NBA

Rapper ScHoolboy Q's got an ice-cold reality check for Lonzo Ball -- saying the Lakers superstar needs to get the hell out the studio and "STICK TO BASKETBALL."

With Lonzo droppin' more tracks in recent weeks, we had to ask Q if he wanted to get in on the aspiring emcee's career like DJ Mustard and DJ Quik.

His answer -- "HELL NAH! 'Cause I rather see that n***a score some points and get some damn assists."

But Q ain't hatin' ... telling TMZ Sports he just wants Lonzo to be great on the court.

FYI, dude's a huge Lakers fan, but beefs hard with the Dodgers -- straight-up TRASHING the National League champs for chokin' away the World Series.

G.O.A.T. recognize G.O.A.T.

Kobe Bryant just praised the hell out of Conor McGregor -- saying the UFC fighter is an absolute "animal" ... who's a "genius" in the octagon.

The Mamba was in NYC to promote his Body Armor sports drink at an event that included UFC stars like Cody Garbrandt, Dana White and Francis Ngannou ... when the topic turned to Conor.

"Conor's an animal, bro," Kobe said ... "I think his personality, I think his temperament, I think his style, on top of the genius nature in which he fights gives him a great opportunity to really propel the league to another level."

"I love everything about Conor."

Scottie Pippen is finally ready to tear up those divorce docs he filed -- he and Larsa are officially calling off the split.

According to court docs, both sides have agreed to dismiss the case -- they filed Thursday in Florida's Broward County court. The NBA Hall of Famer filed for divorce back in 2016 ... after 19 years of marriage and having 4 kids.

The legal move isn't a huge shock, considering the couple moved to L.A. together back in September ... and we've seen them around town plenty of times. Apparently, things are going well for the Pippens.

The judge still needs to sign on the dotted line to make things officially official ... but the couple has clearly worked things out.

Cuffing season, indeed.

Gilbert Arenas is tired of all the haters saying Jahlil Okafor sucks 'cause the 76ers are trying to cut bait ... telling TMZ Sports the big man's just stuck behind a superstar in Philly.

"He’s not a bust – there’s just a better player in front of him," Gil said, giving props to Joel Embiid. "He’s not a (Hasheem) Thabeet, he’s not a (Michael) Olowokandi – he’s better than those guys."

Basically, give Jah a change of scenery, and the former #3 overall pick can ball out.

Arenas also brought up the Lakers -- saying they have the reverse situation with former #2 pick Brandon Ingram (the starter) and rookie Kyle Kuzma (who's playing behind him).

Yu Darvish might've cost the Dodgers the World Series, but the city of Los Angeles shouldn't hate the guy -- so says ex-NBA vet Al Harrington.

After Darvish blew his Game 7 start at Dodger Stadium, we asked Harrington if he thought Yu was about to become Public Enemy #1 in L.A. ... and the ex-baller went to bat for the embattled ace.

"My man -- he tried. I'm sure he didn't mean to give up 5 runs," Al told TMZ Sports outside Craig's. "This sh*t happens ... it was just a lot."

That said ... A.H. ain't letting Darvish slide for spoiling an epic night of partying.

Gordon Hayward is reliving the night where his ankle snapped on the court ... and says seeing his parents' reaction -- especially his mom's -- might've been the hardest part of the ordeal.

In an interview with "TODAY" ... Gordon opened up about the game when his NBA career flashed before his eyes -- and got emotional talking about the toll it took on his parents, who were in attendance.

"As a parent, you don’t want your child to go through that. And as a parent myself ... I would rather take their pain ... I wouldn't want (my daughters) to go through that."

"I remember seeing my mom, and she’s crying. It’s tough to see your parents cry too."

On the plus side, the Celtics superstar says he's doing a lot better now ... and the support he's gotten from his family has really helped the healing process.

Fun fact: Hayward's interviewer, Matt Lauer, says the All-Star is already swishing half-court shots FROM A CHAIR. Ballllllllin'!

Rick Fox has played in multiple Game 7 situations -- and never lost -- and he's got some serious advice for the Dodgers ... DON'T CRAP YOUR PANTS!!!

The ex-Lakers champ -- who has won 3 rings -- says he's seen what pre-Game 7 jitters can do to a player ... and it ain't pretty.

"I've seen guys throw up in their mouth. Sh*t their pants. It happens, man. It's stressful."

The big question -- WHO CRAPPED THEIR PANTS?

Here's a list of some of the Lakers who were on Game 7 teams with Fox:

Shaq, Kobe, Derek Fisher, Tyronn Lue, Glen Rice, Robert Horry, A.C. Green, Devean George, Mark Madsen, Brian Shaw, Samaki Walker.

