NBA

5/24 -- Drake is surely not one to let a diss go unnoticed, the rapper responded to Edens' T-shirt with a social media shout-out.

The "Nice for What" rapper changed his Instagram profile picture to a photo of the model and wrote on his story, "All is fair in war and war and trust me I'll still get you tickets to ovo fest."

The Milwaukee Bucks are firing back at Drake in the most awesome way — hitting him where it hurts ... Pusha T.

Mallory Edens, the daughter of Milwaukee Bucks owner, Wes Edens, is sitting courtside with Aaron Rogers for game 5 ... and she’s wearing a freakin' Pusha T shirt.

Of course, Drake and Push bad MASSIVE BEEF last year ... with each hip-hop star dropping super personal diss tracks about the other.

It got heated.

So, why the shot at Drake?

Remember, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks were PISSED at Drizzy after game 4 in Toronto — where the Raptors ambassador roamed the sideline, taunted MIL’s players.

Bucks coach, Mike Budenholzer, was hot at Drake’s antics ... saying, "There's certainly no place for fans and, you know, whatever it is exactly that Drake is for the Toronto Raptors.”

Now that the series is back in Milwaukee ... Mallory — a model — fires back with King Push.

This is The Story of Giannis.

"[Bucks coach] Mike Budenholzer should be worried about his team. He shouldn't be worried about flexing on Drake."

That's how ex-NBA star Jay Williams feels about all the drama between the Milwaukee Bucks head coach and Drake ... after Budenholzer called out the league for allowing the rapper to have carte blanche court access during the playoffs.

Early Thursday, the Bucks head coach went off about Drizzy ... saying there's NO REASON Drake should be allowed to hang with Raptors players on the bench and shoulder rub the Raptors coaching staff.

"I will say, again, I see it in some timeouts, but I don't know of any person that's attending the game that isn't a participant in the game, a coach -- I'm sorry, a player or a coach, that has access to the court," Budenholzer said.

"there's certainly no place for fans and, you know, whatever it is exactly that Drake is for the Toronto Raptors. You know, to be on the court, there's boundaries and lines for a reason."

Enter, Williams who has this message for the Bucks players and staff -- DEAL WITH IT!!!

"[Drake] is like a 2019 Spike Lee ... just on steroids," Williams said referring to Lee's fan allegiance to the NY Knicks.

"You cant take one dude talking trash to you, I don't know what to tell you!"

The Bucks and Raptors play again Thursday night in Milwaukee -- but they return to Toronto for Game 6 on Saturday.

Life lesson ... text is text, and DM is DM.

Chris Broussard just learned this lesson HARD, courtesy of comments he made about his relationship with NBA superstar Kevin Durant.

This all started when Chris went on FS1's 'Undisputed' and suggested the Warriors playing well in Durant's absence was a "nightmare" for KD ... prompting Durant to clap back on Twitter.

So, Broussard went back on FS1 and discussed his relationship with KD -- saying he and Durant "text" all the time about a variety of topics ... some good, some bad.

Stay with us here ...

That prompted Durant to return to Twitter and let the world know he's NEVER texted with Broussard, and doesn't even have his phone number.

Soooooo ... who's lying?

Well, no one according to Chris ... who just made a video saying he does talk to Durant often, but when he said "text" he was referring to DMs on Instagram and Twitter.

So, he's never texted KD. But, he has texted KD -- explaining that he doesn't really see a difference between text and DM because a private convo is a private convo.

It's a fair point but fact of the matter is ... it's not the same.

Just to help everyone out ... here's the hierarchy of communication so everyone can navigate these newfangled technology streets:

1. Actual phone convo

2. Text

3. DM

4. Comments (back and forth)

5. Mere social media follow

Here's the best Rookie of the Year trophy ever ... Quavo hooked up NBA star Trae Young with a custom diamond chain for his huge 1st season in the league -- and the bling is awesome!!!

"Welcome to the A," the rap star told Young as he presented the jewelry.

Trae killed it for the Atlanta Hawks this year ... averaging 19.1 points and 8.1 assists per game in 81 starts -- and to show his thanks, Migos' Atlanta superfan got him some ice.

