NBA

The marriage of Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom is in crisis, and TMZ has learned ... the core reason is hardcore drug abuse.

Multiple sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Lamar has had a problem for 2 years. It got so bad, last August Khloe pressured Lamar to go to rehab. Lamar went to a facility in San Diego, but he was so resistant Khloe hired private investigators to secretly stand guard at the rehab place to make sure he didn't leave. The P.I.s stood guard 24/7.

Our sources say Lamar constantly threatened to leave and Khloe made several visits to prevail upon him to stay. We're told after 3 weeks, Lamar left for good.

We're told Lamar actually stayed clean once he left rehab and was able to play well for the Clippers this past season. But when the season was over, sources say Lamar slipped deep back into hardcore recreational drugs.

As for reports that Lamar was cheating recently, we're told Khloe is convinced it happened, and she feels she's been hit with a double whammy ... but drugs are the main problem.

As for divorce ... neither Khloe nor Lamar has contacted a lawyer. As one source put it, "Khloe is more concerned about saving Lamar than ending her marriage."

We're told the situation has become dire. Sources tell us ... within the last 2 days, the entire family staged an intervention, trying to convince Lamar to go back to rehab, but he wouldn't have any of it.

In fact, on Wednesday morning, right after the failed intervention, Khloe threw Lamar out of the house and as you see from the pic (above), one of Lamar's friends is loading Lamar's stuff in his car as Lamar watches.

Dean "The Dream" Meminger -- who helped the NY Knicks clinch the 1973 NBA title -- was found dead in his hotel room Friday ... wearing his championship ring.

Meminger was found unconscious inside his NYC hotel room by staff members after failing to check out. He was pronounced dead on the scene. There were no signs of trauma. A witness reportedly saw "white stuff" oozing out of his nose.

Meminger had long suffered from drug addiction, including cocaine, even in his pro-basketball days. He almost died in a rooming house fire where he was allegedly smoking crack back in 2009.

The 65-year-old was a first round draft pick back in 1971.

NBA alum Kenny Smith thinks Kobe & T-Mac are suffering from a severe case of baller amnesia -- 'cause when it comes to the greatest offensive player of all time, there's only one real answer -- MICHAEL JORDAN.

Kenny knows what he's talking about -- he played against all 3 superstars ... and yesterday at LAX, The Jet told us that Bryant and Tracy McGrady must've been mistaken when they named each other as the toughest guy they ever had to guard.

So, why did Kobe leave MJ off of his infamous list of toughest NBA players to guard last week? Kenny has a theory ...

"Sometimes when you write a list up, like of your favorite foods ... but you just forget that one food? Jordan is that one food."

During the encounter, Kenny states his case for his Airness ... and it's pretty compelling. Check out the clip.

Los Angeles Clippers' superstar Chris Paul hasn't even been President of the Players Union for a full 24 hours yet -- but he's already put together a list of players' demands to take to the NBA, TMZ has learned.

Paul edged out veteran shooter Roger Mason and others to take the position -- and NBA sources tell us the players went with CP3 because they feel he's got the cojones and the clout to effectively take on the league.

Sources tell us ... Paul is taking his new role very seriously -- and is already talking to players about his agenda, which includes:

-- Preparing a battle plan to fight any league proposal for HGH testing
-- Eliminating flopping fines
-- Forbidding any dress code additions/changes

The Miami-Dade Police Dept. is pooh-poohing criticism that it crossed the thin blue line last Friday by giving LeBron James a police escort to the Jay Z concert.

As we reported ... Jay Z had announced he would not start the show until LeBron arrived.

It's nice to be famous, right?

Denver Nuggets superstar Ty Lawson tells TMZ ... everything is HUNKY DORY between him and his pregnant GF Ashley King ... despite the fact they were both arrested for domestic violence last weekend.

"That's my baby," Lawson told us last night on his way out of Sound nightclub in L.A.

As we previously reported, Lawson is accused of pushing King (an ex-member of the "Bad Girls Club") ... and King is accused of trying to break Lawson's phone during an explosive argument at his Denver home.

The two spent 3 days in jail ... (did we mention King is PREGNANT?) ... but have patched things up and insist they are committed to moving forward with their relationship.

At least one NBA star is willing to say it -- Kobe Bryant is a much tougher opponent than his airness, Michael Jordan was ... at least that's what Tracy McGrady hinted. (Pause for lightning bolts)

McGrady was responding to Kobe's recent comment that T-Mac was the hardest player he ever had to guard -- so, we expected him to throw a little praise back at Kobe.

But watch his comments at LAX -- McGrady wasn't just being nice ... and actually went out of his way to say it's "not even close" who his toughest assignment was on the court.

Remember, McGrady checked Jordan during MJ's final championship season in Chicago ... when he was older, but still making opponents look foolish (see Bryon Russell).

NBA star George Hill stands by his decision to ditch the Team USA basketball training camp to attend a kids charity event instead ... even if it means he blew his shot to don the red, white and blue.

The Pacers guard shocked the sports world last month, when he bailed on Team USA's invite-only camp to attend a bball camp for kids in Texas -- a move that could cost him any chance of making the team.

