Los Angeles Lakers

The team that drinks super expensive, rare cognac together ... wins titles together??

Los Angeles Lakers hope so, 'cause LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard, DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo sipped on the $3,000 a bottle Louis XIII at a fancy L.A. hotel this weekend.

The All-Star studded private dinner went down Saturday night at Mr. C Beverly Hills ... and it was all to celebrate AD gracing the cover of Haute Living magazine.

H.L. and XO hosted the event and invited all AD's superstar teammates ... and his agent, Rich Paul.

There was (very, very expensive) booze ... but there wasn't any crazy turn up this time.

We're told the Lakers stars sipped on Louis XIII ... but all left before 10 PM 'cause they had a game Sunday night against the Hawks.

The Lakers -- 11-2 for the season and in 1st place -- won the game easily, 122-101.

"The Lakers are as good as LeBron's wig!"

That's a compliment!!! Courtesy of George Lopez!!!

The legendary comic is a hardcore Lakers fan -- and tells TMZ Sports he's super impressed with the way the team is playing this season. They're currently in 1st place in the Western Conference with an 8-2 record.

But, when we saw Lopez at LAX, he was still cautiously optimistic -- warning fans not to get too cocky this early in the season.

George also had a message for Skip Bayless, one of LeBron's biggest critics ... telling the FS1 star if Bron keeps up this pace, he might need to invest in a #23 jersey!

There's more ... Lopez explains why he thinks the Golden State Warriors are cursed this season -- and how some Chicano love can save the team!

It's been 11 years since Dwight Howard won the NBA Dunk Contest with that insane Superman slam ... and now DH says he's given serious thought to doing it AGAIN!!!

"I thought about it. I'm getting my legs back. I feel young again," 33-year-old Howard told us outside The Window burger joint in Venice.

When we asked if entering the 2020 contest was a real possibility, Howard wouldn't commit ... instead telling us his main focus this season in winning an NBA title with the Lakers.

"I have thought about it, but winning the championship is the most important thing. I have all the individual accolades but I don't have the trophy so hopefully, we can win this title this year, which I believe we can."

There's A LOT more with Dwight ... including why he thinks his second stint with the Lakers is going so much better than his first time in L.A. back in 2012.

"We're all healthy," Howard said. "We all have one goal and one mission and the Most High has really blessed us."

Howard says the Lakers locker room is solid this season -- the guys support each other on and off the court ... and he still can't really believe he's teammates with LeBron James!

"LeBron has been amazing. I can't believe we're on the same team."

ARE YOU TRYING TO GIVE LEBRON A HEART ATTACK?!?

Anthony Davis just dropped a hint his stint in L.A. could come to an end after just one season ... saying "it's a possibility" he leaves the Lakers for his hometown Chicago Bulls next year.

The Lakers are in town to play the Bulls this week .. so the Brow made a stop at LuLu's Hot Dogs on Monday to speak with folks from his alma mater, Perspectives Charter School.

During a Q&A at the event, AD was asked if he'd ever want to play for his hometown team ... and the dude didn't shut it down at all, even saying it could happen as early as 2020.

"I mean, obviously, it's nothing like playing at home," Davis said. "I don't know. I am a free agent next year ... but I mean ... we'll see, we'll see. It's a possibility."

Of course, AD is a Chicago legend ... he averaged 32 points and 18 rebounds in his senior season at Perspectives, which landed him as the top prospect in the country.

Does this mean Davis is leaving? Absolutely not. Should Laker nation be worried? Who knows.

LeBron James and his wife, Savannah, went ALL-OUT for their Halloween costumes -- bringing in some of the top hair, makeup and fashion people in the country ... and the results are AWESOME!

Check out Edward Scissorhands and Medusa ... and no, these ain't your typical Halloween store purchases.

Savannah's dress was custom-made by former "Project Runway" star Michael Costello -- one of the top designers in the country. In other words, dude doesn't come cheap!

The makeup -- which was done by Alex Faction, a YouTube superstar who specializes in recreating famous Hollywood movie characters like The Joker and Freddy Krueger.

The props -- from Savannah's headpiece to Bron's scissor hands -- were made by Ellimacs SFX.

The couple LOVED the final product -- with LeBron posting, "Happy Halloween folks from LeDward Scissorhands ⚔️ & Sadusa."

Hey, beats that weak-ass Luigi mask from the other day!!

Scary morning for LeBron James ... the NBA superstar was forced to evacuate Monday after wildfires raged just blocks away from his Brentwood, Calif. mansion.

"Man these LA [fires] aren’t no joke," LeBron wrote. "Had to emergency evacuate my house and I’ve been driving around with my family trying to get rooms."

The King later tweeted he was able to find a safe place to stay for his family ... but it's unclear if he'll have a home to return to when the fires settle down.

Video of the blaze is intense ... homes just miles away from LeBron's house on Tigertail Road have caught fire -- and the L.A. Fire Department is sending alerts to locals to get out as soon as possible.

