Retired (NBA)

Echoing his head coach, Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert downplayed any friction between him and teammate Donovan Mitchell on Thursday and argued people are stirring up nonexistent drama.

"There's always going to be noise," Gobert said at the 4:32 mark of an interview with ESPN's Malika Andrews on NBA Today. "There's a lot of teams and a lot of people that would love for us to break apart. ... We know that everything that happens within our team on the court, off the court is being looked at with a big scope. And people are looking for anything they can find to just try to divide us."

The comments came two days after Jazz head coach Quin Snyder spoke to reporters for nearly 20 minutes, in part to quash any rumored strife between his two best players.

It's no secret that Gobert and Mitchell's relationship was a bit strained after the NBA paused the 2019-20 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Snippet from the conversation with Rudy Gobert addressing media speculation about his relationship with Donovan Mitchell: pic.twitter.com/jQ8KaPEnZs

— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) April 12, 2020

Gobert's positive test is what precipitated the league's decision to halt play, and he was accused of being a bit reckless—especially in hindsight—when he seemed to make light of the pandemic during a media availability.

The 7'1" center told The Athletic's Sam Amick in February 2021 that he and Mitchell had "a very honest conversation" that helped them move on from any lingering animus toward each other.

However, the Gobert/Mitchell dynamic has again become a topic.

After claiming the top seed in the Western Conference last year, the Jazz are in fifth place and 15 games back of the first-place Phoenix Suns. Failing to match the pace it set one season ago is obviously a bit frustrating for Utah.

But the issue appears to be deeper than that.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst (via RealGM) said on his Hoop Collective podcast in February that Gobert and Mitchell were "under each other's skin."

The situation has reached a point where the number of times Mitchell is feeding Gobert inside is part of the conversation. According to NBA.com, Mitchell is averaging 2.3 passes per game to the Frenchman, his sixth-most frequent collaboration.

By contrast, Kyle Lowry is finding his Miami Heat teammate Bam Adebayo 11.9 times per game, per NBA.com. It's a somewhat similar story with Trae Young and Clint Capela (6.6 passes) on the Atlanta Hawks, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen (6.9 passes) and the pairing of Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton (6.9 passes) on the Suns.

Like Gobert, Mitchell basically said this is all much ado about nothing:

Donovan Mitchell's full response at shootaround this morning when he was asked about the number of times he passes to Rudy Gobert per game: pic.twitter.com/OTez0jURfz

— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) April 5, 2022

When the Jazz are first in offensive rating (116.4), per NBA.com, it's tough to argue too much with the results.

But Utah's overall decline doesn't bode well when there were already longstanding questions over whether the roster is built for the playoffs—the Jazz haven't advanced past the conference semifinals under Snyder.

Should this season end with another quick exit, the chatter around Mitchell and Gobert is bound to hit a fever pitch.

A hoodie inspired by Kobe and Gigi Bryant sold out almost as soon as it went on sale. 

Per TMZ Sports, the hooded sweatshirt featuring the Mamba & Mambacita logo sold out in less than 24 minutes Thursday. 

In a post on Instagram, Vanessa Bryant announced the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation was releasing the hoodie through the official merchandise store thanks to a special donation from Champion. 

Bryant added that "100% of the net proceeds will go towards furthering the Foundation’s mission for creating impact for underserved athletes and boys & girls in sports."

Vanessa launched the Mambacita clothing line in honor of what would have been Gigi's 15th birthday on May 1, 2021. All of the proceeds also went to the foundation. 

The Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation was founded in 2018. The organization's mission is to create a positive impact on the lives of underserved athletes, as well as children in sports. 

The hood and right sleeve on the hoodie feature the Nos. 2, 8 and 24 with hearts around each number. They represent the jersey numbers that Gigi and Kobe wore on the basketball court.    

Former NBA guard Delonte West is back on the basketball court with hopes of playing in the Big 3, according to TMZ Sports. 

The 38-year-old was seen taking shots at Pat The Roc Basketball Academy in Gaithersburg, Maryland:

Delonte West 🔥💪 pic.twitter.com/gOvXCUTnAi

— Ahn Fire Digital (@AhnFireDigital) February 17, 2022

The eight-year NBA veteran last appeared in a game in 2011-12 with the Dallas Mavericks.

West went through difficult times after his NBA career, dealing with arrests and homelessness.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban picked him up at a Dallas gas station and brought him to a drug rehabilitation facility in September 2020. After getting treatment, West went on to work at the same facility.

He is now looking to return to the court, with the BIG3 potentially providing an opening. The three-on-three league has several former NBA players on rosters, with Joe Johnson, Leandro Barbosa, Jarrett Jack and Nate Robinson among those who competed last season.

West starred alongside Jameer Nelson at Saint Joseph's in college and was perhaps best known for playing alongside LeBron James for three seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He started every game he played for the 2008-09 squad that reached the Eastern Conference Finals.    

Netflix is producing a documentary about Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell, according to Variety's Angelique Jackson.

