Los Angeles Clippers

Toronto Raptors star Fred VanVleet blasted NBA referees Wednesday night ... calling some of them "d***s" who are trying to "f*** the game up."

VanVleet received a technical foul -- his eighth of the season -- from NBA ref Ben Taylor with 7:02 remaining in the third quarter against the Clippers ... and the point guard was clearly pissed about the tech when speaking with reporters in his postgame news conference.

"I don't mind, I'll take a fine, I don't really care," VanVleet said. "I thought Ben Taylor was f***ing terrible tonight. I think that on most nights, you know out of the three [officials], there's one or two that just f*** the game up. It's been like that a couple of games in a row."

He continued ... "[Losing to] Denver was tough, obviously. You come out tonight, competing pretty hard, and I get a bulls*** tech that changes the whole dynamic of the game, changed the whole flow of the game."

"Most of the refs are trying hard. I like a lot of the refs, they're trying hard, they're pretty fair, they communicate well. And then you got the other ones who just want to be d***s and just kind of f*** the game up. And nobody's coming to see that s***. They come to see the players."

FVV said the reason the Raptors lost, 108-100, to the Clippers is that they got outplayed ... but he did say dealing with officials who appear to have beef with him makes it an uphill battle for his team.

"I think we're losing a little bit of the fabric of what the NBA is and was," VanVleet said. "It's been disappointing this season. You could look up most of my techs this year have been with Ben Taylor officiating. At a certain point, as a player, you feel it's personal."

"That's never a good place to be."

The L.A. Clippers' new arena isn't gonna be a dump -- but you can certainly take one there -- 'cause Steve Ballmer is hyped up about all the toilets being installed at his team's new $2 billion facility.

Ballmer -- the former CEO of Microsoft -- took the podium at the construction site on Tuesday ... and let Clippers fans know that going to the bathroom won't be an issue at the team's new home in Inglewood.

"1,160 toilets and urinals!!" Ballmer told the crowd. "Three times the NBA average number of toilets and urinals. We do not want people waiting in line. We want them back to their damn seats at the end of the half, before the game."

Ballmer was clearly fired up about Intuit Dome, set to open in 2024 ... and so were his players, led by superstars Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook.

Of course, the Clippers currently share Crypto.com Arena -- formerly known as Staples Center -- with the Los Angeles Lakers ... but will move to Intuit Dome for the 2024-2025 season after more than 20 years.

The Clips have been playing in the same city as the Lakers since 1984 ... but the two teams have only been playing in the same arena since 1999.

Ballmer and his players -- dressed in construction vests and hard hats -- toured their new facility ... and were all smiles as they took team pics at the ceremony.

Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins says Ja Morant could miss more than two games as a result of his gun-flashing Instagram Live video over the weekend ... telling reporters there's no set timetable for his return.

Jenkins briefly talked about his superstar guard's controversial clip prior to Memphis' matchup with the Clippers on Sunday ... saying it's a "very tough moment, for sure."

Morant -- who apologized for the vid on Saturday -- said he was going to "take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being."

Jenkins said he will not disclose details of private conversations held with Morant and the front office following the incident ... but voiced his support for the guard as he seeks help.

"We love him. We want what's best for him. We support him. It's going to be a difficult process, but we got a great group to get through this."

Coach added the focus is on getting Morant in a better place on and off the court ... and he hopes the All-Star can take accountability and understand the expectations the team has for him.

As for how long Morant will be away from the team, Jenkins said there is "not a definitive timeline."

LeBron James nearly lost his cool with a heckler on Tuesday night -- having to be held back from the man after the guy shouted insults at him, including one dig that featured a shot at the Lakers star's hairline.

The moment happened as the King and his squad were headed into the locker room at halftime of their game with the Clippers at Crypto.com Arena ... when a guy started going off on the L.A. forward.

"Hey Bron! Hey Bron!" the man said from his floor seat as the Lakers were down 77-54. "You better get this s*** together!"

The fan continued, "With that receding-ass hairline!"

LeBron turned quickly, appearing to want to go after the man, before security intervened.

"Look, he mad!" the heckler shouted as LeBron was being ushered away from the scene. "Look at him! You sick!"

It's unclear if the fan faced any punishment over the interaction.

The trolling, while clearly annoying, didn't stop James from going off ... he scored 46 points in the contest with the Clips, making him the only NBA player to score 40-plus against every team in the league.

Clipper Darrell was welcomed back to Crypto.com Arena with open arms on Tuesday ... as the L.A. Clippers and AEG showered their iconic superfan with gifts, champagne and some awesome tickets!

