NBA

LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball are destined to be Lakers -- so says former UCLA star Shabazz Muhammad, who's got no doubt LaVar's master plan is gonna work to perfection.

We got Bazz out on Rodeo Drive before his T-Wolves crushed the Clippers on Wednesday ... and he told us he's known the Ball boys for years -- and thinks both Gelo and Melo have what it takes to team with Lonzo in L.A.

"Think so, man" Muhammad told TMZ Sports, when we asked if LiAngelo could cut it in the NBA. "I think they gonna play all on the same team, too."

Think Kristaps Porzingis called it a night after his triumphant return at MSG on Wednesday?

Hell no ... KP put in OT at the club with a smokin' hot chick!!

The Knicks superstar kept it flowin' at Marquee ... cuddling up with a mystery blonde outside the venue before they bounced to the after-party.

Unclear if she's Zinger's GF -- but they look pretty cute together.

Either way, Kristaps was cool enough to make time for all the fanboys flanking him on the street ... talkin' hoops and droppin' high-5s like the true King of NY (sorry, LeBron).

LeBron James is making himself right at home in L.A. ... buying his second crib in the area. Hear that, Lakers?

The King has chosen yet again the ritzy area of Brentwood for his second crib in as many years. This time he dropped $23 million for a brand spankin' new 8-bedroom, 11-bathroom crib that features an elevator and sweeping views of DTLA.

The 15,846 square foot house was built in 2017 and it's truly fit for a king -- it's got a theater room, wine cellar, cigar room with air purifying technology and an onyx bar. The rooftop terrace also has elevator access.

This crib's considerably bigger than the other Brentwood pad he bought 2 years ago ... dropping nearly 21 million bucks for that traditional-style home.

16-year-old LaMelo Ball has signed with sports agent Harrison Gaines and will NOT play college ball at UCLA, his father told ESPN.

LaVar Ball had pulled LaMelo out of Chino Hills High School earlier this year and said he was going to train the kid himself to get him ready for UCLA.

But now, with LaMelo's older brother, LiAngelo Ball, in the middle of a nasty breakup with UCLA (after the China shoplifting incident) ... LaVar has decided both sons will play professionally overseas.

"I don't care about the money," LaVar Ball told Jeff Goodman ... "I want them to go somewhere where they will play them together on the court at the same time. The priority is for the boys to play on the same team."

LaVar told TMZ Sports this week that China is still a possible landing spot for the boys -- Chinese teams would be happy to have the Ball kids.

As for LaVar's oldest son, Lonzo Ball -- he claims the decision to pull LiAngelo out of UCLA was made by the entire family with LiAngelo's best interests in mind.

LiAngelo Ball WILL be an NBA player, so says rap superstar Flo Rida, who tells TMZ Sports he's so hyped on Gelo that he wants him on his favorite team, the Miami Heat.

We got Flo out at LAX and asked him the million dollar question for the Ball family right now (actually a lot more than $1 million) -- does Gelo actually have an NBA future now that he's left UCLA?

It's been hotly debated by all the sports people that hotly debate things, but Mr. Rida seems to think he's a lock, telling our guy Gelo will get it done, and he hopes it's with his hometown, Miami Heat.

Hey, Khloe ... Tristan Thompson called and he wants his trench coat back.

Khloe was out in Santa Monica Wednesday for a doctor's appointment and it just seems like she's wearing her 6-foot-9 BF's drab to hide what the world knows is a very obvious baby bump. It's clear she wanted to go to great lengths to hide the ever elusive sign of pregnancy.

She tried the ol' hide-the-bump-with-this-huge-bag-and-loose-sweater play the other day. But this is something else. C'mon, Khloe. You're pregnant. We know it and want to help celebrate!

TMZ broke the story ... Khloe's preggo with her first kid and her NBA star BF is the baby daddy.

The Minnesota Timberwolves still had so much energy left after beating up on the Clippers Wednesday night, they hit the Hollywood club scene after the game ... and TMZ Sports has the video.

Karl-Anthony Towns and Taj Gibson hit up Warwick nightclub looking relaxed after the 112-106 victory over L.A. Towns had 21 points, Taj had 16.

They weren't the only big stars in the club -- Johnny Manziel also rolled through Warwick on Wednesday.

Fun Fact: All 3 guys rocked designer hoodies to the club -- and get this, Taj's Gucci sweatshirt ain't cheap ... $1,280 on the Gucci website!!!

Sprained MCL be damned ... Blake Griffin fought through his knee pain Tuesday night to hang out with Kendall Jenner -- and he didn't even need crutches!

The L.A. Clippers superstar gimped over to the Improv comedy club -- where he met up with his rumored girlfriend. Blake tried to go incognito, but it's hard when you're a 6'10" black redhead.

Griffin suffered a sprained MCL during a collision with Austin Rivers last week -- and he's expected to miss around 2 months.

Good news ... he was moving around pretty good at the comedy club -- but jumping, sprinting and cutting is a whole other ball game.

