Los Angeles Lakers

Tracy Morgan got one helluva of a "welcome back" moment at the Knicks game Sunday -- getting huge props from Kobe and Magic ... and the GAME BALL from the Knicks!!

TMZ Sports has obtained footage of Lakers guard Lou Williams handcuffed by police and slammed up against a cop car in front of a casino in Vegas ... but the NBA player insists he did NOTHING wrong.

We've learned ... Williams was detained in front of The Cromwell hotel and casino on the Vegas strip in the early hours of September 13th ... after the Mayweather vs. Berto fight.

Witnesses at the scene tell us, Williams was involved in an altercation with "a large man" -- and cops rushed in to break it up. We're told Williams adamantly denies being involved in a fight.

Williams was handcuffed and slammed up against a police car -- but the Las Vegas Metro Police Department tell us they have NO RECORD showing Williams was formally arrested that night.

We spoke with Lou's agent Wallace Prather III who tells us, "Apparently there was an issue that [Lou] wasn't involved in, which is why they didn't arrest him."

"If Lou was fighting in public in Las Vegas they would have arrested his ass ... he wasn't fighting anyone."

Eventually, cops released the cuffs and Williams was sent on his way.

Kobe Bryant is getting flak from some NBA fans who noticed he was the only Lakers player on the court Tuesday who WASN'T wearing special socks to honor U.S. troops ... and now, we know why.

The NBA is allowing players to wear special designed red, white and blue socks as part of Hoops for Troops week ... which runs from Nov. 3rd to the 11th.

The socks are optional for players ... but it seems only two players in the Lakers vs. Nuggets game opted out ... Kobe and Jameer Nelson.

But our NBA sources tell us ... Kobe wasn't trying to make a political statement -- he simply prefers to wear quarter-length socks and the Hoops for Troops socks were only available in crew length.

So, don't worry ... Kobe doesn't hate America -- he just likes to be comfortable.

Metta World Peace says he and Kobe Bryant both tried to save Lamar Odom from going down a dark path ... and were FURIOUS when they learned he overdosed in a Nevada brothel.

Seems D'Angelo Russell is already used to the Hollywood lifestyle ... 'cause not only is he rocking a swagged out $5k custom bag ... but A-list mega star Jamie Foxx helped him get it.

The Lakers rookie turned heads when he showed up to his debut regular season game rocking a seriously blinged out Louis Stewart custom backpack.

We spoke to the guys over at Louis Stewart ... and they tell us D'Angelo dropped $5k cash for the lambskin bag ... which is draped in Swarovski crystals and features the LS signature red suede interior.

Only thing more dope than the bag? How D'Angelo got it ... our LS guys tell us Russell was in Vegas for the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight when he noticed Jamie Foxx had one that was similar.

He asked Jamie what the bag was, which prompted the Academy Award winner to call LS and put them in touch with Russell. Money was exchanged ... and the rest is style history.

Good work, Jamie ... Kobe will take it from here.

One season after he joked about getting rid of his seats, Jack Nicholson returned to Staples Center Wednesday night ... supporting the Lakers at their home opener.

Don't forget, both Nicholson and his famous friend Lou Adler expressed some serious frustrations with the team last year ... and it seemed like the Purple & Gold were in danger of losing their biggest fans.

But last night, there they were ... Lou and Jack back in their regular seats -- hoping this would be the year the Lake Show gets their groove back.

They lost.

Wonder if we'll see 'em again at the next home game on Sunday?

The Los Angeles Lakers will have a moment of silence before tonight's home opener to honor Flip Saunders ... the Minnesota Timberwolves coach who passed away this past weekend.

It just so happens that the Lakers play Minnesota tonight -- and a rep for the team tells us, "Our players will be wearing a special t-shirt during pre-game warmups and also we will do a brief moment of silence for Flip just before the national anthem."

This is pretty hilarious ... Lakers point guard Jordan Clarkson says he got a pretty bizarre welcome gift when he joined the squad last year -- A BABY.

Well, kind of a baby.

The Game just went full Master P ... saying he won't watch a Lakers game this year if the team doesn't immediately sign Lamar Odom ... when he's felling well enough to play.

Game was out in L.A. when we asked him if he thinks Lamar could be back on the court ... a tall order being that Odom still has a long medical road ahead of him ... including a possible kidney transplant ... just to live a normal life.

Check out the clip -- Game is adamant that Lamar could be back but goes further and says he SHOULD be back ... telling our guy he "won't watch a game" unless the team ... including Kobe Bryant ... gives LO another shot.

