Wilt Chamberlain Rookie Uniform Hits Auction Block ... Could Sell For $3+ Mil!!

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Wilt Chamberlain was arguably the most dominant basketball player to ever grace the hardwood ... and now the uniform worn by "The Big Dipper" for around 50 games during his '59-'60 rookie season is available at auction, and is expected to sell for millions!

The white Philadelphia Warriors home jersey features "PHILA" on the front and Wilt's iconic #13 on the back, both in red tackle twill. The jersey contains what appears to be a blood stain. The white shorts have a thick blue waistband and are trimmed in red and gold.

Both jersey and shorts are on the auction block at SCP Auctions ... where they already have a bid of $1.37 million.

The uniform was worn for nearly every home regular season and playoff game (approximately 50 games) during the season, according to SCP, who had the uni photo matched by MeiGray, MEARS, and Sports Investors Authentication (SIA).

Of the games Wilt wore the jersey and shorts, he rocked them during his 47-point and 36-rebound performance against the Boston Celtics on January 2, 1960. He also wore them three days later against the Minneapolis Lakers (they moved to L.A. the following year) when he dropped 52 points and 20 rebounds in a win.

7'1" Chamberlain, one of the greatest athletes ever, also wore the jersey when his squad lost in 6 games to the Celtics in the Eastern Division Finals playoff series.

Of course, despite how dominant he was, it was just Wilt's rookie season. Still, he won the first of his 4 league MVPs and averaged an unprecedented 37.6 points and 27 rebounds a game, both NBA records. He also won Rookie of the Year in the most anti-climatic ROY vote to ever take place.

Chamberlain entered the NBA in 1959, signing with the Philly Warriors, after starring for three seasons at the University of Kansas (where he looked like a man amongst children) and one with the Harlem Globetrotters.

WC went on to play for 14 seasons, averaging over 30 points and nearly 23 rebounds. He was a 13x All-Star, 11 rebounding champ, and 7x scoring champ. Wilt scored 100 points in 1962, a record, along with 71 other records, still stands in the NBA record books.

The uniform auction ends on the evening of June 17.

Past game-worn jerseys have sold for huge prices. Take the jersey Michael Jordan wore for game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals which sold for $10.1 million in September 2022. Just a few months ago in February, a Kobe Bryant game-worn jersey from his lone MVP season sold for nearly $6 million.

The Wilt jersey and shorts, the holy grail of vintage basketball uniforms, according to experts, could be in the same neighborhood.

Good luck!!

Britney & K-Fed Journalist Stands by Meth Story ... Kevin Said It!!!

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Daphne Barak, the journalist claiming Kevin Federline linked Britney Spears to crystal meth, has come under heavy fire from the former couple ... but she's not backing down, insisting K-Fed made the statement, despite his denial.

A spokesperson for Mail on Sunday tells us Daphne and her team spent months working on a documentary with Kevin, his family and Britney's two sons -- Sean Preston and Jayden.

The rep says, "Daphne Barak has assured us that the quotes attributed to Kevin and the family are accurate and fairly reflect the interviews conducted, in which Kevin expressed his fears that Britney might be using crystal meth to Daphne and to her producer Erbil Gunasti and members of the film crew. He did so clearly and repeatedly."

They continue, "Kevin also made it clear to Daphne that he hoped someone would expose the situation, as he saw it, because that would be the way to get help for Britney."

What's more -- they say they reached out to Britney's reps for comments on the meth allegation ... but got no response.

For his part, Kevin's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan tells us in response, "Mail on Sunday knows no more than what they were told by Daphne. Accurate reporting might mean they accurately took down what Daphne told them but in no way means what Daphne told them was accurate."

TMZ broke the story -- Federline went scorched Earth on The Sun and Daily Mail Sunday after a report claimed he stated about Britney, "I fear she's on meth – I've been praying someone would make it public and that she wakes up ... It's terrifying. She is the mother of my boys."

After the story came out, Kevin told us, "It saddens our family that Daphne Barak and Erbil Gunasti have decided to fabricate lies and publish the heart ache our family has endured, along with the trauma of our minor children."

Federline, however, never specified which part of the story was fabricated.

Marlon Wayans F*** You, United Airlines I'm Flying Delta Now!!!

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POWER TRIPPIN'

Marlon Wayans is letting off more steam after his beef with a United Airlines gate agent ... saying the company needs to do better in addressing future issues with passengers.

