Philadelphia 76ers

Dwight Howard is calling for everyone to STOP HATING on his teammate, Ben Simmons -- with the 76ers star saying the negative criticism has gotten completely out of hand.

24-year-old Simmons has been under fire for playing poorly in the NBA playoffs -- particularly in Game 7 of the 76ers vs. Hawks series.

Simmons only scored 5 points in that game -- including 1 point in a hotly contested 4th quarter. Afterward, NBA analyst Shaquille O'Neal says he was so frustrated watching Simmons, he would have KO'd the guy in the locker room if they were teammates.

But, Howard says tough talk and violent threats are NOT the answer ... explaining Ben needs love and support instead.

"I don't think it's right that everybody just sending this man bad messages and all this negativity," Howard said Monday on IG Live ... "I think it sucks."

"We supposed to be the City of Brotherly Love and the best thing we can do is just send some positivity!!!"

Howard added, "This man is 24 years old! He's 24 years old. He's still learning who he is as a person and a player."

"No matter what! Ben, I got your back, man! You're my brother and I love you."

On today's episode of "NBA Fans Gone Wild" -- some idiot rushed the court during the Wizards vs. Sixers game on Monday ... and not only did he get wrecked by security, the guy is now BANNED from the arena.

So ... was it worth it, dude?!?

It all went down late in the third quarter of Game 4 of the first-round playoff series ... when the fan sprinted from the stands and onto the court -- flailing his arms and tapping the backboard before getting leveled by Capital One Arena security with a Ray Lewis-type hit.

Naturally, the players and coaches were pissed -- Sixers center Dwight Howard even walked over to the detained fan and stared down as he squirmed on the court.

The Wizards released a statement on the incident ... saying, "During this evening's game, a fan was apprehended by Capital One Arena Special Police after attempting to breach the court."

"He will be banned from the arena and charges are being pursued with DC MPD."

The NBA has had a serious issue with disrespectful fans over the past week -- from a spectator spitting on Trae Young to Kyrie Irving getting a bottle thrown at him to Russell Westbrook getting doused in popcorn ... and, unfortunately, several more incidents.

The fan from the Wizards/Sixers game has not been identified ... but we'll keep you posted.

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.

Philadelphia 76ers star Danny Green has turned his favorite superhero into some iced-out jewelry -- coppin' a Power Rangers pendant filled with ... you guessed it, GREEN diamonds!

TMZ Sports has learned ... Green was on a new-team, new-jewelry kinda vibe after being traded to the Sixers a few months after winning the title with the LA Lakers last season.

So, the 33-year-old wing hit up celeb jeweler Leo Frost to hook him up ... and, as a huge Power Rangers fan, he asked for a sick piece -- and Leo delivered!

The ice is INSANE ... it looks exactly like a Power Rangers mask -- and it's filled with 48 carats of green, black and white VVS diamonds, plus 14k of white gold!!!

Unclear what Green paid for the piece ... but don't worry, we're sure he could afford it -- he's made $81 million in 12 seasons in the NBA!!

As for why the Green Ranger ... Danny's last name is, of course, Green -- but Leo says it's also because "whatever team he ends up on, he ends up balling out."

"That's what the Green Ranger did on Power Rangers," Leo tells us.

It makes sense ... Green has played for the 5 teams and won 3 NBA championships (Spurs, Raptors, Lakers).

Meek Mill and Michael Rubin must be tired of Congress stalling on a relief package -- they've just created their own ... a $2M scholarship fund to benefit underprivileged kids in Philadelphia.

The "Championships" rapper and 76ers partner created the fund which is expected to benefit nearly 1,000 students in the Philly area ... and the impact will be IMMEDIATE. We're told the money -- which will go toward the 2020-2021 school year -- will help students from pre-K through high school score resources they desperately need during the pandemic.

The students from poverty-stricken homes who are selected to receive a scholarship can use the money to attend private/parochial schools throughout the city with costs covered. For those in e-learning school, they can use the funds to to access equipment ... like laptops, tablets and WiFi.

As you know, so many families are struggling to make ends meet, and a big part of that includes finding resources so kids can continue learning from home.

It's an awesome and much needed gesture from Michael and Meek ... close friends who are both from Philly.

Both men have been involved in multiple relief efforts through this god awful year. Michael was the architect of the All In Challenge during the early part of the pandemic. Tons of celebrities did their part in hooking it up ... from Meek, Drake, Tom Brady and Kevin Hart to Justin Bieber, Magic Johnson and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Well, THAT didn't take long.

Doc Rivers is back on an NBA bench just days after leaving the L.A. Clippers ... agreeing to become the next head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The longtime L.A. coach mutually parted ways with the Clips earlier this week ... after a disappointing exit from the playoffs.

