Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James says he knows what Kyrie Irving did was wrong ... but the Lakers superstar still came to the Nets point guard's defense Thursday, claiming the punishment KI is now facing is just too much.

James, who played with Irving for several seasons in Cleveland, took to Twitter to relay his stance on the matter to his fanbase ... writing out several tweets while he was in the middle of rehabbing a lower-body injury.

"I told you guys that I don’t believe in sharing hurtful information," James said. "And I’ll continue to be that way, but Kyrie apologized, and he should be able to play. That’s what I think. It’s that simple."

Irving was suspended by the Nets last Thursday after he repeatedly refused to apologize for tweeting out a link to the antisemitic film, "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America!"

The team called the ban indefinite -- saying Irving would have to satisfy "a series of objective remedial measures that address the harmful impact of his conduct" in order to return to the floor.

According to Shams Charania, some of the stipulations included sensitivity training, antisemitic training and meetings with Jewish leaders.

James clearly feels it's all too much ... adding, "Help him learn- but he should be playing. What he’s asked to do to get back on the floor I think is excessive IMO. He’s not the person that’s being portrayed of him."

LeBron James is paying tribute to Takeoff in a big way ... changing his Instagram avatar to a photo of the late rapper -- something the Lakers superstar rarely does.

James' IG update happened Wednesday night just before the Lakers took on the New Orleans Pelicans in Los Angeles ... when he swapped out a pic of his family for a photo of Takeoff, who was tragically killed in front of a Houston bowling alley on Tuesday.

The pic shows a stoic Takeoff in a suit and tie ... wearing a pair of dark sunglasses.

The move is a very meaningful one for James -- whose IG profile photos almost always consists of pics of him or his family. Most recently, his two sons, Bronny and Bryce, held the honor.

37-year-old James previously used the gesture to honor Kobe Bryant following his tragic death in 2020.

Of course, the Migos and King James are fans of each other ... remember, the rap trio turned LBJ's famous "Taco Tuuuuuuesday" lingo into an actual song two years ago -- and Bron was hyped over it.

LeBron has yet to publicly comment on Takeoff's passing, though he did share a photo of the Migos rapper in one of his IG stories shortly after his death.

Takeoff was just 28 years old.

Lamar Odom has been reunited with his beloved Lakers championship rings -- the ex-NBA star says the man who bought the bling years ago made an incredible gesture and gifted them back to him.

42-year-old Odom famously pawned off the rings in 2016 to help pay medical bills after his near-fatal drug overdose at the Love Ranch brothel ... and they were eventually sold at an auction in 2020.

Lamar opened up about the 2009 and 2010 Finals keepsakes on the debut episode of his new "On The LO" podcast ... saying he was flat broke and in the darkest time of his life after his divorce from Khloe Kardashian ... and he regretted giving them up ever since.

But the story has a happy ending ... because Lamar says when he went to the Laker game on Oct. 20, he happened to run into the exact fan who bought the rings for $36,600 and $78,000 each.

Odom says the guy -- who regularly attended Laker games during his career -- explained Lamar should have them back ... because he's the one who earned them alongside Kobe Bryant.

But the two didn't even have to negotiate a deal -- the man gave them back to Lamar for free!!

Lil Wayne showered a Make-A-Wish kid with love during his own Lil Weezyana Fest ... capping off a weekend of generosity for the New Orleans-based bash.

The Young Money CEO found time to connect with Donavon Fitzpatrick .. a child in the Make-A-Wish program during the 6th edition of the festival.

Donavon suffers from hypoplastic left heart syndrome ... a condition that affects blood flow and we're told is a HUGE Lil Wayne fan back home in Texas.

Wayne brought Donovan onstage during a performance of his classic song "Go DJ"  ... and they later met him backstage where Wayne surprised Donovan with a ton of sports memorabilia.

Wayne learned Donovan was a diehard fan of the L.A. Lakers and Kansas City Chiefs, so he dropped off plenty of goodies.

Lil Weezyana Fest featured several memorable moments over the weekend, including a surprise appearance from Drake ... who was playfully introduced as a "foreigner" to the NOLA audience.

Rick Ross, Quavo and Takeoff, Cam'ron, Rob49 and several other star performers also graced throughout the evening but that wasn't the extent of Weezy's generosity.

He also surprised his old stomping grounds McMain High School with a long-overdue class reunion after Covid-19 delayed the class of 2000 gathering.

