You Might Want to Rethink

The NBA is making Marcus Smart pay for blowing up on a ref Tuesday night -- hitting the Boston Celtics' star with a big 5-figure fine for "verbally abusing" an official.

The 25-year-old lost his cool after getting called for his 6th foul while contesting a Caris LeVert 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds left during Boston's loss to the Nets ... getting so heated, he had to be escorted off the court.

Smart -- who's no stranger to beefin' with officials -- gave the refs an earful after fouling out, pointing and yelling his frustrations over the call.

The NBA just handed down Smart's punishment for the freak-out -- fining Smart $35k for "confronting and verbally abusing the game officials." The NBA says Smart's history of going off on refs factored into the $35k figure.

As for the game itself, Tuesday was a disaster across the board for Boston -- Brooklyn's LeVert scored a career-high 51 while the Celtics gave up a whopping 51 points in the 4th quarter ALONE to seal the loss.

FYI -- Smart famously signed a $52 million deal back in 2018 (remember his epic rap song?) ... so really, just a drop in the bucket for the dude.

Flavor Flav scoffs at the notion Chuck D had any right to fire him from Public Enemy ... because he says there's NO GROUP if one of them is MIA.

We got FF hangin' in Vegas Wednesday night and he could not have been clearer ... Chuck D can't fire him from the famed group or vice versa ... 'cause he insists they're both equal partners.

What's more ... Flav says the group can only be called Public Enemy when both are onstage together. Flav's adamant ... if he or Chuck D are missing, it's NOT Public Enemy.

Watch the video ... Flavor cops to throwing a fit when he saw Public Enemy Radio was announced to perform a Bernie Sanders event. Fact is ... Bernie advertised the appearance touting Public Enemy Radio ... which is an off-shoot of the OG Public Enemy. PER, in the past, has performed without Flav, so nothing new there.

But, that didn't seem to matter to Flav .... 'cause things got to a boiling point earlier this week, leading Chuck D to announce Flav's been ousted from the group.

Flav shot back saying in a Twitter rage saying he couldn't believe Chuck D wanted to "destroy something we've built over 35 years OVER POLITICS???"

Crazy story in Australia ... cops say a man used a fishing rod FOR HOURS to steal a Versace necklace from a store last month -- and they say the whole thing was caught on video.

Detectives in Melbourne say on Feb. 24 ... a man rolled up to a storefront with a rod and reel at around 2 AM and began to work on trying to nab a pricey piece of jewelry off a mannequin.

Cops say for nearly 3 hours ... the guy was caught on video sticking the rod through a crack in the store window.

You can see in some footage of the alleged crime released by cops this week, the guy has some SERIOUS patience -- and it all begs the question ... WHERE THE HELL IS EVERYONE?!?!?!

Eventually ... authorities say the dude was able to land his catch and flee the scene -- and now, they're asking for help to identify him.

When we got comedian Brad Williams out in L.A. on Wednesday night and asked him about the burglary ... he says cops can't even be mad at the guy -- telling us the crime is ingenious.

But, Williams says the guy screwed up in one big way ... and his thievery advice for the dude going forward is pretty hilarious!!

Tottenham star Eric Dier nearly went full-on Ron Artest in a game Wednesday -- charging at a fan in the stands who was allegedly talking trash about the player and his family.

The wild scene all went down during the Tottenham vs. Norwich City game in England ... where Hotspur star Dier had allegedly heard about some insults hurled his brother's way in the stands.

You can see in footage of the altercation ... 26-year-old Dier jogged along the sideline, jumped over the railing and beelined over more than a dozen rows of chairs to get to the fan to police everything himself.

Fortunately for all parties ... Dier was intercepted by security and other spectators before he could get his hands on his target.

After Dier and the altercation had calmed down ... Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho told reporters he didn't necessarily blame Dier for his actions.

"I cannot run away from the question and I think Eric Dier did something that we professionals cannot but, in these circumstances, something that every one of us would do."

Mourinhio added, "When someone insults you and your family is there, and your family gets involved with the person that is insulting you, in this case your younger brother, I think Eric did what we professionals cannot but, I repeat, did what we professionals cannot do, but did something that probably we would do."

International soccer superstar Ronaldinho -- one of the most recognizable athletes in the world -- is under investigation in Paraguay after officials say he tried to use a fake passport.

We know what you're thinking -- why the hell would he do that?!

The 39-year-old had reportedly had his Brazilian and Spanish passports confiscated in July 2019 over unpaid taxes -- but he still wants to travel.

And while the former FIFA World Cup All-Star was in Paraguay with his brother to promote a new book, officials became suspicious of the passport he used to enter the country and searched the hotel where he was staying.

Paraguay's interior minister told ESPN Brazil Ronaldinho has NOT been arrested at this point -- but he is being investigated by police while investigators look into the matter.