Russell, widely considered one of the greatest players in NBA history, was a five-time MVP and 11-time champion in 13 years with the Celtics. He was also a two-time champion in college, leading San Francisco to titles in 1955 and 1956.

The 88-year-old's legacy extends far beyond the basketball court.

Both during and after his playing career, Russell was an outspoken civil rights advocate.

In October 1961, he helped organize a boycott of an exhibition game in Lexington, Kentucky, after teammates Sam Jones and Thomas Sanders were denied service at a coffee shop in their Lexington hotel.

In a first-person essay for Slam, Russell also recounted how he was subjected to racism around Boston. As one example, burglars broke into his home, spray-painted the N-word on his walls and defecated in his bed. 

He was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in February 2011.

Russell's documentary will be a great way for younger generations to learn about his success in basketball as well his contributions to the civil rights movement and advocacy since his career ended.

Ben Simmons apparently didn't take too kindly to criticism from Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal about his holdout from the Philadelphia 76ers.

On his podcast, O'Neal said Simmons sent him a direct message on social media about comments O'Neal made during a recent episode of Inside the NBA.

"He acting like a baby.”@Shaq went IN on Ben Simmons and says the Sixers star DM'd him mad for comments Shaq recently made on @NBAonTNT 

More on #TheBigPodcast: https://t.co/v263O0hCCc pic.twitter.com/LGl9dtOYHJ

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 3, 2022

O'Neal made the comments Jan. 27 on the TNT studio show when comparing Simmons to Joel Embiid (via CBS Sports' Michael Kaskey-Blomain):

"I stay on big guys because I care about them. I want them to play a certain way. I want them to play at a certain level. The difference between [Embiid] and his soft partner [Simmons] is, he can take criticism without being a crybaby, and he still wants to play.

"Me and Charles [Barkley] ... we told [Embiid] to his face what he needs to do. He didn't cry, he didn't say 'I want to get traded,' he didn't complain about mistreatment. And that's the difference. That's why I like and respect him. The other guy, I don't respect him. ...

"Great players get criticized. But the great players also step up to the criticism and perform. So this other guy, I don't respect him. I would get rid of him."

Simmons has been away from the Sixers since head coach Doc Rivers kicked him out of a preseason practice Oct. 19. He was subsequently suspended for conduct detrimental to the team.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Oct. 22 that Simmons told the Sixers he wasn't mentally ready to play up to expectations and needed to take time away to meet with medical professionals.

Per a report Tuesday by ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, Simmons has been working out at the 76ers' practice facility with his personal trainers to stay ready in the event he gets traded.

"It has been seven months since he asked the Sixers to explore a trade for him and nearly four months since he returned to Philadelphia," Shelburne wrote. "He has not meaningfully participated in a practice or even a film session since. He has just been there: in body but never in spirit."

There have been no signs that the Sixers are close to moving Simmons before the Feb. 10 trade deadline.

Per The Athletic's David Aldridge and Josh Robbins, Bradley Beal is among the players for whom Philadelphia would trade Simmons, but there is no indication the Washington Wizards are going to trade the three-time All-Star.

Simmons is under contract through the 2024-25 season. He is owed $113.7 million over the next three years.

Even without Simmons, the 76ers are in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 31-20 record. They have won 15 of 19 games since a 98-96 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Dec. 23.    

Former NBA star Lamar Odom announced Wednesday that he will be part of the cast for the upcoming season of Celebrity Big Brother.

Odom was one of 11 celebrities who announced their participation in a video for Big Brother's official Twitter account:

No need to guess anymore! Meet your #BBCeleb Houseguests! Which ⭐️ are you most excited to see? pic.twitter.com/BUxTspgeGF

— Big Brother (@CBSBigBrother) January 27, 2022

Big Brother is a hugely popular reality show that has aired on CBS since 2000, and Odom is set to participate in the third-ever celebrity season of the show.

Odom, 42, spent 14 seasons in the NBA from 1999-2013 playing for the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks.

Playing alongside Kobe Bryant, Odom won two NBA championships with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010. He was also named NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2011.

In 961 career NBA regular-season games, the 6'10" Odom averaged 13.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per contest.

Odom is also known for his marriage to reality television star Khloe Kardashian, which lasted from 2009-16.

While Odom nearly died in 2015 after suffering kidney failure, multiple heart attacks and multiple strokes following drug use, he ultimately recovered.

In recent years, Odom played briefly in the BIG3 three-on-three basketball league and beat singer Aaron Carter in a celebrity boxing match.

Odom is one of three athletes competing on Celebrity Big Brother, as he will be joined by Olympic figure skater Mirai Nagasu and UFC fighter Miesha Tate.

The winner of Celebrity Big Brother, which debuts on Feb. 2, will earn $250,000.

Two years after being involved in a serious car crash, Chandler Parsons has retired from the NBA. 

