Los Angeles Lakers

Coach World Peace?? That's right ... the Lakers star says he's eyeing a gig as an NBA head coach when he retires.

TMZ Sports spoke with Metta World Peace earlier this week about the praise he's been gettin' from the Lakers coaching staff ... who have said his knowledge and experience are valuable to the team even when he isn't on the floor.

MWP agrees ... and goes on to say he'd like to join young successful NBA coaches like Billy Donovan and Brad Stevens.

It's been a good 24 hours for Nick Young ... because he just became a father AGAIN ... TMZ Sports has learned.

We've confirmed Nick's ex-girlfriend, Keonna Green, gave birth to a bouncing baby girl moments ago!

Green and Young aren't in a relationship anymore but they're on good terms. They already have a 4-year-old son together.

Nick rushed to the hospital late Wednesday night after the Lakers game (they won!) and wanted to be there when his daughter was born! Success!!!

Life without Kobe Bryant began for the Lakers Wednesday night -- but the stars still showed up in force to support the Purple and Gold.

Kendall Jenner sat courtside -- probably to support her rumored Lakers boyfriend Jordan Clarkson.

Denzel Washington kicked it with James Harden before tip off.

There were rockstars, rappers, models and more ... and the good news -- the Lakers actually won!

First time they've had a winning record in a WHILE!!!

Kobe Bryant fans, here's your chance to come face-to-face with the Mamba himself (kinda) ... 'cause the NBA legend's game-worn protective face mask just hit the auction block!!

During the 2012 All-Star game, Dwyane Wade fouled Kobe hard, and broke his nose ... forcing K.B. to wear the clear face mask to protect his schnoz.

Goldin Auctions got ahold of the mask -- which comes with a letter from a member of the Lakers training staff -- that Mamba used during games in February and March of '12.

The mask hits the block Monday ... and bidding closes on October 29th.

Interested? Break out your checkbook ... 'cause it ain't gonna go cheap. The auction house tells us they expect the mask to sell for over $50k!!

Good luck!

The rift between D'Angelo Russell and his former Lakers coach Byron Scott is irreparable -- so says Scott who tells TMZ Sports he doesn't want a relationship with the NBA star moving forward.

Russell has been taking thinly veiled shots at Scott recently -- essentially blaming him for his lackluster rookie season.

"Everything I went through was new, and there was no guidance from the people that were supposed to give me the guidance," Russell told the L.A. Times.

So, when we saw Scott out in L.A. Thursday night, we asked how he felt about the youngster -- and he basically told us he doesn't care ... and isn't looking to be friends with the 20-year-old.

Derrick Rose is dragging Nick Young into his alleged rape case -- using his fellow NBA star in an attempt to discredit the accuser.

You'd think Lakers star D'Angelo Russell would catch a break at his home court ... instead, he caught a bunch of crap on the way into the Drake concert.

As the 20-year-old walked into Staples Center, a couple of hecklers yelled at him-- "Hide your phone!"

At first, it seemed Russell was going to ignore it -- but moments later, stuck his head back outside the door and yelled something back at the guys.

Our photog says it sounded like he said, "Eat a d**k."

Laya DeLeon Hayes -- the little girl who plays Doc McStuffins on Disney Junior -- could put Colin Kaepernick in an awkward spot.

Our photog got the 12-year-old at the Grove Wednesday, and she told us her dream is to sing the National Anthem at a Lakers game.

She sang part of it for us, and gotta say ... nailed it.

D'Angelo Russell is BACK ON with his college athlete girlfriend ... the two have reconciled after breaking up earlier this month, TMZ Sports has learned.

The Lakers star had been dating USC volleyball star Niki Withers -- but sources close to the couple tell us they broke things off after a recent trip to Asia because they felt they were growing apart.

But after nearly two weeks ... the two decided to go out for dinner to talk things out and agreed to give it another shot.

And perhaps the most meaningful sign ... they both reposted pictures of each other back to Instagram after scrubbing all traces right after the breakup.

At the end of the day, both Russell and Withers are 20-years-old -- and we're told they want to take things slow and see where things go.

#GoodLuck

Retired life is going by fast for Kobe Bryant ... really fast ... like almost at a breakneck speed ... check out the Mamba TEARING IT UP whipping a sick Ferrari on a closed course.