Yes, the Lakers are playing like crap right now, but there's one thing they should NOT do -- trade Russell Westbrook ... so says Ty Dolla $ign, who tells TMZ Sports he believes the Purple & Gold can still turn things around with the current squad.

Brodie has been getting a ton of criticism for his sluggish start to the 2022-23 campaign ... with many calling for the Lake Show to end the Russ experiment pronto.

Ty isn't in that group ... 'cause when he was leaving Dash Radio earlier this week, he told us he thinks people are going too hard on the former MVP.

"Don't do that," the crooner told us. "Some of us have ups and downs somedays. But there's definitely going to be the ups again. Shoutout to my brother, Russ, man."

Ty defends Russell's recent blunders ... saying, "Certain times we have f***ing bad shots."

LeBron James says he can no longer support the Dallas Cowboys -- the NBA superstar revealed he denounced his beloved team years ago over the organization's handling of the national anthem protests.

LeBron was always a massive fan of America's Team -- in fact, he even previously stated Jerry Jones offered him a contract to play for the 'Boys during the 2011 NBA lockout.

But, in recent years, the Lakers icon suddenly started showing love for his hometown Cleveland Browns ... which left fans wondering if he was still backing Dallas.

In an Instagram Live session on Thursday, LeBron explained he is, in fact, done with the Cowboys ... saying he was upset over the belief that players were told they would lose their spot on the team if they joined Colin Kaepernick's movement and took a knee during the "Star-Spangled Banner."

"I had to sit down on the Cowboys man," James told his business partner, Maverick Carter. "It's just things that were going on when guys were kneeling and guys were having the freedom of speech and wanted to do it in a very peaceful manner."

"A lot of people in they front office and a lot of people that ran the organization was like, 'If you do that around here, then you will never play for this franchise again.'"

"I just didn't think that was appropriate."

Remember, Jones and the Cowboys knelt in solidarity before a Monday Night Football matchup back in 2017 ... but stood back up once the anthem started playing.

The moment came on the heels of President Donald Trump's call to fire any "son of a bitch" who took a knee for the anthem ... but James seemingly didn't think that was enough.

One of the most die-hard celebrity Laker fans is resorting to a public plea to turn things around ... with Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea calling on GM Rob Pelinka to do something ASAP.

"Either blow it all up and rebuild, or mortgage the future to fix the lack chemistry and skill on this basketball team," Flea said in a passionate Twitter post on Wednesday.

"Do not let another season meander its way down the drain, wasting the great LeBron James’ sunset of his career."

The cry for help comes after the Purple & Gold's abysmal 0-4 start to the season ... and as Flea has put it recently -- "This Laker team is not equipped to win."

Many have criticized Russell Westbrook's play ... but really, the Lakers' struggles are far beyond just one player.

It's getting so bad for the Lakers, LeBron has already started posting cryptic Instagram messages ... saying, "How long will you be taken for granted."

Will Smith visited the Los Angeles Lakers to talk about staying strong in the face of adversity ... as the team tries to salvage its season after dropping its first three games.

Smith spent quality time with the Lake Show discussing themes that will be a part of his upcoming film, "Emancipation," such as the benefits of togetherness and practicing gratitude when difficult times arise.

WS got some facetime with Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka, and the team presented the 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' star with a No. 14 Lakers jersey.

The message in Will's talk was profound ... and came at a time when the Lakers have been experiencing constant scrutiny, a feeling Smith experienced earlier this year.

Remember ... the 54-year-old Philadelphia native faced immense public backlash and consequences, including a 10-year ban from the Academy Awards, for slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars.

Smith seemingly became public enemy No. 1 for the viral moment -- but he eventually apologized to Rock and has been doing damage control ever since to repair his public image.

Ultimately, Smith wanted to instill in the Lakers that no matter how grim things look, the only way to overcome them is by sticking together and appreciating the struggle.

LeBron James turned to raw fish and sexy mood lighting to get over yet another miserable Lakers loss on Sunday night ... hitting Nobu just minutes after his squad fell to the Blazers.

LBJ hit up the popular sushi restaurant in Malibu ... right after his team suffered a gut-wrenching 106-104 defeat to Portland.

James' dinner outfit -- a green Nike sweatsuit -- suggests he went straight from Crypto.com Arena to the restaurant ... 'cause it was the same getup he wore during his postgame press conference.

James didn't seem to be all that heartbroken over the L at dinner -- cameras caught him smiling as he opened the car door for his wife, Savannah.

