NBA

Ex-NBA hooper Matt Barnes was one of the toughest defenders of his time ... and he's telling TMZ Sports how he'd handle the task of guarding Zion Williamson -- "Foul the s**t outta him!!!"

Barnes is retired now but when we saw him out at Delilah in L.A., he had some advice for anyone going up against the 19-year-old New Orleans Pelicans phenom.

"I'd have to foul the s**t outta him," Barnes said ... "He's too big, man. I'd have to body him. [That's how I'd] try to stop him. He's a big boy."

We also asked Barnes about Zion being officially listed in the NBA at 6'6" -- instead of the 6'7" height he was listed at as a freshman at Duke -- and Matt says at this point, one stupid inch won't make a difference.

"You see how dominant he plays, so height doesn't really matter."

"You rap 'cause you need it dawg, I do it for sport. When you run I see that tampon string in your shorts."

Yep, that's Shaquille O'Neal hitting below the belt in his 2nd-round of a rap battle with Damian Lillard ... where the Big Fella makes several comparisons between Dame and female genitalia.

In the new track, titled "Second Round Knockout Freestyle" ... Shaq compares Dame to a "queef" and then says, "Why would I clout chase a dude with camel toe in the front?"

He also tells Dame to call him Dr. Diesel and says he plans to bring Lillard in for his annual pap smear.

There's more ... Shaq also goes after Dame as a basketball player -- saying the dude sucks and has never won.

James Harden is apologizing to China -- insisting he "loves" the country -- after his team's general manager caused an international crap storm by tweeting out support for Hong Kong.

"We apologize. We love China," Harden said while standing next to Houston Rockets teammate Russell Westbrook.

"We love playing there. Both of us, we go there once or twice a year," Harden added.

"We appreciate them as a fan base. We love everything there about them, and we appreciate the support that they give us individually and as [an] organization."

So, what's the issue?

On Friday, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted out 7 words ... "Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong."

If you're unaware of the issues between China and Hong Kong ... there's big drama between the two sides at the moment.

Beijing currently controls many aspects of the former British colony, where there's been 4 months of violent pro-democracy protests.

The NBA has a huge presence in China, where the league has made a concentrated effort to grow for years ... but Morey's tweet REALLY pissed off the Asian country.

In just a few days, China's state broadcaster said it was pulling Houston Rockets games off the air. Sponsors have abandoned the Rockets and the NBA is scrambling to try and smooth things over ASAP.

And, massive Chinese e-commerce site Taobao has pulled all Rockets merchandise.

On Sunday, Morey tweeted about the issues ... saying, "I did not intend my tweet to cause any offense to Rockets fans and friends of mine in China."

"I was merely voicing one thought, based on one interpretation, of one complicated event. I have had a lot of opportunity since that tweet to hear and consider other perspectives."

"I have always appreciated the significant support our Chinese fans and sponsors have provided and I would hope that those who are upset will know that offending or misunderstanding them was not my intention. My tweets are my own and in no way represent the Rockets or the NBA."

U.S. presidential candidates are now weighing in on the issue -- with Beto O'Rourke tweeting, "The only thing the NBA should be apologizing for is their blatant prioritization of profits over human rights. What an embarrassment."

What's going to be interesting ... the Lakers are supposed to play the Brooklyn Nets in Shanghai later this week.

LeBron James says he's the G.O.A.T. ... but Byron Scott says LBJ's not even the G.O.A.T. Laker ... 'cause he tells TMZ Sports there are 2 players James will NEVER pass on the all-time list.

Of course, Scott is part of the rich Lakers history -- he won 3 titles with the Showtime Lakers in the '80s ... and played 11 seasons in the purple & gold.

Some of the best players in NBA history have put on a Laker jersey -- Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaq, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ... hell, even Karl Malone was in L.A. for one season.

We spoke with Scott at LAX about where the King sits among the list of all-time Laker greats ... and he says there's NO WAY LeBron will ever take the throne.

"That ain't possible. It's Magic and Kareem," Scott says ... noting that Kobe is definitely in the conversation.

But, Scott doesn't think LBJ's stint with L.A. will resemble that of Malone's, Steve Nash's or Gary Payton's -- he thinks James will be able to bring home multiple titles back to the Lakers.

Kanye West and Rick Fox are joining forces to help aid those in need in the Bahamas after the country was devastated by Hurricane Dorian.

Yeezy and Rick were spotted together Thursday at the Baha Mar Resort in Nassau, before speaking with government officials about ways to assist rebuilding efforts in communities impacted by the storm.

Rick is the president of the Bahamas Relief Foundation -- he lived there when he was growing up -- and the 3-time NBA champion has been helping raise funds and supplies for the island nation following the worst natural disaster in the country's history.

Now, Kanye is helping out too ... and our sources say he's been bros with Rick for years.

Ye and Rick are part of the growing list of celebs lending a helping hand to the Bahamas ... Michael Jordan pledged $1 MILLION to relief efforts, and Tyler Perry sent supply shipments via his personal seaplane.

