NBA

LeBron James ... is no Jay-Z ... but last night, the NBA superstar released a teaser of what sounds like his first attempt at RAPPING ... and ... well, at least he's better than Tanning Mom.

LBJ posted two audio clips on his Instagram account last night -- on the first clip, he's doing the intro thing over Jay-Z's "N**gas in Paris" ... saying, "Yo you already know what it is ... it's the kid King James."

On the second clip, you can actually hear James rap -- mid-flow -- and let's just say he doesn't just flop on the court.

Overall, it's not the worst attempt at rapping we've ever heard ... but he's no SHAQ!!!!

NBA superstar Paul Pierce tells TMZ ... just because he left Boston doesn't mean his career's over -- he wants to play another TEN YEARS in the league!!

35-year-old Pierce was leaving a grocery store in L.A. with a bunch of water (it's important to hydrate) when we asked how he felt about being traded from the Celtics to the Brooklyn Nets this late in his prolific career.

Paul's reaction was CLASSIC -- "Who says it's the end of my career? I plan on playing ten more years dude."

We're not saying it's an impossible goal ... but it's gonna be pretty tough -- considering no one in the modern NBA era has played until the age of 45 (Dikembe Mutombo and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played until they were 42 and Kevin Willis was 44).

Ice Cube is a Los Angeles Lakers superfan ... and apparently, he doesn't take kindly to Dwight Howard running out on his team -- 'cause the rapper OBLITERATED the NBA star during a live show ... and it was incredible.

Cube was on stage at the Greek Theater in L.A. over the weekend -- when he blasted "Dwight Coward" mercilessly.

"F**k Dwight Howard ...we don't need no punk ass motherf**kers on our team."

He continued, "We don't need no bitches on our team homie."

Cube adds, "Kobe will win another championship before Dwight Howard ever sniffs one."

After the rant, he told the crowd ... "I'm glad I got that off my chest."

You'd THINK Los Angeles Lakers star Metta World Peace would be one of the FIRST one's to know that Dwight Howard ditched the team for the Houston Rockets ... turns out, he was one of the last.

Metta was leaving Mastro's in Beverly Hills on Saturday night with his GF Shin Shin when we asked how he felt about the move -- but to our surprise (and his), Metta told us he had NO IDEA Howard picked the Rockets.

The reaction seems legit ... considering Shin Shin seemed just as shocked.

"I don't know what happened," Metta said ... "He's going to Houston?"

Screw Disneyland ... after Chris Weidman delivered his KO punch to Anderson Silva, the new UFC champ took his fists straight to a Vegas club to reap the spoils of his victory.

The celebration went down at Surrender Nightclub inside the Wynn hotel. We're told Chris rolled in at 1:30 AM with a crew of about 40 people ... including NBA champs Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem.

He also brought his giant championship belt.

Kobe Bryant is pissed at Dwight Howard ... so much so he did the worst possible thing you can do to a person ... he UNFOLLOWED HIM ON TWITTER.

Pause for reaction.

That's right, just after Howard announced he was ditching the L.A. Lakers for greener pastures ... i.e. the Houston Rockets ... Kobe made sure to axe D12 from his Twitter feed.

Fellow Laker Pau Gasol also unfollowed Howard -- but reportedly changed his mind 20 mins later.

Dwight Howard has decided to make the entire city of Los Angeles hate him (except for the ever-growing number of Clippers fans) by spurning the Lakers and signing with the Houston Rockets.

No word on whether he will sign outright with Houston or work out some sort of sign-and-trade with the Lakers (which would net him more money).

D12 cannot officially sign any deal until July 10.

Howard spent one disastrous, injury-plagued year with the Lakers after they acquired him in a trade from the Orlando Magic.

The Black Mamba will not take this lightly.

****IT IS WORTH NOTING****

Scottie Pippen fled the scene after knocking a fan unconscious outside a Malibu restaurant last month ... this according to the 911 tape obtained by TMZ.

During the call, an emergency responder communicates with 911 dispatch ... who says the victim was knocked out cold outside Nobu. The incident was described as an assault.

But the crazy part ... the dispatcher says the "suspect fled," leaving the victim unconscious in the parking lot. Pretty effed up.

As we reported, Pippen has accused the victim of calling him the n-word and spitting at him, which is why Pippen attacked. The victim has since denied the allegations, saying he just wanted a photo.

Canadian native Anthony Bennett -- the first Canadian EVER to get picked first in the NBA draft -- has just received an even greater honor ... THE KEY TO HIS CANADIAN HOMETOWN!!!

The mayor of Brampton in Ontario released a statement today, saying she presented Bennett -- who was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers last week -- with the key on Canada Day yesterday ... in honor of his incredible non-hockey achievements.

For our Canadian readers: basketball is a game in which two teams vie to shoot a ball through their opponent's hoop. No actual baskets are involved, and players tend to retain most of their teeth.

The mayor added, “All of Brampton wishes Anthony the very best with the Cleveland Cavaliers and we look forward to cheering him on during the NBA season.”

That is, as soon as they figure out what the NBA actually is ... and no, the Raptors don't count.

Take it away, Kyle's mom!

NBA legend Michael Jordan tried to win entrance into Kennedy's vagina during a steamy dice game back in 1995 ... so says the former MTV star, who claims she was a virgin at the time.

Kennedy -- who was a huge MTV VJ back in the '90s -- details the encounter in her new book "The Kennedy Chronicles" ... explaining how she was having dinner with MJ and Russell Simmons at the Bowery Bar in NYC, when Michael broke out some dice.