Of course, he was anything but smiles earlier in the evening -- when the Lakers fell to 0-3 on the season despite leading the game with less than a minute remaining.

In fact, at one point during the end of the 4th quarter, he appeared to be upset with Russell Westbrook ... after the star point guard missed a pull-up jumper with 18 seconds left on the shot clock and 30 seconds left in the game.

Video shows James threw up his hands in confusion -- before he ran back on defense.

Kevin Durant is fed up with how hoop fans are treating Russell Westbrook ... saying it's completely fair to criticize players for poor performances -- but people are taking it to an unnecessary level with his old teammate.

You've seen the memes and clips -- Brodie's game has been under the microscope ever since he played his first game for the Lakers in 2021 ... with folks highlighting his miscues on social media and cracking jokes.

KD -- who played alongside Russ in Oklahoma City -- says he's seen all the posts and is clearly annoyed with how the 2017 MVP is being treated ... and thinks NBA fandom is getting to "toxic" levels.

"I understand there's certain points where you don't play well," KD said on "The Etcs" with Boardroom. "And, you are open to criticism when you don't play well. We get that."

"But, it's like now, you make him the butt of your jokes now. It's going to a point to where it's like, alright, I get the criticism for what he did that night, but now it's starting to reach a different level of some s*** that I don't understand right now."

Durant says fans are being extra hard on Westbrook because he's now on a huge market team and playing alongside the most famous NBA player in the past 30 years ... which has a big impact on how he's evaluated.

Despite all the talk, KD is pulling for Brodie ... saying he hopes he sticks to his game, blocks out the haters, and proves everybody wrong -- with one exception.

"When we play [the Lakers], I hope they play s****y," he joked.

Durant adds he thinks current NBA fans are overall being more negative than usual ... saying, "I hate how they talk. The dialogue around our game is so toxic at this point. I get criticism, but it's starting to turn into something else right now."

The beef between Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook may not be over after all ... because Russ appeared to snub Pat during the Lakers' preseason game Wednesday night.

The awkward moment occurred in the third quarter of the home game against the Timberwolves ... when Beverley tried to rally his teammates on defense.

In the clip, Pat -- who was acquired via trade in the offseason -- was calling for a team huddle with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Lonnie Walker IV.

The issue ... Westbrook was reluctant to join Pat Bev's impromptu meeting on the court, leading AD to go over to Russ to see why he refused to join the huddle.

Beverley seemed to sense Russ wanted no part of his motivational speech, but that didn't stop him from repeatedly motioning for Westbrook to be included in the discussion.

The cringe moment -- which had the sports world talking -- comes as the Lakers prepare to kick off their season next week against the defending champion Golden State Warriors.

Even Jake Paul chimed in on the situation, writing, "Lakers need to pull the plug and trade Russell Westbrook for their sake and for The Brodie’s sake."

"He’s a star and needs his own team. Lakers need less stars and more Pat Bev’s," he continued.

The Lakers missed the playoff last season ... and with incidents like this, they could be in danger of history repeating itself.

Kanye West's mouth is forcing LeBron James and his producers to scrap an entire episode of 'The Shop' ... after they say he spewed "dangerous stereotypes" while they were recording.

LeBron's show normally drops on his 'Uninterrupted' YouTube channel, but late Tuesday night -- after shooting with Ye on Monday -- he and Maverick Carter opted to pull the whole show, rather than edit around Ye's remarks.

Maverick says, “Kanye was booked weeks ago and, after talking to Kanye directly the day before we taped, I believed he was capable of a respectful discussion and he was ready to address all his recent comments. Unfortunately, he used 'The Shop' to reiterate more hate speech and extremely dangerous stereotypes."

He didn't get more specific about what Kanye said, but we know Twitter and Instagram recently put restrictions on his accounts after he posted antisemitic remarks ... and, of course, he's drawn a ton of backlash for the White Lives Matter T-shirts he's been wearing.

Former Laker Devean George isn't ready to bail on the Russell Westbrook experiment in L.A. -- telling TMZ Sports they should stick with the point guard amid rumors he could get shipped out of town.

We spoke with George -- who won three titles with Shaq and Kobe Bryant from 2000-02 -- at LAX this week ... and he said the Lakers shouldn't entertain the idea of trading away Russ, whose name has been at the heart of trade rumors all offseason.

"I think it can work," George said. "I'm a fan of Russell. Maybe I'm caught up in what he's done in the past."

