NBA

NBA star Enes Kanter has a lot in common with Colin Kaepernick -- saying they're both trying to "stand up for what's right" in their countries ... and their presidents HATE them for it.

Of course, Enes has been labeled a terrorist in his native Turkey -- with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan trying to imprison him and his family members for speaking out against the regime.

Kanter tells us the guy is a "lunatic" -- and despite the threats and other attacks, the NBA star says he vows to continue "fighting for human rights and trying to do the best we can."

Which brings us to Kaepernick ... a man Enes praises as a righteous person who has his FULL support.

When we brought up the mayor in Louisiana, who recently tried to ban Nike products in his town because of the Swoosh's association with Kaep ... Enes says it reminds him of the situation back home.

"I just feel sad, because it's the same situation I'm having with my country," Enes says ... "but I'm standing for what's right, man."

LeBron James finally unblocked his new Lakers teammate, JaVale McGee, on Instagram this week ... so, when we saw JM at LAX, we had to ask ... WHY!?

Turns out, the whole thing dates back 5 years ... but JaVale tells TMZ Sports he's not sure if there's a specific incident that caused Bron to cut off access.

So, where was JaVale in 2013? He was playing for the Nuggets, and we can't seem to find any reports of an incident between the 2 guys.

The good news ... the unblocking seems to be an olive branch and JaVale says he and LeBron are getting along great now.

In fact, JaVale says he's confident the team has a real shot at an NBA title -- but notes, "Not gonna be easy of course. Hard work."

There's more ... we also asked about Shaq -- who's been pretty critical of JaVale in the past.

Now that JM's a Laker, will things finally be cool between the guys?

When you're LeBron James, simply playing some romantic music for your wedding anniversary ain't gonna cut it -- you gotta get the real thing to perform in YOUR HOUSE!!

LBJ and Savannah celebrated their 5th anniversary on Thursday night ... with the Lakers superstar recruiting singer/songwriter Daniel Caesar to serenade her with a private performance of his hit song, "Best Part," right in the comfort of their living room.

FYI -- King James and Savannah have been together waaaayyyy longer than 5 years ... they were high school sweethearts and have been inseparable ever since.

As for Caesar -- if you haven't heard of him before, you probably will soon. The 23-year-old Canadian musician is a rising star in the industry. But, you know how the James' are -- always ahead of the trends.

12:45 PM PT -- Bird released a statement apologizing for the incident, saying, "I'm taking some time away from the team as I deal with my legal and medical issues. I apologize to my family, the Celtics organization, my teammates, the fans and the NBA for the unnecessary distraction that I have caused."

"The information that has been released does not tell the full story. I do not condone violence against women. I am hopeful that in due time and process, I will be able to regain everyone's trust."

Boston Celtics guard Jabari Bird choked out his girlfriend so badly during a Sept. 7 incident that she lost consciousness ... according to prosecutors.

24-year-old Bird appeared in court in Boston on Thursday where prosecutors laid out the case against him ... and the allegations are horrifying. WBZ-TV's Beth Germano got a photo of Bird in court.

Officials say the alleged victim claims Bird terrorized her for 4 hours at his Brighton apartment -- where she tried to get away from the NBA player by hiding under her bed and locking herself in her bathroom.

During the alleged altercation, the woman claims Bird strangled her at least 12 times.

She claims she tried to escape, but Bird grabbed her by the ankles and dragged her away from the door.

Officials say Bird appeared to be having "seizure-like" symptoms during the end of the attack -- and that's how she was able to leave.

Afterward, she claims Bird texted her that he would kill himself if she didn't return to the apartment.

He was eventually arrested for assault and battery, strangulation and kidnapping.

Bail was set at $50,000 -- and he's been ordered to pay in cash, as that's all the court accepts.

We spoke with the Suffolk D.A., Dan Conley, who tells us, "Anyone living in fear of domestic violence can count on our office for a safe, supportive, victim-centered environment."

