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Now entering the game for the (insert NBA team name here) ... J. Cole?!?

NBA player Larry Sanders says HELL YEAH ... telling TMZ Sports he truly believes the rapper has a real chance at making his pro ball dreams come true.

Of course, the idea took off when 35-year-old Cole -- who grew up loving and playing basketball -- starred in a Puma commercial hinting at trying to get a shot at the Association.

Master P told us Cole is dead serious about making it happen ... and even the Detroit Pistons told the "Lion King On Ice" MC to hit 'em up for a tryout.

We spoke with Sanders -- who's played in 6 NBA seasons -- and asked if Cole's got a realistic chance ... and his answer may surprise you.

"I do, for real. I've seen him hoop before in some games and I knew he took the game seriously when he was younger."

"He always raps about it, so that's dope. I'm excited to see that."

Sanders knows exactly what the process will be like, but in reverse -- the 31-year-old has made waves in the music industry off the court ... and even produced a song for PARTYNEXTDOOR.

"It's gonna be just like the music game. Me doing music, everybody laughed at me, everybody went at my head and challenged me ... and I had to go prove myself."

Sanders -- who recently told us he's working on making it back to the league as well -- says he loves the idea of joining forces with Cole on a team next year ... which could end up in some music collabs!!

Bad news for Jake Paul ... one of the best young boxers in the game is giving his biggest secrets to NBA star Nate Robinson -- undefeated two-time WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez!!

Of course, Robinson is prepping to take on the YouTube superstar-turned-fighter in an undercard match for the Mike Tyson and Roy Jones, Jr. fight on September 12.

Some experts believe Paul may come away with the easy dub because he's 2-0 and has more experience ... but Benavidez makes it clear Robinson has been putting in that work.

"I was in there giving him some pointers," the 23-year-old tells us. "I was trying to teach him a little bit about the boxing game. So, I definitely gave him a few gems, so I feel like he's gonna be more than ready for his upcoming fight."

FYI -- Jake and Nate have been going AT IT ever since the fight was announced ... and recently got into a heated trash-talkin' sesh in an interview with TMZ Sports.

Benavidez -- who has a big fight against Alexis Angulo August 15 on Showtime -- says he knows Robinson picked up the sport a few years ago, so any talk of him being too fresh to boxing is simply not true.

Nick Cannon says America needs another Black man in the White House ... that's why he's team Kanye 2020.

Nick was at LAX Friday when the photog asked him what he thought of Ye's run. Answer: "I love it!"

Now, the photog took it a step further and asked if he'll still be with Kanye when he casts his ballot, and Nick gave the semi-emphatic "Yes." We say semi because there's clearly a slight smirk.

On another subject ... Nick was asked about his recent troubles over some anti-Semitic comments. Nick has been earnest in attempting to educate himself ... even meeting with rabbis.

Dana White says he's still talking with Floyd Mayweather about working together on another combat sports event -- telling TMZ Sports, "We're interested on both sides."

Of course, Floyd made a handshake deal with Dana back in 2019 to set up a fight involving the UFC.

But, all of Floyd's fight plans came to a screeching halt in 2020 following a series of personal tragedies and the COVID-19 pandemic.

We're told Floyd was left reeling after both his ex, Josie Harris, and his uncle, Roger Mayweather, died in the span of a week ... and fighting was the last thing on his mind.

Now, however, Dana says he's talking with Floyd ... and a possible collaboration is far from dead.

"Floyd and I still have dialogue and go back and forth. We're still interested on both sides."

White added an event is still "very possible."

So, who's the opponent? A boxing rematch with Conor McGregor perhaps?

"No no no. I know he would rematch Conor McGregor but I don't know if you heard about this but Conor McGregor's retired," White says.

McGregor announced his retirement from MMA back in June claiming he's lost his passion for the sport -- but no one really believes him ... except maybe Dana?!

"When I'm doing things right now and running business, I don't even think about Conor. Conor is retired. As of right here now today, Conor is retired until Conor tells me differently, I'm not trying to make any fights for Conor."

