NBA

Metta World Peace is devastated over the death of his good friend, Prodigy -- telling TMZ Sports the two were like family and would often perform at rap shows together.

Metta and Prodigy are both from Queens -- and hit it off right from the start. But they didn't just rap together, they were close personal friends. Metta would sometimes visit Prodigy in the hospital.

"Prodigy was definitely family," Metta says ... "It definitely sucks not to have him here."

Metta says the best thing people can do to honor the Mobb Deep rapper is "keep his name alive ... because it's very necessary."

"We gonna miss him."

Grandmama has spoken ... with Larry Johnson telling TMZ Sports he REALLY hopes his NY Knicks don't trade away Kristaps Porzingis.

The rumors are spreading like wildfire ... that Phil Jackson is taking calls from other NBA teams looking to make a deal for the Latvian wonderkid before the NBA Draft.

So, when we saw the ex-Knicks star in NYC on Tuesday, we asked him to weigh in ... and it's clear he's against moving KP.

The Knicks and KP don't seem to be on the best of terms right now ... but LJ seems to think the team is better with him than without him.

LaVar Ball isn't letting the headlines get to him -- telling TMZ Sports he's still 100% convinced the Lakers will call Lonzo Ball's name with the #2 pick in the draft.

The Golden State Warriors got a bikini welcoming committee at a massive pool party in Vegas this weekend ... proving once again, it's good to be the champs.

Draymond Green, Matt Barnes and JaVale McGee hit up Encore Beach Club Friday ... boozin' on all kinds of alcohol from Don Julio 1942 to Hennessy to Jack Daniel's and Grey Goose -- while chilling in a private cabana.

The Dubs stars also downed a giant bottle of Perrier Jouet Rose as well, 'cause why the hell not?!

Size matters on the Matterhorn ... especially when you're 6'11" like NBA star Anthony Davis.

The New Orleans Pelicans big man hit up Disneyland on Sunday and decided he wanted a ride on one of the oldest coasters in the park.

The problem ... leg room.

You can see in the pics, Davis went full knees-to-chest to fit in the bobsled -- and apparently, it worked. We're told he had a blast at the park.

Fun Fact: There's a secret basketball court tucked away inside the mountain. No word on if AD got to hoop in between rides.

Hold your breath, Clippers nation ... your franchise center, DeAndre Jordan, is going full Tony Hawk ... hitting the streets of L.A. on a skateboard and, although it's terrifying, he ain't half bad.

Jordan is 6'11" and 265 pounds but that didn't stop him from straight thrashing on video recently, getting a little help from some bystanders.

Here's the thing ... fun is great and all, but could you imagine the fallout if DJ fell? The Clippers need all the help they can get to lose to the Warriors next year.

L.A. Clippers star Austin Rivers was straight and to the point when we asked if he'd go to the White House to visit President Trump if he won the NBA championship.

"NOPE."

It's a question everyone's been asking the Golden State Warriors after coach Steve Kerr reportedly said the team wouldn't attend a celebration at 1600 Pennsylvania earlier in the season.

It's a pretty hot topic in sports and politics -- but Rivers' feelings on the topic are clear.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says parents like LaVar Ball are bad for college basketball -- because they're turning the NCAA into a "huckster show."

KAJ was expressing his disdain for 1-and-done college players during an interview with 97.5 The Fanatic when he specifically went in on Lonzo Ball's father.

"Everybody knows about his sons because he has been able to hype them. But I don't think that's good for college basketball."

He continued, "College basketball is starting to look like a ... it doesn't look good. It looks like it's a huckster show. And that bothers me, you know. You have people going those lengths to promote their kids. I don't get it. "

"1-and-dones doesn't make any sense to me. To have somebody come and be on campus for 6 months and play a basketball season, what is that?"

"It's strange and it's not good for the college game and it hasn't been good for the pro game. I think they better find a different way of dealing with those issues."

Draymond Green just threw some MAJOR shade at LeBron James at the Warriors championship parade ... mocking the Cavs superstar's comments about never being part of a "super team."

Green took the stage to vent his true feelings about the King saying he's never been a part of a super team ... and D.G. explicitly defended his team and general manager Bob Myers in front of approximately 1 MILLION Warriors fans.

"Can somebody give Bob some f***in' credit?" Green says. "Everyone talkin' about super teams this, super team that, 'I never played on a super team' ... you started the super team, bro!"

Of course, Draymond also talked smack towards the Cavs when GSW won the title back in 2015. Chances are these teams will match up again in the Finals ... and luckily for us, the smack talk will continue.

