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"Do I think he can win it? No. I know he can win it!"

That's LaVar Ball telling TMZ Sports he knows his son, LaMelo, can win NBA's MVP this season ... which would make him the youngest player to ever win the award.

The 20-year-old is already a star -- he won 2020 NBA Rookie of the Year, was selected All-Rookie First Team and became the youngest player in Hornets franchise history to have a 30-point game.

But, can LaMelo -- who's averaging nearly 20 points, 8 rebounds and almost 8 assists in his second season -- really win the trophy over guys like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo?!

LaVar says "yes" ... but there's something he's gotta do first.

"Here it is ... they're not gonna give Melo the MVP unless he makes it to the Finals," LaVar said at Cool Kicks L.A. "Then you gonna make MVP."

"You know why? The NBA -- what do you need? You need the next superstar, and you know who he is?! My boy! And, I got a bunch of 'em!"

FYI -- the current youngest MVP was Derrick Rose, who won it at 22 years for the Bulls.

The Hornets are currently in the middle of the Eastern Conference ... but it's still pretty early in the season, so who knows what'll happen.

There are so many Thanksgiving leftovers it's hard to keep up ... that's why we are filling you up with these gorgeous gals to curb your appetite for Kardashian content!

Whether it's a homemade meal, fast food or a lavish night out at a five-star restaurant, these famous snacks will never miss the opportunity to snap and serve you up their selfies enjoying the meal!

Belly up to the table and take a bite out of this delicious gallery of these nutritious Kardashian food photos to really hit the spot ... if you have expensive taste, that is.

Bebe Rexha might not be your regular Grammy darling -- but she doesn't need any of the trophies to confirm the most important thing in this biz ... namely, people love her music.

Here's the deal ... BR has three songs that have now broken a billion streams each -- including her hit with G-Eazy, "Me, Myself & I" -- which clearly means fans dig the content and then some -- but as Bebe herself noted, she doesn't have the hardware to prove it.

That's what we talked to her about this week at LAX ... where we asked why she thought the numbers don't necessarily translate to awards, even when the consensus among listeners is overwhelming.

Watch what she had to say ... in Bebe's eyes, there's a lot more at play behind the scenes when it comes to collecting accolades -- including politics and money, and it sounds like she thinks her music, for whatever reason, doesn't sway the powers that be.

No matter, though ... 'cause Bebe tells us she's got everything she needs to be happy -- including enough dough to take care of her family, and the love and support of her label/team ... not to mention her adoring fans, which is all that matters to her.

Great perspective here, and it might actually be a trickling down philosophy courtesy of Champagne Papi ... who's been snubbed many a time at award shows.

Hidden underneath this big grinning guy is a fashion-forward actor who has deep dived into his intense characters on screen.

This stretched-out star is best known for his iconic roles in film, including his rendition of a chaotic villain who battles against Batman in an epic superhero franchise. Not shying away from his musical abilities as well, this multi-talented celebrity formed an out-of-this-world band with his brother nearly two decades ago ... and they are still rocking out together to this day.

Blac Chyna's advice on the new 'rona variant is about the same from when she was screaming in an airport not too long ago -- everyone's gotta get vaccinated, and now.

We spoke to the influencer and reality TV star at LAX Friday, where she gave us her thoughts on what scientists are calling Omicron ... a new strain of COVID that's apparently spreading from South Africa to other parts of the world.

Chyna agrees it's pretty scary, but she stays on message ... saying folks have gotta get jabbed up. When we ask why she thinks many haven't yet -- she's got an interesting answer.

Watch ... BC seems to think this might be about perception and proximity -- namely, if no one in your immediate circle is affected, you're less inclined to believe how dangerous the virus is.

To her, it's nothing to take lightly ... and she, unfortunately, knows that first-hand -- as Chyna tells us she's lost loved ones to COVID, noting it's not a game and absolutely lethal ... especially now that there's this new variant that's threatening to break loose.

Kanye's not givin' up on love, and he's counting on God for Kim to see it his way ... And some big verdicts this week. So, we gotta ask ...

