Basketball

TV legend Jimmie Walker is sick and tired of NBA stars complaining about life -- telling icons like LeBron James, KD and Kyrie Irving to keep quiet and just be happy to be making so much money. 

"The thing that upsets me the most about NBA players is they're so upset, they're so angry," the former "Good Times" star told TMZ Sports. 

"Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant ... what are you upset about? I'm happy if I'm making that kind of money! They're always complaining."

72-year-old Walker says NBA stars have lost touch with reality -- "They don't understand what it's like to be in real life. Real life is getting your own bags off the [luggage carousel]. No charters, no limos waiting for you ... that's what real life is about."

Walker also went off on NBA stars for getting too political -- saying, "I think that when you're making $150 million a year, people don't want to hear your political views." 

He added, "They should have NO political views. They should be very happy to say, 'I'm doing good.' Donate to charity, do your basketball charity benefits or whatever, but don't put people down."

"Just say, 'I'm very fortunate to be here. I'm lucky and I'm very happy.'"

Kobe and Vanessa Bryant have just posted the first pic of their new baby girl ... and she's incredibly adorbs!!!

You know by now the baller fam named their daughter, Capri Kobe Bryant, and that the future Hall of Famer nicknamed her KoKo. But here she is in all her glory and she's literally a bundle of joy ... wrapped in a swaddle and looking angelic with a rosy headband.

As we reported ... Kobe and Vanessa welcomed their fourth daughter last month. She was born on June 20 but the family announced the birth the following day. The proud papa wrote, "We are beyond excited that our baby girl 'Koko' has arrived #BryantBunch #4princesses #blessed."

Vanessa was just as excited, obvi. She wrote, "So thankful for our newest baby blessing."

Rap mogul Irv Gotti is a hardcore New York Knicks fan -- and he didn't hold back when we asked how he felt about the Knicks striking out in free agency ... 

"Man, F*ck Dolan!"

Yeah, he ain't happy. 

Gotti -- along with a bunch of other Knicks fans -- are furious with owner James Dolan for not signing any of the marquee free agents up for grabs over the past few days. 

He's especially upset about Kevin Durant -- who not only didn't sign with the Knicks, but inked a deal just down the way with the Brooklyn Nets. 

Ditto for Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan. 

"Yay for the Nets," Gotti told TMZ Sports sarcastically the other day ... "I feel like Stephen A. Smith. I'm disgusted."

Dolan has been having a rough 2019 -- back in March, he took a lot of heat after he was caught on video ejecting a Knicks fan from Madison Square Garden after the fan heckled Dolan to sell the team. 

Shaquille O'Neal just dropped the music video for his EDM track with NGHTMRE and Lil Jon ... and it's a crazy combo of headbanging, Ferraris and ... doing taxes??

Hell yeah!!!

DJ Diesel -- AKA the biggest DJ on the planet -- teamed up with the L.A. producer and crunk rapper for the perfectly titled banger, "BANG," which was originally released back in February.

The song alone will make you want to flip your desk over and quit your job ... and now that the video came out this week, we get to enjoy watching Shaq and the gang rage their faces off and goof around.

Seriously ... the dudes go from spa days to arcades to playing hide-and-seek ... and a bunch of live shots from Ultra Music Festival in Miami in between.

Of course, Shaq's been spending his time on the 1s and 2s in recent years and gaining the respect from fellow DJs like Diplo, who told us back in February the NBA legend is "killin' it" in his new career.

How do you celebrate after getting a $170 MILLION contract offer? 

If you're Ben Simmons, you hit the Hollywood nightclubs with a massive entourage!!

That's what the 22-year-old did last night ... rolling into Bootsy Bellows in West Hollywood like the ultimate VIP and TMZ Sports has the video. 

Simmons -- looking super casual in a hoodie and a baseball cap -- strolled right past the normies and walked right into the club with a bunch of dudes and ladies surrounding him. 

It was a pretty pimp moment from one of the biggest young stars in the NBA. 

Ben joined some huge celebrities in the club including Dave Chappelle, A$AP Ferg and rapper Trinidad James. 

