NBA's Steve Novak I Agree With Steph Curry ... About Toilets

Oklahoma City Thunder sharpshooter Steve Novak says he's in full agreement with his fellow 3-point sniper Steph Curry ... about the wonder of automatic toilets.
Novak was out in L.A. when we asked him about Curry saying his recent hot streak could be attributed to his brand new bathroom buddy ... an automatic toilet that makes Chef Curry super happy.
Check out the clip -- Novak thinks about it for a second and has to agree ... you'd definitely shoot better if you're free of certain ... intestinal burdens.
Prune juice, guys ... it's cheaper ... just sayin.' 

Iman Shumpert 911 Call NBA Star's Incredible Heroics ... During Bathroom Birth

NBA star Iman Shumpert was INCREDIBLY calm for a guy who's fiancee unexpectedly gave birth in their home -- and you can hear the whole dramatic thing unfold on the 911 recording.
As we previously reported, the Cleveland Cavs star called 911 right after Teyana Taylor suddenly went into labor and gave birth to their daughter earlier this week.
You can hear Iman and Teyana are very emotional during the delivery -- and with help from the 911 operator, he was able to deliver a healthy baby girl.
After things calmed down, the 911 operator tells Iman ... "It's not everyday somebody delivers a baby on the phone."
True that.
Congrats!

Bucks topple Warriors, end NBA-record 24-0 start

 

The Golden State Warriors walked slowly off the Bradley Center floor, exchanging handshakes with the victorious Milwaukee Bucks on the way back to their locker room.
They're not used to losing.
The Warriors' NBA-record start ended after 24 wins when they lost to the Bucks 108-95 on Saturday night.

BOX SCORE:  BUCKS 108, WARRIORS 95
"We didn't have it tonight," interim coach Luke Walton said. "That's why it is so hard to do what these guys have done so far. It caught up to us."
Golden State fell to 24-1. Its 28-game winning streak, counting the final four games of last season, came to a halt. The NBA's longest winning streak was 33 by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1971-72 -- and it was also snapped by Milwaukee.
"Well, we knew the streak had to end at some point," the Warriors posted on their Twitter account.
It was the way they lost that was a little surprising. This was no squeaker at the buzzer, but a Bucks runaway at the end.

COWBOYS HANDLE REDSKINS ON BAILEY'S LATE BOOT

 

Dez Bryant's tantrum on the Dallas Cowboys' sideline was not a good look. Neither was Darren McFadden's two-fumble performance. Matt Cassel's passes often sailed nowhere near his receivers.
All in all, it was an ugly game, devoid of any style points or many scoreboard points until the final 1 1/2 minutes. Perhaps fittingly, a fumbled punt return by Washington's DeSean Jackson deep in his own territory led to Dallas' only touchdown.  

BOX SCORE:  COWBOYS 19, REDKSINS 16
And yet, none of that mattered to Dallas, really, because by beating Washington 19-16 on Dan Bailey's 54-yard field goal with 9 seconds left Monday night, the Cowboys somehow kept themselves in the thick of the playoff chase in the woeful NFC East.
"We have everything to gain and everything to lose," Bryant said. "We are still in this thing."
Hard to believe, but true.
The last-place Cowboys (4-8) won for the first time this season without quarterback Tony Romo and are only one game behind the Redskins, Giants and Eagles, who are all 5-7.
"Our guys don't blink," Dallas coach Jason Garrett said. "We've given ourselves an opportunity to stay in it."

Kobe told Lakers coach he was retiring during game

Kobe Bryant first told Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott that he would be retiring at the end of the season during a game last weekend, reports ESPN.com’s Baxter Holmes.
“I said, ‘KB, I played you 20 minutes in the first half. I’m going to cut those minutes down. I’ve got to cut them down,’” Scott told Bryant before the team’s game against the Atlanta Hawks. “He said, ‘That’s good, coach. That’s all right. I’m going to announce my retirement after the game.”
On Sunday, Bryant shared a poem on The Players Tribune finalizing his decision.

Jahlil Okafor 'I'm Not Proud Of My Decisions'

NBA star Jahlil Okafor says he vows to get his life together and NOT be a distraction to his team ... after being involved in several concerning off-the-court incidents ... including a street fight in Boston.

Kobe Bryant Announces Retirement I'm Ready to Let Go

This will be Kobe Bryant's final season in the NBA ... he just made it official by penning a love letter to basketball.
Kobe says the 2015-16 season will be his last in the Lakers purple and gold -- and any other uniform. In the letter, posted on The Players' Tribune, Kobe writes ... "Dear Basketball, From the moment I started rolling my dad's tube sock and shooting imaginary game-winning shots ... I fell in love with you."

