NBA

Tristan Thompson's had it with the woman insisting he's the father of her baby, despite a DNA test he says proves otherwise ... so he wants to make her pay.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ ... the NBA baller's seeking a default judgment against Kimberly Alexander -- the paternity accuser he sued for libel last year.

Thompson wants the judge to hit Alexander with $100k in damages plus additional costs, claiming the allegations seriously hurt his reputation.

In the docs, Tristan says he's a proud, loving and providing father to 2 children, and he claims Alexander's false accusations potentially cost him endorsement deals because companies and brands viewed him as a troubled athlete.

Thompson insists that if Alexander's child was his he would have taken his parental duties seriously, but again ... he claims a paternity test proved he's not.

BTW, as we previously told you, Tristan's acknowledged he did have sex with Alexander, but says it was years before she alleges and long before he was dating Khloe Kardashian.

"Unfortunately, l can’t wear them no more. It’s not possible after what happened in the game."

Los Angeles Lakers star Dennis Schroder says he's DONE rocking Kyrie Irving's signature shoes ... explaining it's all 'cause the two got into a spat during a game last month.

You'll recall ... Schroder and Brooklyn's star point guard went after each other in the third quarter of the Lakers-Nets tilt on April 10 -- getting into a HEATED argument on the court.

The two got in each others' faces so heavily, they were eventually ejected ... and afterward, Irving appeared to accuse Schroder of calling him the n-word.

"The N-word is a derogatory slur!" Irving said on Twitter, before adding, "Throw that N-word out the window, right alongside all of those other racist words used to describe my people."

The drama had appeared to have died down after that ... but it's clear, Schroder is still holding a grudge several weeks later.

The 27-year-old made a YouTube video this week revealing his insane shoe collection ... and when it came time to show off his pairs of Kyries -- he vowed to never wear them again.

"Kyrie Irving -- I have a lot of his shoes," said Schroder, who went on to say he has between 30-to-40 pairs of Irving's kicks. "Unfortunately, l can't wear them no more. It's not possible after what happened in the game"

"I can not do it. Not going to wear it again."

Schroder says he's now going to do a giveaway to unload his Kyries ... explaining all of it will be shipped off to fans who reach out.

"I'll donate," Schroder said, "so text me."

Matt Barnes was a tough guy on the court, but he's looking to make people laugh it off ... with the ex-NBA forward landing his own comedy series with Showtime!!!

41-year-old Barnes has reportedly struck a deal with the TV network and Lionsgate to develop "The Education of Matt Barnes," a half-hour scripted comedy series loosely based on his life postretirement, according to Deadline.

The show will be a "story of how a single dad from Encino balances home, business, activism and relationships while navigating the temptations of the celebrity-centric, Instagram and TikTok universe of LA," the report says.

The project is backed by writer and creator Matt Pyken, who most notably worked on "Empire" ... and "Blackish" director Pete Chatmon is on board for the pilot.

Remember, Barnes told us back in 2017 he had big plans in the entertainment industry ... and the dude wasn't kidding -- he'll act as co-executive producer alongside the Tannenbaum Company for the project.

There will be plenty of storylines to use from Barnes' memorable 14-year career in the NBA ... as well as his life as a father of 3 kids.

Legendary NBA announcer Marv Albert -- the "voice of basketball" -- is stepping away from the mic ... with the Hall of Famer confirming his retirement at the end of the 2021 season.

79-year-old Albert has been calling games for 55 years -- spending 22 years with Turner Sports. He's called 25 NBA All-Star Games, 13 NBA Finals and the 1992 Olympics, covering the iconic "Dream Team."

He's also worked at 8 Super Bowls and Stanley Cup Finals ... as well as NFL games, horse racing, tennis, baseball and more.

Albert will be signing off one final time after the conclusion of the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals ... with TNT set to air a 30-minute tribute in his honor.

"My 55 years of broadcasting the NBA has just flown by and I’ve been fortunate to work with so many wonderful and talented people," Albert said Monday.

"Now, I’ll have the opportunity to hone my gardening skills and work on my ballroom dancing."

Albert -- known for his signature "YES!" catchphrase -- kickstarted his career with the New York Knicks in 1963 and went on to work with NBC Sports and CBS Sports as well, before joining TNT in 1999.

Albert was honored with the Curt Gowdy Media Award by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1997 ... and has a stuffed trophy case with numerous other awards for his work.

NBA commish Adam Silver praised Albert ... saying, "There is no voice more closely associated with NBA basketball than Marv Albert’s."

