Los Angeles Lakers

Don't put a fork in the Big Baller Brand just yet ... LaVar Ball says the brand is NOT folding -- despite the fact Lonzo Ball just covered up his BBB tattoo.

The Big Baller appeared on 98.5 KLUC in Vegas to promote his Big Baller Brand All-American Game, which he says is going on as planned this weekend.

"The game is definitely still happening," LaVar says ... though he wouldn't say if his sons Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo would be on hand for the event.

The issue ... LaVar claims BBB co-founder Alan Foster stole $1.5 million from Lonzo -- and the Lakers star was so pissed, he covered up his BBB tattoo and is rumored to be considering a shoe deal with Nike.

But, LaVar believes the BBB brand is still alive and well -- and vows to fix things after Foster's alleged thievery.

"I'm not gonna let one roodypoo guy come in here and do something bad and then be like the brand's not good," Ball said.

"The brand is good. It's just somebody did something bad to it ... We had a snake up in the thing, but you gotta understand this -- I'm a snake charmer. When you're a snake charmer, you're gonna get bit."

Ball said he treated Foster "like a family member" and feels incredibly betrayed -- saying, "Is it worth $1.5 million to leave a family?"

Not even Zion Williamson can single-handedly help lift LeBron's Lakers to championship level ... so says Paul Pierce, who tells TMZ Sports, "Y'all need more than that!"

"Zion is not the savior, but he's very good -- but y'all need more than that!"

Of course, Zion could be in L.A.'s plans this offseason ... they're terrible and now have a shot at the No. 1 overall pick.

But, Pierce says if the Lakers somehow win the lottery and DO draft Zion, he tells us that won't be enough to get LBJ back to the finals.

"Y'all need a lot," Paul says ... "A lot. A lot."

The problem?? The big-name NBA free agents -- Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving -- don't seem to have much desire to play with LeBron in his old age.

But, there's good news for the King -- according to Pierce.

"LeBron is doing very well out here -- with his production company."

SHAAAAAAAAAAAAADDEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

Stan Van Gundy knows exactly who the Lakers should make their head coach next season .... and they won't have to look hard to find him, considering he's already the head coach of the Lakers.

TMZ Sports spoke with the longtime head coach about rumors the Lake Show could ditch Luke Walton for Jason Kidd ... and while SVG loves the Hall of Famer's coaching skills, he says L.A. got it right the first time.

"Luke's done a great job and should remain their coach," SVG tells us.

Van Gundy says he's not so sure about whether J-Kidd crossed any lines going on TV to discuss his interest in the gig while it's clearly still Luke's team ... but his leadership is NOT something to question.

"I've coached against Jason for a few years ... he is a good coach."

Lonzo Ball is an even BIGGER baller after bailing on the Big Baller Brand ... ditching his $500 shoes for a MORE EXPENSIVE pair for the Laker game Tuesday night.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the injured Zo elected to rock a pair of white Dior "B24" kicks while cheering on his teammates from the bench during the game against the Wizards ... which come with a hefty $960 price tag.

Of course ... all eyes have been on Lonzo's feet as he figures out his shoe future following the fallout with BBB. He's even dropped hints on social media about signing with Nike.

But, there were no Swooshes on his feet Tuesday ... just Diors. Really, really, really expensive Diors.

It's the latest shot at the BBB brand ... Lonzo's already covered up his Big Baller tattoo after his manager called for a BBB boycott while throwing a pair of ZO2s in the dumpster.

In other words, the Ball family business looks about as dead as LiAngelo's college hoops career.

Still, one major mystery remains ... WHEN ARE WE GOING TO HEAR FROM LAVAR?

The biggest of the Ballers has been eerily silent since the BBB fallout went public.

There are reports Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo are not speaking with their dad -- but no one has publicly commented about the state of the family.

The BBB is DOA.

Lonzo Ball sent a painful message to his father -- covering up his famous Big Baller Brand tattoo in what seems to be the final nail in the BBB coffin.