Parsons officially announced his retirement on Tuesday in a post on Instagram:

Man, I don’t even know where to begin… It’s been a crazy last couple years and has put a lot of things in perspective. I’ve had so many ups and downs and thankful for every single one of them. My entire life all I wanted to be was an NBA player. I didn’t even realize, or think what came with that, I just wanted to compete and play basketball at the highest level. I can proudly say, I did THAT! It wasn’t perfect, but it was a blast and I want to take a moment to thank every single person who helped me reach my dreams. My family, my friends, my aau and high school program, University of Florida, thank you for preparing me and getting me ready for the journey. To the Rockets, Mavericks, Grizzlies and Hawks, thank you for believing in me and giving me an opportunity to live my dreams. To all the staff, trainers, doctors, coaches, teammates, agents, and most important the fans who supported me, THANK YOU. I sure will miss it, the flights, the film sessions, the games, but am so excited for the next chapter of my life. Thank you all, love. CP25.

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Parsons reached a settlement in his lawsuit from the January 2020 car crash for a "substantial amount."

The Atlanta Hawks announced on Jan. 20, 2020 that Parsons was diagnosed with a concussion and whiplash as the result of a car crash he was involved in five days earlier. 

Morgan & Morgan law firm announced Parsons suffered "multiple severe and permanent injuries including a traumatic brain injury, disc herniation and torn labrum" when his vehicle was struck by a drunk driver who was arrested. 

Parson' final NBA appearance came on Dec. 27, 2019 with the Hawks. He played 11 minutes in a 112-86 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. 

A second-round pick by the Houston Rockets in the 2011 draft, Parsons played nine seasons in the NBA. He spent three seasons with the Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies, two seasons with the Dallas Mavericks and finished his career with the Hawks.

Parsons averaged 12.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in 440 career games. He was also named to the 2010-11 All-SEC first team and won 2010-11 SEC Player of the Year at the University of Florida.    

The basketball used in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's final regular-season game is going up for auction. 

Per the official listing on TheMintCollective.com, the ball has a starting bid of $50,000 with an estimated value between $300,000 and $400,000. 

Bidding is currently under way at  Lelands.com and will run through Jan. 29. 

Per TMZ Sports, the actual sale price for the ball could go up to $500,000. 

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Seattle SuperSonics 121-117 on April 23, 1989, at the Forum.

Abdul-Jabbar scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds in 26 minutes in his final regular-season game. He finished his career with 38,387 points, which is still the highest total in NBA history. 

Abdul-Jabbar signed the ball, and it comes with a certificate of authenticity. The ball is also inscribed with "Last Reg. Season Game Ball 4/89" and "38,387 PTS Lifetime."

The 19-time All-Star did play 15 more games in the postseason, including eight home contests. The Lakers were swept in the NBA Finals by the Detroit Pistons. He had 24 points and 13 rebounds in Game 3 of that series.

Abdul-Jabbar was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995. He was also inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class in 2006. 

The Miami Heat signed Mario Chalmers to a 10-day contract on Thursday, and now Chris Bosh wants to get the band back together. 

Bosh, a Hall of Famer who spent six seasons in Miami, joked that he wants Chalmers to try to convince the Heat to sign him, adding that he's still in shape.

Hey @mchalmers15 tell them we can bring back the ol pick and roll! Let’s get the band back together!

I’m in shape 😬 https://t.co/nb7ErjshqH

— Chris Bosh (@chrisbosh) December 31, 2021

Chalmers spent eight seasons in Miami and played six alongside Bosh. The two helped the Heat win back-to-back NBA titles in 2012 and 2013. 

Chalmers hasn't played in the NBA since the 2017-18 season, while Bosh announced his retirement in February 2019. Bosh missed the entire 2016-17 season due to blood clots and never returned to the league. 

During his six seasons with the Heat, Bosh averaged 18.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Chalmers, meanwhile, averaged 8.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists in eight seasons in Miami. 

Diamond Dallas Page squared off against some of the most powerful individuals in professional wrestling history, but one NBA legend's strength really stood out to him in the ring.

Appearing on Steve Austin's Broken Skull Sessions podcast, Page said Dennis Rodman was "as strong as anyone that ever grabbed me."

"There's a reason why at 6'6" he averaged 22 rebounds a game," Page added. "He was really an incredible, incredible athlete."

Rodman had an extended run in WCW from 1997-99, primarily as a member of the New World Order. He main-evented two pay-per-views in a tag team with Hulk Hogan, including Bash at the Beach 1998 against Page and Karl Malone. 

The Rodman-Hogan team won the bout after the Disciple attacked Page, allowing Hogan to get the pin. 

Rodman's final match in WCW was against Randy Savage at Road Wild in 1999. Macho Man got the win with some help from Gorgeous George. 

There's no dispute that Rodman is one of the toughest players in NBA history. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame largely on the strength of his defensive ability.

The Worm was selected to the All-Defensive first team seven times and was named Defensive Player of the Year twice. He led the NBA in rebounding in seven consecutive seasons from 1992-98. 

Since retiring from full-time wrestling, Page has primarily focused on building his DDP Yoga brand. He has made sporadic appearances in AEW, including competing in a six-man tag match with Dustin Rhodes and QT Marshall against MJF and The Butcher and The Blade at Bash at the Beach in January 2020.

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