The reporter who botched an interview with Adele for not listening to her new album just made a mea culpa over his own airwaves ... and even described what we'll never see.

Aussie journo Matt Doran, of Channel 7's "Weekend Sunrise," ended one of his segments this week with a full-blown apology to both Adele, her Australian fans and his viewers at large ... over what he called a blown opportunity, all because he didn't properly peruse his inbox.

Doran reiterated what he'd already said this past week ... namely, that the reason he hadn't heard "30" prior to the sit-down is because he didn't check out a link Sony had emailed him in the 11th hour, which ended up being a preview of the album in full.

While they were chatting in early November -- well before it dropped -- Doran says he admitted to Adele he hadn't heard the full thing yet ... but clarified what happened after.

Unlike some reports that claim she abruptly left the interview upon hearing this -- apparently insulted by his lack of knowledge -- Doran insists the opposite happened ... according to him, they finished the interview, which he says ran over time, and that Adele was delightful.

He also recapped what exactly they'd discussed -- seeing how the interview will never see the light of the day, reportedly thanks to her label, which put the kibosh on it.

Sounds like they got into some heavy stuff, so it's a shame we'll never see it. Anyway ... here's hoping Adele can forgive him -- like he asks for here -- 'cause it seems MD has gotten well into the weeds of the album and then some since his blunder.

Alice Sebold's movie adaptation about her 1981 Syracuse rape has utterly fallen apart in the wake of the exoneration of the man she accused -- and one of the film's stars is out too.

Netflix's Victoria Pedretti -- who has a leading role in "You" -- is no longer associated with the project, "Lucky," which was set to depict the plot of Sebold's 1999 memoir of the same name ... this according to Variety. It's unclear who Pedretti was supposed to portray, but some are guessing it might've been the author herself.

In addition to losing Pedretti's acting talents ... the project has lost all of its financing, which had apparently been crumbling in the months leading up to Monday's incredible news.

The revelation ... the man Sebold pinned the rape on, Anthony Broadwater, was fully exonerated last week after one of the former EPs attached to the "Lucky" movie dug into the facts of the story ... this after having suspicions about the script and its source material.

Tim Mucciante actually left the project over what he perceived as holes in the story -- but not just that, he actually went out of his way to hire a PI and lawyers to delve even deeper ... and ultimately consult with the local D.A.'s office -- which agreed that the evidence was shoddy, and asked the court to vacate Broadwater's 1982 conviction this week.

Lo and behold, they did exactly that ... and the dude broke down in tears for what he called a travesty of justice that had besmirched his name (and his life) for decades now.

Here's the crazy thing ... the truth appears to have been hiding in plain sight. What put Broadwater away for over 15 years was Sebold's on-the-stand testimony that he'd raped her in '81, plus microscopic hair analysis which has since been debunked as illegitimate science.

Not just that, but even the process of ID'ing Broadwater as the guy was completely botched -- first, she says she saw an unidentified Black dude approach her in the streets months after her rape, and she felt that this person was her attacker at Syracuse University.

She notified the cops and they canvased the area, picking up Broadwater for fitting the general description. Sebold is said to have failed to pick him out of a lineup shortly thereafter -- zeroing in on another Black man -- but somehow, Broadwater became the prime suspect.

Once he was face to face with her in court that following year, she definitively said it was him ... and the rest is history. He was released from prison in '99, and has had a rough go since.

Dave Chappelle's first Q&A over his transgender controversy did not go well -- but it was honest ... because kids from his alma mater told him exactly how they felt.

According to Politico ... Dave paid a visit to his old high school -- the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in D.C. -- shortly before Thanksgiving this week and encouraged students who were angry with him to get on the mic and air their grievances during an assembly.

Interestingly, an event at this same school had previously been postponed ... over what many perceived was the backlash Dave was facing. Seems they came to an agreement.

Anyway ... things immediately got off to a rough start, as the packed auditorium of about 580 teens half cheered and half booed for the guy -- and when he exclusively invited the naysayers to speak, the discussion went downhill fast ... and got pretty contentious.

