TMZ Sports - Page 50

A World Cup trophy wasn't enough bling for Ashlyn Harris ... the USWNT stud decided to get iced out to celebrate the championship too -- coppin' $40,000 worth of diamonds!!!

TMZ Sports has learned the goalkeeper hit up Greg Yuna at their NYC Diamond District store after winning the World Cup earlier this month to get some drip.

We're told Ashlyn came away with two pieces -- a gold diamond Cuban necklace and a matching bracelet -- and they're AWESOME!!!

The necklace has 200 grams of gold with 25ct diamonds. In the bracelet, we're told there's 100 grams of gold and 15ct diamonds.

All total, the bill was $40k ... but, don't worry, Ashlyn can afford it -- reports say she earned more than $100K for the World Cup run ... and got $23,000 more kicked in thanks to Secret's donation!!!

Baker Mayfield shouldn't be judged based off his drunken arrest in 2017 ... so says Stone Cold Steve Austin, who tells TMZ Sports the Browns QB is a "class act" with a great head on his shoulders.

We spoke with the WWE legend -- who got to hang out with Bake for his new show "Straight Up Steve Austin" -- and says he had a great time with the signal-caller ... noting BM isn't the villain some people make him out to be.

"It was awesome. That kid's got such a presence about him. What a head on his shoulders and the way he puts things into perspective," Austin says.

Of course ... Baker was arrested in Arkansas back in February 2017 ... where he was infamously blasted by a cop who caught him immediately after he tried to run from being questioned.

Austin says that one little action is not who Baker is ... praising the 24-year-old's character during their time together.

"(He) had a little slip up in Arkansas a lot of people like to bring up. Man, that one little action ... this kid is a class act. Super savvy. very alpha. Guys rally around him because he's such a gamer."

"As a young man, boy, I'll tell you what -- he has a lot of composure and a lot of 'it' factor, x factor, very charismatic and very confident."

Conor McGregor needs to stop selling whiskey and get in the Octagon with Al Iaquinta ASAP ... so says Al himself, who tells TMZ Sports he wants a scrap with the Irishman!!!

Of course, Conor hasn't fought since losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov in October 2018 ... and some think he ain't returning to fight at all unless it's for a rematch with The Eagle.

But, Al says that's bad for Conor ... 'cause he doesn't think McGregor will get a rematch, saying The Notorious looked like too much of a "sissy" in the first fight to earn a runback.

"His stock is not as high as he thinks it is," Iaquinta says. "He got finished in his last fight as far as everyone's concerned. He's dead. The ref had to pull the guy off of him."

Al added, "He looked like a sissy tappin' out like that, so, he's got to come back and get a win."

Good news for Conor? Al -- the 6th ranked lightweight -- says he's more than willing to give McGregor a shot to get that victory ... saying he thinks a Conor-Iaquinta fight "really makes the most sense."

But, if McGregor ain't down ... Al tells us he's gunning to fight at UFC 243 in October or 244 in November -- and says a scrap with Dan Hooker is possible.

By the way, if Conor does get a rematch with Khabib ... Al says it's going to be a murder, telling us straight-up, "He's gonna get beat again. That's a fight that you need heart for and he doesn't have it."

Melvin Gordon should stand strong in his holdout from the Chargers ... so says Rashad Jennings, who tells TMZ Sports the RB should do it until he gets a new, fully guaranteed deal!!!

MG has been playing hardball with Los Angeles for the past few weeks wanting a fresh contract ... and the negotiations appear to have gotten pretty ugly.

In fact, reports say the Chargers could ultimately end up trading the superstar tailback before the season begins.

Jennings -- a former NFL running back himself -- tells us Gordon should keep the fight going, even if it means a trade down the line ... saying, "Set a standard!"

"Matter of fact, get it all guaranteed, too!"

Jennings says it's rare that a player has this kind of leverage over a team ... and he's all for the player using it.