The actor/comedian joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday -- outside a Delta terminal -- and shared the details of his recent airline incident when he got kicked off his flight and hit with a citation.

Marlon tells the whole thing wasn't his fault ... saying the agent had an attitude with him from the jump, and it only escalated. Wayans said he had 3 bags, and was asked to consolidate them to two, once he did that, Marlon tells us the gate agent then told him he needed to check a bag ... which caused him to get upset.

Marlon says United did reach out to him -- behind the scenes -- but it was only to stand behind their policy ... which he says was insult to injury.

TMZ broke the story ... MW got into it with a gate agent for UA Friday, as he was trying to fly out of Denver. A spokesperson for Denver PD told us, they gave him a citation for disturbing the peace after hearing both sides.

After the incident, the "White Chicks" star went off on Twitter ... saying he was treated unfairly by a 'rude' agent, which he saw especially unacceptable as a first-class passenger. He also told fans he was going to miss his Improv show that same night in Kansas City due to the whole ordeal. Marlon eventually left Denver on another airline.

Khloe & Tristan Son Had Kardashian Last Name at Birth ... Later Changed to Thompson

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Khloe Kardashian wasn't messing around when her son was born, giving him the Kardashian last name instead of Tristan Thompson's ... but later had a change of heart.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Tatum Thompson -- as he's now known -- was initially legally a Kardashian. Our sources say Tatum also wasn't his first name, though we're not sure what first name Khloe originally chose for the kiddo.

Eventually, our sources say Khloe decided to drop the Kardashian name for Thompson, and that's now Tatum's legal name moving forward.

As for why Khloe may have made the initial decision to leave Tristan out of things -- it seems pretty clear ... as we reported, Tristan got another woman, Maralee Nichols, pregnant after Khloe and Tristan had decided to go ahead with a surrogate to carry Tatum.

TMZ broke the story about the surrogacy in July of 2022, just a couple months after it was discovered Tristan had gotten Nichols pregnant. It was about a month later when Tatum was born, so you gotta imagine there was still a lot for Khloe and Tristan to figure out ... making it totally understandable Khloe wanted her son to have her last name.

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Obviously, things have gotten better since that time, and it's almost certainly the reason Khloe decided to change Tatum's legal name to include Thompson.

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THE GRADUATION GANG'S ALL HERE

As we've reported on multiple occasions, Khloe and Tristan are incredible co-parents ... hitting events together with their daughter True all the time. We were the first to report both Khloe and Tristan were at True's pre-K graduation last week ... along with exes Kylie and Travis Scott and family foe Blac Chyna.

With plenty of milestones and significant happenings for their son for the next several decades, it's nice to see Khloe and TT on the same page.

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Marshalls Stun Gun Thieves Nabbed After Wild Police Pursuit ... And More Shoplifting!!!

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The two females caught on video using a stun gun to jack a cart full of stuff from a Marshalls are finally in jail -- this after cops say they were led on a wild police pursuit.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the girls -- who were seen on video deploying a stun gun to rob a Studio City Marshalls last week -- were arrested Sunday and taken into custody ... but not before they led police on an insane chase through the South Bay.

We're told the young ladies have allegedly hit other Marshalls stores in L.A. County -- however, cops say it appears they only used the stun gun in that one instance Wednesday.

As for how they were eventually caught, welp ... it sounds like something out of a movie. Hawthorne PD says a call came in for a robbery yesterday at a clothing retail store ... and that witnesses saw the 3 women fleeing in a white Audi sedan.

HPD says a responding officer saw the vehicle on the road and attempted to initiate a stop -- but they say the car failed to yield and then turned into a dead-end alley ... only to turn around and drive straight forward toward the officer who was in hot pursuit.

Police say the Audi slammed into the cop car, and continued to drive away ... leaving the cruiser seriously damaged. As the Audi continued to drive, law enforcement claims it hit 2 other vehicles on the road before officers were finally able to get them in cuffs.

Cops say the suspects are all minors -- aged 13, 16 and 17 -- and that they were treated at a local hospital before being hauled off to jail. BTW, we're told three of these girls are the same ones involved in the Studio City incident, and that only 2 of them were seen in our video from last week.

For now, cops say the case remains under investigation.

