TMZ Sports - Page 50

Former NBA #1 overall pick Larry Johnson says he LOVED seeing Zion Williamson cry after being the top pick, because he wanted to show the same emotion when he was drafted, but felt like he couldn't.

Larry was taken with the top spot in the '91 draft, and when we talked to him in NYC he told us he understood completely the rush of emotions Williamson felt after hearing his name.

"That's the same way I felt."

The difference? Larry says he was drafted at a time when showing emotion like many of the young men did on this year's draft night was so frowned upon, you simply couldn't do it.

"It was 90, 20-30 years ago, so you tried to hold your emotions back. I was like, let that go, bro, you're good."

Interesting to hear Johnson talk openly and honestly about how concepts of masculinity have changed over the years, and how he's happy about it.

The finger wag celebration is BACK ... 'cause NBA rookie Mfiondu Kabengele says he got approval from his Hall of Fame uncle Dikembe Mutombo to use his signature block celebration!!!

... well, sort of. He's just gotta keep his wallet nearby.

TMZ Sports spoke with the 6'10", 250 lb. ex-Florida State star one day after getting drafted by the L.A. Clippers ... and he says he can't wait to get to L.A. and meet his new teammates and coach Doc Rivers.

But, being the relative of one of the all-time greats -- with an equally great trademark celly -- we had to ask if he's gotten Dikembe's approval to use the signature wag.

"I think so, but I gotta pay him every single time when I do it, so I gotta be extra careful with it," Kabengele says.

Now, he could be joking ... or maybe Mutombo's showing his nephew some tough love -- after all, rookies gotta learn, right?

PIZZA PARTY!! That's how Zion Williamson -- the hottest pro basketball prospect since LeBron James -- turnt up after getting picked 1st in the NBA Draft!!

After leaving Barclays Center -- mobbed by fans and with an NYPD escort -- Williamson and his fam and friends hit up 800 Degrees Woodfired Kitchen in NYC for a Mardi Gras-themed bash.

(Yeah, good thing the New Orleans Pelicans picked Zion ... 'cause if they didn't, that would've been a very awkward party.)

We're told the restaurant -- which was shut down to the public -- served up a bunch of pizzas, burgers, salads and seafood for the superstar baller and his crew. They also had a pop-a-shot in the house.

Zion wasn't the only hooper in attendance ... Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Collin Sexton -- the 8th pick in last years draft -- stopped by to congratulate his buddy.

The bash was the cap to an emotional night for Williamson ... who broke down and started crying while thanking his mom after getting picked.

The party didn't stop til around 1 AM ... when Zion finally called it a night.

FYI -- 800 Degrees is pretty popular with the NBA crowd ... Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem own the Miami location.

Kobe Bryant has a new lady in the family -- his wife, Vanessa, gave birth to daughter #4 ... and her middle name is "Kobe."

"So thankful for our newest baby blessing," Vanessa said in a statement ... "Capri Kobe Bryant."

Yes! Baby Mamba has a Mamba middle name!!!

40-year-old Kobe also spoke out ... saying, "We are beyond excited that our baby girl 'Koko' has arrived #BryantBunch #4princesses #blessed."

Capri Kobe Bryant joins 3 older sisters ... Natalia (16 years old), Gianna (13 years old) and Bianka (2 years old).

Congrats!

Kobe isn't the first NBA star to give his name to a baby girl -- Iman Shumpert named his daughter Iman Jr. when she was born back in 2015.

Antone Exum -- a strong Colin Kaepernick supporter and current 49ers DB -- says he has absolutely NO ISSUE with his new teammate, Nick Bosa ... telling TMZ Sports he "loves" the S.F. rookie!!!

Remember, Bosa drew heavy criticism during his time at Ohio State after he called Kaepernick a "clown" and backed Donald Trump when POTUS ripped anthem kneelers.

But Exum tells us Bosa's past political views have had ZERO impact on the locker room so far ... saying, "Man, I love Nick Bosa."

"He actually got me to stop eating eggs!" Exum says.

Antone says he's been able to train with Nick, talk with him and even hang out with him ... and tells us, "He's a good guy."

In fact, Exum says even if their political opinions differ, "There will be no animosity as long as he's rushing that quarterback."

Dwyane Wade is LOVING retired life ... at least judging by these pics of the ex-NBA star gettin' hot and heavy with his wife, Gabrielle Union, on the beach in Cannes!!!

Even though he's no longer playin' ball, Wade is still working -- he and Gabby are in France for the 2019 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, where they're both promoting various entertainment projects.

Dwyane and Gabby each spoke on various panels during the festival -- with Union pushing her new show with Jessica Alba called "L.A.'s Finest."

But, in the downtime, the couple took their kids to the beach for a family fun day ... where they splashed around in the super expensive sands of Cannes (and even threw in some P.D.A.).

They brought two of their kids on the trip -- their baby daughter, Kaavia, and 12-year-old son, Zion.

Wade recently gave an interview about his kids -- talking about why he feels weird accepting accolades for supporting the individuality of children because he feels that's his job as a dad.

Looks like he's having a lot of fun on the job!

