Basketball

He plays for Minnesota, but NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns was ALL ABOUT PHILLY on Sunday -- decked out in Eagles gear ... and celebrating after the victory!

The Timberwolves star (who's in town to play the Clippers) hit up Craig's -- in a very good mood -- reveling in his team's NFC Championship victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

FYI, KAT grew up in Edison, NJ -- about 60 miles from Philly.

So, how does he feel about the Eagles' chances against Tom Brady?

Move over, Ball bros -- Shareef O'Neal says the Lakers are his #1 choice when he goes pro ... and if we were Magic Johnson, we'd start working OT to make it happen.

We got Shaq's son touching down in LAX ... and asked who he'd want to draft him since his NBA career is creeping up.

Shareef told TMZ Sports his favorite team and player were the Cavs and LeBron James, respectively ... but there's 1 thing that puts the Purple and Gold above playing with the King.

Jermaine O'Neal's got a fool-proof plan to getting Nate Robinson back into the NBA ... and it all starts with ballin' out in Ice Cube's BIG3 league!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the ex-NBA All-Star about the newest addition to his Tri-State squad ... and J.O. reveals he personally recruited Robinson because he knows the 33-year-old still belongs in the pros.

O'Neal says the NBA scouts should have their eyes on Nate throughout the season ... 'cause his team is gonna feed him the ball the whole time!!

How does Scottie Pippen feel about his good friend, Kim Kardashian, naming her baby after his beloved Chicago?!

Scottie loves it!!

Joel Embiid says he's OVER Rihanna -- officially declaring he's moving on after trying to get a date with her for years.

Seems Lakers rookie Josh Hart thinks Embiid's making a mistake.

Backstory ... Embiid has long claimed he hit on Rihanna back in the day and she told him to come back when he made the NBA All-Star team.

Well, now he has ... he'll be a starter on the East ... so, TNT's Kristen Ledlow asked Joel if he had a message for RiRi now.

He shot her down -- it was hilarious.

So, we asked ex-Villanova star Josh Hart if Embiid's making a mistake.

Sebastian Telfair -- former NBA point guard -- has been ordered to stay at least 100 yards away from his estranged wife and kids after she claims he went on a violent window-smashing rampage at their home.

Samantha Telfair filed court docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, claiming Sebastian showed up to her home in Irvine, CA on Jan. 12 and went nuclear on the doorbell when he realized she wasn't home.

32-year-old Telfair began cussing like crazy and kicking the door -- even when the couple's two young kids came out of the house and begged him to stop.

When Samantha finally got home, Sebastian approached her aggressively -- but she was able to get into the house. Instead, Samantha claims, Sebastian bashed in the front windshield of her car.

Cops were called and an emergency restraining order was issued against Sebastian.

Samantha says she's worried about Sebastian's overall mental health -- saying he's threatened to kill himself and has "become increasingly hostile, unstable and violent."

She also gave police a photo of the guns officials confiscated from Sebastian during an arrest in NY back in June.

A judge granted a temporary restraining order against Telfair. There's a hearing in the matter set for next month.

LaVar Ball was dead serious about starting his own semi-pro basketball league -- and now he's got the ball rolling when it comes to locking down the trademarks.

TMZ Sports has obtained documents showing LaVar (doing business as the Big Baller Brand) has filed applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to get the rights for the "JBA" aka the "Junior Basketball Association."

BBB is looking to use the league name and a logo (a silhouette of Lonzo Ball dunking) for athletic apparel, uniforms, hats, footwear, etc.

LaVar has previously said he wants to create the league for high school basketball players who don't want to play for free in college ... but can't get to the NBA yet.

He's stated he wants to pay players between $3,000 and $10,000 per month. He's looking to recruit 80 players to fill 10 teams.

LaVar is gunning to launch the JBA in the Summer of 2018.

Dennis Rodman has checked into rehab ... again ... in the wake of a drunk driving arrest, his rep confirms.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Rodman was busted in Newport Beach, CA over the weekend -- after cops say he was swerving all over the road and blasting loud music while intoxicated.

We talked to Rodman's rep, Darren Prince -- who says The Worm has entered Turning Point Rehabilitation Center in Paterson, New Jersey to deal with his alcohol issues.

Rodman has been to rehab before -- once in 2014 ... and he was also featured on 'Celebrity Rehab' with Dr. Drew back in 2010.

They balled out for 60 on Monday, now LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball followed up to combine for 36 points in Wednesday's game in Lithuania!!

Both Balls got starting nods for their 4th pro Lithuanian game -- their BC Vytautas squad took on Šakių Vytis as part of the 3rd game in the Big Baller Brand Challenge.

Gelo led the team with 22 points and 7 rebounds ... while Melo added 14 points and 2 rebounds.

For what it's worth ... Vytautas won the game 93-89.

