Basketball

American Airlines has issued an apology to two professional basketball players -- including ex-Chicago Bulls player Marquis Teague -- after they were kicked off a plane by a flight attendant who accused them of stealing blankets.

Teague -- the Bulls 1st round pick in the 2012 NBA Draft -- boarded a flight in Dallas on Sunday with his Memphis Hustle teammate Trahson Burrell. Both players are black.

As they headed back to their coach seats, two 1st class passengers handed the players their blankets. Problem is ... a flight attendant accused the men of stealing the blankets and kicked them off the plane.

American Airlines says the flight attendant involved is also black.

Kenny Smith isn't trying to be a hater ... but he says there's one really huge flaw with LaVar Ball's plan to launch a pre-NBA hoops league for guys who don't want to play in college.

LaVar's plan is to sign 80 players for his Junior Basketball League -- a paid league for players who graduated high school and are looking for an alternative to the NCAA. The league will pay players between $3,000 and $10,000 a month.

But Kenny says he doesn't think LaVar will be able to find 80 kids good enough to sustain the league -- pointing out the NBA already has the "G-League" for players facing that exact dilemma.

Lot of toilet information to unpack in this post ...

First, Charlie Villanueva finally got his replacement toilet (courtesy of Poo-Pourri) after his crapper was stolen from his Dallas home earlier this week.

Charlie says ever since he went public about the burglary ... he's learned millions of people around the world don't have toilets and he now realizes there's a global sanitation crisis. He seems moved by the information and wants to help.

Also, we're told cops are getting closer to finding out who stole Charlie's toilet -- Dallas PD sent an investigator to the home and we're told there are real leads.

Turns out Santa Claus is real, and he's black, and he plays for the Washington Wizards -- because John Wall just got into the holiday spirit by buying Rolex watches for ALL of his teammates.

We talked with some peeps over at Govberg Jewelers in Philadelphia who tell us Wall came to them some time ago with the idea to cop Rolex President Day-Date watches for every member of the Wiz squad.

BTW -- these watches retail around $40k -- and the Wizards have 16 guys on the roster, so that's around $640k worth of yuletide.

Before you start to feel bad about the sweater you got your sibling, Wall signed a $207 million extension with the Wiz back in June, so y'all definitely aren't the same.

Shareef O'Neal isn't just a stud basketball player -- he's also got some reporting chops ... and he's got the inside scoop on LaMelo Ball.

Shaq's son was at the TDE Watts Christmas Charity Concert when he told us he spoke with LaMelo about his move to play pro ball in Lithuania ... and told us how the youngest Ball bro REALLY feels behind the scenes.

We also told Shareef about the NEW hoops league LaVar Ball is trying to launch -- and asked if he would ever consider joining up with his friends.

The short answer ... hell no.

Legendary play-by-play man Dick Enberg -- one of the most famous voices in sports history -- has died, his family confirmed. He was 82.

Dick's wife told reporter Bryce Miller he passed away at his home in La Jolla on Thursday. The family believes he died from a heart attack while getting ready to leave the house for a flight.

If you watched ANY sports, you know Enberg's voice -- he covered 10 Super Bowls, 28 Wimbledons and several NCAA basketball championship games.

He's also been honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Basketball Hall of Fame and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

R.I.P.

Get this ... Lakers player Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is serving a 25-day jail sentence -- AND playing in the NBA at the same time.

No, this is not a joke.

24-year-old KCP was sentenced to 25 days after pleading guilty to violating his probation stemming from a DUI arrest in Michigan back in March.

The NBA player was initially sentenced to 12-months probation -- and was required to submit to drug and alcohol testing. Problem is ... he didn't comply, so the judge ordered him to be locked up.

But here's the catch ... the judge allowed KCP to do a "work-release" sentence -- where he's locked up at a facility for most of the day ... but he's allowed to leave to do his job.

LaVar Ball says his new amateur hoops league is gonna crush the competition ... and he's got a loud, pointed message for anyone doubting his ability to run the show.

"The (Junior Basketball Association) is a heck of a league! Gonna be one of the most exciting ever!"

"And for all you haters out there -- keep doin' what you been doin' -- NOTHING!" LaVar said in a video posted to social media.

The Big Baller Brand honcho says the JBA – a league recruiting top amateur players like his son, LaMelo -- is ahead of the curve ... and finally paying young players "what they're worth" ($3k-$10k per month, reportedly).

LaVar also seems to take a shot at FS1's Jason Whitlock ... which is kinda confusing since Whitlock basically went to bat for Ball on Wednesday.

More trouble for Chris Bosh's mother ... Frieda Bosh has been arrested for allegedly using a disabled man in "drug distribution activities."

We broke the story ... the Texas home where Frieda lives was raided by law enforcement officials earlier this month because cops believes a drug trafficking operation was being run out of the home.