Rivers addressed the exit in a statement, saying, "While I was able to accomplish most of my goals, I won't be able to see them all through. Though it was a disappointing ending to our season, you are right there and I know what this team is capable of accomplishing with your support."

Rivers made it clear he wasn't ready to hang up his tie just yet ... and while an official announcement has yet to be made, it's only a matter of time.

Rivers -- who has posted a 943-681 record as a head coach -- beat out huge names like Mike D'Antoni and Ty Lue for the gig ... and is taking on a team with a ton of talent.

The Sixers have been hoping to get back into the Finals for years ... and now they got a guy who has won it all.

NBA superstar Joel Embiid and model girlfriend Anne de Paula just welcomed their first child together ... making the surprise announcement Thursday!!

The news comes as a shock to many who didn't even know the couple was expecting ... but the new parents decided to go public as their baby boy, Arthur Elijah de Paula Embiid, made his big arrival this week.

The name is important to the Embiid family -- Joel's younger brother, Arthur, died at age 13 in 2014.

"We are so blessed and fortunate to welcome our little boy in this family," the Sixers center said on Instagram.

And, in true Embiid fashion ... daddy had jokes.

"First of 11 or more? Trying to convince her but I’m not winning so far. I’m just trying to build a soccer team but for real I’m so excited for the future and my life has a new meaning."

"Kudos to @annedepaula_ for being so strong and giving me the Greatest Gift our life can offer #GodisGood"

Embiid and de Paula have been together since 2018 ... and this is their first child together.

Ben Simmons has a new team -- no he hasn't been traded (yet) ... the NBA superstar has joined the world-famous FaZe Clan!

Simmons -- a hardcore gamer -- is the newest celebrity investor and even got a new FaZe nickname to go along with it ... FAZE SIMMO!

The Philadelphia 76ers big man will serve as an "ambassador to the organization for content as well as an advocate for gaming and esports and the expansion of FaZe Clan globally," the company says.

FaZe Clan also notes it will not disclose the amount of Ben's investment, though it's probably fair to assume it's a sizable number.

Simmons first started gaming with FaZe talent in 2018 -- mostly playing Call of Duty with FaZe Temperrr.

The two recently participated in a COD celebrity pro-am which raised nearly $125,000 to help people affected by COVID-19.

"Gaming is an important part of my life, and so it was a natural progression to personally invest in this industry,” Simmons said.

"FaZe Clan represents the pinnacle of the gaming culture, and I am really looking forward to connecting with new fans around the globe."

FaZe is one of the largest and most influential companies in gaming -- recently passing the 1 BILLION view mark on its YouTube channel.

Tobias Harris took a scary fall on the basketball court that could've seriously injured the guy, or possibly even killed him -- but fortunately, it looks like he's going to be okay.

The 76ers star was playing in Sunday's game against the Boston Celtics, when at one point late in the third quarter, he went up for a defensive rebound ... but got his legs clipped by Jayson Tatum midair, which tilted his body and made him land hard on the paint headfirst.

You could see he was in excruciating pain as he writhed on the floor and couldn't get up at first. The refs stopped the game and the Philly's medical staff rushed out to the court to evaluate him. It appeared they signaled for trauma too, which meant it was serious.

It also looks like there might've been some blood spattered on the floor, which the med team was quick to wipe up as well.

The good news is that Tobias was able to get up and walk off the court on his own accord. He's said to have suffered a left eye laceration and was being evaluated for a concussion in the locker room.

It could've been much worse ... thank goodness it wasn't.

A former member of the Philadelphia 76ers' dance team claims she was the victim of bullying and racism during her time on the squad ... and now, the Sixers have launched an investigation.

Yahne Coleman -- a fashion model who used to perform with the Sixers Dancers -- revealed the disturbing allegations in a lengthy social media post Tuesday.

In the statement, Coleman claimed she was "racially profiled, bullied and threatened" not only by her dance teammates ... but by members of the dance team's coaching staff as well.

Coleman also attached a video with her post ... which she says shows a former teammate making inappropriate and racist remarks toward her, and even threatening her.

In the footage, the woman can be heard saying, "I will teach you how to use a tampon because your dirty-ass vagina probably smells like fish."

The woman in the video can also be heard saying, "I will find you in whatever home project you live in. I will slum it to the west side of Philly just to find your ass, beat the sh*t out of it, and then get you backlisted from whatever club you think you can get in.”

Coleman -- who reportedly left the dance team in 2015 -- claims similar bullying incidents happened to her regularly ... and she says when she reported it to officials in the 76ers' organization, "nothing was done."