Rubi Rose Sued Your 'TWORK' Video Fire Truck Ruined My Art Studio!!!

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Rubi Rose's 2021 "TWORK" music video was responsible for the destruction of some very valuable art ... so says the owner of the property next to the rapper's Los Angeles filming location.

According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, a renowned contemporary sculptor named Analia Saban's art studio/creative space is suing Rubi, video directors Jay and Georgio Rodriguez, and her label HitCo, claiming the music video shoot involved a high-pressure fire truck hose that ended up causing major damage to the artist's building and art pieces.

Saban claims you can spot the exact moment above when the water from the fire hose breached Analia's studio ... and says the unwelcome water damaged the building, destroyed valuable art, and caused at least six figures in overall damage.

Hollywood Fire Authority, a Los Angeles-based company that rents firefighter equipment, is also named in the suit ... for allegedly failing to properly train Rubi and the crew on using the equipment. After all, the high-pressured fire hoses aren't exactly toys like water guns!!!

Analia says she has undeniable proof the "TWORK" video wrecked her studio and is suing for at least $300K in damages.

We reached out to Rubi and HitCo for a response. No word back yet!!!

Tyga & Travis Barker Teaming Up in Studio Again ... New Music on the Way!!!

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Tyga and Travis Barker are linking up again and it has nothing to do with any old family ties ... the duo's actually getting ready to drop some new music.

Witnesses tell TMZ ... Tyga and his buddy, Alexander "AE" Edwards, strolled into Travis' studio Tuesday in Calabasas ... something that's become a common sight lately.

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BACK AT THE STUDIO

Sources familiar with the situation say the rapper and drummer have been spending a lot of time together in the studio, and the tunes they're cooking up will be for an upcoming EP.

They plan to drop the project in the coming months.

The collab isn't all that surprising ... considering Tyga and Travis have worked on music together in the past. There's also some family history, of course.

You'll recall, Tyga dated Kylie Jenner many moons ago -- they were first linked when she was 17 and he was 24. As you know, TB married Kylie's sister, Kourtney Kardashian back in April 2022.

Travis has been rocking out with Blink-182 as of late, after sharing the stage at Coachella with his bandmates Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus -- their first shows in 9 years.

Clearly, there's lots more in store!!!

Marshawn Lynch Challenges Ronda Rousey To Wrestle ... On 'Stars On Mars!!!'

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Ever dream of seeing an NFL great go up against a UFC legend/WWE Superstar in a fight??

Consider your wish granted ... 'cause Marshawn Lynch challenged Ronda Rousey to a wrestling match on the latest episode of Fox's new celebrity reality show, "Stars On Mars" -- and by the looks of it, things got intense!!

The wild moment went down when the crew members found out they're in need of a new base commander ... and Beast Mode, the self-appointed leader of the bunch, decided he's not giving up his role without a fight. Literally.

"You know what? I'mma make this simple," the Super Bowl champ said as he made his way to an open area ... making it clear he was prepping for a throw-down.

"Yeah, I throw hands, baby," he added.

But, bad news struck for the former Seattle Seahawk ... 'cause the former UFC champ volunteered to be his opponent.

"You wanna fight for base commander? All right!!" Ronda said as she made her way to the makeshift fight arena.

So, who wins?? We won't know until the whole episode airs at 8 PM ... but some contestants were certain Ronda was gonna come out on top.

Popcorn. Get it ready.

'The Bachelor' Zach Shallcross Had Enough of Reality TV ... I'll Take a 9-5, Please!!!

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"The Bachelor" star Zach Shallcross is already over his reality TV stint, and attempting something rarely seen in Hollywood -- he hoping to trade in his on-camera lifestyle for an average Joe's job.

Zach tells us he wants to have a real career again ... saying it all boils down to wanting a sense of normalcy, which obviously has changed since doing reality TV. He says even while filming the show last year, he had thoughts of getting back to a normal life.

After starring on "The Bachelor," Zach says he was making appearances on behalf of the show, but now he's got time on his hands, and he's on the hunt for a job.

Before 'The Bachelor,' he was a tech exec at Oracle and Zach says he still wants to work in that industry ... for a company like Microsoft. He's posted on LinkedIn and says he's already had a ton of folks reach out with job offers.

Bachelor Nation first met Zach on season 19 of "The Bachelorette" ... and then he was THE guy for season 27 of "The Bachelor," which aired earlier this year. He wound up proposing to Kaity Biggar on the finale, and they're still together.