Now, officials say Frieda and another man living at the home, Johnathan Brown, were "exploiting a disabled person" ... by forcing the man to use his disibility check to pay their rent.

As we previously reported, the home is owned by Chris Bosh -- and Frieda says he's trying to evict her. They haven't spoken in years.

Officials say Brown was running the drug ring -- and Frieda "allowed this to occur as a means of obtaining free narcotics and marijuana from Brown, while also allowing narcotics and marijuana to be distributed from the offense location."

For her part, Frieda has denied wrongdoing -- and previously pointed the finger at a short-term tenant who had moved out of the home.

Kobe Bryant just got the first endorsement for the political career we're not sure he even wants yet ... U.S. Congressman Peter King says Kobe's got everything it takes to be an all-star politician.

Magic Johnson seemed to hint that Kobe's post-NBA calling was politics during a speech at the Mamba's jersey retirement ceremony, when he said Bryant had the ability to bring all people together.

We saw King -- who represents New York's 2nd district -- in D.C. and asked for an expert's opinion on the honorable Kobe Bryant from California, and here's the thing ... King seemed down with it.

BTW -- King uses all kinds of weird hoops analogies to give Kobe props, but the main takeaway is, he's on board.

This is a pretty hilarious clip ...

We saw Kyle Kuzma out in L.A. over the weekend with one of his pals and asked the Lakers rookie if he's supporting Lonzo Ball's Big Baller Brand.

Remember, Kuzma clowned on his teammate on social media last week -- saying, "Y'all really spending 600 dollars for this hat?" ... followed by some trash emojis.

So, we followed up with Kyle -- and while Kuzma didn't speak, his friend sure did ... "F*ck no he wouldn't buy one!!!"

That's when Kyle tried to do some damage control ... but it was too late.

We know ... it's all in good fun -- but still pretty hilarious.

Newly-retired Matt Barnes says the 'B' in his last name could stand for BILLIONAIRE in just a few years ... revealing his master money plan to join the 3 Commas club by the time he's 50.

Barnes was getting ready to attend an event for his new company, Active Dreamers -- which makes NBA pillows and blankets -- when he told us why he's dead serious about getting to that next level of wealth.

There's more ... Barnes says his portfolio is ready to explode -- he's even got a production company kicking out big projects, including a documentary called "Tale of Four Cities" due out in 2018.

Allen Iverson says it's "definitely an honor" making Odell Beckham's leg sleeve Hall of Fame ... and he's showing love to OBJ for the ink.

"I thought that was dope," A.I. told TMZ Sports at Baron Davis' Black Santa Basketball Fundraiser and celebrity game in Santa Monica. "I'm a big fan -- that's my little man."

FYI, Odell finished up his leg mural a couple weeks back ... putting the iconic play where Iverson took Tyronn Lue's soul next to black revolutionaries like MLK and Obama.

A.I. clearly loves the piece ... but we had to ask -- how does Coach Lue feel about it?!

"I know he don't have no problem with that."

Still waiting on confirmation from Ty ...

UCLA basketball is still drawing big stars in the crowd -- even without the Ball family -- with Caitlyn Jenner sitting courtside while the Bruins took on the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Jenner sat courtside with her publicist and longtime friend, Alan Nierob -- a UCLA grad who's a big shot on campus (he's on the board of visitors).

Unfortunately for Cait and Alan, the Bruins lost -- perhaps because all 3 players from the infamous China shoplifting fiasco are still not on the court.

As you know ... LiAngelo Ball ain't ever coming back -- he's off to Lithuania ... but his picture is still on the UCLA basketball tickets.

Awkward!!

Listen up, LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball -- in case you're having any second thoughts about Lithuania ... we found a team for y'all that tours the whole damn globe!

That's right -- we got Cheese and Jet of the Harlem Globetrotters out in NYC ... and they told TMZ Sports they'd be totally down to bring in the Ball bros.

"If it doesn't work out, come to the Globetrotters! Or come here first -- forget Lithuania!" Cheese said.

Dope offer for BBB ... but also kinda funny considering their teammate, Hoops, told us big bro Lonzo ain't exactly Globetrotter material.

Master P says his dream of being an NBA coach nearly came true with the New Orleans Pelicans ... telling TMZ Sports he was actually up for a job on the NBA team's coaching staff this year.

P sat down with us to talk about his coaching debut later this month in the Global Mixed Gender Basketball league he owns ... but also told us he almost got a shot at the big time.

"I feel like I could help the New Orleans team this year. You know I was up for that job last year as an assistant coach?!"

P didn't tell us exactly what kept him from getting the gig, but he did say it was ultimately the Pelicans loss, because he truly believes he could've made them a winner.

"I would've turned that team around." Later adding, "That should be a championship team right now."