NBA

Kevin Gates recently told us to expect explosiveness on his tour ... and hocking a loogie down a fan's throat totally falls under that category!!!

KG kicked off his "Only the Generals" tour over the weekend in Portsmouth, VA, where he invited a fan onstage, and she quickly gave verbal permission for him to "do whatever you want."

He then escorted the fan to her folding chair throne, and instructed her to stick out her tongue ... and then proceeded to drop a spit missile down her throat, immediately drawing moans and groans from the crowd!!!

The fan didn't seem to mind ... probably could've used a bib though.

KG said he got into tour shape through the basketball tutelage of Kevin Durant and other hoopers ... but we're not sure KD taught him how to swish with spit.

8:57 AM PT -- Amar'e Stoudemire is clearing up comments he made over the weekend where he passionately lashed out at anyone who hasn't publicly condemned the Hamas terror attack in Israel.

"I recognize that in a moment of passion that there is a better way that I can communicate my emotions about the conflict. I pray that the parties involved are able to find a resolution."

Stoudemire continued ... "I pray for the people of Israel. I pray for the people of Palestine. I stand with humanity."

Amar'e also addressed his comments about BLM.

"To Black Lives Matter and the Politicians. I recognize that it is everyone’s choice if they want to speak about the conflict and that while I may want people to say more, that there is a better way that I can communicate that," Amar'e wrote.

"I want to make sure to mention that I am thankful for all of the work that people as a whole have done so far for their communities and I hope that we all strive to do more. 🏁"

Despite clarifying his comments, AS made it clear ... "This is not a apology"

Former NBA star Amar'e Stoudemire -- who converted to Judaism and spent several years playing basketball in Israel -- sounded off on Hamas in an emotional video ... saying point blank, "If y'all support it, f*** you!"

The 40-year-old posted the clip to his social media page over the weekend ... blasting the militant terrorist group as "cowards" -- while strongly urging people to condemn the org.'s actions.

"I woke up this morning with some disturbing news out of Israel that Hamas are kidnapping children, putting them in cages, killing women, killing the elderly. That’s some coward s***," he said.

"That's cowardly," he added. "And for all y'all Black Lives Matter who ain’t saying nothing, 'Well, let me figure out exactly what happened before I say anything,' f*** you."

Stoudemire, who converted in 2018, then continued his impassioned rant for several more seconds ... repeatedly calling Hamas' actions "coward s***."

"All you politicians who always have something to say on the contrary, I see you. F*** you," he said. "All you Black Lives Matter people who always have something to say and always support everything else, and you quiet now, f*** you too."

Stoudemire first joined the Israeli Basketball Premier League in 2016 ... and went on to play a couple seasons for two teams in the organization. In his video over the weekend, he praised Israel as the "only place in the world where I can go and study Torah and eat kosher food."

"Only place in the world!" he said. "Some coward s***, dog."

Matt Barnes feels Damian Lillard getting traded to the Bucks -- instead of his preferred destination of the Heat -- is a blessing in disguise ... telling TMZ Sports he believes the All-Star guard has a better chance at winning an NBA title in Milwaukee than he would in Miami.

The "All The Smoke" podcast host and ex-NBA star gave us his take at the 5th Annual KiKi Shepard Celebrity Golf Classic last week ... and he says even though Lillard didn't end up in South Beach like he reportedly requested, he should be more than thrilled with the outcome.

"I'm excited for Dame," Barnes said. "Obviously he wanted to go to Miami. That didn't happen, but for him to have the opportunity to win, I think is the key and the goal and him teaming up with Giannis [Antetokounmpo] is definitely gonna give him a great opportunity to win a championship."

"I think probably even a better opportunity than he would had in Miami."

Of course, some fans might not agree -- the Heat have been to the NBA Finals twice since the 2020 season ... and Jimmy Butler is one of the best playoff players in the league.

However, Butler, coach Erik Spoelstra and the Heat came up short both times ... where the Bucks made the Finals and won in 2021 -- their first appearance in over four decades.

"Bucks are high," Barnes said. "It's gonna be a fun season."

KD's going by a different set of initials now -- the NBA superstar played a key role in Drake's highly anticipated album "For All The Dogs" ... serving as A&R for the project!!

Drizzy dropped his eighth solo studio album early Friday morning ... and as it turns out, Kevin Durant was involved in bringing it to fruition.

