Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta Hawks forward Chandler Parsons suffered several serious and permanent injuries after getting hit by a drunk driver last week ... and now his NBA future is in jeopardy, his attorney claims.

The 31-year-old was on his way home from practice around 2:00 PM on January 15 when a man -- who admitted to drinking and had alcohol in his car -- hit Parsons and caused a 3-car wreck.

Parsons' attorneys, John Morgan and Nick Panagakis, say he may never fully recover from the accident ... claiming he suffered a brain injury, disc herniation and a torn labrum.

NBA superstar Trae Young is starting off 2020 by giving back to his new city in a HUGE way ... by helping cancel out more than $1 MILLION in medical debts for people in Atlanta.

The 21-year-old pro teamed up with a nonprofit called RIP Medical ... which, according to the site, uses donations to buy large bundles of medical debt and then forgive that debt with no tax consequences to donors or recipients.

Young's foundation recently donated $10,000 ... which translates to $1,059,186.39 in medical debt getting erased, helping 570 people in need.

"The City of Atlanta has welcomed me with open arms," Young said, according to WSB-TV in ATL.

"Giving back to this community is extremely important to me. I hope these families can find a bit of relief knowing that their bills have been taken care of as we enter the New Year."

We spoke with Young's dad, Rayford ... who tells us "[Trae] understands where he came from. He understands everyone is not in a position he's in."

Rayford adds that he was in medical debt before Trae got to the NBA ... so it's a cause that hits close to home.

The coolest part??? Rayford tells us each person affected by Trae's donation will receive a personalized letter from the hooper.

Save that letter!!! Young's stock is exploding in a big way these days ... did you see that move he pulled off the other day? GOOD LORD!!!

NBA rising star John Collins has been suspended without pay for 25 games after the Hawks power forward tested positive for an illegal growth hormone ... the league announced Tuesday.

The 22-year-old stud violated the league's anti-drug policy after getting flagged for growth hormone-releasing peptide 2 ...  which increases food intake and appetite, according to studies.

Collins is the 3rd player this season to get popped for violating the league's anti-drug policy ... joining Brooklyn's Wilson Chandler and Phoenix Suns star DeAndre Ayton.

Collins addressed the test results in a statement to ESPN saying he plans to appeal the punishment.

"First I want to apologize to my teammates, the Hawks organization, our fans, partners and community as a whole for this situation."

"I understand the impact this matter has on what we are trying to achieve together this season, and I am incredibly frustrated and disappointed in myself for putting all us in this position."

"I have always been incredibly careful about what I put in my body, but I took a supplement, which unbeknownst to me, had been contaminated with an illegal component."

Collins -- the 19th overall pick in the 2017 draft out of Wake Forest -- has been averaging 17 points and 8 rebounds for ATL this season.

NBA veteran Allen Crabbe -- who was just traded to the ATL Hawks -- was arrested for DUI on the Sunset Strip late Tuesday night ... and TMZ Sports has the video.

We're told cops noticed the 27-year-old was "straddling lanes" around 11:30 PM -- so they pulled him over ... and during the stop, the officer suspected he was drunk.

The 6'6", 210 pounder was asked to step out of the car to perform a field sobriety test -- which he did --- and while it didn't appear he bombed it (based on the video we shot) ... the cops still felt he was under the influence.

In fact, we're told he blew a .08 -- which is EXACTLY the legal limit in California ... so Crabbe was arrested and booked for misdemeanor Driving Under the Influence.

We're told Crabbe couldn't have been more cooperative with police. He was taken to a nearby station where he was held for a few hours. We're told he's currently in the process of being released.

We spoke to someone close to Crabbe who tells us he's in town to work with the Frederick K. C. Price III Christian School in South Central, where he's volunteered time and money over the years.

Here's the best Rookie of the Year trophy ever ... Quavo hooked up NBA star Trae Young with a custom diamond chain for his huge 1st season in the league -- and the bling is awesome!!!

"Welcome to the A," the rap star told Young as he presented the jewelry.

Trae killed it for the Atlanta Hawks this year ... averaging 19.1 points and 8.1 assists per game in 81 starts -- and to show his thanks, Migos' Atlanta superfan got him some ice.

The chain -- made by famous ATL jeweler Wafi -- is pretty epic ... it features a huge basketball pendant surrounded by dripping diamonds with the nickname "Ice Trae" on it.

