NBA

Former LA Lakers point guard Smush Parker is calling out Kobe Bryant for being a diva who treated his teammates like crap -- and it comes just hours after Kobe blamed Parker for costing him a huge trophy 7 years ago.

Parker played with Kobe during the 2005-06 season, and tells TMZ the Lakers great is only lashing out because he once dared to say Kobe was "overrated" as a teammate.

Parker's never explained what he meant by that, but now tells us ... Kobe "told me out of his own mouth that I couldn't talk to him. That my accolades under my belt weren't deserving enough for me to talk to him." He also says Kobe didn't talk to most of his teammates.

Parker says he's opening up about Kobe's diss because Kobe told reporters earlier today ... he lost the '05-'06 NBA MVP trophy to Steve Nash because he was surrounded with no-talent players that season.

Kobe said, "I tell Steve, you won MVP, but I was playing with Smush Parker."

Kobe piled on more, saying ... "He shouldn't have been in the NBA but we were too cheap to pay for a point guard. So we let him walk on."

You know you're a pro athlete when ... YOU BUY A $16,000 PINKY RING ... just like one former L.A. Lakers player, who's now being sued for allegedly bailing hard when the bill came.

The guy at the center of the lawsuit is DJ Mbenga -- an 8-year NBA vet who rode the bench with the Lake Show when they won 2 NBA championship rings in 2009 and 2010.

DJ is being sued by a Texas jewelry company called Lemmerman's -- which calls itself "The Player's Choice."

According to the suit, obtained by TMZ ... Mbenga ordered $59,750 worth of jewelry around 2010 ... including a $16k diamond pinky ring, several bracelets and a $3,750 Polanti watch.

Lemmerman's claims DJ forked over $10k ...but when it came to collecting the remaining $49,750 ... Mbenga refused to pay.

Lemmerman's is seeking the money they say they are owed, plus attorney fees.

Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Johnson insists ... he's no jewel thief -- and now, he's lashing back against a lawsuit that says he stole $125,000 worth of bling from an Atlanta diamond dealer.

Aydin & Company filed a lawsuit against Johnson earlier this month, claiming the NBA star entered into a purchase agreement back in October 2010 for $125,500 worth of jewelry.

The items in question -- a white gold watch with diamonds, diamond beaded bracelet, black diamond stud earrings and a white gold bezel set rosary.

According to the suit, Johnson took the swag, but never foot the bill -- so Aydin's suing for the price of the jewelry PLUS legal fees, PLUS interest (which grows at a monthly rate of 2%) ... for a grand total of $266,333.05.

But sources close to Johnson tell TMZ ... the lawsuit is total B.S -- explaining, the owner of the store asked Johnson to wear the items on loan and allowed him to return them when he was done.

But when Johnson tried to give the items back, we're told the jeweler refused and slapped him with the bill instead.

Sources tell us, Johnson NEVER agreed to purchase the items and has since tried to return them on numerous occasions -- but no cigar.

Scottie Pippen is not bankrupt -- but according to a federal judge, he cannot sue anyone that said he was.

As TMZ first reported, Pippen sued a TON of media outlets for defamation back in 2011 after they published articles claiming he was broke. As proof he'd never gone belly up, Pippen said he has never worth less than $40 million at any point in the last 10 years.

Pippen wanted $1 million from every media outlet that said his finances were in the toilet.

But a federal judge in Illinois dismissed the case this week, claiming the comments about Pippen's personal finances DO NOT count as defamation. As a result, Pippen was awarded nothing.

Jason Kidd was sporting a bruise on his right cheek in his mug shot ... taken moments after he crashed his SUV into a pole and was arrested for DWI early Sunday morning.

As TMZ first reported, Kidd was described by several witnesses at a club in East Hampton as being incredibly drunk ... so much so that he had to be carried out.

Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Johnson has a $126-million contract tied to his name and now he's filed legal docs to make sure his son gets a piece of it ... TMZ has learned.

The All-Star guard filed paternity paperwork earlier this week in Georgia to legally establish himself as the father of his alleged 5-year old son, whose mother is named Shannon Beckton.

In the docs, Johnson says he still wants to test for DNA (just in case) ... but if he is the father, he is asking the judge for joint physical and legal custody, for his son to be able to inherit from him, and for his son to take on his last name.

The Kardashians will not destroy the Los Angeles Clippers ... so says Chris Paul ... who's adamant Lamar Odom (and his family) will NOT be a distraction to the team next season.

Chris was leaving Cecconi's restaurant in L.A. with his wife last night when we asked about the newest addition to the Clip Squad ... who was just acquired in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks.

Not only is Paul convinced that Odom won't be a distraction ... he told us, "L.O. is one of the best players in the league, man."

In a move that might revitalize both his basketball and his reality television career ... Lamar Odom is heading back to Los Angeles ... 'cause he's officially been picked up by the Clippers.

Odom was the main piece in a four-team trade that was finalized this afternoon. LO will be leaving the Dallas Mavericks, where he spent one absolutely terrible season.

Lamar is in the final year of his contract and will make $8.2 million this year.

This will be Odom's second stint with the Clip Squad ... he was drafted 4th overall by the team back in 1999. He later spent seven season with the Lakers.

