TMZ Sports - Page 50

TMZ Sports has obtained video of NFL star Kareem Hunt talking with several police officers this weekend in Cleveland after a night of partying after an alleged "small argument" with a friend. 

Here's what we know so far ... the Cleveland Browns running back went to the Barley House party spot on Saturday night with a bunch of friends and stayed late into the evening. 

Right after he left, SOMETHING happened -- and several cops went over to speak with the 23-year-old. He wasn't arrested. Wasn't detained. He left without incident. 

But, a witness tells TMZ Sports ... Hunt was involved in a physical altercation with another man before the cops came over. The witness wasn't sure if it was a "real" fight or if he was just horsing around with a buddy. 

At one point, one of the officers can be heard on video telling Kareem, "I saw him push you."

Barley House owner Bobby George told WKYC3 that Hunt was involved in a "small argument with one of his friends ... People blew it out of proportion."

We reached out to the Cleveland PD but despite the video, they have no record of the interaction -- "There wasn't a police report or any calls that we have located."

Either way, it's notable considering Hunt had publicly stated he was seeking help for alcohol and anger management in the wake of TMZ Sports posting video showing him in a 2018 physical altercation with a woman. 

A former assistant coach for the USC Trojans football team is suing the school -- claiming he was fired and humiliated after reporting multiple violations to school officials ... and now he wants at least $2 MIL to make things right. 

The man behind the lawsuit is Rick Courtright -- who was hired as a senior defensive analyst in early 2016, after coaching at various levels (including the NFL) for nearly 33 years. 

During his time with USC, Courtright claims he witnessed some violations and felt obligated to report them to the USC compliance office so they could address the matter in-house. 

Among the allegations, Courtright claims he learned 2 USC graduate assistants working for the football were paying other students to take their classes for them -- with the blessing and funding coming from USC defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast. 

In his lawsuit, Courtright says he also reported safety violations -- including an incident where 2 football players were injured in an unsupervised pre-game warmup, where they were not wearing proper protective gear. Courtright says the players suffered concussions as a result. 

After he blew the whistle, Courtright says people at USC retaliated against him -- from gluing his computer mouse to his desk ... to leaving nasty sticky notes at his work-station calling him a "d*ckhead" and an "a**hole."

He also claims various clothing items were stolen, people stopped talking to him and eventually USC head football coach Clay Helton placed him on administrative leave before forcing him to resign in May 2018. 

Courtright adamantly believes the treatment was a direct result of his whistleblowing -- and he's demanding more than $2 MILLION. 

We reached out to USC -- so far, no official comment. 

NBA baller Jabari Parker wasn't worrying one bit about free agency on Sunday ... he was busy having the time of his life supporting the league's float at the Pride parade in NYC!!

The basketball world blew up over the weekend -- with huge names like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker all deciding to switch things up with new teams.

But, Parker -- who most recently played for the Washington Wizards -- escaped all that chaos ... hanging out with Jason Collins and ex-WNBA hoopers Chamique Holdsclaw and Ashley Battle to support the LGBTQ community in New York.

The 24-year-old was all-in on the fun ... passing out shirts and marching alongside the float.

Parker is extremely vocal about social activism, but this is a cause that hits close to home for him -- he's spoken publicly about having a gay uncle.

The NBA Pride float has been pretty lit over the past few years ... with Commish Adam Silver losing his mind with the crew a few years ago.

Here's one of the coolest stories of the weekend ... the 13-year-old umpire who was caught in a violent youth baseball brawl last month got VIP treatment at the Rockies game Sunday!!

Josh Cordova was the one officiating a game involving 7-year-old kids on June 15 in Lakewood, Colorado ... when parents began hounding him over rules and other parents' actions.

Eventually, a massive fight broke out because of the arguments ... with Cordova calling the whole incident, "scary."

When MLB ump Chris Guccione got word of Cordova's unfortunate involvement in the brawl ... he decided he had to help lift the kid's spirits -- so he invited Josh and his fam to the Rockies game!!

Cordova got the whole VIP experience ... he hung out in the Coors Field locker room and even took part in pre-game lineup talks on the diamond.

In fact, Guccione even gave Cordova his MLB jersey and chest protector ... which Josh says he's going to use right away for his next game!!

"I thought it was a perfect opportunity to reach out to Josh, and not only to him, but his family, and to say to him, 'I'm proud of you, and I'm rooting for you, and what you did is the right thing,'" Guccione told reporters before the game.

"I'm super happy for him, and I wanted to encourage him to keep going forward."

LaVar Ball is going scorched earth on Charles Barkley for calling him an "idiot" ... saying Chuck is jealous of his success ... and Barkley wishes he was his dad.

Remember, just a few days ago Barkley blasted LaVar for the comments he made to ESPN's Molly Qerim ... with Charles saying, "Wherever LaVar Ball is, there's a village missing an idiot ... We should just keep LaVar off television."

LaVar got wind of Chuck's comments ... and he ain't pleased.

"I don't even pertain to Charles because he's so jealous of me," Ball says. "He want to be me so bad. He never had a father. He wish I was his father. That's why he's so animate towards me."

