Toronto Raptors

Toronto Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin is "vehemently" denying domestic violence allegations made by his ex-wife ... saying they're simply NOT TRUE.

Audrey Griffin posted a long message on Twitter Thursday ... claiming she experienced several incidents of violence from Adrian -- including when she was pregnant.

"How can someone continuously get away with abuse, almost take a life choking them while on the floor and almost passes out, throw them into a wall making a hole as big as their body, drag them across a lawn while pregnant ..." part of Audrey's message says.

Audrey continued ... "One thing I have realized is that I have been quiet and accepting of abusive behavior for far too long. And me staying silent has allowed sin to thrive. I can’t be quiet anymore. It’s too much to bear."

Adrian -- who starred at Seton Hall University and played 9 years in the NBA -- just released a statement through the Raptors ... saying his ex-wife is flat-out lying.

"This morning, accusations were made against me on social media by my former wife that I vehemently deny," Adrian says.

"We are involved in a longstanding legal dispute over alimony and child support arrangements. I am disappointed to have to address false accusations in this way, and I apologize for any distraction this has potentially caused for our team at this important time."

The Raptors added ... "When we saw these allegations this morning, we were dismayed -- Adrian is a valuable member of our team."

Masai Ujiri ain't in the clear yet from his altercation with a police officer at a 2019 NBA Finals game ... the Toronto Raptors president is now being sued over the incident.

The alleged victim, identified as Oakland police officer Alan Strickland, just filed docs in federal court claiming Ujiri owes him cold-hard cash after he says Ujiri attacked him.

The Sheriff's deputy claims Ujiri shoved him and hit him in the face and chest in the moments after the Raptors won the NBA championship vs. Golden State on June 13, 2019.

The officer at the time claimed he suffered a concussion and a jaw injury in the altercation.

But, Ujiri was able to avoid a criminal case, with the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office announcing in October it would NOT be pursuing charges against the 49-year-old.

"Mr. Ujiri attended a meeting with the District Attorney's Office focused on matters that we believe merited constructive, structured mediation and conflict resolution and were better handled in a setting outside the courtroom," a spokesperson said.

But, clearly, the officer wasn't willing to let Ujiri off that easily ... in the new lawsuit, Strickland says he's seeking damages in excess of $75,000.

Strickland is also going after the Raptors AND the NBA in the suit.

We've reached out to the NBA and Toronto Raptors for comment. A rep for the Raptors ownership group told us they were aware of the lawsuit, but had no comment.

So far, no word back from the league.

Wanna see a grown-ass man freak out on video?! Great!

Here's Toronto Raptors star Rondae Hollis-Jefferson TRYING to prove his toughness by walking on the famous glass floor at CN Towers in Toronto ... and IT DOES NOT GO WELL!

FYI, the glass floor at CN Tower (one of the tallest buildings in the world) is a major tourist attraction -- 1,112 feet above ground and people come from all over to stand on the glass and stare down! It's wild!

Rondae gave it a shot ... but when it came time to step on the glass, his fear of heights kicked in and the 25-year-old FREAKED OUT!!

The 6'6" star refused to walk on the glass -- instead he tried to crawl and scoot across ... and it's funny as hell!

For the record, ZERO people have died on the glass floors -- and building officials claim it's so strong, it could hold the weight of 35 MOOSE!!! So, chill Rondae.

There were no boo birds for Kawhi Leonard's big return to Toronto on Wednesday ... with the Klaw getting an epic tribute before his Clippers played the Raptors.

Of course, this is Leonard's first game back in the 6 after bailing for L.A. this past off-season ... and the Dinos gave an awesome video tribute of Leonard's many highlights from his lone year with the squad.

The best part of the ceremony came on the court ... with the arena lights highlighting Kawhi's path to his incredible buzzer-beating shot over the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semis last season.

The reception is totally understandable ... the guy helped the Raptors earn the franchise's very first championship.

Raptors team ambassador Drake was courtside for the moment ... giving the Klaw a shoutout on Instagram, saying "Kawhi's home" while showing off his own bling.

Leonard -- who is known for showing no emotions -- clearly looked appreciative of the gesture as he hugged all his ex-teammates and received his own title ring.