Before long, Kennedy says, Jordan decided it was "time to play for something" ... and said, "If I win, you come back to my hotel room with me tonight."

Kennedy says she freaked out because she was a virgin --and imagined MJ's giant penis would "eviscerate me from the inside out" ... so she asked if they could play for Knicks tickets instead.

And that's when Jordan allegedly reminded Kennedy he had a wife -- and offered her Nets tickets as a consolation.

"Sure, he'll filet my vag like a sea bass if he won at dice on a men's room floor," Kennedy writes ... "but as soon as I want basketball tickets he's a Promise Keeper? Whatevs."

Kennedy says she won the dice game anyway -- so her vag was never in any real danger.

We reached out to MJ for comment -- so far, no word back.

Is it just us ... or was NBA superstar Derrick Rose LIMPING AROUND on his bad knee this weekend ... 14 months after tearing his ACL????

The Chicago Bulls point guard was on his way into Madeo in L.A. Friday night ... when we noticed the guy still had a little gimp in his step during the short walk from his car to the restaurant.

According to reports, Rose was medically cleared to get back on the court in MARCH ... but didn't because he didn't feel he was physically and mentally 100%.

There was doubt (and lots of criticism) when Rose didn't come back for the 2013 NBA Playoffs -- but now, after watching the guy gingerly stroll into Madeo, it seems the former MVP is still far from 100%.

Last night a handful of NBA hopefuls -- armed with nothing more than their best fitting suits and a smile -- hit the stage as their dreams came true.

6:45 AM PT Arenas was booked for misdemeanor possession, and has been released without bail. We're told there were 100 POUNDS of fireworks in the truck.

Ex-NBA star Gilbert Arenas' 4th of July is gonna suck -- 'cause he got nailed by cops early this morning for illegal fireworks -- A TON OF ILLEGAL FIREWORKS -- as in a full truckload of 'em ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us Arenas was pulled over by California Highway Patrol around 2:30 AM in Los Angeles for speeding in a Ford pickup -- but officers immediately saw that the truck was filled with fireworks ... sitting in plain sight in the bed and cab of the truck.

We're told Arenas was arrested and will be booked for possession of illegal fireworks, and cited for speeding -- he was allegedly doing 80 mph -- and driving without a license.

It's unclear exactly how much fireworks were in the truck, but it was enough that the LAPD bomb squad was called to handle the illegal booty.

Our camera guy counted around 20 boxes being unloaded ... very carefully.

Arenas -- whose last NBA team was the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2011-12 season -- was infamously busted for gun possession when he brandished a loaded pistol in his Washington Wizards locker room back in 2010.

Scottie Pippen's brawl with a fan outside Nobu in Malibu was totally unprovoked -- so says Scottie's alleged victim, who tells TMZ, he never ONCE said the n-word ... and simply asked for a photo.

The 48-year-old -- who didn't want to be named -- tells us, he first spotted Scottie inside the restaurant on Sunday while waiting for a table.

The fan, his girlfriend and Scottie eventually ended up sitting near each other ... so the fan says he asked to take a photo with the NBA legend for his 12-year-old son.

According to the guy, Scottie didn't want to get up from his table to pose with him, but allowed the fan to take a photo of him sitting down (below).

When the fan saw Scottie leaving, he says he approached the ex-Bulls star in the parking lot -- thinking it wasn't a big deal -- and again asked for a pic WITH Scottie, knowing it would mean a lot to his son.

He tells us Scottie turned and said, "I told you no motherf***er" ... and then spit at him and punched him, at which point the victim fell to the ground. He says the last thing he remembers is seeing Pippen's shoe coming at his face.

According to the victim, he woke up in the hospital Monday with a concussion, fractured ribs, busted lip and chin, a broken tailbone, and possible brain injuries. He's back at home now.

As for Pippen's allegation the man spewed the n-word and spit at him ... the fan says not true -- "It’s sad to see Scottie is trashing me. I never called him the N word, and I haven’t done anything to that guy ... What’s the big deal? Taking one picture with a fan."

The man says police have already interviewed him and his girlfriend, but right now he doesn't plan to sue. "I'm not thinking about anything at the moment but getting better."

Calls to Scottie's people weren't returned.

With a combined net worth somewhere in the $100 million range (maybe more) ... NBA superstar brothers Pau and Marc Gasol saved a few bucks by yachting TOGETHER in Spain this week.

With the 2012-13 NBA season officially over ... and zero combined championship rings to show for it ... the two 7-footers decided to chill on a fancy boat in Menorca, Spain.

... don't you ever forget!!!

Scottie Pippen's claiming he attacked a fan in Malibu this weekend in self-defense ... after the man called him the n-word and then spit at him.

Sources close to Pippen tell us, the middle-aged man who got his ass kicked by Pippen outside Nobu Sunday night was a drunk, overly aggressive fan who had been badgering Pippen for attention all evening ... beginning inside Nobu, where Pippen was eating with friends.

At one point, we're told one of Pippen's dinner guests went to the bathroom ... and the man sat in the guest's place ... continuing to pester Pippen with questions. We're told Pippen bit his tongue and politely asked the man to leave.

After the meal, we're told Pippen agreed to take a photo with the man outside the restaurant ... but the man continued to be aggressive, demanding an autograph as well. Pippen refused and we're told that's when the man dropped the n-bomb, shoved the NBA legend, then spat at him.

Sources close to Pippen say he lost it when the spit landed on his young daughter -- and Pippen flew into attack mode.

As we reported, the alleged victim was subsequently transported to a nearby hospital with severe injuries to his head, face, and back. Pippen has since spoken with authorities and he was not arrested.