FYI -- Barkley was raised by a single mother and has been very open about his family's struggles growing up. Ball clearly had no issue going after Chuck's personal life, continuing to go in on the Hall of Famer.

"He's just got a little problem right now. He an old guy, he don't know where he's going right now. So, it's okay. But hey, I ain't gonna mess with Charles. He's lost in his mind right now. It's okay, when you get old sometimes that happens."

"I know he's jealous. He wants everything I got. People don't come up to him, kids don't believe in him. Nothing."

Kourtney Kardashian seems willing to make peace with Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's brood after the families went toe-to-toe over the Kardashians' public enemy #1 ... Ms. Jordyn Woods.

The eldest Kardashian sister was seen embracing Will and Jada's daughter, Willow, Sunday after they ran into each other in West Hollywood. Kourt and Willow shared what looked like a friendly hug -- this, of course, after there appeared to be bad blood between the fams.

Of course, the hug could be fake Hollywood niceties ... or it could be the first sign all that Jordyn drama is becoming water under a bridge.

You'll recall ... Jada hosted Jordyn on her Facebook show, "Red Table Talk," where she shared her side of the Tristan Thompson cheating scandal. Jordyn denied kissing Tristan back after she says he planted one on her after a night of partying. 

She did admit to sitting on his lap too, but says nothing more came of it. 

Khloe wasn't buying that -- moments after the Jordyn episode aired, she lashed out by calling Jordyn a liar and initially blamed her for the breakup of her family.

Jorydn's been doing just fine after being ousted by the Kardashians -- inking new deals left and right -- and Khloe seems to be doing well too, focusing her time on raising baby True ... making sure Tristan's still in the picture as well despite their differences.

Washington Redskins legend Mark Rypien -- a former Super Bowl MVP -- was arrested for domestic violence in Washington on Sunday after an incident with his wife. 

Cops responded to an intersection in Spokane -- where 56-year-old Rypien and his wife had gotten into an altercation. When cops arrived, the ex-QB was standing by his vehicle. His wife was lying in the grass nearby. 

Officers spoke with both Mark and his wife for about 45 minutes, according to KHQ ... and although his wife was evaluated by paramedics, she did not require further medical attention. 

Rypien -- who played for the Washington Redskins from 1988 to 1993 -- was placed in handcuffs and taken to a nearby station where he was booked for 4th-degree domestic violence. 

He's due in court Monday morning. 

Rypien was the MVP of Super Bowl XXVI -- and played in the league until 2002. 

The Kawhi Leonard to L.A. recruitment is officially underway ... with NBA star Lou Williams giving TMZ Sports his pitch to get the Klaw to the Clippers!!

With stars like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker already choosing their landing spots -- the NBA is eagerly awaiting KL's decision ... and Lou is trying to help get Kawhi to leave the Raptors and come back to his home state. 

"Sun's out, it ain't cold like it is in Toronto. He got his ring ... come holla at us!!" Williams says. 

"Obviously, he's already a California kid, anyway. The love is already there. He's got an opportunity to do something special, he already has a legacy, already a big time baller in his own right."

"So, for him to have an opportunity to do his thing in the state of California should be dope for him."

Leonard is supposed to meet with both the Lakers and the Clippers later this week -- and the rumors are he's leaning heavily toward that Purple and Gold. 

Ezekiel Elliott will come face to face with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday to discuss the physical altercation in Vegas that captured on video, according to ESPN. 

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the 23-year-old Dallas Cowboys running back was detained by police at the EDC music festival on May 19 after knocking down a 19-year-old security guard. 

At the time, the security guard did not wish to press charges -- but has recently said he wants a genuine apology from Elliott or else he will consider his legal options. 

Elliott is no stranger to Goodell -- he was suspended for 6 games in 2017 for violating the league's personal conduct policy stemming from a domestic violence investigation involving an ex-GF. 

Elliott was never charged with a crime in that case -- and maintains his innocence -- but NFL investigators believe his actions constituted a violation of the policy and hit him with the punishment. 

He's still on crutches, but NBA star Pau Gasol is already thinking about a healthy new contract -- telling TMZ Sports resigning with the Milwaukee Bucks seems to "make sense."

The 38-year-old is still recovering from surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left foot from an injury back in May -- but when we saw him out in NYC this weekend, he was out and "feeling better."

But, the big question ... where will Gasol play next season? 

Remember, Gasol signed with the Bucks in March after being released from the San Antonio Spurs -- but only played in a couple of games before the injury forced him to miss the rest of the season. 

Gasol has previously said he thinks Milwaukee -- with Giannis Antetokounmpo -- has a real shot at winning a championship ... and it's clear he still feels that way. 

"I think it would make sense," Gasol told us when we asked about going back to the Bucks ... "I want to help a team win a championship."

UFC champ Amanda Nunes won't have to look far for her bucket list fight -- she can find her opponent in the comfort of her own home ... 'cause she wants to scrap with her FIANCEE!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the MMA power couple leading up to Nunes' fight with Holly Holm at UFC 239 next week ... and her fiancee, Nina Ansaroff, says she's 100% down to fight her boo.

