TMZ Sports - Page 20

The Los Angeles Lakers might be a dumpster fire right now, but that hasn't stopped fans from buying up all their gear ... with the Purple & Gold leading the NBA in merchandise sales this season.

The league just released its list of most popular fan purchases through the 2021-22 season so far ... and LeBron James sits at the top of the throne for player jersey sales, with the Lakers coming in at #1 for overall team merch sold on the NBA Store website.

It's pretty interesting, considering the Lake Show has stunk up the place this season -- they're 22-23 and head coach Frank Vogel is on the verge of losing his job.

But, it's clear fans aren't going anywhere ... stocking up on their swag as the team falls apart.

Stephen Curry comes in at #2 in jersey sales, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant and Luka Doncic rounding out the top 5.

Russell Westbrook -- who's had a pretty tough year -- didn't make the list ... but Anthony Davis was able to come in at #7.

The Dubs, Bucks, Nets and Celtics follow the Lakers in team sales.

Tom Brady's football career could be just days away from ending ... so says his ex-teammate Rob Ninkovich, who said this week he wouldn't be surprised if the QB retired after this season.

Ninkovich, who played eight years with Brady in New England, made the stunning claim on ESPN's "Get Up" ... saying if the Buccaneers lose this weekend, it could very well be the last game of Tom's historic career.

"It wouldn't surprise me if Tom just kind of walked away and do whatever he wants to do," the former Patriots linebacker said.

Of course, it would certainly shock the majority of NFL fans ... considering just how good Brady's been in Tampa.

In his two seasons in Florida, the 44-year-old has amassed 83 passing TDs and nearly 10,000 passing yards. He's also just three wins away from his EIGHTH Super Bowl ring.

Brady has also said repeatedly he can play until he's 50 years old -- which would be another six or seven seasons.

But, Ninkovich, who won two Super Bowls with Tom as a Patriot, said Brady's done everything he's needed to do on the field, and could call it a career after Sunday.

"It wouldn't shock me," he said.

The woman who flashed her boobs and sparked a bizarre altercation at a Supercross event says her inbox has been flooded with hate after the incident ... claiming she's gotten death threats on social media.

31-year-old Danae Mari spoke out about her viral moment in an interview with Adam22 on "No Jumper" this week ... saying she fully planned on getting hammered at the event in Anaheim earlier this month.

After pounding two tall boys and a flask of Fireball whiskey, Danae says it was time to free the nip ... and says everyone around her was loving her enthusiasm.

But, as we previously reported, a woman in the crowd took serious issue with Danae's antics ... confronting her and scolding her for flashing with kids present ... getting drinks thrown on her in the process.

FYI -- Danae adamantly denies seeing any kids near her before showing the goods ... and even admits she was too drunk to remember the incident with the other woman.

Danae says the feedback has been mostly positive in the days following the incident ... but there are some people who have crossed the line in voicing their displeasure in her actions.

"I see 80% are fans, and the other 20 (percent) just wanna kill me," she said. "Gotta love it. Death threats in the DMs."

Danae says she was simply going with the vibe when she decided to lift her shirt ... but had no idea her antics were being recorded.

Kendall Jenner has figured out a way to make frigid weather fun ... or at least fun to look at.

The reality star stopped ski traffic for sure -- and definitely snowboard traffic -- posting photos of her posing in a skimpy black bikini and black shades. Her caption ... “Wim Hof said ice baths” ... a reference to the extreme athlete and Dutch motivational speaker.

Wim is known for his ability to endure extremely code temperatures... and clearly, Kendall feels she can follow in his footsteps, with big boots that is.

Well ... maybe Kendall's inspired lots of others to do the same, because she got more than 9 million likes.

BTW ... she's a really good snowboarder as she proved hitting the slopes, before hitting up an Andy Warhol exhibit at a local art museum. She got a taste of Aspen too, dining at some local eateries.

Charles Barkley is so tired of the Lakers, he went on an epic rant on Thursday saying the team flat-out sucks and is a bunch of "cowards" and "wussies."

The "Inside the NBA" host held nothing back on the set of the insanely popular TNT hoops show ... railroading L.A. for its recent losses and the team's responses to them.

"The Lakers are such wussies," Barkley said, "and I only say wussies because I can't say the word I want to say."

"The way they have tried to throw Frank Vogel and Russell Westbrook under the bus is really pissing me off."

Ernie Johnson, the show's host, interrupted Charles ... reminding him that they had a scheduled guest about to come on, but CB wasn't about to let some interview stop him from going in on the Lakeshow.

Check out the clip ... Barkley responded to Johnson by saying, "The Lakers still suck when we get back from this interview."

Barkley went on to express his disgust for the Lakers' front office ... accusing it of "running and hiding" after putting together a crappy roster.

"I'm not going to sit at like all these clowns on other networks that got they heads up the Lakers booties," Barkley said.

"The people up top who put that trash together are running and hiding like cowards. You put all them old geezers out there. The best guy, other than LeBron, for the last month has been who? Stanley Johnson."

"It's ridiculous, man," an exasperated Barkley continued.

Charles ultimately said he doesn't care who wins or loses ... joking that he can't wait for the season to be over so he can golf and fish.

Memphis hoops head coach Penny Hardaway absolutely lost it on media members following yet another defeat ... imploring journalists to "stop asking me stupid f***ing questions."

The explosion all went down Thursday, just minutes after the Tigers lost to SMU -- their third straight L -- when Hardaway was asked, in part, if the game was "embarrassing."

"I think the one thing I can say to this media -- because this media gets kind of f***ed up sometimes when it comes to me," Hardaway said.

