Serena Williams' Husband Rips 'Racist/Sexist Clown' Billionaire ... Over Criticism

Published | Updated

Serena Williams' husband is clapping back HARD at a billionaire who criticized the tennis legend ... with Alexis Ohanian calling the guy a straight-up "racist/sexist clown."

Here's the backstory ... Ion Tiriac -- the super-rich ex-tennis star who's the director of the Madrid Open -- went on a Romanian television show recently and jabbed at Serena.

"At this age and the weight she is now, she does not move as easily as she did 15 years ago," Tiriac said, according to ProSport in Romania.

"Serena was a sensational player. If she had a little decency, she would retire! From all points of view."

FYI, Tiriac has quarreled with Serena in the past ... he's criticized Williams' weight while pining that the sport needs to shine a spotlight on players outside of her. Williams, meanwhile, called those comments in 2018 both "ignorant" and "sexist."

This time, however, it was Williams' husband who fired back at Tiriac ... and the co-founder of Reddit didn't pull punches.

37-year-old Ohanian went after Tiriac on social media ... blasting the 81-year-old in a series of tweets.

"Safe to say no one gives a damn what Ion Țiriac thinks," Ohanian wrote. "Had to Google it... turns out my 3 year old has more Grand Slam victories than this [clown]."

Ohanian added, "2021 and no holding back when a racist/sexist clown with a platform comes for my family."

For her part, 39-year-old Williams has yet to publicly comment on the matter.

Eminem I'm Really Sorry Rihanna ... No Memory of Recording 'Stupid' Old Diss

Published | Updated

Eminem already apologized to Rihanna for an old leaked diss by saying sorry on his new track, "Zeus" ... but he's going the extra mile to show just how sorry he is.

Shady opened up about the leaked snippet of "Things Get Worse" during a SiriusXM interview Monday, saying he doesn't have any recollection of recording the verse in which he raps that he sides with Chris Brown ... this shortly after CB assaulted Rihanna in 2009.

Em's controversial verse -- "I'm not playing, Rihanna, where'd you get the VD at?/ Let me add my two cents/ Of course I side with Chris Brown/ I'd beat a b***** down too/ If she gave my d*** an itch now." He scrapped it from the final version of his 2019 collab with B.o.B.

The rapper says he told his manager after the leak that he had no idea how someone got it, but also claims ... "I have zero recollection of even remembering doing that verse." Eminem added ... "The rhyme scheme doesn't even sound, like, familiar to me. So I was caught off guard, too. I was like, 'What the f***?! I said that?'"

Shady says it's no excuse, and calls it "f***ing stupid" of him to record the verse, but claims at the time he was re-learning how to rap due to his addiction issues. He says he believes he just went with it because it rhymed ... but adds he should have thought better of it.

On "Zeus," Eminem addresses Rihanna directly with the lyrics ... "And wholeheartedly, apologies, Rihanna/ For that song that leaked, I'm sorry, Ri/ It wasn't meant to cause you grief."

Sounds like he's set on making amends ... but it's still unclear if the same goes for his brewing beef with Snoop Dogg.

Donald Trump Jr. Miffed Over 'Amen & Awoman' Prayer ... Congressman Claps Back

Published
UPDATE

1:14 PM PT -- Rep. Cleaver says he's disappointed his prayer has been "misinterpreted and misconstrued" by people like Trump Jr. to "fit a narrative that stokes resentment and greater division among portions of our population."

UPDATE

The Congressman calls his "amen and awoman" line a "light-hearted pun," and says it was "in recognition of the record number of women who will be representing the American people in Congress during this term as well as in recognition of the first female Chaplain of the House of Representatives."

UPDATE

Rep. Cleaver accuses those who criticized his pun of twisting his message and demeaning him, so he claims for his next prayer he will ask God for "strength to overcome these terrifyingly tribal times, and the courage to come together in an effort to heal the nation."

Donald Trump Jr. thinks it's "insane" the opening prayer for the new Congress ended with an "amen" AND an "awoman" -- but he's blaming the apparent case of wokeness gone too far on Democrats, in general.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver raised some eyebrows by ending his invocation Sunday for the 117th Congress with the gender-inclusive phrasing. Maybe the Congressman was joking -- if he was smiling his face mask covered it -- but the remark had DJT Jr. brushing up on his Latin.

