NBA

Enes Kanter has a message for LeBron James -- "FREEDOM IS NOT FREE."

Moments after LeBron broke his silence on the situation with China, the Turkish-born Boston Celtics player went to Twitter to express his disgust, as illustrated by the green "sick face" emoji.

Oh, and when LeBron pointed out that he and his team had a "difficult week" dealing with the fallout of Daryl Morey's pro-Hong Kong tweets while the Lakers were in China, Kanter essentially had this to say to Bron, "Boo hoo!"

An NBA player being compared to Charles Barkley isn't always a good thing -- especially when it comes to golf ... because Mortiz Wagner is giving Chuck a run for his money for WORST SWING EVER!!!

NO EXAGGERATION -- THIS DUDE IS A PRO ATHLETE AND COULDN'T HIT THE BROADSIDE OF A BARN!!!

Here's the deal ... 22-year-old Mortiz joined the rest of his Washington Wizards teammates for an outing at Top Golf in Virginia on Monday -- and saying it went poorly for Wagner is a gross understatement.

Watch the vid ...the 6'11" power forward missed so badly, he nearly took a chunk out of the floor mat ... and his Mulligan swing wasn't much better.

But, is it worse than Barkley??? Watch and compare ...

And, get this, Mo's swing was so terrible ... Wagner's ex-Lakers teammate, Josh Hart, went to social media to make fun of him.

"Bro what is this...." Hart wrote.

Wagner tried to defend his painful assault on golf balls by firing back, "This was literally my worst try. I hit that thing over the net one time I swear."

Sure, Mo ...

As for the Hart-Wagner rivalry ... the two have been good for a TON of laughs over the last year -- remember when Josh got after Mo for his Michigan ring last season?!?

Michael Rapaport ain't taking too kindly to Kevin Durant's uncool assessment of his beloved NY Knicks ... and sent this message to the Brooklyn Nets star:

"You got a big task in front of you -- you and your flat-earth friend, Kyrie Irving -- don't worry about the New York Knicks right now."

KD set social media on fire last week when discussing his decision to sign with Brooklyn instead of the Knickerbockers ... saying "The cool thing right now is not the Knicks.”

Durant basically said the Knicks haven't been good in decades and young people see the organization as more of a joke (since that's all they know) than a legendary franchise.

Enter Rapaport -- who'll stop at nothing to defend his beloved hoops team. He tells TMZ Sports KD is DEAD WRONG about the Knicks ... even if they've had their recent struggles.

"The Knicks are always gonna be cool," Rapaport told us Monday. "Don't worry about us. We know our deficiencies."

Rapaport has some advice for Durant, who's recovering from a torn Achilles he suffered during the NBA Finals ... saying the Knicks should be the last thing on his mind.

"You should just be chilling in a hyperbolic chamber getting your blood spun so we can see you back on the court."

Rapaport ain't holding a grudge against the superstar baller, though ... telling us he hopes to see Durant 100% in no time.

Nobody likes seeing a bunch of open lower-level seats at an NBA game -- including the players -- so on Sunday the Minnesota Timberwolves decided to do something about it!!!

While the team was crushing Israel's Maccabi Haifa team at the Target Center, several players went to arena staff and asked them to go to the upper level to start upgrading fans, ASAP.

The fans were stoked ... and so many people started moving from the upper level to the good seats, the broadcasters shouted it out on the air.

"The players asked Target Center staff to have those fans who have been sitting in the 2nd level move down into the lower level for this 4th quarter," the announcers said.

"So, some of those fans up in the 220s, they're going to be able to enjoy the next 7.5 minutes with lower-level seats courtesy of a request from the Wolves players here."

Afterward, one of the fans personally thanked the team for the move.

"It was too strange," the guy wrote on Twitter ... "couldn't believe it was real didnt know it was a player request at the time. THANK YOU WOLVES PLAYERS"

Turns out, the gesture ended up being good karma ... the Wolves won, 131-101 -- and the team looked awesome.