The Hawks PG clearly loved the gift ... writing on Quavo's social media page, "YESSSSSSSSIR Much Love My Brotha!!!"

Of course, Trae ain't officially the NBA's Rookie of the Year ... the award won't be announced until the league has its end-of-season ceremony next month.

In fact, Trae ain't even the favorite to land the honor ... Dallas Mavericks PG Luka Doncic is expected to take home the hardware.

Team owner alert! Team owner alert!!

2 Chainz is getting into the business side of basketball ... announcing he just bought a minority ownership stake in the Atlanta Hawks G League team, the College Park Skyhawks!!

The "High Top Versace" rapper is a HUGE ATL fan ... and now he's teaming up with Hawks owners Tony Ressler and Grant Hill to join his hometown team's ownership group.

2 Chainz is no stranger to hoops -- he played college ball at Alabama State before focusing on his rap career.

The 41-year-old is also a regular at Hawks games, so it really is a perfect fit.

I'm just thankful for the blessings I have," Tity Boi said before the official press conference at his old alma mater, North Clayton High School.

The Skyhawks wasted no time marketing their new superstar owner ... they're already selling shirts with his signature 2 Chainz look ... and we can't emphasize how cool that is.

So, who knows ... maybe 2 Chainz will come out of hoops retirement for a game in the G League?!?!

The Atlanta Hawks didn't spend New Year's Day in bed trying to shake a hangover -- they visited the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. ... and TMZ Sports has the video.

The team traveled to D.C. to play the Washington Wizards on Wednesday -- but 24 hours before stepping on the court, the team got on a bus and hit up the museum.

Players like Trae Young and DeAndre' Bembry took the tour along with the rest of the team. The mission of the museum is to "teach millions of people each year about the dangers of unchecked hatred and the need to prevent genocide."

Remember how STOKED Trae Young was to get his brand-new, $138,000 Audi back in July??

Well ... it took his new Atlanta Hawks teammates only a few months to kill his chill -- 'cause they JUST STUFFED IT WITH A BOATLOAD OF POPCORN!!!

Jeremy Lin documented it all on social media ... showing the Atlanta rookie's new custom Audi R8 packed to the brim with the buttery stuff.

Trae wasn't the only victim Friday ... fellow rookie Omari Spellman had his (far less expensive) whip filled with the kernels too!!

At least it wasn't your average stale popcorn ... Lin performed a taste test and said, "That's high-level popcorn!"

The rooks seemed to take it in stride ... which is good news for the Hawks vets -- 'cause these pranks don't always go over so smoothly.

Kenyon Martin once threatened to kick the crap outta whoever stuffed his ride with popcorn in 2010 ... and Jaylen Brown told us just a few months ago he's STILL out for revenge on Amir Johnson for the prank.

Khloe Kardashian might just be the good luck charm The Cleveland Cavaliers need ... she was in the crowd to cheer on baby daddy Tristan Thompson as his team got it's first W of the year.

Khloe was spotted at Quicken Loans Arena Tuesday in the same section we saw her seated in so many times last year. It's been a rough season for Tristan and the LeBron-less squad ... they came into the game winless (0-6), and fired their head coach Tyronn Lue just a couple days ago.

The team's luck changed with Kardashian in the crowd ... locking down a 136-114 victory over The Atlanta Hawks. Tristan had a good game too, with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Trae Young bought a new car ... and as the NBA's newest star -- he spared no expense on the whip -- dropping over $138k on it!!

The Atlanta Hawks' top draft pick showed off the ride -- an Audi R8 -- over the weekend ... as it arrived to pick him up from the airport with his folks.

"My First Purchased Car for myself is here!!!" Trae wrote on social media. "My parents Surprised me with it. #Blessed!!"

It's matte black ... and with all the bells and whistles on it -- it could have cost him over $200,000.

Not that the price tag worries the 19-year-old ... the #5 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft just signed a contract with the Hawks that guarantees $11.6 MILLION over the first 2 years.

Here's Floyd Mayweather trying to make peace with the city of Atlanta -- a place where, the last time he was spotted, he was SHOT AT!!

Floyd sat courtside to watch the Hawks' Summer League game in Vegas on Wednesday ... and, when their newest superstar, Trae Young, balled out -- the boxing legend invited him for a postgame chat.

Unclear what the convo was actually about ... but, Floyd didn't seem to have any problem taking pics with ATL's newest hero ...