He angrily tweeted ... "amen" simply means "so be it" in Latin -- though its origin is actually believed to be Hebrew -- and says it isn't a gendered word. So, he called out Cleaver for "being insane" with his prayer pun and asked his followers ... "Is this what you voted for?"

010421_emanuel_cleaver_kal
"AMEN AND AWOMAN"

Other Republicans are taking shots too, including Rep. Guy Reschenthaler and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich ... who said, "House Democrat prayer ending as House Dems focus on gender security by abolishing virtually every normal gender term like "father. Mother"-the radical madness has begun."

So, there you have it ... please mentally and womentally prepare yourselves for the madness.

Originally Published -- 8:20 AM PT

Myles Garrett Daps Up Mason Rudolph After Game ... Helmet Attack Forgiven?!?

Published | Updated

Hatchet buried?!

Myles Garrett and Mason Rudolph shared a handshake and exchanged pleasantries in a post-game moment Sunday -- something no one expected to happen roughly 13 months after the infamous helmet attack incident!

Remember, it was in Nov. 2019 that Garrett swung a helmet at Rudolph's head during a nationally televised Browns vs. Steelers game -- with some calling for the Browns star to be criminally prosecuted.

The situation got super nasty between the NFL players -- Garrett claimed Rudolph had used the n-word on the field, something Rudolph had vehemently denied. Ultimately, Myles was hit with a 6-game suspension that ended his 2019 season.

The two teams clashed again on Sunday night -- with Rudolph filling in at QB for Ben Roethlisberger ... and the big question, is there still bad blood???

No helmet swinging this time around as the Browns beat the Steelers -- but after the game, cameras caught Myles and Mason dapping each other up.

"Myles came over and said, 'good game,' postgame and that's all it was," Rudolph said. "I told him 'good luck' and that I had a lot of respect for him."

Added Garrett, "I just told him good game -- he played a hell of a game -- and we’ll see you all in a week," Garrett said. "He played tough. He had 300 yards and a couple of touchdowns. He played very well, and he kept them in it to the very end."

010321_myles_garrett_mason_rudolph_kal
MUTUAL RESPECT

"Had to show a little praise that he did well in this game and he was able to make some big plays for them."

So, friends? Not exactly ... but the situation is 1000000 times better than it was last year.

And, get this ... Myles and Mason will have a chance to continue their chat on Sunday when the Browns face the Steelers AGAIN in the AFC Wild Card game.

Beers after the game?

Snoop Dogg to Eminem 'Soft Ass S***' on 'Zeus,' Shady ... Don't Make Me Answer!!!

Published | Updated

Snoop Dogg is finally speaking out after being dissed by Eminem on a new song -- this after Snoop kinda dissed Shady himself -- and it sounds like a good old-fashioned hip-hop beef is cookin'.

The Doggfather left a telling comment on an Eminem fan page's IG post, which laid out clips of Marshall recently explaining why he called out Snoop by name on his new track, 'Zeus,' which was released earlier this month as part of his 'Music to be Murdered By' deluxe album.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Snoop's thoughts to Em's justification ... "Pray I don't answer that soft ass S***." He added a bunch of laughing emojis after, so it seems this might be all in good fun. But still ... testy.

ICYMI ... Eminem, earlier this week, broke down why he took shots at Snoop on 'Zeus' -- saying he was responding to comments the Long Beach rapper made over the summer on 'The Breakfast Club,' where he said Em wasn't a top 10 rapper in his eyes, and that he could live without Eminem's contribution to hip-hop if he had to choose historical impact.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Snoop also said Eminem wouldn't be anybody without Dr. Dre -- something Em actually agreed with. His whole thing is Snoop's tone, which he says he took as disrespectful and unnecessary in making his point. Em says everyone's entitled to their opinion about the best rappers to do it, but he was taken back by how flip Snoop was about writing him off.

As for what Eminem actually said about Snoop, it wasn't as fiery as you might think. Lyrics go ... "And, as far as squashin' beef, I'm used to people knockin' me / But, just not in my camp / And diplomatic as I'm tryna be / Last thing I need is Snoop doggin' me / Man, Dogg, you was like a (Yeah) damn god to me / Nah, not really (Haha)//I had "dog" backwards / But I'm startin' to think, all these people takin' shots at me / S**, it's no wonder."

Remember, Snoop and Eminem run in the same circle -- they've both worked extensively with Dr. Dre ... so it's understandable why Shady was shocked to hear Snoop talk about him the way he did. To us, it doesn't sound like Snoop was taking special aim at Em with ill-intent, but the latter clearly took it that way.

