Los Angeles Clippers

Austin Rivers' next contract will be a tricky one ... but he will talk it over with his GM and his father ... who, of course, happen to be the same person ... Doc Rivers.

Rivers was at LAX this week, heading back to his home in Orlando ... where he said he'll take about a week off to recuperate ... before heading back into the gym.

Rivers is a free agent and because of some strange NBA rules, the Clippers can only pay him a little over $3 million next season ... but any other NBA team can offer him whatever the hell it wants.

So when it comes time to make a deal, Rivers said, "That's a decision we'll make together."

Oh ... and as for Jamie Foxx's recent impression of Doc ... Austin is like the rest of us -- he thinks it's amazing.

When it comes to his NBA future, DeAndre Jordan says "friendships" could be a major factor -- which is why his BFF relationship with Blake Griffin is HUUUUUGE!!!

DeAndre just got back from a guys trip to Mexico with BG -- and made it very clear that he and Blake are super tight on and off the court.

So, with rumors swirling that DeAndre could be looking to move on from Lob City ... we asked, "Would friendship help influence a player to stay on a team?"

Blake Griffin knows exactly what to do to convince DeAndre Jordan to stay in Los Angeles ... take him to another country ... 'cause the two Clippers studs are tearing it up in Cabo together.

The Clippers are still licking their wounds from an epic playoff collapse ... and dealing with rumors that Jordan might bolt L.A. via free agency because of a reported beef with Chris Paul.

But this weekend in Mexico, BG and DJ hit the beach and the clubs together -- and partied like they weren't gonna let a couple million dollars break them apart.

Ex "Basketball Wives" star Gloria Govan is so over the rumors about her and Colin Kaepernick ... she's now addressing them -- and wants everyone to know the 49ers QB never crossed her end zone.

Gloria was at the "So Sexy L.A." party at SKYBAR in West Hollywood Thursday night ... when our photog asked about her estranged hubby, Clippers star Matt Barnes, and his very public hatred of Kaepernick.

Just a few weeks ago, Barnes called Kaep "a hoe" on Instagram -- which is why our guy asked Gloria if she knew what was behind the beef.

Watch ... Gloria took the ball and ran, first telling us -- "There's been a bunch of different rumors" about her and Colin hooking up. But she says, "I've never had a thing with Colin Kaepernick."

Double G seems to think fans blame her for their feud, but she tells us it's something else altogether.

There is NO rift between Chris Paul & DeAndre Jordan ... despite reports to the contrary, so says Clippers teammate Dahntay Jones who tells TMZ Sports the L.A. superstars are still like "brothers."

"Guys fight and argue on the court, but that's just the emotion of the game," Jones says ... "but people want to blow things out of proportion."

Jones is responding to an explosive report that Jordan could bolt Tinseltown this summer because he can't stand playing with CP3.

But Jones says he hasn't seen anything between the guys that make him think beef is on the menu.

"Those guys are brothers, man. They sit with each other on the plane, on the bus. If you don't like a guy you stay away from him."

He's straight outta Compton but Ice Cube is only supporting ONE team from his hometown ... the Lakers -- and taking a shot at the Clippers in the process.

Despite the fact the Clippers are about to play in a Game 7 ... and the Lakers are sitting at home ... Cube told TMZ Sports "There's only one team in L.A."

Then, for good measure, Ice throws even more shade at Lob City ... making fun of the team name.

It's being hailed as one of the biggest implosions in the history of the NBA playoffs ... but Allen Iverson says the Clippers did NOT choke Thursday night ... they just lost.

The Clips were up 19 points on the Houston Rockets in Game 6 ... only to blow the lead and lose the game by 12 ... a 31 point swing. It was bad.

But when we saw A.I. in NYC a few minutes ago and asked if he's ever seen a worse choke job, he told us the Clips don't need the Heimlich ... 'cause it wasn't a choke job. Sometimes you just lose.

We also joked with A.I. about his legendary "practice" rant ... he laughed. It's funny.

Talkin' 'bout practice.