Politico reports one student stepped up and called him a "bigot," adding ... "I'm 16 and I think you're childish, you handled it like a child." Dave responded, "My friend, with all due respect, I don't believe you could make one of the decisions I have to make on a given day."

In response to another Q, Dave said ... "I'm better than every instrumentalist, artist, no matter what art you do in this school, right now, I'm better than all of you. I'm sure that will change. I'm sure you'll be household names soon." Apparently, that pissed off the kids more.

When one student yelled out, "Your comedy kills!" ... Dave reportedly said, "N****** are killed every day." Story goes, the rest of the convo went exactly like that -- no apology surfaced.

There was also a camera crew in tow ... and some of the students told Politico after the fact that they felt intimidated and that there was a power imbalance Dave was clearly aware of and exploiting. Funny enough, there were some students who were sour about not being able to express support for Dave -- remember, he only let those who were pissed speak.

Toward the end of the Q&A, Dave reportedly softened his tone ... when he disavowed threats some of the students have purportedly received for their outcry over Chappelle. He even gave each of them tickets to his new documentary film, but it's unclear if this squashed anything.

Karol G took one of the hardest falls onstage we've seen in a while -- but she also bounced back just as quickly.

The singer was performing in Miami Friday, playing to a packed FTX Arena ... when, at one point, she slipped and fell down a flight of stairs on the stage.

Check out the video ... it's pretty brutal, as the fall was quite long -- and sent her whole body twirling all the way down. Eventually, she landed on all fours facing the ground ... almost in a fetal position.

One of her dancers raced down to attend to her, but before ya knew it ... she was back on her feet and carried on with the show. Unclear if she ended up finishing her entire set, because afterward she told a local outlet her nails were broken and her knee was busted.

A group of thieves rushed a Home Depot in SoCal for what may lead to more looting and robberies -- making off with hammers and crowbars in what's becoming an alarming trend.

Cops say about 10 individuals hit up a HD in Lakewood, CA -- just outside of Long Beach -- Friday night ... going directly to the aisles that had large wrenches, crowbars and sledgehammers, as that appeared to be the only items they were interested in.

Somebody got video of the alleged suspects escaping through the front doors, pushing past people. One employee claims as many as 20 people ransacked the place, and were allegedly threatening to hit people with said stolen goods if they attempted to stop them.

While most got away ... the police say they've nabbed 4 people they believe were involved.

On the opposite side of town -- in ritzy Beverly Grove on Melrose -- a luxury retailer called Bottega Veneta was also raided by an unidentified group of people ... who allegedly stormed in, grabbed purses and other goods and then fled before cops could arrive.

These are just the latest of a string of smash-and-grab/flash mob-style robberies that have not only hit the Los Angeles area ... but elsewhere in California, and well beyond our state lines.

There have been reports of similar types of crimes happening in Illinois, Minnesota and other states -- and cops have gone on high alert to try and curb the brazen attacks on stores and businesses.

It's hard to tell to what extent this spree is, and among who -- although in some cases (like in Walnut Creek) it's quite obvious there's some coordination going on ... as many as 25 cars reportedly blocked off a street and lined up side by side as passengers exited and cleaned out a Nordstrom.

Of course, there's not much citizens -- let alone employees -- can do to stop this. Reports say anyone who's attempted to get in the way has risked getting attacked with pepper spray or being swung on ... and workers are usually told not to try and play Batman for this scenario.

Jon Gosselin was bitten by a spider, and it really messed him up.

Jon tells TMZ ... he doesn't know exactly where it happened, but his leg swelled up to twice its normal size. He says ... and the pain was "excruciating." He could barely walk and rushed himself to an Urgent Care, where he got an Rx for antibiotics and antibiotic cream.

Jon told The Sun he believes it was a brown, recluse spider. If he's right, these critters are super dangerous. People have lost limbs after being bitten. Some have even died.