LeBron, Cavs refuse to move while Raptors dancers perform at half court

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers won't move for anyone. Not even the Toronto Raptors dancers.

LeBron's been having the Cavs skip the pregame intros and wait for their opponents at halfcourt. No matter what.
Maybe the strategy isn't working; the Cavs lost their third straight on the road Wednesday night.
Those dancers, meanwhile, never looked better.

Thunder's Durant out at least a week with hamstring injury

Kevin Durant got annoyed with health questions during the preseason.
Just a few weeks into the regular season, he's already facing more of them.
The Thunder said Wednesday the star forward will miss at least a week because of a strained left hamstring. Durant was injured during the second quarter of a 125-101 victory at Washington on Tuesday night. He will be re-evaluated in seven to 10 days.
"I came down a little awkward, and landed on it a little harder than I wanted to and I pulled it," Durant said after the game.

Maybe try again on March 7, when the Los Angeles Clippers big man who spurned your beloved team in free agency last July returns for the final time in the regular season. Or, if this iteration of the Mavericks (4-4) is going to play like they did in the 118-108 win at the American Airlines Center, maybe just move on and enjoy the season without him.

There was plenty of booing of Jordan, of course: Before the tip-off, when he touched the ball, and certainly when he was at the free-throw line that gives him such fits. One woman held a sign that read, "DeAndre, your word is as terrible as your free throw %." Many others chanted "DeAndre sucks" near the end, when Dirk Nowitzki channeled his younger self to spark the win. First-year Mavericks shooting guard Wesley Matthews, who initially chose to sign with Dallas in July partly because of the chance to pair with Jordan, admitted that he talked some R-rated trash during play.

But Jordan, who had nine points, 11 rebounds and just one blocked shot in all, said he thought it would be more.

Metta World Peace Kobe and I Tried to Save Lamar

Metta World Peace says he and Kobe Bryant both tried to save Lamar Odom from going down a dark path ... and were FURIOUS when they learned he overdosed in a Nevada brothel.
It was an incredibly candid moment from Metta ... who told VladTV he and Kobe love Odom like a brother.
"Kobe FaceTimes Lamar," Metta says ... "Kobe tried to reach out to Lamar plenty of times before this incident happened. I was reaching out to Lamar."

Which is why Metta says he and Kobe were both shocked and heartbroken when they found out about the incident in Nevada, right before the Lakers were set to play a preseason game.
"When Kobe found out Lamar was in the hospital, he was furious ... I was in tears."

Curry scores 31 to lead Warriors past Clippers, 112-108

Stephen Curry scored 31 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with just over a minute to go that led the defending champion Golden State Warriors to their fifth straight win to open the season, 112-108 over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.
Harrison Barnes added 17 points and sparked the big run that helped Golden State overcome a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to knock off perhaps its most hated rival.

LeBron scores 23, lifts Cavaliers past Knicks

James scored 23 points and did some quick tailoring on Cleveland's body-hugging, sleeved uniforms, Mo Williams added 22 and the Cavaliers won their fourth straight, 96-86 over the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.
James made a 3-pointer and dunked off a nice pass from Williams while scoring 11 in the fourth quarter, when the Cavs outscored the Knicks 26-17.


Tristan Thompson grabbed 13 rebounds and Kevin Love had 12 for Cleveland, which hasn't lost since opening night in Chicago. The Cavs didn't have their same ball movement, and they fell behind 15 in the first quarter before finding their groove in the second half, outscoring New York 58-40.
Frustrated with his shot in the first half, an irritated James ripped the sleeves on Cleveland's new, black jerseys. The four-time MVP, who has complained in the past that the retro-looking tops are too snug on his arms and shoulders, tore his jersey in the midst of a 4-of-11 shooting performance in the opening 24 minutes.
"I was just frustrated with myself," he said. "I was just off rhythm and the jersey is the only thing I can go to. I couldn't do nothing to my face. I couldn't make a bucket so I had to take it out on something."

Spurs’ Duncan, Ginobili, Parker become winningest trio in NBA history

San Antonio Spurs stars Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker became the winningest trio in NBA history with the team’s 95–87 win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday.Duncan, Ginobili and Parker have now recorded 541 regular season wins as teammates.
Duncan joined the Spurs first as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft. The 18-year veteran has led San Antonio to five NBA championships and no losing seasons in his tenure with the team. Duncan re-signed with the Spurs for two years in July.
Ginobili was drafted in the second round in ’99, but did not join the Spurs until the 2002 season. The Argentinean’s first season coincided with the franchise’s second championship in ’03. Ginobili also re-signed for two years in the off-season.