The chain -- made by famous ATL jeweler Wafi -- is pretty epic ... it features a huge basketball pendant surrounded by dripping diamonds with the nickname "Ice Trae" on it.

The Hawks PG clearly loved the gift ... writing on Quavo's social media page, "YESSSSSSSSIR Much Love My Brotha!!!"

Of course, Trae ain't officially the NBA's Rookie of the Year ... the award won't be announced until the league has its end-of-season ceremony next month.

In fact, Trae ain't even the favorite to land the honor ... Dallas Mavericks PG Luka Doncic is expected to take home the hardware.

Kendall Jenner's far away from her family and chilling in France, and it might be a sign of a fresh start for the supermodel ... in the dating world.

Kendall was soaking up some sunshine Thursday in Cannes with Kardashian family friend and Kourtney's former fling, Luka Sabbat. It looks super casual, but the timing is interesting ... because Kendall and her NBA star boyfriend, Ben Simmons, have reportedly broken up.

They haven't been seen together much lately, so people were starting to wonder and although there's been no announcement ... splitsville's looking very real. Kendall flew into France Wednesday -- presumably to hit up some Cannes Film Festival premieres, and attend the amfAR Gala later Thursday.

That busy schedule explains why she missed out on Kylie's big skincare launch and roller skating party.

The Dallas Mavericks have reportedly wrapped up their investigation into that Kristaps Porzingis fight in Latvia ... and concluded he was just "in the wrong place at the wrong time."

TMZ Sports posted video showing the 7'3" superstar bloodied and pissed off on May 12 outside of a bar in his home country, after apparently being jumped.

Our sources told us the attackers were a bunch of Russians who were pissed off that Porzingis had been traded from the Knicks to Dallas.

There were reports that Porzingis may have suffered a broken hand in the melee -- but the Dallas Morning News says they spoke with a team source who says that's not true and his hands are fine.

DMN is also reporting that team officials spoke "at length" with Porzingis who insisted he was truly an innocent victim who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time ... and the team is buying his story.

Of course, the NBA could step in and punish Porzingis -- so he's not out of the woods -- but this definitely bodes well for him.

Dennis Rodman allegedly slapped a man at his own birthday party in Florida last week ... and cops say the key witness in the case is DAVID LEE ROTH!!!

... unfortunately, it's just not THAT David Lee Roth.

It's all spelled out in the police report obtained by TMZ Sports ... in which the Delray Beach Police Dept. describe an alleged battery on May 17 at the Buddha Sky Bar.

The alleged victim is 30-year-old Jeff Soulouque -- who says he was hanging at the party when Dennis "unprovokedly turned around and smacked him," right in the face.

Soulouque claims Rodman immediately began apologizing for the incident and invited him out to dinner the following night in an attempted peace offering.

But, Soulouque tells TMZ Sports he was really hurt -- and went to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a left corneal abrasion. He went to cops the day after the incident and filed a report.

Cops launched an investigation and called up a witness named David Lee Roth -- who, shockingly, is NOT the Van Halen singer. Still, cops say DLR corroborated Soulouque's story.

"Roth stated he was about twenty feet away and he saw Rodman turn around and open hand smack Soulouque two times," the report states.

Cops are now on the hunt for video of the incident and have listed Rodman as an official suspect in an alleged battery.

As for Rodman, his attorney, Lorne Berkeley, denies his client slapped anyone, telling TMZ Sports ... “I’ve spoken with people who were with Dennis the entire night of the alleged incident at Buddha Sky Bar. No one saw any such incident occur and Dennis was sober the entire night.”

“Currently the matter is in its preliminary stages but we fully expect after a thorough investigation that no such incident will be substantiated. Dennis denies any such incident occurred.”

It's just the latest in a string of bizarre incidents involving the NBA legend -- who is also being investigated in California for his role in an alleged clothing heist at a Newport Beach yoga studio.

Drake's courtside antics during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals has Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer in his feelings.

Sorry, we had to.