When challenged about Conor's true career plans, White explained it this way ...

"He is retired right now. He's not fighting. So, per my contract with fighters, I owe them three fights a year. If I do not deliver three fights a year, I have to pay them their money. Conor McGregor is retired."

Carole Baskin is picking a catfight with Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion over their new music video, which she says sends a terrible message and is harmful to the future of big cats.

Carole tells TMZ ... the worst part of Cardi B's new music video is the way it glamorizes rich folk keeping tigers as pets, and she thinks it makes "every ignorant follower want to imitate by doing the same."

As we reported ... Cardi and Megan dropped the video to "WAP" Friday, and it's loaded with sexually suggestive imagery and lyrics, a Kylie Jenner cameo and tons of exotic cats, which is upsetting Carole.

While Carole is glad the cats likely weren't really in the room with Cardi and Megan -- only photoshopped in -- she says posing wild animals in front of green screens and using them in productions is unnatural and confusing.

Carole claims everything about the project points to producers working with one of the "big cat pimps" like Doc Antle or Mario Tabraue, who she believes mistreat cats ... something they strongly deny.

Bottom line for Carole ... nothing about "WAP" is good for big cats.

Ex-MLB player Cody Decker says that Nazi salute at the Oakland A's game is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to anti-Semitism in pro baseball ... insisting the problem is MUCH worse than it seems.

Decker -- who is Jewish -- was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2009 and made his MLB debut in 2015. He retired from pro baseball in 2019.

In other words, Cody's been around the game a LONG time and has personally dealt with anti-Semitism ... a lot.

"I mean the amount of Nazis jokes I've dealt with throughout my entire career is pretty staggering," Decker says.

When it comes to Oakland A's bench coach Ryan Christenson -- who threw up a Hitler salute during Thursday's game -- Decker says things would have gone down much differently after the game if he was on that team.

"If I was in that locker room, what I’d have to go into that office and have to do with that coach?! We would have to have a very harsh conversation or we would have to shut the door and maybe throw punches because that's unacceptable. Plain and simple."

During our conversation, Decker describes several times he dealt with blunt anti-Semitism from other players, coaches and fans ... and it's downright ridiculous.

"If you think ant-Semitism is not rampant throughout baseball!? ... It's a very, very, very Christian sport and not all of the players that are very, very Christian are the brightest of Christians. That's not knocking Christianity by any stretch of the imagination, I'm just telling you what I've death with throughout my career by being called multiple Jewish slurs by fans, by teammates."

So, what should happen with Christenson?

"I think a fair thing would be a suspension," Decker says ... while suggesting an educational component to educate Christenson on the dangers of anti-Semitism.

"Mob Wives" star Drita D'Avanzo asked the judge to go easy on her husband in his federal gun case ... but instead, the judge dropped the hammer.

Drita and her 2 daughters were in court Friday for her husband Lee D'Avanzo's sentencing in New Jersey where judge Rachel P. Kovner sentenced Lee to 64 months in prison.

Lee's counsel argued a sentence of 37 months was more than enough because he took responsibility for the crime ... but federal prosecutors in Brooklyn wanted up to 46 months. Kovner wasn't having it, saying keeping 2 loaded guns with hollow point ammunition in a home with 2 daughters was extremely dangerous.

Kovner added she didn't have confidence Lee would learn his lesson if she gave him a lighter sentence. She also noted Lee has 6 prior convictions and had previously violated supervised release. She said she had a duty to protect the public. Once he's done serving his sentence ... Lee will be on 2 years of supervised release.

As we reported ... Lee apologized for his actions and pled guilty to gun possession charges in back March after the NYPD raided the family home and found the guns. Drita was eventually cleared of all charges.

Cardi B's long-awaited return to the rap game wasn't just a collab with Meg Thee Stallion -- the two got support from a bunch of famous ladies ... including Kylie Jenner.