The Phoenix Suns baller is listed on the credits as an A&R -- short for "artists and repertoire" -- a position that's held by someone who helps put the album together.

Durant -- who was traded to Phoenix in February -- took pride in his role ... and shared the accomplishment on his own Instagram story.

"The greatest," the 2-time NBA champ said of Drake. "6godAM ... for all of us."

Drake also name-dropped his music partner in the track, "All The Parties" ... saying, "Me and KD 'bout to turn up the art."

KD is known to be a big supporter of Drake -- he was even spotted lightin' it up in the crowd at his recent show at the Forum.

The 35-year-old forward also walked out with Drake during his Austin concert last month.

FYI, Durant has also taken a stab at being a hip hop artist himself under the name "Sniper Jones."

Magic Johnson's newest purchase is leaving him quite unhappy -- at least, that was the case on Thursday night -- 'cause after the Commanders got dusted by the Bears, he laid into them on his X page.

The Lakers legend -- who helped Josh Harris purchase the Washington Football Team for $6 billion earlier this summer -- sounded off just minutes after his new squad lost 40-20 ... making it clear he's looking for more from his guys going forward.

"Tonight the Commanders played with no intensity or fire," he said bluntly.

The Commanders did look lifeless during the game's first 30 minutes ... allowing Chicago stars Justin Fields and D.J. Moore to run wild all over them in the first half.

And, while they did fight back a bit to make things somewhat interesting in the second half, they still lost by 20 -- something Magic's obviously fuming over.

"We didn't compete in the first half and got down 27-3 heading into halftime," said Magic, who watched the game from a FedExField luxury box Thursday night. "It was too big of a hole to climb out of and that is why we ended up losing 40-20."

The night at least wasn't all sadness for Magic ... he got to enjoy some pregame giggles with Amazon's "Thursday Night Football" crew, signing a bunch of gear for superfan Ryan Fitzpatrick on the pregame show.

Michael B. Jordan y Steve Harvey están mostrando señales de que todo está bien entre ellos, a pesar de la ruptura del actor con la hija de Steve, Lori Harvey.

Michael y Steve estaban muy contentos en los juegos de la NBA Abu Dhabi el jueves, abrazándose y dándose la mano en la cancha. Michael tenía una enorme sonrisa y le dio un buen apretón, mientras un grupo de amigos a su alrededor no pudo evitar sonreír también.

Parece que no hay resentimientos entre ellos. Como informamos, Michael y Lori, terminaron su relación en junio pasado, alrededor de un año después de que empezaran a verse. Ella también borró de sus redes sociales cualquier indicio del actor.

Nunca hubo información oficial sobre los motivos que llevaron a la ruptura, pero Lori habló de banderas rojas en la relación un par de meses después de que todo se acabara, diciendo que estar demasiado cerca de una ex pareja era uno de los principales.

También se habló de que Michael, de 35 años, estaba listo para sentar cabeza y casarse, mientras que Lori, de 26, no lo estaba.

Michael B. Jordan & Steve Harvey are showing signs all is well despite the actor's split with Steve's daughter, Lori Harvey.

MBJ and SH were all smiles at the NBA Abu Dhabi Games Thursday ... dappin' each other up courtside. Michael had a huge grin on his face, going in for the tight squeeze -- as a group of pals couldn't help but smile around them, too.

Seems like there are no hard feelings between them ... as we reported, Michael and Lori, called it quits last June -- about a year after they started seeing each other. She also scrubbed her socials from any mention of him.

There was never an official word about what led to the split ... but Lori talked about red flags in relationships a couple of months after the plug was pulled -- saying being too close with an ex was a major one.

There was also talk that 35-year-old Michael was ready to settle down and get married, but 26-year-old Lori wasn't.

Tristan Thompson puede estar recibiendo elogios de la familia Kardashian por ser un buen padre, pero ciertamente no todos piensan lo mismo.

Tristan tiene un hijo de 6 años llamado Prince con Jordan Craig, y la hermana de Jordan, Kai, acaba de criticar a la ex estrella de la NBA, diciendo que es repugnante que Tristan no pueda aparecerse ni ser un "padre real" para Prince. Sin embargo, sí es capaz de hacer un montón de cosas buenas para los dos niños que tiene con Khloe Kardashian.