ZS makes it clear ... he didn't go on the show to take advantage of fame, but to actually find love. Now, he's ready to get back to basics with a 9 to 5.

However, he does have one remaining showbiz aspiration -- Zach tells us his dream is to follow in the voice acting footsteps of his uncle Patrick Warburton, who's done nearly 300 episodes of "Family Guy."

'Vanderpump' Star Tom Schwartz Talks Meteoric Rise & Fall of Scandoval ... On FOX's 'Stars on Mars'

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i wanna move on ... far, far away

Tom Sandoval has been in a vortex of bad press these past few months -- all over his cheating scandal, of course -- and now ... his best bud's weighing in on the galactic fail.

Of course, we're talking about Tom Schwartz -- Sandoval's right-hand man in business and fellow costar on "Vanderpump Rules" ... who's had a front-row seat to all the drama unfolding of late. Naturally, seeing how he's close with Tom #1 -- Schwartz caught flak too.

Now, the dude's spilling his guts about it all in the aftermath -- as seen on FOX's new reality show, "Stars on Mars," on which TS is a contestant -- and it sounds like he wants to distance himself from Sandoval/his poor decision-making ... trying to get light years away.

BTW, if you think our space references are a bit much ... wait 'til you hear how Schwartz puts it. The guy's got a ton of creative ways to explain how out of this world Scandoval has been from his POV ... and this is just a taste. He'll dish even more on Monday's episode.

Also, if you're wondering what the "Stars on Mars" show is ... we'll tell ya. The series just launched and it's very much so in the vein of "Big Brother" -- only here, celebs are living together in a manufactured Mars-like environment ... competing against each other.

The other contenders run the gamut of stardom -- folks like Lance Armstrong, Marshawn Lynch and Richard Sherman are on ... as are Ariel Winter, Porsha Williams, Ronda Rousey and others. It truly is a who's-who of reality TV ... also, William Shatner's hosting!

If you're curious, then tune in on FOX ... "Stars on Mars" airs Mondays at 8 PM ET/PT.

Trump Org Store Hawking Dad-Day Merch Dress Pops Like a Twice-Indicted Prez

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Donald Trump is seen by some as America's #1 man -- but his org is also trying to sell him as #1 dad ... one your own pops can emulate with a bunch of Trump-y gear for the holiday.

The Trump Org is all set for Father's Day, blasting out an email to potential customers who might be inclined to get their Papa Bear a special gift this year ... in the spirit of DT himself. Indeed, they're hawking Trump-inspired merch ... so that your dad can look just like him.

Their campaign is called Dad's the Boss ... and it's full of items that reflect Trump's essence. Of course, they're selling silk red ties (blue ones too) that go for $125 a pop ... plus, a bunch of Trump-branded items like a flask, coasters, mugs and other knickknacks that are all less than $100. As far as actual clothing ... they got polos and pullovers ranging from $80-$100.

There's more ... in addition to the "Boss Dad" collection, there's also other categories called "For the Man Cave," "Gold Dad," "Sporty Dad" and others. All of them contain Trump-inspired toys and trinkets ... with either his name emblazoned, or a straight-up "45."

There's a lot to select from -- however ... this crap ain't exactly cheap! Even something as simple as a rambler is as high as $65. The price point for much of the items is almost on a high-end athletic brand level ... as if they fancy themselves as a Lacoste competitor.

The other thing to consider here ... the more Trump gets criminally indicted -- twice now already, FWIW -- the more it feels like trying to match his style is a losing man's game.

To each their own, we suppose. They wouldn't be peddling these things if people weren't buying them -- and as we know, there are many in this country who are fiercely loyal to the ex-Prez ... and continue to be despite the mounting charges and scandals ahead of 2024.

So, if you like what you see on the big guy himself ... now you can try it on for size with your own daddy.

Kevin Federline Slams Report Linking Britney to Crystal Meth ... 'It Saddens Our Family'

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UPDATE

12:07 PM PT -- Britney Spears's attorney, Mathew Rosengart, has also weighed in on the meth claims, telling TMZ, "Kevin Federline himself has now acknowledged the falsity of the story, asserting that it contains 'fabrications' and 'lies' about Britney. In addition to exploiting and making false claims about Britney, particularly regarding 'crystal meth,' the 'story' also exploits her minor children, which is beyond the pale."