CD -- real name Darrell Bailey -- got the red carpet treatment in his second game back since he was knocked out by an arena security guard during an L.A. game on Dec. 12 ... and you can see in pics and videos, obtained by TMZ Sports, he had a blast in his return.

Darrell got to hang out with ex-NFL star Terrell Owens and actor Joe Torry -- after being hooked up with a bunch of goodies in the bowels of the arena.

Darrell, who also attended Sunday's Clippers game against the Atlanta Hawks, had a big smile on his face, appearing to have some courtside seats for the contest too!

And, as icing on the cake, the Clippers even treated Clipper Darrel to a big win ... as they rolled over the Dallas Mavericks, 113-101.

Of course, the scene was very different at the Clippers vs. Celtics game last month ... when a Crypto.com Arena staffer knocked out the superfan with a big punch following a dispute.

No, Clipper Darrell ain't on his way to becoming Celtic Darrell after being punched at a game earlier this month ... the L.A. superfan tells TMZ Sports he's still in love with the Clippers -- even if he's still ailing from the knockout blow.

We broke the story ... the iconic NBA fan -- real name Darrell Bailey -- was left unconscious after a Crypto.com Arena security guard socked him in the face following a dispute at the Clippers' game against Boston back on Dec. 12.

Darrell told us at the time he was left in a load of pain -- and he actually had to be taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Many wondered if the situation would sour his feelings on Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the rest of the guys on the hardwood -- but the 55-year-old told us this week he ain't going anywhere ... even if the experience he had with the arena staffer was traumatic.

"I look forward to returning to Crypto.com Arena to root for my 2023 NBA Championship Clippers!" he said. "Let's Go Clippers Let's Go!!!"

Darrell did add he's still hurting from the punch -- saying he's continuing to receive medical care for his ailments. But, he did appear to be in better spirits.

"What happened that night came as a complete shock, and it left me heartbroken," he said. "I'm still dealing with the emotional and physical aftermath of being assaulted and knocked unconscious by the AEG security guard. I'd like to thank the fans, athletes, the Clippers organization, and AEG for their love and support and for reaching out to me to check on my health and well-being."

"I'd ask that my privacy be respected while I continue treatment for my injuries."

Even though it was a school night, the stars still came out to celebrate Rich Paul's birthday on Thursday ... including his GF, Adele, and his BFF, LeBron James!!

The trio -- plus Tristan Thompson, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue, and others -- hit Olivetta in West Hollywood for the festivities ... despite everyone having a lot going on this week.

James' Lakers play Friday night. Adele's Vegas residency continues then, too. Lue, meanwhile, coached the Clips in a loss to the Suns before hitting the bash.

Still, everyone appeared to be in great spirits ... and most (aside from Adele, who bolted early to presumably get back to Nevada) stayed out until midnight -- when Paul officially turned 41 years old.

The sports agent looked dapper for the party ... rockin' an all-brown 'fit, capped off with a pair of brown shoes.

James, meanwhile, looked great as well -- as did his wife, Savannah, who accompanied him on the date.

Didn't seem anyone brought gifts to the dinner for Paul ... but we're pretty sure at least one of the millionaires at the table picked up the tab for the guy.

Clipper Darrell -- the most famous L.A. Clippers fan -- was knocked out during an altercation at a game on Monday ... new video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows.

In the footage, you can see Darrell -- real name Darrell Bailey -- in his famous half-red, half-blue suit ... standing with a Crypto.com Arena security guard following the Clippers' game against the Boston Celtics.

The two seem to be in some sort of argument ... where the man wearing a red polo appears to be preventing Clipper Darrell from moving through a concourse at the NBA arena.

At one point, the man can be seen in the video putting his elbow near Darrell's neck in what seems to be an effort to keep him from advancing. Darrell, the footage shows, then swiped at the man's arm to get it off of him.

That's when the man in the red balled up his fist and swung on Clipper Darrell -- connecting straight with the superfan's jaw.

Darrell crashed into a nearby trash receptacle ... and appeared to lose consciousness.

Crypto.com Arena President Lee Zeidman tells us ... the altercation all started after the security officer tried to direct Darrell and other departing fans to nearby exits.

"Clipper Darrell became involved in a verbal and then physical altercation," Zeidman said. "After receiving immediate medical attention, Darryl was transported to a nearby hospital for further evaluation and treatment."

"An investigation of the incident was launched which determined the employee’s behavior to be a direct violation of our training and approved responses resulting in the immediate termination and arrest of the employee by the LAPD."

Clipper Darrell told us on Wednesday morning he's suffering from headaches ... and is still in a lot of pain. He added that he's currently on medication to try to alleviate some of his symptoms.

Sources close to the Clippers, meanwhile, tell us the team is aware of the incident.