The 6 God did all but actually suit up for the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday ... yelling during free throws, laughing when Giannis Antetokounmpo missed said free throws, and even giving Toronto coach Nick Nurse a back rub.

Budenholzer weighed in on the Raps' ambassador Wednesday ... and he ain't happy with Drizzy seemingly getting special access to the hardwood.

"I see it in some timeouts, but I don't know of any person that's attending the game that isn't a participant in the game a coach -- I'm sorry, a player or a coach that has access to the court," Budenholzer says.

"There's certainly no place for fans and, you know, whatever it is exactly that Drake is for the Toronto Raptors.

"You know, to be on the court, there's boundaries and lines for a reason, and like I said, the league is usually pretty good at being on top of stuff like that."

Coach Bud ain't the only 1 pissed off ... Giannis' rep, Georgios Dimitropoulos, blasted Drizzy earlier today.

"Imagine a gig & an athlete on VIP seats, right next to the band, stands up on the stage just to show off during the entire game, knowing cameras are on him, occasionally even massaging the singer. Security&him both allow it. Never seen anything as disrespectful as this before..."

We've reached out to the NBA for comment ... so far, no word back.

As for Drake ... Game 5 is on Thursday in Milwaukee. Maybe he'll get some court-side seats??

How does Dwyane Wade REALLY feel about Paul Pierce saying his career was better?

"I'm a high road kind of person ... I won't put another black man down."

Wade couldn't have been more respectful to the longtime Celtics star when we spotted him and Gabrielle Union leaving Blue Dog Beer Tavern in L.A.

"He's an amazing player. I have a lot of respect for him," D-Wade added -- "I'm gonna clap when he goes in the Hall of Fame."

Of course, the Paul Pierce vs. D-Wade debate began back in April when Pierce appeared on ESPN and was asked if he thought he had the better career.

"That’s easy, I can say that off the bat, that’s me,” Pierce said. "I’m 24 or 25 and you give me [LeBron James] and [Chris Bosh], I’d be sitting on five or six championships easy."

Heat fans didn't like Paul's comments -- and busted out a "Paul Pierce sucks" chant at Wade's final home game in Miami.

There's more ... we also asked Wade what his plans are after basketball -- and he told us he's gonna be a "kept man" for a while Union brings home the bacon!

"She got it," Wade said with a smile.

LeBron James clearly needs a little TLC after his Lakers continue to implode around him ... and seems he's gettin' it from an old buddy -- Tristan Thompson!!!

LBJ was out in L.A. on Tuesday night celebrating his John Elliott x LeBron James clothing launch ... and Tristan was there to back his friend -- in more ways than one.

LeBron's Lakers have been a disaster the past few weeks -- they botched their coaching search and Magic Johnson quit -- so TT stopped by and helped comfort The King.

The two shared a big embrace inside of the store ... and seems it helped cheer up LeBron -- who was caught dancing at the DJ booth moments later!!!

Of course, all the bro hugs in the world ain't exactly going to fix the Lakers' issues -- they still need a superstar to join up with Bron this summer and they've gotta make sure their new coaching staff works.

But hey, in the meantime, at least LBJ's new kicks (releasing to the public this week) are fire!!!!

Colin Kaepernick wasn't just courtside to watch the Golden State Warriors beat the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday ... he celebrated the win ON the court after the game!

Colin -- sporting a shirt featuring Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali -- sat right behind Steve Kerr at Moda Center for Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.

But Kap -- who spent 6 seasons in the Bay Area with the 49ers -- was treated like a VIP before, during and after the game.

In fact, when Golden State closed out their 119 to 117 victory ... players like Draymond Green and Steph Curry couldn't wait to walk over and chat him up.

There's footage of Steph telling his son, Canon, to say "What's up" to Colin -- while the QB smiles back at the little boy ... it's a sweet moment.

After the celebration, Colin was spotted outside the Warriors locker room.

Of course, the Warriors players and coach have publicly supported Kap for years -- and they've all pushed back against President Trump.

The Warriors famously skipped their White House visit in favor of visiting former President Barack Obama because they're not fans of Donald.

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka is adamant he did NOT betray Magic Johnson and trash the NBA legend behind his back ... saying allegations are "simply not true."