Kobe Bryant's youngest daughter, Bianka, just turned 1 -- so naturally, he took the whole fam out to his absolute favorite place to celebrate.

Nope, not the basketball court ... the Magic Kingdom -- so Baby Mamba could get the full Disneyland experience on her big day. (Props to Mrs. Bryant for going all-in with the Minnie Mouse ears).

Kobe was on daddy duty ... but #MambaMentality also locked onto the concessions so he could cop a Shaq-sized Churro.

If this feels familiar ... it's probably 'cause Bryant has hit up Mickey and pals a TON throughout the years -- including a trip in the spring where he turned up with Bianka.

Add the entertainment industry to the list of things LeBron James is dominating ... 'cause one big-time producer says the King has already earned the title of Hollywood mogul!

TMZ Sports spoke with Morgan Spurlock (the "Super Size Me" guy) about working with LBJ on a new docu-series about the NBA superstar's family foundation's "I Promise School" for troubled youth in Akron, Ohio ... and Spurlock says he's totally pumped to share his story.

"What he does on the court is amazing, but what he's gonna do in that town is gonna change people's lives."

Hopefully it's just an abundance of caution ... but Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker was spotted in a wheelchair -- and clutching crutches -- after suffering a groin injury Tuesday night.

21-year-old Book suffered a strained left adductor during the 4th quarter of the Suns vs. Raptors game Tuesday night ... and he appeared to be in a ton of pain, having to be carried off the court.

Booker was wheeled through the airport in Toronto after the game -- and while he didn't say much, you can see he looks pretty sad.

Hopefully it's nothing serious for the young baller ... he's been off to a hot start in his 3rd season in the Association, averaging 24 points a game.

Get well soon.

A man named Billy Turner has been arrested and charged for the murder of Lorenzen Wright ... over 7 years after the NBA vet was shot and killed in a Memphis suburb ... and we have the mug shot.

The Memphis Police Department and Shelby County District Attorney's office held a press conference on Tuesday to announce that Turner, 46, had been indicted and charged with the 1st-degree murder of Wright.

Turner is currently in custody on a $1 million bond.

Lorenzen's remains were found in a wooded area on July 28, 2010 ... 10 days after the 34-year-old was last seen leaving his ex-wife's residence in Collierville, Tennessee.

The case went cold for years ... but there was a major break last month when cops discovered the gun they believed was used to kill Wright ... in a lake about 50 miles from Wright's body.

Lorenzen was a star at the University of Memphis, and played 14 seasons in the NBA -- including 5 with his hometown Memphis Grizzlies.

Could LiAngelo Ball make an epic return to China?? Caron Butler thinks it would be a huge success for the ex-UCLA player ... but tells TMZ Sports the middle Ball kid's best move was to stay in school.

We broke the story ... LaVar Ball pulled Gelo from the Bruins basketball squad after growing frustrated with his son's indefinite suspension for shoplifting in China.

Butler disagrees with the move, saying academics should come first for Gelo ... but admits there's still opportunities for him to develop into a massive hit on the court.

Wanna know how LaVar Ball feels about Byron Scott telling him to stay in his lane??

Well you're in luck ... 'cause TMZ Sports got the BBB boss out around Chino Hills earlier this week, and he went SCORCHED EARTH on the ex-Lakers coach.

It was so good, we're giving you the full play-by-play:

"Yeah I got words for Byron Scott: Shut the hell up and do what you do! Leave me alone."

"He ain't doin' nothing else. Tell him if he want his name in the news, tell him go do something! You ain't gotta talk about Ball to get your name in the news."

"But then again, yes you do. Cause ain't nobody talk about Byron Scott doin' nothing."

Dang ... looks like Donald Trump's actually been getting off easy.

Matt Bomer is praising Magic Johnson for his fight against HIV & AIDS, telling TMZ Sports the Hall of Fame basketball player was "incredibly brave" in taking on the disease.

Today is World AIDS day and Bomer is a huge activist, so when we got him at LAX we wanted to know his thoughts on some of the figures who are helping to win the war.

That's when Matt brought Magic's name up, telling us public figures like Johnson were and are key to defeating AIDS, because they put a face to the disease, and that's key to humanizing it.

Of course Magic did that on a day in 1991, when he told the entire world he'd contracted HIV, and went on to spend a huge chunk of his life helping the world conquer it.

Donald Trump. Steph Curry. Luke Walton. Julius Randle.

LaVar Ball won't stop trashing these guys, and he shouldn't have to -- so says ex-Laker A.C. Green.

We got A.C. chillin' at The Grove in L.A. ... and the 3-time NBA champ told us he's got ZERO problems with how LaVar's going about his business.

"There's no issue," Green told TMZ Sports. "LaVar's gonna do what he does ... people see and recognize that."

The Iron Man says LaVar's just exercising his 1st amendment right ... and it doesn't matter who he goes off on -- even if it's Lonzo Ball's coaches and teammates.

"He has an opinion, and you guys keep giving him the opportunity to share his opinion, and you should."