SEE!?!? Kawhi Leonard doesn't only smile when he wins titles ... he smiles at baseball games, too!!

The Raptors superstar had a front row seat Wednesday at Rogers' Centre in Toronto to watch the Blue Jays take on the Angels ... where the NBA champ got a standing ovation from the crowd!

Leonard was so moved, he actually let his emotional guard down ... AND SMILED FROM EAR TO EAR!! It was amazing!!!

Turns out, Kawhi was really enjoying himself and got into the game ... he was even spotted taking a cell phone picture of Angels superstar Mike Trout.

Fake Ivan Drago tried to pick a fight with Justin Bieber in front of Craig's last night -- showing up to the restaurant in FULL BOXING GEAR ... and we got the whole thing on video!!!

The wannabe Russian was SERIOUS about trying to fight Justin -- he's the same guy who showed up to Logan Paul's home a few weeks ago to challenge the YouTube star to a fight.

Remember, Logan actually AGREED and the two threw down right in Paul's back yard.

The fake-Drago is an aspiring social media star ... but it's clear he'll do ANYTHING for clout.

So with Justin trying to get an MMA fight with Tom Cruise. the imposter-Ivan planned to call out Bieber first at Craig's where he waited for JB at the front door, pounding his chest and talking trash.

Bieber blew him off ... so, he stuck around for a few hours waiting for a second crack at the pop star -- but that didn't pan out either.

Bieber clearly knows his worth (and his weight class) ... he could make MILLIONS if the Tom Cruise fight comes to fruition -- so why give out hands for free on the street?!

As for doppelganger-Drago ... he'll continue to seek out other famous people to fight.

We hear Mike Tyson's in town!!!

Some random dude in Nashville got on one knee to propose to his girlfriend ... and none other than NFL Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen was there to capture the whole thing on his phone!!!

Now, the Carolina Panthers star didn't know the couple before the magical moment ... but that didn't keep him from absolutely losing it with excitement when he finds out the girlfriend said "YES."

"Did she say yes??" Olsen asks ... "I got it on video, dude. I'm gonna send it to you!!"

The whole thing is kinda funny -- you can tell the future groom is super excited about the engagement ... but seems a little confused about why this 6'6", 255-pound man is shooting the whole thing.

Don't worry, after some celebratory kissing with his wife-to-be ... the dude seems grateful Olsen got the whole thing on video ... saying "oh my God, you're my hero!"

"This is the best thing I've ever witnessed," Greg told the couple ... "Dude, I am so sending this to you!!!"

Olsen explained why he whipped out his phone and captured it ... saying "I wish I had my engagement on video, so I pull my phone out and capture it. Glad I did even though I didn’t know who they were!"

Zion Williamson left the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn on Thursday like he was President of the United States -- only more popular -- flanked by police and swarmed by fans ... and we've got the crazy video.

Of course, Zion was the #1 overall pick in the NBA Draft and he'll be headed to New Orleans to lead the Pelicans ... but he still got mad love from the fans in Brooklyn as if he was playin' for the Nets.

You can see Zion is with his mom, step-dad and little brother as they leave the arena -- while everyone else in the area gathered around to catch a glimpse of the most hyped NBA rookie in years.

Regarding Zion's family, he's VERY close with his mom and credits his step-father for essentially raising him since he was 4 years old.

Zion's biological father, Lateef Williamson, was a college football player who attended N.C. State before transferring to Livingstone -- where he met Zion's mom Sharonda Sampson, a track athlete at the school.

Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram ... Magic Johnson says the move to ship them out of L.A. in order to bring in Anthony Davis is TOTALLY WORTH IT!!!

The NBA legend was leaving Staples Center on Thursday night when he praised Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka for putting the Davis trade together ... saying the Lakers are close to being title contenders.

"I'm very happy," Johnson told TMZ Sports ... "We gotta keep going, fill the roster out. It's gonna be good!"

Oh, and the fact Johnson is specifically dropping Rob's name is a huge deal -- considering Magic accused Pelinka of trashing him behind his back when he was still working for the Lakers.

When asked if the Lakers gave up TOO MUCH to bring in AD, Johnson replied, "Always remember, it takes a lot to get a superstar. I'm just happy he's here."

"I don't even want to get into how much, it don't matter. He's here. It's gonna be jumping at the Staples Center. We're putting ourselves in line to win championships, that's what it's all about."

We also asked Johnson if the Lakers were going to get Kawhi Leonard -- he replied, "We'll see."

The two suspects who allegedly stole half a MILLION dollars worth of stuff from Le'Veon Bell were 2 women he left naked in bed earlier in the day ... this according to the Jets star himself.

In 911 audio obtained by TMZ Sports ... Bell tells dispatch on May 25 two women stole "clothes, shoes, money and my jewelry" in a burglary at his Hollywood, Florida home.

When dispatch asks for a description of the females ... Le'Veon says he can't say what they were wearing -- because when he left them earlier in the day, they were naked in his bed!!!

Of course, according to the police report, Bell describes the two as his "girlfriends" ... so seems the NFL superstar at least had a solid start to the day ...

"When I left, [one of the women] was in the bed," Bell said on the 911 call ... "She was in the bed, not wearing clothes when I left. So, I didn't see her. You know what I'm saying."

