NBA

Blake Griffin thinks Kawhi Leonard choosing the Clippers is "good for basketball" ... but warns the superstar that L.A. definitely has it's ups and downs!

Griffin would know ... he spent 8 seasons with the L.A. Clippers before being traded to the Detroit Pistons in early 2018. 

In fact, Blake still spends a bunch of his time in Los Angeles -- he was at the famous Comedy Store on Friday night -- so, we asked him about Kawhi's big move. 

"I think it's good for basketball, good for L.A.," Griffin told TMZ Sports ... "I think it'll bring a little bit more balance to the Los Angeles basketball scene, so its good!"

But, when we asked Blake if he preferred L.A. to other cites, the 30-year-old didn't try and sugarcoat his answer. 

"No, to be honest. I think playing in another city now I see the advantages and disadvantages to playing in different places."

He added, "Everything has a positive and a negative. It just depends on what you value."

Of course, the Kawhi news is rocking the NBA world -- he's leaving his championship Toronto Raptors squad to play in L.A. with Paul George. 

Luke Walton admits he did meet up with the woman accusing him of sexual assault in a Santa Monica hotel room ... but the Sacramento Kings head coach says she's lying about what went down.

In new legal docs obtained by TMZ Sports ... Walton claims his accuser, Kelli Tennant, was the person who initiated their meet-up, but he is adamant their encounter was "platonic" and nothing sexual even occurred.

In the docs, Walton claims when he was a Warriors coach, Tennant drove to meet him at a hotel the team was staying at while in town to play the Lakers, something she initiated.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Kelli filed a lawsuit back in April claiming Walton sexually assaulted her and forced himself on her in his hotel room. 

Now, Walton is pushing back against many of her claims from her lawsuit ... he says he did NOT write a foreword for her book, says he was NOT her broadcasting mentor and says there was NO sexual assault when she dropped off her book at his hotel. 

In the docs, Walton claims Tennant never complained to him or anyone else, including law enforcement, about any aspect of the visit that she initiated ... and he points out she waited nearly 5 years to file her complaint.

TV legend Jimmie Walker is sick and tired of NBA stars complaining about life -- telling icons like LeBron James, KD and Kyrie Irving to keep quiet and just be happy to be making so much money. 

"The thing that upsets me the most about NBA players is they're so upset, they're so angry," the former "Good Times" star told TMZ Sports. 

"Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant ... what are you upset about? I'm happy if I'm making that kind of money! They're always complaining."

72-year-old Walker says NBA stars have lost touch with reality -- "They don't understand what it's like to be in real life. Real life is getting your own bags off the [luggage carousel]. No charters, no limos waiting for you ... that's what real life is about."

Walker also went off on NBA stars for getting too political -- saying, "I think that when you're making $150 million a year, people don't want to hear your political views." 

He added, "They should have NO political views. They should be very happy to say, 'I'm doing good.' Donate to charity, do your basketball charity benefits or whatever, but don't put people down."

"Just say, 'I'm very fortunate to be here. I'm lucky and I'm very happy.'"

Teyana Taylor's setting off her own kinda fireworks down in South Beach ... just ask Iman Shumpert.

The singer showed off her incredible bikini bod Thursday in Miami. She was there with her NBA hubby and her daughter. BTW .... that outfit she's wearing also pleased another man besides Shumpert ... singer J Balvin. And, that's because the top she's wearing comes from Balvin's Guess x J Balvin Vibras collection.

Check out the pics ... pretty sure your eyes are easily gonna be diverted elsewhere. Can't blame ya. Teyana's known for getting everyone riled up. Like ... who can forget her sexiest lap dance EVER?

Kobe and Vanessa Bryant have just posted the first pic of their new baby girl ... and she's incredibly adorbs!!!

You know by now the baller fam named their daughter, Capri Kobe Bryant, and that the future Hall of Famer nicknamed her KoKo. But here she is in all her glory and she's literally a bundle of joy ... wrapped in a swaddle and looking angelic with a rosy headband.