New York Knicks owner James Dolan is getting a lot of hate from fans ... but it's ALL LOVE when it comes to his players -- just ask Allonzo Trier!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the 23-year-old hooper about the state of the Knicks -- from their playoff chances (they won just 17 games last year) to RJ Barrett to their rivalry with the crosstown Nets ... but the most interesting answer came when we asked about the team's controversial owner.

"I like James Dolan," Trier says.

It's interesting to hear what the players think -- considering we know what most fans and some former players (see Charles Oakley) think of the guy ... and we DEFINITELY know what he thinks of hecklers.

But, it all seems to be okay with the dudes in the locker room ... at least, according to Trier -- who, BTW, has a sick Bentley.

MVP candidate Josh Bell looked legit sad when talking about Troy Tulowitzki's retirement this week ... telling TMZ Sports the MLB is going to "sorely miss" the former superstar shortstop.

"He was really fun to watch," the Pittsburgh Pirates 1st baseman said.

34-year-old Tulo -- who signed with the NY Yankees this offseason -- finally had enough of rehabbin' from injuries, and decided to hang up his spikes Thursday.

The sudden retirement crushed seamheads everywhere -- the 5-time All-Star was one of the best shortstops of this generation when he was healthy ... hitting .290 in his 13-year career.

Bell told us when we got him out in NYC before his game against the Mets on Friday that it was sad to see the career come to a close ... saying, "He's going to be sorely missed."

For his part, Tulo seemed at peace with his decision, saying, "I will forever be grateful for every day that I've had to live out my dream. It has been an absolute honor."

Tulowitzki is set to join the Texas Longhorns as an assistant coach for his next career.

Aaron Hernandez's estate has struck a settlement with the families of the two men he was accused of killing in a 2012 drive-by shooting, lawyers for both sides confirm.

The former New England Patriots tight end had been charged with murdering 29-year-old Daniel de Abreu and 28-year-old Safiro Furtado outside of a Boston lounge ... but Hernandez was found not guilty at trial.

Prosecutors had argued Hernandez flew into a violent rage after someone accidentally bumped into him inside the bar, spilling his drink in the process.

Hernandez was painted as a homicidal maniac who waited outside the bar for hours for the men to leave and then followed their car down the street ... eventually opening fire and killing them.

But, Aaron's attorneys claimed it was actually the NFL star's friend who killed the 2 men over a drug deal gone wrong.

Days after the acquittal in 2017, Hernandez killed himself inside his prison cell where he was serving a life sentence for the murder of Odin Lloyd.

The families of the 2 victims had filed the wrongful death lawsuit against Hernandez while he was still alive -- and the case has been dragging on for years.

While details of the settlement have not been disclosed ... a lawyer for de Abreu’s widow, sent a statement to Boston.com saying it "honors the legacy and memory of Daniel de Abreu, my client’s former husband."

Undefeated boxing superstar Claressa Shields is convinced she'd make MILLIONS from a superfight with UFC champ Amanda Nunes ... but it ain't about the money.

"I'm more about the legacy of it," Sheilds said on the "TMZ Sports" TV show ... "To say that you actually beat the greatest MMA fighter."

The 24-year-old boxer is seemingly unstoppable ... she's 9-0 as a pro with TWO Olympic gold medals. Meanwhile, Nunes has destroyed the greatest female MMA fighters ever -- from Ronda Rousey to Cris Cyborg and Holly Holm.

The fight is starting to pick up some serious momentum ... earlier this month, Dana White told TMZ Sports he's open to the idea of letting Nunes cross over into the boxing ring (a la Conor McGregor) after she takes care of some UFC business.

And, Shields says her manager is also on board -- not just because of the money but because the event would be huge for female combat sports.

LenDale White just went scorched earth on Philip Rivers over his comments that the Chargers ain't stressing about Melvin Gordon's holdout ... straight-up calling the QB a "p***y."

MG is holding out of L.A. camp this month because he wants a new contract ... and when Rivers was asked about it this week -- he seemed to brush it off.