UPDATE

He continues, "This writer also repeatedly sought to contact Britney under false pretenses, using her children as bait, which is outrageous. This was poor and shoddy 'journalism' even in today's era of clickbait journalism."

UPDATE

11:15 AM PT -- Britney's clearly seen the story as well, taking to Instagram to write, "The fact that people are claiming things that are not true is so sad ... This may not even be them saying such things because it doesn't make any sense to me for them to be saying that."

UPDATE

11:14 AM PT -- Britney continues, "So you guys go behind my back and talk about me … it breaks my heart and the news is so low … l've always felt like the news bullies me … It's sad because everyone sits back as if that's ok to make up lies to that extent ... Why am I told I have to sit back and rise above ??? When they all go so low ??? Hopefully it is just the news being hateful and Kevin nor Preston said any of those things either way I will be fine working out to Throb !!!"

Kevin Federline says he and his family have had to endure way too much over the years, and a recent report claiming those around Britney fear she's on meth is just too much to handle ... and he's fighting back.

The report, published over the weekend by The Sun and Daily Mail is from a series of convos journalist Daphne Barak says she had with Kevin. In one instance, Barak reports K-Fed told her, "I fear she's on meth – I've been praying someone would make it public and that she wakes up ... It's terrifying. She is the mother of my boys."

In response to the story, Kevin tells us, "It saddens our family that Daphne Barak and Erbil Gunasti have decided to fabricate lies and publish the heart ache our family has endured, along with the trauma of our minor children in the Daily Mail and The Sun. We did allow Daphne & Bill into our home because we trusted them, but that trust was lost and we severed ties back in March for many reasons we choose not to go into here."

K-Fed never specifically says which part of the story was fabricated, but the whole piece went in heavy on the meth allegation.

He continues, "It is very distressing that she continues to harass our family when we have repeatedly asked her to leave us alone.  As was previously published, our family did speak with Ms. Barak and Mr. Gunasti a few times, and this was done in a respectful way with love & compassion for Britney and the Spears family. Her lies and attempts to exploit minors is click bait and another repulsive example of where, unfortunately, certain journalism has sunk today."

Daphne's spent a lot of time with the Federline and Spears families, first linking up together last summer for a TV news special.

She reports one conversation with Britney's father, Jamie, where he allegedly stated he feared his daughter would wind up dead like Amy Winehouse if she didn't get proper care.

TMZ broke the story, Kevin's moving his family, including his teenage sons Sean Preston and Jayden -- who he shares with Britney -- to Hawaii. Kevin's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan fired off a legal letter to Britney's attorney, Mathew Rosengart, to let him know about the move.

Kaplan had stated he was ready to go to court if Britney and Rosengart didn't approve of the move -- as Kevin's been the primary caregiver for the boys for years -- but in the end, Britney approved the move without issue.

One thing that remains to be seen, however, is whether or not the boys will see their mom before they leave for the island. It's been well over a year since they all spent time together.

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Originally Published -- 9:15 AM PT

Nicki Minaj Swatting Call for Child Abuse, Fire Cops Say Claims Bogus

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Nicki Minaj is the victim of a swatting prank ... one the Sheriff's Dept. says involved a caller falsely claiming Nicki's child was being abused, but also -- that her house was up in flames.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the attempted swatting went down earlier this month when child services got an anonymous call alleging child abuse at Nicki's L.A.-area home.

We're told sheriff's deputies rolled up to Nicki's place around 6 PM Monday, but after speaking with her and her husband Kenneth Petty ... and looking at their almost 3-year-old child, determined there was no abuse and everything was kosher.

Our sources say deputies chalked it up to a swatting call, and officers want everyone to know these sorts of calls are a huge waste of time and resources.

BTW, that wasn't the only thing being falsely reported about Nicki on this particular night -- sources with direct knowledge tell us another call came in around 3 AM to report that her home was on fire ... something that was also found to be completely untrue. In other words, 2 bogus calls came in a span of about 24 hours -- which is pretty jarring on its face.

For the uninitiated, swatting is a form of prank call where the goal is to get a big police response at someone's home ... and it's a growing problem for cops around the country.

Nicki's not the only celeb dealing with swatting calls. As we first reported, it's recently happened to YouTuber Adin Ross and influencer Madison Beer.

