Controversial S#!T

Kawhi Leonard is suing Nike over his "Klaw" logo ... claiming he drew the symbol himself -- and saying the footwear giant has NO right to copyright it.

It's all in a new lawsuit filed by the Toronto Raptors superstar ... in which he says the famous logo of a "K," an "L" and his jersey number actually came from his own hand, pen and paper back in 2011.

"Leonard traced his notably large hand, and, inside the hand, drew stylized versions of his initials, "KL," and the number that he had worn for much of his career, "2," the lawsuit states.

The problem for Kawhi? He says he permitted Nike to use the logo after he signed a contract with the shoe giant in 2011 ... but they filed for a copyright of the logo "without Leonard's knowledge or consent."

Now, Leonard is suing ... saying they had no right to do that -- adding that when he initially gave permission to use the symbol, it was to "mutually benefit" both parties.

In his lawsuit, Leonard wants control of his logo back ... and is also claiming Nike "committed fraud on the Copyright Office" by registering his logo.

Don't worry, Lakers fans -- things may be a dumpster fire right now, but you still have Kobe Bryant ... 'cause Lance Stephenson tells TMZ Sports the Black Mamba is mentoring the team!!

There's been a lot of drama around the Lake Show lately ... from failed coaching searches, Magic Johnson quitting and bombshell reports of dysfunction in the front office.

Despite all the noise, Stephenson says he's confident the Lakers are legit contenders next season ... and it might have to do with the 5-time champ hangin' around.

We asked if Bryant has taken on a mentoring role with the team during retirement ... and Stephenson said "definitely, he always comes to practice."

There have been reports that Kobe is also trying to lure Kyrie Irving to sign with the Purple & Gold this offseason ... so even in retirement, the dude's putting in work.

Rest assured, Laker Nation ... you're still in good hands.

Legendary golf coach Hank Haney is doubling down on offensive comments he made about the LPGA Tour ... writing Sunday after the U.S. Women's Open, "I knew a Lee would win."

Haney -- Tiger Woods' former swing coach -- was suspended from his radio gig at SiriusXM after he made insensitive comments about the number of Korean players competing in the LPGA.

"I couldn't name you like 6 players on the LPGA Tour," Haney said last Wednesday ... "Nah, maybe I could -- well, I'd go with Lee. If I didn't have to name a first name, I'd get a bunch of them right."

Haney added, "Honestly, Michelle Wie is hurt. I don't know that many. Where are they playing, by the way?"

The comments were immediately hit with backlash -- everyone from Michelle Wie to Tiger Woods himself blasted the guy -- and Haney was hit with an indefinite ban from his radio show as well.

But -- despite issuing MULTIPLE apologies in the ensuing days -- Haney appeared to DOUBLE DOWN on his comments on Twitter after Jeongeun Lee won the Open, writing in a now-deleted tweet, "I knew a Lee would win."

Haney added, "My prediction that a Korean woman would be atop the leaderboard at the Women’s U.S. Open was based on statistics and facts.”

9:09 AM PT -- A few key takeaways from Monday's hearing:

-- Spacey's legal team wants to get its hands on the alleged victim's actual phone because they believe they can extract messages they claim were already deleted, and excluded from the digital date the prosecution turned over.

-- Spacey's lawyers also want to get a hold of the alleged victim's mother's phone, because they believe that too could contain messages or information that could help Spacey's case.

-- The defense implored the judge to send the case to trial ASAP, as they believe the prosecution is inadequately prepared ... and filed charges prematurely without having their ducks in a row. Unfortunately for Kevin and co., that ain't gonna happen. The judge said the nature of the case and the juror selection process alone won't allow the trial to started until the fall, at best.

Kevin Spacey caught a lot of people by surprise Monday -- showing his face at a pretrial hearing in his groping case.