The only question now ... what happens next??? Em said what he had to say, and assuming Snoop's words here aren't just a joke ... a diss track from him might be forthcoming 👀

'Fresh Prince' Star Janet Hubert Slams Lori Loughlin ... Got Off Easy Because She's White

Published | Updated

The OG Aunt Viv is pissed ... this time she's taking aim at Lori Loughlin, claiming Hollywood's about to reward her -- after a super light prison sentence -- simply because Lori's white.

"Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" star Janet Hubert's been railing against Lori ever since the actress got out of federal prison on Monday ... after serving just under 2 months for her role in the college admissions scandal.

Following Lori's release, Janet went nuclear ... saying white actresses get new shows and pilots when they commit crimes, and predicted Lori "will get an Emmy for her time in prison."

Janet summed up her disgust with the hashtag #onlyinamerikkka.

Janet's still fuming ... on Wednesday, she compared Lori's 2-month sentence to the 5-year sentence handed down to Tanya McDowell, the Black mother who was punished for sending her kid to the wrong school district.

Remember ... Lori and her husband, Mossimo, entered guilty pleas after prosecutors accused them of paying $500,000 in bribes to get their daughters into USC.

Janet insists her anger isn't just because she's Black ... she added, "there are many white parents who are pissed as well."

After years of attacking Will Smith -- a beef they squashed during the recent 'Fresh Prince' reunion -- it looks like Janet's got a new nemesis.

Young Thug on Jay-Z Name 30 Songs of His You Know!!! 1 Month After 3000 Diss

Published | Updated

Young Thug's latest stop on his Let's-Disrespect-Rap-Legends tour lands on the doorstep of Jay-Z ... whom he claims doesn't even have dozens of songs people know by heart, unlike himself.

YT made the controversial comment on an episode of the Barstool podcast 'Million $ Worth of Game' ... where Thug boastfully claims his own tunes are anthems -- songs a whole stadium can rap along with him at the drop of a dime.

He went on to say that's very rare in hip-hop -- and then invoked Jigga's name by saying, "Jay-Z ain't got 30 songs like that, where the whole stadium finna sing." Thug immediately got an awkward pause out of most everyone in the room ... with Gillie da Kid trying to be nice and correct him, saying Jay DOES have a lot (an understatement).

Young Thug tried backtracking a bit, explaining he wasn't targeting Jay specifically -- but simply using him as an example of rappers he's seen perform where, apparently, the majority of the crowd doesn't know a song. It's an eyebrow-raising claim, and here's why.

Jay's catalog runs incredibly deep -- he's literally got 100 songs that have appeared on Billboard's Hot 100 ... 21 of which went Top 10, and 4 going #1. Young Thug, by contrast, has 4 Top 10s and two #1s. It's not close.

Of course, his shot at Jay -- which is being torn apart online -- comes one month after he openly talked down on a fellow Atlanta MC ... none other than OutKast's Andre 3000.

During an appearance on T.I.'s 'ExpediTIously' podcast, Thug said he couldn't rap two 3000 songs to save his life ... adding that he never paid attention to the guy, and also claimed Dre wants the younger generation of rappers to kiss his ass. All kinds of trash, really.

One last thing ... Thug apparently has bad blood with Lil Wayne too, and says he thinks he's qualified to take on Weezy in a Verzuz battle ... because of their equal "influence."

Someone come get this man, please.

Donald Trump 'Elitist Snobs' in Fashion Biz Denied Melania Magazine Covers!!!

Published | Updated

Donald Trump has too many grievances to count ... the latest being his anger that Melania has not graced a single magazine cover in the 4 years he's been President, and he thinks he knows why.

Trump tweeted his outrage that, as he called her, "the most elegant First Lady" has been blackballed from mag covers by "elite snobs," and without directly saying it, it seems he might be zeroing in on Anna Wintour.

Melania was on the cover of Vogue in 2005, shortly after her marriage to Trump, but that was it.

Michelle Obama, by contrast, was on the cover of Vogue 3 times during her tenure in the White House. The last cover was in November 2016 ... after Trump's victory. As you know, the Obamas popularity drives Trump insane, so no surprise here.

Melania was actually on one cover that we know of ... the February 2017 issue of Vanity Fair Mexico.

Wintour is not a Trump fan, for sure. She's been public about her political preferences, which include Kamala Harris, whom she profiled in April 2018.

