Detroit Pistons

Metta World Peace & Ben Wallace agree that Khabib & Conor's post-UFC 229 brawl was intense ... but neither man seems to think it was as bad as their infamous 2004 "Malice In The Palace" fight.

BTW -- both these guys absolutely LOVE talking about the "Malice at the Palace."

Actually, we were joking ... they really wish it would never be brought up again, but they still both ultra cool to our camera guy, so it is what it is.

We got Ben at LAX (a minor miracle) and Metta out on the streets of L.A. and asked them what they thought about the whole dustup, being that they're experienced.

Remember -- Ben and Metta weren't just involved in the Pacers vs. Pistons mega-fight, THEY GOT IT JUMPED OFF -- as the first two guys to go.

Ben was first ... saying he's not sure 229 was worse ... but that he's rooting for it.

"I hope something surpasses it, so we can stop talking about it."

We got Metta next, asked him his thoughts.

"It was a pretty epic fight, but there's always fights all the time."

One thing that's pretty clear ... neither guy thinks there should be too stiff a penalty for the dustup, with Metta saying there should be no action by the UFC at all ... as long Khabib plays nice.

"I would say, 'don't do it again,' and he won't do it again."

If only David Stern would've been so cool in '04.

If hoops don't work out for Blake Griffin ... he's got the official stamp of approval from comedian Nikki Glaser to move to the stand-up mic -- 'cause she's telling TMZ Sports Blake is LEGIT funny.

"Oh, he could totally be a comedian if he wanted to be," she says. "I wouldn't say that about anyone."

Remember ... Blake went head-to-head in a roast battle with Jeff Ross earlier this summer -- and killed it ... telling Jeff at one point, "You're such a bald piece of sh*t. It honestly looks like we both got f**ked over by the Clippers."

Nikki just so happened to be a judge for that battle ... and when we got her outside Hollywood Improv earlier this week -- she says she was straight-up mad that B.G. was so good.

"You see someone that handsome and just that talented in his own profession and it's like, 'Stay in your lane!'" Nikki tells us.

"And, you want him to be bad at comedy. You want someone that's killing it in their own life, tall and has everything -- you want them to be not funny, and then he was really funny. Like, really funny."

How'd Andre Drummond feel when he saw LeBron James playing in an L.A. pickup game this week with Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard?

"I was mad I was not there!"

Drummond's also out in L.A. getting some offseason workouts in -- mostly at UCLA, where Bron and company got it in on Tuesday ... so he stopped by the TMZ office to hang out.

The Detroit Pistons superstar says he LOVES playing pickup hoop with other NBA stars -- especially those guys -- and he gave us the lowdown about what happens in those games.

Shocker ... Drummond says Kevin Durant dominates, telling us he's easily the #1 pickup player alive.

"He's very fun to watch and play with ... I think he's very unguardable."

Drummond also tells us why Kawhi Leonard is an absolute freak of nature -- just look at the size of his hands!

There's more ... Drummond also just dropped his new album, "Fyi" -- and says it solidifies his spot as the "best artist in basketball."

No, Blake Griffin is NOT paying $258k per month in child support -- he's only paying a fraction of that ... TMZ Sports has learned.

As we previously reported, the $258k figure that's being reported is wrong -- but sources tell us the NBA star is still cutting a significant check to Brynn Cameron, the mother of his 2 kids.

The number, we're told, is $32,000 per month ... which adds up to $384,000 per year.

It's no sweat for Blake, who recently signed a 5-year, $171 million contract.

Blake Griffin and Jeff Ross went scorched earth on each other during their 'Roast Battle' over the weekend ... with gay jokes, Kardashian jokes -- and even Clippers jokes.

It all went down at The Fonda Theater in L.A. -- where the stars declared comedic war on each other for the Comedy Central show ... and neither one pulled any punches.

Some of the highlights ...

Blake attacks Jeff's weight:

"The only way you could get inside of a gym is if you literally f**ked a guy named Jim."

Jeff attacks Blake's new team, the Detroit Pistons:

"Blake, good luck in Detroit ... you know what, I think you're just white enough not to get shot by the cops. But, be careful because you're now the worst shooter in the most violent city in America."

Blake attacks Jeff's hair:

"Jeff ... you're such a bald piece of sh*t. It honestly looks like we both got f**ked over by the Clippers."

Jeff attacks Blake's breakup with Kendall Jenner:

Nothing's off limits when Jeff Ross goes head-to-head with Blake Griffin in a Roast Battle on Saturday ... including his former relationship with Kendall Jenner.

Here's the deal ... Blake challenged Ross on social media a few days ago. Ross accepted. Now, the joke prepping begins. So does the s**t talking.

"He gets injured easily," Ross said about the NBA star ... "Maybe it'll be an emotional injury this time."

Ross won't have a hard time finding material -- but, our photog gave him a head start.

Of course, Griffin's no amateur -- he's been doing stand-up comedy for a while and Ross thinks he's a genuinely funny guy.

"Blake, to his credit, has got a lot of guts challenging me to a Roast Battle ... I think he's gonna give me a good shot."

Pistons power forward Eric Moreland doesn't see a problem with LiAngelo Ball not getting picked in Thursday's NBA Draft ... telling TMZ Sports, if Gelo works hard enough -- it won't even matter!!

See, Moreland went undrafted himself back in 2014 ... and he turned out alright -- latching on with the Sacramento Kings for a couple seasons before playing 67 games in Detroit last year.

So, for Eric ... he could care less what happened to the middle Ball bro this week.

