Basketball Wives

"Basketball Wives" should only feature the WIVES of basketball players ... and NOT random "hos" ... so says former cast member Laura Govan who says the recent crop of women are ruining the reality show.

Govan -- who was axed from the show after Season 2 -- tells us she's got a serious beef with show creator Shaunie O'Neal ... explaining, "I feel like she didn't keep [the show] in the basketball creed."

"She shoulda kept 'Basketball Wives,' basketball wives" ... adding, "There coulda been a 'Housewives or a Ho' show for everybody else later."

Clearly, Laura is talking about cast members like Draya Michele (ex-GF of football player Orlando Scandrick) and Sunday Carter (who reportedly had a daughter with married ex-NBA star Larry Hughes.)

"Basketball Wives" star Royce Reed claims Dwight Howard took off with their son and won't tell her where he is ... a perilous problem because the tyke doesn't have his meds.

Royce went to court asking for an emergency hearing ... claiming their 6-year-old son Braylon went to California to visit Dwight, and that's the last she heard from her baby daddy or the boy. Dwight's parents eventually called her to say the kid was in Colorado.

Royce says her son needs his meds for an undisclosed medical condition and the Rx bottle is now empty -- Dwight never bothered to get it refilled.

She says without the meds, their son's health is in danger.

Royce doesn't have a problem with Dwight taking care of the boy for a while, but she wants the judge to order him to refill the prescription and give Braylon his meds. She also wants to know exactly where her boy is and how she can get in touch.

Shank ... fish ... yard-out ... all words Nia Crooks doesn't need to learn -- the "Basketball Wives" star copped a plea deal for her insane bitch-slap-case ... and won't spend a day behind bars.

TMZ broke the story ... Nia was charged with misdemeanor battery by the Broward County State Attorney's Office after she pimp slapped the S**t out of co-star Jennifer Williams -- and it was all caught by VH1's cameras.

Nia faced up to a year in jail, but decided to strike a deal with prosecutors (good idea considering the whole "on tape" thing) ... and pled no contest.

In exchange she was sentenced to the following: 1-year probation, $645 fine, and ordered to write a letter of apology, stay away from Jennifer and undergo 13 weeks of anger management.

Now, let's learn from Nia's mistakes -- by watching the slap:

Chad Johnson headbutted ex-wife Evelyn Lozada so hard during their infamous domestic dispute last year, she was left with a massive bloody gash on her forehead -- and TMZ has obtained photographic evidence.

The photos were taken by Davie Police in the Florida emergency room where Evelyn was transported following Chad's attack on August 11th, 2012. According to police, the forehead laceration measured 3 inches.

TMZ broke the story ... Johnson was arrested for domestic violence shortly after the explosive argument at his Jupiter, FL mansion. Evelyn filed for divorce three days later.

Following the arrest, Chad pled "no contest" to the domestic violence charge and was sentenced to 12 months probation and domestic violence classes.

Chad was thrown back in the slammer last week after slapping his lawyer's backside during a sentencing hearing.

He was released again yesterday following a probation violation sentencing hearing. During the hearing, the judge called the head gash photos "horrific."

Better late than never ... so says "Basketball Wives" star Evelyn Lozada who finally went to prom last night -- TWENTY YEARS after graduating from high school, TMZ has learned.

Here's how it all went down -- just a few months ago, a high school senior from Bloomfield, Michigan reached out to the VH1 star on Twitter and threw up a Hail Mary ... by asking her to be his date to the prom.

Shockingly, Lozada ACCEPTED -- thinking it would be a fun experience ... particularly because she never went to her own high school prom because she was pregnant at the time.

We're told Evelyn's date Anthony was quite the Romeo ... and even bought Evelyn's corsage.

She took care of the rest -- paying for transportation (in a sick Denali) ... and a fancy dinner -- plus, she paid for her own plane ticket out from L.A..

We're told the two had a great time -- with Evelyn dancing her face off the entire night ... but unfortunately for her date -- her prom dress stayed ON after the party.

Still, not a bad night.

Evelyn Lozada has a message for Chad Johnson ... wait, no she doesn't ... 'cause she doesn't ever wanna speak two words to her ex-husband ever again.