"I [pray] for all the families in the area that could be affected by these [fires] now!" LBJ wrote. "Pretty please get to safety ASAP"

Bron added, "My best wishes as well to the first responders right now doing what they do best!"

LeBron and the Lakers played a game just hours before his evacuation ... beating the Charlotte Hornets, 120-101, at Staples Center.

They're slated to play in L.A. again on Tuesday night ... but it's unclear if the wildfires could affect that matchup.

The ousted cofounder of the Big Baller Brand says Lonzo Ball was secretly diagnosed with torn ligaments in his ankle BEFORE he was traded to New Orleans ... but the Pelicans and the Ball family say it's just not true.

In fact, both the Balls and the Pelicans say they have solid medical evidence proving Lonzo's ankle is fine.

The man behind the claim is Alan Foster, who was fired from BBB and later sued by Lonzo. In his suit, Ball claims Alan stole more than $2 million from him.

Foster denies the allegations -- but he's REALLY pissed ... and has launched a new YouTube show promising to "expose" the truth about the Ball family.

In a video published Thursday, Foster claims he knows a secret about Lonzo's health -- "Nobody knows that he has torn ligaments."

Foster says Lonzo met with a specialist in Ohio earlier this year (when he was still on the Lakers) and an MRI and X-rays confirmed ligament damage to his ankle.

"A torn ligament at the point of your ankle where your ligament is torn, it's not gonna heal on its own. He's applying too much pressure, he's cutting left and right. This is a very sensitive area that has to be strong," Foster says.

Foster claims Lonzo was all set to undergo surgery, but when the Lakers found out -- they "freaked out" and told him to cancel the procedure. He alleges Lakers honchos sent the team jet to immediately bring him back to L.A.

Foster claims the Lakers believed if Zo went under the knife, it would hurt his trade value -- "No team would have wanted Lonzo with an ankle injury, recovering from surgery."

Lonzo was eventually traded to the Pelicans -- but Foster says the 21-year-old never had the procedure to repair his injury, and is at a huge risk of causing even more damage.

"If Lonzo doesn't get surgery, he's gonna have another season with the New Orleans Pelicans and he's gonna get injured again."

We reached out to the Pelicans and a rep told us, "The team strongly debunks this and was very aware of Lonzo's injury history and status [before we traded for him]."

LeBron James got the "South Park" treatment on Wednesday -- mocking the NBA superstar for the comments he made about Daryl Morey ... and it's pretty hilarious.

Remember, South Park has been at war with China this month too -- the country blackballed the show over an episode in which they used Winnie the Pooh to mock President Xi.

"South Park" doubled down the following week, with multiple characters on the show saying, "F*ck the Chinese government!"

Fast forward to Wednesday night ... and they're still not done -- this time using LeBron's actual quotes from his anti-Morey comments as fodder.

In the ep, titled "Let Them Eat Goo," Cartman gets pissed after the school wants to switch out the usual lunches for healthier options.

At one point, Cartman confronts the protesters and says ... "Yes, we do have freedom of speech, but at times there are ramifications for the negative that can happen when you are not thinking about others and only thinking about yourself!"

Sound familiar?

There's more ... Cartman says, "They're trying to change people's lunch! They don't realize it harms people financially, physically, emotionally and spiritually!"

Is LeBron James using fashion to make a political statement? Maybe ...

After LeBron dropped 18 points in the Lakers preseason win over Golden State on Wednesday, he took his wife out for a date while wearing a Nike shirt that says, "No Clout."

A lot of Bron critics would probably agree with the shirt after the way LeBron's been handling the China situation ... so you gotta wonder if Bron picked out the shirt as a way of acknowledging and addressing the backlash.

Or, maybe he just liked the shirt.

We tried to ask Bron about the China situation on his way out of the Highlight Room Rooftop Lounge in L.A., where he had a date night with Savannah ... but it was clear Bron wouldn't go there.

Instead, he engaged with fans, complimented some young girls as "Queens" and got into his car ... he was very nice to everyone.

Seems Bron is looking to get his life back to normal amid the China drama -- he balled out during the preseason game and everyone's talking about this insane no-look, over the shoulder assist.

Are people ready to move on already? We'll see ...

Taylor Swift won't be showing her face banner anymore when the Los Angeles Kings are in town -- 'cause the fans don't wanna see it ... and the team is obliging.

L.A.'s pro hockey team made the announcement over the weekend ... saying that, going forward, the Kings will be covering up Taylor's banner during their home games at STAPLES Center. It's hanging in the rafters next to Lakers banners and retired jerseys.

A marketing rep for the Kings told Arash Markazi of the L.A. Times that fans just weren't digging it, so the team wants to show 'em they're listening. Michael Altieri says, "The connection to our fans is our highest priority and through our engagement they have made it clear that the banner shouldn’t be part of their Kings game experience."

LeBron James says he's the G.O.A.T. ... but Byron Scott says LBJ's not even the G.O.A.T. Laker ... 'cause he tells TMZ Sports there are 2 players James will NEVER pass on the all-time list.

Of course, Scott is part of the rich Lakers history -- he won 3 titles with the Showtime Lakers in the '80s ... and played 11 seasons in the purple & gold.

