TMZ Sports - Page 50

Presidential candidate Julian Castro says he knows a bunch of U.S. pro athletes HATE going to The White House now that Donald Trump's in charge ... and says he plans on changing that, if he gets elected. 

Fresh off his widely-praised performance at the Democratic debates, Castro told he didn't sleep last night ... and was still replying to all the texts he got!

But, when we started talking sports -- in the wake of Trump's new beef with Team USA soccer star Megan Rapinoe -- Castro mustered up the energy to take another shot at POTUS. 

"I'm very confident that whomever the next President ... and I hope to be the next president ... you're gonna see a lot more sports teams eager to go to The White House unlike we've seen in the last couple of years," Castro said. 

Of course, Rapinoe recently said she's "not going to the f*cking White House" if Team USA wins the World Cup ... following the lead of the Golden State Warriors, who also boycotted Trump. 

Several members of the Boston Red Sox also declined The White House's invite after winning the World Series. 

Castro says he remembers back when he was with the Obama administration, NBA teams and players LOVED visiting The White House ... and he wants to bring that spirit back. 

"I definitely want that fight" ... that's what Francis Ngannou told TMZ Sports when asked if he's down for a superfight with Jon Jones.

Ngannou-Jones is a dream matchup ... but things heated up this week when Jon stopped by the TMZ office, and talked about the possibility of fighting Francis.

"There's a lot of fights at the heavyweight division that are always gonna be extremely appealing. Cain Velasquez, Francis Ngannou," Jones told us.

"That's a scary dude. But, that's why I'm in it. For it to be hard. I'm aware that the greater the challenge, that's what makes it great. The hard is what makes it great."

So, Jon's down ... question is, is Francis willing to put his body on the line against arguably the baddest dude on planet Earth?

We have our answer ... and it's a big hell yes.

"Personally, I mean, it would be a good fight, first of all for the fans, for me, yes," Ngannou told us.

"Even though Jon Jones is a light heavyweight, this guy has made his legacy, dominating the whole division. He's a big dude. I met him once, we almost, we are the same height, we are almost the same thing. I might just have a few pounds on him. That would be a legit fight."

Before a fight with Jones or anyone else (D.C., Stipe), Ngannou's facing badass former heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos at UFC on ESPN 3 this Saturday -- so he's got his hands full.

But, it's very clear that Francis -- who says he ALWAYS gets asked by MMA fans about fighting Jones -- is down to make this fight happen.

Kevin Love just copped a custom diamond Stone Cold Steve Austin pendant for his neck ... and the piece is AWESOME!!!

The Cavs superstar has been a huge fan of Austin 3:16 for years ... so he hit up Greg Yuna & Jason “J-FROST” Adams in NYC to get his love for the wrestler memorialized in a new chain.

We're told the drip -- which was made in the guys' shop in the Diamond District -- features 7ct VS D color stones and 14kt white gold.

All total -- we're told the ice cost around $15,000.

Of course, it's a small price to pay for Love -- who's a big wrestling buff -- 'cause the guy just inked a 4-year, $120 MILLION deal with Cleveland!!!

As for Stone Cold, he approves of the bling ... writing on his social media page, "Glass shattering across the universe."

The home run derby has ZERO chance of screwing up Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ... so says MLB legend Jason Giambi, who tells TMZ Sports the rookie phenom should do it with no worries!!!

"They're a lot of fun," Giambi says.

Of course, Vlad has reportedly agreed behind the scenes to take hacks in the MLB's home run contest next month ... but nothing's been made official yet.

Some in the baseball world are hoping the 20-year-old will reconsider ... because the derby has been known to lead to players' slumps and even injury.

But, Giambi says he has NO fear of that for Vlad Guerrero's son ... telling us out in NYC this weekend, "He's a great player. He's got an incredible dad. So, he's learned a lot in the game."

"He's well beyond his years."

As for Giambi, he tells us he loved doing the derby ... and if you don't remember some of the shows he used to put on in the batting cage, here's a refresher ...

Enjoy!!!

UFC fighter Desmond Green was arrested for DUI manslaughter Tuesday after he allegedly caused a 5-car crash that killed 2 women back in August ... and officials claim he had alcohol and drugs in his system and cocaine in his vehicle.

29-year-old Green is facing multiple charges after he allegedly lost control of his 2011 Dodge Durango on I-75 and swerved into a semi truck on August 18.

So, why did it take so long to arrest Green? Officials say they conducted a massive investigation that took months to complete. And now, they feel they have enough information to successfully prosecute Green.