Sources connected with the negotiations between Lamar Odom and the L.A. Clippers tell TMZ ... Kris Jenner had nothing to do with the deal.

There are reports Kris created the master plan to get Lamar back on an L.A. team, but our sources say Lamar's agent, Jeff Schwartz, propelled the negotiations.

Lamar could be traded to the Clippers as early as today, but there are several pieces to the puzzle that have to fall into place for that to happen.

Hoops superstar Kevin Durant is one game away from losing the NBA Finals, and now one lawsuit away from losing his famous nickname -- "Durantula" -- because a guitarist claims KD jacked it from him.

Durant was sued today in Federal Court by a guy named Mark Durante -- a guitarist who, according to the lawsuit, was a big deal in the 80s ... playing with Public Enemy, The Aliens, The Next Big Thing, and (our favorite) The Revolting Cocks.

TMZ obtained a copy of the lawsuit, in which Durante says he adopted the name "Durantula" for his "on-stage and performance persona" -- and has used it to market "music, recordings, apparel, t-shirts, guitars, and related merchandise."

Meanwhile, sports fans have adopted the handle for the Oklahoma City Thunder star and current NBA scoring champ.

Durante claims he sent KD's people a couple letters "demanding they stop using the nickname" -- but says Durant's reps claimed he wasn't using it.

In the suit though, Durante claims Nike has used the moniker to launch a shoe campaign -- and KD himself signed "Durantula" on basketballs that are for sale through his website.

The guitarist says he registered the "Durantula" trademark. He's suing for damages and an injunction stopping KD from using the name.

TMZ has obtained the mug shot taken of Dwyane Wade's ex-wife ... moments after she was arrested this weekend for allegedly attempting to abduct the former couple's two children.

A rep for the Cook County Sheriff's Office released a statement saying, "Siohvaughn Funches-Wade was charged with two counts of attempted child abduction, two counts of unlawful visitation interference and one count of resisting arrest."

Funches-Wade's bond was set at $10,000 ... which she posted. She's set to appear in court again in August.

Wade -- who's currently in the middle of the NBA Finals -- has been at war with his ex ever since they divorced back in 2010. Wade was awarded primary custody of their two boys ... and Siohvaughn has visitation rights ... but she's clearly not happy with the current arrangement.

The financial details of their divorce are not yet finalized -- and in recent court docs, Wade said his ex has been using the children as "the proverbial pawns in this contentious dissolution of marriage action."

Wade wants the judge to suspend Siohvaughn's visitation rights because of the incident that led to her arrest.

New York Knicks star J.R. Smith was arrested in South Beach last night ... after cops discovered the 26-year-old was a wanted man.

According to reports, Smith was pulled over on a routine traffic stop ... when the officers noticed an active warrant out for Smith's arrest stemming from his failure to address a ticket for driving without a valid license.

Smith was booked into Miami-Dade County jail shortly before midnight. He was released a short time later on bond.

TMZ has obtained the mug shot for Los Angeles Lakers star Jordan Hill ... taken moments after the basketball player turned himself into authorities in Houston, Texas yesterday.

TMZ broke the story ... Hill is accused of choking his girlfriend during a nuclear argument back in February. Hill insists the allegations will not affect the Lakers' playoff run.

After Hill was taken into custody, he immediately posted the $5,000 bond and was released. The judge set no travel restrictions on his bond -- so the case shouldn't affect his playoff run.

Lamar Odom is a man without a team right now, but one of the members of the Los Angeles Lakers says he'd be welcome back to the team with open arms.

The Lakers traded Odom to the Dallas Mavericks before the season and it never worked out. Odom was in a funk all year and eventually the team placed him on the inactive list.

Matt Barnes -- who played with Odom for just one season -- told our photog this weekend the team could "always use L.O."

There's a reason L.A. Clippers star Chris Paul got a sick deal on his giant Bel Air mansion -- according to Avril Lavigne's ex-husband Deryck Whibley ... the place has a bad ghost problem.

TMZ broke the story ... Avril sold Chris the 8-bedroom palace for $8.5 million -- one million less than her original listing price.

But according to Whibley -- who used to live in the house with Avril -- the discount was no coincidence ... telling us, the mansion is "haunted."

The NFL ... NBA ... and the UFC all collided in L.A. today ... when 4 major sports stars were involved in 4 separate paternity hearings ... at the same exact courthouse!!!

Terrell Owens ... along with MMA legend Chuck Liddell and Jacksonville Jaguars star Marcedes Lewis were all hanging out in the hallway on the 8th floor of the L.A. County Superior Courthouse ... each waiting to deal with their individual baby mama drama.

Washington Wizards star Roger Mason also has a paternity hearing today ... but so far, he's a no-show.

As for the other guys ...

-- T.O. faced off with 2 baby mamas ... in an effort to lower his monthly child support obligation.

-- Liddell was there to handle money issues with his baby mama as well.

-- Marcedes has a hearing scheduled for this afternoon ... he's currently having a conversation with his baby mama in the cafeteria.

L.A. County Superior Courthouse -- the worldwide leader in sports ... hearings.
Da na na ... na na na.

After court, we asked Marcedes if he joked around with Chuck and T.O. while inside -- but he said it was "a little more serious than that."