The minister told the Associated Free Press the soccer star's case will go in front of the prosecutor's office early Thursday morning.

"I respect his sporting popularity but the law must also be respected. No matter who you are, the law still applies," Euclides Acevedo told the media.

It seemed impossible ... but Nik Wallenda did the improbable ... walking all the way across a very active volcano and balancing the entire way on a tightrope.

The view looking down on the scorching-hot lava lake was incredible, and it was broadcast live on ABC from the Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua.

Nik somehow managed the 1,800-foot trek across the mouth of the volcano, tightrope walking 2,000 feet above the deadly lava and through strong winds.

You'll recall ... Nik told us last week about his logistical concerns for the volcano, explaining why the acidic volcanic gasses could pose a very real threat to the wire. Walking over a volcano is obviously super-hot too, but Nik was oddly less concerned about the heat.

As it turns out ... the gasses rusted out the tightrope wire in the two weeks leading up to Wednesday's stunt, but it actually benefited Nik by giving him more traction. He also wore a gas mask.

Remember ... Nik told us on "TMZ Live" Monday he was worried about getting in the zone for the volcano stunt because his wife, Erendira, was also putting her life on the line with her own deadly stunt above the same volcano.

Erendira did an aerial ballet suspended above the lava lake, wearing a mask to protect her from the toxic fumes swirling below, with Nik keeping a close eye on her at all times.

Nik said his wife actually gave him a scouting report after her stunt, and assured him he would be fine.

It took just over 31 minutes for Nik to cross the volcano and make history ... pretty incredible.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez believes in her heart of hearts Bernie Sanders is the guy to beat Trump -- that said ... she'll support Joe Biden if he's the one who takes on Trump.

We got the Congresswoman in D.C. Wednesday -- after Biden cleaned up on Super Tuesday -- and asked her straight-up ... will she support the guy if he wins the Democratic nomination come July, despite being a Sanders supporter and seemingly immovable.

Watch ... AOC says she would, but might need to hold her nose a little. Fact is ... she says she'll always support the party, but notes JB is a thing of the past -- and Bernie is the future.

For her it's pretty simple -- AOC says Bernie's message and platform is very clear and resonates with working-class people. Meanwhile, Biden's platform seems to just be ... beat Trump? That's not good enough for her, and she thinks many feel the same.

A famous pro wrestler FLIPPED OFF off a 7-year-old kid at a meet and greet in Chicago this weekend -- devastating the kid -- but it begs the question ... should the dad have known better?

Here's the deal ... Tom Gilmartin brought his son to meet AEW star MJF (AKA Maxwell Jacob Friedman) at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo.

MJF is famous for being a heel (that's wrestling speak for "bad guy") and part of his gimmick is being a jerk to kids. It's no secret. Everyone knows.

So, when Tom and his son came face to face with MJF, the wrestler busted out the single barrel salute right in the little guy's face ... par for the course for MJF.

You can see in the video the kid looks stunned -- and afterward, Tom raised the issue with AEW vice president Cody Rhodes.

"I tried to laugh it off knowing he’s just in character," Tom said ... "but it really upset him. I know that’s his gimmick but he’s only 7 & doesn’t understand."

Tom says his son is now being mocked online -- and wants AEW to keep talent in check when meeting kids at fan events.

Cody responded to Tom -- essentially saying he should have known what he was getting himself into.

"DISCLAIMER: If you have a meet/greet or inquire media wise for MJF, you'll get MJF," Rhodes said on Twitter.

"Talent have freedom of expression so please don't think anybody is going to act any different than they do on TV."

Rhodes then invited Tom to a future event and promised he'd give the family VIP treatment. Great move on Cody's part.

We reached out to MJF for comment and got back this 3-word statement -- "F**k them kids."

Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight is a fan of classic American muscle cars, it seems, 'cause his Batmobile looks like it rolled straight out of a 1960's Detroit factory ... with custom touches, of course.

Director Matt Reeves just posted a few photos from the set of his forthcoming "The Batman" -- with RP in the suit, but more importantly ... showing off his sweet new ride. From a bird's-eye view, it kinda looks like a souped-up Chevy Camaro or maybe a Dodge from the late 60s.

You can see the top of it, and there are also shots from the rear and side ... putting the full body on display. Don't get us wrong, it looks cool and all -- but at the same time feels not-so-Batman-y???

It's like Bruce Wayne became a gearhead all of a sudden.

Reeves' flick is supposed to chronicle Batsy in his early years -- so it's reasonable to assume he's a young dude who likes sweet rides like this now but will eventually get a little more sophisticated in B'mobile taste.

It's certainly a different take than any previous iterations of the iconic whip, and hey ... it might just work out on the big screen.