Simmons only made a measly $6.5 mil this season -- but if/when he signs his max contract, he'll be making around $34 MIL per year (He has until October to sign the contract). 

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.

WNBA superstar Brittney Griner says it's "AWESOME" that Lil Nas X has come out as gay -- telling TMZ Sports, "I think it's real big!"

28-year-old Griner is openly gay -- she's engaged to longtime girlfriend Cherelle Watson -- and knows first hand how tough it can be to come out when you're a big star under the microscope. 

But, the 5-time WNBA All-Star says she's especially impressed with the "Old Town Road" artist for not letting homophobes and negative gay stereotypes (especially in the hip-hop world) stop him from going public about his sexuality. 

"I just think it's awesome he did that," Griner says ... "takes a lot of bravery."

Griner says it's 2019 and people should be able to love who they want to love and be who they want to be without fear of a backlash ... and she thinks Lil Nas X is helping to achieve that goal. 

"I think it's real big ... kudos to him."

NBA hooper Evan Turner says he can't wait to get on the court with his new team ... telling TMZ Sports "it's gonna be dope, it's gonna be legit" to play for the Atlanta Hawks.

30-year-old Turner was just traded from the Portland Trail Blazers to ATL last week ... putting the vet on a roster full of young talent like Trae Young, Cam Reddish and DeAndre Hunter.

We spoke with the former #2 overall pick in the 2010 draft about the move ... and he's excited to get started with his new team.

"We're gonna have some fun, man," Turner says ... "I think the whole experience is gonna be legit, it's gonna be fun."

No Klaw? No problem! ... so says Kenny Smith, who says LeBron James and Anthony Davis are destined to lead the Lakers to NBA championships with or without Kawhi Leonard!

But, don't get it twisted -- The Jet says Bron needs to do whatever he can to land a player like the Klaw ... but if Leonard doesn't sign with L.A., Lakers Nation shouldn't freak out.

"You've got LeBron James, you've got Anthony Davis. [Leonard's] just an extra bonus," Smith tells TMZ Sports ...  "You should win the championship with that without question."

We asked Smith if the Purple and Gold are getting too greedy in trying to get Leonard ... Smith had a strong take on that too! 

"What's after 'greedy?' I'm thinking of the word after 'greedy' ... gluttonous! You're getting gluttonous."

No other Warriors player will ever wear #35 again ... so says Golden State co-chairman and CEO Joe Lacob who heaped the ultimate praise on Kevin Durant after the superstar signed with Brooklyn. 

"As long as I am co-chairman of this team, no player will ever wear #35 for the Warriors again," Lacob said in a statement. 

Durant only played for the Warriors for 3 seasons -- but Golden State got to the NBA Finals every time ... and won 2 out of 3 championship titles. Durant was the NBA Finals MVP both times they won. 

Of course, Durant became a free agent at the end of the 2018-19 season and is signing a massive deal to play with Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan on the Brooklyn Nets. 

But, Lacob ain't bitter -- saying, "Three years ago, we were thrilled with the arrival of Kevin Durant, a transformative NBA player and one of the best to ever play the game."

"Today, as he starts a new chapter in his incredible career, we thank KD for all of his contributions, for being an integral part to one of the most prolific runs in NBA history and we wish him well as he continues his Hall of Fame journey."

FYI, the Warriors have only "officially" retired 6 jerseys in team history -- so this ain't something they do often. 

There's more ... TMZ Sports just spoke with Warriors GM Bob Myers who praised Durant for being "awesome" ... and noting, "Appreciate all he did." 

LaVar Ball is going scorched earth on Charles Barkley for calling him an "idiot" ... saying Chuck is jealous of his success ... and Barkley wishes he was his dad.

Remember, just a few days ago Barkley blasted LaVar for the comments he made to ESPN's Molly Qerim ... with Charles saying, "Wherever LaVar Ball is, there's a village missing an idiot ... We should just keep LaVar off television."

LaVar got wind of Chuck's comments ... and he ain't pleased.

"I don't even pertain to Charles because he's so jealous of me," Ball says. "He want to be me so bad. He never had a father. He wish I was his father. That's why he's so animate towards me."