The Los Angeles Lakers star hit up tattoo artist Herchell L Carrasco -- aka the RocknRoll Gangster -- who inked out the BBB art ... covering it up with a pair of red dice.

The move comes after allegations BBB co-founder Alan Foster stole more than $1.5 million of Lonzo's money.

Earlier this week, Lonzo's manager/close friend Darren Moore threw his BBB shoes in the garbage and called for a boycott of all BBB merchandise.

There are rumblings that Lonzo and his brothers are now estranged from their father, LaVar Ball, and that the company could fold within days.

Now, with Lonzo sending a message through his tattoos ... seems where there's smoke, there's fire.

Papa John's is hoping Shaquille O'Neal can do the same thing he did for the Lakers ... return them to prominence ... by adding the Big Man on as a member of their Board Of Directors.

Shaq announced the move moments ago on his Instagram with a statement talking about his future with the company, and his enthusiasm for their pies.

"I am so excited to be joining the Papa John’s family as a member of the Board of Directors, a soon-to-be investor in nine Papa John’s franchises in Atlanta and an ambassador for the brand."

This is HUGE news for Papa John's ... the company has been embroiled in controversy ever since founder John Schnatter stepped down after he admitted to using the n-word during a conference call with executives last May.

Since then, the company has been hit with boycotts by some members of the Black community, leading to declining sales 5 quarters in a row according to CNN business.

Shaq is a beloved figure in the community, and you have to believe PJ's is hoping adding him will get them back on the good side of those who think the company is racist.

"I know that behind every large company, there are thousands of people that put their heart and soul into the business. Papa John’s is no different, and it struck a chord with me that the company is putting in the work to do better within its walls and in the communities it serves across the country."

BTW -- this deal also comes with 9 franchises for Shaq in the Atlanta area ... and that means free pizza ... pace yourself, big guy.

Kobe Bryant is keeping it real when it comes to the Lakers -- telling TMZ Sports when it comes to the playoffs ... "maybe next year."

At least, that's what it appears he said when we shouted a question at him from across the street.

JOURNALISM!

The NBA legend was out in NYC when our photog spotted him and asked about the state of Lakers Nation.

Kobe gave us the ol' thumbs up -- but when we pressed about LeBron taking the team to the playoffs, he shrugged and appeared to say, "Well, maybe next year."

Hey, it's probably true ... right?

The Lakers are in 11th place in the Western Conference and thiiiis close to being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.

Plus, LeBron's injured and there's talk the team will shut him down in the hopes of a better run next season.

So, is this the most shocking clip we've ever posted? No.

You come at the king, you best not miss ... and Ice Cube thinks Walt Frazier missed HARD when saying LeBron James doesn't care about the Lakers ... telling TMZ Sports, "that's bullsh*t."

Frazier went OFF on LBJ during Sunday's game between the Knickerbockers and L.A. ... saying, "when you’re the face of the NBA, you should be more a part of your team."

"No matter what is going on. In the public, you gotta be a part of the team. Maybe in the locker room you’re not, but you have to exude that type of togetherness in public, folks," Frazier added.

"And right now, we see he doesn’t really care."

Cube says the Hall of Famer is WRONG -- "LeBron cares, that's bullsh*t."

The rap legend doesn't deny there might be some issues in the locker room ... he actually thinks everyone is trade bait at this point.

Byron Scott is a fan of Luke Walton and thinks he's doing the best he can with the Lakers -- but tells TMZ Sports it's obvious his job as head coach in L.A. is just about over.

"Listen, I think Luke did a great job under the circumstances," Scott tells us ... "He's in a situation that's extremely, extremely tough."

"At the end of the day, I can tell you this from past experience, coach is always first to go. That's just how it is."

Of course, Scott is referring to his own run as head coach of the Lakers which lasted from 2014 to 2016 ... when an injury-stricken Kobe Bryant was wrapping up his NBA career.