The disgraced actor is in a Massachusetts courthouse right now facing off with a judge in a pretrial hearing, which pertains to evidence his legal team has been trying to obtain from the prosecution team -- namely, cell phone data from the alleged victim.

Spacey's attorney gripes that the prosecution had access to the alleged victim's phone in late 2017 for about two weeks, and did not disclose that fact to the defense until very recently ... which Spacey's lawyer is pissed over. He believes there's exculpatory evidence on that phone that can help prove Spacey's innocence, and that the prosecution was purposely hiding it.

Even crazier ... Spacey's attorney claims that messages were deleted from the phone that made reference to the alleged victim's "frat boy" tendencies, and he was never made aware of that until now. He also says a lot of messages and screenshots on the guy's phone have been "cleansed" and deleted that could hurt their case. Long story short ... he's outraged.

KS has been a no-show for the majority of hearings in this case, so he surprised everyone by showing up suited and booted Monday morning. The last time he was in court was January, when he was arraigned in the case ... in which he pled not guilty. He popped up in L.A. a couple months later.

A former employee of R. Kelly told a grand jury the singer regularly recorded tapes of his sexual encounters with underage girls and kept them as trophies ... and they're now believed to be in the hands of the feds.

Sources directly connected to the case tell TMZ ... the ex-employee testified in front of a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Illinois Thursday, and claims to have been in possession of multiple tapes in which the singer engages in sex acts with minors.

We're told the former employee told grand jurors R. Kelly paid a large sum of cash to the employee and in return, the employee handed a tape over to the singer. We're told somehow the tape in question ended up in the hands of Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx.

Our sources say the ex-employee testified they gave the feds several other child sex tapes featuring Kelly.

We're told the former employee said R. Kelly's crew knew full well Kelly had a penchant for having sex with underage girls, but rather than blow the whistle on him, they actually helped the singer procure young girls.

R. Kelly's attorney, Steve Greenberg, tells TMZ, "This seems to be the same claims that were made in the state case. We will address them in court."

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois declined to comment.

As we've told you ... the federal grand jury in IL has heard testimony from alleged victims who say the singer and his camp transported them across state lines for sex when they were underage.

Jay-Z's got something else to brag about -- he's the first hip-hop artist to be worth ... ONE BILLION DOLLARS.

Jay's net worth is officially in the 3-comma club, according to a new Forbes report that totaled all of his income from multiple business ventures and subtracted "a healthy amount to account for a superstar lifestyle."

When it's all said and done, here's a breakdown of the value of his stakes in the empire he's created:

-- $310 million for Armand de Brignac champagne

-- $220 mil in cash and investments, including a $70 million stake in Uber

-- $100 mil for D'Usse cognac

-- $100 mil for Tidal

-- $75 mil for Roc Nation

-- $75 mil for his music catalog

-- $70 mil art collection

-- $50 mil in real estate

Add it up ... and that's a cool billion. Needless to say, this doesn't include the net worth of his other half, Beyonce. The couple has been worth more than a billion combined for quite some time now.

Of course, Jay's claim as the first hip-hop billionaire could be contested by one Dr. Dre, who said he'd accomplished the feat way back in 2014 after his $3.2 billion deal with Apple.

Forbes said Dre jumped the gun though, and was only worth $800 million at the time.

Sorry, Dre ... looks like Jay runs this town.

Multiple NBA teams have had high-level conversations about doing away with the term "owner" over the past year -- and at least two teams have already made the switch, TMZ Sports has learned.

We're told the conversations essentially center around the idea that the term, owner -- in a league where the majority of the players are black -- feels racially insensitive.

Several high-ranking sources from multiple teams tell us people have been talking about the issue for a while but it gained steam in late 2018 when Draymond Green appeared on LeBron James' show, "The Shop," and argued against teams using the term.

"You shouldn't say owner," Green said ... noting the title should be changed to either CEO, Chairman or something like Majority Shareholder.

During the show, Jon Stewart agreed and explained, "When your product is purely the labor of people then owner sounds like something that is of a feudal nature."