The Sixers released a statement shortly after Coleman's post went up, and they say they're vowing to do a thorough investigation into the claims.

"Tonight, we were made aware of social media posts involving former dance team members that contained insensitive, offensive and unacceptable remarks, as well as allegations of bullying and racist behavior,” the team said.

"The videos, which were filmed in 2016, featured derogatory comments from a former dance team member who left the organization in 2013."

76ers star Tobias Harris is calling for an elected official in Pennsylvania to resign for labeling Black Lives Matter as a "radical left-wing hate group."

The man behind the comment is Joe Gale -- a County Commissioner for Montgomery County, the 3rd largest county in PA.

The Board of Commissioners is a powerful group -- comprised of only 3 members and they control the legislative and executive functions for the entire county.

Fast forward to Monday ... when Gale issued a strong written statement slamming the protests in Philadelphia as an act of "urban domestic terror."

Gale says the people responsible are "radical left-wing hate groups like Black Lives Matter."

He continued, "This organization, in particular, screams racism not to expose bigotry and injustice, but to justify the lawless destruction of our cities and surrounding communities."

"Their objective is to unleash chaos and mayhem without consequence by falsely claiming they, in fact, are victims."

Now, 27-year-old Harris is lashing out at the statement ... saying, "I honestly can’t believe what I’m reading."

"Black Lives Matter a hate group?! This statement and your whole press release at that is disgusting to read. RESIGN!"

Rapper Meek Mill echoed Harris' statement, saying "True colors.... welcome to PA!"

Harris isn't alone in demanding Gale's removal from office ... there's already a change.org petition calling for him to step down.

Jimmy Butler is opening up about his decision to leave the 76ers ... admitting he felt like he had no idea what was going on or "who the f*** was in charge."

Butler's time in Philly was short and had its fair share of drama ... and now the 30-year-old is explaining to 'The JJ Redick Podcast' what was so challenging for him last season.

“Hell yeah, it was difficult. It was so different,” Butler told his old teammate. “And, on any given day, me as a person and as a player, I didn’t who the f*** was in charge."

"I think that was my biggest thing. I didn’t know what the f*** to expect whenever I would go into the gym, whenever I go into the plane, whenever I got into the game.”

"I think I was as lost as the next motherf***er."

Butler explains his frustrations stemmed from so many voices trying to be heard ... and meetings where "nothing got accomplished at all."

The now-Miami Heat star -- who signed a 4-year, $141 million deal this off-season -- shares the moment he knew he'd leave ... saying someone had asked if he could be "controlled" if he stayed in Philly.

"I was like, ‘You don’t got to worry about it. Sh*t, can’t nobody f***ing control me.’"

"For one, I ain’t just out there doing no bullsh*t. But, the fact that you’re trying to control a grown man? Nah, I’m cool. 'Cause I don't do nothing that's just drastically f***ing stupidly crazy. I do not do that."

Forget a Super Bowl hangover, the party continues for Kendall Jenner and Ben Simmons ... who spent their Monday chillin' by the pool in Miami ... and good lord, they're attractive!

Bendall (that's what we're gonna call them now) went to the Super Bowl together on Sunday where they made it pretty clear to everyone they're together -- despite an on-and-off past.

Fast forward to Monday morning where normies spotted the celeb couple taking in some sun and healthy drinks by the pool of their fancy Miami hotel.

Kendall was still sporting some swag from Stormi's big 2nd birthday in Los Angeles -- one of the biggest, craziest birthday parties we've ever seen.

Clearly, Kendall flew out right after the bash ... because she's RICH, Y'ALL ... and that's what rich people do.

As for Ben ... the Philadelphia 76ers star is actually in town to play the Miami Heat on Monday afternoon in what should be a pretty competitive game.

Hydrate, bro.

Allen Iverson reportedly had $500,000 worth of jewelry stolen from a Philadelphia hotel on Monday ... and now, cops say they're searching for the scumbag who took the bling.

Philly police say at around 10:30 AM, officers responded to the Sofitel Hotel in downtown Philadelphia after a man allegedly jacked a backpack with the ice in it from the lobby.

Police would NOT confirm the victim was Iverson ... but according to NBC10, the bag and the jewels DID belong to the NBA legend.

Cops say the suspect is a black male in his early 20s ... claiming he's 6 feet tall with a "thin build." They say he was last seen wearing a dark jacket, red shirt, dark pants and black and white sneakers.

44-year-old Iverson has been retired from the NBA since 2010 ... and reportedly made over $200 MILLION in his career.

He's been known to still frequent Philadelphia and 76ers games often ... and was last spotted at the Wells Fargo Center for the Sixers' game against the Lakers on Saturday.