The "Basketball Wives" star had just arrived at LAX yesterday when we asked if she had spoken with Chad since Monday's arrest ... stemming from the time he attacked her last year.

But Evelyn -- who immediately divorced Chad after the incident -- told TMZ ... she doesn't want anything to do with the ex-NFL star ever again.

No relationship. No communication. No nothing.

Evelyn Lozada fired off a cease and desist letter to ex-hubby Chad Johnson ... warning him to stop harassing her online ... OR ELSE.

Sources close to the "Basketball Wives" star tell TMZ ... Evelyn's lawyer sent the letter Thursday after Chad BLASTED her on Twitter ... making crude comments and accusing her of cheating.

Sources close to Evelyn tell us ... Chad's Twitter allegations are 100% false -- she NEVER cheated and if he doesn't stop spreading lies STAT ... she'll get a restraining order.

Not only that, we're told the prosecutor's office overseeing Chad's criminal domestic violence case is aware of the situation and is concerned. We broke the story ... Evelyn filed for divorce after Chad was arrested for allegedly headbutting her just weeks after they got hitched.

Beware of flying meatballs ... "Basketball Wives" stars Suzie Ketcham and Kenya Bell got into an all out physical brawl on set last week ... that started when one threw a plate of meatballs at the other.

Sources close to the production tell TMZ that the fight went down at a restaurant in L.A. where the cast was taping an episode for season 5 -- in which Kenya (who was fired last year) was temporarily brought back to settle her beef with Suzie.

But it didn't go as planned ... OR DID IT??? We're told the two got into a heated verbal exchange ... which quickly escalated when Suzie threw her plate of meatballs across the table, striking Kenya.

According to our sources, Kenya fired back by lunging at Suzie and then punches were thrown on both sides. Producers were forced to step in and break it up.

Our sources say fellow cast members Evelyn Lozada and Tami Roman walked away -- wanting no part in the melee. Police were NOT called to the scene.

The Beverly Hills Police Department is on the hunt for a gang of gun-toting bad guys who robbed a jewelry store featured on several reality shows, including "Basketball Wives" ... TMZ has learned.

According to the Beverly Hills Police Department ... the robbery went down on January 25 at the Jason of Beverly Hills jewelry store -- a shop featured on "Basketball Wives L.A." a few seasons ago because cast member Malaysia was friends with the owner ... and the store sold several pieces from her jewelry line.

The store has also been featured on "Keeping Up With the Kardashians."

Cops say when a man and a woman posing as customers entered the shop around 6:50 PM that night ... and asked the staff to see several pieces of jewelry.

After some browsing, cops say a third man -- working with the couple -- entered the store, pulled out a gun and "removed several pieces of jewelry from the display case which had been opened by the store clerk."

Officials believe the 3rd suspect may have been wearing a fake beard.

According to police, all three suspects fled in the same car ... fairly new white Kia Optima.

Cops are begging the public for help in hunting down the bad guys -- and have even offered a $50k reward.

"Basketball Wives" star Tasha Marbury's alleged stalker is fighting fire with fire -- filing a police report claiming SHE's the one who actually needs protection from Tasha's wrath.

TMZ broke the story ... Tasha went to NYPD first, filing a report last month claiming a woman using the name Monet Merchand is obsessed with her and Tasha's husband, ex-NBA star Stephon Marbury.

Tasha says she and Stephon are continuously harassed on the Internet by the woman ... who claims she had sex with Stephon.

But Monet also filed a police report on February 3 ... claiming the "BB Wife" has threatened her and her friends with "bodily harm."

By the way, Monet filed her police report using a different name ... her real name. We're told she wants to remain anonymous because she's afraid Tasha will track her down.

As TMZ previously reported ... Tasha and Stephon claim they've never met the woman in person.

Tasha Marbury says she's being harassed online by a woman obsessed with her husband -- and now the "Basketball Wives" star has filed a police report against her.

Tasha -- who's married to former NBA star Stephon Marbury -- filed the report with the Harrison P.D. in NY on January 31 against a woman going by the name of Monet Merchand.