How 'bout focusing on that COVID relief bill, please.

Logan Paul Fires Back At Canelo Alvarez ... You Spit On The Ethics Of Boxing!!!

Published | Updated

Logan Paul is going NUCLEAR on Canelo Alvarez ... saying the champ has no room to call him "disrespectful" to boxing after testing positive for a banned substance.

LP is responding to Canelo's recent comments to TMZ Sports ... where the 30-year-old fighter said it's a "lack of respect" for pros to fight YouTubers like the Paul Bros -- claiming it's more about money than the love of the sport.

121620_canelo_alvarez_kal DECEMBER 2020
THEY HAVE NO RESPECT

The social media superstar addressed Alvarez's comments on Monday ... and he didn't hold back.

“I think he’s the guy that got caught using steroids twice," Paul said on the Night Shift Gaming stream. "We want to talk about disrespecting boxing, talk about a guy who didn’t play by the rules."

Of course, Canelo was hit with a 6-month suspension after testing positive for Clenbuterol in 2018 ... which the fighter blamed on tainted meat.

Regardless of the explanation, Paul says it takes away Canelo's right to talk down on his own boxing endeavors.

"To say we’re disrespecting the sport, I feel disrespected especially as it’s coming from a guy who quite literally disrespected and spit on the ethics of the sport. Yeah, it upsets me."

Paul says Canelo's pissed that he has an upcoming fight with Floyd Mayweather ... when that's the only loss on the top pound-for-pound fighter's record.

"F**k you. Suck a d**k," Paul added. "I think he’s salty because I get a chance to beat Mayweather and he lost to him. That’s his one loss."

Logan -- who admits he idolizes Canelo and considers him one of the greatest fighters of all time -- defends his boxing pursuits ... saying he trains like a maniac and isn't half-assing anything.

"Just 'cause we're attempting to do something and put on a great show and putting in the work, doesn't mean you have to s**t on us. Like, what the f**k, bro?"

'Verzuz' Too Short, E-40's Lyrics, Dancing and Stories ... You Know Who Won!!!

Published | Updated
122020_verzuz_kal
THE BAY AREA WINS

Too Short and E-40 played their classic tracks, put down some classic dancing and told classic stories -- so yeah, the last "Verzuz" of 2020 was a West Coast classic.

The Bay Area rap legends acknowledged their longstanding friendship from "BR" -- before rap, as 40 puts it -- but then went at each other in a tight competition. As with most "Verzuz" battles ... the online debate about a winner was fierce.

Too Short played hits like "Freaky Tales," "Life Is...Too $Hort," "I'm a Player," "Buy You Some'" and "Blow the Whistle."

E-40 brought it with "U and Dat," "Captain Save A Hoe," "I Got 5 On It" (Remix), "Yay Area," and "Hope I Don't Go Back."

Both were sipping on drinks throughout the night which, for E-40 at least, meant it was time to do some dancing -- hilariously entertaining.

As TMZ first reported ... the stage setup featured 2 classic lowrider whips behind each MC, and they also repped for the Bay with street signs for their hometowns of Oakland and Vallejo.

So, the consensus is E-40 hit hard early on in the battle, but Short put together a 2nd half streak of bangers -- as for who won overall?

Billboard judged it a tie, but the MCs themselves say the true winner was ... the Yay Area. So, exactly the way Short predicted it would play out.

Too Short & E-40 Friends Let the Trash Talk Begin ... It's ON for Verzuz!!!

Published | Updated

Too Short and E-40 don't want you to get it twisted ... they're buddy-buddy now, but there's gonna be plenty of smack talk leading up to and during their rap battle ... and it's already heating up.

The Bay Area rappers joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday ahead of their highly-anticipated matchup on "Verzuz," and we asked them if they're really going to keep it friendly during Saturday's match.

Short and 40 say don't let their chummy attitudes fool you ... they're coming out swinging. In fact, each of 'em threw a jab or 2 while we were talking to them.

Remember ... this week in Bev Hills, Too Short made it sound like it was going to be all love between them -- and nothing like the beef-fueled "Verzuz" Gucci Mane and Jeezy put down.

But, now, as they get close to game time ... their competitive juices are flowing.

Still, they both agree on this -- the showdown's gonna be an educational trip down memory lane, with plenty of fireworks and, yeah ... trash talk.

