Houston Rockets

Dwight Howard's baby mama wasn't talking out of her ass with that whole "celeb kids have psychological baggage" argument ... this according to an expert in the field, Dr. Drew.

We broke the story ... a woman named Tiffany is demanding more child support from the NBA star -- and part of her argument is that her child will likely need expensive therapy sessions later on to "deal with the unique issues involved in being the child of a celebrity."

So, we asked Dr. Drew if there was any weight to her argument ... and he explained why it's "not totally unreasonable."

Drew acknowledged there is some added stress that goes along with being the child of a famous person ... but says it's not really a problem that money can cure.

$10,000 per month is WAYYY TOO LOW for child support when it comes to Dwight Howard ... this according to one of his baby mamas who says Dwight has been screwing her out of serious dough and now she wants to collect.

The Houston Rockets star is being sued in Florida ... by a woman who claims she and Dwight struck a private deal back in 2013 that required him to fork over $10k per month in child support.

But according to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, the woman (Tiffany) says Howard hasn't lived up to his end of the bargain ... and since January, has only paid her HALF of what he owes.

Tiffany says the financial slight has forced her to reconsider their arrangement ... and since he makes more than $27 MILLION per year in salary and endorsements, she wants a bigger slice of the pie.

The kid is currently 4 years old ... and Tiffany says she needs the cash to put the child in expensive private schools, pay for extracurricular activities and fund social activities like birthday parties and sleepovers that will help the kid make friends.

Tiffany also says ... since the child has a famous father, she'll need extra cash for therapy to "deal with the unique issues involved in being the child of a celebrity."

Dwight Howard is putting his Superman alter ego on ice for a while and re-emerging as ANOTHER comic book bad ass, THE FLASH ... and he's starting the re-branding process with a new car.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the Houston Rockets star has commissioned some heavy duty Flash-themed work on his 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat with the guys at 713 Motoring in Houston.

We spoke with the owner, Ash, who tells us D12 has always been known to "superhero" his cars and usually went with a Superman theme.

"But when he came to the Rockets, he wanted a change ... he said he no longer wanted to be called Superman, he is now Flash out here in Houston."

Ash says the project will run around $65k -- and included everything from a custom paint job ... to a pimped out steering wheel ... and custom Flash logos on the wheels, hood, seats and gas cap.

James Harden may have just made things A LOT worse for himself ... because rapper Lil B is threatening to UP THE CURSE on the NBA star in the wake of a Harden smack talk session.

Lil B just appeared on "TMZ Hollywood Sports" and said Harden was straight up LYING when the NBA star told us he's never heard of Lil B and didn't steal his cooking dance.

So, what's gonna happen to Harden now? Watch the clip and find out ...

Check out "TMZ Hollywood Sports" weeknights on Reelz.

Diamond studded King Tut is out, diamond studded Anubis is wayyy in -- so says NBA star Trevor Ariza ... who just dropped $12,000 on a brand new jackal-headed gold piece ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The Rockets star hit up Johnny's Custom Jewelry in Houston looking for something cool -- and according to the brother of the owner, Zo, asked for a piece with an ancient Egyptian theme.

But Zo says Ariza was tired of seeing King Tut everywhere ... and wanted something a little more original. So he crafted an 18-karat design of Anubis -- a god who ushered souls into the afterlife.

Bonus Egyptian Joke -- What's a mummy's favorite kind of music? Wrap.

Houston Rockets superstar James Harden says there's no way he STOLE his famous cooking dance celebration from rapper Lil B ... 'cause he has NO IDEA who Lil B is.

Harden was back home in L.A. Tuesday night -- hangin' at 1 OAK nightclub with fellow NBA star Ty Lawson -- when we asked him about the "Based God Curse" that seemed to lead to the Rockets demise.

FYI -- Lil B says HE created the cooking dance and put a curse on Harden because the NBA star didn't give him proper credit.

