New York Knicks

NYC Mayor Eric Adams will always revere Knicks legend Willis Reed for the two championships he brought to the city of New York ... but he tells TMZ Sports that Reed's perseverance in the face of adversity is what makes him an icon in NY.

We spoke to Mayor Adams just days after Reed passed away at 80 years old ... and asked what Reed's legacy means to him now that the NBA legend is no longer with us.

"Willis Reed was my guy," Mayor Adams said. "He showed the resiliency of New York. Everyone remembers that championship game. Walking on one knee. His scoring the points. He's New York."

"We may have lost him physically, but he will always be here spiritually," he added.

Reed -- a seven-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion -- passed away on Tuesday ... and had been reportedly battling congestive heart failure.

Willis -- affectionately known as "The Captain" -- won two titles with the Knicks ... but he's most remembered for playing in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the Lakers.

Reed's status for Game 7 was in question ... but the 6-foot-10 center emerged from the tunnel just moments before the deciding game started, walking gingerly onto the court -- and sent the crowd at Madison Square Garden into a frenzy.

The rest was history -- Reed delivered the Knicks their first championship in 1970 and won another chip in 1973. In 1982, Willis was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

U.S. Senator and former NBA star Bill Bradley is remembering his beloved teammate, Willis Reed, following the Knicks legend's tragic passing this week ... saying he'll always remember "The Captain" as "a man with great dignity and strength."

Bradley -- who served as a United States Senator of New Jersey (1979 to 1997) after retiring from the NBA -- joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) where he talked about his teammate who remained his friend long after their playing days were over.

Of course, Reed and Bradley won two titles together ('70 & '73) during their stellar careers in The Big Apple ... but Bill believes a big reason why the Knicks took home their first title in 1970 was because Reed shocked everyone and suited up for Game 7, despite being injured.

"He was a tremendous leader," Bradley said. "And, you don't always have players who so overtly put their whole career on the line for their teammates, which is what he did in 1970."

"We won the championship and it was partly inspired by Willis' courage and dedication to his team," Bradley said. "You really just felt everything elevate in The Garden."

Bradley didn't only star on the pro level ... he was one of the greatest college basketball players ever.

His alma mater, Princeton, a #15-seed, will face #6-seed Creighton in the Sweet 16 on Friday ... after the team pulled off two upset wins over Arizona and Missouri last week.

Bradley -- an AP College Player of the Year who also won Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA tourney in 1965 -- doesn't believe the Cinderella run has to end here ... he wholeheartedly believes the Tigers can win.

"They stand a great chance," the 79-year-old said.

"They're playing seemingly well. I like the team and, of course, I respect Mitch a lot and it's great for the university."

Now, the Senator isn't guaranteeing Princeton's going to the Final Four, but like he says ... "anything is possible in sports."

Knicks legend Willis Reed, arguably the greatest player in the history of the organization, has died at the age of 80, the team confirmed on Tuesday.

No cause of death was reaveled ... but Reed had been ill, battling congestive heart failure, longtime NYC columnist Peter Vescey reported.

"The Knicks organization is deeply saddened to announce the passing of our beloved Captain, Willis Reed," the Knicks said in a statement. "As we mourn, we will always strive to uphold the standards he left behind -- the unmatched leadership, sacrifice and work ethic that personified him as a champion among champions."

"His is a legacy that will live forever. We ask everyone to please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time."

Simply put, Willis was one of the best hoopers to ever step foot on the hardwood.

Reed, a 6'10" center, was drafted by the Knicks with the tenth overall pick in the 1964 NBA Draft. Over his 10-season career, he averaged nearly 19 points and 13 rebounds. Willis was a 7x All-Star, 2x NBA Finals MVP and the 1970 NBA MVP.

Willis' most famous moment came during Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals. The Knicks and Lakers were knotted at three games apiece, with the title on the line. Reed missed Game 6 with a severe thigh injury, and almost no one expected the big man to play in the deciding game.

But, to the amazement of thousands of fans at Madison Square Garden, Reed limped onto the court during warmups, prompting the crowd to erupt. Willis hit the first two shots for the Knicks, and it was the only time he scored in the game.

