NBA

The Texas home owned by NBA star Chris Bosh had all of the hallmarks of a traditional drug trafficking den ... from iron gates to security cameras -- this according to the cops who raided the joint.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Bosh's mother, Frieda, is listed as a suspect in an alleged crack cocaine and heroin trafficking operation based out of the home Chris owns in DeSoto, Texas.

Cops conducted an covert sting operation to obtain evidence -- which included sending an undercover officer to the home on Tuesday to snatch and grab trash bags that had been left outside of the home.

Officials say investigators sifted through the trash and found tons of evidence -- including baggies with cocaine residue, weed paraphernalia, burned joints and mail with Frieda's name on it.

As for the drug trafficking den -- cops say the home was guarded by a large iron fence and outfitted with security cameras ... "a common tactic for drug traffickers" for obvious reasons.

Cops say one of the suspects has a rap sheet that includes violent crime -- including an incident where he was arrested for allegedly shooting a guy in the face during a drug deal.

One law enforcement source tells TMZ Sports ... Chris is not suspected of any wrongdoing and his only real connection is the fact he owns the property.

So, how the hell did Bosh's mother get mixed up in such a dangerous situation? Unclear at this point.

Mystery solved ... the new hot lady who's been hanging with Kristaps Porzingis is -- surprise -- A MODEL!!!

The NY Knicks star was canoodling with the hot blonde while leaving a NY nightclub earlier this week begging a few questions -- who is she and are they a thing???

Turns out, she goes by the name Bambi -- and we're told the two are definitely dating. Not sure how serious they are ... but they look pretty good together.

She's got a impressive body of work on the modeling front ... so, yeah ... enjoy!

Rudy Tomjanovich isn't taking the most devastating punch in sports history personally anymore, telling TMZ Sports he actually feels sorry for Kermit Washington -- the guy who detonated his jaw in 1977.

Washington recently pled guilty to fraud charges and faces up to 8 years in prison ... but before that, he was most famous for leveling Rudy T. with a shot doctors said could've killed him.

No joke, Tomjanovich suffered a broken jaw and nose, plus a cerebral concussion ... and was leaking spinal fluid into his mouth.

Despite all that carnage, when we got him out in Beverly Hills, Rudy told us the brutal shot was water under the bridge and that he actually felt sorry for Washington -- whom he forgave long ago.

"I feel sorry for him. I know Kermit. We had made up after that incident and I know he was trying to make it like anybody and I feel for the guy."

Metta World Peace says everyone freakin' out over LaVar Ball having his sons, LiAngelo and LaMelo, ditch UCLA should chill ... 'cause higher education ain't a slam dunk for everyone.

"There's so many things you can do ... college is a small part of life," Metta told TMZ Sports outside Chateau Marmont in Hollywood.

Want proof?? MWP pointed to Bill Gates and Jay-Z -- two of the prime examples of big ballers who dropped out.

And if LiAngelo does try to chase his hoop dreams ... Peace -- who's balled in China and Italy -- says playing abroad's a pretty sweet deal, too.

Sorry, Laker Nation -- Robert Horry says LeBron swoopin' up another castle in L.A. does NOT mean King James is joining Lonzo and friends next year.

We got the Lakers playoffs legend leaving Blake Griffin's comedy show in Hollywood ... and Horry broke it down for us, plain and simple.

"You got money like that, you can have two big cribs anywhere you wanna have 'em!!" Big Shot Bob told TMZ Sports.

Horry says it's clear that Bron loves L.A. livin' ... after droppin' a combined $44 MIL on his mansions in Tinsel Town.

A home owned by Chris Bosh was the target of a police drug trafficking raid -- with the NBA star's mother named as one of the suspects ... TMZ Sports has learned.

According to official documents obtained by TMZ Sports, the DeSoto Police Dept. raided the home Friday morning after obtaining search warrant in a drug trafficking investigation.

One of the suspects listed on the search warrant is Frieda Bosh -- who allegedly lives in the home, which cops believe is owned by her son.

A rep for the DPD tells us a bunch of evidence was seized from the home -- "a large amount of drug paraphernalia was recovered consistent with narcotics trafficking."

Officials believe crack cocaine and heroin were being trafficked through the home.

We're told no one has been arrested at this point -- but that could be coming soon.

As for Chris, one law enforcement source connected to the case told us, "We don't believe Chris has any connection short of owning the house."

Story developing ...

Blake Griffin lit it up at his comedy show Thursday night in Hollywood ... but rumored GF Kendall Jenner kinda stole the show -- even though she never got onstage.

Blake -- bad knee and all -- toughed it out to raise funny money at "Comedy by Blake" ... bringing in big-name comics like John Mulaney, Norm Macdonald and Whitney Cummings for the charity event at The Avalon.

Griffin once again proved he's got jokes -- the crowd ate it up.

Cummings gave the Clippers superstar high praise for his mic work -- "Everyone's like, 'Oh, he's funny for a basketball player. I'm like, 'No, he's like funny for a comedian!'"

But none of the comics could hold a candle to Kendall ... whose sheer black top SLAYED the red carpet before the show.

Nothing funny about that joint. Just pure hotness.

FYI, a lot of Blake's NBA bros came through too ... including teammates DeAndre Jordan, Lou Williams, Wesley Johnson and Sam Dekker.

You're a fool if you think LaVar Ball and Donald Trump actually hate each other ... 'cause they're just trolling the world for fun -- so says NBA big man Roy Hibbert.

We got Roy at LAX ... and showed him LaVar's new GIF animation of him POSTERIZING the POTUS.

The ex-Laker thought it was pretty cool ... but wasn't about to pretend like there was anything to it.

"I bet they’re best friends," Hibbert told TMZ Sports. "It's playful banter ... they’re probably friends on the low."

Roy might be onto something -- check out how LaVar greeted frenemy Joel Embiid at yesterday's Lakers-76ers game ...

Which Air Jordans does Michael Jordan wear on his fancy beach vacation?

You're lookin' at 'em ... but no one seems to know what they are -- or if they've ever been released to the public.

MJ is currently out in Barbados -- smokin' cigars and loungin' on yachts -- when we noticed the black and white sneakers a female friend (maybe his assistant?) was carrying out of the water.

We called multiple sneaker experts (including ShoeZeum founder Jordan Geller) to find out the make and model .... but no one had seen these particular kicks before.

We're told Jordan gets special custom shoes made -- and gets first crack at unreleased gear -- but it's unclear if these are one of a kind or a preview of things to come.

Side note ... MJ's lady friend also handed Jordan a bag of cigars for his boat ride -- because God forbid the NBA legend goes a couple hours without a fresh stogie.

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!!!