Kobe was in Maranello, Italy for his Mamba Mentality European Tour when he took a little time to cherish one of the country's most prized exports ... the Ferrari.

Check out the video ... that yellow (close enough to gold right?) blur is Kobe SMASHING OUT in a Ferrari ... driving like a guy who isn't concerned with breaking anything for the first time in a while.

Lakers guards are turning over women like they do basketballs ... first Nick and Iggy, now D'Angelo Russell is on the market ... after a breakup with his superstar college athlete GF Niki Withers.

The couple scrubbed each other off all social media -- a telltale sign of trouble in paradise -- and sources close to the situation confirmed the two are, in fact, dunzo.

"D'Angelo and Niki talked about where the relationship was going and decided mutually to break up," one source tells us.

Unlike Nick & Iggy there's no bad blood between the two ... we're told the breakup was simply a case of two youngsters growing apart.

The relationship endured some tough times ... with Niki standing by DR when his infamous video of Swaggy made him the number one bro code violator in the history of sports.

Question is, now that both men are single ... might it be time to reignite the friendship over a few thots?

Lakers rookie Brandon Ingram ain't ruling out the entertainment industry ... so says his dad, who tells TMZ Sports his son is open to listening to pitches, as long as it doesn't affect his basketball career.

We talked to Donald Ingram -- father of the #2 overall pick -- about the different opportunities available to a young star athlete in Tinseltown.

His response ... they're not ruling anything out. But breathe easy, Lakers fans ... Ingram made it CRYSTAL CLEAR that his 18-year-old son's main focus is his NBA career.

“Playing in a market like this, he will have the opportunities to have outside work in entertainment," Ingram told us, "If Brandon has downtime and it doesn’t affect his game, he will take those opportunities into consideration."

Donald says Brandon is more likely to start off small ... possibly doing, "a couple commercials here and there."

"The fame and everything else will come with time. Right now, it’s all about putting in work."

Luol Deng celebrated his arrival in Tinseltown the way any new Laker should ... thots, bottles and models ... hitting a Hollywood night spot and turning up Tuesday night.

We got Deng leaving 1 OAK in West Hollywood -- a spot regularly frequented by the Kardashians, Beibers and Rihannas of the world -- around 2:30 AM, telling us he definitely had a great time.

Deng wasn't the only freakishly tall guy turning up ... Andre Drummond and Jimmy Butler were also there ... and with the money the NBA's giving out these days, we're guessing a lot of people drank free.

Big offseason for L.A. Lakers forward Julius Randle ... who just proposed to his smokin' hot model girlfriend with a diamond that's bigger than her knuckle!!

The 21-year-old NBA player popped the question to Kendra Shaw during a romantic getaway to Greece ... and clearly, she said "Yes."

Randle started dating Shaw during his 1st season at the University of Kentucky -- and decided it was time to lock it up for good!

We're working on the ring details -- but DAMN ... we're guessin' it wasn't cheap.

There might be one person more excited about Kobe training Shaq's kid than Shaq's kid ... Rick Fox ... who says the Mamba Obi-Wanning Diesel's offspring truly "warms his heart."

We broke the story ... Kobe has offered to personally mentor Shareef O'Neal -- a high school superstar who's already received scholarship offers from some pretty huge schools. Shareef told us he's pumped about it.

And so is Rick ... who was a part of those legendary Lakers teams with Shaq and Kobe, and knows firsthand how bad things got between the two of them.

But that's why Rick says it's so special to see Kobe reaching out -- saying Mamba's gesture shows how much respect the two really have for each other.

DeMar DeRozan's days in the six might be numbered ... that's according to his best friend and former teammate, Romeo Miller, who says he knows where DeRozan is headed ... and he strongly suggests it's L.A.

We got Romeo out at The Grove and asked him about DeMar ... who will be one of the most coveted free agents of the NBA off-season.

Romeo would be the guy to ask ... he and DeRozan have been best friends for years, growing up together and playing college ball at USC.

Check out the clip ... it's been reported DeMar wants to bolt the north for L.A. and Romeo adds to that fire ... hinting STRONGLY that he knows the Lakers are the right spot for his best pal.