Al Sharpton is weighing in on the NBA's recent drama with China ... telling TMZ Sports the league needs to take a stand for democracy and not let the money talk them out of it!!!

Of course, Sharpton is referring to the backlash the association's gotten after Rockets GM Daryl Morey tweeted out support for Hong Kong protesters ... with the league losing Chinese sponsors, airtime and a number of NBA events that were planned this week as a result.

Sharpton says the whole situation is bothersome ... but the league can't be hypocritical, especially when some of the biggest NBA figures have been critical of America's current leadership.

"We can’t have them try, in the name of some commercial interest and money, take away people’s democratic rights and then claim that we are the home of democracy around the world," Sharpton says.

"Clearly, we should stand up to them and say that people there are protesting their democratic rights in Hong Kong and we must identify with them. Money should not be able to buy our commitment and passionate commitment to democracy."

Gather 'round kids, it's NBA PREDICTION TIME WITH LAVAR BALL!!!

This time, the head of the Big Baller Brand is seeing BIG things for the New Orleans Pelicans ... telling TMZ Sports his son Lonzo's team will DEFINITELY win a 'chip this season!

"They're gonna take it all this year, for sure," LaVar told us at the L.A. Regional Food Bank, where he donated 70,000 bottles of Big Baller Brand Water.

Why so confident? LaVar thinks the New Orleans Pelicans are a MUCH better fit for Lonzo than the Lakers ... and it all has to do with the coach and the young stars surrounding him, like Zion Williamson.

"All you need to be successful in the NBA, ya gotta have a coach be behind you. And, Alvin Gentry is that guy."

LaVar continued ... "What did Gentry say? He wants [The Pelicans] to play the fastest pace. That's Lonzo's best game!"

And, the biggest difference between the Pels and the Lakers?

"You've got a bunch of youngsters so you don't have 20 different people asking for the ball. Give it to Lonzo and let him just run it."

When asked if playing with Zion is better in the long run for Lonzo than playing with LeBron, LaVar explained things this way ...

"If you gonna run and pass the ball and play the right way, Zo will play with anybody. So, it's not that Zion is better than Lebron or Lebron is better ... anybody with an IQ that can play the game of basketball, [Lonzo's] fine playing with."

There's more ... we also asked LaVar how he feels the NBA is handling the issue with China, which is relevant since the Ball family had their own international crisis when LiAngelo was arrested in China for shoplifting back in 2017.

"My thing is this, anybody should speak out on whatever their heart feels. If you feel it's good for you to speak out, then speak out! If not, then shut the hell up."

Charles Barkley is going scorched earth on "idiots" who are criticizing the NBA's handling of the China situation ... calling people "jackasses" and hypocrites for blasting the league!!

The ex-NBA superstar says he can't believe the way people are coming at Adam Silver ... saying there are BILLIONS of dollars on the line, and he understands why the league is trying to finesse its way through the drama.

In fact, Barkley says those criticizing the association are a bunch of hypocrites ... saying the same people who grilled Colin Kaepernick for taking a stance are now the ones hating on the NBA for NOT taking one!

"First of all, you guys have been killing Colin Kaepernick for the last X amount of years," Barkley said on the 'Dan Patrick Show' on Thursday.

"Now, all the sudden you want to control what happens in a foreign country?"

If you missed it ... Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey incited an international controversy just a few days ago when he tweeted his support for protesters in Hong Kong.

For the most part ... NBA players and execs have shied away from backing Morey -- and Barkley says he certainly gets why.

"They have billions of dollars at stake," Barkley says. "It's a business decision. I understand the NBA. The players and the owners both got billions of dollars at stake."

As for those who don't get it ... he didn't hold back on ripping them, by calling them "idiots and jackasses and fools."

LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard and the rest of the Lakers have taken the floor at the Mercedes Benz Arena in Shanghai to play an NBA game, despite protesters at the venue.

With the Chinese government fuming at the NBA over Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey's support of Hong Kong, there were questions if this game would even happen.

