NBA

Nike says the Kawhi Leonard logo they created to put on merchandise in 2014 is distinctly different from the logo Kawhi sketched himself back in 2011 ... and they claim the proof is in the pictures.

Remember, Kawhi -- who was under contract with Nike from 2011 to 2018 -- claims he got a cease and desist in late '18 from Swoosh execs who claim they own the copyright to the "Claw Design" and forbid the NBA star from using it elsewhere.

In his lawsuit, filed in June 2019, Kawhi claimed he came up with the design while sketching around in college back in 2011. His version consists of his initials K.L. and jersey number #2 in a hand design. Leonard claims since he created the logo, he should have the rights to it.

But, Nike says that's simply not the case ... explaining they collaborated with Kawhi in 2014 to come up with an original design. Nike claims they submitted several concepts to him with a "number of proposed designs."

In new court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, Nike admits Kawhi had sent them a copy of his K.L. hand-design sketch as part of the collaborative process.

But, Nike says they eventually settled on an "original" version that is different from Kawhi's sketch.

Nike claims Kawhi signed off on the company using the final "Claw Design" in 2014 -- so they filed a trademark application to effectively own the rights to the image.

Nike says the company found out in 2017 Kawhi also filed an application to trademark the image -- and they were pissed ... saying he has no rights to it and had "fraudulently claimed to be the author and sole owner of the Claw Design."

In their suit, Nike says Kawhi even acknowledged publicly that Nike should be given "all the credit" for the design for turning a "rough draft" into a professional logo.

Nike is countersuing for copyright infringement, fraud and breach of contract -- and they're looking for a judge to stop Kawhi from using the design. They also want unspecified monetary damages.

Here it is!!! The first look at Anthony Davis head-to-toe in his new threads ... and it's probably bringing a tear to LeBron James' eye.

The NBA superstar threw on his #3 Lakers jersey and shorts for the first time on Wednesday for some promo for NBA 2K20 (he's the cover athlete) ... and he's sporting a HUGE grin on his face.

Of course, AD *was* gonna wear #23 after the King gifted his digits to his new teammate ... but the Brow will be stuck with tres for the upcoming season due to manufacturing issues with Nike.

According to an ESPN report ... the Swoosh woulda lost "well into the tens of millions of dollars" if LBJ switched to #6 like initially planned ... thanks to a bunch of James jerseys that were already made.

Don't write off LaVar Ball just yet ... "Shark Tank" star Kevin O'Leary tells TMZ Sports even though things look bleak for the Big Baller Brand, he thinks BBB is simply too big to die.

FYI, LaVar has been the laughing stock of social media this week after pics circulated showing a clearance sale on his once-pricey merchandise at a local basketball tournament in Irvine, CA.

Plus, his BBB website has been "under construction" for months with no real time table to get back up and running. And, after Lonzo Ball covered up his BBB tattoo, it seemed the run was over. 

But, Mr. Wonderful tells TMZ Sports ... the seemingly bad publicity ain't bad at all -- it's GOOD! 

"Any time you can your brand into the consciousness of the consumer, it's good," Kev tells us. 

O'Leary says a clearance sale isn't necessarily a death sentence for a brand -- it's standard operating procedure in the fashion world because styles change and you have to dump old merch. 

Kevin says the Big Baller Brand has already established itself as a part of culture -- "it's gonna stay around" -- and he's advising LaVar to get back in the market ASAP. 

As we previously reported, LaVar recently made new hires with plans of expanding the BBB brand ... and as of May, he was putting together a new business plan.  

Friends of legendary Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan -- who has been battling dementia and Parkinson's disease -- are asking for prayers with one close friend saying, "He is dying."

77-year-old Sloan revealed his battle with the diseases back in 2016 after the symptoms became noticeable. According to the Salt Lake Tribune's Gordon Monson, things have gotten much worse recently ... with one source who's close to Jerry telling the reporter he doesn't have much time left. 

"He’s frail. He’s physically and mentally limited. Around the clock care is required for him," Monson says in his report. 

Despite his worsening condition, Sloan is still social with his friends ... but as Monson notes, "His mind, though, is slipping away."

Sloan's wife, Tammy, has been caring for Jerry -- "doing whatever she can to help her man, spending time and sharing love with him as much as possible."

Monson is asking fans to "send a prayer up" for Sloan -- while noting he's physically incapable of attending another Utah Jazz game. 

Sloan is widely considered one of the greatest coaches of all time -- he spent 23 seasons leading the Utah Jazz ... and brought them to the NBA Finals twice in the '90s. 

LeBron James brought a pretty special guest to his weekly "Taco Tuesday" dinners ... Anthony Davis!!! 

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar usually has family dinner on Tuesdays with his wife, Savannah, and kids -- but this time, he made some room for his new 6'10" superstar teammate. 

And, if you think AD got out of screaming out "Taco Tuuuesday" like the rest of the fam ... you're wrong!"

In fact, Bron is such a Taco Tuesday superfan, he wore a brand new "Taco Tuesday" t-shirt to dinner ... which is like wearing a shirt of your favorite band to your favorite band's concert.

