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NBA players Ivica Zubac and Dario Saric were NOT the aggressors when all hell broke loose at a nightclub in Greece ... so says Team Croatia, which claims the two hoopers were forced to act out of self-defense.

TMZ Sports obtained a statement from the Croatian Basketball Federation on what went down at the Bolivar Beach Bar near Athens after the squad's Olympic Qualifying Tournament loss ... and from the org.'s side of things, Zubac and Saric were not looking for a fight -- but had no choice.

"While hanging out at a club in Athens, some of our players were verbally and then physically attacked, prompting them to defend themselves," the CBF tells us. "The incident was brief, thanks to the quick intervention of the club's security staff."

Kyle Richards can't wrap her head around people needing to comment on women's bodies in this day and age -- this in response to body-shamers attacking her pal Kesha.

We caught up with the 'RHOBH' star at LAX Monday following her Aspen trip with the singer -- and she tells us she's baffled by the mean comments about Kesha's appearance ... 'cause as far as she's concerned, she's gorgeous -- and even more beautiful on the inside.

As for whether Kesha's letting the trolling get to her, Kyle points us to the singer's IG message ... where the "Timber" hitmaker said those mean comments only made her stronger.

"Hawk Tuah" is enriching Haliey Welch's life -- literally and figuratively -- and she's getting a lil' emotional about the whole thing as she cashes in on her instant celebrity.

In the video, obtained by TMZ, you can see Haliey getting an extravagant bottle parade Sunday while she hosted at the Daer Dayclub at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL. As it turns out, Haliey hit 1 million IG followers over the weekend, and seems like the celebration of that milestone got her a little choked up.

Haliey was joined at the event by her pal Chelsea Bradford -- y'know, her sidekick in the OG "hawk tuah" vid -- and her mood was much lighter when a Daer bottle service girl raised a champagne toast to her.

Neverland Ranch is under serious threat from a huge SoCal wildfire, but Michael Jackson fans should not worry ... 'cause fire crews and heavy-duty equipment are already there to keep the iconic property safe.

As TMZ previously reported ... the gigantic Lake Fire in Santa Barbara is burning toward MJ's infamous ranch, fueled by the dry land conditions and sweltering heatwave and now mass evacuations are underway.

Capt. Scott Safechuck, spokesman for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, tells TMZ the blaze is a big-time threat to Neverland ... which is why dozens of firefighters are already there -- including multiple fire trucks and bulldozers. Fire aircraft is also in the area, ready to respond!

Karen Read may be tried again for the death of her boyfriend after the judge declared a mistrial, but murder charges may not be on the table ... because according to the defense, the vote on the murder charge was 12 - 0, IN FAVOR OF ACQUITTAL!

Read's lawyer, Alan Jackson, has just filed docs arguing prosecuting Read for 2nd-degree murder a second time would amount to double jeopardy. Shockingly, when the judge declared the mistrial, she didn't say anything about the jury's vote on the murder charge.

We've also learned the jury was unanimous in favor of acquittal on the charge of leaving the scene of an accident where there was injury or death. The only charge on which the jury was deadlocked was vehicular manslaughter, where the jury apparently voted 9 - 3 in favor of guilt.

Bryan Kohberger allegedly entered a house with a knife and slaughtered 4 people when 6 people and a dog were in the 3-level home, so how could a first-time killer pull that off?

TMZ Studios has a new series, "Strange & Suspicious," which begins airing Monday on a dozen FOX stations, where we explore strange, unexplained and downright weird stories, and the Idaho murder case raises lots of questions.

According to prosecutors, Kohberger first killed Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen on the third floor of the house, then went downstairs and killed Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. He then allegedly encountered one of the 2 survivors in the house but didn't harm her, and then he left.

Autumn Daly -- a contestant on "Big Brother 2" way back in 2001 -- has been arrested on a theft charge in Texas ... TMZ has learned.

Police arrested Daly last month in Lewisville, TX on an outstanding warrant for theft. Cops say they found AD after they tracked her car to a local retail store she owns called Encore! Encore!