Around the time that episode aired, the Philadelphia 76ers made the decision to change their titles from Owners to Managing Partners and 76ers Co-owners are now called Limited Partners.

In Los Angeles, Steve Ballmer -- who was billed as Owner for the first couple of years after he took over the Clippers -- is now listed as Chairman on the team's website. It appears that change occurred in early 2018.

Several teams are still using the term owner -- and we're told there's no real pressure coming from the NBA to change their titles.

What's interesting ... Draymond's team -- the Golden State Warriors -- still lists Joe Lacob as the owner of that team.

We reached out to the NBA ... and a spokesperson for the league provided us the following statement.

The stars of VH1's "Black Ink Crew: Chicago" allegedly beat the hell out of a guest at a party for their show ... and now the dude's fighting back with a lawsuit.

According to legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Ronnie Spates claims he was viciously attacked by 'Black Ink' stars Ryan Henry, Van Johnson, Don Brumfield and Junior Diaz during a December bash in Chicago ... and he says the reality show's production company wanted a fight to break out to make better TV.

Spates claims he was an invited guest minding his own business at the party when Henry, Johnson, Brumfield and Diaz began kicking the crap out of him. He says the brutal beatdown left him licking serious wounds.

Spates claims show producers fueled the party with loads of booze and actively sought to encourage situations that would lead to conflict, verbal spats and physical altercations ... just so they could create explosive content.

TMZ broke the story ... cops were called to the party after it allegedly got violent. Our law enforcement sources say Junior Diaz was accused of sucker punching a guest, presumably Spates. Police say when they arrived at the scene, they found Spates bleeding from the mouth and disoriented, and he was taken to a hospital for stitches.

Spates is suing the reality stars and Big Fish Entertainment over the incident ... and he's seeking a big payday.

One of the men who was wrongfully convicted as part of the Central Park Five says karma's a bitch for ex-prosecutor Linda Fairstein, who's getting crucified on social media in the wake of a new show about the case and its aftermath.

Raymond Santana -- who was one of the teenagers arrested, prosecuted and eventually convicted in connection to the brutal 1989 rape and beating of a female jogger -- tells TMZ ... the online movement to #CancelLindaFairstein and boycott her books is warranted.

Fans have taken to Instagram and other platforms, calling for retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble to remove Fairstein's book collection from their shelves on the heels of Netflix's new series, "When They See Us" -- which covers the how the case was handled by Fairstein and others, as well as how it impacted Raymond and the rest of the so-called CP5.

He believes Fairstein -- who became a successful author of mysteries and children's books -- is facing her comeuppance right now, which he takes no issue with. In fact, he says it quite bluntly ... "Even if it's 30 years later, she has to pay for her crime."

Fairstein was head of the Sex Crimes Unit for the D.A.'s Office, and she reportedly got confessions from the boys under duress and pressure from police. All 5 men were eventually fully exonerated in 2002, despite having spent years behind bars.

Raymond also takes a jab at the many reporters and civilians who were quick to label them as criminals before a trial got underway, including Donald Trump ... who called for their execution in a newspaper ad that circulated quickly after the crime.

Kim Kardashian's mission to help convicted murderer Kevin Cooper prove he's innocent is enraging the mother of one of his victims, who says Kim needs to read up on the mountain of evidence that shows Cooper is guilty as sin.

Mary Ann Hughes tells TMZ she was disgusted to see Kardashian embracing death row inmate Cooper in photos -- "It makes me feel sick to my stomach and I pity her. For what she's doing to us, there's nothing to justify what she's doing to us, the immense pain she is causing us."

She added, Kim "obviously has not read all of the actual evidence -- she has bought into half truths perpetrated by the defense. If she actually sat down and read the transcripts of all the trials and appeals, she would be sick to her stomach to be in the same room with him."

