NBA

NBA star Caron Butler says he's "blown away" by George Karl's comments about players, and thinks he hurt his relationship with the rest of the basketball community.

Karl's new book, "Furious George: My Forty Years Surviving NBA Divas, Clueless GMs, and Poor Shot Selection," goes after Carmelo Anthony and Kenyon Martin's fatherless upbringings -- "all that money and no father to show them how to act like a man."

Butler -- who played for Karl with the Sacramento Kings last season -- says he got along with every coach he's had during his career ... but couldn't connect with Karl.

Any NBA player sneaking away to call the league's new hotline for bad officiating is WASTING HIS DAMN TIME ... that's according to NBA veteran Al Jefferson who calls the hotline "pointless."

The hotline was set up as part of the new CBA between the league and the players ... allowing a salty hooper to call up and single out specific refs on bad calls they made in previous games.

We got Jefferson -- a former All-NBA player -- in D.C. and asked him if he thinks the hotline will make one damn bit of difference in the way the games are called ... and guess what, he doesn't.

It's clear Kris Jenner wants to keep Tristan Thompson around -- because she SMOTHERED Khloe's NBA star boyfriend in expensive Christmas gifts ... and he was all about it!

Kobe Bryant has a NEW Christmas Day tradition -- one that doesn't involve basketball -- and it seems his wife, Vanessa, couldn't be more excited about it!

FYI, Kobe spent 16 of his last 20 Dec. 25ths playing in the NBA's Xmas day classic -- and became the #1 all-time Xmas day scorer with 395 total points.

But that was before he retired ... because this year it was all about his new baby, Bianka -- and Macaulay Culkin!

In fact, Vanessa seemed PUMPED about her new holiday plans when she posed about it on Instagram ... saying, "No more games on Christmas. 🏀 🎶"For the first time in forever..........."- (Princess Elsa voice)🎶❄️❄️❄️ #PeacefulHoliday #Christmas #FamilyTime 🎁🎅🏽🎄#HomeAlone2."

Kobe also posted, "Home watching a classic and realized this was my face 1 week ago when I realized I didn't have the NBA package LOL #mindblown."

Welcome to your new life, #24.

Larsa Pippen is still dedicated to making sure everyone -- including her estranged husband, Scottie -- remembers that she's still crazy, silly fine ... and she's using some bikini pics to prove it.

Scottie's ex and (maybe) Future's current was down on the beach in Miami (sorry, Chicago) in a hot, hot bikini showing off the gifts that God and (maybe) science gave her.

Turns out Santas come in all shapes and sizes ... and sometimes they're really, really tall ... 'cause Sixers star Joel Embiid just laced some kids in Philly with $100 gift cards.

It was the team that copped the cards for 25 kids from the Boys & Girls Club in Camden, NJ ... but Joel was on hand to deliver them, and watch the tykes tear up a Modell's with Xmas glee.

The team also hooked the kids up with some Sixers gear ... and Joel posed for pics and signed a bunch of stuff for the kids.

Here she is ... the newest member of the Mamba family!

Vanessa Bryant just posted the very first pic of her new baby daughter, Bianka Bryant ... born December 5.

Mrs. Mamba added, "Kobe and I are beyond excited to welcome our newest baby girl, Bianka!!! #BabyBlessing #SweetBaby #AnotherAngel"

It's the couple's 3rd kid.

Congrats!!

Sorry, he ain't sorry.

Charles Barkley says if Michael Jordan is still waiting for an apology ... he better not hold his breath.

The NBA legend appeared on 97.5 The Fanatic where he talked about the infamous beef with MJ -- which originated when Barkley publicly criticized the way Jordan was running the Charlotte Bobcats.

Matt Barnes is officially a single man ... and all it cost him was HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Craig Sager's legacy just got the ultimate big up from a huge L.A. street artist ... being immortalized on some Tinseltown bricks right next to fellow Jimmy V award winner Stuart Scott.

The artist's name is Jonas Nevers ... who's done art of other sports figures like Vin Scully, Kobe Bryant, and Magic Johnson ... but made headlines for his Stuart Scott piece last year.

We're told the Sager art -- painted on the brick wall of Melody Bar & Grill -- was finished just moments ago ... and the decision to put him next to Scott was made to honor two iconic voices that cancer took too soon.

Pure awesome ... R.I.P. Craig Sager.

Lamar Odom was inspired to turn his life around by a prisoner serving hard time for attempted murder.

The former NBA star flew to Delaware back in Sept. to visit childhood friend William Gregory, who's serving a 26 year sentence.

One shot for the fate of the world ... which New York Knick gets the ball?

That's the question we posed to Ex-Knicks President Dave Checketts ... and the answer is gonna raise a couple eyebrows up in the Big Apple for sure.

Checketts presided over the Knicks during the early '90's when Patrick Ewing was king ... so we asked the same question the locker room is asking ... who's king now, Melo or KP (sorry, Derek)?

Kenny Smith says his good friend, Craig Sager, gave him marching orders for his funeral in case he lost his battle with cancer ... wanting anyone who showed up to dress as colorful as Sager did.

We talked to Kenny ... who worked with Craig for years as part of the TNT basketball crew ... and asked him if there was any specific way Sager wanted the crowd to look at his homegoing.

"He told us to dress loudly."

Of course, Sager was known for his crazy suit game (and his professionalism and dignity), so the fact that he wanted his service to look a little lively is no surprise at all.

You gotta hear Kenny talk about it though ... clear how much love he had for the guy.

Memphis Grizzlies fans were PISSED when the Cleveland Cavaliers decided to sit their Big 3 earlier this week ... and Krayzie Bone doesn't blame 'em one bit.

LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love took the night off in the Cavs' 93-85 loss to the Grizz ... and the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony member is siding with the fans on this one, despite his love for The Land.

K.B. shares the reception he'd get if he tried to pull the same thing at one of his concerts ... and he's definitely got a point.

Dennis Rodman's former business manager was busted for allegedly defrauding several pro athletes out of millions of dollars.

According to the Houston prosecutor's office ... Peggy Ann "King" Fulford was taken into custody Friday in New Orleans and charged with 8 criminal counts, including wire fraud, mail fraud, interstate transportation of stolen property and money laundering.

Former NFL star Ricky Williams and 3 other pro athletes are the victims.

Rodman's name is not on the list, but we broke the story -- the Worm's attorney, Bradford Cohen, fired Peggy, accusing her of being a total fraud. Clearly, he's no longer alone in that boat.

Peggy's scheme allegedly included 7 aliases and falsely telling victims she was a Harvard-educated financial adviser. Prosecutors say she used the athletes' money to splurge on herself.

If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in prison.

Ex-WWE star and recovering addict Kurt Angle says his new addiction management app could "save" Lamar Odom by putting him on the path to healthy and sober living.