NBA

Could Jack Nicholson quit on the Lakers completely ... and become a Clippers fan?!

That's what Clippers prodigy Austin Rivers is hoping for ... especially with Jack telling TMZ Sports this week that he's not as obsessed with the Lake Show as he used to be.

Rivers -- the son of Clippers president/coach Doc Rivers -- was out in L.A. and told us, "I'm trying to get him over on our side man!"

Here's the thing ... we already know Jack has pro-Clippers tendencies ... he went to a Clippers playoff game last season. And they definitely have a brighter future than the Lakers.

Plus, Jack already knows his way around the stadium ... since the Clips and the Lakers both play in the Staples Center.

Jeanie Buss ... it might be time to panic.

Lookin' for some insane courtside seats to the Lakers game?

Jack Nicholson tells TMZ Sports he's willing to sell you his for face value ... since he's not as motivated to go the Staples Center as he used to be.

It's actually pretty sad ... Nicholson -- who's been a staple at the Lakers games for decades -- was leaving Madeo in Beverly Hills when he told us he's just not as into the Lake Show as he used to be.

We're guessing the team's abysmal record has a lot to do with it.

12:12 PM PT -- A spokesman for the stadium insists the heater is NOT broken ... and says there's a perfectly good explanation.

"There is NO broken heater – but we opened the garage to let buses and allow a few packages to be delivered to the stadium – and that allowed the freezing air to come into the stadium."

"It was like opening the back door and letting the record temps into the building."

"The heater isn't broken -- and fans can expect it to stay that way ... and should be able to enjoy the game with no problem."

It's 14 degrees in Philadelphia ... and it seems like the heater has broken inside the Wells Fargo Center -- so the visiting Indiana Pacers are warming up in full sweats and winter gear.

Unclear when the heater crapped out ... but multiple team sources tell us the same thing -- "It's f**king freezing in here."

One player tells TMZ Sports, "It's like we are outside playing ball ... this ain't cool."

Pacers' star Paul George is at the stadium ... and tweeted, "Crazy my guys have to practice under these conditions in philly! #CutThatHeatOnDamnIt."

The game is scheduled to begin in less than 6 hours ... and as far as we know, the game is scheduled to go on as planned.

A bunch of Minnesota Timberwolves fans are trying to exchange their tickets to tonight's game -- after learning Kevin Garnett won't make his re-debut with the team until Wednesday ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Of course, Timberfans went CRAZY Thursday ... when it was announced the future Hall of Famer was returning to the team that drafted him in 1995.

The box office went crazy -- with people trying to buy tickets to KG's first game back ... many of whom assumed Friday would be the night.

But the team announced Garnett won't hit the hardwood 'til Wednesday ... and box office sources tell us, "There were a lot of people who bought tickets for tonight's game because they thought it'd be KG's first game back. Now they're all calling, trying to exchange the tickets for Wednesday's game."

Unclear how the team plans to handle the situation -- but a team rep tells us they're excited for Kevin's return ... especially since Timberwolves home attendance is the worst in the NBA.

How does it feel to have the President of the United States pick YOU over Chris Paul in a "Who's The Better Player" debate??

Exactly how you think it feels.

At least that was the take away when we asked that very question to Tony Parker last night -- since it was revealed that Barack Obama had his back in a friendly dispute on the issue with his former personal aide Reggie Love.

In fact, Love wrote about the dispute in his new book -- saying he and Obama went back and forth for years -- with POTUS eventually dropping the "RINGS" argument ... since Parker has 4 and Paul has 0.

Baron Davis has a message for all the celebs who think they have NBA-level hoop skills -- you don't.

Davis is definitely a guy who would know ... the ex-NBA star just produced and directed a documentary called, "The Drew" ... about the legendary Drew League in L.A., where pros and celebs have been hooping together for years.

The Drew League has featured some HUGE stars -- including ballers like Kobe, LeBron and Durant playing with superstars like The Game and Chris Brown.

So, which celebs have enough talent to make their NBA hoop dreams come true?

"None of em" ... Baron says.

Baron didn't stop there, 'cause when we asked about Game -- who made some highlight reel dunks at the Drew last year -- Davis continued to keep it super duper real.

"Game can dunk ... but he ain't got no dunk skills."

Kobe Bryant says ... he knows there are NBA stars who refused to play for the Lakers because they couldn't handle Mamba's ego ... but Kobe says the team didn't need those players anyway.

Bryant just opened up to GQ ... saying, "Does my nature make me less enjoyable to play with? Of course."

When specifically asked if his ego has deterred top talent from joining the Lake Show -- he replied, "Of course it does. Is it possible that some top players in the league are intimidated by that? Yes. But do I want to play with those players? Does the Laker organization want those specific players? No."

He adds, "Magic. Jordan. Bird. We all would have been phenomenal teammates. This organization wants players who will carry this franchise to another five or six championships. The player who does that has to be cut from the same cloth. And if they’re not cut from that cloth, they don’t belong here."

In the issue, Bryant was also brutally honest about his relationship with former coach Phil Jackson -- saying, "He understood the dynamic he had to deal with between me and Shaq. So he would take shots at me in the press, and I understood he was doing that in order to ingratiate himself to Shaq."

"And since I knew what he was doing, I felt like that was an insult to my intelligence. I was like, ‘F**k him. I’m out here busting my ass. I’m killing myself.’ And it became insulting."

