NBA

Austin Rivers has a message for Lonzo Ball -- you're NOT "damaged goods," no matter what your father tells you.

Everyone was talking about LaVar Ball on Monday after he got into it with the New Oleans Pelicans player about the state of the family business, Big Baller Brand, during an episode of "Ball in the Family."

Lonzo floated the idea of changing the company name as part of a BBB relaunch, and LaVar shot that down ... taking a swipe at his son in the process.

"That’s like people saying, ‘Oh, hey, change Lonzo’s name to Alfonzo on the fact that he been damaged goods for the last two years."

Yeah, not good ... people are upset at LaVar saying he crossed a line.

So, when we spotted Austin leaving Poppy in L.A., we asked the Houston Rockets star how he would have reacted if his famous father would have said that to him.

"That'd be messed up," Rivers says.

Austin doesn't trash LaVar -- he's actually complimentary, but reinforces with Lonzo that he's not "damaged goods."

"He's a great player," Rivers says of the 2017 #2 overall NBA Draft pick.

For his part, LaVar issued an explanation through his rep, Denise White ...

Seems Kyrie Irving is off the market ... because his girlfriend is flaunting a massive diamond on her ring finger just days after the NBA star was rumored to have popped the question.

The Brooklyn Nets superstar was out in NYC over the weekend -- but all eyes were on his lady friend, Golden, whose ring is bigger than her knuckle.

The paps congratulated Kyrie and Golden on their engagement ... and the couple didn't exactly deny it.

So, if our math is correct ... ring + PDA + engagement rumors = actual engagement (probably).

We don't know too much about Golden ... other than she's a fashion and fitness influencer with more than 400k followers on Instagram.

By the way, it's been radio silence on the alleged engagement from both Kyrie and Golden on social media ... but they're out in public in real life. So, that still counts right???

Kyrie reportedly just signed a brand new $141 MILLION contract with the Nets -- and he's already made $95 mil in his 8 seasons in the NBA.

The Big Baller Brand is in a state of emergency ... with LaVar and Lonzo Ball getting in a heated argument over the future of the family business ... and LaVar calling his son "damaged goods."

It all went down when the cameras were rolling for their Facebook TV show, "Ball in the Family," ... when Zo asked LaVar if he'd consider changing the company name in wake of the allegations that ex-partner Alan Foster stole MILLIONS from the family.

"Hell no, I wouldn't change the name," LaVar says.

"I'm just saying, from a marketing standpoint ... I'm just asking a question," Zo responded.

"I’m just saying, BBB is always going to be the name on the fact that it also stands for the three Ball brothers. I’m not changing that s**t at all,” LaVar fired back.

Lonzo tries to get the opinion of business partner Chris Rivers, who's also present during the argument ... and that's when LaVar went off.

"I don't give a s**t about his opinion ... listen to me, son. When I come out with a name and then somebody tells me to change it, that’s like me telling me to change your name."

"That’s like people saying ‘Oh, hey, change Lonzo’s name to Alfonzo on the fact that he been damaged goods for the last two years.'"

Yikes ...

Of course ... LaVar is referring to the fact that Lonzo's short NBA career has been plagued with injuries (the Pelicans guard still hasn't played 100 total games yet).

Lonzo says the brand is "demolished" and clearly looks defeated from the argument ... but LaVar doesn't want to give up.

"You're the one that gotta make it grow. I made you guys superstars for a reason. But, if I don't do the things that I'm doing, Zo ... you're just another regular old player."

It's been a rocky few months for BBB ... with Zo's manager telling consumers to throw their ZO2 shoes in the trash ... and Ball admitting his first round of his signature shoes were defective.

Watch your back Patron, Michael Jordan's in the tequila business ... and he partnered up with a bunch of super wealthy NBA owners to launch the liquor.

MJ -- with NBA owners Jeanie Buss (Lakers), Wes Edens (Bucks), Wyc Grousbeck (Celtics) and Wyc's wife, Emilia Fazzalari -- just dropped Cincoro, a new premium tequila.

Yes, the people who run the Celtics and Lakers -- one of the most heated rivals in sports -- are now in biz together.

Cincoro has 4 tequilas -- blanco, reposada, anejo and extra anejo -- and it ain't cheap. The anejo costs $130, and the extra anejo -- aged for around 3 1/2 years -- costs $1,600!!

The grand plan for the tequila started to come together in 2016 ... when the owners -- in NYC for NBA meetings -- met at a restaurant and started choppin' it up over their love of tequila.