Weird, never saw Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram or Josh Hart at Taco Tuesday ... and now it seems like we never will!

Bron and Davis have been growing close ever since he signed with the Lakers -- we even spotted the two shooting around on the set of "Space Jam 2" earlier this summer. 

New Memphis Grizzlies stud Josh Jackson just caught a break in his resisting arrest case ... TMZ Sports has learned he just copped a plea deal and will likely have his case dropped.

Jackson was arrested at the Rolling Loud Music Festival in Miami, Florida back in May after cops say he entered a VIP area without proper credentialing.

Cops say when he refused to leave ... they cuffed the 6-foot-8, 200-pound NBA player and put him on a golf cart.

But, police say Jackson got up and walked away ... and when cops told him to stop, he started running.

The 22-year-old was eventually caught and subdued ... and he was later hit with two charges -- felony escape and misdemeanor resisting arrest.

But, Jackson was able to get the felony charge dropped a couple weeks ago ... and now, we've  learned he's cut a deal to get the misdemeanor charge dropped too.

The Miami State Attorney's Office tells us Jackson has agreed to complete some kind of pre-trial diversion program in exchange for having the charge dropped.

The diversion program usually consists of either community service or some kind of life-improvement courses (like alcohol education or something like that) to help offenders grow from their legal mistakes without having a conviction on their record. 

Josh was the 4th overall pick in the 2017 draft by the Phoenix Suns. He earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors in his first season in the desert.

Dwight Howard says he's not gay -- despite allegations made against him in a lawsuit -- and claims the whole legal battle made him "never want to come outside again."

The NBA superstar appeared on 'Fair Game' on FS1 where he told Kristine Leahy, "I went through a situation last year that kind of just set me free."

Howard is referring to the lawsuit filed by Masin Elije -- who claimed he had a sexual relationship with Howard and claimed Howard threatened him with violence if he went public about it.  

Dwight has previously denied the allegations across the board -- but told Kristine that the whole case caused him tremendous amounts of emotional pain. 

"I'm not gay," Howard said when asked directly. 

Dwight says he received a lot of hate from people who THOUGHT he was gay -- and says he now understands why people are afraid to come out and be their true selves in public. 

Howard says he spent months reflecting on his life after the allegations went public -- and thought long and hard about how he wants to be remembered ... especially when it comes to his kids. 

As for the allegations, Howard is adamant he NEVER met the accuser and has no idea why the man would go to such lengths to lie about him. 

"It upset me because I didn't even know who the person was. Why would somebody who I've never met, never had any contact with make up a whole story about me?"

Amar'e Stoudemire's interest in an NBA comeback is definitely mutual ... 'cause the All-Star says his workout in Vegas went well, with about half the league showin' up to check him out!!

Oh yeah .. and he's got an update on that epic interaction with a heckler in his Instagram DMs.

But, back to the workout ... STAT and Monta Ellis worked out for multiple teams -- including the Lakers, Warriors and Knicks -- last week ... and he says it couldn't have gone better!!

"It went good, man." Amar'e tells us. "We had a good workout, about 15 teams showed up. It was very nice."

The 36-year-old hasn't been in the Association since the 2016 season ... and has a career average of about 19 points and 8 rebounds a game. In the meantime, he's suited up to play overseas and in the BIG3.

"It's a lot of teams out there -- teams with young players, teams with veteran players that wanna make the playoff push ... we'll see what happens."

Kawhi Leonard leaving for the Clippers doesn't mean a damn thing to Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam right now ... 'cause he tells TMZ Sports he's too busy being a champion!!!

Siakam -- the NBA's most improved player in 2019 -- was out in L.A. when we asked about The Klaw bailing on the 6 right after he helped win them a title ... and he's not sweatin' it one bit.

"We're still the champs right now, so I'm still enjoying that," Siakam said. "Imma figure out next season, next season."

The 25-year-old is coming off a breakout year for the Dinos ... and even being the center of trade talks ain't bothering Siakam.

"It's the NBA ... sh*t happens. It's the NBA. It's a business."

BONUS -- we got Siakam's take on Drake's insane indoor basketball court at his home in Toronto ... and he wants an invite!!!

Ex-NBA star Joe Johnson says it's totally BS Carmelo Anthony is without an NBA home ... telling TMZ Sports there's a ton of teams that need his talents right now.

The 10-time All-Star has been without a team since February ... and recently, Chauncey Billups said it's because Melo doesn't want to be a second option and "scoring 30 meant too much" to him.

We asked Johnson if he thought it was time for Melo to join him in the Big3 ... and he wasn't having any of that noise, 'cause he firmly believes Anthony still belongs in the Association.

"I think Melo still has a lot left," Johnson said ... "A bona fide scorer. So, I know for a fact there's a lot of teams that he can help. I hate to see him not playing especially in the NBA at this point."