Here's Drake RUNNING HIS MOUTH LAST NIGHT -- talking smack to 76ers star Joel Embiid at the Raptors game ... while rocking his giant custom championship ring!

Of course, Drake is basically the official Raptors spokesperson and talked A LOT of trash to players during the '18-'19 championship run ... it was fun to watch.

But, with Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green both on other teams, we were wondering if Drake would keep that same energy this season. Answer -- YES.

Check out Drake chanting, "MVP," at Joel Embiid as he had his worst night of his career -- scoring ZERO points on 11 shots as the Raptors went on to win 101 to 96.

As for Drake's ring, the rapper went to famous jeweler Jason of Beverly Hills to get him a one-of-a-kind piece to commemorate his team's title run.

The piece is incredible -- it's got 30 carats of diamonds, which is more than any other championship ring in NBA history.

Jason told TMZ Sports ... "Drake had me fly to Turks and Caicos for an emergency design meeting."

"It's a championship that's dear to his heart and he wanted to create an over the top ring that not only paid homage to his city but made a statement above and beyond anything else in history."

Drake didn't just cop insane NBA championship swag for himself ... the 6 God also hooked the players up BIG TIME ... buying the Toronto Raptors custom Finals jackets!!

Of course, Drizzy copped a $150k custom championship ring to commemorate the Dinos' first-ever title ... and now he's decided to gift the dope jackets to all the guys who teamed up to beat the Warriors last season.

NBA Finals hero Fred VanVleet showed off the new merch on Tuesday ... and they come with the whole roster listed on one side, the iconic OVO owl on the other.

On the back, there's a raptor clinging on to the Larry O'Brien trophy ... and the phrase "The Best in the World" on top.

If the jacket looks familiar ... it's the same one the Raptors ambassador wore at the championship parade back in June.

Two big wins for the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday ... they beat the Pelicans -- and team President Masai Ujiri beat a battery charge.

Remember, Ujiri was accused of shoving a Sheriff's deputy in the moments after the Raptors won the NBA championship back in June. The officer claimed he suffered a concussion and a jaw injury in the altercation.

Cops investigated for months ... and on Tuesday evening -- right around the time the 2019-20 NBA season kicked off -- the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office finally announced they would NOT charge Ujiri with a crime.

"The District Attorney's Office has determined that no criminal charges will be filed in the matter," they said in a statement.

"Mr. Ujiri attended a meeting with the District Attorney's Office focused on matters that we believe merited constructive, structured mediation and conflict resolution and were better handled in a setting outside the courtroom."

Officials say investigators conducted a "thorough review of the entirety of the matter" and ultimately decided against charges.

"Both Mr. Ujiri and the Sheriff's Dept. were made aware of and were in agreement with the decision to handle this matter by way of the meeting, which took place on Monday Oct. 21, 2019."

"There will be no further action taken by the D.A.'s Office."

Unclear if the alleged victim will take civil action -- but where there's money, there's usually a lawsuit ... and Ujiri and the Raptors have money.

Drake really DOES need some really big rings ... 'cause Drizzy just copped a Toronto Raptors championship ring ... and then got an even CRAZIER one done for himself!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... not only did the Champagne Papi get the "official" ring the Raptors received during their opening night ceremony on Tuesday ... he also hit up Jason of Beverly Hills to get him a one of a kind ring to commemorate his team's title run.

The piece is incredible -- it's got 30 carats of diamonds, which is more than any other championship ring in NBA history.

Jason tells TMZ Sports ... "Drake had me fly to Turks and Caicos for an emergency design meeting."

"It's a championship that's dear to his heart and he wanted to create an over the top ring that not only paid homage to his city but made a statement above and beyond anything else in history."

As for the rings Kyle Lowry and Co. received on Tuesday ... those have a face made of 74 diamonds (to represent the number of team wins during the season), one large diamond, and custom-cut baguette diamonds to make up the Toronto skyline.

The outer edge of the ring is lined with 16 rubies to go with each roster member's numbers ... and the inside of the ring includes personal messages for each player.

According to the Raptors, it has more than 640 diamonds total -- which is a record for most on any pro-championship ring.