T.I. is the King of Atlanta ... Trae Young is ATL's brand new basketball star ... so it's only right that the King bestow some words onto the kid, and he's using TMZ Sports as his royal messenger.

We got T.I. at LAX and asked him if he had any advice for the former Oklahoma star ... who's headed to hoop for ATL as a rookie for the Hawks.

Tip obliges us ... and tells our guy the one place Trae should steer clear of is Magic City ... one of the greatest shake joints of all time ... because the kid needs to concentrate on basketball.

Here's the thing ... we love T.I., but we're not sure he's right here. Not going as a matter of fact, it's kinda pointless to live in ATL and not visit this place and the places like it.

Atlanta Hawks resident DJ Big Tigger is callin' on his squad to make the biggest pickup of the NBA season -- Quavo!!

"I think we should give Quavo a 10-day (deal) -- I don't know if he can play any defense but he can get us a couple buckets," Big Tigg told TMZ Sports outside the V103 radio station in ATL.

You'd think the former BET host was joking, but let's face facts ...

-- Quavo CRUSHED the NBA All-Star celeb game, winning MVP after Eurosteppin' on fools like James Harden.

-- Quavo's one of the biggest rap stars in the world right now, especially in his home state, and the Hawks have the lowest attendance in the league.

-- The Hawks are also last in the East, so they really got nothing to lose!!

Atlanta Hawks star Dennis Schroder was arrested for battery, according to police in Georgia -- and the team says its scrambling to gather info.

Details are scarce, but ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting the 24-year-old guard was busted on suspicion of battery, a misdemeanor. Police records confirm Schroder was arrested for battery.

The Hawks have issued a statement saying, "We are aware of an incident involving Dennis Schröder earlier this morning."

"We are still gathering information as it pertains to the situation, and out of respect for the legal process, we will have no further comment at this time."

Drake, Kanye West, Migos and Tyler Perry got put through the ringer before being allowed to perform at Philips Arena in ATL ... while Amy Schumer and Bon Jovi got the VIP treatment.

And why?? Blackness ... allegedly.

A former Atlanta Hawks security manager -- who also ran event security at Philips Arena -- is suing the team claiming he was wrongly fired after pointing out a system of discrimination against black celebs at the arena, which is operated and staffed by the Hawks.

Sam Hayes says it was obvious from the start of his employment in August 2016 that his white boss was going out of his way to make black stars go through more rigorous security checks than white stars.

On August 26, Drake and Future performed at Philips Arena and had asked to bypass metal detectors on their way inside but their requests were denied.

One week later, AC/DC performed and made the same metal detector bypass request -- but theirs was granted.

The pattern continued ...

Kanye West -- DENIED

The Comedy Get Down World Tour (Cedric the Entertainer, Eddie Griffin, D.L. Hughley) -- DENIED

2 Chainz, Jeezy, The Dream -- DENIED

Old School Hip Hop Fest -- DENIED

Migos -- DENIED

Tyler Perry -- DENIED

Katt Williams -- DENIED (okay, that one makes sense)

Amy Schumer -- GRANTED

Adele -- GRANTED

Ariana Grande -- GRANTED (Hayes says she "doesn't like people looking at her").

WWE Live Tour -- GRANTED

Bon Jovi -- GRANTED

Ringling Brothers -- GRANTED

Hayes claims things came to a head in April 2017 when a black security officer told a white member of Radiohead's crew he had to walk through a metal detector -- and the crew member responded by dropping his pants. Hayes says a white staffer intervened and allowed the crew member to bypass.

Hayes says he went to management and was told, "Hip hop acts draw a different crowd and the white acts bring in more money."

Hayes says he was ultimately fired for bringing the issues to light -- though he was told he was axed for reprimanding lower level staffers without first consulting Human Resources.

He's demanding unspecified damages.

The Hawks are adamantly denying the allegations -- with a team spokesperson telling TMZ Sports, "[Samuel Hayes] was terminated for poor performance and his claims are baseless."

Kris Humphries knows when to pull out ... and the housing market rewarded him handsomely.

The Atlanta Hawks center just sold his Bev Hills pad for $8.25 million, which is a KILLING ... considering he bought the 3, bedroom, 4 bath house for $6.2 mil back in 2015.

The 3,336 square foot house sits on nearly an acre with unobstructed city and coastline views. The house features tons of glass walls, gourmet kitchen and a den with a wet bar.