As we reported ... Kobe and Vanessa welcomed their fourth daughter last month. She was born on June 20 but the family announced the birth the following day. The proud papa wrote, "We are beyond excited that our baby girl 'Koko' has arrived #BryantBunch #4princesses #blessed."

Vanessa was just as excited, obvi. She wrote, "So thankful for our newest baby blessing."

Rap mogul Irv Gotti is a hardcore New York Knicks fan -- and he didn't hold back when we asked how he felt about the Knicks striking out in free agency ... 

"Man, F*ck Dolan!"

Yeah, he ain't happy. 

Gotti -- along with a bunch of other Knicks fans -- are furious with owner James Dolan for not signing any of the marquee free agents up for grabs over the past few days. 

He's especially upset about Kevin Durant -- who not only didn't sign with the Knicks, but inked a deal just down the way with the Brooklyn Nets. 

Ditto for Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan. 

"Yay for the Nets," Gotti told TMZ Sports sarcastically the other day ... "I feel like Stephen A. Smith. I'm disgusted."

Dolan has been having a rough 2019 -- back in March, he took a lot of heat after he was caught on video ejecting a Knicks fan from Madison Square Garden after the fan heckled Dolan to sell the team. 

Shaquille O'Neal just dropped the music video for his EDM track with NGHTMRE and Lil Jon ... and it's a crazy combo of headbanging, Ferraris and ... doing taxes??

Hell yeah!!!

DJ Diesel -- AKA the biggest DJ on the planet -- teamed up with the L.A. producer and crunk rapper for the perfectly titled banger, "BANG," which was originally released back in February.

The song alone will make you want to flip your desk over and quit your job ... and now that the video came out this week, we get to enjoy watching Shaq and the gang rage their faces off and goof around.

Seriously ... the dudes go from spa days to arcades to playing hide-and-seek ... and a bunch of live shots from Ultra Music Festival in Miami in between.

Of course, Shaq's been spending his time on the 1s and 2s in recent years and gaining the respect from fellow DJs like Diplo, who told us back in February the NBA legend is "killin' it" in his new career.

How do you celebrate after getting a $170 MILLION contract offer? 

If you're Ben Simmons, you hit the Hollywood nightclubs with a massive entourage!!

That's what the 22-year-old did last night ... rolling into Bootsy Bellows in West Hollywood like the ultimate VIP and TMZ Sports has the video. 

Simmons -- looking super casual in a hoodie and a baseball cap -- strolled right past the normies and walked right into the club with a bunch of dudes and ladies surrounding him. 

It was a pretty pimp moment from one of the biggest young stars in the NBA. 

Ben joined some huge celebrities in the club including Dave Chappelle, A$AP Ferg and rapper Trinidad James. 

Simmons only made a measly $6.5 mil this season -- but if/when he signs his max contract, he'll be making around $34 MIL per year (He has until October to sign the contract). 

We're almost 2 full days into free agency and Kawhi Leonard still hasn't picked a team ... so now singer Bazzi is resorting to using his pipes to recruit the NBA superstar to the Lakers.

... and it's freakin' beautiful.

Of course, the 21-year-old "Paradise" singer is a HUGE Purple & Gold fan ... and just like the rest of Laker Nation, he's pulling out all the stops to get the 2-time Finals MVP to join LeBron and Anthony Davis.

Bazzi took Michael Jackson's classic "Human Nature" and switched up the words with a Lakers twist, singing "Kawhi, Kawhi, tell me that you'll be a Laker ... I really want you in L.A."

Bazzi ain't the only one trying like hell to get the Klaw to the Lakers ... Steve Aoki is offering him free pizza for life ... and has a "Kawhi Not?" mural on the side of his Pizzaoki restaurant in Venice.

Even Clippers star Lou Williams made his pitch to get Kawhi to L.A as well, giving TMZ Sports a pitch to get Leonard to suit up for the other pro team in Tinseltown.

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."