JJ ain't alone -- NBAer Allonzo Trier kick-started a "Free Melo" social media campaign to bring awareness to the disrespect Anthony's been getting ... and there's a lot of fans down for the cause.

Ice Cube is offering an olive branch to Lamar Odom ... sorta ... telling the guy he can come back and try out for the BIG3 again next year -- if he can get his ass in shape. 

Remember, Cube and the BIG3 gave Odom his walking papers last week -- essentially saying he wasn't physically ready to compete with the rest of the players in the 3-on-3 basketball league. 

Odom had shot back and said he KNEW he wasn't in peak physical condition but had been working out in the gym with the hopes of being in game shape by Week 4. 

Now, Cube is sending a message back to Odom ... telling the former NBA superstar the door isn't closed on a BIG3 comeback, but he needs to prove he can hang. 

"Next year, he can come try out," Cube said at LAX ... while offering this piece of advice -- "Get in shape!"

It seems unlikely that Odom -- who's turning 40 in November -- will take Cube up on his offer but the guy has overcome worse odds ... like when he survived that drug overdose!! 

Chandler Parsons is giving TMZ Sports an oral history of his participation in the epic twerk fest with bikini models on the yacht in Ibiza ... and he's insisting there was no hooking up going on.

Suuuuuure.

"It wasn't what it looked like. Just some friends hanging out on vacay," Parsons says.

Riiiiiiiight.

"It wasn't even like that. we really just chillin', hanging out."

Mhm, okay, Chandler. Whatever you say.

The NBAer says he and Blake Griffin are just buddies with the incredibly attractive women ... and they were all just relaxing and enjoying themselves and NOT BANGING, despite both being single and super rich.

Lamar Odom says he's "extremely disappointed" after being cut from the BIG3 basketball league -- saying he first learned about the move on social media ... and not from Ice Cube. 

"As most of you have heard, the @thebig3 decided to deactivate me for the remainder of the 2019 season," 39-year-old Odom said. 

"I respect @icecube & the other league executives, however, I am extremely disappointed with the way that this has been handled."

"Besides the embarrassment, it’s disappointing to read on IG that this decision had been made, especially without sharing it with myself or my manager."

In his statement, Odom acknowledges that he wasn't in prime shape for Game #1 -- but says he was told he'd have time to get stronger ... and was hoping to showcase his talents in Game #4 this weekend in Rhode Island, where he played his college ball. 

"The Rhode Island game that is happening tomorrow was the game I have been looking forward to the most as many people know that this is where it all started for me."

Despite his issues with being cut, Odom thanked Ice Cube and the BIG3, and said he's rooting hard for the league to grow. 

He also praised Cube for being "the only black male owning a sports league in the USA, just let that one sink in for a moment."

Odom concluded, "I hope that we can use this situation as a lesson to grow, heal and become better people. I salute all of you, thank you for the love & energy."

As we previously reported, Odom was cut earlier this week -- and league sources told us it was because he simply wasn't ready to play. 

Ice Cube spoke after the move and said he still loves Odom but the league needs players who are gonna play every week. 

Here's a picture that could raise President Trump's blood pressure -- two of his biggest critics partying TOGETHER in Los Angeles!

Fresh off her World Cup celebration tour, Megan Rapinoe hit up the UNINTERRUPTED party at The Hollywood Athletic Club ... where she grabbed a bottle of champagne and kicked it with LeBron James!!

Of course, both Megan and LeBron have been targeted on Twitter by President Trump -- back in August, Trump went after James and called him dumb. Earlier this month, he told Rapinoe to stop publicly criticizing him and focus on winning. 

Well, she won ... and dug in her heels about not going to The White House. Instead, she talked about wanting to meet up with like-minded people who can help unite the country. 

It's been 2 years since Sasha Vujacic has suited up for an NBA team ... but the Lakers champ says he's looking to change that next season, telling TMZ Sports he's gunning to make a comeback!!

The Slovenian guard -- who is currently on the Scaligera Basket Verona Italian ball club -- has been playing overseas since he left the Knicks in 2017 ... but he says he wants to make another run at the Larry O'Brien trophy.

"We'll see, you never know. I'd love to be home," Vujacic says. "I just want to win another championship ... so if it's with the Lakers, God bless. If that's with the Clippers, we'll see."

Of course, Vujacic won 2 titles with the Lakers and spent one season with the Clippers ... so he's looking to suit up for one of his old teams, but wouldn't say which L.A. team is most title-ready.

You're looking at one of the most beautiful human beings on Earth ... and his girlfriend, Kate Bock.

Juuuust kidding. They're both ridiculously good looking.

NBA superstar Kevin Love and his equally gorgeous bikini model boo are vacationing in Bock's native Canada this week ... and the Cavs champ put his shredded body on display while checking out a hot spring at Pitt Lake.

Love and Bock -- an SI swimsuit and Victoria's Secret model -- have been dating for years ... and they're always posting beautiful pics from their travels together (we're not complaining at all).

The couple can easily make the case for being the most beautiful duo out right now ... AND they have an adorable pup, Vestry ... so they're truly winning on all levels.