"My first memories of the NBA were of listening to Marv call a game with his signature style, iconic phrases and unparalleled passion. From his remarkable run as play-by-play announcer for the Knicks to his prominent national roles calling our marquee games on NBC and Turner Sports, Marv has been the soundtrack for basketball fans for nearly 60 years."

Kwame Brown is the one who wants "All The Smoke" now ... 'cause the ex-NBA top pick is UNLEASHING his fury on Stephen Jackson, Matt Barnes and Gilbert Arenas for speaking on his name ... and it's pretty intense.

The response comes after the trio of ex-hoopers discussed Brown's career on Barnes and Jackson's podcast last week ... breaking down why the high school superstar never lived up to his expectations in the NBA.

Arenas -- who played with the 2001 #1 overall pick from 2003 to 05 -- referred to Brown as a "man child" whose confidence was shot due to then-GM-turned teammate Michael Jordan's antics.

Agent 0 added Brown could have been an Anthony Davis-type player ... but was more of a "show pony."

Brown got wind of the comments ... and fired back at the guys in a scathing video he posted on Instagram.

"I'mma give you feminine n****as what you been asking for. You n****s been talkin' a lot, saying a lot of things you don't know what the f*** you talkin' about."

"Y'all get on the internet and y'all report things that make no goddamn sense. I grew up in an era where you don't play with grown-ass men and I think both of you two gentlemen know, personally, that I'm a grown-ass man."

Brown went on to say he's also in Atlanta ... and hints at wanting a personal confrontation over the comments.

But, he didn't stop there ... Brown then uploaded an hour-long YouTube video to continue his thoughts ... calling Barnes a "Becky with the good hair" and Jackson a fake tough guy.

"It's okay to have an opinion, but it's another thing to do what you guys are doing and then be in my face. Stephen Jackson -- we was teammates and I seen you crying every time Charles Oakley 'bout to slap the s*** out you, so I KNOW you."

"You really an embarrassment and I've been trying to stay quiet on you n****s, but I understand why they give people like you money and give people like you a platform because they want you to continue tricking these kids."

He continued ... "Change your podcast. The new podcast is 'these n****s want some of the goddamn smoke' because I want all the smoke and Jack, your sensitive ass, you know that."

Jackson replied with a video of his own ... saying he has nothing but love for the guy ... and Barnes denied ever saying anything bad about Brown.

"I’m confused," Barnes said "Ion remember talking about Dogg. (Kwame), you wanna be mad at anyone be mad at MJ for drafting you number 1."

But, Brown doesn't seem to be retreating any time soon -- the guy continued to defend his name throughout the weekend ... and even referenced his involvement in Kobe Bryant's legendary 81-point game.

"He had 81 motherf***in' points, did you see the screens I was setting, n****?"

Of course, despite what people say of Brown's career, the guy reportedly made $63 million over 13 seasons ... averaging 6.6 points and 5.5 rebounds.

Alex Rodriguez is finally getting into the owner's box ... he's in the final steps of closing a deal to buy the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx for $1.5 BILLION!!

A-Rod had partnered up with former Walmart exec Marc Lore to make a run at the NBA and WNBA teams, both owned by billionaire Glen Taylor.

And, according to multiple outlets including The Athletic and Front Office Sports, the group has a deal in place to close for $1.5 billion.

There are still a few hurdles ... but nothing major.

Before it can formally close, A-Rod and M-Lore need to get approval from the other NBA owners ... but that shouldn't be a problem.

Per the terms of the deal, Lore will continue to operate the team through the 2023 season, according to F.O.S. ... and after that, it's A-Rod time!

The ex-MLB superstar made a serious run to buy the NY Mets with his then-fiancee Jennifer Lopez, but they were ultimately outbid by billionaire Steven Cohen.

Blake Griffin's newest kicks will have you saying "Chicka, chicka, yeah, fake ID" ... 'cause the Brooklyn Nets star just rocked some awesome "Superbad" shoes -- complete with his own McLovin ID!!

The 32-year-old hooper debuted the dope Jordan "McLovin" 35s against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday ... drawing inspiration from one of the most iconic moments of the 2007 teen comedy -- Fogell's hilariously awful fake ID.

Griffin -- a huge comedy junkie -- decided to pay tribute on the tongue of his Js ... by including his own edition of McLovin's Hawaii driver's license.

The "McGriffin" ID is impressively detailed and features Blake's REAL height, weight and birthday ... unlike Fogell's fake ID.

In fact, it even includes Blake's real picture!!

The baby blue and white kicks also feature a rainbow stripe at the top of the tongue ... perfectly matching the Hawaii ID.

"Superbad" writer and star Seth Rogen showed Griffin some (mc)love for the tribute ... giving him a special shoutout on Twitter.