"It's OK, he'll come back," Moreland told us.

"I didn't get drafted, you know? He'll be there. He'll be fine."

Andre Drummond says he's a HUGE fan of his new head coach, Dwane Casey -- and tells TMZ Sports he can't wait for Casey to join the Pistons so they can kill it next season.

"Love Dwane Casey," Drummond told us at the Fortnite Pro-Am at E3 in Los Angeles ... "I'm really excited to have him."

Casey was the head coach of the Toronto Raptors -- which put up the best record in the East before being swept by the Cavs in the playoffs for the 2nd straight year.

Casey was fired -- despite winning the National Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year.

Blake Griffin was Mali-boo'd up with his new girl on Sunday ... ditching his shirt for a cuddly walk together in Malibu.

The Detroit Pistons superstar and Francesca Aiello -- founder of Frankies Bikinis -- seem to be inseparable since they were spotted sucking face in his Land Rover on Saturday.

There was more of the good stuff during their quality time on Sunday ... with the 2 sharing a smooch after getting back to Blake's car.

23-year-old Aiello is the first girl Blake's been photographed out in public with since his split with Kendall Jenner ... but, by the looks of it, he ain't thinkin' about her anymore.

FYI -- Aiello's a Malibu native ... so no word on whether she's gearing up for a cold winter in Detroit or if it's just a little summer fling.

Either way ... good for these guys.

1:58 PM PT -- Turns out Blake's mystery blonde is none other than Francesca Aiello -- the owner of Frankies Bikinis. Good choice.

Even in the off-season, Blake Griffin's rebound skills are on point -- just ask the blonde chick he was sucking face with in his Land Rover.

The NBA star and his mystery woman are definitely living on the edge. Saturday's date night included riding around on Bird scooters in L.A. ... which, considering Blake's history of injuries, might not have been the smartest option.

A better, safer idea? Sitting in Blake's whip and making out ... which they also did.

No clue yet who the lucky lady is, but she's the first woman he's been spotted with since he and Kendall Jenner broke things off.

The Clippers shipped Blake Griffin's ass out to Detroit, but Blake's getting the last laugh … 'cause he's 100% "happy" in the Motor City -- so says Austin Rivers.

"It's a fresh start for him. He's been here for a long time," Rivers -- Blake's longtime Clippers teammate -- told us at LAX.

Plus, Austin says Blake still gets to kick it in L.A. during the offseason ... so he's got all summer to mingle with his celeb homies (wassup, Kendall?).

Rip Hamilton spent 9 years ballin' out in Detroit -- so what's his advice for the newest Pistons star Blake Griffin?

Bundle up.

The ex-NBA star was kinda laughing at the fact that Griffin went from sunny California to the frozen tundra of Detroit ... and said Blake's got no choice but to make it work 'cause he signed up for 5 seasons!

"Make sure he get a heavy coat out there 'cause trust me, it gets cold!"

Blake Griffin had a "toxic" relationship with several teammates on the Clippers -- and things got so bad, Doc Rivers had to mediate disputes in private meetings, this according to Blake's ex.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Brynn Cameron is suing the NBA star for palimony -- but in her lawsuit, she details the turbulent relationship Blake had with the Clips.

In her suit, Brynn says she would council Blake on how to deal with the "mounting tension with Chris Paul."

"The Clippers had been Griffin's team since he was drafted and he felt like it was no longer his team."

She continued, "Griffin struggled to be viewed as a leader for the Clippers while Chris Paul was such a vocal presence in the locker room and the media -- and was better known for his drive to win and dedication to both team building and family values."

Brynn says she counseled Griffin to lead in his own way "by setting a standard for hard work."

She also claims she helped Blake with his communication skills -- including how to speak with teammates and coaches when issues would arise.

"The relationship between Griffin and other teammates had become so toxic Rivers had to mediate disputes in private meetings with the players."

"Griffin did not know how to handle confrontations and would go silent when things did not go his way. To change that dynamic, Cameron would coach Griffin on how to communicate his issues."

Looks like the players who got traded for Blake Griffin ain't too broke up about leaving the Motor City ... 'cause they're already exploring the L.A. hot spots the day after the deal!

L.A., meet Boban Marjanovic, Avery Bradley and Tobias Harris -- the 3 ex-Pistons who will attempt to pick up the pieces left by Lob City.

TMZ Sports spotted the trio out at Toca Madera in Beverly Grove Tuesday night ... and though they weren't too talkative, it's clear they're already enjoying that West Coast livin'.

Hopefully they can cheer up DeAndre Jordan ...

Blake Griffin shouldn't be mad at Lolo Jones for outing him as a bad kisser -- he should use it as a teachable moment and IMPROVE his lip game ... so says Marlon Wayans.

First off, Marlon was SHOCKED Lolo would do Blake dirty in public when we told him what Lolo said about BG on social media. But after he processed the news, Marlon gives a pretty hilarious message to the ex-Clipper star.

"Blake, brah ... gotta get your kiss game on!"

In other words, "She woulda traded you to Detroit, basically."

As if Blake Griffin's week couldn't get any worse, U.S. Olympic star Lolo Jones just went all the way IN on the hooper ... calling him the "worst date ever" and a "terrible kisser."

Griffin was part of a blockbuster trade from the Clippers to the Pistons on Monday ... which Lolo apparently thought was the perfect time to reveal her bad experience with B.G.

Sources tell us the two went on a date "years ago" -- and Lolo's post was a "half joke."

Wonder if Blake's half-laughing?