Cardi's track, "WAP" dropped Friday with an accompanying music video all about female empowerment -- and to fully embrace that, CB enlisted some hot up-and-coming femcees in the game.

Normani, Rosalia, Mulatto, Sukihana -- all relatively big names in their own right -- are also featured in the video.

Kylie's cameo features the self-made-billionaire decked out in leopard print and strutting down a hallway. Sorry, no rapping or singing from Kylie. We're told the billionaire cosmetics mogul was included to reflect togetherness among women across the entertainment industry.

Our sources also say the video was shot the week before the Tory Lanez drama unfolded last month -- and that could explain why Meg was hanging out with Kylie the night she was shot in her feet. It would appear working on the song/video brought them closer together.

Cardi's fans have been hungry for new music for a while, and now they've got it ... with some visual bonuses.

Here's the cheat sheet for our clip with "Suga" Sean O'Malley:

1. He's got a big orgy planned for when he wins the UFC title

2. He thinks the fact marijuana is still outlawed in MMA is "ridiculous" and "embarrassing"

3. He REALLY wants to fight Cody Garbrandt once he gets past Marlon Vera at UFC 252 next weekend.

First things first ... O'Malley is very open about the fact he's in an open relationship and has been for a while.

So, we asked the 25-year-old if the couple brings in other people to celebrate after a big UFC victory and he told us he's saving the big group bash for when he becomes the champ.

"Yeah, that's after a title fight win. That will happen."

Next, weed ... O'Malley is a big proponent of marijuana -- both medical and recreational and thinks it's ridiculous that UFC fighters like Luis Pena and Tim Elliott were just hit with suspensions after testing positive for weed.

"It's ridiculous that they get suspended for it. It's embarrassing that's even a rule. We're in 2020."

O'Malley says he knows the rules will eventually change -- "it's got to" -- but until then, he's being smart about his own THC usage.

"For me, I've gotta diet, I gotta not be snacking at night so I gotta quit anyway. I can't fight the munchies, they always win."

When it comes to life inside the octagon, O'Malley is on fire -- with 2 impressive knockouts in a row in 2020.

He's been trading verbal jabs with Cody Garbrandt -- but tells us he's dead serious about fighting "No Love" if the UFC offers it up.

"It's a fight that I'm not gonna turn down. If UFC says 'hey you wanna fight?', it's a yes for me."

O'Malley adds, "I think it's a good fight for me. It's a striking battle and I'm a better striker so obviously I'd like that fight."

But first, O'Malley squares off against Marlon Vera -- a 27-year-old from Ecuador who's won 5 out of his last 6 fights.

The firearms seized in the FBI raid at Jake Paul's house are now in the hands of the Sheriff ... and we're told the guns aren't the reason the feds stormed the place with a warrant.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... there were multiple guns taken from Jake's crib in Calabasas during Wednesday's FBI raid, and they're now being held by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for safekeeping.

It sure seemed weapons may have been what drove the FBI to get a search warrant and, in a massive show of force, raid Paul's L.A. home, as well as his friend's home in Vegas. We do know the raids were somehow connected to looting at a Scottsdale, AZ, mall ... where Jake and his friend were front and center.

As you know ... aerial footage of the scene from ABC 7 showed law enforcement officials walking down Jake's driveway with rifles and perhaps shotguns.

We're told Sheriff's deputies seized the guns once FBI agents entered the home because the house was not secured and deputies couldn't just leave the guns laying around.

Our sources stress the guns were not taken as evidence of any crime, or FBI agents would have taken them themselves.

We broke the story ... Jake had 2 large guns prominently displayed in his bedroom, which were casually displayed in a recent YouTube prank.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have lots to discuss during their tropical island getaway geared at trying to save their marriage, but one topic is off the table -- politics.

Sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... Kim and Kanye aren't going to hash out any political differences while working out their family issues in a remote Caribbean location with their kids. In fact, we're told the couple hasn't talked politics in a long time.