It's a bird! It's a plane!! It's ... a dinosaur???

We asked Warriors baller Nick Young what the hell coulda smacked into the OKC Thunder airplane on Friday night -- making a HUGE crater on the nose of the Boeing 757.

Swaggy P's scientific deduction -- "A dinosaur ... or something."

FYI, a Delta spokesperson said it was probably a bird ... but Young ain't buyin' it.

Classic good news/bad news situation for Lonzo Ball ... good news is that one of the greatest producers in hip-hop history says he's totally down to work with Ball.

Bad news is that this guy ... DJ Quik ... says he'll only do so if Ball can really rap, saying he hasn't heard Lonzo's rhymes yet, and isn't sure about his skills.

You gotta remember, Quik has worked with Jay-Z, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, and every other rap legend around, so impressing him might not be easy.

LeBron's a nightmare to opponents on the court ... but he was even more frightening at the Cavs Halloween party, 'cause the King's Pennywise costume is sure to keep you up at night.

The Cavs always go over-the-top for their annual team gathering ... and Monday night was no exception -- from Kyle Korver's Willy Wonka (complete with Oompa Loompas!!) to J.R. Smith and his wife, Jewel, going as the Coneheads.

But it was Tristan Thompson and Khloe Kardashian taking the best couples costume award for their Khal Drogo and Daenerys Targaryen outfits from "Game of Thrones."

Check it out ... the party was lit.

There's a brand new trick shot challenge -- ya gotta hit 2 tough shots in a row -- and Drake not only pulled it off ... he's challenging two huge NBA stars to follow suit.

It's called the #OneAndDoneChallenge -- first, ya gotta hit a QB style overhand 3-pointer ... then immediately sink a half court shot FROM YOUR BACK (with no video edits)!

Drake got the challenge from the guy who invented it -- rapper/skills guru Dribble2Much -- and hit both shots like a champ.

Now, we're told he's calling out Raptors stars DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry -- who better put some NBA-style flair into their videos!!!

The plane that was carrying the OKC Thunder during a scary in-fight incident that crushed the nose of the plane has been repaired ... and it's ready to get back in the air, TMZ Sports has learned.

The incident took place Saturday morning -- Delta, which was operating the team's chartered flight from Minnesota to Chicago -- says initial reports suggest a possible bird strike smashed the front of the plane.

But Delta works fast ... a rep for the company tells us, "The aircraft, a Boeing 757-200, has since been inspected and its nose cone replaced."

Impressive since the plane was repaired roughly 48 hours after the incident.

"The damaged nose cone has been sent to a maintenance facility to undergo additional evaluation," Delta adds.

NASTY FOOT ALERT!

Turns out, Shaq's not the only NBA star with jacked up feet ... right, Reggie Jackson?!

The Detroit Pistons star put his busted up feet on display in the team locker room -- and Andre Drummond was so impressed, he pulled out his phone and shot footage!

Drummond praises Jackson's dogs as "the feet of a hardworking man."

He's right ... but still, gross.

Not as bad as Shaq's disgusting feet ... seen here for your viewing displeasure.

Happy Halloween!

Welcome to the Lonzo Ball 6-game rookie season breakdown with your host ... LaVar Ball!

So, LaVar ... the Lakers are 2-4, but how do you think Lonzo looks so far?

"How would I rate his first few weeks? Good!"

He took responsibility for that loss to the Jazz ...

"Hey, that ain't nothing new to me. He knows what he's supposed to do. He do it right."

But it's a team sport. It was a team effort, right?

"It can be a team effort, it's all on him. He already know. We built that way. My boy built that way."

So, what happens next for Lonzo? How does LaVar feel about Metta World Peace saying he can't tell if Lonzo will be a star until 3 years into his pro career?

Metta World Peace just casually dropped some BIG basketball news ... telling TMZ Sports he's gonna suit up for Ice Cube's 3-on-3 league next season!!

Metta -- who's already part of Master P's Global Mixed Gender League -- says he's gonna play for BOTH organizations ... on top of being a player developmental coach for the Lakers' G-League affiliate.

It's awesome news for BIG3 fans ... as the rest of next season's new players have yet to be revealed.

Metta World Peace wants all basketball critics to CHILL with the Lonzo Ball takes ... 'cause the ex-Laker says it's way too early to tell if the Big Baller is the real deal.

We spoke with Metta -- who just joined the Lakers' G-League team as a player development coach -- about Zo's first week in the NBA ... and he thinks it'll take 3 YEARS to find out if he's legit.

FYI -- Ball's averaging 11.5 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists through 4 games.