NBA

LiAngelo Ball will be suiting up for an NBA team next season, and it ain't just 'cause of his talent -- so says Shareef O'Neal.

We spoke to Shareef -- a top NCAA prospect -- after LiAngelo dropped 72 POINTS in an exhibition game out in Lithuania earlier this week ... and asked if he thought the middle Ball bro was NBA-bound.

Reef told us he did, but not because of Gelo's breakout performance.

"I think he's gonna make it on a team just 'cause his brother's already there, and I feel like just the platform that that family has he can make it on a team," O'Neal told TMZ Sports.

Anthony Davis thinks he pulled a fast one by revealing that he DIDN'T shave his unibrow -- but if we're being honest, he actually wasn't fooling anyone ... like at all.

Davis posted a follow-up photo Sunday -- April Fools Day -- which showed that he hadn't done the deed ... shaving his iconic uni. He captioned his pic, "Come on y'all!! Y'all knew I wasn't cutting it lol. #AprilFools We got ya!! @redbull"

Thing is ... tons of people online weren't buying what he was selling Saturday -- a video of himself getting ready to to shave the brow ... but then the camera conveniently cutting out at the moment of truth. Next thing you know, the brow had been split into two.

Anthony Davis' famous unibrow is now broken in two ... unless this is a slightly early April Fool's joke.

The NBA star, aka "The Brow," posted a vid of himself shaving off the middle section of his moniker, but the footage is a little sketchy.

The camera cuts away from the NOLA Pelicans forward and you don't see him actually shave off the brow. When it cuts back the unibrow is no more.

Davis had been hyping the shave for a few days now. He put a poll on Twitter asking fans whether he should shave it or not. It was a close call but 51% gave it a thumb's up.

Wanna know what it's like to ride Shaq like a damn roller coaster?!

Wonder no more, normies -- 'cause we got Steve Aoki at LAX, and he recounted the harrowing experience of hoppin' on the Diesel's shoulders at his private Ultra party!!!

The main takeaway -- "I was like, 'Holy s**t, it's really high up there,'" Aoki told TMZ Sports.

FYI, the 7'1'' NBA legend was handing out free rides at the 1st ever Shaq's Fun House over the weekend ... which had a ton of celebs on deck including Aoki and Rob Gronkowski -- who also climbed aboard the Big Aristotle.

Damian Lillard's half brother is hospitalized after being shot multiple times in Oregon last night ... and cops believe he was the victim of a targeted attack.

Cops in Clackamas County say Jahrell Lillard, 20, was gunned down by 2 men in a parking lot around 9 PM last night. According to witnesses, 5 to 10 shots were fired. Officials believe JL was the victim of a targeted attack.

After he was hit, Lillard was able to escape ... and run into a Macy's Home Store before police say he collapsed just inside the store entrance.

The shooters fled the scene.

Lillard was transported to a local hospital. His condition is unknown.

Steve Nash says Zion Williamson should have no regrets about his injury at the McDonald's All-American game this week ... telling TMZ Sports it's all part of the game.

Zion -- who's quite possibly the most popular H.S. hoops player since LeBron James -- hurt his right thumb while trying to brace a fall in the 2nd half of the all-star showcase on Wednesday.

We asked Nash if it's too big of a risk for young H.S. prospects to play in meaningless games before getting the chance to cash checks ... and Nash shoots down the idea.

"You're a basketball player ... You have to play every day to be the best you can be and to compete. People get hurt."

It turns out Zion's parents say he's gonna be okay ... but it was a scary incident for the Duke commit.

Master P's kid Mercy says he isn't scared of ANY young baller in his age range ... even the much hyped LeBron James Jr., telling TMZ Sports he thinks he could take LBJJR down.

We got P, Mercy and star high-school hooper Hercy out in L.A. ... and talked to the kids about their basketball skills 'cause both of them are super highly ranked for their age range.

Hercy told us he's looking at colleges, with big schools like USC already offering him.

Mercy seemed to have his sights set on his peers, saying he isn't scared of anyone in his age (he's 12) or even older, including LeBron's son.

"I'm not gonna put myself under anyone else, but he's good, I watch him."

Of course, we had to (full-court) press him ... and of course, he had to keep it real, saying he thinks he can handle Bronny -- an Internet legend -- if it ever came down to it.

We got videos of both of the kids, and while we'd never pit middle school athletes against each other, we gotta ask the question ... if you're picking up for your squad, who you got?

Gary Payton is stompin' out all the LiAngelo Ball-to-L.A. buzz -- saying what the Lakers need is a damn superstar, not Lonzo's little bro!!

GP's son, Gary II, is on a 2-way deal with the Lake Show this season ... so he's been keeping a close eye on the squad and, of course, the Ball fam.

Gary only had nice things to say about 'Zo and LaVar ... but when it came to L.A. grabbing 'Gelo in the NBA draft, the Hall of Famer wasn't having it.

"I don't believe in that," Payton told TMZ Sports. "I don't think teams are ignorant like that ... what the Lakers need is a big-time star, a leader."

NBA star Manu Ginobili says there are lots of reasons he's still ballin' in his 40s ... but the BIG one is something he shares with Tom Brady -- the ol' ball and chain!