The seed was planted ... and 3 years later, the tequila is available in several markets across the country -- with a nationwide release coming early next year.

The launch also answers an important age-old question ... why the hell was His Airness walking through NYC last summer holding a tequila bottle in his hand?

MJ -- who we're told was involved in everything from designing the bottle to tasting the product -- was coming from a Cincoro meeting ... and he left with a bottle.

Teammates who dance together ... win together?!

That's what Russell Westbrook and James Harden are hoping for after partying together at the Drake concert Saturday night in Vegas.

The Houston Rockets stars looked like BFFs while dancing it out to "SICKO MODE" at XS Nightclub at the Encore.

It's good to see these guys having fun as they get ready to reunite on the court for the first time since the Oklahoma City Thunder days.

The guys played in OKC together for 3 seasons before Harden was traded to the Rockets in 2012.

Westbrook was just traded to the Rockets this past offseason -- and it's clear the guys are stoked about playing together again.

The Rockets are coming off a disappointing 2018-19 campaign -- losing in the Western Conference Semi-Finals to the Golden State Warriors -- because many people expected them to win a championship.

Sebastian Telfair is FREEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

... for now.

The ex-NBA star and former H.S. prodigy is out of prison just days after he was sentenced to 3.5 years in his gun case ... but there's a chance Telfair could end up back behind bars.

Here's the deal ... 34-year-old Telfair was convicted of possessing an illegal firearm stemming from a June 2017 incident where he was caught with an arsenal of weapons during a traffic stop.

He was facing up to 15 YEARS in prison for the crime ... but instead, on Aug. 12, a judge ordered him to serve 3.5 years.

Telfair and his legal team appealed the sentence ... and asked that while the process plays out, they let Telfair bail out of prison.

TMZ Sports has learned a judge agreed to those terms Thursday -- with an ankle monitor clearly a part of the deal -- and Telfair is now a free man.

Unclear how much Telfair's bail was -- we're working on it ... but we do know he was spotted with friends on Thursday.

Telfair -- who famously appeared on Sports Illustrated's cover as a high schooler -- played for several teams in the NBA from 2004 to 2015. He was a Trail Blazer's 1st-round pick in the '04 NBA Draft.

Michael Blackson ain't impressed with Kobe Bryant's dance moves ... telling TMZ Sports he moves like "Michael Jackson with a concussion."

We know, not exactly politically correct ... but we still laughed.

Of course, Kobe posted footage of himself when he was 12 years old, bustin' some old school moves to "Ice Ice Baby" at a school dance performance. The point was to show people Kobe had other interests outside of basketball.

Earlier this week, Kobe came under fire for comments he made about a girl on his daughter's youth basketball team who chose a dance recital over a basketball game. People accused Kobe of shaming the child, but the NBA legend insists he was telling a story about commitment.

Either way, Blackson wasn't impressed with Mamba's dance moves ... and fired off a few zingers outside Argyle in L.A.

Ex-NBA player Al Harrington has serious questions about why he's getting so much attention from the police lately, telling TMZ Sports he truly believes he's being targeted by the po-po.

You might remember we got video of a police stop involving Al last month -- he was pulled over outside of his office in Hollywood for some reason, but never ticketed.

Al claimed the incident was a case of "driving while black," and said it wasn't the first time he'd been hassled by police, claiming they'd frivolously stopped him earlier in the summer as well.

We got Al entering a Viola Lifestyle event in Hollywood on Wednesday and he said he's just been stopped by the police AGAIN, and it's clear he thinks something is up.

"I think I'm being targeted too."

The LAPD tells us they take Harrington's claims "very seriously" and says it is still investigating the situation.

James Harden is being sued by a man who claims the NBA star LIED to his face about how he intended to use a MASSIVE $30 mil Beverly Hills mansion ... claiming The Beard turned his spot into a party house!

The man behind the suit is George Santo Pietro who owns a 14,500-square-foot estate in the heart of Beverly Hills ... 8 bedrooms, 10 baths, gym, spa, wine cellar, pool, etc.

In other words, the place is INSANE!!!

Santo Pietro claims Harden signed a contract to use the home as a vacation rental for 1 week starting August 11, 2019 ... paying $82,200 for the stay.

But, Santo Pietro says there was specific language in the rental contract saying Harden could not have any more than 7 adults on the premises at any one time.

A larger gathering would be considered a "party" -- and Santo Pietro says he typically charges $150,000 for big events on the property.