One last thing ... sources close to Nicki tell us she's not letting this little episode slide. We're told she's hired lawyers to make sure the people behind this swatting are exposed and held accountable -- which could mean criminal charges down the road.

Big Boy Honored To Be Part Of Tupac's WOF ... I Knew Him IRL!!!

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Big Boy says emceeing Tupac Shakur's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony is a full-circle moment for him, considering he spent time with the hip hop icon when he was alive and thriving.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the radio legend right after the event let out Wednesday, telling us he was floored when they called him to lead the charge. BB set the alley-oop for Tupac's sister Sekyiwa Shakur's touching and tearful address to the jam-packed crowd.

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FULFILLING HIS DREAM

With over 30 years in radio, BB says he was able to hit the road on tour with Tupac and was able to support once he got on-air.

He's so indebted to him, we couldn't get him to pick a winner between Pac's classic albums "Me Against the World" and "All Eyez on Me" ... but he's urging fans who disliked the 'All Eyez' film to give it another chance!!!

We also ran into Nipsey Hussle's good friend Herman “Cowboy” Douglas, who thinks it's a fitting honor that Pac's star landed so close to Nipsey's — not the other way around.

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TWO LEGENDARY STARS

Cowboy thinks Nipsey's impact in Los Angeles ranks greater than Pac's, bias be damned.

One thing's for sure ... the West Coast has no shortage of rap legends!!!

Dean Cain Check Out My New Vegas Mansion ... Deuces, California!!!

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Superman has officially landed in Sin City, Dean Cain has scooped up a super stunning home outside Las Vegas ... after he swore off living in California.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Dean closed the deal on his new pad on May 26, dropping just under $4M in the deal.

The 5-bedroom, 7-bathroom home comes with all your high-profile entertainment needs like a a movie theater, glass wine cellar and game room. It's even got an elevator if you don't feel like walking up or downstairs and wanna save some energy for the nearby Vegas Strip.

Speaking of The Strip, the master suite comes with a spa bath, and steam shower ... and incredible views of some of the world's most famous casinos.

If Dean feels like taking things outdoors, there's an infinity edge pool, spa, built-in outdoor bar and kitchen ... as well as fire bowls and a waterfall. And get this ... the home has a walk-on-water entrance and a 360 degree roof deck to take in even more views.

As we reported, Dean unloaded his Malibu home last month for a whopping $6.25M. Earlier this week, he told Fox News he was forced to leave the Golden State because of the homeless crisis and what he calls, "soft-on-crime policies."

Dean says the move has been great for his family and his son is "ten times happier in Las Vegas."

Alexi Lalas On Lionel Messi Get Ready MLS ... Inter Miami Could Become 'Super Club Death Star!'

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Gear up to turn to the dark side of the Force, Inter Miami fans ... Alexi Lalas tells TMZ Sports that after adding Lionel Messi this week, he can see the team now becoming a "super club Death Star!"

We spoke at length with the Team USA soccer legend just hours after Messi confirmed he'll play for Miami's MLS squad in 2023 ... and Lalas said the move is a tectonic-plate-shifting one for the sport in America.

He told us he expects it to attract millions more to the game in the States -- and raise the MLS' profile significantly.

He also, though, predicted it could alter the fabric of Inter Miami tremendously ... telling us he's envisioning Messi recruiting some big names to the team -- and turning it into a villain-like superpower in the near future.

"We're already seeing incredible names now being linked to coming to Inter Miami," Lalas said. "It's almost as if they're in the process of potentially creating this MLS super club Death Star, and the hate-watching is going to be absolutely epic!"

Lalas said if it does, indeed, take that turn ... he's anticipating it to create some serious rivalries in the U.S. league -- which would be a big boon for fans here in the States.

"I know if I was on another team -- a less sexy team, for example -- and Miami was doing all of this," he said, "and one of the greatest to ever play is there, I would want to kick his ass."

But, Lalas did offer fans to proceed somewhat cautiously at least initially ... explaining to us that, currently, the Inter Miami roster is not exactly the best -- which could lead to some early frustrations for Messi.

Then again, he told us he's fully ready to see flashes of brilliance from Messi ... despite his roster's limitations and his 35-year-old age.

"This is a wonderful day for soccer; this is a wonderful time for MLS -- and America in general," Lalas said, "because this is a pretty cool thing to see."