Dallas Mavericks

You ever see a fashion item that you just NEEDED TO HAVE???

NBA star Richard Jefferson did -- a Vans cheetah-print snapback baseball hat ... and he paid $700 to buy it off some random dude's head!!!

RJ was at Hi Fi Kitchen & Cocktails in Scottsdale, AZ Saturday night -- when a dude named Andrew walked in with the cheetah cap.

Andrew tells TMZ Sports ... the Dallas Mavs star beelined it over his way with cash in hand ... and started making offers for the dome piece. Andrew declined at first ... but ultimately gave in for a handful of $100 bills -- 7 in total.

So, why was Jefferson so obsessed with the hat? Andrew says RJ actually purchased the lid for teammate Chandler Parsons ... who was also eyeing the cap that night.

The best part of the story -- Andrew says he originally bought the hat for $25.

Not a bad return on investment.

It's like a real-life version of "The Wire" ... NBA star Richard Jefferson says he was taken for $2 MILLION ... and played a key role in a covert FBI operation to catch the (alleged) bad guy and recover his cash.

It's all part of new legal docs obtained by TMZ Sports ... in which the 34-year-old Dallas Mavericks forward claims his former business manager Ted Kritza drew $2 million from Richard's bank credit line without permission.

Jefferson says he reported the crime to the FBI which launched an investigation -- an investigation that included RJ getting Kritza on the phone and secretly recording a conversation.

During the phone call, RJ says Kritza "confesses to wrong-doing" ... and the incriminating recording is now with the feds.

BTW -- the bank ended up suing Jefferson for part of the money ... but he wants the court to press pause on that case until the federal investigation into Kritza runs it's course.

Mark Cuban wasn't joking when he promised a "Shark Tank" entrepreneur he'd get his product into Mavs gift shops -- 'cause TMZ Sports has learned U-Lace is planning to drop at American Airlines Arena beginning next season.

We spoke with Tim Talley -- who got Mark to invest $200k into his customizable shoe lace business on a recent episode of "Shark Tank."

Talley says sales have exploded since Mark came aboard -- and so far, Cuban has been dead serious about delivering on the promises he made on the show, starting with the plan to sell at Dallas Mavericks team shops.

"We'll likely get the laces into the arena early next season," Talley says ... adding that U-Lace is also gunning for deals with other NBA teams ... as well as organizations in the NFL, MLB and NHL.

Talley says the company is also developing shoes to go along with the laces.

Makes sense to us.

Dallas Mavericks point guard Devin Harris tells TMZ Sports ... he knows EXACTLY how to save Justin Bieber's life ... by kicking his ass into shape at the gym with some serious basketball workouts.

"Come on Bieber, you know better," Harris says ... adding "come get in some workouts with me and we'll get you focused and back on track."

Harris made the statement in the wake of Bieber's DUI arrest yesterday ... after he was pulled over by cops for drunkenly street racing around Miami.

Lamar Odom is drugged out of his head ... but he's telling people he will sober up and play basketball again this coming season ... yes, he's that delusional.

Sources who have been spending time with Lamar tell us his drug problem is out of control -- that one of his drug dealers alone has sold him thousands of dollars in coke. We're told Lamar is now freebasing with pure cocaine.

As crazy as it sounds ... Lamar has done it before. We know he was using while on the Lakers and on the Mavericks. In addition, he was off the rails using drugs just months before joining the Clippers but cleaned up enough to get through the season.

We're told Lamar is full-on paranoid now ... he believes people are trying to set him up to get caught. As he told one friend, "Everyone wants to see me fail, but I'm not gonna let that happen."

Lamar Odom was deep into drugs while he was playing for the Dallas Mavericks and there is evidence he was doing the exact same thing while playing for the Lakers ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to a Westin hotel in Memphis tell TMZ ... in March of 2012, shortly before Lamar was cut from the Mavs, he stayed in one of the guest rooms while his team was in town playing the Grizzlies.

Our sources say when Lamar left, hotel employees found major carpet damage ... including quarter-sized burn marks. The damage was so bad, the hotel had to replace the carpeting in the room.

Our sources say hotel employees also found white powder on the desk blotter and the room reeked of noxious smoke. Our sources say it was obvious there was serious drug use going on in the hotel room.