Jon made it clear to The Sun, 2021 has sucked for him ... "My first thought was 'What now?' I have had a rough year, my breakup was hard, then I got COVID, which was bad. It was really weird because when I looked at my leg I realized it was twice the size and there's a red-looking blister with a large red circle around it."

Gosselin went on to say ... "It kind of looked like a cigarette burn, but really raised. The doc immediately knew the pain was from a brown recluse, which is a deadly spider. My entire leg had swollen up from the cellulitis."

He wasn't done ... "The doctor told me that I was lucky to come in because if you don't treat this you can lose limbs or die from a bacterial infection. I just wish I knew where the spider was so I can take my revenge."

Kanye West is clearly upset over his impending divorce with Kim Kardashian, but Friday night he had a ton of fans offering him comfort.

Kanye was swarmed at the Lakers game as he entered the Staples Center. He signed autographs and posed for selfies and seemed like he was in a great mood as fans mobbed him.

Ye sat courtside with a friend as he watched the Lakers fall to the Kings in a nail-biter. Kanye wore a black leather jacket with a matching hoodie and a cap. He chowed down on chicken strips and fries.

His mood seemed to change pretty dramatically ... hours before, he posted a photo of him and Kim kissing, in yet another effort to resuscitate their marriage.

Ye stopped by the L.A. Mission Wednesday and grabbed a mic ... telling the folks he was keeping faith that God would repair things between Kim and himself.

Kanye has pulled out all the stops to try and save his marriage ... even admitting to failures as a husband.

On Thanksgiving, Kanye posted a prayer, confessing to drinking too much, letting his ego and temper get the best of him and even to being a "self-righteous Christian," saying, "I was arrogant with my Jesus. Like I had just got me some Jesus at the Gucci store with a stimulus check."

He went on ...  "Good Lord, my wife did not like me wearing the red [MAGA] hat. Being a good wife, she just wanted to protect me and our family. I made me and our family a target by not aligning with Hollywood's political stance, and that was hard for our marriage."

LeBron James took it in the crotch Friday ... and it cost him $15k.

LeBron was in Indiana with the Lakers, and after making a pretty awesome shot, he grabbed his crotch. Now there's a backstory here. Two Indiana fans had just been ejected for grabbing their crotch -- presumably taunting LeBron and it apparently caught his eye. After making the next shot, LeBron returned the favor to the crowd by grabbing his crotch.

LeBron said after the game, "When obscene gestures and language come into it, can't be tolerated. There's a difference between cheering for your team and not wanting the other team to win, and things I would never say to a fan and they shouldn't say to me."

The Lakers won in overtime 124 to 116 ... nevertheless, it's been a rough November for one of the best players ever. As you know, LeBron was suspended a week ago after elbowing Detroit center Isaiah Stewart. After a bloodied Stewart went after LeBron, both players were booted from the game.

LeBron was also suspended for a game, which enraged him. He called "bulls***" on NBA officials who benched him, saying the elbow was unintentional. He said he merely "grazed" Stewart. BTW ... the "bulls***" comment didn't sit well with NBA officials ... they gave him a warning.

LeBron explained the contact with Stewart this way ... "His elbow got kinda high, got me off balance a little bit. His elbow lifted my arm. I basically tried to swim move down on his arm. When I went down on his arm, he got off balance, and the left side of my hand grazed his face ... definitely accidental."

Brian Laundrie may have killed himself with a handgun he took from his parent's home, but information about the missing gun was kept secret ... until now.

The Laundrie family attorney, Steven Bertolino, tells TMZ, Chris and Roberta Laundrie voluntarily surrendered all of the guns in their home to police back on Sept. 17. At the time they were aware a handgun was missing.

Bertolino says law enforcement felt it was best not to reveal the gun was MIA. He also says Brian's parents "were shocked the gun was missing and they were upset."

As we reported, a Florida medical examiner concluded Brian Laundrie died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Authorities have not said if the missing handgun was found at the scene.

What's puzzling ... if there was well-placed suspicion Brian Laundrie had a gun, why wasn't a warning sent out that he might be armed and dangerous? After all, he was missing for weeks and he could have been on the run.