Other famous folks opening their wallets include Ludacris, Luke Walton and Buddy Hield.

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

LaVar Ball is firing back at his ex-BBB business partner Alan Foster ... claiming the scathing allegations against LaVar in a new lawsuit are total BBBS.

"Alan Foster’s claims are not only unfounded and devoid of any truth, but are an egregious attempt to turn the attention away from the millions of dollars that he embezzled from the Ball Family and the Ball Family Business," Ball said in a statement.

"Not only will LaVar Ball and his family continue to vigorously pursue their civil action against Foster seeking civil damages, but will also continue to cooperate with law enforcement in order to seek justice for his egregious actions."

"The Ball family are all united in relentlessly pursuing Foster for his grave injustices, and will always fight to protect the respected Ball family name, despite Foster’s futile attempt to defile it."

Foster reportedly filed court docs against LaVar, accusing Lonzo Ball's famous father of embezzling more than $2.5 million from the Big Baller Brand company.

Social media can make careers ... and it can also kill them -- and Nick Young thinks Instagram is partly to blame for Carmelo Anthony's unemployment status.

Tons of huge NBA stars have questioned why 35-year-old Melo hasn't signed with an NBA team since his short run with the Houston Rockets last season.

In fact, Dwyane Wade told us just yesterday Melo can still play at a high level and should be back in the league.

Swaggy P agrees ... saying Melo "still has a lot of basketball left in him" -- but suggests the real reason he's without a squad is because of the 'gram.

"I think it got a lot to do with Instagram ... how he's being treated. Every time he shoots the ball its a meme. It's kinda funny, but it kinda messed him up."

Dwyane Wade tells TMZ Sports he couldn't have won that championship in Miami without Shaquille O'Neal -- despite what Damian Lillard said in his dis track aimed at the Big Fella.

Don't get it twisted ... D-Wade means no disrespect to Lillard -- in fact, he really likes the rap battle going on between the two NBA superstars. But, he had to set the record straight.

Remember, Dame dropped a reference to Wade in his dis track this week ... saying:

"Said yourself that I'm a Tesla, no longer need Diesel gas. Kinda like the Cavs ain't really need Disel's ass. And even in Miami, won that [championship] on the strength of Flash."

So, when we saw Wade leaving the Topanga Mall in L.A., we had to ask if Lillard was telling the truth ... could you have won that ring WITHOUT Shaq?!

"No, not at that time," Wade said ... "I was young in the league trying to figure it out."

"I needed somebody like Shaq to help me ... gimme me the keys and let me drive the car. I appreciate him doing that."

Wade says he doesn't think the rap battle is personal ... it's just entertainment made by two talented rappers. He's clearly getting a kick out of it.

But, there's more in this clip ... we also spoke with Wade about his good friend Carmelo Anthony and if he thinks Melo still has what it takes to play in the NBA.

Wade goes to bat for Melo and even talks to us about possible landing spots for the 35-year-old.

The bad news ... Wade doesn't seem optimistic that Anthony will team up with his other close friend LeBron James because the Lakers roster is already filled up.

But, he clearly hopes Melo gets a shot so he can go out the right way ... like the legend that he is.

Oh, and if you're a sneaker head ... check out Wade's footwear. He's showing off his new Li-Ning collab with Rick Ross and they're pretty sick.

Would you give up your FAVORITE food in the world to lose 15 pounds?!?

NY Knicks rising star Dennis Smith Jr. did ... revealing the key to his Summer weight loss was cutting out the fried deliciousness from his favorite fast food spot on the planet, Bojangles!!!

For those who aren't familiar with the chicken 'n’ biscuit chain, it's HUGE in southeastern states like North Carolina (where Smith Jr. is from). Cam Newton's raved about it too!!!

So, when the 21-year-old showed up to training camp looking slimmer and trimmer than usual ... the media pressed him to reveal his weight-loss secret.

"Yeah, I had to change some of the things I ate," Smith Jr. said, "I’m a country boy, man. We eat DIFFERENT down there."

"I ain’t eat Bojangles for most of the summer ... it helped!"

Of course, Smith says he also ate a bunch of green stuff like kale and spinach ... but it SUCKS compared to Bojangles.

Smith says he feels lighter and stronger and thinks the weight loss will help him better endure the long NBA season. He's probably right.

Also worth noting ... there are NO Bojangles franchises in New York -- so he's out of the danger zone during home games.

But, NY plays on the road in Charlotte, D.C. and Atlanta ... where there are a TON!!!

NBA officials are working with the Mobile Police Dept. to coordinate a surrender date for DeMarcus Cousins in his domestic violence case, cops tell TMZ Sports.

As we previously reported, Cousins is facing a 3rd-degree domestic violence charge in Alabama stemming from a threatening phone call he allegedly made on August 23 to the mother of his child.

Cousins allegedly told his ex-girlfriend he'd put a "bullet in [her] f**king head" if she didn't let their child come to his wedding, which took place in Atlanta the very next day.