Get well first, LO.

Master P is coming out swingin' at Kobe Bryant -- saying Kobe's public display of emotion over Lamar Odom is an ACT ... because he had the chance to SAVE Lamar, but didn't step up when it counted.

Master P was charged up in the video -- saying he was "like a mentor" to Odom and personally knew how serious Lamar was about wanting to return to the NBA.

He says Kobe was also aware of the situation and could have used his clout with the Lakers to get Odom back on the squad, but instead did nothing.

"If Kobe was his friend ... Kobe, like, owns the team. He could've got the man back on the team ... that's all he wanted."

P also goes off on the NBA -- saying Odom was "blackballed" from the league over his decision to be on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" ... because at the time, the NBA wanted nothing to do with them.

As for Khloe, P says he truly believed Odom loved her -- but made a mistake in marrying her because "he didn't realize what he was getting into." He concludes with a warning to James Harden.

Good news Lakers fans ... D.L. Hughley is one of the three people in the world who thinks the team has a shot this year ... all because he says Kobe Bryant still has something left in the tank.

Hughley is an absolutely gigantic Lakers fan ... so when we got him out in Beverly Hills Tuesday night, we had to talk Purple & Gold with him being that the season is right around the corner.

Check out the clip -- D.L. says that anyone who thinks it's time for the 37-year-old Mamba to slither off into the Sunset is totally wrong ... right now.

Nick Young's excited about the Lakers bringing Metta World Peace out of retirement -- he just has a funny way of showing it ... which probably has a lot to do with the fact he got a little turnt Thursday night.

Nick was outside The Nice Guy in West Hollywood when we asked about his new teammate, and newsflash ... he's declaring yet another name change for Metta.

We're pretty sure Metta will NOT be down with his suggestion. Swaggy P also said something about switching up his own nickname -- but that could've been the drinks talking.

Definitely a fun night for Nick ... aka ole whatshisname.

Bonus: Nick's werewolf theory regarding that fight he and his pals had at a Dave & Buster's.

He's already been honored in France, but now one of the American heroes who thwarted a gunman on a Paris-bound train will be celebrated by his favorite NBA team ... the L.A. Lakers!!!

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Anthony Sadler was wearing a Lake Show t-shirt when he and his 2 friends Spencer Stone and Alek Skarlatos jumped into action and saved countless lives this weekend.

Sadler's mother has said he's a huge Lakers fan and his favorite player is Kobe Bryant.

Now, we've learned ... the Lakers have definitely taken notice and a rep for the team tells us plans are already in the works to honor Sadler -- along with Stone and Skarlatos.

The guys have already received France's highest award -- the Legion of Honor -- and that's cool and all ... but props from the Lakers?? Doesn't get better than that ...

10:59 AM PT -- Seems soccer superstar Thomas Muller has also taken notice of the fact Alek Skarlatos was wearing his Bayern Munich jersey during the incident ... and couldn't be more proud!

Muller posted a note on Twitter saying, "Those are heros. And one of them wears my trikot. Great guys."

Awesome.

Iggy Azalea is talking so much smack about Nick Young and his teammates ... you'd think she and Swaggy had been married for 30 years already.

Washington Wizard Jared Dudley just pulled a 180 on Kobe Bryant -- calling him a LOCK for Team USA ... even though he recently said free agent superstars were avoiding Kobe like the plague.

Dudley was leaving Greystone in WeHo when we asked if the Mamba should rep USA in the Olympics next year ... with younger players like Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kenneth Faried. Some critics feel Kobe's getting a little long in the tooth.

Check out the clip, 'cause Jared sounds like the head cheerleader for Kobe -- which is interesting since just 3 months ago he said Kobe's ball-hogging and attitude was killing the Lakers' attempts to recruit new blood. Now he's calling him a "legend."

Hmmm ... maybe someone's looking to score an invite to Kobe's 37th birthday next week.

Nick Young gave his Lakers teammates a huge gift when he attempted to out lip-synch his fiancee, Iggy Azalea ... and lost ... in humiliating fashion.

Nick and Iggy went head-to-head on last night's episode of "Lip Sync Battle" on Spike -- and turns out Nick wasn't so Swaggy after all.

Azalea whipped out her "Freak Me" by Silk -- complete with pelvic thrusts on the stage. Nick tried to go sweet with Maroon 5's "Sugar" ... but came up short.

The real winner here wasn't Iggy though -- it's the Lakers who just got handed a season's worth of images to post in Nick's locker.