Eminem Fires Back at Snoop ... Apologizes to Rihanna

Published | Updated

Eminem's clapping back at Snoop Dogg in a new song after Snoop left him off his top 10 rappers list ... and he's also giving Rihanna a long-overdue apology.

The Detroit rapper just released a deluxe version of his album, "Music to Be Murdered By - Side B" and he responds to Snoop on his track, "Zeus."

Em raps ... "And as far as squashin' beef, I'm used to people knockin' me. But, just not in my camp. I'm diplomatic, 'cause I'm tryna be. Last thing I need is Snoop doggin' me. Man, dog, you was like a damn God to me. Man, not really. I had dog backwards."

121820_snoop_dogg_kal
LEFT OUT

Pretty soft as disses go, but Eminem's rebuttal comes after Snoop left him off his list of top 10 rappers of all time. Back in July, Snoop called Eminem "the great white hope" ... but basically Em owes all his success to Dr. Dre.

Em and Snoop have performed together -- they're both tight with Dre -- but now their beef seems to be heating up. It'll be interesting to see how/if they patch things up.

As for Rihanna ... Eminem said he's sorry for an older track -- not released, but leaked -- where he said he "sided" with Chris Brown.

He raps, also on Zeus, "But, me, long as I re-promise to be honest, and wholeheartedly, apologies, Rihanna. For that song that leaked, I'm sorry, Ri. It wasn't meant to cause you grief. Regardless, it was wrong of me."

Maybe he'll say the same about Snoop ... eventually?

Jose Canseco Logan Paul Beef Is Personal After Bad Break Up with Daughter Josie

Published
1216-Jose-Canseco-and-Logan-Paul-AUDIO-2 DECEMBER 2020
EXPECT TRAUMA AND DRAMA

Jose Canseco is REALLY pissed at Logan Paul over the breakup with his daughter -- suggesting something scandalous went down behind-the-scenes.

The ex-MLB star isn't spilling all of the tea ... but says the split between Logan and supermodel Josie Canseco earlier this year "left me with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth."

Now, 56-year-old Jose wants to FIGHT the 25-year-old YouTube star to defend his family's honor.

... and yeah, Jose insists this is for real.

"I actually met him when my daughter and Logan came down to Vegas," Jose said this week to Sports Talk Chicago on AM 1530 WCKG.

"He seemed like a very nice young kid -- to me, seemed a bit on the arrogant side. But, then all of the sudden they broke up."

"I gotta give you the final details, they will come up .. but you know, it left me with a little bit of a bad taste in my mouth."

Once Jose floated the idea of boxing Logan on social media back in November, Logan replied, "No problem. I love smashing Cansecos."

Yeesh.

Now, Jose is calling for LP to back up his words ... saying he'll be waiting for him after his exhibition with Floyd Mayweather next month.

"Get ready, this is real. This is not a joke ... If I hit him, he's going down."

Jose also says he's not intimidated by Logan's age and boxing experience -- saying, "Even though I'm 56-years-old, I do have some martial arts and celebrity fighting experience."

Jose even references his 2009 fight against South Korean MMA star Hong-man Choi -- a 7'2" monster who beat down Jose in just over a minute when they squared off.

"After fighting a guy who's 7'2" and 400 pounds, these guys look like shrimps to me," Jose says.

As for his strategy, Jose says he will channel his inner Rocky Balboa ... using 3 words to finish Paul off -- "Blunt force trauma."

"If I get in the ring with him, I'm going to use 270 pounds, get him in the corner and it's gonna be simple -- blunt force trauma. A lot of power."

Offset on Snoop Dogg Love Ya SD, But on 'WAP' Stuff ... Let Ladies Do Their Thing

Published | Updated
121220_offset_snoop_cardi_kal
stay outta their biz
UPDATE

5:16 PM PT -- Cardi's husband, Offset, just weighed into the controversy over Snoop criticizing Cardi B for being too openly sexual on 'WAP' -- and his message is basically this ... dude, pause.

UPDATE

We got the Migos rapper Saturday in Bev Hills, and asked him about the tiff Snoop caused by saying Cardi shouldn't be so vulgar in her music -- and he tells us that while he loves Snoop and respects him like no other ... he says the Doggfather's got it wrong here.

UPDATE

Check out Offset's rationale ... he makes some very valid points. For starters, he says men should NOT be telling women what to do period -- but especially as it pertains to their own business and bodies. He says that's been going on for way too long throughout history, and Offset thinks we should uplift ladies now more than ever and let them shine.

