NBA

NBA hooper Evan Turner says he can't wait to get on the court with his new team ... telling TMZ Sports "it's gonna be dope, it's gonna be legit" to play for the Atlanta Hawks.

30-year-old Turner was just traded from the Portland Trail Blazers to ATL last week ... putting the vet on a roster full of young talent like Trae Young, Cam Reddish and DeAndre Hunter.

We spoke with the former #2 overall pick in the 2010 draft about the move ... and he's excited to get started with his new team.

"We're gonna have some fun, man," Turner says ... "I think the whole experience is gonna be legit, it's gonna be fun."

No Klaw? No problem! ... so says Kenny Smith, who says LeBron James and Anthony Davis are destined to lead the Lakers to NBA championships with or without Kawhi Leonard!

But, don't get it twisted -- The Jet says Bron needs to do whatever he can to land a player like the Klaw ... but if Leonard doesn't sign with L.A., Lakers Nation shouldn't freak out.

"You've got LeBron James, you've got Anthony Davis. [Leonard's] just an extra bonus," Smith tells TMZ Sports ...  "You should win the championship with that without question."

We asked Smith if the Purple and Gold are getting too greedy in trying to get Leonard ... Smith had a strong take on that too! 

"What's after 'greedy?' I'm thinking of the word after 'greedy' ... gluttonous! You're getting gluttonous."

No other Warriors player will ever wear #35 again ... so says Golden State co-chairman and CEO Joe Lacob who heaped the ultimate praise on Kevin Durant after the superstar signed with Brooklyn. 

"As long as I am co-chairman of this team, no player will ever wear #35 for the Warriors again," Lacob said in a statement. 

Durant only played for the Warriors for 3 seasons -- but Golden State got to the NBA Finals every time ... and won 2 out of 3 championship titles. Durant was the NBA Finals MVP both times they won. 

Of course, Durant became a free agent at the end of the 2018-19 season and is signing a massive deal to play with Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan on the Brooklyn Nets. 

But, Lacob ain't bitter -- saying, "Three years ago, we were thrilled with the arrival of Kevin Durant, a transformative NBA player and one of the best to ever play the game."

"Today, as he starts a new chapter in his incredible career, we thank KD for all of his contributions, for being an integral part to one of the most prolific runs in NBA history and we wish him well as he continues his Hall of Fame journey."

FYI, the Warriors have only "officially" retired 6 jerseys in team history -- so this ain't something they do often. 

There's more ... TMZ Sports just spoke with Warriors GM Bob Myers who praised Durant for being "awesome" ... and noting, "Appreciate all he did." 

Steve Aoki can't offer Kawhi Leonard a max NBA contract -- but he's got the next best thing -- free pizza for life and a record-breaking pizza party for the Finals MVP.

Steve's Pizzaoki shop in Venice unveiled a massive mural of Kawhi in a Lakers' jersey over the weekend outside the restaurant. The mural features Kawhi clutching a massive NBA Championship Trophy and has become a huge attraction in the area.  

Steve tells us, if Kawhi decides to sign with The Lakers -- and join LeBron James and Anthony Davis -- he will personally throw a massive pizza party outside The Staples Center.

However, this won't be just your average pizza party ... Steve says he'll invite the masses in an attempt to break some world records. 

Aoki's also promisiong Kawhi free pizza for life at any of his 12 Pizzaoki locations around Los Angeles. 

NBA baller Jabari Parker wasn't worrying one bit about free agency on Sunday ... he was busy having the time of his life supporting the league's float at the Pride parade in NYC!!

The basketball world blew up over the weekend -- with huge names like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker all deciding to switch things up with new teams.

But, Parker -- who most recently played for the Washington Wizards -- escaped all that chaos ... hanging out with Jason Collins and ex-WNBA hoopers Chamique Holdsclaw and Ashley Battle to support the LGBTQ community in New York.

The 24-year-old was all-in on the fun ... passing out shirts and marching alongside the float.

Parker is extremely vocal about social activism, but this is a cause that hits close to home for him -- he's spoken publicly about having a gay uncle.

The NBA Pride float has been pretty lit over the past few years ... with Commish Adam Silver losing his mind with the crew a few years ago.

LaVar Ball is going scorched earth on Charles Barkley for calling him an "idiot" ... saying Chuck is jealous of his success ... and Barkley wishes he was his dad.

Remember, just a few days ago Barkley blasted LaVar for the comments he made to ESPN's Molly Qerim ... with Charles saying, "Wherever LaVar Ball is, there's a village missing an idiot ... We should just keep LaVar off television."

LaVar got wind of Chuck's comments ... and he ain't pleased.