An arrest warrant was issued for Cousins days later -- but he had just undergone surgery to repair his torn ACL, which made it difficult for Boogie to travel to turn himself in.

But, Cousins appeared in good spirits at Lakers Media Day last week -- so we called the Mobile PD to see if there's been any movement in that case.

And, the Oscar goes to ... KLAY THOMPSON?!?!? (Hey, Kobe Bryant did it).

The Golden State Warriors superstar is kick-starting his campaign for Academy Award consideration for his breakout performance as Klay Thompson in "Space Jam 2" ... saying he's trying to add to his trophy case!!!

Now that filming wrapped up ... Klay was joking with the media about launching his official Oscars campaign! It's pretty funny.

“It’s all done ... your boy is going for the Oscar nod,” Thompson joked to NBC Sports Bay Area's "Warriors Outsiders."

“Supporting?! Best animated series!? I don’t know.”

Obviously, Klay ain't got a snowball's chance in hell ... but dude SHOULD be recognized for fighting through the pain of an ACL surgery to be on the set to shoot his scenes.

Remember, Thompson injured himself during the NBA Finals and went under the knife just days before filming started.

But, despite being in serious pain, Klay limped onto the set with crutches to shoot with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Dame Lillard and more.

Hey, some actors postpone production when they a get a slight cold!!!

Damian Lillard just dropped a new diss track to respond to Shaq ... and it GOES HARD.

The song is called "Reign Reign Go Away" and it's pretty solid. He clowns Shaq's movie career -- from "Blue Chips" to "Kazaam" -- makes fun of Shaq's physique and then mocks his NBA championship count, with a strong Kobe Bryant reference.

"Kobe won you those rings though."

You're gonna want to listen to this!! Here are some choice lines ...

-- "I finna tangle with the Diesel. You're jealous of me and I see you."

-- "All the money in the world but they traded you for Penny."

-- "I'm new school, got new hits. Space Jam, not Blue Chips. Hangman, your shoe's sh*t."

Remember, this all started because Shaquille O'Neal put out his own diss track aimed at the NBA superstar ... after Lillard said people don't consider O'Neal as a "real rapper."

Philadelphia Sixers baller Mike Scott says his brawl with Eagles fans kickstarted over a slur ... and while he regrets getting physical, he has no sympathy for the guy.

Scott spoke about the incident at Sixers Media Day on Monday ... admitting he shouldn't have fought, but makes it clear the fans at Lincoln Financial Field started it.

“I definitely should've walked away before it got to that point," Scott told the media. "I’m a professional, you know, I gotta be the bigger person, but once you keep going ... he was poppin’ hella sh*t, he was going off.”

Initially, there were rumors that Scott went off because he thought a coffin at the game was to mock late Redskins star Sean Taylor (the fans claim it wasn't). Scott didn't get into specifics on the slur that sparked the fight ... but it clearly pissed him off.

“He was talking crazy. He took it to the next level so I had to see if he matched that energy ... and y'all saw what happened.”

When asked if he felt bad for the way he acted, Scott stands by his fists.

“Sympathy for him? I don’t feel any for those individuals ... yeah, what a day,” he laughed.

LeBron James says the NCAA bill that CA governor Gavin Newsom just signed is going to change "countless" lives ... and he's praising the guy for coming on his show to put pen to paper.

Newsom joined LBJ on "The Shop" this week ... and put his signature on a law that will allow athletes at California universities to profit off their names and likenesses without penalty for the first time ever.

Of course ... the bill was STRONGLY opposed by NCAA officials, who said it would create an unfair advantage and blur the "distinction between college and professional athletes."

But, Newsom clearly disagreed ... and LeBron was fired up to help give him the platform to make the public signing.

Air Drake is about to see some real-life liftoff from the public, 'cause the Sacramento Kings are gonna be using Drizzy's jumbo jet this week for a long trip to India.

The Kings announced some last-minute flight arrangements this weekend, saying owner Vivek Ranadive -- who's Indian-American -- got in touch with Drake's camp and cut a deal to have the players and a bunch of the coaching staff fly in his $200 million Boeing 767 jet.

They'll be in the air for 20-plus hours starting Monday, and seeing how this would be among the first preseason games of the year -- the Kings face the Pacers in Mumbai Friday and Saturday -- it looks like Vivek wanted to send his team over in style. Well, he nailed it.

With LaMelo Ball reportedly open to signing a shoe contract outside of the Big Baller Brand, TMZ Sports has learned Nike has a serious interest in working with the 18-year-old.

Our Nike sources tell us ... the company is actively scouting the youngest Ball brother and even has a scout in Australia monitoring him as plays pro ball overseas.

We're told Nike has not made a formal offer at this point, but the interest is real -- and we're guessing the fact Melo has been rocking Nike shoes lately is a good sign for the Swoosh.

Of course, things could get dicey with LaVar Ball who says he's deadly serious about reviving the Big Baller Brand after a disastrous first run.