As for Luke, Scott says he'd love to see the guy get another shot leading Los Angeles ... but he understands the optics considering the Lakers have a terrible record and didn't come close to matching expectations.

"I don't think [firing Walton] is something that is warranted but if you look at their team, you look at their record, you look at the season ... everybody thought they would make the playoffs."

Crazy story, crazy ending.

A Kobe Bryant high school basketball jersey -- stolen out of the school's trophy case in 2017 -- has been located by a fan in China who's returning the item ... for free!!

Here's the deal ... someone broke into a display case at Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania on Super Bowl Sunday in 2017 and jacked the autographed #33 Bryant jersey he had signed for the school.

Bryant was a high school phenom at Lower Merion -- where he scored nearly 2,900 points during his 4 years. He also scored a date to his prom with Brandy, 'memba that?!

Well, there was a huge break in the missing jersey case ... when a Kobe superfan in China named Liu Zhe noticed the jersey he recently bought for $2,000 looked VERY similar to the stolen jersey.

Turns out ... it IS the same jersey.

So, 28-year-old Zhe ... being a good dude ... decided to send the jersey back to the school, free of charge, because he felt it was the right thing to do, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

The good news ... Lower Merion has already received the jersey and reps are now working with police to see if they can track down the thief who jacked it in the first place.

So, what does Liu want for his role in the jersey recovery? Nothing really ... just for Kobe to know he did the right thing.

He's already got a statue at Staples Center -- now Shaquille O'Neal has a restaurant right across the street!!!

The NBA legend opened up Shaquille's at L.A. Live over the weekend -- and tons of his famous friends showed up to celebrate ... from Adam Sandler to Julian Edelman and Tiffany Haddish!!!

It all went down after the Lakers game on Saturday night after Los Angeles took an L against their rival, Boston Celtics ... which happens to the last team Shaq played for!!!

The restaurant specializes in Southern cuisine -- featuring everything from Shaq’s famous fried chicken to shrimp & grits. People at the party tell us the food was delicious.

And, get this ... we're told a few of the Lakers even hit up the joint after the game ... including Kyle Kuzma and Rajon Rondo.

Boston's Jayson Tatum was there too along with Celtics legend Paul Pierce.

Other stars spotted at the party ... Diplo, E.J. Johnson, Jaleel White and Ross Butler.

Baron Davis says this Lakers team could DEFINITELY make the playoffs ... if they were led by a 34-year-old version of Kobe Bryant.

That's this same team ... same roster, except Kobe is leading them instead of LeBron James, whose current Lakers team is 5 games out of the playoffs with under 20 left to play.

Baron is starring in a new Fuse TV show called "WTF Baron Davis," and when we got him out at LAX we asked if Kobe could've achieved the goal with the same squad.

"I say yeah, of course."

Before you think this is a LeBron bashing session ... IT AIN'T ... Davis says the Lakers definitely could've been successful this year with James, but injuries and trade rumors derailed the season.

"You can't just put all the blame on LeBron, I think the Lakers got disconnected from what they was trying to do."

Remember, Kobe DID do it ... going Ham in the 2012-13 season down the stretch, DRAGGING a banged up and dysfunctional Lakers team to the postseason, before tearing his Achilles.

Maybe that's what prompted Baron to give his last vote of confidence.

The GOAT has spoken ... Michael Jordan is giving props to LeBron James after passing him on the NBA's all-time scoring list ... calling it "another great milestone."

King James jumped over the Jumpman with an easy bucket midway through the 2nd quarter of Wednesday night's Lakers vs. Nuggets game ... and it was an emotional moment.

James only needed 13 points to pass MJ's 32,292 ... but once it finally happened, the Lakers played a tribute video to LBJ ... and then came the waterworks.

MJ gave his own tribute to James after the game ... saying "I want to congratulate LeBron on achieving another great milestone during his amazing career."

The love was mutual ... as LeBron honored the 6-time champ with a pair of custom LeBron 16s made to look like the Jordan 3s.