"As this case illustrates, a trusted figure in a survivor’s life can make disclosing abuse to law enforcement easier."

With a nickname like Brisk, you gotta look the part ... and that's exactly what Chris McCullough did ... droppin' a ton of cash for his new chain -- a Lipton Brisk Iced Tea can!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 2015 1st-round pick wanted something that would symbolize his unique nickname, so he hit up Moses the Jeweler in NYC to hook him up with the one-of-a-kind piece.

We're told the piece -- which is made with 14k white gold and heart and arrow cut diamonds -- took about 6 MONTHS to complete due to all the details.

BTW -- Moses is the same dude who made a $150k gold chain of Larry David's face for producer and manager David Weintraub.

So naturally, his stuff ain't gonna come cheap. We're told Brisk dropped $100k for the piece.

Now, that's icy.

Jimmy Butler has made more than $60 MILLION in his NBA career -- and will most likely sign another $100 MILLION contract soon.

The guy can clearly afford to drive whatever fancy car he desires -- especially when dining in Beverly Hills.

But, there was no Ferrari. Or Bugatti. Or even a BMW. On Wednesday afternoon, Butler was behind the wheel of a minivan ... and damn proud of it.

The Minnesota Timberwolves star was leaving Il Pastaio -- one of the fanciest restaurants in town -- when he told us he needed to get to his car ... a 2017 Toyota Sienna, which starts at $29k.

It's the perfect car for a family -- or even just a couple big dudes getting lunch ... which seemed to be the case for Butler.

We tried to ask about his recent interaction with Iggy Azalea -- and if they're actually dating or not -- but he was laser-focused on his minivan.

Kobe Bryant's basketball training campaign continues ... this time, Black Mamba is sharing his secrets with WNBA superstar Candace Parker!!

The retired NBA legend has been spreading his knowledge to hoopers like Jayson Tatum this offseason ... and has offered his services to Shaq's sons as well.

But Monday, he was focused squarely on the women's league -- hitting the gym with the L.A. Sparks superstar and fellow WNBAers Karlie Samuelson, Monique Billings and Gabby Williams.

Seems the training sesh was focused on improving footwork.

"[Kobe], I learned so much and was in awe to see the footwork in person," Candace posted ... "Here to prove older dogs can learn new tricks! #2019"

Kobe's sworn up and down he's done with pro basketball -- whether it's NBA or Ice Cube's BIG3 -- but he obviously still has an itch for the game.

Jay Williams says he's seen Andrew Bynum's recent workout video -- and he's impressed -- but tells TMZ Sports it might be too little, too late for the big man's NBA comeback dreams.

FYI -- Bynum's been training like crazy in hopes of getting a tryout with a team in need of a 7-footer ... even though it's been 4 years since he last suited up for a pro team.

Williams -- who went to the same New Jersey H.S. as Bynum -- says the ex-Laker looks in amazing shape ... but questions whether he'll be able to adjust to today's game with big men like Anthony Davis and Boogie Cousins pulling up from three.

But, Williams doesn't close the door on Bynum's goals, he actually thinks he CAN pull off the comeback ... but he's keeping it real for the 30-year-old.

If hoops don't work out for Blake Griffin ... he's got the official stamp of approval from comedian Nikki Glaser to move to the stand-up mic -- 'cause she's telling TMZ Sports Blake is LEGIT funny.

"Oh, he could totally be a comedian if he wanted to be," she says. "I wouldn't say that about anyone."

Remember ... Blake went head-to-head in a roast battle with Jeff Ross earlier this summer -- and killed it ... telling Jeff at one point, "You're such a bald piece of sh*t. It honestly looks like we both got f**ked over by the Clippers."

Nikki just so happened to be a judge for that battle ... and when we got her outside Hollywood Improv earlier this week -- she says she was straight-up mad that B.G. was so good.

"You see someone that handsome and just that talented in his own profession and it's like, 'Stay in your lane!'" Nikki tells us.