"I don't even pertain to Charles because he's so jealous of me," Ball says. "He want to be me so bad. He never had a father. He wish I was his father. That's why he's so animate towards me."

FYI -- Barkley was raised by a single mother and has been very open about his family's struggles growing up. Ball clearly had no issue going after Chuck's personal life, continuing to go in on the Hall of Famer.

"He's just got a little problem right now. He an old guy, he don't know where he's going right now. So, it's okay. But hey, I ain't gonna mess with Charles. He's lost in his mind right now. It's okay, when you get old sometimes that happens."

"I know he's jealous. He wants everything I got. People don't come up to him, kids don't believe in him. Nothing."

He's still on crutches, but NBA star Pau Gasol is already thinking about a healthy new contract -- telling TMZ Sports resigning with the Milwaukee Bucks seems to "make sense."

The 38-year-old is still recovering from surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left foot from an injury back in May -- but when we saw him out in NYC this weekend, he was out and "feeling better."

But, the big question ... where will Gasol play next season? 

Remember, Gasol signed with the Bucks in March after being released from the San Antonio Spurs -- but only played in a couple of games before the injury forced him to miss the rest of the season. 

Gasol has previously said he thinks Milwaukee -- with Giannis Antetokounmpo -- has a real shot at winning a championship ... and it's clear he still feels that way. 

"I think it would make sense," Gasol told us when we asked about going back to the Bucks ... "I want to help a team win a championship."

Kevin Durant has had it with the Golden State Warriors ... 'cause he says he's taking his talents across the country to the Brooklyn Nets to play alongside Kyrie Irving.

KD just made the announcement Sunday evening via "The Boardroom" Instagram page -- the sports show he created, which is similar to LeBron's "The Shop." Speaking of Bron, Kevin's roll-out of his "decision" is very reminiscent of LBJ's take in 2010.

According to reports, Kevin is signing a 4-year, $164 million deal with the Nets, while Kyrie's going for 4 years at $141 million. DeAndre Jordan is also reportedly joining them.

This, of course, follows KD's horrific season-ending injury in the NBA Finals just a few weeks ago -- when he ruptured his Achilles tendon after coming back from a previous calf injury.

Kevin's leaving tens of millions of dollars on the table by not re-signing with the Warriors -- a team he just went to three straight Finals with, walking with two Finals MVP awards and two rings. Some reports suggested KD was unhappy with the way the team handled his injury.

That's all in the past now though, and even the 2019-2020 season is somewhat moot ... seeing how he's not expected to return to the court until the start of the 2020-21 season. 

When Michael Jordan took on the original batch of MonStars back in "Space Jam," he did it WITHOUT his running mate, Scottie Pippen ... and now Pip is telling us why he wasn't in the flick. 

Remember, MJ and Bill Murray starred in the movie back in 1996 ... with a core group of NBA stars that included Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson and more. 

When production on the movie began in 1995, Michael Jordan had just come back from retirement ... so he and Pippen were teammates in the Chicago Bulls again -- which had people wondering why didn't #33 have a significant role???

So, when we saw Pip at LAX on Thursday, we needed that explanation!!! 

I think I was injured or recovering from offseason injuries," Pippen said ... "I wasn't able to participate."

If he WAS healthy though, Pippen says he would have agreed to a role in a heartbeat.

Meanwhile, LeBron James is already shooting the sequel -- and some people are wondering why he didn't sign Zion Williamson to take on the MonStars. 

NBA fashion god Kelly Oubre Jr. is turning his swag into a money making machine ... and he tells TMZ Sports one of his dream collabs is none other than Fear of God creator Jerry Lorenzo!!!

Wave Papi has been turning heads with his threads since entering the league in 2015 ... and even took part in his first Paris Fashion Week event over the weekend ... making headlines in the process. 

Now, he's in the process of launching his own line -- Dope Soul -- so, we had to ask who he'd love to work with in the fashion game ... and dude's aiming for the hottest names in the game.

Not only is the 23-year-old baller trying to work with his guy, Lorenzo ... he also name-drops Virgil Abloh of Off-White and Louis Vuitton.

We also asked Oubre about his "shawl" look during the Pigalle Paris event ... and he explains the inspo behind the 'fit.

James Harden may have been rocketing down a Shanghai street a little too fast, because he was corralled by cops and slapped with a ticket.

Khloe Kardashian's ex was cruising on a scooter Friday when he was pulled over. It's unclear exactly what he did wrong -- allegedly -- but whatever it was caught the eye of police. BTW, Shanghai is crawling with cops.

It looks like he was riding with friends, and they went on their merry without incident.  