Dennis Rodman is spreading President Trump's word in North Korea after all ... at least when it comes to his business prowess.

The NBA Hall of Famer gifted N. Korea's sports minister, Kim Il Guk, Trump's 'The Art of the Deal' book. Dennis was clearly stoked with his gesture, and Kim looks ... less stoked.

He also left Il Guk a couple of jerseys with his old number on it, but they weren't even official NBA gear from any of Rodman's old teams, just generics. However, he also gave him bath products. Sweet.

Bath gels ... paving a path to normalcy with N. Korea!

Don't pack for Beantown just yet, Markelle Fultz ... if Mark Wahlberg has his way you'll NEVER be a Celtic, cause he tells TMZ Sports the C's should swap the #1 pick for his boy, Jimmy Butler.

Or another big star ...

We got Wahlberg out in NYC and asked him about the Celtics' envious dilemma, whether to use the #1 pick in this year's draft on a college stud (probably Fultz) or trade for an elite NBA player.

Mark -- a huge Celtics fan -- made his position clear, he wants to slang the pick, and wouldn't mind getting his good friend -- and Bulls star -- Jimmy Butler back in return.

Your move, Danny Ainge ... second place for next five years could be yours.

How did Steph Curry celebrate his 2nd NBA title? Tattoo party at his mansion!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the Golden State Warriors star summoned Bay Area tattoo artist Nino Lapid to his home Tuesday night for a Curry family ink session.

Curry got Hebrew letters tatted on his arm -- but we're not exactly sure what the message was. Guessing it says something about destroying the Cavs?!?

Steph's dad Dell also went with a message on his wrist ... while his wife, Ayesha, also got some body art -- though her tat is also secret for now.

Steph's sister and mom were also at the home for the needle sesh. No word if they participated.

Win a ring, get new ink, repeat.

Moments after the Warriors beat the Cavs, the official NBA Store was selling a 2017 Finals pin commemorating how Golden State took the series 4 games to 2.

Problem ... considering that's not how it went down.

At first, we thought the 4-2 was a reference to the #42 the team rocked on their jerseys this season in memory of Warriors legend Nate Thurmond who passed away last year.

But today, we noticed the 4-2 pin had been changed -- and now sports a 1-4, a clear reference to the number of games each team won in the Finals.

The whole thing begs the question ... WAS THE NBA IN ON A CONSPIRACY TO EXTEND THE SERIES TO 6 GAMES FOR RATINGS?!?!?!

Probably not ... but the pin -- and the refs -- didn't do the league any favors.

Here's somebody MORE happy than Kevin Durant's mom about the Warriors' NBA championship ... Big Boi, who says he won $100k betting on the Dubs.

We got the Outkast rap legend out at Bootsy Bellows in L.A. Tuesday night (sans Andre 3000, never see those guys together anymore) and wanted to know why he was rocking a Golden State lid.

FYI -- Big Boi is from Atlanta ... which is not anywhere near Oakland.

That's when Sir Lucious Left Foot broke it down for us ... saying he won big on the Finals ... like six figures big ... telling our guy the Warriors victory made him $100k!!

Dennis Rodman stuck to what he knows, at least to start to his North Korea trip ... visiting with a hoops squad -- but he also connected with Kim Jong-un's roots.

The NBA hall of famer checked in with the Pothonggang women's basketball team Wednesday during their practice. We're guessing he emphasized rebounding.

Dennis also toured the town of Mangyongdae, the birthplace of Jong-un's grandfather ... Kim Il Sung. The 6'7" former basketball star quickly became the center of attention as a group of school kids also walked around the town.

He's reportedly meeting with N. Korea's sports minister this week, and also has bowling on the agenda ... for some reason. Still unclear if he'll get a sit-down with Jong-un.

Kevin Durant just whooped some serious ass on the court (sorry, LeBron), but Kevin Hart thinks the Finals MVP is still getting HIS butt kicked off the court by “The Real MVP” -- his mama!

Everyone saw Wanda Durant getting all motherly with Kevin during the post-game festivities at Oracle Monday night, including KH, who took to his Instagram to congratulate KD and get a couple jabs in.

Kevin's thoughts? Basically that Wanda still lays down the law old school style on her boy -- by actually spanking him -- and Hart can tell this from the way she was all up in his grill after the game.

It's pretty hilarious stuff ... the (much) smaller Kevin did manage to give Durant props for winning his first title ... although he told TMZ Sports he was rooting for LeBron before the series.