"And, you want him to be bad at comedy. You want someone that's killing it in their own life, tall and has everything -- you want them to be not funny, and then he was really funny. Like, really funny."

NBA stud Deron Williams was once offered a real-deal fight with Greg Hardy ... and wanna guess what his response was??

Yeah, it was a firm HELL NO.

Deron is actually a pretty legit MMA fighter ... dude has a serious wrestling background and he even co-owns Fortis MMA in Dallas where 3 fighters on the UFC 228 card train.

In fact ... UFC heavyweight Rashad Coulter -- who works out with Williams -- tells TMZ Sports, "He's a good wrestler and has fast hands."

But, when word of those skills got around to the Legacy Fighting Alliance -- where Hardy used to scrap -- they asked if Deron wanted to fight Greg ... D-Will's response was a swift no.

"Are they crazy right now!?" Williams says.

"Greg Hardy has to cut weight to make 265. You think I'm getting in there with that animal!?"

Williams tells us there is one scenario where he might step into the Octagon for real -- albeit not against Hardy -- saying he'd be down to fight one day for charity.

As for his basketball future ... Williams sure seems like he's done with the NBA -- although he ain't officially closing that door yet.

Karl Malone and ex-NBA star Brian Grant were enemies on the court ... but when BG was diagnosed with Parkinson's, the HOFer came up big ... helpin' his old rival AND raising $100k for charity.

Grant -- a 6'9" PF who was a beast on defense and the boards -- played 12 seasons in the NBA for the Kings, Trail Blazers, Heat, Lakers, and Suns ... before retiring in 2006.

Approximately 2 years later -- when he was only 36 years old -- Grant was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson's ... sending him into a depression.

Grant says once the diagnosis became public ... Malone reached out and offered his help.

Malone and Grant put together a dope Alaskan fishing trip and auctioned it off ... raising $107k to help combat Parkinson's.

Grant says not only did that cash help people ... but hangin' with Malone -- his idol -- was super therapeutic for him during a dark time in his life.

BG's still fighting the disease ... and working with the Parkinson's Foundation to help spread awareness and raise money.

LeBron James is out ... and now the City of Cleveland has announced they're replacing the legendary banner with a new icon ... a Guardian!!!

No, not Groot. Or Rocket. Or even Mantis ... it's the Guardian of Traffic!

ALL HAIL THE TRAFFIC GOD!!

It's true -- the greatest athlete in the history of the city (maybe the world) is being subbed out for an image of the statue that overlooks traffic on the Hope Memorial Bridge.

City officials proposed the idea during a meeting early Friday morning -- claiming the statue is one of the "iconic landmarks" in town ... adding, "We all serve as guardians in terms of protecting and working within our community."

Okay, but honestly ... wouldn't you rather have Baker Mayfield or Bernie Kosar or Drew Carey?

Hell, throw Ricky Vaughn up there!

The Guardians of Traffic poster will include a slogan for the city -- "All For The Land."

And, if the guardian looks a little grainy to you -- it's 'cause the city wanted it that way ... saying it's a mosaic of "a composite of crowd-sourced images" of Clevelanders.

Immediate reaction to it hasn't been great ... with some tweeting, "Wait, is this real or a meme?"

Kevin Garnett claims his former accountant helped swindle him out of $77 MILLION and now he's suing in hopes of getting some of his cash back.

The NBA star -- who reportedly made more than $343 MILLION during his NBA career -- claims his former accountant Michael Wertheim was helping a crooked wealth manager skim a fortune from his bank accounts over several years and did nothing to stop it.

In fact, Garnett claims the accountant aided wealth manager Charles A. Banks IV in the theft and should be held responsible ... according to the suit, which has been moved to federal court in Minnesota.

Garnett claims part of the diabolical plot against him involved his wealth manager and accountant trying to get him to live on a budget so they would have a greater pool of cash to steal from.