"We love Melvin," Rivers said, "but we’re going to go with what we’ve got. It’s a pretty dang good group.”

That didn't sit well with White, who attacked Rivers for the comments ... saying, "Exactly why u better do what best for you smh phill a p***y for that !!"

Rivers' words also struck a chord with Chiefs star safety Tyrann Mathieu, who wrote on social media, "DAMN."

Even Gordon himself weighed in ... responding to Mathieu's tweet with, "Wild right !!"

It's not a great look for the Chargers and Gordon ... things have reportedly gotten VERY contentious as the star RB wants a deal similar to the $57 MILLION one Todd Gurley inked last year.

In fact, reports say contract talks have stalled so much ... Gordon could be a trade candidate sometime this summer.

For his part, Gordon has remained quiet on his contract demands ... but players all over the league -- including Jets star Le'Veon Bell -- have supported his holdout.

NBA star Andre Drummond is having a better summer than you ... and if you don't believe us just check out a clip from his new rap video, which features the life you want to live, complete with the beach and a ton of babes.

If you didn't know, the Detroit Pistons center is also a rapper ... and dropped a track called "Listen" earlier this year that made news because well ... it wasn't wack.

Now, Drummond has taken to IG and released a clip from the upcoming video for the song, and we gotta say ... IT'S LIT.

There's twerking, champagne showers, bikinis and millionaires ... all the things that make an NBA player's summer great.

Jordyn Woods and James Harden aren't anything more than 2 people with mutual friends who happened to run into each other at a bar ... at least that's what we're told.

Sources close to Jordyn tell TMZ ... the 2 didn't make plans to party together in Houston Wednesday night -- it just happened to work out that way. We're told despite video showing her dancing right in front of him ... there's nothing brewing.

Our Jordyn sources say she'd been working on a project in New Orleans and made a quick trip to Texas to go out with some friends. She ended up in a VIP booth at Belle Station, coincidentally next to the NBA star and his crew ... who we're told are friends with some of her gal pals.

Jordyn didn't arrive or leave with Harden, and hardly spent any time with him, according to our sources ... and all the hookah smoking and dancing was just her having a good time.

Other sources, however, have told us Woods has been hanging out with Harden for months ... even before she kissed Tristan Thompson, ruining her friendship with Kylie Jenner. We're told Jordyn told friends Khloe was totally cool with her hanging with Harden, but Khloe had no idea.

Of course, the sight of Woods hanging with another one of Khloe Kardashian's ex-boyfriends following the Tristan Thompson cheating scandal raised eyebrows.

Rapper YBN Cordae is livin' the dream right now -- he's got a tennis superstar girlfriend, he made XXL's prestigious "Freshman Class" list, and he just dropped a debut album that's getting great reviews.

Yeah ... that's probably why the dude was so chipper when we saw him out in NYC!!!

As we previously reported ... the 21-year-old and Naomi Osaka -- #2-ranked tennis player in the world -- were getting close back in April and spending a lot of time together.

The young couple is officially official now (our source is pretty rock solid) ... but Cordae makes it clear he has to earn every dub ... at least on the tennis court.

Cordae says his tennis skills are improving ... but tells us Naomi doesn't take it easy on him.

FYI -- the YBN rapper just dropped his first project, "The Lost Boy." We gotta say, it's really dope ... and it's got features from huge names like Pusha T, Meek Mill, Anderson .Paak and Chance the Rapper.

Dude's winning on all levels.

Think Ninja is gonna sit around and mope about losing the opportunity to win a $30 MILLION Fortnite tournament????

HELL NO ... 'cause the legendary gamer is out in NYC for Epic Games' unprecedented event this weekend despite not being able to play in it -- and he says he's stoked for it!!

"It's gonna be nuts," Ninja says.

If you're unfamiliar, Fortnite is holding its World Cup event this weekend in NYC -- where 100 gamers are going to pack Arthur Ashe Stadium for the chance to win some serious cash.