FYI -- Barkley was raised by a single mother and has been very open about his family's struggles growing up. Ball clearly had no issue going after Chuck's personal life, continuing to go in on the Hall of Famer.

"He's just got a little problem right now. He an old guy, he don't know where he's going right now. So, it's okay. But hey, I ain't gonna mess with Charles. He's lost in his mind right now. It's okay, when you get old sometimes that happens."

"I know he's jealous. He wants everything I got. People don't come up to him, kids don't believe in him. Nothing."

He's still on crutches, but NBA star Pau Gasol is already thinking about a healthy new contract -- telling TMZ Sports resigning with the Milwaukee Bucks seems to "make sense."

The 38-year-old is still recovering from surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left foot from an injury back in May -- but when we saw him out in NYC this weekend, he was out and "feeling better."

But, the big question ... where will Gasol play next season? 

Remember, Gasol signed with the Bucks in March after being released from the San Antonio Spurs -- but only played in a couple of games before the injury forced him to miss the rest of the season. 

Gasol has previously said he thinks Milwaukee -- with Giannis Antetokounmpo -- has a real shot at winning a championship ... and it's clear he still feels that way. 

"I think it would make sense," Gasol told us when we asked about going back to the Bucks ... "I want to help a team win a championship."

When Michael Jordan took on the original batch of MonStars back in "Space Jam," he did it WITHOUT his running mate, Scottie Pippen ... and now Pip is telling us why he wasn't in the flick. 

Remember, MJ and Bill Murray starred in the movie back in 1996 ... with a core group of NBA stars that included Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson and more. 

When production on the movie began in 1995, Michael Jordan had just come back from retirement ... so he and Pippen were teammates in the Chicago Bulls again -- which had people wondering why didn't #33 have a significant role???

So, when we saw Pip at LAX on Thursday, we needed that explanation!!! 

I think I was injured or recovering from offseason injuries," Pippen said ... "I wasn't able to participate."

If he WAS healthy though, Pippen says he would have agreed to a role in a heartbeat.

Meanwhile, LeBron James is already shooting the sequel -- and some people are wondering why he didn't sign Zion Williamson to take on the MonStars. 

A big charity event went down Saturday night at L.A.'s Staples Center, and a huge amount of loot was on the line in a basketball tourney.

The stadium was packed with recognizable faces ... Chris Brown, Jake and Logan Paul, Tana Mongeau, Lil Pump, Nick Young, Pauly D, Jordan Clarkson, James Charles, Austin McBroom, and on and on.

The charity -- sponsored by the ACE Family -- is wide-ranging. Each participant donates $50,000 and the team that wins chooses the charity. In addition, proceeds from the gate go to the chosen charity.

NBA fashion god Kelly Oubre Jr. is turning his swag into a money making machine ... and he tells TMZ Sports one of his dream collabs is none other than Fear of God creator Jerry Lorenzo!!!

Wave Papi has been turning heads with his threads since entering the league in 2015 ... and even took part in his first Paris Fashion Week event over the weekend ... making headlines in the process. 

Now, he's in the process of launching his own line -- Dope Soul -- so, we had to ask who he'd love to work with in the fashion game ... and dude's aiming for the hottest names in the game.

Not only is the 23-year-old baller trying to work with his guy, Lorenzo ... he also name-drops Virgil Abloh of Off-White and Louis Vuitton.

We also asked Oubre about his "shawl" look during the Pigalle Paris event ... and he explains the inspo behind the 'fit.

James Harden may have been rocketing down a Shanghai street a little too fast, because he was corralled by cops and slapped with a ticket.

Khloe Kardashian's ex was cruising on a scooter Friday when he was pulled over. It's unclear exactly what he did wrong -- allegedly -- but whatever it was caught the eye of police. BTW, Shanghai is crawling with cops.

It looks like he was riding with friends, and they went on their merry without incident.  

The Rockets star has been in China for more than a week doing a promotional tour for Addidas.  He's done a meet and greet with fans at the Beijing University of Technology and led a youth basketball clinic at the Tianhe Sports Center in Guangzhou.