The Rockets star has been in China for more than a week doing a promotional tour for Addidas.  He's done a meet and greet with fans at the Beijing University of Technology and led a youth basketball clinic at the Tianhe Sports Center in Guangzhou.  

Here you go Lakers fans ... the first clip of LeBron James and Anthony Davis playing together on the same court since the trade ... and it all went down on the set of "Space Jam 2."

The NBA superstars have been hoopin' together while shooting the flick in Los Angeles. You can see the guys warming up alongside Damian Lillard and a few WNBA stars who are appearing in the movie. 

There's another guy rocking a #2 jersey -- but we couldn't positively identify him. We're told the players in the movie are wearing jerseys reflecting their jersey numbers in the NBA. So, if you recognize him, let us know in the comments!!!

As we previously reported, Klay Thompson has been on the set ... though it's unclear if his knee injury will prevent him from shooting scenes. Draymond Green was also spotted on set working out with the guys. 

By the way, LeBron has been wearing #6 on the set -- and Davis has been wearing #23. Interesting, considering reports that LeBron would be ceding his #23 Lakers jersey to Davis and returning back to #6, the jersey he wore while playing in Miami and also during his Team USA days. 

Here he is!!! Kevin Durant is back out in public just 2 weeks after suffering a devastating injury in the NBA Finals ... but it's clear he's got a long road to recovery. 

The 30-year-old superstar was out in New York City on Wednesday -- with a team of people helping him out of a building and into a waiting sprinter van. 

You can see KD's right leg is bandaged up from his toe to his knee. An assistant was also holding a walking boot for Kev while another person followed close behind with a medical knee scooter. 

The clip is pretty short but you can see Durant is trying to be independent. It's obvious he wants to be able to move around without help. 

Durant underwent surgery on June 12 to repair a ruptured Achilles -- which he injured in the 2nd quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. 

Durant had missed significant playing time before Game 5 due to a calf strain -- and some people questioned whether he came back before his body was ready. 

After the surgery, Durant posted on social media saying he wasn't pressured into returning -- and said, "I wanted to be out there that night because that's what I do."

There are reports Durant could miss the entire 2019-20 regular season due to the Achilles injury -- with some speculating he might be ready to go for the playoffs. 

Meanwhile, KD just declined his player option with the Warriors which means he'll officially be a free agent and can sign wherever he wants. He'll obviously get a max contract offer, which would kick off with a $38.2 mil starting salary. 

Get well soon!!!

So ... who picks up the check?

Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Jordan -- two of the wealthiest athletes in the history of the planet -- doubled up for a night out in the French Riviera ... because this is what extremely rich people do.

Ronaldo has been yachting it up with his longtime girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, and their kids -- but clearly, they got a babysitter and found some time for a night out with MJ and his wife.

Unclear where they went ... but with Ronaldo reportedly worth somewhere in the ballpark of a billion dollars ... and Jordan reportedly ALREADY in the tres commas club -- they can afford to eat anywhere they want!

Remember, Ronaldo has been sailing around on a $200,000-per-week yacht -- that comes with its own gym space and MOVIE THEATER!

Over the years, Jordan has been spotted floating around on expensive boats.

You're looking at the face of Cup Noodles ... the biggest star to come out of Japan in years -- NBA rookie Rui Hachimura -- who's telling TMZ Sports why he's PUMPED to get his NBA career going in the U.S. 

The 21-year-old became the first Japanese-born player selected in the 1st round of the NBA Draft when the Washington Wizards took him with the 9th overall pick ... and man, he looks stoked! 

And, get this ... we asked Rui if he feels any pressure now that he's in the NBA, dude SCOFFED -- telling us his rabid fan base back home has already prepared him for NBA superstardom. 

"It's been always like this," Rui said ... "but right now especially its crazy."

The 6' 8" Hachimura gained a massive following playing for Gonzaga ... making an Elite 8 run in 2019 and earning the West Coast Conference 2019 Player of the Year honors. 

He signed a massive deal to endorse both Cup Noodles and Nike -- and you can tell he's fired up about it! 

Wanna see how happy R.J. Barrett is making New York already??

Just look at how Knicks guard Damyean Dotson's face lights up when we mention the rookie's name ... 'cause the dude can't contain his excitement.

"I love R.J., man. I love his game. I'm looking forward to playing with him. He's a smart guy. Athletic, strong ... he can definitely help us."

There hasn't been much excitement around the Knicks in recent years -- they haven't made the playoffs since the Melo era and the biggest news lately has been more about the team owner, James Dolan, kicking people out of MSG for heckling.

But, Dotson's excitement should have Knickerbocker fans stoked for their new rookie ... and whatever free agents they land this summer (if any).

"I think he'll be really good ... he has a chance to be really good in this league."