Hillary Clinton is at our doorstep once again -- but she's still sitting on a fence politically ... not quite ready to endorse Joe Biden, and per usual, taking shots at Bernie Sanders.

The former Secretary of State walked into the ABC Studios Tuesday in NYC, where she was set to plug the new Hulu doc about her life, "Hillary," while also talking shop on a day folks in 14 states are voting in their respective Democratic primaries. No endorsements, though.

HC was asked why she hadn't gotten behind Biden yet, as so many others did on Monday night -- including several ex-candidates like Buttigieg, Klobuchar and O'Rourke.

She says it's still early in the game, and it sounds like she's waiting to see who the country ultimately picks before offering her support. FWIW, Barack hasn't endorsed anyone either.

As for her old friend Senator Sanders ... still no love lost there. Hillary says she thinks it's BS he wants to tweak the convention rules about super delegates and give the nomination to the candidate who walks in with the most votes day of. He settled for the opposite in 2016.

In her doc, she says Bernie got nothing done in Congress and that nobody liked him or wanted to work with him.

Bill O'Brien probably ain't gonna love this ...

Here's Houston Texans linebacker Barkevious Mingo firing a cannon in Hungary ... and it's terrifying and awesome all at the same time!!

The former No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft is overseas this month to help bring football to underprivileged communities ... and while he was in Hungary on Monday, he decided to take a crack at firing a massive weapon.

We're told the action all went down at Eger Castle in Eger ... and the video of Mingo and the heavy artillery is nuts.

The 6-foot-5, 235-pound NFL player -- who's instructed by a man with a sword -- puts his face right up to the cannon ... and as it fires, it kicks back at him like a BEAST!!

You can see in the footage ... Mingo looks pretty surprised by the explosion -- but once he realizes he's fine, he seems to love it!!

FYI, we're all pretty glad Mingo survived the blast ... 'cause he's still in talks to re-sign with the Texans before free agency kicks off later this month!!!

By the way, the American Football Without Barriers program that Mingo is a part of is a really cool experience for NFLers ... and stars like Austin Hooper, Alex Mack and Todd Gurley are all over there with Barkevious for the trip.

Famed tightrope walker Nik Wallenda has one glaring concern for his upcoming volcano stunt ... and it's all thanks to his better half.

Nik joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday ahead of Wednesday's daredevil walk over the very active Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua. He tells us he won't be able to fully prepare for the most difficult stunt of his life because his wife is attempting her own dangerous feat over the same volcano!!!

With wife Erendira putting her life on the line above the lava, Nik says he won't be able to get in the same zone that's helped him pull off tons of dangerous stunts in the past, like tightrope walking over Niagra Falls and Times Square.

Instead of getting his mind right for his volcano walk -- 2,000 feet up and 1,800 feet across -- Nik tells us he'll be worried sick for his wife's safety. As for his safety, Nik says he'll be wearing a gas mask and goggles to protect himself from poisonous gasses. What it won't protect him from -- the heat.

While Nik's mum on Erendira's exact stunt -- it's going down Wednesday at 8 PM ET on ABC -- he says it's her most dangerous attempt ever and would set a world record!

Nik also explains where he got the idea for his volcano stunt, and why he's lucky he chose a window seat.

Judge Judy is stepping away from her longtime television show and calling it quits with CBS -- and TMZ has learned a big reason has to do with a war with the network.

Sources familiar with the situation tell us ... Judy and CBS have been feuding for quite some time, and it largely has to do with the former head honcho of the network, Les Moonves, no longer working there. A new regime has taken over ... and we're told they and Judy just haven't been seeing eye-to-eye on a lot of things she and Les were square on.

Specifically, we're told Judy was being shut down left and right on possible new shows she developed ... something we're told was she'd be able to do under her latest contract with them, but hasn't been realized after Moonves was ousted in 2018.

Remember, Judy had just struck a monumental deal with them the previous year -- selling her "Judge Judy" library for a reported $95 million, with an end date of 2020-2021. She was already producing the show "Hot Bench," and was said to be developing other projects as well under CBS, like the court drama "Her Honor" which woulda been based on her life.

It's unclear if that show ever took off -- there've been no new developments on it since 2016 when it was reported to be in the works. Probably just one example of why we're hearing Judy was fed up with CBS and the relationship just fell apart.

As such, she's hanging it up and CBS and will ride out this last season, which marks 25 years on the air. She's already working on another show, "Judy Justice," which will NOT air on CBS.

While Judy's been gracious in public about the split -- including a pleasant appearance on 'Ellen' -- we're told there's no love lost between her and the network. You could probably tell us as much with the statement she issued upon the news breaking.

Judy said, "I am looking forward to a banner 25th anniversary season. CBS has been a fine partner for 20 plus years. They have decided to monetize their 'Judge Judy' library of reruns." Then came the parting shot ... "I wish them good luck with their experiment."