NBA

Actor Louis Gossett, Jr. says he's the victim of an identity thief -- and that someone forged his signature to get their hands on a pair of $37,000 Lakers tickets.

In an exclusive interview with TMZ, Gossett swats away allegations that he took the tickets and didn't pay for them -- and, by the way, he's had his own Lakers seats since the Magic-and-Kareem era!

Gossett tells TMZ that he recalls being offered the Staples Center Premiere seats, which are good for nearly any sporting event at the arena for two years, but denies ever agreeing to take them -- adding that the signature on the "contract" he signed is a fake. What's more, Gossett says he hasn't been served with the lawsuit from L. A. Arena Funding which accuses him of deadbeating on the Premiere Seats, and that he first learned about the suit through the media.

The Oscar winner adds that he doesn't really give a layup about any other team that plays at Staples, other than the Lakers, whom he considers "family," counting Magic as a "good friend."

A Lakers rep confirms that Gossett has been a Lakers fan in good seating for "twenty years," and that he's fully paid up. A call to lawyers for L.A. Arena wasn't returned.

Actor Louis Gossett, Jr. is being slammed for allegedly not paying for a pair of $37,000 Lakers tickets, and now the brass behind the basketball team is crying foul.

In a lawsuit filed recently in Los Angeles Superior Court, the former "Iron Eagle" is accused of signing a 2003 contract for a pair of exclusive Premier Seats at Staples Center -- home to the Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers and the NHL's L.A. Kings -- but never forking over the dough. The tickets, located close to the floor, are good for nearly any sporting event at the arena -- for two years!

Now, L.A. Arena Funding, the company that handles ticket sales for Staples Center events, is asking for $38,850 in damages. To put things in perspective -- that's less than 1% of what Kobe Bryant made this year (endorsements not included).

Reps for Gossett had no comment.

Club Ice is advertising a party for Saturday night using Jay-Z's image and the names of his companies, Roc-A-Fella and Rocawear. But Jay-Z has nothing to do with the party and is actually hosting his own party Saturday night at Tao at the Venetian hotel.

When Jay-Z arrived in Las Vegas for NBA All-Star Weekend and saw the promotions around town (which are also on the site AllStarParty2007.com), he contacted his attorneys in New York who then contacted Robert Reynolds, an attorney in Nevada. Reynolds tells TMZ he was able to file the temporary restraining order just before the courts closed and that a process server went down to the club tonight and served them with the injunction.

TMZ spoke with an employee at the club who passed on this message from the club's promoters: They have a signed contract with one of the VPs of Roc-A-fella Records, the person was paid in full, and as of now the party will go on as planned on Saturday night.

Sometimes we're so proud of Tony Parker for scoring Eva Longoria we totally forget the guy has a day job. In fact, he's so good at that job that EA sports showcased him at the release party of their latest title.

The San Antonio point guard was in New York Wednesday for the release of EA sports NBA Live '07. Tony discussed his love of video games and how, like many men, he has to wait till Eva is at work to play his video games. We feel your pain man.

The game is the latest in the series -- spawned in 1995 -- and this year's version is a sure to live up to the franchise. Innovative features like "Total Freestyle Control" which enable you to take control of your superstar's moves on the fly and the new A.I. system specifically designed for the next generation consoles, EA is taking the game to the next level. You can even play the big boss in "Advanced Dynasty" mode where you're the GM and you can recruit, trade and investigate rumors, all the while trying to create the ultimate chemistry of players while you battle your way to the playoffs.

So as long as Eva is busy playing a housewife, NBA star Tony Parker can keep up with his NBA Live '07 gaming and for that, he's living the dream.