However, Reed's presence gave his Knicks teammates the lift they needed to down Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, and Jerry West's Lakers squad, 113-99. It was the Knickerbockers' first title.

NYK then won another championship three years later in 1973.

After retiring from the NBA in '74, Reed was hired by the Knicks as head coach in '77. His coaching stint in NY didn't last very long. In 1981, Willis went back to college, where he coached Creighton. He then had stints as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings.

In 1988, Reed was again named an NBA head coach when he was hired as the New Jersey Nets' headman.

The Knicks' last title was in 1973 ... and the franchise recently celebrated the 50-year anniversary, welcoming back stars from the team like Walt Frazier. Sadly, Reed, because of health issues, wasn't able to make it to NYC for the event.

The Garden played a pretaped message from the legendary hooper ... and the crowd loved it.

NBA commish Adam Silver released a statement on the legend's passing ... saying, "Willis Reed was the ultimate team player and consummate leader."

"My earliest and fondest memories of NBA basketball are of watching Willis, who embodied the winning spirit that defined the New York Knicks' championship teams in the early 1970s. He played the game with remarkable passion and determination, and his inspiring comeback in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals remains one of the most iconic moments in all of sports."

"We send our deepest condolences to Willis' wife, Gail, his family and his many friends and fans."

He may now be gone ... but Reed's #19 will forever hang in the rafters of the World's Most Famous Arena.

It was the Lakers and Knicks who took priority for Denzel Washington and Spike Lee on Hollywood's biggest night -- the two A-listers skipped the Oscars to catch the NBA teams go at it in L.A.!!!

Washington and Lee ditched stage-side seats at the famed movie award ceremony for courtside ones at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday evening ... and didn't seem one bit displeased with their choice.

The guys were seen sharing a hug before the game ... clearly not stressing about missing the Oscars -- which were taking place at the same time less than 10 miles away at the Dolby Theatre.

Lee, of course, is a huge Knicks fan -- and Denzel is a big Lakers one ... and the two talked smack to each other about their teams throughout the contest.

Lee ended up getting the last laugh -- the Knicks beat the Lakers 112-108 ... though Washington didn't seem too beat up over it all.

The actors weren't the only celebs at the game ... star boxers Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia, plus Flea, were there too.

In fact, Washington and Davis had a moment with each other before the game, where Denzel voiced some big support for the fighter.

WWE Superstar Liv Morgan appeared annoyed and uninterested as some dude chatted her up at the Knicks game on Tuesday ... but as it turns out, that guy is a WWE executive!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the dude who went viral for talking a mile a minute as the Knicks lost to the Charlotte Hornets at Madison Square Garden is Justin Scalise, the wrestling org.'s senior vice president for live events.

A clip of Scalise and Morgan's courtside interaction was quickly clipped and posted on social media ... with many assuming he was trying to shoot his shot with the wrestler.

That wasn't the case ... but that didn't stop Twitter users from posting memes and poking fun about how Scalise was probably trying to impress Liv with his NFT and crypto knowledge.

Morgan was a VIP guest at the game ... just a few days before she's slated to enter the squared circle at WWE's Road to WrestleMania Supershow at MSG on Sunday.

She got a ton of special perks on Tuesday -- including a custom jersey, video board shout-out and pics with the Knicks' dance team.

Knicks legend Charles Oakley says after years of sucking, his former squad is finally starting to trend in the right direction ... but tells TMZ Sports he wants to see Jalen Brunson and Co. play more before he considers them legit contenders in the NBA.

The Knicks are currently right in the Eastern Conference playoff race ... and are just a few wins from passing their entire total from last season (37), thanks to solid play from Brunson, an offseason free agency pickup, and his teammates, Julius Randle and R.J. Barrett.

When we spoke to Oak after the Super Bowl last week, he seemed cautiously optimistic about the roster the Knicks have put together as they make a push for a postseason run.

"It's too early to judge," Oak told us. "Brunson doing great things with them. I think Julius has picked his game up, he started off slow. R.J. ... so they got some pieces. Just keep jelling."