So when our photog spotted him in L.A. Sunday, he had to ask -- are there any regrets now that he's had a few weeks to reflect on blowing a HUGE opportunity?

Denver Nuggets player Ty Lawson and his girlfriend say their domestic violence arrests this past weekend were a GIANT misunderstanding -- and they're still together.

Ty and "Bad Girls Club" star Ashley King spent 3 days in jail after being arrested Saturday morning for domestic violence, stemming from a fight at Ty's Denver home.

Now sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... they simply had a bad night and the arrest was a misunderstanding. They are back at home, still together and focused on moving forward.

Ty and Ashley are due back in court Friday for their arraignment -- when they're hoping to put the entire case behind them.

High school marching bands are NOT to be trifled with -- just ask one Chicago woman, who claims she was attending a charity event for Dwyane Wade's foundation last year ... and took a beating to the head with a bass drum mallet.

Andrea Alexander filed the lawsuit against Wade's World (EXCELLENT!) claiming she had an aisle seat at the foundation's "Chicago Has Talent" event last year when a high school marching band blared and crashed its way past her.

Alexander claims the aisles were so narrow, one of the band's bass drummers whacked her in the head with his bass drum mallet ... causing her "severe and permanent injuries."

Alexander says its Dwyane's foundation's fault for negligently allowing the band to play in the narrow aisles ... and she wants at least $50,000 to make up for her pain and suffering.

Denver Nuggets star Ty Lawson allegedly shoved his pregnant girlfriend before he was arrested for domestic violence on Saturday, this according to the police report -- but the girlfriend was arrested too.

According to the report, police were called to Lawson's Denver home around 9AM Saturday morning in response to a report of a domestic argument involving Lawson and his gf Ashley Pettiford -- aka Ashley King from "Bad Girls Club" -- who is six months pregnant.

When they arrived, Pettiford was crying, and explained that she and Lawson had been arguing because she overheard him talking to another woman on his phone the night before.

She told police she tried to pack her things to leave Lawson because she'd had enough, but he stopped her and pushed her onto their bed. She says she responded by throwing his phone and breaking it. Lawson then allegedly grabbed her phone and dunked it under water.

Pettiford said she knew her baby was okay despite the incident because she felt it moving afterward, but Lawson was still placed under arrest on suspicion of domestic violence, as well as criminal mischief (for throwing Pettiford's phone) and harassment.

Pettiford was arrested for criminal mischief (for destroying Lawson's phone) and domestic violence. They have both since been released on $1,000 bond.

The Miami-Dade Police Department tells TMZ, its officers BROKE PROTOCOL to give LeBron James special treatment ... by helping the NBA star skip traffic in order to get to a Jay Z concert.

As we reported, Miami-Dade PD initially denied involvement in the police escort -- blatant favoritism -- but a rep for the department now tells us its officers were the ones who accompanied LeBron to the Jay Z show.

The rep says LeBron was stuck in standstill traffic at 191st street Friday night and its officers escorted him to the Sun Life Stadium on 199th street ... a total of 8 blocks. You can see the route they took below.

The rep tells us, "This should not have happened." The rep says the department is still looking into which officers were involved and will determine what punishment, if any, is appropriate.

Dear NBA,

Kobe Bryant is running again ... just 4 months after tearing his Achilles tendon.

LeBron James has police departments all over South Florida throwing up their hands ... disavowing any involvement with the police escort LBJ got to a concert -- but TMZ has learned Miami-Dade PD is now officially investigating the matter.

TMZ spoke with four police agencies -- Miami City PD, Miami Gardens PD, Florida Highway Patrol, and Miami-Dade PD -- and all stated on the record that it was not one of their cruisers leading LBJ to the Jay Z/Justin Timberlake show on Friday night.

LeBron posted an Instagram video of himself riding behind the police car with its strobe lights flashing as they drove down the wrong side of the road.

However, several law enforcement sources kept pointing us back to Miami-Dade PD, claiming that would be the agency with jurisdiction at Sun Life Stadium, where the concert was held.

While Miami-Dade initially denied involvement ... an officer with the agency now tells us they are "investigating" because LBJ's escort would've been a break from protocol.

LeBron James is too damn famous to sit in traffic like a regular person ... so he used a police escort to get him where he needed to go -- which happened to be a Jay Z / Justin Timberlake concert.

The Miami Heat star posted a video of the detour on Instagram Friday night. As it plays you can see LeBron following a cop car with blinking lights down the wrong side of a street in Miami ... successfully bypassing the massive traffic jam to his right.

He added the caption "They treat us so well. Needed it cause traffic was nuts!!"

NBA star Ryan Anderson is going through HELL right now following the suicide of GF Gia Allemand ... so says his ex-teammate Greivis Vasquez, telling our camera guy, Ryan needs his team more than ever right now.

The Sacramento Kings star knows Ryan from their days on the New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans) -- and knew Gia very well from the 2 years she and Ryan dated. Of her death he says, "It's really tough. There are no words."

Vasquez says the toll it's taking on Ryan (who found her body) is painful to see. He explains, "It's just hard. I know he's feeling guilty." Adding, "We gotta support him. We gotta be there for him." He goes on.