And the other lady ... "She was in the bed too. They didn't have clothes on."

Bell says in the 911 call the women stole his watch, his jewelry and "a couple more things of value out of my house" ... and estimated everything they took was worth around $1 MILLION.

Police eventually determined the value of the jewelry Le'Veon lost was $520,000. As we previously reported, one of the items that was taken is a diamond Black Panther pendant.

Unclear if Bell has been able to get his stuff back -- or if the suspects have been caught. The Hollywood PD tells us the investigation is still ongoing and "no update yet."

After YEARS of hype ... Zion Williamson is officially an NBA player after getting drafted as the 1st overall pick by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2019 draft.

And that should surprise literally no one.

The ex-Duke superstar has been on everyone's radar ever since he was a 5-star recruit at Spartanburg Day School in SC. Seriously, even Drake was rocking his high school jersey back in 2017!!!

It was a sure thing Williamson would end up in NOLA after the Pels won the lottery ... and now that NBA commish Adam Silver has called his name at Barclays Center in NYC, it's finally official.

But that didn't stop Zion from getting emotional in an interview after walking off the stage ... breaking down in tears with his mother, Sharonda Sampson, by his side.

“My mom sacrificed a lot for me," Zion said. "I wouldn’t be here without my mom. She did everything for me. I just want to thank her."

Z-Dub's rookie contract could be worth around $45 million over 4 seasons ... so the dude's set for a while ... but he'll be making WAY more off the court with his shoe deal and other sponsorships.

As we previously reported, Zion was wearing his Nike Kyrie 5 sneakers at a private workout in L.A. earlier this month .. so it seems like he's leaning towards the Swoosh, despite his PG 2.5 giving out on him in a game earlier this year.

Shoe legend Sonny Vaccaro -- who's responsible for Michael Jordan's rookie deal with Nike --previously told us he'd give the star $100 MILLION to ink a shoe contract. Not bad for an 18-year-old.

Conor McGregor is helping his boy Artem Lobov beat the hell outta Paulie Malignaggi... by hooking his friend up with a scouting report on how to kick the boxers ass.

Lobov and Malignaggi are fighting Saturday night at Bare Knuckle FC 6 in Florida ... and the lead up to the fight has included spitting, slapping and death threats.

They HATE each other.

Malignaggi -- a former 2 weight class world champ -- is the betting favorite, and most pick him to win the fight ... but Artem has at least 1 advantage.

The Notorious.

Remember, Paulie was Conor's sparring partner back in '17 while he prepped for his Floyd Mayweather fight ... and there was big beef between the 2 guys when Conor released footage of the men sparring.

Malignaggi said the footage was edited to make him look bad, and Conor said he knocked PM around ... but 1 thing's for sure -- the bad blood is genuine.

Fast-forward to now ... Artem tells us he consulted with his good friend and strategized on just how to pick apart Paulie.

"We broke down the whole spar, so I know everything. I know his weaknesses, and I know his strengths. I was getting ready for the best version of Paulie, even though I knew a fat mess is gonna show up."

What's Artem's message for the man who promised to put him in a body bag?

"This whole thing started from what? It all started from Paulie getting his ass whooped, and then crying like a little bitch."

It's the most swaggy time of the year ... when the top NBA prospects in the game show off their style on the biggest days of their lives ... and these guys went all out in the name of FASHION!!!

Zion Williamson is rockin' an all-white suit -- just like LeBron James did at the 2003 Draft -- for when his name is called as the first pick ... with an open collar shirt ('cause ties are overrated).

To top off the look, Zion went with a blinged-out Rolex ... which is retails in the $45,000 range, but with all the bells and whistles, it's worth a LOT more.

RJ Barrett went the pink route ... donning a custom suit with Canadian flag lining and his "Maple Mamba" nickname stitched in it as well.

And just like his Duke teammate, Barrett iced out his wrist as well .. going with a fancy Cartier watch for good measure.

Bol Bol's Spidey senses are tingling ... 'cause the 7'2" center went with a black suit and bedazzled spider web print.

Other notable suits include Darius Garland (who was styled by Fear of God's Jerry Lorenzo) ... Jaxson Hayes with the red suit and Sideshow Bob chain ... and Nickeil Alexander's snakeskin-print suit.

Ex-Texas hoops star center Jaxson Hayes got himself a sick pre-draft gift that would make Homer Simpson proud ... immortalizing his "Sideshow Jax" nickname in diamonds with a Sideshow Bob chain!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the projected lottery pick wanted to treat himself before the biggest day of his life ... hitting up Al the Jeweler of LaBelle Jewelry in NJ to hook him up with a chain of his Simpsons character Doppelgänger.

Al -- the go-to jeweler for huge stars like Jarvis Landry and Stefon Diggs -- tells us the one-of-a-kind piece is made of VS diamonds and rubies ... and it took 1,000 total stones to make.

No word on how much Hayes dropped for the piece ... but we're told this kinda work would run around $25k.

We're told Hayes LOVES the piece ... and there's a great chance he might even wear it when his name is called at the draft on Thursday.