Mary Ann's 11-year-old son, Christopher, was sleeping over at a neighbor's home in Chino Hills, CA back in 1983 when he was murdered. Cooper was convicted of using a hatchet to slay the neighbors, Doug and Peggy Ryen, their daughter Jessica and Christopher. The Ryens' 8-year-old son survived the attack.

Kim has been on a remarkable mission -- alongside multiple high-powered attorneys -- to help non-violent drug offenders get early releases from prisons. She started with Alice Marie Johnson's release last year, and has successfully freed 17 more inmates in recent months.

But, Mary Ann says Kardashian's on the wrong side this time and believes Cooper's attorneys "are using her for her reality show status because they can't use the truth to try to help Kevin Cooper. The truth just condemns him."

As we reported, Kim went to visit Cooper at San Quentin prison on Thursday, and she's successfully lobbied California Governors Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom to order additional DNA testing in Cooper's case. Kim says she hopes the results will show Cooper is innocent. He's long maintained he was framed.

Mary Ann says it's absurd for Kim to think the "pile of evidence" against Cooper was planted. She says he's "100 percent guilty and the evidence shows it. If you want the whole truth, read the 94 page document on the website of the San Bernardino County D.A." ... which was filed in response to Cooper's last attempt to win clemency.

Mary Ann points out a woman who claims Cooper raped her in 1982 in Pennsylvania testified against him during the murder trial -- something she thinks Kim needs to know. "She portrays herself as being for women's rights and for the women's movement and yet she is supporting a rapist and a murderer."

12:30 PM PT -- There was another person tied to the college scandal that was all smiles this weekend -- one Olivia Jade. She wasn't graduating or anything but was certainly in a celebratory mood.

Lori Loughlin's youngest daughter was seen Saturday with a giant grin on her face as she left a nail salon in Beverly Hills. She wasn't all that dressed up for the occasion -- wearing an over-sized leather jacket, ripped jeans and green flip flops that looked two sizes too big.

Either way, it's clear she's still not sweating her parents' legal case -- which, as far as we know, they're ramping up to fight in court after pleading not guilty to a slew of charges.

Despite the fact Olivia might eventually be called to the stand to testify, you'd never be able to tell there was trouble on the home front by the way she's carrying herself here ... or here, or even here.

Fake it 'til you make it, we suppose.

Felicity Huffman's doing something we have seen since her indictment in the college admissions scandal, and that's ... smiling.

You could say she stopped to smell the roses -- although they look more like lilies -- Saturday in West Hollywood. Felicity's bouquet purchase comes just as her daughter, Sophia Grace, graduates high school. We don't know if the flowers were for Sophia, but Felicity looked pleased with her selection.

Federal prosecutors say Felicity paid Rick Singer $15k to rig Sophia's SAT scores ... by giving her extra time on the test and then correcting some of her answers. We've seen a very somber Felicity at her court appearances in Boston ... including the one where she agreed to plead guilty.

Felicity and William H. Macy have said Sophia knew nothing about the scheme. Felicity's scheduled to be sentenced in September ... and could get anywhere from zero prison time up to 4 years.

For now, she and Macy seem to be focusing on the positive -- Sophia's high school graduation.

College is a whole other Oprah.

Anthony Joshua's gotta be kicking himself Sunday morning after losing in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history -- and he's got no one to blame but himself ... and possibly Drake.

AJ lost his 3 heavyweight titles in Madison Square Garden Saturday night to Andy Ruiz Jr. -- who was an 11-1 underdog -- by TKO in the 7th round. It's being called the biggest upset since Mike Tyson lost to Buster Douglas in 1990 ... but we all should've seen it coming when Joshua cozied up to Drake.

Back in March, the then WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight champ posted a pic with Drizzy, and even went so far as to say he was going to “break the curse” on June 1. Oops.

Drake's got a pretty extensive track record of jinxing teams -- just ask Alabama football, Italy's Roma soccer team, Conor McGregor and Serena Williams.