Here's what cops say happened ...

The initial collision started a chain reaction ... with Green's car striking several vehicles, killing a 67-year-old woman and a 76-year-old woman. Cops say 2 others were also seriously injured.

Cops say Green sustained minor injuries from the incident.

According to the police report, witnesses told cops Green threw a container over the highway barrier after the crash ... which cops say was a metal grinder with weed inside.

The report also says Green -- who wasn't wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash -- had a bag of cocaine in the front seat of his car.

Cops claim Green showed signs of being drunk -- he had slurred speech and smelled like booze -- and toxicology tests showed he had alcohol and drugs in his system.

Green is now facing a slew of criminal charges -- including multiple felony manslaughter counts -- and faces serious prison time if convicted.

UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman says he's SHOCKED Colby Covington agreed to take a fight with Robbie Lawler in August instead of waiting for a title shot ... saying, "This kid f*cks it up again!"

Usman -- who's recovering from double hernia surgery -- tells TMZ Sports he was REALLY hoping his first title defense would be against Covington ... a guy he HATES with a raging passion.

So, when Colby agreed this week to fight Lawler -- Kamaru says he was massively disappointed.

"I said from the start this was gonna be his fight to mess up," Usman says ... suggesting Covington took the fight for a quick paycheck to pay off gambling debts.

"Those gambling debts might have caught up to him!"

Usman says his fingers are crossed hoping Dana White gives him the Covington fight at some point because "there's no one right now I would love to punch more or hurt more than him."

Of course, Usman and Covington have been beefing for months -- and almost threw down for real in a Vegas casino back in March.

Meanwhile, Usman says he's recovering well after surgery and plans on fighting again in November -- and if he doesn't get Colby ... he'd love a crack at Ben Askren.

Remember, Ben mercilessly mocked Usman by calling him "Marty from Nebraska" leading up to Kamaru's title fight with Tyron Woodley.

Usman says it's time for a little payback.

Gayle Benson says she has no plans to change her title as "owner" of the New Orleans Saints and the NO Pelicans ... but insists she's sensitive to the concerns of the players.

Gayle's late husband, Tom Benson, bought the Saints in 1985 and the Pelicans in 2012 -- and she took over when he passed away in March 2018.

As we previously reported, several NBA teams and the NBA league office are moving away from the term "owner" out of racial sensitivity ... so the New Orleans Advocate asked Benson if she plans on following suit.

Benson told the Advocate she has no plans on making a title change -- though she considers herself "less of an owner and more of a caretaker of incredible assets."

She also issued a statement saying she hopes players aren't offended by the "owner" title -- and she's open to listening to their concerns.

"As with any word, phrase or expression ... interpretations can be perceived differently," Benson said.

"That is in many ways why diversity, inclusion and openness is so important to companies and society. As with any expression, my intention and the intentions of the organization I am responsible for is never to be insensitive or insulting."

She continued ... "I truly believe daily actions speak very loudly, and it is my sincere hope that the players and staff know how much I care for them and their families."

"I sincerely hope no term that attempts to define my corporate standing would in any negative way suggest a lack of caring, respect or admiration for that they accomplish every day -- leaders, teammates, colleagues, parents, mentors, citizens."

Benson seems to be echoing comments made by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban who told us corporate leaders should be able to choose their own titles.

Meanwhile, the issue has already spilled over into pop culture ... where Common explained why the move away from the term "owner" is a positive thing.

There are also staunch critics ... including Bill O'Reilly and Donald Trump who don't seem to be on board with the title change.

Blake Griffin and Chandler Parsons are LIVING UP THE SINGLE LIFE ... partying with a whole bunch of insanely hot bikini-clad women on a yacht in Ibiza -- and the pics are AWESOME!!!

The two NBA stars were all smile on the booty boat ... and it's pretty clear why -- it looks like fun!

Besides being young, ripped and pro athletes ... Blake and Chandler are also super rich!!

Blake's reportedly made close to $200 MILLION in his NBA career -- and Chandler's around $127 MILLION.

As we previously reported, Parsons recently broke up with his longtime model girlfriend, Cassie Amato ... so he's looking to rebound -- and it seems he's doing pretty well!

Between the two of 'em, Chandler and Blake have dated some of the biggest stars in Hollywood ... from Kendall Jenner (Blake) to Bella Thorne (Chandler) to Toni Garrn (Chandler) to Arianny Celeste (Chandler) to bikini mogul Francesca Aiello (Blake).