George admitted that Westbrook does need to adjust his style of play ... but ultimately, he says the ex-MVP, along with his teammates, need to play their respective roles on the team.

"Too much talent," George said. "I think that's the main thing. Everybody just do their role and cut back and not say what I used to do. I'm just a fan of Russ, so I'm a little biased."

Westbrook's name was rumored to be on the move during the Kyrie Irving sweepstakes, and most recently, the triple-double king reportedly was the centerpiece of a deal involving Pacers stars Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.

The Lakers missed the playoffs last season -- finishing with a 33-49 record, 11th worst in the Western Conference, but George is predicting a return to the playoffs with the trio of Russ, LeBron James, and (a healthy) Anthony Davis leading the way.

"I think they can get into being a dangerous team come playoff time," the three-time NBA champ said. "Once playoff time comes, I think they'll be able to make some noise."

Vanessa Bryant went to the Bad Bunny concert in L.A. this weekend -- and it seems two's all the company she needed for premier box seats.

The widow of the late Kobe Bryant was seen attending the show at SoFi Stadium Saturday, and she ended up getting her own VIP suite ... with just a few people on hand. It was her, a female friend and a few security guards who were also tagging along.

We're told the suites go for around $25k or so -- and based on the footage, it seems she was enjoying it mostly to herself and her gal pal. Unclear who the other woman was, though.

You can tell she was trying to keep a low profile, not wanting to photographed or filmed on the way out -- with her bodyguards shielding her. It seems she might've actually been rolling solo when it was all said and done ... you don't see the other lady with her at the end here.

Eyewitnesses tell us she made the most of it nonetheless. We're told she stayed through the whole thing -- catching Cardi B's guest performance, too, no doubt -- and enjoyed the smorgasbord of eats, even dancing a bit apparently.

Remember, she's fresh off a tough court case that she won ... so it's good to see her out.

Ben Wallace knows being an NBA coach isn't easy, but the former NBA star tells TMZ Sports that his ex-teammate Darvin Ham is the perfect man for the Lakers' job.

"I know he's a great locker room guy," Wallace said at LAX this week ... "I think the guys are going to rally around him. I think his message is going to be on point for that team."

"I think it's just a matter of him buying into the system and going out there playing basketball. You can look at the team and tell they're built to win."

Wallace, who played 16 seasons in the NBA, primarily with the Pistons (he also played for the Wizards, Bulls, Magic, and Cavs), says NBA coaches don't get enough credit for the work they put in.

FYI, Wallace and Ham played together from 2003 to 2005 ... and won a championship together in 2004.

Ben -- a four-time All-Star and four-time Defensive Player of the Year -- visited his old pal at Lakers practice this week, where he was seen talking with Patrick Beverley, who was recently acquired by trade.

The Lakers had an extremely disappointing 2021-22 season, going 33-49, and missing the playoffs.

We also asked Ben if he had interest in becoming a head coach himself, and while Big Ben didn't rule out the possibility, he told us he's not looking to dedicate his entire life to the job ... 'cause he's enjoying life.

"That's a lot of work," Wallace said ... "It's a lot of work. I'm back around the team. Maybe I'll get that buzz once or twice, but for now, I'm enjoying what I'm doing."

Wallace also spoke about "Undrafted" -- the cannabis company he launched with RAIR Cannabis -- along with his own strain, "Undrafted," which he hopes to bring to L.A. (it's currently in Michigan).

"Not trying to replace anything," the NBA champ said about marijuana, adding, "It worked for me. I just encourage people, if you're doing something and it works for you, you should stick with it."

LeBron James has a new team -- the four-time NBA champ is the newest owner of a professional pickleball team ... and he's teaming up with a group of other hoops stars!

Major League Pickleball announced Wednesday an ownership group, LRMR ventures, led by LeBron James and business partner, Maverick Carter, had purchased a new squad.

Joining the four-time MVP in his latest business venture is his former teammate in Cleveland, Kevin Love, and his good friend and rival over the years, Warriors star Draymond Green.

As MLP expands, the list of high-profile names wanting to associate with the growing sport rises.

Retired NFL quarterback Drew Brees became the owner of the Mad Drops Pickleball Club in July ... joining Lakers co-owner Jim Buss who is a part of the ownership group.

James already has an ownership stake in Fenway Sports Group, the owner of the Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park, and Liverpool F.C., the English Premier League soccer team.

And now, James can add this latest acquisition to his impressive portfolio.