There could be a slurricane heading for Oakland ... 'cause rap legend E-40 says if the Golden State Warriors squad wins the NBA title, they'll get UNLIMITED booze from his winery for the rest of the year!!!

FYI -- E-40 is a major player in the booze biz ... he's the owner of the Earl Stevens Selections wine company ... and also puts out the "Slurricane" cocktail drink.

He's also a HUGE Warriors fan ... and made the team the following offer:

"If they win the Western Conference I will supply them with a celebration toast with Slurricane."

"If they win the NBA Finals, the whole team will get as many bottles of my Mangoscato wine from Earl Stevens Selections as they want until next season begins."

The biggest obstacle standing between James Harden and an NBA championship is not Steph Curry ... it's Lil B, who is threatening to put a curse on The Beard ... unless he cops to his demands.

Lil B is pissed because he thinks Harden keeps jacking his "cooking dance" when he celebrates draining a big shot. Harden has been doing it all season, but Lil B says he's watching the Western Conference Finals -- and if Harden does it again ... it's gonna be curses.

Lil B tells TMZ Sports, "If Harden doesn't tell what he is doing, which is the Lil B cooking dance, he will be cursed. He needs to stop stealing Lil B swag without showing love."

Lil B is a reasonable man -- he's giving Harden until Game 3 to give him credit, but after that he says the curse goes into effect.

Not a believer? Remember, Lil B cursed Kevin Durant earlier this year, and uhh ...he's somewhere chillin' on a couch right now.

Stir at your own risk, Harden.

Kobe Bryant continues to haunt Dwight Howard ... at least judging by video of a heckler who used The Mamba to taunt D12 after he was ejected from a playoff game ... and TMZ Sports has the footage.

Moments after Howard was (mercifully?) booted from Sunday night's beatdown at the hands of the Clippers ... Dwight got to hear a familiar Staples Center yell as he exited through the tunnel.

"Kobe!"

You can see Howard look back at the heckler ... he doesn't seem happy.

Now for some backstory ... Dwight and Kobe have HATED each other ever since their disaster season together back in 2013 ... with Kobe publicly chiding him as "soft."

This video is AWESOME!!!

Trevor Ariza's grandfather says if Matt Barnes tried to talk smack to him during a game like he did to James Harden's mother ... "We'd have to kick the s**t out of him!"

Osvaldo Ariza was on his way in to Staples Center last night when we he made it clear ... the Ariza family doesn't mess around.

As far as the situation between Barnes and Harden's mom ... Ariza says he's not worried about Monja Willis because she's a tough chick who can definitely take care of herself.

Mark Wahlberg was blown away at the Clippers game last night, but it had nothing to do with the Clippers rout over the Rockets ... he was mesmerized by Floyd Mayweather's bling.

Mark and Floyd were sitting courtside, not beside each other, when Mark walked over to Floyd to admire his ridiculously expensive bracelet.

Meanwhile, Khloe and Kendall had laser focus on the game ... at least for a second or two.

Tons of stars showed, including Billy Chrystal, Macy Gray, Adam Devine and Bob Odenkirk.

James Harden's mother tells TMZ Sports ... Matt Barnes PERSONALLY APOLOGIZED Wednesday night ... after the L.A. Clippers star hurled an extremely rude comment to her during last night's NBA playoff game.

Monja Willis wouldn't tell us exactly what Barnes said to her at the Toyota Center in Houston during Game 2 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals ... saying, "We'll leave that on the court."

What we do know ... Matt's comment really pissed off one of Monja's other sons -- who was sitting next to her during the game and heard it ... and confronted Barnes after the final buzzer.

Willis tells us ... "My older son walked over to him and told him to apologize ... and he did."

Monja says, "What he told me was that he would never want to disrespect anyone's mother because his mother passed from cancer ... and that he was sorry."

Starting the All-Star game is now second on the list of things James Harden could be doing this weekend ... 'cause Amber Rose just told the world she might give him the best V-Day gift ever ... dat ass.