6/26 10:02 AM PT -- TMZ Sports has obtained dispatch audio from the incident in which you can hear a law enforcement official tell officers, "BJ Penn is back there trying to fight everybody. No weapon."

When cops arrived to the scene, the officers told dispatch Penn had "ran off" and was no longer at the club.

8:31 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell us ... cops DID, in fact, respond to the club after receiving a call about an "argument at an adult night club."

However, we're told Penn was NOT arrested -- and a warrant for his arrest has not been issued.

In fact, we're told the victim has not come forward to police and cops are not currently investigating.

It's possible the victim could still go to cops ... but seems unlikely at this point.

In other words, they scrapped and it's over.

UFC Hall of Famer B.J. Penn got into a fight with a bouncer at a strip club in Honolulu late Monday night ... with the altercation spilling onto the street ... and TMZ Sports has the video.

We spoke with the owner of Club Femme Nu who told us Penn was escorted out of the bar around midnight because he was acting "very drunk."

While the 40-year-old MMA legend was being escorted out, things turned physical -- and Penn began to fight the door guy.

Multiple witnesses watched as Penn -- a former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion -- smothered the door guy to the ground and took control over the other man. At one point, you can see Penn shoving his forearm into the other man's throat.

Several men can be heard asking B.J. to stop fighting and let the guy up -- but he never does.

One of the bystanders finally decides he's seen enough and begins punching Penn in the head in an attempt to end the fight ... but the other men call him off, so B.J. and the bouncer can finish their fight 1-on-1.

Eventually, someone calls the cops and we're told several squad cars arrived at the scene -- but B.J. had already left the premises by the time the officers got there.

Attempts to reach Penn for comment were unsuccessful.

NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony says reports suggesting he's cheating on his wife, La La Anthony, with a woman on a yacht in France are COMPLETELY FALSE ... and says the blogs have it ALL WRONG.

There are pics floating around showing Melo laying out on a yacht while a beautiful woman in a tiny bathing suit is next to him. There doesn't appear to be anyone else on the ship.

But, Carmelo tells TMZ Sports ... the woman is actually on the yacht WITH HER HUSBAND AND THE REST OF HER FAMILY -- and Carmelo is just on board as a friend while in Europe on a business retreat.

Melo says the false reports are "affecting my family" -- and he's calling for everyone to correct their reporting because it's hurting him, hurting the other woman and other people involved.

"All them bloggers that's trying to put that out there, that sh*t is not cool at all," Melo said.

"That's not cool at all. Let that family be they family, they married."

"The only reason i'm addressing this is because this is affecting my family now and you got me out here looking crazy. Usually I won't address this, but I had to address this."

Marcus Stroman just admitted to TMZ Sports he wants to pitch for the Yankees ... telling us, "One day."

Of course, the superstar pitcher is still a member of Toronto's squad, and he says he's "focused on my time with the Blues Jays now."

But, with the Yanks reportedly interested in the 28-year-old NY native ... he made it clear to our camera guy before hittin' the Blue Jays team bus Wednesday -- he'd be fine with the move!!

Stroman has previously hinted he's down to rock the pinstripes ... telling a group of reporters earlier this week that he's "built for the bright lights."

Unclear what the Yankees are willing to offer for Stroman -- who has a 3.04 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 17 starts this season -- but they do desperately need a starting pitcher for the second half of the season.

Could Stroman's clear willingness to be a Yankee help move trade talks along??

Donald Trump is firing back U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe -- saying bluntly, she should "WIN first before she TALKS!"

As we previously reported, the team USA cocaptain went scorched Earth on Trump during an interview earlier this month ... saying, "I'm not going to the f*cking White House" if the U.S. wins the World Cup.

Trump obviously saw the comments ... and is responding:

"Women’s soccer player [Megan Rapinoe] just stated that she is 'not going to the F...ing White House if we win,'" Trump said.

"I am a big fan of the American Team, and Women’s Soccer, but Megan should WIN first before she TALKS! Finish the job! We haven’t yet invited Megan or the team, but I am now inviting the TEAM, win or lose."

"Megan should never disrespect our Country, the White House, or our Flag, especially since so much has been done for her & the team. Be proud of the Flag that you wear. The USA is doing GREAT!"

Trump also weighed in on the story TMZ Sports broke ... that several NBA teams and the NBA league office are moving away from the term "owner" because some players feel it's racially insensitive.

"Other than the NBA, which now refuses to call owners, owners (please explain that I just got Criminal Justice Reform passed, Black unemployment is at the lowest level in our Country’s history, and the poverty index is also best number EVER), leagues and teams love coming to the White House."