A U.S. Senator is accusing LeBron James of promoting extreme violence in America -- the NBA superstar's controversial "You're Next" post was a hot button issue Wednesday in a Senate hearing.

Sen. John Kennedy called out LeBron during the hearing on domestic violence extremism, referencing his infamous tweet about the cop who shot and killed 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant in Columbus, Ohio.

As you know ... LeBron published and then deleted the tweet last month, but not before explaining that he meant the officer should be prosecuted like Derek Chauvin. His explanation fell on many deaf ears, as he's catching heat from politicians, like Sen. Tom Cotton, former President Trump ... and now Kennedy.

The Senator from Louisiana asked the Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, if LeBron's post "contributes to domestic violence in America." Mayorkas balked at the wording of the question, but eventually gave Kennedy an answer.

LeBron's tweet came on the heels of a violent incident outside a home in his native Ohio. Body cam footage showed Bryant in a physical altercation, and it appears she was trying to lunge with a knife at another girl. The officer shown in LeBron's post pulled his gun and fired 4 shots, killing Bryant.

Sen. Kennedy's beef seems to be LeBron's words promoted violence against police before all the facts of the case came out. Kennedy said, "All we had at the time was the video, and we had nothing else."

A couple of firefighters on the scene of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash are getting their walking papers for snapping photos of crash victims ... so claims Vanessa Bryant's lawyers.

Vanessa's attorneys filed legal docs about scheduling the trial in her invasion of privacy lawsuit against L.A. County -- and, in the process, revealed the L.A. County Fire Department was mixed up in the photo taking and sharing.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, VB's legal team says they received paperwork from the fire department's own internal investigation and found that they'd sent 2 firefighters "intention to discharge" letters because they'd taken pics at the scene.

One of the firefighters, according to the docs, was just a safety officer there to secure the scene that day, but he took graphic shots of the victims' remains. Both firefighters apparently shared the pics with an L.A. County Fire media relations officer ... who then proceeded to send it around to other firefighters.

The media relations officer was reportedly sent a suspension notice. It's unclear if the firefighters have been fired yet ... L.A. County Fire isn't commenting.

Heartwarming moment in the NBA on Tuesday ... Giannis Antetokounmpo hand-delivered his kicks to an 8-year-old fan who was celebrating a birthday -- and the gesture was AWESOME.

It all went down after the Milwaukee Bucks finished beating the Orlando Magic ... when the Greek Freak noticed a kid with a really cool sign.

"Giannis," the big note read. "Today is my 8th birthday. Wanna trade shoes?"

Antetokounmpo raced up several rows at the Fiserv Forum to hand off his sneakers -- and the little boy was pumped!!

Check out the footage ... the kid could barely hold Giannis' size 16 Nike Zoom Freak 2s -- they were damn near as big as his body!!

Of course, Giannis didn't take the kid's shoes in the deal ... so, total win-win for the fan, right??

The gesture is not unusual for the 26-year-old, two-time MVP ... he's been known to give out game-used stuff to young fans following games no questions asked.

Martin Lawrence's love for the Detroit Pistons has come full circle ... with a new line of merch honoring his hit '90s sitcom!!!

The NBA team's had a rough season -- it's currently dead last in the Eastern Conference -- but its collab with "Martin" should help it go out on a high note.

Nearly 29 years after the iconic show premiered with the city of Detroit as a backdrop ... Lawrence is teaming up with the Pistons for this limited-edition clothing line including jerseys, hats, shorts, sweatshirts, T-shirts and more.

As you can see ... the merch -- available Friday exclusively on Pistons313shop.com -- features the famed "Martin" intro text along with hilarious quotes and call-backs to the show mashed up with a Pistons hoops aesthetic.

The comedian says ... "Detroit has always shown me so much love and always shows up for me. From stand-up tours to fans on the street Detroit has felt like home. It’s an honor to be part of something that means so much to me to this many years later."

The beef between Enes Kanter and Recep Tayyip Erdogan is raging onward ... the NBA player says he's now being sued by the Turkish President over past critical remarks.

The 28-year-old Trailblazers center shared the alleged lawsuit on social media on Monday ... claiming the politician is "suing me and asking for my arrest for 'Insulting him.'"

"His skin is thinner [than] an onion 😅," Kanter added. "Looks like I hurt @rterdogan feelings a little 😂."

It's unclear which comments Erdogan is allegedly upset by ... but Kanter has gone after Erdogan publicly on multiple occasions through the past few years.

You'll recall ... the 6'10", 250-pound hooper famously called Erdogan "the Hitler of our generation" -- a remark that's since made Kanter a wanted man in his home country.