He's even mocked the curse lately -- wearing Philadelphia 76ers shorts to jinx that team last month when they were playing his beloved Toronto Raptors ... and it worked.

If YNW Melly is convicted of murder, he deserves to die ... according to the family of one of his alleged victims -- a stance they're taking despite previously having a close relationship with the rapper.

Melly remains jailed in South Florida as he awaits trial in his double murder case, and prosecutors have already said they will seek the death penalty.

That sits just fine with the family of Anthony Williams. His family tells TMZ, through their attorneys at Steinger, Greene & Feiner ... "If the state of Florida feels the death penalty is warranted in this case then we 100% fully support it."

It's a tragically complicated case for the Williams family. As we first told you, Anthony's family treated Melly like he was one of them, and even opened their home to him. You can see in Melly's mug shot ... the name "Jana" is tattooed on his neck in honor of Anthony's mother.

Still, the Williams family's attorneys add ... "YNW Melly should feel the exact fear and panic he so viciously and consciously brought upon his innocent victims."

TMZ broke the story ... the state of Florida says it has proof beyond a reasonable doubt Melly and Cortlen Henry shot and killed Anthony and another man, Christopher Thomas Jr.

Melly and Henry have both been charged with 2 counts of first-degree murder.

Think Terrell Owens is ready to bury the hatchet with Donovan McNabb and endorse the QB's candidacy for the pro football Hall of Fame???

Think again ... 'cause when we got TO out at LAX this week and asked about D-Mac's claim that he's a for-sure HOFer -- Owens responded with just one word ...

"Who???"

Yeah ... SHAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDEEEEEEEE!!!

Of course, Owens and McNabb have hated each other since they were teammates with the Eagles ... with TO recently saying it all started when Donovan didn't throw him the ball during a game.

TO told Skip Bayless on FS1's "Undisputed" last year, "I go back to the huddle and I was like, ‘Dude, I was open.’ And you know what his response was to me? ‘Shut the F up.’"

"That was disrespectful."

Arcangel got a gift from the legal gods ... he won't face charges for delivering a side kick that sent the mother of his children flying into a wall.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... prosecutors in Las Vegas are rejecting the domestic battery case due to a lack of evidence. That seems odd because cops arrested him after viewing surveillance footage of him kicking the woman.

We reached out to the D.A.'s Office about that video, and they told us the case was rejected for "lacking prosecutorial merit." They would not elaborate any further.

We broke the story ... cops say Arcangel was caught on camera kicking a woman last month at The Cromwell Hotel. According to the arrest report, the woman said she's his baby mama and they had an argument that led to what Arcangel described as a "little kick thing."

Cops say the "little kick" looked more like a brutal side kick on video, but Arcangel insisted it was just horseplay.

Jenelle Evans and David Eason are turning over a new leaf ... and doing everything they can to make sure they regain custody of her children.

Sources close to Jenelle and David tell TMZ ... since losing custody of all 3 kids Tuesday, the couple has enrolled in marriage counseling, signed up for parenting classes and David's got an upcoming psych evaluation to find the root of his anger issues ... all conditions set by the judge if they hope to get the kids back.

It's all part of the plan to prove Jenelle and David are willing to do whatever it takes to get 9-year-old Jace, 4-year-old Kaiser and 2-year-old Ensley living under the same roof once again.

Jenelle has no plans to dump David, even though his brutal killing of the family dog put the wheels in motion for CPS to take the kids out of their home. We're told Jenelle and David are still committed to each other, and they want to emerge from this extremely rough patch as a family.

As you know ... MTV booted Jenelle from its "Teen Mom" franchise after her husband shot and killed her French bulldog, Nugget because it nipped at Ensley.

We're told Jenelle's firing has really lit a fire inside her ... and she's getting back to work on her new makeup line, which is targeting an August launch. With no kids in the house, she's got a lot more time on her hands.