Charles also had a message for the hoopers ... saying, "Keep playing your game. Know that you in New York. It means a lot to be in New York."

"When you play in New York, you're going to have a target on your back and you gotta perform. Ain't no ifs, ands, or buts, you have to perform."

BTW -- Oak helped pass out 5,000 meals for those in need before the Super Bowl ... something he's done at big sporting events for years.

What's worse than getting stomped by Seth Rollins?! Getting stomped by the WWE Superstar as he rocks a pair of MSCHF's "Big Red Boot" ... the viral/trendy footwear that's reselling for over $1K and is all the rage among celebs!

On last night's episode of Raw, Rollins came out to the ring at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to confront The Miz ... and it was impossible not to notice his choice of footwear.

Seth was cutting a promo calling out Logan Paul for being an attention-seeker ... when Miz clowned him for wearing the "stupid Super Mario boots."

Austin Theory interrupted the segment, but Rollins temporarily got rid of him, before turning his attention back to Miz, and delivering his signature "Curb Stomp" finisher, boots and all.

Seth is the first WWE star to appear on TV wearing the popular boots, but he isn't the only famous person joining the wave, and he won't be the last.

Diplo pulled up to Madison Square Garden Monday night and was seen wearing the boots courtside while he took in the Nets-Knicks game in a battle for New York.

Last week, Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit up Crypto.com Arena (the night LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leading scorer) sporting the boots.

Lil Wayne, Janelle Monae, and a bunch of other celebs and athletes also wore the Big Red Boots.

The Big Red Boots release wide on February 16, and while MSCHF is only charging $350, the BRBs are already selling for $1,200 on the secondary market.

Jalen Brunson had the best reaction to his old college teammate, Josh Hart being traded to the Knicks ... 'cause he absolutely freaked out -- yelling, "OH S***!!!"

The Portland Trail Blazers traded the former Villanova guard to the Big Apple on Wednesday ... in exchange for Cam Reddish, Ryan Arcidiacono, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, and a 2023 first-round pick.

Brunson was back at Villanova's campus -- where he played from 2015 to 2018 -- to have his #1 jersey retired when the deal went down ... and as soon as someone showed him the news on their phone, he threw up his arms in excitement.

"OH S***!!!," the point guard yelled. "YES!!!"

FYI, Brunson and Hart won the 2016 NCAA championship together ... so it was only fitting Jalen was back in Wildcat territory when he learned about the reunion.

Unclear how Reddish feels about his now-former teammate being this excited ... but Cam barely got any playing time since he joined the Knicks last January, and only started 8 games this season.

Blazers superstar, Damian Lillard had good things to say about his new teammate after the trade, ... saying, "I've always liked Cam Reddish a lot."

"He's one of those guys you just always look like, 'Man, if he gets to the right place, could it just click?' Could you see something come out of it?' I take a lot of pride in pouring into guys [like him], especially in a situation like this."

Hart -- who's shooting 50% from the field -- is nice on defense, plus he's a rebounding machine, averaging 8.2 per game.

Emily Ratajkowski's making Madison Square Garden the setting for her own little soap opera -- she and Eric Andre hit the Knicks game, but not together ... instead, she was with a mystery dude.

Emily and an apparent new date were chatting it up courtside Wednesday night as the Knicks defeated the rival Pacers, 119-113.

The duo was definitely giving first-date vibes, but seemed to have some chemistry ... and even arrived together outside the Garden.

Once they were inside, the soap-esque plot twist became apparent ... as Eric was also enjoying the game.

The comedian didn't publicly make any contact with Emily -- with whom he recently went on a date -- but did do some celeb hype for the cameras and other Knicks fans.

It looks like he might've gotten the better seats than ER this time around, because he showed off his perfect view.

As we reported, Emily and Eric enjoyed a romantic evening together in NYC over the weekend, going out for food, drinks ... and presumably lots of laughs.

Emily's been super active on the dating scene since she filed for divorce from estranged husband Sebastian Bear-McClard in September ... the 31-year-old model's been linked to DJ Orazio Rispo, artist Jack Greer and, of course, Pete Davidson.