As for Rapinoe and Team USA -- they're scheduled to play Team France in the Round of 8 on Friday ... so they're getting pretty close.

Megan says she doesn't believe ANY of her teammates would accept an invitation to The White House if they win the whole thing.

Big moment at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday ... when some of the team's biggest stars helped to unveil a new plaque in Monument Park paying tribute to the gay rights movement.

Pitchers CC Sabathia and Dellin Betances -- along with G.M. Brian Cashman -- held the ceremony to reveal the Stonewall Inn plaque ... which honors the people who fought back during a violent police raid at the Stonewall Inn gay bar in NYC back in 1969.

The incident at the Stonewall is credited with igniting the LGBTQ rights movement.

In fact, the current owners of the Stonewall Inn -- which is still operational in Greenwich Village -- were also on hand for the ceremony.

In addition to the plaque, the Yankees are also working with owners Stacy Lentz and Kurt Kelly to create a scholarship benefiting LGBTQ public school students.

"[The Yankees have] gone beyond a Pride Night," Lentz told the NY Daily News ... "They understand that having a permanent fixture when fans come here, LGBTQ fans are going to feel safe and welcome."

Cashman told the media, "We want to be an organization that represents inclusion and safe harbor. We try and make a difference that way."

NBA veteran Allen Crabbe -- who was just traded to the ATL Hawks -- was arrested for DUI on the Sunset Strip late Tuesday night ... and TMZ Sports has the video.

We're told cops noticed the 27-year-old was "straddling lanes" around 11:30 PM -- so they pulled him over ... and during the stop, the officer suspected he was drunk.

The 6'6", 210 pounder was asked to step out of the car to perform a field sobriety test -- which he did --- and while it didn't appear he bombed it (based on the video we shot) ... the cops still felt he was under the influence.

In fact, we're told he blew a .08 -- which is EXACTLY the legal limit in California ... so Crabbe was arrested and booked for misdemeanor Driving Under the Influence.

We're told Crabbe couldn't have been more cooperative with police. He was taken to a nearby station where he was held for a few hours. We're told he's currently in the process of being released.

We spoke to someone close to Crabbe who tells us he's in town to work with the Frederick K. C. Price III Christian School in South Central, where he's volunteered time and money over the years.

The woman who claims NHL star Evander Kane stiffed her out of $3 MIL for aborting his child was ordered to reveal her real name in court in order to proceed with the case ... so she's decided to unmask herself.

An L.A. County Superior Court judge ruled Hope Parker -- who had previously used the alias "Jane Doe" in her lawsuit against Kane -- cannot use the alias moving forward.

"There is no clear California law allowing her to remain anonymous," the judge said in a ruling.

But, instead of dropping the case and keeping her identity secret, Parker has filed new documents using her real name ... sending the message that she's not backing down.

As we previously reported, Parker claims she had been dating Kane on-and-off from 2015 to 2018 ... and says she had two abortions during that time.

But, Parker says when she got pregnant for a THIRD time with the San Jose Sharks forward ... she did NOT want to abort it -- until he offered her $3 million.

She claims she went through with the procedure ... but when but Kane never ponied up the cash -- she sued, seeking over $6 MILLION in her lawsuit.

Kane filed legal docs of his own back in 2018 essentially saying that since he's not accused of committing a crime, the accuser should not be able to hide behind an alias.

The strategy was pretty clear -- if the judge forced her to reveal her name, Kane believed she would be more likely to drop the suit out of fear of embarrassment.

But, that's not the case ... Parker is actively working to amend her lawsuit to add her real name, according to court docs.

Is Dave East the solution for the New York Knicks' struggles?? The team might wanna give him a call ... 'cause the rapper says he's considering an NBA tryout ... but only for his hometown squad!!

Now, before you brush it off as farfetched, the 6'5" East is a serious hooper -- he played AAU hoops with Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley and landed a Division 1 scholarship to play at University of Richmond, but was ineligible due to grades.

So, when we asked East if he'd ever pull a Master P and give the hoop dream one more shot at age 31, he seemed open to the idea, telling TMZ Sports -- "I might ... It gotta be the Knicks, I gotta be in New York."

Why the Knicks?? East -- who grew up in East Harlem -- is a HUGE fan of his hometown team ... and can be spotted sitting courtside at a lot of their games.

As for KD ... East has been in touch with his old teammate following his devastating Achilles injury in the NBA Finals and says he's doing well and recovering ... and wants Durant to sign with the Knicks this offseason.