Jeremy Lin is getting public support from one of his Toronto Raptors teammates -- with Fred VanVleet telling TMZ Sports he believes Lin will get another opportunity to show he can ball.

Lin just made headlines because of an emotional speech in China -- where he cried when talking about the terrible season he had in Toronto.

Long story short, Lin says he hit "rock bottom" in Toronto during the championship 2018-19 season -- where he had the worst shooting performance of his career. In fact, Lin says at one point, he missed 17 3's in a row and because of that, he BARELY saw any action in the NBA Playoffs.

Lin also questioned his NBA future ... and said he felt the league has "kind of given up on me."

So, when we saw VanVleet -- a key member of that Raptors championship team -- we asked if he thought Lin was being too hard on himself.

"He was great, man," Fred told us on his way out of Catch restaurant in L.A. "He's gonna be alright. He's gonna land on his feet. He's gonna be alright."'

As for his future, VanVleet says it's ultimately up to Lin to decide if he wants to continue playing pro ball ... "He's got enough talent."

For the record, Lin has made more than $65 MILLION during his 9-year NBA career after being an undrafted free agent ... which in itself is pretty amazing.

But, Lin has said he's embarrassed of the way he played last season and doesn't feel he deserves to be called a champion because he was essentially a non-factor for the Raps.

Kawhi Leonard leaving for the Clippers doesn't mean a damn thing to Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam right now ... 'cause he tells TMZ Sports he's too busy being a champion!!!

Siakam -- the NBA's most improved player in 2019 -- was out in L.A. when we asked about The Klaw bailing on the 6 right after he helped win them a title ... and he's not sweatin' it one bit.

"We're still the champs right now, so I'm still enjoying that," Siakam said. "Imma figure out next season, next season."

The 25-year-old is coming off a breakout year for the Dinos ... and even being the center of trade talks ain't bothering Siakam.

"It's the NBA ... sh*t happens. It's the NBA. It's a business."

BONUS -- we got Siakam's take on Drake's insane indoor basketball court at his home in Toronto ... and he wants an invite!!!

We're almost 2 full days into free agency and Kawhi Leonard still hasn't picked a team ... so now singer Bazzi is resorting to using his pipes to recruit the NBA superstar to the Lakers.

... and it's freakin' beautiful.

Of course, the 21-year-old "Paradise" singer is a HUGE Purple & Gold fan ... and just like the rest of Laker Nation, he's pulling out all the stops to get the 2-time Finals MVP to join LeBron and Anthony Davis.

Bazzi took Michael Jackson's classic "Human Nature" and switched up the words with a Lakers twist, singing "Kawhi, Kawhi, tell me that you'll be a Laker ... I really want you in L.A."

Bazzi ain't the only one trying like hell to get the Klaw to the Lakers ... Steve Aoki is offering him free pizza for life ... and has a "Kawhi Not?" mural on the side of his Pizzaoki restaurant in Venice.

Even Clippers star Lou Williams made his pitch to get Kawhi to L.A as well, giving TMZ Sports a pitch to get Leonard to suit up for the other pro team in Tinseltown.

Here he is!!! Kevin Durant is back out in public just 2 weeks after suffering a devastating injury in the NBA Finals ... but it's clear he's got a long road to recovery. 

The 30-year-old superstar was out in New York City on Wednesday -- with a team of people helping him out of a building and into a waiting sprinter van. 

You can see KD's right leg is bandaged up from his toe to his knee. An assistant was also holding a walking boot for Kev while another person followed close behind with a medical knee scooter. 

The clip is pretty short but you can see Durant is trying to be independent. It's obvious he wants to be able to move around without help. 

Durant underwent surgery on June 12 to repair a ruptured Achilles -- which he injured in the 2nd quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. 

Durant had missed significant playing time before Game 5 due to a calf strain -- and some people questioned whether he came back before his body was ready. 

After the surgery, Durant posted on social media saying he wasn't pressured into returning -- and said, "I wanted to be out there that night because that's what I do."

There are reports Durant could miss the entire 2019-20 regular season due to the Achilles injury -- with some speculating he might be ready to go for the playoffs. 