Clipper Darrell has been a Clips season ticket holder for two decades -- and has gained notoriety for loudly leading taunts and cheers throughout L.A. games.

NBA super fan Jimmy Goldstein is throwing in the designer brand towel on the Lakers' shot at a championship this season ... telling TMZ Sports everyone should be focusing on the other L.A. team -- the Clippers!!

LeBron James and Co. are sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference after a disastrous start to the 2022-23 campaign ... and JG -- one of the most recognizable hoops fans in NBA history -- says there's nothing they can do to contend for a ring this season.

Goldstein believes the Lakers should stop clutching onto their future draft picks and try to improve the team now ... bringing up the rumored trade with the Indiana Pacers as a prime example of a deal that can help them out.

The Lakers were reportedly in talks to acquire Buddy Hield and Myles Turner in exchange for Russell Westbrook and their 2027 and 2029 first-round draft picks ... with the latter keeping L.A. from pulling the trigger on the deal.

While Goldstein says it would make the Lake Show better, he says there's nothing they can do now to become instant contenders.

But, when it comes to the buzz around L.A., Goldstein tells us it's all about the Clippers now -- 'cause they have a legit shot at raising a banner.

"You should be talking about the Clippers," Goldstein says. "They're a much better team. They have a chance. They have great players. They have depth."

The woman who initially accused Eric Bledsoe of roughing her up during an incident last month ultimately ended up refusing to cooperate with authorities ... this according to prosecutors.

In official documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, authorities said a 30-year-old woman called cops in Lost Hills, Calif. on Oct. 26 -- claiming Bledsoe had slapped her after she had knocked his phone out of his hand following a dispute.

However, according to the docs, when investigators arrived on scene ... the woman -- who they say had redness on her face -- "told deputies that she did not get into a physical altercation with the suspect, and she did not want to give additional information about the incident."

Bledsoe was still arrested, and booked on a charge of misdemeanor domestic violence.

But, according to the docs, when the woman was pressed further about the incident by a follow-up investigator, "she stated she would not cooperate with the prosecution of suspect."

Officials added in the docs that the woman "later emailed the investigating officer reiterating that she was not desirous of prosecution."

Prosecutors formally dropped the case on Oct. 28 ... with officials saying in the documents that the woman's "inconsistent statements about whether there was a physical altercation" played into the decision.

Floyd Mayweather made good on his promise on Sunday, hooking up two young fans with tickets to the L.A. Clippers game -- their first NBA game -- days after he blessed the kids with some cash and facetime at a nearby hotel.

Mayweather hooked the boys up with tix to the Clippers game Sunday afternoon -- for their game against the Pelicans -- after promising the kids tickets on Thursday ... after meeting them at the Ritz.

Unfortunately, the Clips lost 112-91. But, in addition to Paul George (14 points) and John Wall (8 points), the kids got to see Zion Williamson hoop. The young star dropped 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in just 31 minutes of action.

Mayweather also attended the game ... but not just the Clippers.

Never one to play favorites, Floyd also hit up the Lakers game with friends Jona Rechnitz and Jas Mathur.

Mayweather sat courtside for both games at the Crypto.com arena.

The 50-0 boxer, a staple at NBA games, posed for photos with some of the hoopers (and a super agent) ... including Zion, Michael Porter Jr., Deandre Jordan, Rich Paul, and Russell Westbrook.

Ex-NBA player Eric Bledsoe was in great spirits at the Clippers game on Sunday ... just days after he was arrested for allegedly slapping his girlfriend.

32-year-old Bledsoe -- who played for the Clips from 2010-13 and the 2021-22 season -- was smiling from ear to ear as he sat courtside at Crypto.com Arena to check out his old team against the New Orleans Pelicans.

It wasn't a great outing for the Clippers -- they lost 112-91.

TMZ Sports broke the story -- Bledsoe was arrested in Lost Hills, CA Wednesday night after his girlfriend called cops and claimed she was slapped.

The arrest came just hours after it was reported Bledsoe was set to sign with the Shanghai Sharks in the Chinese Basketball Association.

As we previously reported, the girlfriend posted about the altercation on Instagram ... calling Bledsoe a "monster."

The post was deleted shortly after.

It's unclear whether the arrest will have an impact on Bledsoe's future -- the Sharks have yet to comment on the situation.

NBA commish Adam Silver is addressing comparisons between Donald Sterling and Suns owner Robert Sarver -- who was punished for allegedly saying the n-word -- calling the situations "dramatically different" from one another.

Sarver was slapped with a $10 million fine and one-year suspension on Tuesday after a lengthy NBA investigation showed the multi-millionaire owner repeated the n-word on at least five occasions and treated female employees differently, among other accusations.