We got Manu out in D.C. ... and asked if his wifey, Marianela, has his back like Gisele does Brady. FYI, Gisele recently revealed she's A-OK with Tom playing football for as long as he wants ... as long as it makes him happy.

Turns out, Mrs. Ginobili doesn't just sign off on her man logging more game-time -- she's what's kept him sharp through his 16 YEARS on the Spurs.

"She's always very helpful and extended my career," Ginobili told TMZ Sports in D.C.

Sorry, Gisele -- Marianela's overtaken you in our WAGs rankings (yeah, we do that).

LeBron's case for NBA MVP just took a serious hit ... 'cause not even Chris Bosh, his former Miami Heat BFF, says LBJ should beat James Harden this year!!!

FYI, Bron was recently asked who he'd choose for the honor, and he said he "definitely would vote me" without blinkin' an eye.

Bosh didn't hesitate with his MVP pick either ... and despite that big grin, you can tell he was 100% serious when he cast his vote for Team Harden.

Dennis Scott ain't gonna let his love for BBB change his mind on LiAngelo Ball's NBA chances ... telling TMZ Sports not even the worst teams in the league would be interested in signing him.

We spoke with D.S. -- the 4th overall pick to the Magic in 1990 -- about Gelo, and he says the middle Ball son isn't even a top 100 talent ... which is a problem, considering only 60 dudes will get their names called in June.

Scott says scouts know Gelo is playing against "C-level talent" in Lithuania, so his 72-point game didn't really impress him that much.

Former NBA point guard Sebastian Telfair has been ordered to stay away from his estranged wife for 3 YEARS ... after an alleged violent incident earlier this year.

In court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, Telfair is ordered to have absolutely no contact with his wife, Samantha -- that means no phone calls, texts, or emails.

Samantha claimed Sebastian showed up to her home in Irvine, CA on January 12 and went nuclear on the doorbell when he realized she wasn't home.

She claims Sebastian started kicking the front door ... before eventually smashing her car windshield.

After the incident, the court granted Samantha a temporary restraining order ... but her lawyers asked the court for something more permanent.

A judge in L.A. County granted that request earlier this week ... and now Telfair must steer clear of Samantha.

DMX needs rehab for substance abuse, not a long prison sentence in his tax evasion case, 'cause he's a sick person who's hit rock bottom ... so says former NBA star Jayson Williams.

TMZ broke the story ... DMX -- who's facing 5 years behind bars for failing to pay millions in taxes -- asked a federal judge to allow him to participate in a rehab program Williams operates ... instead of doing hard time.

FYI -- Rebound Institute is a faith-based addiction and wellness program located in Palm Beach County, FL.

We talked to the ex-hooper, who told us he contacted the rapper's people and "put together a plan where he's gonna come down here and work real hard and get himself together."

Williams says X failing to pony up to Uncle Sam was a product of substance abuse.

"He wasn't evading taxes on purpose. When you're in a self destruct mode," JW tells us, "You're not going, 'I'm gonna pay my taxes tomorrow.' You're going, 'Hey man, I'm not even going to live. My self-esteem is low. I gotta take myself outta here.'"

"That's where we're at right now. We're dealing with a sick individual."

Williams says the rapper has committed to attending his program. So, the only obstacle is the court and prosecutor signing off on the plan.

"You can always come back and put him in jail if he doesn't do the right thing."

LiAngelo Ball's NBA career has it's first big-time supporter -- future Hall of Famer Paul Pierce, who says he thinks LiAngelo has "a good shot" to get drafted into the league.

Ball's agent just announced his intention to declare for this year's draft, and the questions began immediately ... would 1 year of playing ball in Lithuania be enough for 'Gelo to get his name called?

We got Pierce out in Calabasas and tossed the question at him, and he's saying there's MORE than a chance.

"I think he got a good shot man, you know. I hope all the Ball brothers make it to the league," Pierce told TMZ Sports.

Gelo's shot is probably a little better now, since he dropped 72 FREAKIN' POINTS on the day he announced he was declaring ... even though it was against a Chinese Basketball Association youth squad.

Spurs legend Sean Elliott is shutting down the reports on Kawhi Leonard wanting out of San Antonio -- saying Gregg Popovich and his franchise player being at odds is straight nonsense.

FYI, Kawhi's been out for months with a mysterious injury ... and there's allegedly been serious locker-room drama over whether or not Leonard should be suiting up.

But, when we got Elliott in D.C., he told us why that's all just noise.

"The organization's been great to him. He has a great relationship with Pop," Sean told TMZ Sports.

"I think he's really happy in San Antonio."

LiAngelo Ball just backed up his NBA draft decision in a BIG way -- scoring a season-high 72 POINTS in a Big Baller Brand Challenge game in Lithuania!!

LiAngelo's lifetime performance vs. one of the Guangdong Southern Tigers' youth teams came just hours after his agent, Harrison Gaines, announced they filed the paperwork to make the middle Ball bro eligible for the 2018 draft.

This is probably all part of Coach LaVar's master plan -- having all the BC Vytautas players endlessly feed Gelo the rock on the heels of the big news.