Amber was on Power 105's "The Breakfast Club" where she was asked about a rumored relationship with the NBA star ... and fessed up to having a "special friendship."

But the rub ... Amber says their relationship has NOT turned physical. Or in her words, "I haven't got the 'D' yet."

Of course the "Breakfast Club" gang pressed her on when it might happen, and Amber said the words that made James' heart pound more than any NBA game ever has.

"Valentine's day is tomorrow ... if he acts right."

James, for men everywhere living vicariously through you ... don't screw this up.

Dwight Howard is under criminal investigation for child abuse ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

We've learned the Cobb County PD in Georgia now has an active criminal investigation into allegations he beat his 6-year-old son Braylon with a belt buckle.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the Dept. of Children and Families in Florida (DCF) determined there wasn't enough evidence of child abuse to go forward, but it turns out the incident occurred in Georgia. Howard admits he hit his kid with a belt, but says he didn't know it was wrong because he was hit as a kid.

Law enforcement tells us ... Georgia cops asked Florida for the file, but the DCF dragged its feet and did not cooperate. So it turned into a cold case until Monday, after Cobb County detectives saw the TMZ Sports story summarizing a doctor's findings that Howard committed child abuse.

A Georgia law enforcement source tells TMZ ... "People who were not so forthcoming before today [Monday] have been." The source adds detectives did several one-on-one interviews Monday and say the case "has now been raised to top of the list."

Howard's attorney tells TMZ ... Howard's baby mama Royce Reed is "shopping her baseless allegations" to Georgia authorities even though Florida's Dept. of Children and Families found her claims had "no merit."

For the record ... DCF found the allegations credible, but concluded they did not meet the standard of proof required for formal action.

The attorney says he's confident Georgia will reach the same conclusion because "The truth is on our side."

Dwight Howard is finally cutting ties with the city of Orlando -- selling the amazing mega-mansion he abandoned there over two years ago ... for a HUGE loss, TMZ Sports has learned.

Dwight -- who was drafted by the Magic back in '04 -- originally dropped $7.78 mil on the 11,025 sq ft Longwood, FL property when it was built in '08 ... but now the place could be yours for a cool $4.9 mil.

The house is incredible ... built in the Gothic style and nicknamed the "Chateau D'Usse" -- after the famous French castle -- it has 5 bedrooms and comes complete with vaulted ceilings and fancy designer furniture.

It gets better, according to our friends at at Reatlor.com, you'll also find a massive kitchen with separate food prep area ... a large family room with two-side fireplace leading to a man cave (complete with pool table and wet bar) ... a temperature controlled wine cellar ... and a tiered movie theater.

But the outside is where things get really awesome ... there's a covered patio with fireplace and entertainment center ... an incredible pool with water-falls, water slides, a swim-in grotto ... and (best of all) a LAZY RIVER.

You don't go to Italy and not eat the pasta, you don't go to Japan and not try the sushi ... and Dwight Howard knows you can't go to the Philippines and not hit up the karaoke nightclubs.

The 6'11" Houston Rockets star has been in the Philippines to play a couple of NBA exhibition games ... but a few nights before he hit the court, Dwight blew off some steam at one of the country's most famous karaoke clubs.

But the karaoke joints over there aren't like the karaoke joints over here -- Filipinos take their karaoke VERY seriously and the clubs are the epicenter of the nightlife.

In fact, roughly SIX people have been MURDERED in the Philippines over disputes stemming from someone botching Frank Sinatra's version of "My Way" during a karaoke sesh.

Fortunately, Dwight didn't have that problem .. and emerged unscathed after spending his Monday night in the V.I.P. section of the Liberty Island karaoke bar in Manila.

We're told Dwight had a blast -- with dancing and full bottle service. We're told Howard was very cool inside the club and even signed some autographs for some of the staffers.

Dwight didn't play ball until Thursday ... and put up 9 points and 3 rebounds in 24 minutes against the Pacers.