Tasha claims Merchand has been negatively blogging and tweeting about her. Tasha claims Merchand is harassing her non-stop on social media ... tweeting things like "@TashaMarbury is an insecure hoe" and "You are less 'worth' than a burnt out light bulb & you will forever live in shame."

Merchand has made claims on social media that she had an affair with Stephon, but sources tell us Stephon claims to have NEVER met Merchand.

Evelyn Lozada came face to face with her ex-husband Chad Johnson this morning -- the first time since his domestic violence arrest back in August -- and offered the NFL star a HUGE olive branch.

Evelyn and Chad both appeared in a Florida courtroom ... where Evelyn asked the judge to drop the restraining order that was placed against him after she told police he headbutted her during an argument.

After the incident, Evelyn quickly filed for divorce from Chad -- after just one month of marriage.

Chad has been on a tour of contrition on TV and the Internet ever since ... apologizing left and right ... and admitting he has an anger problem. Chad also revealed that he's getting professional help to deal with his rage issues.

During the court hearing, the judge asked Evelyn if she had been threatened or coerced into making the request to drop the order ... to which she replied, "No."

The judge also asked if she was afraid of Chad ... and she also replied, "No."

The judge granted Evelyn's request.

Evelyn Lozada has TWO WORDS for outspoken "Basketball Wives" hater Kenyon Martin ... and those words are "THANK YOU."

Totally kidding. She said "F**k Him."

We broke the story ... Martin -- a 12-year NBA vet -- blasted "BB Wives" recently, saying the show was "toxic" and a total misrepresentation of the lives of married NBA players.

But at LAX last night, Evelyn seemed to take offense to Martin's criticism ... telling TMZ, "I don't think Kenyon knows what he's talking about."

"As far as saying it's toxic, that's fine ... don't f**kin' watch the show ... it's just as simple as that."

Sounds like the making of a good reality show storyline.

Unemployed NBA superstar Kenyon Martin is not a fan of "Basketball Wives" ... telling TMZ it not only depicts NBA players in a false light, but explains, "That sh*t is toxic to your soul."

Martin -- who played in the league from 2000 to 2012 -- was leaving the Roxbury nightclub in Hollywood last night when we asked how he felt about the VH1 reality show, which stars some of his colleagues ... and K-Mart didn't hold back.

"I don't watch that sh*t man ... that sh*t is toxic to your soul to watch that sh*t man."

Dwight Howard's baby mama says her nasty custody battle with the NBA star is an unfair fight -- all because he can simply outspend her -- so she's asking a judge to make HIM cover HER legal fees.

TMZ broke the story ... Dwight and former "Basketball Wives" star Royce Reed are entangled in a bitter legal battle after Dwight filed for sole custody of their young son.

In the latest development, Royce -- who was axed from "BB Wives" this year -- filed docs in Florida asking a judge to make Dwight foot her legal bills, claiming she can't afford them.

According to the docs, Royce claims that Dwight rakes in over $1.3 million per month and should cough up the cash, otherwise, the fight's not fair. She claims he can hire an army of lawyers ... while she'll get buried in bills and eventually have to drop out.

In the docs, her lawyer says she's already racked up a $44,113.50 bill and is expected to tack on another $60k plus if she continues to fight ... for a grand total of $106,621.80.

The "Basketball Wives" are drawing a clear line in the sand for the network execs -- either up their salaries or they'll walk ... this according to sources connected with the show.

We're told filming began last week for the 5th season ... but Shaunie O'Neal, Evelyn Lozada, Tami Roman and Suzie Ketcham do NOT have locked contracts.

According to our sources, the "Wives" are in the process of renegotiating their contracts and they all want major pay raises, claiming the show does quite well for the network.

Our sources say VH1 is refusing to pony up more cash. We're told before filming started, execs made it clear that salary increases would not happen and if any cast member had a problem with that ... they could be replaced.

Despite the deadlock, we're told production schedules were sent out and the girls began filming in hopes a deal would be worked out shortly. So far, a deal has not been reached and neither side is budging ... so we're told the "Wives" are planning to walk out next week if VH1 can't agree to the terms.