Pelinka was asked about the situation moments ago while introducing new Lakers head coach Frank Vogel ... just hours after Magic put Pelinka on blast during an ESPN interview.

Johnson said he was upset at Pelinka because he found out Rob had been bashing him in and out of NBA circles ... saying Magic's work ethic sucked and he was barely in the Lakers office.

So, what's Rob's response? He took a cue from Shaggy ... IT WASN'T ME!

"Surprising to hear and disheartening," Pelinka said ... "Simply not true."

Pelinka says he stands with Magic as a colleague and a partner and wants to speak with Magic in person to clear everything up.

Pelinka says he was surprised to see Magic make the allegations on TV because they have spoken several times since Magic left the Lakers and Rob thought they were on good terms.

Sebastian Telfair's sister has been arrested by the FBI for allegedly making violent threats to the ex-NBA star's estranged wife ... TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story ... Samantha Telfair had gone to police in late April claiming she was getting frightening phone calls from Octavia Telfair, who threatened to "kill my kids and cut my face" all because she testified in Sebastian's NYC gun case.

During Sebastian's trial, Samantha told prosecutors she had personally witnessed the former basketball star in possession of multiple weapons, including the gas-operated submachine gun he was allegedly carrying when he was arrested in June 2017.

Apparently, Sebastian's sister, Octavia, felt Samantha's testimony was treacherous -- so she allegedly called Samantha more than 50 times on the phone to express her discontent.

The LAPD and NYPD were investigating -- since Samantha lives in L.A. and Octavia lives in New York -- but the case was kicked to the FBI, which ultimately decided to arrest Octavia.

As we previously reported, Telfair -- a 33-year-old former high school phenom who spent 12 seasons in the NBA -- was arrested in June 2017 in Brooklyn when cops found several weapons during a traffic stop.

Magic Johnson is calling out Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka -- fingering Pelinka as the backstabber who trashed him inside and outside of NBA circles ... and Magic is pissed.

Magic went on "First Take" early Monday when he was asked about the drama inside the Lakers organization that pushed him to quit before the end of the 2018-19 season.

Johnson essentially says he started hearing bad rumors about himself which he was able to trace back to Rob.

"I started hearing, 'Magic, you're not working hard enough. Magic's not in the office' ... So, people around the Lakers office was telling me Rob was saying things."

Magic added, "And, I didn't like those things being said behind my back."

Johnson said he also started getting calls "from my friends outside of basketball saying those things now were said to them outside of basketball."

Johnson resigned on April 9 -- telling the media before looping in Lakers owner Jeanie Buss ... shocking the basketball world.

Kobe Bryant clearly doesn't need a son to carry on his hoops legacy -- his daughter's got this ... and her insane highlight video proves that!!!

13-year-old Gianna Bryant -- one of Kobe's 3 daughters -- put on a clinic in an AAU game this past weekend ... flashing all the moves Kobe made famous in his 20-year NBA career.

Spin move in the lane? Check. Step-back 3-pointer? Check. Killer crossover? That's there too!!

Kobe's talked a lot about Gianna carrying the basketball torch for the fam in the future ... saying recently she's "hellbent" on playing ball for Geno Auriemma at UConn.

And, Dad's been super proud of her throughout this whole process ... tweeting out Sunday, "She’s working and getting better everyday."

Matt Barnes says there's no way in hell Zion Williamson's gonna pass up on NBA money just 'cause NOLA ain't New York ... telling TMZ Sports going back to Duke would be too much of a risk.

Earlier this week, there were rumblings Z-Dub could go back to Durham after the Pelicans won the NBA Draft lottery because he was hoping to go to the Knicks.

But, Barnes says all that talk is a bunch of hogwash ... 'cause the future #1 overall pick is expected to land a contract up to $45 million.

... Oh yeah, he's also probably gonna get a $100 MILLION shoe deal ... Soooo, maybe New Orleans won't be so bad!!!

"Money is different these days. I think he'd be passing up on 100-plus million to go back and possibly get hurt again in college, I don't think it's gonna happen," Barnes said.