Ninja -- arguably the greatest Fortnite player who's ever lived -- somehow missed the cut a few weeks ago ... but he ain't exactly hanging his head low about not qualifying.

When we got the 28-year-old out in the city -- he was smiling, laughing and even cracking jokes about how he's making video games sexy again!!!

Of course, Ninja says he makes more than $500,000 PER MONTH for playing the game recreationally ... so it ain't exactly like he's hurting for the dough.

But still, this is like Tiger Woods missing the Masters cut in his prime!!!

It's not all bad for Ninja, he's still playing the Fortnite Celebrity Pro-Am with Marshmello -- the two are defending their title from last year and are heavy favorites to win again!

There's a total of $3 MIL in prize money for the Pro-Am -- which the winners will donate to their charity of choice ... so it's a big deal!

By the way, if you're looking to find a new favorite for the World Cup champion ... 14-year-old Cody "Clix" Conrod is considered one of the tourney's top dogs now with Ninja out.

Kobe Bryant's quest to take over the non-basketball world continues ... this time the Oscar-winner (still feels weird) is dipping into J.K. Rowling's pond ... releasing a new series of young adult novels.

Mamba's multimedia company, Granity Studios, is putting out 2 works in the next 12 months, the first centered around a young female tennis prodigy who has to save a magical kingdom.

Both stories were created by Kobe himself, with the first, "Legacy and the Queen," to be written by ex-squash player Annie Matthew, and set to be released in September.

The second book "Epoca: The Tree of Ecof" comes out two months after that -- and it's about two kids from opposite sides of the tracks that form an unbreakable bond.

Here's the thing ... we know how deep Kobe is into the movies, and we also know how successful young adult books converted into movies are ('Hunger Games,' "Maze Runner" etc.) so who knows how big this could be for Mamba?!

This little piggy ... is putting Lionel Messi in the middle of a huge controversy involving Dolce & Gabbana and the country of China!!!!

The soccer superstar was rocking a $500 Dolce & Gabbana t-shirt Friday as he touched down in Barcelona for some vacation time with his family ... but he might not know that his shirt has some Chinese people very upset.

Long story short ... Dolce got in major hot water in China in Nov. 2018 for an ad campaign featuring a Chinese model bungling an attempt to eat Italian food with chopsticks.

The campaign was almost immediately deemed offensive by the masses in China and Dolce pulled it from Chinese social media in 24 hours. People were pissed and Dolce & Gabbana issued a video apology.

There's more ... Stefano Gabbana appeared to trash China in social media posts -- using the poop emoji to describe the country. He later claimed his account was hacked. But, most people weren't buying the excuse.

Fast forward to Feb. 2019 ... when Dolce & Gabbana releases new shirts celebrating the "Year of the Pig" in Chinese culture.

After the previous controversy, there was renewed outrage from Chinese consumers over the pig shirts ... with some people feeling the designs were offensive. One site explained Chinese consumers felt the designs depicted Chinese people as "pigs with money." Multiple fashion outlets (see here and here) covered the situation.

He's 8 months away from being back in fighting shape, but UFC warrior Thiago Santos says he REALLY wants a second crack at Jon Jones once he recovers from his double knee surgery.

35-year-old Santos tore ligaments in both knees during his July 6 fight with Jones -- and he just underwent surgery last week. In his left knee, Santos tore his ACL, MCL, PCL and meniscus. He also suffered a partial ligament tear in his right knee.

Despite the devastating injuries, Thiago went all 5 round with Jones -- throwing LEG STRIKES all the way up until the final bell.

TMZ Sports spoke with Santos while he was in physical therapy and he told us he's so mentally tough, he willed himself to keep fighting that night even though his body wanted to shut down.

"Even on pain, I had to continue kicking," Santos said through a translator.

Santos lost the fight via split decision -- but knows how close he came to pulling off the upset.

Now, with an 8-month recovery plan, Santos says he's REALLY hoping for a rematch with Jon.

"That's my will. I really want to fight him again but I want to be at 100% before that's happening."