Kai continúa: "El hecho de que pueda llevar a otros niños a la escuela y a actividades en la misma ciudad, y que al mismo tiempo no vea ni hable con su propio hijo, a menos que sea para una fiesta o una oportunidad planeada, es atroz e inexcusable."

Luego se centra en Kim, quien en un episodio reciente de "The Kardashians" dijo que Tristan era "tan buen amigo y tan buen padre."

Kai le dice a Kim: "No quiero pensar que eres así de insensible al hecho de que literalmente ignora a sus hijos. Genial que haya sido buen amigo contigo, pero consideremos a nuestras hermanas antes de tomar plataformas globales para defender el carácter de este hombre".

Kai también afirma que Tristan no ha pagado la matrícula de Prince ni la manutención de los hijos en un "tiempo muy largo".

Tristan Thompson may be getting praise from the Kardashian family for being a good dad, but it's certainly not that way across the board ... as he's now getting slammed by the aunt of his first son.

Tristan has a 6-year-old son named Prince with Jordan Craig ... and Jordan's sister, Kai, just unleashed on the former NBA star. Kai says it's disgusting Tristan can't show up and be a "real parent" for Prince yet he can do a bunch of nice things for the two kids he has with Khloe Kardashian.

Kai continues, "The fact that he can take other children to school and activities in the same city, yet never sees or speaks to his own son, unless it's for a party or planned photo opportunity, is appalling and inexcusable."

She then turns her focus to Kim, who on a recent episode of "The Kardashians" said Tristan was, "such a good friend and such a good dad."

Kai says to Kim, "I don't want to believe that you are this insensitive to the fact that he literally ignores his children. That's nice if he's been a good friend to you, but let's consider our sisters before taking to global platforms to defend this man's character."

Kai also claims Tristan has not paid for Prince's tuition or child support in a "very long time."

The WNBA is expanding ... the league just announced they're adding a new women's basketball team in San Francisco, and Steph Curry, the city's biggest superstar, is stoked!!!

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert broke the news on Thursday ... explaining the new squad will be an expansion of the Golden State Warriors, making them the sixth NBA franchise to also have a WNBA team.

"We are thrilled about expanding to the Bay Area," Engelbert said, "and bringing the WNBA to a region with passionate basketball fans and a strong history of supporting women’s basketball."

Curry's excited about it, too ... and welcomed the new squad to the Bay Area minutes after the announcement.

"Looking forward to having y'all," the 4x NBA champ said via social media. "Can't wait to see y'all thrive at the highest level. Let's get it!"

The new team is the first new WNBA franchise since 2008 ... and their inaugural season will begin in 2025. They'll play at the Chase Center.

They will also use the Warriors' practice facility as their headquarters.

"The Bay Area is the perfect market for a WNBA team, and we are thrilled this opportunity has finally come to fruition,” Warriors' CEO Joe Lacob said.

"The WNBA continues to solidify itself as the preeminent women’s professional basketball league and we look forward to supporting the best women’s basketball players in the world and our team starting in 2025."

Khloé Kardashian has made clear to Tristan Thompson 2 things ... she wants him out of her house, but still in her life. Let us explain.

Khloe and Tristan are featured on Thursday's episode of "The Kardashians," and this scene does not seem staged at all, at least when it comes to feelings. Tristan's been repairing his home since the SoCal floods hit way back in January, and Khloe's let him stay with her until it's all fixed up, but it's clear her patience is running thin.

Khloe is prodding Tristan for a timeline on when the repairs will be completed, and he responds by saying he can't wait for her to see it when it's completed. Khloe then plays her hand, saying she as well can't wait. TRANSLATION: She wants him out.

KK is not harsh at all. In fact, she's the opposite, acknowledging she and Tristan will be joined at the hip for the rest of their lives because they share 2 kids together.

She makes it clear ... there's a bright line between having a romantic relationship with him again and keeping him in her life as a strong presence for their kids.

It's really a moving convo ... Khloe acknowledges the hurt Tristan has caused but is burying that for the sake of their kids.

Super mature, and exemplary parenting, for sure.

Damian Lillard's new team isn't the only major change in his life -- the Milwaukee Bucks superstar just filed for divorce from his longtime partner, Kay'La.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... the 7-time All-Star officially filed docs in Oregon earlier this week.