Dikembe Mutombo says his swag ain't free ... telling TMZ Sports all the young NBA whippersnappers using his signature finger wave gesture need to pay homage ... and pay up.

Mount Mutombo was in NYC when we asked the former defensive player if he thought the finger wag he did to celebrate blocked shots made his digit the most famous index in sports.

Check out the clip -- Dikembe says not only is his the most famous, but the most swagger jacked as well ... cause everyone is stealing his move, and now he wants a little green love for it.

FYI -- Mutombo's career earnings are $143,666,581.

Every little bit counts though.

You gotta respect blunt honesty -- like when Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive says he's proud that his daughter is working with top tier rap talent ... even if he doesn't know who they are.

This video is great ... Vivek is clearly super supportive of his daughter Anjali's aspiring singing career -- but tells TMZ Sports he has a hard time keeping up with some of the huge stars who are working with her in the studio.

"Tyga? French something? I don't really know any of them," Vivek playfully admits.

This guy is awesome -- and what makes him even cooler? He's currently training for a H-O-R-S-E showdown with Shaquille O'Neal ... by practicing on the custom court at his mansion.

We also ask Vivek -- reported net worth $700 million -- the best piece of business advice he ever got.

Eric Balfour is a HUUUGE Lakers fan ... he's also a huge animal rights activist ... which is why the former "24" star was so devastated when he found out about a scary incident involving Nick Young and a dolphin.

The L.A. Lakers star has been joking around about the incident all week ... claiming a dolphin tried to kill him during one of those "ride the dolphins" experiences in Cabo San Lucas.

Balfour says he's glad Young survived -- but he's bummed out Young and Iggy Azalea decided to participate in the attraction in the first place.

"When people unknowingly go to those shows, what they're actually contributing to is a dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan where hundreds of dolphins are killed, captured, separated from their families, and we're trying to stop that because its pretty f**king uncool."

His rotator is still jacked up, but his rotors are doing just fine -- which is why Kobe Bryant broke out the helicopter for a special Valentine's Day date with his wife Vanessa.

The two took to the skies for a little romantic V-Day getaway over the weekend ... and made sure to take a few mid-flight selfies along the way.

Sidenote -- Vanessa's earrings ... damn.

Legend has it, Kobe has been using the 'copter for years to go from his home in Orange County to the Staples Center in L.A. so he can beat freeway traffic.

But with his season over, it's good to see Kobe's still finding use for his favorite method of travel.

NBA star JaVale McGee says size definitely matters when trying to cop some Yeezys ... telling TMZ Sports he can't style in the hottest shoe of 2015 ... because Kanye doesn't make a SIZE 18!!

The 7-footer was enjoying the beginning of the All-Star break at 1Oak in L.A. when we asked the notorious sneakerhead when we'd see him in the most talked about shoe in the world right now.

The answer? NEVER ... or at least until Mr. West and Adidas makes them in sizes that accommodate JaVale's gargantuan hooves ... which McGee says would cost A TON of cash for the material alone!

A brawl erupted between a group of guys who picked a fight with Rick Ross and Meek Mill at a club Friday night ... so claim eyewitnesses who say the rappers got physical during the "All Star" weekend scuffle.

The eyewitnesses say Ross and Mill were in the same section at NYC's Liberty Theatre when someone threw a drink and the scuffle erupts.

We're told Meek threw a few punches and Rick seemed to confine his activity to pushing. On the other hand, we're told Rick's bodyguards took care of business.

Ross was hosting the party and in the video you see Rozay standing near the fight.

The party was also attended by Oklahoma City Thunder player Dion Waiters.

Cops were not called.

It was like a surgical strike ... LeBron James dropped in to the set of a car commercial in the middle of a busy NYC street -- NAILED his part -- and peaced out like a pro ... and TMZ Sports got the whole thing on video.

When 'Bron got to the set of the Kia spot, the car was already set up ... the crew was ready to go ... and James knew his part.

Two takes later, the director was happy ... LeBron bolted from the set ... and was off to the next big NBA All-Star Weekend event.

Kevin Hart might be a little dizzy 'cause Little League legend Mo'ne Davis just put him in the SPIN CYCLE in the Sprite NBA Celebrity Hoops Game moments ago.

Hart -- who's a 3-time Celeb Hoops MVP -- caught himself in the unenviable position of being one-on-one with Davis ... who just ate his lunch during a ridiculous drive to the rim.

Check it out -- Kev is playing defense (he takes this stuff seriously folks) but Mo'ne leaves him in the dust ... and finishes like a pro (which she'll probably be eventually).

Starting the All-Star game is now second on the list of things James Harden could be doing this weekend ... 'cause Amber Rose just told the world she might give him the best V-Day gift ever ... dat ass.

Amber was on Power 105's "The Breakfast Club" where she was asked about a rumored relationship with the NBA star ... and fessed up to having a "special friendship."

But the rub ... Amber says their relationship has NOT turned physical. Or in her words, "I haven't got the 'D' yet."

Of course the "Breakfast Club" gang pressed her on when it might happen, and Amber said the words that made James' heart pound more than any NBA game ever has.

"Valentine's day is tomorrow ... if he acts right."

James, for men everywhere living vicariously through you ... don't screw this up.