The Westin is one of numerous hotels where NBA players stay when they're on the road. TMZ has contacted a number of these hotels in various cities. We've learned from several hotel employees ... they had complained about the state of the rooms when Lamar left -- similar to what happened in Memphis -- and this was while he was playing for the Lakers.

Our sources say no one on the Mavs knew Lamar was a substance abuser while he was on the team, but everyone knew something was seriously wrong with him.

We're told that during at least part of the time he was playing for the Mavs, Lamar was smoking Oxycontin and cocaine.

Odom's problems were so severe, he was cut from the Mavs mid-season and paid in full just so he would go away.

TMZ broke the story ... the drug use escalated to crack -- and we're told Lamar's level of crack use is now alarming and life-threatening.

The nasty feud between Mark Cuban and Jason Kidd is officially OVER ... at least for now ... 'cause Mark tells TMZ the two have made up -- and have even started emailing each other again.

Cuban famously TRASHED Kidd in the media last year after Jason decided not to re-sign with Cuban's Dallas Mavericks ... and instead struck a deal with the NY Knicks.

Cuban had said he was "more than upset" with Kidd -- and said there was "no chance" he'd ever honor Jason by retiring his Mavs jersey.

But something happened over the last few months ... 'cause when we asked Mark how he felt about Jason landing the Brooklyn Nets head coaching job this week, M.C. told us:

"I'm excited for him. He has great knowledge on the game so I'm sure he will do well. And yes we have started emailing again so all is well with the world.”

It's only a matter of time before an active NBA player comes out as gay ... so says Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban who tells TMZ he would be honored if the player was a member of his team.

Cuban called in to "TMZ Live" moments ago to discuss how Magic Johnson's support for his gay son will impact professional sports.

Long story short -- the minority owner, a company owned by Ross Perot Jr. -- filed legal papers in May 2010 calling Cuban a "careless and reckless" owner who was running the team into the ground.

Perot begged a judge to remove Cuban from operational control of the squad before it was too late.

Now, Cuban has responded in legal docs with the greatest statement ever ... a photo of the Mavs hoisting the NBA championship trophy.

In the docs, Cuban adds, "Under Cuban's stewardship, the Mavericks have become one of the league's most successful teams and are now NBA champions."

He adds, "Accordingly, there can be no genuine question that [Perot's] claims of mismanagement lack merit and .... should be disposed of."

Hail to the champ.

The caller tells the 911 operator, Stevenson was "extremely loud and mumbling" as he and another man banged on doors at an apartment complex, even though they didn't live there.

As we previously reported, Stevenson was arrested for public intoxication in Irving, Texas Tuesday night after officers felt he was a "danger to himself and others. "

Law enforcement sources tell us, police received a call about some drunk guy wandering around an apartment comlpex in Irving, TX last night -- and when cops showed up, they found Stevenson ... who said he was lost.

Stevenson -- who does not live in the apartment complex -- then flunked a field sobriety test ... and was arrested for public intoxication.

NBA Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki, owner Mark Cuban, several other Mavs, and a few celebs like Lil Wayne and Trey Songz ... celebrated at LIV nightclub in the swanky Fontainebleau Miami Beach Hotel -- where just two months ago, Gloria James was arrested for slapping a valet.

It's tentatively called "The Ladies in My Life" -- and big surprise ... it's all about Shawn and the important women in his day-to-day ... including his mom, sisters and publicist.

One of the featured family members is Shawn's twin sister Shawnett -- who's 6-feet tall and can DUNK a basketball!!

Oh, we almost forgot -- the show is being filmed in the NBA star's 14,000 square foot Dallas mansion.

Obviously, Cuban is referring to the fact that James decided to amp up the drama ... and screw with practically everyone's emotions ... before announcing on live TV last night that he was ditching the city that loved him to try and win a quick championship with a "super team" in Miami.

TMZ spoke with Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban -- who tells us he doesn't think he'll have to pull any crazy stunts to get players to want to sign with the Mavs this year ... saying, "This crop of free agents is taking a much more sophisticated approach than other years. I think that helps the Mavs."

Cuban adds, "Less BS and more business."

Everything is back to normal for Mark Cuban -- his biggest problem is once again the floundering Dallas Mavericks bball organization.

A federal judge dismissed an insider trading lawsuit against Cuban this morning, after Cuban was accused of dumping 600,000 shares in an Internet company in 2004 after receiving a dirty tip. Had Cuban kept the shares, he would have lost $750,000.