Kanter's reportedly had an arrest warrant out on him for years in Turkey ... but now Enes says Erdogan is coming after him civilly as well.

As for Kanter's response to the lawsuit -- he made it obvious he could not care less, ripping up the docs and burning them in the toilet.

"#DictatorErdogan," Enes captioned the photos.

Kyrie Irving's wallet is now $35,000 lighter ... and it's all 'cause the NBA says the point guard won't stop ghosting media members.

The NBA announced Wednesday evening it's hit Irving and his Brooklyn Nets team each with $35k fines for "violating league rules governing media interview access."

The NBA says Irving has repeatedly refused to show up for postgame media availability sessions -- a big no-no for players.

Of course, this ain't the first time the league has had to step in and slap Irving with a fine for this ... back in December, he was hit with a $25k fine for dodging media during training camp.

At the time, Kyrie famously appeared to react to the fine in a viral social media post in which he wrote, "I do not talk to Pawns. My attention is worth more."

Irving later explained his "pawns" comment was NOT a jab directed at reporters.

"Not even referring to you guys as pawns or media," Irving said. "It's just really how I felt about the mistreatment of certain artists when we get to a certain platform of when we make decisions within of lives to have full control and ownership."

Move over Aaron Carter and Lamar Odom ... Matt Barnes says he's got interest in a big celeb boxing match of his own -- telling TMZ Sports he's down to scrap with Chad Ochocinco!

... but, only if the price is right.

The former NBA superstar was out at Tierra Rejada Golf Club in California on Wednesday when he told us he doesn't hate the idea of getting in the ring with the ex-Cincinnati Bengals receiver, who's looking for an opponent after agreeing to participate on the undercard of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul event next month.

Barnes, though, tells us his fighting days are winding down quickly ... so it would take some serious convincing and serious cash to make it all work.

"I do box," Barnes said at the Golf Beef event (which promotes black-owned businesses) ... before adding, "but, to be honest with you, like, it's not something that I really want to jump into, to be honest with you."

"To me, I'm kind of past that stage of my life. But, if it ever came across and the money was right, I'd consider it."

The matchup is pretty intriguing ... both guys are tough dudes who have been known to hit the mitts during workout sessions.

And, with both their ages being similar (Chad's 43, Matt's 41) ... it could make for a helluva tilt!!

Pick a winner, Shaq!!

The NBA legend had a massive bat in the cave while working the desk for "NBA on TNT" on Wednesday ... and decided to go mining for the nose gold live on-air!!!

Shaq, along with Candace Parker, Dwayne Wade and Adam Lefkoe were wrapping up coverage on the Clippers vs. Raptors game ... when a giant green boulder rolled out of O'Neal's nostril.

Shaq's co-hosts tried to signal to the Big Man to wipe his face -- but O'Neal wasn't taking the hint ... and viewers started tweeting about the boogie during the show!!

Finally, the crew just TOLD Shaq to get rid of it -- and the moment he realizes he's been boogying down on-air is hilarious!

"That was the biggest booger I have ever seen in my entire life," Lefkoe told Shaq.

D-Wade pulled out a giant roll of paper towels and told Shaq there's no way in hell a typical Kleenex could handle that job!

Candace was DYING laughing!!!

"I didn't even know it was there," Shaq said ... "Y'all got me!"

Byron Scott shares LeBron James' hatred for the NBA's play-in tournament ... telling TMZ Sports he wishes the league would cut the crap and stick to its regular postseason format.

Remember, King James teed off on the NBA's postseason rule for 2021 earlier this week ... saying, "Whoever came with that s*** needs to be fired."

We spoke with Scott outside Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills about James' take ... and while the ex-player/coach says nobody needs to be canned over the concept, he makes it clear he thinks the idea sucks.

"I agree with him ... it should be the first 8 teams just like it's been for so many years," Scott tells us. "I don't believe in that play-in and all that stuff."

The play-in format has garnered mixed reviews ... with folks like Stephen Curry loving the idea ... and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban calling it an "enormous mistake."

Byron says it's obvious why guys like the current 8-seed Warriors would welcome the idea ... simply because it gives them a better shot at making the playoffs.

While the current 6-seed Lakers are a sneeze away from being forced into the play-in tournament, Scott says L.A. fans should take a chill pill ... 'cause it'll be "nearly impossible" for them to be sent home early.

"When LeBron gets back and he's healthy, Anthony Davis is back healthy, they're too good."

He added ... "They were together all last year. They know each other well enough. They know what they gotta do, so I'm not worried about it one bit."

Scott thinks the Lakers -- despite struggling with injuries and bad losses late into the season -- can "absolutely" repeat as champions in 2021 ... and has full faith in the organization.