Cleveland Cavaliers

Tristan Thompson avoided major backlash from fans for cheating on Khloe Kardashian by checking into tonight's Cavs game under the radar ... but he got a fair share of boos later.

The power forward checked in off the bench near the end of the 1st quarter during a timeout ... so he was able to take the court without the PA announcer saying his name. Good start for Tristan.

However, our sources at the game say boos rained down later when he was shown on screen, and more came when he got called for a couple personal fouls.

And, as if Tristan's first game in wake of his cheating scandal isn't awkward enough ... the Cavs also reportedly gave away a basketball signed by Thompson for fan appreciation night.

We broke the story ... Tristan was caught on surveillance video cheating on Khloe with 2 chicks at a hookah lounge near D.C. back in October -- making out, motorboating, and getting his junk grabbed.

Khloe was 3 months pregnant at the time, and we had just broken news of her being pregnant with Tristan's baby about a week before.

Tristan Thompson had a female companion with him when he went back to an NYC hotel Sunday morning ... while Khloe Kardashian was home in Cleveland very close to giving birth to their first child together.

TMZ obtained this video of the Cavaliers star, rocking a white hoodie, with the woman strolling behind him into the Four Seasons early Sunday, around 5 AM. The unidentified woman was also seen hanging all over Tristan at an NYC nightclub earlier in the evening.

Tristan was staying at the hotel with the rest of his team while they were in town for a game.

LeBron's case for NBA MVP just took a serious hit ... 'cause not even Chris Bosh, his former Miami Heat BFF, says LBJ should beat James Harden this year!!!

FYI, Bron was recently asked who he'd choose for the honor, and he said he "definitely would vote me" without blinkin' an eye.

Bosh didn't hesitate with his MVP pick either ... and despite that big grin, you can tell he was 100% serious when he cast his vote for Team Harden.

LeBron James switched gears from Basketball God to animated movie star in just a matter of hours Thursday morning ... showing off a voice over session for an upcoming flick!!

James -- fresh off an insane 35 points, 17 assists, and 7 rebounds in a win against the Raptors Wednesday night -- took his talents to the studio to put in work for his role as Gwangi in "Smallfoot" early Thursday.

The movie is about a yeti who finds out humans exist (think Big Foot, but the other way around) ... and features other huge stars like Channing Tatum, Zendaya and Common.

So, LeBron can do his Hollywood thing AND play in Cleveland ...

Just sayin'.

Kevin Hart is about to break the hearts of a lot of fans in Philly ... because according to the pint-sized funnyman, LeBron James has no plans to come to the cheesesteak land, and Kevin knows, cause Kevin tried.

We got Hart leaving UCLA and asked if he's tried to recruit his buddy, James, to bolt Cleveland and join the young core of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid in the city of brotherly love.

Kevin says he definitely put on for his hometown, trying to get LeBron to make a move ... but that LeBron's response was not very promising.

"He said kiss his ass."

Hart said he only sweetened the deal with $40 bucks (c'mon Kev), but when we asked seriously he says no city has a real shot at LeBron, because Hart believes he'll stay put.

LeBron James brought tears to a 6-foot-6, 315 lb. man's eyes Monday night ... 'cause ex-Browns superstar Joe Thomas says LBJ's retirement tribute before the Cavs game hit him right in the feels!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the future Hall of Famer about the King showing love with a HUGE hug on the court before the game against the Bucks ... and J.T. says he got so emotional, he had to sneak out of eyesight to gather his emotions!!

"It was a really special moment to get love and respect from an icon like LeBron James, somebody that I've been a fan of since I was 12 years old ... it was really special." Thomas says.

J.T. also points out it was a great way to cap off his career ... 'cause he was was first introduced to Cleveland fans as a rookie when the Cavs were in the Finals in 2007.

Kevin Love's getting mad love from one of his teammates for talking openly about a panic attack he experienced earlier this season ... and spreading a positive message about mental health awareness.

"A lot of times people don’t look at us as humans, and we go through stuff all the time as well," Cavs SG Rodney Hood told TMZ Sports outside Craig's in L.A.

Love, DeMar DeRozan and Wizards SF Kelly Oubre have all opened up about their personal issues in recent weeks -- and Hood says it's huge not only for the NBA brotherhood, but the millions of fans they're reaching.

Rodney told us he expects a lot more players to join the conversation ... and K-Love deserves a ton of credit for helping to start the trend.

The entire city of Houston is gonna shun Kenny Smith after watching this clip* ... 'cause the Jet tells TMZ Sports why LeBron should NOT join the Rockets in free agency this summer.

We spoke with Smith about reports claiming LBJ could bail on Cleveland for the Sixers, Lakers or Rockets this off-season ... and he says moving to H-Town would be unfair.

Smith says Bron Bron can keep his throne on the shores of Lake Erie and still compete for a ring every year ... 'cause he can just recruit players to Cleveland, instead of the other way around.

*We're kidding. Everyone loves the Jet.

Meanwhile, LeBron looked awfully comfortable and happy chillin' at his L.A. crib while in town to play the Clippers and the Lakers.

FYI, L.A. was a nice 70 degrees and sunny today. Cleveland was 32 and snowy.

Kenny Smith says J.R. Smith's soup-throwing incident could create some MAJOR issues with the Cavs' chemistry ... telling TMZ Sports J.R.'s actions will affect the whole team.