In his suit, Santo Pietro says Harden agreed to the deal -- but threw at least TWO parties anyway with more than 15 people at the house.

Santo Pietro claims the property was damaged during the parties and neighbors are pissed -- and he wants Harden to fork over AT LEAST $300,000 to cover the usual party fee he charges.

Santo Pietro also claims Harden KNEW he would be throwing the parties before signing the contract and knowingly lied to Santo Pietro's face. He's also suing for punitive damages for fraud.

Santo Pietro claims he tried to work things out with the Houston Rockets superstar privately, but Harden wouldn't play ball ... so he filed his lawsuit.

Harden is currently in the middle of a 6-year, $228 million contract ... so he can afford it.

Look out, NBA ... ISO JOE IS BACK!!!

Ex-NBA All-Star-turned-BIG3 dominator Joe Johnson just signed a new contract with the Detroit Pistons on Thursday ... agreeing to a partially-guaranteed 1-year deal.

Don't be surprised ... 38-year-old Johnson LIT UP the BIG3 this season -- averaging 21.9 points a game and 3.9 assists a game for the Triplets, hitting 6-game winners during the season while leading his squad to a BIG3 championship. He was also named league MVP.

As the season wrapped up, there was a buzz NBA teams were interested -- and Ice Cube told us straight-up Joe was getting serious looks. In fact, NBA owners were attending games just to check out Joe's talents.

Johnson had been flirting with teams since the BIG3 wrapped up a couple weeks ago ... working out for the Bucks, Nets and Pistons and ultimately Detroit pulled the trigger.

Just a few weeks ago, we spoke with Johnson about a potential NBA career and he told us he willing to play his ass off for whoever signed 'em ... telling us he still has a blast playing basketball.

The 7-time All-Star last played for the Rockets in 2018 before joining Cube's league this past season.

It's not just a big move for Joe, but it also proves the BIG3 is a real option for players looking to prove they can still compete in the NBA.

And, if you think the BIG3 is bitter they're losing their best player, you're wrong. This was always the point of the league -- to flex real talent.

LEBRON JAMES BLOCKED!!!!! By ... the United States Patent And Trademark Office!!?!?!

Yep, The King's quest to trademark the phrase "Taco Tuesday" was REJECTED by the USPTO on Wednesday ... with the org saying the phrase is just too damn common for LBJ to own.

Bron's "Taco Tuesday" celebrations became a worldwide hit this summer due to hilarious videos of him screaming at the top of his lungs every Tuesday over his delicious meals.

The trend has caught on so much, LeBron -- who even made T-Shirts for the occasion -- tried to trademark the saying back in August to use as a marketing tool online.

But, in docs filed by the USPTO late Tuesday night, they shot down James' request ... citing it as a "commonplace message."

Essentially, the org says too many people use the phrase "Taco Tuesday" to describe their weekly Mexican meal ... and denied Bron's quest to own the saying.

Also, the USPTO says a "Taco Tuesday" trademark would infringe on a separate trademark that's already been registered, "Techno Taco Tuesday."

For real.

Doesn't seem LeBron will mind too much ... his "Taco Tuesday" game appears to be still going strong.

Which means ... MORE TIME FOR ANTHONY DAVIS TO PREPARE FOR THE NEXT ONE!!!

A bunch of bogus Cavs, Spurs, Warriors and Bulls championship rings have been seized in a recent customs bust at LAX ... and officials say the crooks could have moved the pieces for around $560k!!!

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials say they intercepted a wooden box full of 28 title rings that was heading from China with a final destination in Arizona. Officials believe the fake rings were going to be sold as a collection.

The rings look pretty cool, but when compared to the real thing -- you can tell they're duds.

The collection included 28 rings -- and had they been genuine, the estimated value of the lot is somewhere close to $560k.

“Scammers take advantage of collectors and pro-basketball fans desiring to obtain a piece of sports history," Carlos C. Martel, CBP Director of Field Operations in L.A. says.

“This seizure illustrates how CBP officers and import specialists protect not only trademarks, but most importantly, the American consumer.”

This ain't the first time customs has stopped a bunch of crooks from stealing bogus championship rings -- they seized $12 MILLION worth of fake rings earlier this year.

Wyclef Jean says Michael Jordan's $1 million donation to Hurricane Dorian relief is "100% a big deal" ... but tells TMZ Sports it's important to make sure that huge contribution isn't lining the wrong person's pockets.

The Haiti native knows what he's talking about -- his massively successful Yéle Haiti charity campaign raised more than $16 million for the 2010 Haiti earthquake, only to close down after an investigation determined a large portion of the funds were misused.