Nerlens Noel's legal battle with Rich Paul is over -- the two sides have settled their dispute ... with the former first-round draft pick agreeing to pay his former agent and Klutch Sports their cut of his $5 million contract with the New York Knicks.

In 2021, Nerlens -- who has earned around $45 million over the course of his career -- filed a lawsuit against Paul and Klutch Sports Group, claiming he lost $58 million in potential earnings when Paul represented him from 2017-2020.

Noel accused Paul -- whose client list includes several other high-profile NBA superstars, including LeBron James -- of advising him to reject a $70 million offer and take a one-year deal instead.

Noel's lawsuit came after Paul filed a grievance with the National Basketball Players Association ... claiming the former center owed him $200,000 in commission for the Knicks deal, per ESPN.

According to Shams Charania, Noel, Paul, and Klutch Sports Group "amicably settled their ongoing dispute" ... with the hooper agreeing to cough over the dough and withdraw all legal proceedings.

In September 2022, District Judge Jane J. Boyle, dismissed Noel's lawsuit ... recommending that the case be addressed within the NBPA's arbitration system.

The New York Knicks no longer have one of their 2025 second-round picks -- the NBA has concluded its investigation into premature free agency discussions with Jalen Brunson ... and determined the team did, in fact, tamper with the guard.

The league announced the punishment on Wednesday ... saying the Knicks kickstarted their recruitment of the former Dallas Mavericks player prior to the start of free agency this past offseason.

Of course, there was always suspicion surrounding the acquisition ... especially considering Jalen's dad, Rick, became an assistant with the Knicks just one month before Brunson signed a four-year, $104 million deal with New York in July.

On top of that, the Brunson family is very close to Leon Rose, the current president of the Knicks.

The news of Jalen's intentions to sign with the Knicks broke even before the free agency period started ... so it became obvious a probe was on the horizon.

On the bright side, the Knicks could still have two second-round picks in 2025 ... courtesy of trades with the Detroit Pistons and Brooklyn Nets.

Louis Orr, former New York Knicks forward, Syracuse University star and Seton Hall head coach, passed away at the age of 64.

The cause of Orr's death is currently unclear ... but it was recently revealed the basketball player and coach was in hospice and not doing well.

Louie starred in the Cincinnati area as a high schooler before heading off to Syracuse where he played college basketball for four seasons under Jim Boeheim.

After Cuse, Orr entered the NBA Draft, where he was selected in the second round by the Pacers. Louis spent two seasons in Indiana.

Orr resumed his professional basketball career in New York, playing six seasons with the Knicks. Louis was teammates with Patrick Ewing ... whom he later coached with at Georgetown.

Orr averaged nearly 10 points and 4 rebounds a game over his NBA career.

Louis went into coaching in the early '90s, serving as an assistant coach with stops at Xavier, Providence and for JB at his alma mater, Syracuse.

After coaching one year at Sienna in New York, Orr was hired as the head man at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ ... replacing Tommy Amaker, who'd just bolted for Michigan, following a terribly disappointing season.

Orr brought back stability and respectability at SHU -- twice leading the Pirates to an NCAA tournament birth -- including during the 2003-2004 season when his team beat a stacked University of Arizona squad in the first round.

The basketball world is mourning the loss of Orr ... with former players, coaches and teammates expressing sorrow over the loss of not just a good coach, but a good man.

"So heartbroken with the news of Louis Orr's passing. My first Syracuse recruit n Knick player was as kind a person to play in the NBA - our thoughts and prayers are with his family," Rick Pitino wrote.

Pete Davidson and Emily Ratajkowski have gone as public as you possibly can in Hollywood -- attending an NBA game together ... sitting courtside, no less.

The new couple -- who've been maintaining a relatively low profile lately -- blew the doors wide open Sunday by crashing the New York Knicks' showdown with the Grizzlies, snagging the best seats in the house ... and not trying to hide the fact they were a pair whatsoever.