An officer asked her if she had any warrants, and they say she confirmed she did. Police claim Autumn said she's in the process of taking care of the warrants but hadn't yet -- so, they arrested her.

The Ice Man's got an iced-out truck ... and he ain't afraid to show it off!!!

Check out the ride Chuck Liddell pulled up in at LAX earlier last week -- it's a custom 2005 H2 Hummer -- and he tells TMZ Sports it's an absolute blast to drive!!

The UFC legend says he actually first got it as a gift from Dana White for taking part in the UFC's "Ultimate Fighter" show years ago -- but, just recently, he had it a bit redone by a custom car shop.

Rick Springfield is dealing with an unwanted pest ... cops say an overzealous female fan made her way onto his property on more than one occasion.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a woman in her 40s was determined to meet the rock legend, showing up at his Los Angeles-area home twice in the last week. We're told the fan talked her way into Rick's gated community ... telling security she was his maid.

Though the fan didn't interact with Rick, we're told she did make her way to his door the 2nd time ... where she chatted up one of Rick's sons. Sounds like Rick's kid didn't take his 1982 anthem, "Don't Talk to Strangers," to heart!!!

Porn star Jesse Jane's official cause of death is an overdose ... TMZ has confirmed.

TMZ has learned Jesse died of an accidental fentanyl and cocaine overdose according to the Oklahoma City Medical Examiner's office.

We broke the story back in January ... law enforcement sources told us the famed adult film actress was found dead at a home in Moore, OK after authorities responded to the residence on a welfare check.

Get used to seeing Bam Margera ringside at BKFC ... we've learned the former 'Jackass' star is negotiating with the promotion, and the aim is to bring him on as a broadcaster!

44-year-old Margera has been in talks with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship executives ... and all signs point to Bam joining the commentary team as a color analyst for select events.

It's unclear how often Margera would work with BKFC (they typically have multiple events each month) ... but it wouldn't be a one-off. It'd be a lasting partnership.

Trey Parker's ex-wife, Boogie Parker, is the latest victim in a string of burglaries hitting L.A.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... two burglars broke into Boogie's home, where she lives with her and Trey's daughter Betty, just before 9 PM last month -- with the scary situation caught on their alarm company's camera.

The LAPD rushed to the scene along with armed security to search the home.

There's a super cool piece of sports history going up for sale ... one of the rarest Olympic torches ever made is hitting the auction block.

Get a load of this ... the official torch from the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, CA is going to be sold to the highest bidder this month via RR Auction ... and it's expected to fetch at least $500,000.

This Olympic torch was designed by legendary Disney Imagineer John Hench ... and it features 3 Olympic ring cutouts around the bowl, with a circular legend reading, "VIII Olympic Winter Games."

Slutty Vegan founder Pinky Cole is weighing in on the controversy surrounding Sage Regenerative Kitchen & Brewery ... calling out their vegan rival for adding meat and cheese to its menu.

ICYMI ... earlier in June, protesters began picketing in front of various locations for the Los Angeles chain after they switched up their vegan menu by adding non-vegan items. While the restaurant has defended its right to change things up, local vegans -- and now Pinky -- do not agree.

For Pinky, who just launched her Los Angeles residency for Slutty Vegan, slammed SRK's decision as a "big no-no."

Patrick Mahomes is so beloved, even a piece of cardboard with his imagery on it just fetched nearly a quarter of a million dollars at auction!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... a super rare rookie card of the Kansas City Chiefs superstar hit the Goldin block back in mid-June -- and when the final gavel came down last week, it went for a whopping $173,000.

While it's a huge figure ... it could someday be worth far more -- considering how amazing the card is.

Fight fans, if you're holding out hope for a Tai Emery ta-ta flash following her upcoming BKFC scrap -- a la 2022 when she exposed her breasts in the ring after a win -- we have some unfortunate news.

It ain't happenin' this time around!

TMZ Sports spoke with the veteran fighter ahead of her bare-knuckle bout with Charisa Sigala at Super Rizin 3 -- a BKFC/Rizin partnership going down July 28 at Saitama Super Arena -- when we asked the question on the minds of many.