Shareef O'Neal -- Shaq's son -- revealed he did not make the prestigious McDonald's All-American Game ... and now one NBA star is boycotting nuggets as a result.

FYI, the Micky D's game features the top high school players in the country -- Shaq was the co-MVP of the game back in 1989.

As you know, 18-year-old Shareef is a top prospect (he's committed to the Univ. of Arizona) -- but, for some reason, he didn't make the McDonald's cut.

LeBron James (the MVP of the game in 2003) didn't approve of the snub ... and spoke out on social media.

"Nephew listen, Even though we all know you should have made that McDonalds game use it as motivation to prove not to those who didn’t vote you in, not to those who is actually in the game but more importantly to yourself that u belong!"

He added, "Keep grinding, studying and working daily! The light is always brighter at the end of the tunnel."

Matt Barnes went harder -- saying McDonald's made a "huge mistake" and that he won't let his kids have nuggets anymore ... "NO MORE NUGGETS!"

Matt Barnes is sounding off on everything from NBA fighting, to the NBA refs sucking, to calling Austin Rivers an arrogant punk ... and he doesn't care who knows it.

The recently retired NBA star went off on the NBA refs on Tuesday night -- telling TMZ Sports straight-up, "Now that they can't fine me, the refs are terrible!" The refs got too big of egos."

He also said why NBA fighting can be good for the league.

As for his former Clippers teammate, Austin Rivers ... buckle up.

"Austin kinda rubs people the wrong way," Barnes told "Mad Dog Sports Radio" ... "He talks a lot of trash and doesn't really back it up. I think people are probably tired of that."

Barnes says Rivers "carries himself like he's a 10-time All Star and he's not that and that kind of arrogance rubs you the wrong way."

"And then if you're talking trash on top of that there are some guys that's not gonna have it and I know Trevor [Ariza's] one of 'em."

Despite tempers flaring and a locker room standoff, Houston Rockets player Eric Gordon says the incident with the Clippers is simply, "No biggie."

Yeah, right.

Gordon hit up Catch in West Hollywood after the heated battle with the Clippers in which several Rockets players -- including Chris Paul -- reportedly tried to fight Clips players in the tunnel and locker room area after the game.

Gordon told TMZ Sports he doesn't expect any suspensions and really played the whole thing down as no big deal.

One of the Rockets players reportedly involved in storming the locker room was Gerald Green -- who was also at dinner with Gordon after the game. He looked calmer, but still upset.

Nearby ... Clippers star DeAndre Jordan hit Poppy alone -- but he wasn't his usual talkative self for obvious reasons.

The Ball boys are back in a BIG way ... bustin' out for 60 POINTS combined in a blowout win for BC Vytautas in Lithuania.

LaMelo showed out from the jump -- getting up for a dunk and beating the first-half buzzer -- but the dopest play of the game had to be when he found big bro, LiAngelo, for a fastbreak oop in the 3rd.

Full disclosure -- Melo also missed an alley-oop to himself ... but who cares when you're a Big Baller?

Melo ended up with 31 -- 2 more points than Gelo -- and their squad's now 2-0 in their team's "Big Baller Brand Challenge" series exhibitions.

Not bad after being held scoreless in their 2nd pro game -- their first against legit pro competition.

Kid Rock had a group of youth basketball players yellin' "bawitdaba" after a recent Pistons game ... and all he had to do was hook 'em up with some free hot cocoa!!

Here's what happened ... a Canadian youth hoops team was leaving the Pistons vs. Rockets game this past weekend when they spotted the rocker inside his Made in Detroit restaurant.

The American Bad Ass noticed the team gawking through the window, so he invited the whole group in and ordered 15 hot cocoas on the house!!

The team's coach thanked the Detroit native for the gesture ... who then told him to pay it forward.

How great is it to be NBA player Dejounte Murray?? Let this clip of the Spurs baller and his insanely gorgeous GF hittin' up an L.A. hot spot do the talking.

The 21-year-old and Insta model Jilly Anais went on a hot date Wednesday night at Mastro's in Bev. Hills for a romantic night ... and while Dejounte's outfit stands out, all eyes were on Jilly.

The couple have been together for about a year now, and they seem to be inseparable ... posting pics together on social media all the time.

The Ball bros (mostly LaMelo) had some sick hoops to kick off their pro careers in Lithuania ... but there was some ugliness, too -- and we cut up the video for all you Ball fans/haters out there.

Young Melo probably had the plays of the game -- a dope, no-look dish on a fast break and a Kobe-esque up-and-under reverse (see that, Lakers??). But LM also got sloppy with the rock and missed all his 3-balls.

LiAngelo got the start and looked sluggish out the gates ... but recovered to outscore his little bro, 19 to 10.

Of course, LaVar was watching in the stands -- and lost his mind whenever anything good happened.

Oh, and over 100,000 FANS tuned in. BBB's clearly doing something right.