But, it's definitely going down right now ... the Lakers are taking on the Brooklyn Nets in one of the most controversial preseason games ever ... since it's now at the center of an International incident.

Protesters outside of the arena held Chinese flags and a sign reading, "F*ck You Morey."

Inside, it seems to be a different story ... with fans cheering LeBron and wearing jerseys of their favorite NBA teams. Some fans even painted their faces.

LeBron was wearing headphones while warming up, seemingly to tune out the noise surrounding the game.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is currently in Shanghai trying to salvage the league's relationship with China but it doesn't seem to be going great right now.

China has already blacklisted the Houston Rockets and have removed NBA signage from around the country.

The answer to the international crap storm of an incident between the NBA and China ... well, it's Dennis Rodman, according to, Dennis Rodman.

In case you somehow haven't heard ... China's relationship with the NBA is super strained after Rockets GM Daryl Morey expressed support for protesters in Hong Kong.

China cut bait with the NBA -- and that's a HUGE financial blow for the league -- but all may not be lost.

Enter, The Worm.

Rodman posted a video on Twitter Wednesday ... calling on the NBA to put him on a plane to China so he can smooth over the situation.

"Commissioner Adam Silver, I know a thing or two about diplomacy. Book me a ticket to Shanghai with you, Ambassador Rodman."

In the video, Dennis is holding 2 images ... a photo of him and President Trump, and another of him and Kim Jong-Un.

That's the thing ... if nothing else, Rodman does have personal relationships with some very powerful people.

Maybe it's just crazy enough to work???

Presidential candidate Julian Castro says the NBA should seize the opportunity to push America's constitutional principles in China, even if it ends up costing the league millions.

The Democratic hopeful came on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to discuss the international feud between the league and the Republic, over Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey's comment supporting Hong Kong protesters.

Julian firmly believes the NBA -- and other American companies doing biz in China -- have to draw an ethical line in the sand ... even if that means pressuring a foreign country to adopt America's ideals about freedom of speech and the right to protest.

The 76ers are explaining why 2 fans with "Free Hong Kong" signs were kicked out of Tuesday's game against a Chinese basketball team ... saying the couple was a "disruption of the fan experience."

A man and woman -- holding signs and wearing pro-Hong Kong protester shirts -- were escorted out of the Wells Fargo Center in Philly during the first half of the Sixers' game against the Guangzhou Loong Lions.

The Sixers released a statement Wednesday breaking down the Wells Fargo Center staff's decision to eject the fans ... claiming they were warned several times to keep the peace.

"At last evening’s game, following multiple complaints from guests and verbal confrontations with others in attendance, two individuals were warned by Wells Fargo Center staff about their continuing disruption of the fan experience," the team said in a statement.

“Ultimately, the decision was made by Wells Fargo Center personnel to remove the guests from the premises, which was accomplished without incident.”

Wells Fargo Center officials say they warned the couple 3 separate times before kicking them out.

On the way out of the arena, one of the ejected fans reportedly told a local news outlet that security said, "no foul language, no politics."

A banner promoting the Lakers-Nets preseason game in China -- featuring LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis -- was torn down Wednesday ... in the wake of the international crap storm sparked by the Rockets GM's support of protesters in Hong Kong.

The teams were scheduled to play a preseason game Thursday in Shanghai ... but that was before general manager Daryl Morey tweeted, "Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong" ... igniting an international incident that led to China basically cutting ties with the Rockets and the NBA.

The Lakers-Nets game hasn't officially been canned ... but for those Chinese fans hoping to peep Bron, AD and Kyrie on the court ... the gigantic banner being ripped down ain't a good sign.

Get the coffin and start making flower arrangements ... 'cause Shaq's son says Damian Lillard's rap career was just murdered by the NBA legend in their battle this month!!

"My dad bodied Dame Lillard," Myles O'Neal tells TMZ Sports ... "That's all I need to say. It's over, he won."

If ya missed it ... Shaq and Lillard have been at each other's necks the last couple weeks -- each releasing TWO rap tracks with a bunch of disses aimed at each other.