We spoke with the Jet about J.R.'s 1-game suspension for reportedly hurlin' soup at Cleveland asst. coach Damon Jones ... and Kenny calls it "the ultimate disrespect" for not solving his issue with words.

Kenny says it's still possible for the Cavs to move on from it ... but admits, "J.R. made it hard on everybody. He made it hard on LeBron."

2:00 PM PT -- The Cavs have announced an investigation into identifying the fan behind the comment. As for the phrase, there are discrepancies with what has been reported and whether the fan said "Jamaica called."

“Hey, Jamaican dog -- they want their bobsledder back! Jamaica just called, they want their bobsledder back!”

That was the racist heckling directed at Spurs baller Patty Mills Sunday at The Q ... while he was at the free-throw line at the end of a blowout win over the Cleveland Cavs.

Patty -- who's not Jamaican, but Aboriginal Australian -- didn't hear the taunts during the game ... but when a fan brought it to his attention aftewards, he reacted like a true pro.

"I am a proud Islander. Like my Jamaican Brothers, me & my family in the islands of the Torres Strait have experienced racial slurs for decades. Hope your efforts will enlighten this confused, hateful fan. #BlackHistoryMonth," Mills said.

FYI, this is the second instance of racist heckling in a major U.S. sports league this month. A group of Chicago Blackhawks fans chanted "basketball" at black NHL player Devante Smith-Pelly last weekend ... and were later slapped with a lifetime ban.

Iman Shumpert says just because his wife is down with G.O.O.D. music, it doesn't mean he is ... telling TMZ Sports he's never even gotten so much as a beat from his boss-in-law, Kanye West.

Shumpert is a pretty serious rapper himself, having released his Mixtape "Shumpman: The MD" back in 2016, and continuing to flood social media with new verses on the regular.

We got Iman at LAX, and asked him if his wife's label boss, Kanye West, has ever given Shump any help AT ALL in his rap career ... and here's a shocker, it's never happened.

Iman says he's never asked ... not outright at least ... however we did find a recent freestyle he dropped over Kanye's "Grammy Family" beat (and he killed it), so we gotta ask ...

The house-cleaning in Cleveland was all for nothing -- because LeBron James is leaving the Cavs to sign with the Lakers in the off-season ... at least, that's what LaVar Ball believes.

The Big Baller was at his pop-up shop in L.A. when we asked about the possibility of Bron coming out West to play with Lonzo when he becomes a free agent at the end of the season.

LaVar is not only convinced it's going to happen -- he tells TMZ Sports, "Lonzo is gonna make HIM a better player!"

He also loves the idea of having "two stars" on the same team -- and already has a nickname for the duo.

Move over, Ball bros -- Shareef O'Neal says the Lakers are his #1 choice when he goes pro ... and if we were Magic Johnson, we'd start working OT to make it happen.

We got Shaq's son touching down in LAX ... and asked who he'd want to draft him since his NBA career is creeping up.

Shareef told TMZ Sports his favorite team and player were the Cavs and LeBron James, respectively ... but there's 1 thing that puts the Purple and Gold above playing with the King.

Shareef O'Neal -- Shaq's son -- revealed he did not make the prestigious McDonald's All-American Game ... and now one NBA star is boycotting nuggets as a result.

FYI, the Micky D's game features the top high school players in the country -- Shaq was the co-MVP of the game back in 1989.

As you know, 18-year-old Shareef is a top prospect (he's committed to the Univ. of Arizona) -- but, for some reason, he didn't make the McDonald's cut.

LeBron James (the MVP of the game in 2003) didn't approve of the snub ... and spoke out on social media.

"Nephew listen, Even though we all know you should have made that McDonalds game use it as motivation to prove not to those who didn’t vote you in, not to those who is actually in the game but more importantly to yourself that u belong!"

He added, "Keep grinding, studying and working daily! The light is always brighter at the end of the tunnel."

Matt Barnes went harder -- saying McDonald's made a "huge mistake" and that he won't let his kids have nuggets anymore ... "NO MORE NUGGETS!"

LeBron James ain't havin' none of that racist H&M clothing ad featuring a black kid in a sweatshirt that reads, "Coolest Monkey in the Jungle" ... telling the clothing company, "U got us all wrong!"

After stars like Diddy and The Weeknd blasted the company for the insanely racially-insensitive ad -- King James weighed in with the most positive (yet condemning) statement yet.

"@hm u got us all wrong! And we ain't going for it! Straight up!"

"Enough about y'all and more of what I see when I look at this photo. I see a Young King!! The ruler of the world, an untouchable Force that can never be denied!"

"We as African Americans will always have to break barriers, prove people wrong and work even harder to prove we belong but guess what, that's what we love because the benefits at the end of the road are so beautiful!! #LiveLaughLove❤️ #LoveMyPeople"

Khloe Kardashian's first order of business when she got pregnant? Grab a hard hat!!!

Sources close to Khloe tell TMZ ... she had extravagant renovation plans for her Calabasas crib -- the one she bought from Justin Bieber in 2014 -- by turning a bedroom next to her master into a closet big enough for her massive clothes and shoe collection.

But, life happened. As TMZ first reported ... NBA superstar BF Tristan Thompson knocked up Khloe. So, that bedroom-turned-closet is going back to bedroom ... baby bedroom.

Khloe wants the baby's room as close to hers as possible, and that room's the perfect fit.

We're told Khloe is holding nothing back when it comes to the fine details of the room ... buying top of the line furnishings, decor and clothing.