Our sources say Kanye has made it clear to Kim he's continuing his bid for The White House ... and although there are lots of reasons (e.g., South Carolina rally) she may have problems with his run, it's a non-negotiable issue.

FACT: There is clearly a political divide between the 2 -- Kanye's pro-life, while Kim's worked for years with Planned Parenthood. Remember, Yeezy took some shots at Planned Parenthood in his bizarre Forbes interview and got strong pushback from PP.

So, despite politics being a source of conflict between the two, they will not resolve differences in that department as they work to repair their marriage.

As we first reported ... Kim and Kanye are holed up in an island fortress far away from the paparazzi as they try to salvage a marriage that seems to be on the ropes.

So, it sounds like Kim and Ye won't bring up President Trump, even though he praised them both Wednesday at The White House.

Kanye West's egalitarian community is being resurrected -- or so it seems, 'cause the guy wants to lock up the rights on a name for it ... which is in line with his Presidential campaign.

Ye's company, Yeezy LLC, just filed legal docs declaring his intention to snag the exclusive rights to a phrase for his dome-like structures -- which Ye and co. actually call shelters in the paperwork. Ya ready??? Looks like he's gonna call them ... "2020Vision."

It's not the first time Kanye's used that phrase -- if you'll recall, he dropped that same verbiage when he announced his presidential campaign about a month ago. At the time, Ye wrote ... "We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States! #2020Vision."

Kanye's team also reveals more details on how they plan to use "2020Vision" -- saying he intends to use the name on permanent metal and non-metal dome shelters, as well as actual construction and engineering services that'll be used to make them a reality.

Remember, Ye already erected a number of these dome structures on his Calabasas property not too long ago -- only to see them get torn down when the City came knocking after he failed to obtain the proper permits ... not to mention pissing off his neighbors with the noise.

At the time, it seemed like Kanye was putting the project on pause -- and it wasn't clear if he was going to try again in the same area ... or try rebooting elsewhere, like on his Wyoming properties.

President Trump says his threat to ban TikTok is about China stealing data, but that's just a cover story ... at least according to TikTokers who think he can't take a joke, and simply wants revenge.

TMZ spoke with Mary Jo Laupp -- AKA TikTok Grandma -- and DeJuan Booker, a couple of proud TikTok trolls who've been on a mission to derail Trump's presidency along with his businesses ... and they think he's striking back with the potential ban.

Mary Jo made the original TikTok encouraging people to register for Trump's Tulsa rally and then not show up -- a battle cry that spread like wildfire among teens and K-pop fans. She thinks believes he's still miffed about how it affected his rally, and all his vigor toward banning TikTok is just a grudge.

Laupp says even if he does go through with the ban, it was worth it to show how Gen Z'ers can impact politics -- and hopes it motivates them to hit the polls in November.

Meanwhile, DeJuan -- the leader of "Gen Savage" and creator of multiple Trump pranks -- says Trump's revenge plot won't work, because his community will simply move to other platforms if the Prez bans TikTok.

And, he adds ... you better believe they'll keep speaking out against 45.

DeJuan acknowledges his Trump pranks may be seen as petty, but tells us the whole purpose is to let Gen Z know their voice matters and when they come together ... they can make a difference.

Larry Flynt's Hustler Club is putting strippers back to work, but the strip joint is gonna look a whole lot different in its grand return ... because everything will be virtual.

With Las Vegas strip joints still shuttered due to COVID-19, the Hustler Club is moving over to Only Fans, where it can virtually entertain folks stuck at home during the pandemic ... and it's getting an assist from Too Short!!!

The Hustler Club tells us it's going virtual with live, uncensored content on Only Fans every Saturday in August, trying to give folks as close an experience to the real thing as possible -- private dances, strippers on stage, live celeb performances, virtual bottle service and the option to buy drinks or send tips to the exotic dancers.

The strip club is debuting it's new format Saturday at 8 PM PT with a soft opening, featuring a surprise set from a celeb guest ... and the following weekend will see Too Short rock the virtual mic.

Sorry, ya gotta supply your own glitter.