Meanwhile, KD just declined his player option with the Warriors which means he'll officially be a free agent and can sign wherever he wants. He'll obviously get a max contract offer, which would kick off with a $38.2 mil starting salary. 

Get well soon!!!

Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri is speaking for the first time about an altercation where he allegedly shoved a cop after Game 6 of the NBA Finals ... saying, "I respect authority."

Ujiri is accused of pushing an officer both in the chest AND the face after the cop stopped him from stepping on the court to celebrate Toronto's championship win earlier this month.

Ujiri didn't want to get into specifics of the investigation during his press conference Tuesday ... but said, "My lawyers are updating me ... With that incident, I'm just going to respect what the process is there and the investigation."

"I am confident about who I am as a person, my character and as a human being."

Ujiri added, "I honestly am going to leave all my comments until the whole investigation is done. I think that's the fair way and the right way to operate when things like this do happen."

"I respect authority and I'll wait until that happens."

As we previously reported, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office says it's pursuing a criminal misdemeanor battery charge against Ujiri for the altercation.

As for the officer ... his attorney tells TMZ Sports the man suffered a concussion and a serious jaw injury -- and, as of last week, had yet to return to work.

Add DeMar DeRozan to the list of athletes against visiting Donald Trump ... 'cause the NBA superstar says even if he was still on the Raptors, he wouldn't celebrate their title at the White House.

Raps coach Nick Nurse said last week the team is setting up a trip to be honored by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ... but said they're undecided on going to 1600 Penn.

However, over the weekend Raptors star Danny Green told Yahoo Sports he's a "hard no" on visiting Trump.

Despite playing for the Spurs now, DeRozan is on board if the team decides not to go ... telling TMZ Sports -- "Sh*t, I wouldn't go, either!"

DeRozan joins a growing group of athletes who have spoken out against visiting Trump -- the Golden State Warriors, LeBron James, Red Sox manager Alex Cora and players like Mookie Betts, David Price and Jackie Bradley Jr. have all been vocal about not going -- just to name a few.

You think Drake was happy when the Toronto Raptors won the NBA title?

His dad was even HAPPIER -- because Dennis Graham had $100,000 riding on the Raps ... AND WON!!!

"I am the happiest guy in the world," Dennis told us in Hollywood with 2 ladies on his arms.

"I bet $100,000 on the game and I won $300,000!!!"

You see this? Drake's dad is RICH!!! (Okay, *more rich). PIMP HATS AND CHAINS FOR EVERYBODY!!!

There's more ... Dennis also has some advice for the Raptors when it comes to visiting Donald Trump -- DON'T. He thinks the team should meet with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau instead.

"Justin Trudeau is a much classier guy than that IDIOT Donald Trump," Dennis says.

Oh, and Dennis also explains why he wasn't at the Raptors victory parade in Toronto -- telling us he's got big things in the works in Hollywood that took priority.

10:20 AM PT -- Trump -- who was meeting with Trudeau -- was just asked if he's planning on inviting the Raps to 1600 Penn ... and he said, "That's an interesting question. They played phenomenal basketball, I watched a little bit of it."

"We'll think about that, if they'd like to do it, we'll think about that."

So ... maybe???

Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse says he's DEFINITELY looking forward to celebrating their NBA championship with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ... but Donald Trump? That's TBD.

It's uncharted territory for Canada's NBA team, considering this is their first title in franchise history ... so, many have been wondering if the Dinos would get an invite to party at the White House.

Nurse addressed the possibility with Prime Time Sports on SportsNet 590 ... saying the team hasn't gotten a call from Trump's camp yet ... and even if they DO get an invite, he's unsure how they'll RSVP.

But, as for meeting the top guy in Canada? Nurse says plans are already in the works ...

"Definitely the Trudeau meeting, because they have been asking me about scheduling it," Nurse said. "I've heard nothing from the White House. We're Canada's team anyway, right?"

Politics aside, Nurse says he truly doesn't know if there will be a trip to 1600 Penn, "I think we're here. Let's go see Trudeau up in Ottawa ... we're Canada's team."

Remember, the Golden State Warriors -- who won the NBA title the past two years before the Raptors -- famously boycotted Trump's White House ... opting to visit with President Obama instead.