So, when we asked Wyclef about MJ's massive donation, the musician praises His Airness for the gesture ... but calls for organizers to not take advantage of people in need.

"The most important thing for me is that the money is really allocated right and we really don't use distractions, don't use people for patsies, don't distract the crowd, have them looking another way," Wyclef says.

"It constantly happens because another man's disaster is another man's gain."

Wyclef says he's praying for the Bahamas and hopes everyone does the right thing.

The "Dream Team" is the most DOMINANT squad ever assembled ... and you could own the game-worn jersey Magic Johnson donned as Team USA steamrolled their way to a gold medal in 1992 ... IF ya got a few hundred thousand bucks.

TMZ Sports has learned the historic jersey is hitting the SCP Auctions block on Wednesday ... and it's expected to rake in a ton of money.

The '92 Summer Olympic USA basketball team is legendary -- they're literally the GREATEST basketball team of all-time -- and featured HOF'ers Magic, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Clyde Drexler, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen and David Robinson.

The jersey on the auction block was worn by Magic -- the squads co-captain -- during the Dream Team's August 4, 1992 quarterfinal 115-77 blowout win against Puerto Rico.

Johnson scored 13 points, and had 7 assists.

SCP tells us they had the Champion-brand jersey -- which was previously in the possession of a private collector in Los Angeles -- authenticated using photo matching ... ensuring it was the actual jersey worn by MJ.

The number 15 jersey -- size 44 -- has a tag that reads "USA Basketball" and "designed and tailored exclusively for 1992 Summer Olympics Games."

The auction house says Team USA jerseys are super rare ... and they say Johnson's jersey is the first and only photo matched Dream Team jersey in existence.

So, a piece of sports history can be yours ... if you're bank account's big enough.

The auction goes from September 11 to the 28.

Good luck!!!

Michael Jordan is pledging $1 MILLION to hurricane relief efforts in the Bahamas -- saying he's "devastated" after seeing the destruction the storm has caused.

"I am devastated to see the destruction that Hurricane Dorian has brought to the Bahamas, where I own property and visit frequently," MJ said.

"My heart goes out to everyone who is suffering and to those who have lost loved ones."

Jordan, through his rep, Estee Portnoy, adds ... "As the recovery and relief efforts continue, I will be tracking the situation closely and working to identify non-profit agencies where the funds will have the most impact."

"The Bahamian people are strong and resilient and I hope that my donation will be of help as they work to recover from this catastrophic storm."

So far, officials say at least 50 people are confirmed dead -- but THOUSANDS of people are still unaccounted for.

Tons of stars are opening their wallets to help out ... from Tyler Perry to Luke Walton, Buddy Hield, Ludacris and more.

Beloved Cleveland Cavaliers play-by-play announcer Fred McLeod died suddenly Monday night ... after reportedly suffering a heart attack. He was 67 years old.

McLeod had been calling Cavs games since 2006 alongside Austin Carr ... and was a fan favorite in Cleveland.

The team released a statement Tuesday morning, saying, "The entire Cavaliers organization mourns the loss of their great friend and teammate."

"Fred’s deep love for Cleveland and the Cavaliers was clearly evident in everything he did in and around the community and on-air during his more than 1,000 Cavalier game broadcasts."

One of Fred's most legendary calls came in 2016 when the Cavs won the NBA title against the Golden State Warriors to end the city's championship drought ... screaming, "Goodnight, Oakland. It's over! The 52-year drought is over!!"

"He was a true, heart-felt ambassador for the team, fans and entire greater Cleveland community," the team said.

McLeod was preparing for his 14th straight year as the Cavs announcer on Fox Sports Ohio.

LeBron James -- who is currently vacationing in Portofino with his family -- took a moment to share his condolences ... saying "Man WHAT!!!!??? OMG this is extremely sad. @CavsFredMcLeod May you rest in Paradise my friend! @BethHMcLeod my prayers sent up above to you and your family!! #RIPFred"

Kevin Love added ... "Shocked and saddened to hear about the loss of Fred McLeod. He was a student of the game."

"He loved the CAVS but even more so the fans...Fred worked his ass off for the city of Cleveland and the NBA. Praying and sending my best to his wife Beth and kids."

"The Cavaliers extend our deepest condolences to Fred’s entire family, including his wife Beth, mother Marilyn, sister Lynn, and his three children, Sean, Jenna, Molly and each of their families."