Good news for Clippers fans ... Austin Rivers says he wants to STAY in Lob City next season -- even if other teams come at him with GIANT contracts.

After Rivers tore up the Staples Center on Friday, the coach's son hit up Craig's in West Hollywood for a celebratory meal with his girlfriend Brittany Hotard ... clearly in a GREAT mood!

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."

Colin Kaepernick has a new enemy -- L.A. Clippers star Matt Barnes ... who just fired a shot at the QB on social media ... and sources tell us the animosity is very real.

Barnes went on Instagram to congratulate Arik Armstead on being drafted by the SF 49ers last night ... and wrote, "Congrats to my young boy #ErikArmstead [sic] proud of you fam. Ur QB a hoe tho!!"

Clearly, the message was directed at Colin.

Multiple sources close to Matt tell us the beef with Kaepernick goes back several years -- and stems from a situation where Matt felt "disrespected" by Colin.

As one source extremely close to Barnes puts it -- "Matt hates his guts."

The Clippers aren't trolling the Lakers by turning the team locker room into an owners lounge for the NBA playoffs -- they asked the team for permission and got it ... TMZ Sports has learned.

There were rumblings that the Clips were trying to diss Laker Nation by using their space at Staples Center as Steve Ballmer's personal hangout area ... since the Clips are still playing and the Lakers didn't even come close to the playoffs.

But it just ain't the case -- at least according to Staples Center honcho Lee Zeidman who tells us there was an arrangement made before the 1st playoff game.

"The team inquired about using the Lakers locker room as a space for the Clippers owner. The Lakers gracefully granted use."

He continued, "People are trying to make something out of this, as if the Clippers are pissing off the Lakers by using their locker room. That's not true at all. We'd never use the Lakers space without asking the team."

V. Stiviano ain't gettin' no sympathy from the Clippers -- with Matt Barnes saying he's GLAD she got crushed in her war with Shelly Sterling ... "it couldn't have happened to a better person."

TMZ Sports spoke with Barnes last night ... and it's clear the dude is NOT a Stiviano fan, despite the fact she played a key role in freeing the team from the clutches of its previous racist owner.

"I'm glad she has to pay every penny back," Barnes said ... referring to the $2.6 MILLION judgment she's forced to pay Shelly for the cars, cash and condo that Donald had given her in the past.

Shelly had previously said she wasn't going after Stiviano for the money -- but because she wanted "justice" for all of the harm she had caused the Sterling family.

Shelly Sterling says she didn't go after V. Stiviano for the money -- SHE WANTED JUSTICE -- and says she plans to give away every single cent she won in her crushing court victory to a charity.

Our sources say ... Shelly was "out for blood" from the start -- and really wanted to put the screws to Stiviano for all the crap she put her family through.

In fact, Shelly told the Associated Press ... her lawsuit was about getting even with Stiviano who had "harmed" her in so many ways.

Of course, Sterling won a $2.6 million judgment against Stiviano -- ordering her to fork over the keys to her $1.8 million condo AND $800,000 in cash.

Sterling says she doesn't even want the money -- 'cause she's a billionaire -- and to prove it, she's giving every cent to a worthy charity.

Donald Sterling had no right to shower V. Stiviano with lavish gifts, no matter how good of an archivist she was, because the loot he used to buy all the goodies wasn't his to give away.

A judge just sided with Shelly Sterling, concluding Shelly was still very much Donald's wife when he pulled his shenanigans -- giving V. a duplex, a Bentley, a Range Rover and a Ferrari totaling $2.6 mil.

But don't roll out the tow truck -- Shelly doesn't want the cars ... she wants the money. According to the ruling, $830k of the $2.6 mil is due in cash -- with $430k earmarked for the value of the vehicles.

V. tried in vain to convince the judge Donald and Shelly were separated at the time she scored the goods, so he had every right to shell out the cash. The judge begged to differ, saying Donald had no right to use the Sterling money to fund V.'s lifestyle.

So the question ... how does V. make it right?

Return, return, return.