Dame and Kay'La go way back -- they first started dating as students at Weber State and were together ever since. They officially got married back in September 2021 and have three children.

According to Willamette Week, Dame's filing cited irreconcilable differences that "caused the irremediable breakdown of their marriage."

The report also points out the two appear to have been living separately for the past 10 months ... with Kay'La moving into a $2.7 million home in West Linn, while Dame remained at their $7.7 million pad in the same city.

There has been speculation for weeks ... with some internet sleuths noticing Kay'La had been absent from Damian's social media posts.

It's a tough time to be a Blazers fan, but NBA champ Byron Scott thinks Portland should be HAPPY after Damian Lillard got traded to the Bucks ... 'cause he's finally got a chance to win!!

TMZ Sports caught up with the former Laker out at KiKi Shepard's "Celebrity Golf Classic" this week ... and chopped it up about the blockbuster deal that sent Dame Time over to Giannis Antetokounmpo's squad.

Of course, it's a huge bummer for Portland fans to see their franchise player leave after 11 seasons ... but instead of taking the torches to their No. 0 jerseys, Byron believes it would be best to look at the silver lining by rooting for Lillard to get a championship with his new team.

"I think, obviously, Damian joining the Bucks -- a team that won a championship a couple years ago, and they got one of the best players, if not the best player in the league, in the Greek Freak, as I call him ... and adding Damian, who is motivated, who wants to win a championship, who has given his heart and soul to the Portland area -- I think they should be not so much upset that he's left, but they should be happy for him to get a chance to win."

Scott points out a major loss for the Bucks in the trade -- elite perimeter defender Jrue Holiday -- but he's predicting Milwaukee still makes it out of the East in his absence.

If Travis Kelce starts going off in the next couple weeks, John Salley says Chiefs fans can thank Taylor Swift for it ... telling TMZ Sports he believes a committed relationship with the pop star will help the tight end's game tremendously.

As for why ... the four-time NBA champion says it's simple -- Kelce spending his time with just one woman going forward this year will free him up to focus way more on ball.

"He now doesn't have to worry about 100 DMs," Salley told us out in Los Angeles this week, "or making sure certain girls got tickets. He can be focused, right?"

"So, he has practice, go to sleep, talk to his girl. That's easier than when you get to be the playboy that he used to be."

And, if for some reason Kelce even thinks about straying from a relationship with the "Love Story" crooner ... Salley made it clear he believes there's just no way her fanbase will let it happen.

"You can't do that," the former Lakers center said with a smile. "Those Swifties got cameras!"

Of course, it's unclear if Kelce and Swift are even looking for something serious ... while the two obviously have some sort of romance brewing -- there's no indication yet whether boyfriend/girlfriend labels are on the horizon.

Ja Morant got back to business on Tuesday -- the NBA superstar participated in practice with the Memphis Grizzlies ... one day after it was announced he would be allowed to be with the team as he serves out his suspension.

Despite being hit with a 25-game ban for his second gun-related social media video in June, the NBA is allowing Morant to travel and work out with the Grizz as he prepares for his return.

Ja was out on the court with his teammates earlier in the day ... and media members got footage of him putting up shots.

"It’s great to have him here," Grizzlies president and general manager Zach Kleiman said.

"I think he’s put himself in a position where there’s no reason why he can’t keep following through on this. So we’re glad he’s here and can’t wait to have him back."

His teammates are happy as well ... including Derrick Rose, who told reporters he connected with Morant in the offseason.

"Talked to him a little bit," Rose said. "Just told him I'm not here to babysit you. I'm not here to follow you around, I'm not here to cheerlead. I'm here to push you."

Michael Jordan is now so rich, he's considered one of the wealthiest 400 people in America!!!

Forbes just bestowed the honor on the NBA legend ... after it said the sale of his stake in the Charlotte Hornets earlier this summer pushed his net worth to $3 BILLION.

Jordan, according to the outlet, now comes in at No. 379 among the country's wealthiest 400 ... just a few slots below WWE honcho Vince McMahon.

He's become the first professional athlete to ever make the list.

His Airness, of course, gained a ton his of fortune through NBA contracts and his huge endorsement deals with companies like Nike and Gatorade ... but it was the Hornets sale that pushed him into the rarified air.

As we reported, Jordan sold the team to Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall in June for $3 billion ... this after he initially bought the majority stake of the organization in 2010 for a mere $175 million.