It all started after Dame went on "The Joe Budden Podcast" and questioned the NBA legend's rap skills ... which led to Shaq dropping this track a few days later.

Kevin Durant is twisting the knife on the New York Knicks ... saying it's no longer "cool" to play for New York ... just months after rejecting them for the Brooklyn Nets.

KD spoke about his free agency decision on HOT 97 in NYC Tuesday morning ... saying he was ready to move on from dominating with Golden State to take on a different challenge with a younger team.

“Basketball is the most important thing for me," Durant said. "Kyrie [Irving], DeAndre Jordan, the young players they got was key."

"Playin' with Golden State, playing with a older group I thought it was time for me to impose my will on a younger team.”

This is the part where Knicks fans might wanna look away, 'cause it's about to get ugly.

KD was asked why he went with BK over the NYK ... and he didn't mince his words.

“It's hard to get the best players to play [for the Knicks]. It's hard," KD says.

"I think a lot of fans look at the Knicks as a brand and expect these younger players who, in their lifetime, don’t remember the Knicks being good."

"I saw the Knicks in the Finals, but the kids coming up after me didn’t see that. So, that whole brand of the Knicks, to them, is not as cool to them as, say, a Golden State Warriors or even the Lakers or the Nets now. The cool thing right now is not the Knicks.”

KD says he did, in fact, consider playing for New York ... but it was a very brief "thought" and he didn't explore it that much ... which hurts, given the rumors that he was destined to be a Knick.

"I thought about it, yeah -- just a thought. But, I didn’t do any deep full analysis on the Knicks. I heard it every day -- media in the Bay Area were talkin' about it every day. Tough to dodge, but can’t control it.”

Naturally, Durant is GETTING IT from NY fans on Twitter over the comment ... but he's sticking by his words.

Lamar Odom was feeling a little contained below the belt as he waited on deck at "Dancing with the Stars" -- so he made a BIG adjustment ... which was caught on camera.

The former NBA superstar grabbed his crotch and aggressively shifted the family jewels Monday night during the live broadcast. The 'DWTS' cameras caught ALL the action ... to be fair, it was hard to miss ... right after Hannah Brown finished her dance.

Towering Lamar paso'd his doble right behind Erin Andrews as she interviewed Hannah. It seems like he didn't know he was in the frame during his not-so-low-key move.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is going to Shanghai to try and repair the league's relationship with China ... but says he won't bend when it comes to protecting freedom of expression.

"The NBA will not put itself in a position of regulating what players, employees and team owners say or will not say on these issues," Silver said ...  "We simply could not operate that way."

Silver spoke with the media on Tuesday to discuss China essentially blackballing the Houston Rockets after team G.M. Daryl Morey tweeted out support for protesters in Hong Kong.

The NBA initially issued a statement saying it was "regrettable" that Morey's tweet offended some Chinese people, which caused a firestorm of criticism back in the U.S.

"I recognize our initial statement left people angered, confused or unclear on who we are or what the NBA stands for," Silver said in a new statement.

"Essentially, what I've said in that statement is the long-held values of the NBA are to support freedom of expression, and certainly freedom of expression by members of the NBA community," Silver explained.

"And in this case, Daryl Morey, as the general manager of the Houston Rockets, enjoys that right as one of our employees."

"What I also tried to suggest is I understand that there are consequences from that exercise of, in essence, his freedom of speech. We will have to live with those consequences."

As we previously reported, 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.

Silver says China is also now refusing to air the Lakers vs. Nets preseason game set to go down in Shanghai on Thursday ... but he sees the event as an opportunity.

"My plan all along has been to travel to Shanghai tomorrow, and I plan to attend the Lakers-Nets game Thursday night. It's my hope that when I'm in Shanghai, I can meet with the appropriate officials and discuss where we stand, and again, put those remarks from Darl Morey and my remarks in an appropriate context of a many-decades-long relationship and see if we can find mutual respect for each other's political systems and beliefs."

"But I'm a realist as well, and I recognize that this issue may not die down so quickly."