LeBron puts to rest questions about back — for now

The Drive. The Fumble. The Shot. The Decision. ... The Back?
LeBron James’ back, the one that required an anti-inflammatory shot almost a year ago and another one earlier in October, has been a constant source of discussion locally and nationally.
It figures to be a topic all season because James has so many basketball miles on his body as he approaches 31 years old, and any significant issue with his back will impact the Cleveland Cavaliers' chances to win a championship.

When he’s not in the game, he has a heating pad wrapped around his back and he’s sometimes stretched out on the hardwood near the Cavaliers’ bench, reminding longtime NBA fans of Boston Celtics great Larry Bird doing the same at the end of his career.

Kobe Bryant, begins 20th season, sets record for most years with one team

 
Kobe Bryant set the record for most seasons played with one team and passed Wilt Chamberlain in minutes played Wednesday night.
Bryant set the record the minute he stepped on the floor for the Los Angeles Lakers, his 20th season with the club. He also passed former L.A. center Chamberlain in minutes played for fourth on the all-time list.

Bryant’s 20 years with the Lakers are unprecedented, especially for a wing player. Bryant’s game has evolved considerably over the years, as he’s gone from an athletic freak with a dunk contest win to a high-volume shooter with amazing consistency in his form. Although he may not be the athlete he once was, his determination to score the ball in any way possible has remained.

L.A. Lakers Honoring Flip Saunders At Tonight's Game

The Los Angeles Lakers will have a moment of silence before tonight's home opener to honor Flip Saunders ... the Minnesota Timberwolves coach who passed away this past weekend.
It just so happens that the Lakers play Minnesota tonight -- and a rep for the team tells us, "Our players will be wearing a special t-shirt during pre-game warmups and also we will do a brief moment of silence for Flip just before the national anthem."
Flip was one of the most beloved and respected coaches in the NBA. He died on Sunday after a battle with cancer. 

No Hollywood ending as Bryant embarks on 20th season

After a glittering career spanning three decades, the final curtain is slowly coming down on Kobe Bryant — but few are expecting a Hollywood ending for the Los Angeles Lakers superstar.
Bryant heads into the final 12 months of a lucrative two-year contract against the backdrop of a familiar guessing game as to whether this will or will not be his last season as an NBA player.

Kobe Bryant

The 37-year-old five-time NBA champion, who has suffered a series of debilitating injuries in recent seasons that have curtailed the autumn of his career, wearily fields questions about his future.
Some experts, notably former Lakers coach Phil Jackson, have predicted that Bryant will find it impossible to walk away from the game and will seek a final contract at another franchise if he does not extend with the Lakers.
Bryant, who has spent the entirety of his career in Los Angeles, says however that he has not made any decision about a retirement date as he prepares to embark on what will be his 20th season with the outfit.

Ex-NBAer Jay Williams I'm Un-Retiring To Crush MTV Star 1-On-1

Ex-NBA stud Jay Williams has found a reason to come back to basketball ... to shut the mouth of "Guy Code" star Andrew Schulz who dared to challenge the former #2 pick to a game of 1-on-1.
This all started after Schulz claimed he could "put seven points" on Williams when Jay was a guest on "The Brilliant Idiots" podcast last month ... a show Schulz co-hosts with Charlamagne Tha God.
Jay took that as a challenge ... and immediately agreed to a 1-on-1 game to 7 points for $500. In fact, Jay's so confident, HE'S SPOTTING ANDREW 6 POINTS!!
If you think it's a joke YOU'RE WRONG. This game is happening in NYC on November 1st ... and when we spoke with both men about the hoops battle ... EPIC SMACK TALK occurred.

NBA Coach Flip Saunders Dies At 60 From Cancer

Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders has died at the age 60.
Saunders -- who announced he was being treated for Hodgkin's lymphoma in August -- passed away Sunday from the disease.
On Friday, the T'Wolves announced Saunders would miss the upcoming season after experiencing complications from the cancer.
Flip's coaching career spanned over 35 years -- including 17 seasons as an NBA coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards -- where he won 654 games.
The NBA community has expressed sorrow ... with stars like LeBron James, Kevin Love and John Wall sending messages to the Saunders family.
R.I.P.