Even 2 Chainz -- Bron's new music partner -- got in on the fun by gifting him one of his chains from his courtside seat after the game.

Despite the celebration, Bron was brought back down to earth quick ... with the Lakers losing the game 115-99 in a blowout loss.

LeBron commented on the milestone after the game, saying he idolized Michael growing up ... "To be linked with the greatest I ever seen play the game, it's crazy to me."

"I wouldn't be here without him."

No matter how much of a train wreck this Lakers season has been, resting LeBron James just simply ain't an option ... so says Caron Butler, who tells TMZ Sports "that's a sucker way out."

The debate kicked off when Jay Williams went on ESPN's "Get Up!" to say Magic Johnson needs to wave the white flag with the Lakers so far out of the playoff race -- starting with benching the King.

FYI -- making the playoffs would pretty much be a miracle at this point. The Lakers are 30-34 and have little momentum leading into the final handful of games.

Butler says it doesn't matter if the Lakers are 5 games out of the playoff or 50 games -- the Lakers CANNOT rest Bron.

"Absolutely not, no. He's still gon' play," Tuff Juice says, "Think about the years with Kobe Bryant and those guys weren't playing well. Kobe still was out there he still was hoopin', he was balling."

It's true ... Kobe didn't make the playoffs for the final 4 years of his career and everyone survived. Caron says he's got an alternative that could satisfy both sides.

"(You'd be) cheating the fans, maybe give him limited minutes ... but you can't just say I'm shutting him down because we didn't exceed expectations."

Butler goes as far as to say trading ANYONE -- including LEBRON JAMES -- is on the table when the team's losing.

And since LBJ has said there's no way he will sit out games (unless he's injured) ... chances are he'll pass Michael Jordan on the all-time scoring list if he scores 13 points tonight.

We asked Caron -- who just so happens to be calling the game -- about the milestone ... and whether it'll finally put him above the G.O.A.T.

LeBron James' former boss is going to bat for the NBA superstar -- with Usher telling Lakers Nation to stop riding Bron and "be patient" already!!

Obviously, the Lakers and LeBron are in serious trouble -- they're playing like trash and making the playoffs would take a miracle of biblical proportions.

So, with people like Snoop calling for someone to send the Lakers off on "slave ships" -- we asked Usher, who bought an ownership stake in the Cleveland Cavs in 2005, for his take on Bron.

"Be patient man," Usher told us on his way out of Avra in Bev Hills ... "Sometimes it takes a minute to get in the groove!"

Of course, Usher knows life with and without LeBron in Cleveland -- he celebrated on the court with Bron when the Cavs won the championship in 2016.

Currently, his Cavs (16-48) have a WORSE record than the Lakers (30-34) ... so, he feels L.A.'s pain.

But, is he bitter at LeBron for bouncing out of Cleveland in 2018? Nope. In fact, he couldn't be more complimentary of the guy.

"I'm really happy to see that LeBron is such an amazing player, period," Usher told us ..."Look at his stats."

Snoop Dogg meant no disrespect to African-Americans when he said the struggling Lakers oughta go away on a "slave ship" -- but he did mean to vent about ALL of his favorite teams sucking.

Sources close to the D-O-Double-Gizzle tell TMZ ... the rapper's trash talking -- taken by many as racist -- was totally a heat of the moment thing. We're told the rapper turned on his phone, and impulsively unloaded about his Lakers' embarrassing loss to the last-place Suns.

As we reported ... Snoop went all scorched Earth, saying, "Ship all them n***as out. Get a slave ship, and ship all them sorry mother f**kers the f**k outta here!"

Despite much of the public reaction to Snoop's rant -- our sources were clear ... the rapper doesn't have a single racist bone in his body, especially against his own race.

We're told the die-hard Lakers fan was -- like most fans -- pissed about possibly missing the playoffs, even with LeBron James. It's also a little insult to injury for Snoop ... he's also a Steelers fan and they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013.