"We already talked about it," Nina says. "After she gets the belt, I'm gonna get my belt at [115 pounds], and then we're gonna do a super-fight at 125 ... we're so down. We really would try to kill each other."

"Why not? Bring the money home in the same household."

Even being in a lighter weight class, the women know each other's weaknesses, considering they've been training together for years.

As for Nunes ...  She's totally on board too, saying "My last fight is gonna be against Nina and then I'm gonna retire."

FYI -- the couple has been together for years and got engaged back in August 2018 ... and Nina says their relationship is rock solid, so there won't be any hard feelings after the fight.

"Afterwards it would be like, 'that was awesome.'"

When Michael Jordan took on the original batch of MonStars back in "Space Jam," he did it WITHOUT his running mate, Scottie Pippen ... and now Pip is telling us why he wasn't in the flick. 

Remember, MJ and Bill Murray starred in the movie back in 1996 ... with a core group of NBA stars that included Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson and more. 

When production on the movie began in 1995, Michael Jordan had just come back from retirement ... so he and Pippen were teammates in the Chicago Bulls again -- which had people wondering why didn't #33 have a significant role???

So, when we saw Pip at LAX on Thursday, we needed that explanation!!! 

I think I was injured or recovering from offseason injuries," Pippen said ... "I wasn't able to participate."

If he WAS healthy though, Pippen says he would have agreed to a role in a heartbeat.

Meanwhile, LeBron James is already shooting the sequel -- and some people are wondering why he didn't sign Zion Williamson to take on the MonStars. 

UFC legend Diego Sanchez says he WILL attend a UFC Hall of Fame ceremony just 24 hours before his UFC 239 fight ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks it'll help him build momentum!!!

Sanchez and Clay Guida are being honored for their famous "Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale" fight back in 2009 ... a 3-round war that's being enshrined in the UFC's Hall of Fame fight wing. 

10 years after getting the victory in that fight, Sanchez is still a VERY active UFC fighter -- who's set to take on Michael Chiesa at UFC 239 on July 6. 

Some fighters refuse to do anything the night before a fight -- opting to keep things low-key (meditating, relaxing, etc) as part of their pre-fight routine. 

But not Sanchez!!!

"I think it's a great build up of momentum going into the fight," Sanchez says ... "I'm gonna go up there, put my jacket on, take my little walk!"

"I look at it as positive energy ... it's great. Something that I see as normal."

Sanchez says he doesn't think the honor makes him feel old -- "I feel like I'm a legend continuing to be a legend!"

Sanchez is 29-11 in his pro MMA career -- and he's currently on a 2-fight win streak after beating up Mickey Gall back in March. 

NBA fashion god Kelly Oubre Jr. is turning his swag into a money making machine ... and he tells TMZ Sports one of his dream collabs is none other than Fear of God creator Jerry Lorenzo!!!

Wave Papi has been turning heads with his threads since entering the league in 2015 ... and even took part in his first Paris Fashion Week event over the weekend ... making headlines in the process. 

Now, he's in the process of launching his own line -- Dope Soul -- so, we had to ask who he'd love to work with in the fashion game ... and dude's aiming for the hottest names in the game.

Not only is the 23-year-old baller trying to work with his guy, Lorenzo ... he also name-drops Virgil Abloh of Off-White and Louis Vuitton.

We also asked Oubre about his "shawl" look during the Pigalle Paris event ... and he explains the inspo behind the 'fit.

We are one week away from the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals, but before we can even think about that we've got to show you what some of the true futbol fanatics look like! 

From kooky costumes to outrageous headgear, these dedicated supporters in the stands have been cheering on their teams since the start ... I mean who wouldn't want fans like this? Talk about goals! 

Take a good look at the faces in the crowd by rolling through our gallery of wacky Women's World Cup fans ... see the iconic looks from the folks getting noticed for supporting in style!

Jon Jones has NEVER been beaten (no, the DQ doesn't count) ... but Chris Weidman says he's gonna be the guy to hand Bones his first real "L" in the UFC Octagon!!!

Weidman -- the former middleweight (185lb.) champ who recently jumped to light heavyweight (205lbs.) -- has been Twitter beefin' with Jon ... and both guys seem down to a scrap. 

TMZ Sports talked to Chris at LAX earlier this week ... and the UFC star had a short, but ominous message for Jones.

"See you soon, Jon."

After winning his first 13 pro fights, Weidman's been in a slump ... losing 4 of his last 5 fights -- taking L's from killers like Yoel Romero and Luke Rockhold.

Still, Weidman is the guy who took out Anderson Silva (TWICE) -- and the 35-year-old former champ feels he's got what it takes to stick it to Jones too.  

"I definitely think I have the tools to beat him."

But, Chris knows he won't just be handed the title fight ... "I gotta fight some other guys first, but at some point, [Jon's] the goal."

Chris also tells us who else is on his UFC hit list (hint: he badly wants to avenge a loss) ... and answers an age ol' and fiercely debated question.