Some of the best players in NBA history have put on a Laker jersey -- Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaq, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ... hell, even Karl Malone was in L.A. for one season.

We spoke with Scott at LAX about where the King sits among the list of all-time Laker greats ... and he says there's NO WAY LeBron will ever take the throne.

"That ain't possible. It's Magic and Kareem," Scott says ... noting that Kobe is definitely in the conversation.

But, Scott doesn't think LBJ's stint with L.A. will resemble that of Malone's, Steve Nash's or Gary Payton's -- he thinks James will be able to bring home multiple titles back to the Lakers.

Social media can make careers ... and it can also kill them -- and Nick Young thinks Instagram is partly to blame for Carmelo Anthony's unemployment status.

Tons of huge NBA stars have questioned why 35-year-old Melo hasn't signed with an NBA team since his short run with the Houston Rockets last season.

In fact, Dwyane Wade told us just yesterday Melo can still play at a high level and should be back in the league.

Swaggy P agrees ... saying Melo "still has a lot of basketball left in him" -- but suggests the real reason he's without a squad is because of the 'gram.

"I think it got a lot to do with Instagram ... how he's being treated. Every time he shoots the ball its a meme. It's kinda funny, but it kinda messed him up."

LeBron James is paying tribute to the late Nipsey Hussle while on his yacht vacation ... rockin' a dope custom Crenshaw jersey on Tuesday to honor the rapper.

Nipsey was gunned down in front of his Marathon Clothing store in South L.A. back in March. After his death, several high-profile athletes including LeBron, praised Nipsey for being a respected community leader who always gave back.

Clearly, his memory is still strong with LeBron who paid homage to Nipsey with the new personalized threads.

"I know you smiling down back at me my G! The Marathon will Always Continue all around the world with me! #TMC," LeBron said on Instagram.

The jersey is sick -- featuring Nip's famous Crenshaw logo on a blue Lakers alternate jersey.

And now, with Bron's stamp of approval, don't be surprised if people push to see these in an NBA game.

After Nipsey's death, LeBron spoke out on the tragedy ... calling it "one of the most unfortunate events that has happened in American history."

LBJ also wore a shirt to honor his friend at a Lakers game in the days that followed.

Nipsey was only 33.

LeBron James should pick up the phone RIGHT NOW and get his best friend, Carmelo Anthony, on the Lakers ... so says Rip Hamilton, who tells TMZ Sports Melo would be a "good piece" for L.A.

Y'all know the situation by now ... Anthony has been trying to get back in the NBA since he was released in November. It's been one of the hottest topics of the off-season.

There have been a lot of people -- most notably Royce White -- furious over the fact King James hasn't made some calls to get Melo in Purple & Gold ... and Rip says it's time LBJ pick up the phone.

"I think he should be in the league right now," Rip told us outside Nightingale in L.A. on Sunday ... saying Bron should "absolutely, 1000%" hit up Melo.

"I think it's still a possibility it could happen. They were talking about it for a long time. And, when you think about what the Lakers have right now, and then Melo's a guy that can really be helpful playing with LeBron and knowing [Anthony Davis'] game and stuff like that."

"And, he's a vet, and he's a guy that can close the game, so it would be a good piece for the Lakers."

Things have been picking up steam for Anthony lately, though .. with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant pushing to get him to the Brooklyn Nets ... and Melo told us he'd love to join them in BK.

L.A. is Dwight Howard's final shot at returning to NBA dominance and he knows it ... so says Matt Barnes, who tells TMZ Sports it's "time to put the bullsh*t to the side" and get back to business.

Of course, it's been over 6 years since Howard's disastrous first stint with the Lakers ... and the guy's career has never been the same.

So, when we spoke with Barnes -- who played with Howard on the Magic in 2009 and 2010 -- about the reunion in L.A. ... he says it could be a new spark in Dwight's career.

"I think he realizes it's his last chance and really need to put all the bullsh*t to the side and just go out there and play basketball," Barnes says.

For his part, Howard says that's exactly what he's trying to do -- even attempting to shut down a beef with Shaquille O'Neal because he wants to focus on basketball.

Of course, Dwight has been considered a disruption in the locker room for most of his career. We asked Barnes if that was a fair rap.

Charles Oakley says Carmelo Anthony's gotta be bummed to see Dwight Howard join his best friend LeBron James on the Lakers ... telling TMZ Sports "it's embarrassing for Carmelo" to remain unsigned.

Melo's status in the league has been one of the biggest topics this off-season ... and the superstar has been very public about wanting to play.

Even ex-NBAer Royce White called out LeBron for not helping out his guy ... especially after the Lakers brought Howard back after a less than stellar first stint a few years back.

We spoke with the Knicks legend about teams passing on the 10-time All-Star ... and Oak says Anthony's problem is that he left New York to begin with.

"Carmelo should've never left New York," Oak tells us ... "I think if he'd have stayed in New York, he probably would've gotten a new contract and maybe the Knicks would've made the playoffs the last couple years."