The league noted Sarver didn't appear to use the word with racist intent ... but was repeating the word.

Still, many people have raised Sterling's name ... asking why the former Los Angeles Clippers owner was banned forever (he also received a $2.5 million fine), while Sarver was hit with a relatively modest 365-day suspension.

Of course, TMZ Sports broke the Sterling story in 2014 ... when the real estate developer and team owner was heard berating "friend" V. Stiviano over a photo she took with Lakers legend Magic Johnson at Staples Center during a Clips game.

"It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with Black people. Do you have to?" Sterling asked Stiviano.

Sterling also told her ... "You can sleep with [black people]. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to promote it on that ... and not to bring them to my games."

Silver explained why he believes the Sterling situation is far worse than Sarver.

"For me the situations are dramatically different. What we saw in the case of Donald Sterling was blatant racist conduct directed at a select group of people," Adam told media in NYC.

Silver also apologized to former and current Suns/Mercury employees, and spoke about the sheer shock he felt when learning of the accusations against Sarver.

"I was in disbelief to a certain extent about what I learned had transpired over the last 18 years in the Suns organization. I was saddened by it, disheartened, I want to again apologize to the former and in some cases current employees of the Phoneix Suns for what they had to experience, there's absolutely no excuse for it, and we addressed it."

John Wall is opening up about the toughest experiences he's faced over the past two years ... admitting he had suicidal thoughts after dealing with a series of career-altering injuries and trying to cope with losing loved ones in his family.

The new Clippers point guard opened up in a recent interview, where he got candid about some of the things that have been plaguing him mentally as he battled his way back on the court.

"Darkest place I ever been," Wall said. "At one point in time, I thought about committing suicide. My mom being sick. My mom passing. My grandma passed a year later."

Wall -- who ruptured his Achilles tendon in 2019 -- said seeing his mother take her last breath was tough to overcome, especially amid the COVID pandemic.

The former Wizards star expressed the losses of his mother and grandmother weighed heavy on his heart and mind ... and not playing basketball had him contemplating ending his life.

Thankfully, John says he was able to overcome his mental demons and get back on the right track -- both physically and mentally -- with help from therapy.

"Find a therapist," Wall said. "You know a lot of people think, 'I don't need help. I can get it through it at any time.' But, you got to be true to yourself and find out what's best for you.

"And I did that."

Ultimately, Wall thinks the adversity he endured has made him a stronger person, father, and player, and he feels equipped to tackle any problems life throws at him.

"If I can get through this, I can get through anything in life," Wall said. "I don't think a lot of people could get through what I went through."

The Juan Soto trade has now made the Padres so intriguing, even Kawhi Leonard had to make the drive down from L.A. to catch one of the new outfielder's games at Petco Park!!!

The Clippers superstar was spotted sitting in the front row of the Pads' contest against the Giants in San Diego on Monday night ... getting his first up-close look at Soto and the new-and-improved SD team with his own eyes.

Leonard -- who rarely makes public appearances -- showed up to the event with his fam decked out in Padres gear ... and munched on some French fries as he cheered on the home team.

Sadly for Kawhi, Soto and the rest of SD didn't do much ... they only recorded five total hits and lost the game 1-0.

But, don't be too upset for Leonard -- we're sure he found plenty to do after the game ... after all, he spent his college days in San Diego at SDSU, so the guy knows how to have a good time in America's Finest City no matter how the baseball team performs.

Soto and the Padres, meanwhile, will try to put on a better show on Tuesday night when they face the Giants again.

John Wall is home -- the NBA superstar just landed in Los Angeles after signing with the Clippers ... telling TMZ Sports he's stoked to get to work!!

Wall, 31, is fresh off of agreeing to a two-year, $13.2 million deal with the Clippers ... where he'll play alongside superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

We spoke with Wall as he landed at LAX ... and he says he's ready to get down to business.

"I'm just ready to play basketball ... that's it," Wall said.

The former #1 overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft previously spent nine seasons with the Wizards ... before playing just 40 total games for the Houston Rockets.

It's been an uphill battle for Wall -- heel surgery and a torn Achilles tendon previously sidelined the explosive point guard for a season and a half from 2019-20 ... and he didn't play at all last season, as the Houston Rockets put their focus on a rebuild.

Before the bad luck, Wall was one of the game's most dynamic athletes at his position ... and was so good during the 2016-17 NBA campaign, he was voted to the All-NBA team.

The 2010-11 NBA Rookie of the Year and five-time All-Star averaged 20.6 points and 6.9 assists per game in 2020 ... and after a year away, he's clearly champing at the bit to prove he's back to 100%.