While there didn't seem to be any obvious PDA between them ... Em and Pete were all smiles, and not shying away from cameras either. In fact, the Knicks' own Twitter account posted a photo of them cheesin' it up, and tagging EmRat too.

It's pretty funny ... their presence was actually acknowledged during the broadcast, although the TV guys didn't seem to know who Emily was, 'cause they skipped over in the namedrop.

They also didn't seem to know PD all that well either ... completely butchering his name.

They were sitting next to Ben Stiller and Jordin Sparks -- so there was a lot of star power in the house. But for Pete and Emily to pop is a big deal, seeing how they've seemingly been trying to lay low as they've hit the town in and around NYC.

They were spotted hanging 2 weeks ago in Brooklyn -- the first time they'd been seen on camera amid rumors they were linking up. Pete did something similar with Kim Kardashian ... trying to keep it on the DL for a while, then finally embracing the spotlight.

Seems like he's fast-tracking things this time around, though ... nothing says we're dating like a night out at MSG during primetime TV.

Say hello to the hottest new item in the Big Apple!

La La Anthony is spillin' more tea on her marriage to Carmelo ... revealing this week that the Knicks trade for her former NBA superstar hubby led to the couple's "demise."

The T.V. personality went on Alex Cooper's "Call Her Daddy" podcast on Wednesday to talk about the difficulties of being a wife of a 10-time NBA All-Star ... and she unveiled that everything was good between the two -- until New York got involved.

La La -- who married Melo in July 2010 -- says their relationship was gravy when the basketball player was starring for the Denver Nuggets ... but got dicey when he was traded to the Knicks in February 2011.

“When we lived here [in New York] under all of that [attention], that's when things became complicated," La La said.

"I think that was kind of the start. Now that I look back, that was kind of the start of the demise of the marriage."

The NY native says the bright lights of the city weren't the only things that started the problems between her and Melo, but they were some of the hardest things to deal with.

"That's not the only reason things didn't work out, but things got tough with New York. Just constantly being under the spotlight and people watching every little thing."

La La ultimately filed for divorce from Melo in 2021, citing irreconcilable differences, but she told Cooper they're still friends ... and are co-parenting their 15-year-old son, Kiyan, without issues.

"It wasn't all bad," she said. "Like, we had great, great times."

La La says she is dating again ... but is not open to NBA players anymore.

New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson proposed to his longtime girlfriend like a true basketball player -- getting down on one knee and poppin' the question on a hoops court -- and it worked, 'cause she said yes!!

The NBA point guard and Ali Marks shared the news on social media on Tuesday -- revealing the proposal went down at their old high school's court in Illinois.

"you are a lifetime," said Marks, who shared pics of the couple's romantic evening on the Stevenson H.S. court.

"forever," Brunson added.

While unorthodox, the proposal's venue was absolutely fitting ... considering Brunson and Marks -- who's a physical therapist -- began dating at the high school years ago.

The two were initially there on Tuesday to see Brunson be inducted into the school's Hall of Fame.

Several NBA players congratulated Brunson following his reveal of the news -- and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban even claimed to have known it was going to happen.

"See how I predicted that," Cuban said. "Congrats 🎉🎉🎉"

There are a lot of new beginnings for Brunson recently ... the 26-year-old -- who had been a Dallas Maverick since 2018 -- just signed a four-year, $104 million deal with the Knicks in July.

Donovan Mitchell's days in Utah are over -- the NBA star has been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a huge deal on Thursday.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted out the bombshell news just minutes ago -- the face of the Jazz franchise is officially on the move to northeast Ohio.

Mitchell -- who was drafted by the Nuggets out of Louisville -- spent all 5 of his seasons with the Jazz after being traded on draft night ... where he established himself as one of the game's best young stars.

The Cavs are sending Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji and three first-round picks to Utah ... and the rights to swap two other future picks in the deal.

The Knicks had been floated as a potential landing spot for Spida ... but their dreams were officially squashed after the Cavs -- who made the play-in tournament last year -- sealed the deal.

Utah appears to be in complete rebuild mode -- the team traded away Rudy Gobert, a 3-time Defensive Player of the Year, and now have shipped Donovan out of town as well.