to be exact -- telling TMZ Sports L.A. needs to bring back the triangle offense!!

The Purple and Gold have struggled to keep it together after being crowned the In-Season Tournament champions last month -- they're currently sitting in the bottom half of the Western Conference with a record below .500.

We spoke with the two-time Lakers champ about his former team's woes ... and he said head coach Darvin Ham should take a page out of Phil Jackson's book and implement the offense that helped his squad rack up championships back in the day, as well as the legendary Chicago Bulls teams led by Michael Jordan.

In fact, he even suggests his own lineup that could flourish under that strategy -- Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, Anthony Davis and, of course, LeBron.

Lamar Odom dice que la ketamina ha sido una herramienta exitosa para él y que lo ha ayudado a combatir sus problemas de adicción, esto después de que se revelara que el fármaco estaba en el cuerpo de Matthew Perry cuando murió.

Conversamos con Lamar afuera de Oxy Dental el jueves en Lomita, California (de su propiedad), y habló sobre la controversia en torno a la terapia de ketamina tras el informe del forense sobre la muerte de Matthew.

Lamar dice que la terapia de Matthew era similar a la suya y de acuerdo a su experiencia, funciona, pero hay serias condiciones. Para empezar, los usuarios no deben conducir.

La ketamina se ha utilizado para la depresión y la ansiedad, pero es más comúnmente utilizada como anestésico en los quirófanos.

Como informamos, Matthew fue encontrado en su jacuzzi en octubre, donde se declaró su muerte. El examinador médico del condado de Los Ángeles afirmó que tenía altos niveles de ketamina en su sistema, que lo dejaron inconsciente.

El Dr. Zaid Fadul, que ha prescrito la ketamina a sus pacientes, se unió a nosotros en "TMZ Live", el mes pasado y nos explicó por qué era engañoso que el forense apuntara con el dedo a la droga.

Lamar Odom says ketamine has been a successful tool to help him combat his addiction problems ... this after it was revealed it was in Matthew Perry's system when he died.

We got Lamar outside Oxy Dental, which Lamar owns, in Lomita, CA on Thursday, and talked about the controversy surrounding ketamine treatment therapy following the coroner's report on Matthew's death.

Lamar says Matthew's therapy was similar to his ... and according to him, it works -- but there are serious strings attached. For starters, users should not drive cars.

Ketamine has been used for depression and anxiety but is more commonly used as an anesthetic in operating rooms.

As we reported, Matthew was found in his jacuzzi in October and was declared dead. The L.A. County Medical Examiner claimed he had high levels of ketamine in his system, rendering him unconscious.

Dr. Zaid Fadul, who has prescribed ketamine to his patients, joined us on "TMZ Live," last month ... telling us why the coroner pointing fingers at the drug was misleading.

How's this for a sports lover's dream ... the vacation home custom-built by the late Lakers owner Jerry Buss, and visited by some of the greatest hoopers to ever grace a basketball court, is now on the market, and could be yours if you've got $12 million!

TMZ Sports has learned the 9,792-square-foot property, located on a 3.18-acre lot in Rancho Santa Fe (about 100 miles outside L.A.), recently hit the open market for $11.85 million. The land was purchased by Dr. Buss in 1994 for less than $300k, and the house, known as the "Dream Ranch," was built to his exact specifications to resemble the Rosewood Miramar Beach Resort in Montecito.

We're told Jerry wanted a place outside of Los Angeles that felt far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the city ... all while being close enough to the arena where his team played.

Buss often had company ... and they were some of the most famous athletes in the world like Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, and Shaquille O'Neal.

In fact, Jerry installed an extra-long driveway (it fits 25 cars!) to accommodate the stars' stretch limos.

The mansion features eight bedrooms and 10 bathrooms (8 full, 2 half) -- five in the main house and three in the guest house -- with the master suite, clad in marble, overlooking a rose garden.

There's also a 3-stall barn, two putting greens, a swimming pool with a pool house, a basketball court (of course), and a tennis court where none other than Andre Agassi once played.

Buss passed away in 2013 ... and the home was ultimately sold years later in 2022. The new buyers renovated the home, transforming it into a modern mansion.

Britney Spears decided she'd give Sin City another shot ... celebrating the holidays there 5 months after enduring a slap from Victor Wembanyama's security in a bizarre exchange.

Sources tell TMZ, the singer returned to Vegas over the holidays ... staying for a few days, though it's unclear if she spent Christmas Day among all the lights and excitement.

We're told Britney had a room at Resorts World and another at Aria. Video emerged on social media of Britney walking around the casino floor at The Wynn holding a beer and flanked by a few security guards.

The source tells us she was at The Wynn to watch the show "Awakening" and dined at their swanky seafood restaurant, Lakeside.

Her Vegas schedule was jam-packed -- she also took a tour of the brand-new Fontainebleau property, briefly checked out LIV, and spent time inside their members-only club, Poodle Room.

Basically, we're told her time in Vegas was super chill and inconspicuous -- nothing like last time when she was slapped by basketball player Victor's security when she beelined behind him after running into him in a hallway.

Video of the moment went viral ... and upon watching it, Britney said her reaction to the slap was "priceless."

Britney Spears decidió darle otra oportunidad a la ciudad del pecado y celebrar las fiestas allí a solo 5 meses de soportar una bofetada del equipo de seguridad de Victor Wembanyama en un extraño intercambio.

Fuentes dicen a TMZ que la cantante regresó a Las Vegas durante las vacaciones para quedarse por unos días, aunque no está claro si pasó el día de Navidad entre todas las luces y la emoción.

Nos dicen que Britney tenía una habitación en Resorts World y otra en Aria. En las redes sociales apareció un video de ella paseando por el casino Wynn con una cerveza en la mano y flanqueada por varios guardias de seguridad.

La fuente nos dice que estaba en el Wynn para ver el espectáculo "Awakening" y cenar en su restaurante de mariscos, Lakeside.

Su agenda en Las Vegas estaba repleta. También hizo un recorrido por la nueva propiedad Fontainebleau, visitó brevemente LIV y pasó tiempo dentro de su club solo para miembros, Poodle Room.

Básicamente, nos dicen que su tiempo en Las Vegas fue súper tranquilo y discreto, nada que ver con la última vez, cuando fue abofeteada por la seguridad del jugador de baloncesto Victor cuando estaba detrás de él después de encontrárselo en un pasillo.

El video se hizo viral, y al verlo, Britney dijo que su reacción a la cachetada fue "impagable".

Mark Cuban is making sure his Mavericks employees are being taken care of following his sale of the majority stake in the NBA franchise ... promising to dole out $35 million-plus in bonuses in the near future.

The former Dallas owner made the announcement in an email to Mavs staffers on Friday, according to ESPN ... explaining new owners Miriam Adelson and Sivan and Patrick Dumont will be helping to contribute to the large bonus pool as well.

Cuban said the payouts will be based on "a framework that took into consideration how long you have worked for the Mavs." He added the cash will be hitting bank accounts "in the very near future."

"I'm excited to continue our work making the Mavs the best franchise in all of sports!" Cuban said in the letter.

Of course, Cuban officially gave way to Adelson and the Dumonts late last month ... selling the families his controlling interest in the team for $3.5 billion.

The 65-year-old, however, still maintains a 27% stake in the org. ... and he told reporters after it all became official that he'll still have control of basketball operations.

As for why he made the surprising move ... he said it's simple -- he thinks the new owners can grow the business exponentially.

"When you get a world-class partner who can come in and grow your revenue base and you're not dependent on things that you were in the past," Cuban said, "that's a huge win."