One example ... in August 2013, Garnett claims he asked his wealth manager to wire him $40,000 of his own money -- but was scolded for exceeding their budget. Meanwhile, KG claims the wealth manager took more than $2 MILLION for himself over an 8-day span.

There's no doubt in Metta World Peace's mind that LeBron will bring a title to the Lakers ... 'cause he's telling TMZ Sports it's already been pre-written by the basketball gods!!

"He's destined," Metta says. "You can tell when somebody is chosen basketball-wise. You can tell."

Of course ... Metta's crystal ball is a little cloudy when it comes to the date LBJ will win one -- 'cause the ex-NBA superstar says he sees the Warriors taking home a few more 'ships first.

"I think Kevin Durant will three-peat," World Peace says. "I think Kevin Durant might four-peat, quite honestly."

As for if K.D. will ever team up with 'Bron in L.A. -- World Peace runs out of predictions there.

Matt Barnes has just obtained a temporary restraining order against his baby mama, Gloria Govan, in the wake of her arrest at their kids' school, TMZ Sports has learned.

As part of the court order, Govan must stay at least 100 yards away from the kids. She can see the kids once per week for 4 hours but a professional monitor has to be present -- and Gloria must foot the bill for the monitor.

Gloria is allowed to be near Matt to get the kids, but she must be peaceful.

Gloria is also not allowed to take the kids outside of L.A. County during her visitation unless she gets written permission from Matt.

Matt's attorney, Samantha Spector, tells TMZ Sports, "Today wasn't about Matt or Gloria. It was about the children and their safety. This was a good day for those kids, and that's all that matters."

The next hearing is scheduled for the end of Sept. -- where Gloria can argue to change the arrangement.

As we previously reported, cops arrested Govan on August 31 after she allegedly blocked Matt from picking up their 9-year-old twin boys on Matt's scheduled custodial day.

Matt claims Govan used her car as a weapon against him -- and claims he feared for his life (and the lives of his kids) and Gloria punched the gas in her Escalade and "[barreled] toward me."

"I am ever thankful that no child or parent was hit by Gloria and her 17-foot-long Escalade as she endangered every child's and adult's safety when she plowed through the parking lot."

In court docs, Matt claims Gloria put their children and other kids at the school in physical danger -- and Matt claims the twins have been traumatized by Gloria's actions and subsequent arrest.

Matt and Gloria got married back in 2012 but split almost 2 years later. Their divorce wasn't finalized until 2016.

Nike isn't backing down from its Colin Kaepernick ad campaign -- they just released a brand new 2-minute commercial featuring the QB -- and it's slated to air during the NFL season opener.

The spot features Colin narrating inspiring messages about overcoming the odds while real video of really inspirational athletes plays on the screen.

Colin references Serena Williams and praises her as "the greatest athlete ever" -- while throwing similar compliments at stars like Odell Beckham, Shaquem Griffin and the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team.

Regarding Odell, Colin says ...

"Don't picture yourself wearing OBJ's jersey. Picture OBJ wearing yours."

Regarding Shaquem, Colin says ...

"If you have only one hand, don’t just watch football, play it at the highest level."

Regarding LeBron James, Colin says ...

"Don’t become the best basketball player on the planet. Be bigger than basketball." (while video runs showing LeBron opening his new school in Ohio)

Regarding Serena, Colin says ...

"And, if you’re a girl from Compton, don’t just become a tennis player. Become the greatest athlete ever. Yeah, that’s more like it."

It's the second phase of Nike's "Just Do It" ad campaign featuring Kaep -- a deal that we're told was put together in the last several weeks.

We're told the deal put together by Mark Geragos and Ben Meiselas also includes a new custom Kaepernick shoe and apparel line.

No word on when that's supposed to drop.

As for the commercial, a source with knowledge of the situation tells us the plan is to air the commericial at some point during the Falcons vs. Eagles broadcast on NBC.