UPDATE

More importantly, Offset points out the double standard of male rappers being able to rap in often pretty filthy terms -- including promoting violence, etc. -- but don't catch any flak that a female rapper might when she crosses a line in a man's mind. Offset also points out that he, too, has children ... but that on this front, ya gotta acknowledge it's entertainment and not a moral compass.

UPDATE

Here's hoping they can all break bread after this -- sounds like Offset's cool enough with Snoop to call him up anytime.

Snoop Dogg thinks Cardi B needs to rein it in a little when it comes to talking about and showing off her lady parts -- which has a lot of people scratching their heads.

The legendary rapper -- who's no stranger to getting raunchy -- sat down for a virtual interview recently with Central Ave and gave his honest thoughts about Cardi's hit song 'WAP,' which he says is a bit much on the explicit front ... and not a good look.

He says Cardi should "slow down" when discussing her privates, because he feels like a woman's vagina is something that should be cherished and kept secret for whoever's fortunate enough to encounter it. He says he'd like to see more privacy and intimacy, and 'WAP' pretty much epitomizes the exact opposite of that ... in his eyes.

Of course, folks were quick to jump on Snoop and call him out for what seems like hypocrisy -- seeing how he's made a career rapping about women and sex, and sometimes in very explicit terms.

Not to worry, because that irony was not lost on Snoop in his chat -- he acknowledged that if he was a younger man, he'd probably be all about it ... and might even hop on the 'WAP' remix. With that said, he notes that he's just older and sees things differently now.

Snoop mentioned having a daughter changing his perspective on life, but in the same breath ... he says she's "of this generation," so he tries not to flex too much.

Oh, the times ... they are a-changin', Snoop.

Originally Published -- 1:10 PM PT

Taylor Swift Drops 'Evermore' Album ... Shots at Kim, Kanye and Tom?!?

Published | Updated

Taylor Swift dropped her second album of 2020, setting fans on a rabid hunt for hidden meanings in her lyrics ... and some hear references to her Kim and Kanye feud and a failed relationship.

"Evermore" features 17 tracks, one of them being "Long Story Short" ... where Taylor sings, "I tried to pick my battles 'til the battle picked me. Misery." Fans believe it's an obvious reference to her 2016 war of words with Kim and Kanye over the lyrics to his song, "Famous."

If you don't know already ... Kanye's verse, "I made that bitch famous" -- in reference to Taylor -- sparked a massive back and forth between Kanye claiming Taylor knew the lyric was happening and Taylor claiming the opposite.

Shortly after that feud, Taylor started dating actor Tom Hiddleston, but the couple split after just a few months ... and fans think the chorus for "Long Story Short" references that too.

She sings, "Clung to the wrong lips. Long story short, it was the wrong guy."

The album's not even 12 hours old yet, so stay tuned -- we're sure there's more fan analysis to come.

LeBron James 'Hurt' By Kyrie's Clutch Comment ... 'Are You F***ing Kidding Me?'

Published

"When I was seeing that and I read it, and then I got the full transcript and I heard it, I was like, 'Man, f**k.' I was like, 'Are you f***ing kidding me?'

LeBron James is breaking his silence on Kyrie Irving's apparent shot at the Lakers superstar's clutch abilities during the NBA Finals ... admitting, "It kind of hurt me a little bit."

Uncle Drew raised eyebrows back in October when he spoke about teaming up with Kevin Durant in Brooklyn ... saying, "One thing I've always been comfortable with, I felt like I was the best option on every team I played for down the stretch," Irving said via "The Etcs" podcast.

"This is the first time in my career I've looked down and be like, 'That motherf**ker can make that shot too.'"

Of course, many considered the words a direct shot at LeBron, but Irving quickly denied that ... saying, "Why must it always be brother against brother? Why?"

Kyrie added, "If I'm addressing anyone, I'll say their name."

LeBron said he was shocked by the comments, insisting he wanted nothing but the best for Irving during their 3 years together on the Cavs.

LeBron notes things "could never align" with Irving in Cleveland ... "But I only cared about his well-being, both on and off the floor."

As for the timing of Irving's comments, LBJ said, "It was a f**ked up time ... Because it was the Finals ... the middle of the Finals."

James admitted he's gotten used to distractions on the biggest stage ... which is why he was able to block the outside noise en route to bringing home the championship in 2020.