"We don't have our full roster. Y'all know we don't have our full roster. Stop asking me stupid f***ing questions about if I feel like I can do something."

Hardaway continued railing on the reporters for nearly a full minute ... adding, "Stop disrespecting me, bro. Like, don't do that. I work too f***ing hard. I work way too hard for that."

Hardaway -- who's been coaching at Memphis since 2018 and had NCAA Tournament aspirations before the year began -- then called some media members' articles "bulls***."

If you're wondering, Penny's Tigers are just 9-8 on the season now ... although, like Hardaway said in his tirade, they have been shorthanded for most of the year.

Players have been in and out of lineups due to COVID and injuries ... and Hardaway was forced to start a lineup of nearly all freshmen against SMU.

Dwayne Haskins' wife is off the hook in her domestic violence case ... TMZ Sports has learned the felony charge against her was dropped this month.

Court records show Kalabrya Gondrezick-Haskins' case was dismissed on Jan. 10. We reached out to the Clark County District Attorney's Office multiple times for comment, but never heard word back.

As we previously reported, Kalabrya had been accused of causing "substantial" injuries to Dwayne during an altercation in Las Vegas back in July.

In a police report, cops said they were called to The Cosmopolitan to investigate claims that Kalabrya had attacked the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback in their hotel room.

In the docs, cops noted Dwayne had a busted lip that needed stitches, as well as a missing tooth -- and they eventually arrested Kalabrya.

In police video we obtained, you can see she wasn't pleased about being taken into custody ... asking officers inside of the hotel, "Are you serious?! So, I'm under arrest?!"

Kalabrya -- who said in the docs she and Dwayne had been married since March 2021 -- was later charged with felony domestic violence battery.

We reached out to Kalabrya's attorney for comment on the disposition of the case, but so far, no word back yet.

Dak Prescott's foot-in-mouth moment following the Cowboys' loss on Sunday just cost him serious cash ... 'cause the NFL announced Thursday it's fining the Dallas QB $25K after he praised fans for throwing trash at refs.

Following a controversial end to the Cowboys vs. 49ers game at AT&T Stadium ... fans hurled garbage at officials as they exited the field of play.

One bottle actually hit Cowboys star pass rusher Demarcus Lawrence ... and when Dak was informed that the debris-throwing was actually aimed at umps, he commended the acts.

"S***," Prescott said. "Credit to them, then."

Dak was immediately panned for the comments -- and the criticism grew so loud, he eventually apologized.

"I deeply regret the comments I made regarding the officials after the game on Sunday," the 28-year-old said. "I was caught up in the emotion of a disappointing loss and my words were uncalled for and unfair."

He continued, "The safety of everyone who attends a game or participates on the field of a sporting event is a very serious matter."

"That was a mistake on my behalf, and I am sorry."

The days of Angel Hernandez makin' you pull out your hair may soon be over ... 'cause Major League Baseball is instituting robot umpires for the 2022 Triple-A season -- moving one big step closer to an eventually automated strike zone in The Show.

MLB let the cat out of the bag on the plans this week ... posting a notice on its website seeking seasonal employees to operate the automated ball-strike system at the highest level of MILB.

According to the Associated Press, 14 teams will be looking to fill openings at their respective ballparks.

The development comes just two years after the Independent Atlantic League became the first American pro baseball league to let a computer call balls and strikes.

It's something that many players and fans have been calling for forever ... and it would eliminate the inconsistent strike zones.

After taking a year off because of the pandemic, robots were used in Low-A ball (Southeast League) at a majority of ballparks in 2021.

The Major League Baseball Umpires Association did agree in 2020 to assist and cooperate with MLB commissioner, Rob Manfred, if he decided to ultimately institute change at the major league level.

As for will we see them next season on opening day -- MLB did say the robot umps will be used at some spring training ballparks ... and didn't rule out the possibility of them being used at non-MLB venues.

Tyler Herro's girlfriend just poured her heart out for his 22nd birthday ... penning an emotional tribute to the Miami Heat baller on his big day.

"Happy birthday to my best friend, boyfriend, baby daddy, my dawg, my rock, my twin, my soulmate, my heart," Katya Elise Henry said on Instagram ... sharing a pic of the couple getting cozy on a boat in South Beach.

"I am so proud of the man and daddy to Zya you’ve become. You are wise beyond your years, it’s my favorite thing about you."

KEH gushes over Herro as the "most genuine, giving, loving, smart, driven, hard working" and "most focused" guy she's ever met ... all while being a dedicated father and partner.

"This man does it all," she added. "I love doing life with you! You are so appreciated and I am so grateful for your love. You deserve everything and more. I love tfffff out of you Tyler ❤️"

Herro and Henry became an item early in 2020 ... with the sharp-shooter seemingly shooting his shot on social media. They've been inseparable ever since ... and welcomed their daughter in September 2021.

A Wisconsin Badgers hoops fan has been banned from buying tickets to the school's sporting events ... after making disgusting slant-eye gestures toward Northwestern students during a game.

The incident happened during Tuesday's matchup at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Illinois ... when a man in Wisconsin colors was recorded on video standing up and taunting the Northwestern student section with the middle finger and anti-Asian gesture.

The fan recording the incident was in complete shock ... as well as the targeted students, who appeared to be of Asian descent.

The man was eventually kicked out of the arena by security ... and as he was leaving, the guy continued to make the racist gesture as the Northwestern students cheered for his departure.

The Univ. of Wisconsin thanked Northwestern for removing the Badgers fan after the offensive act ... and announced on Thursday that he's no longer welcome at Badger sporting events.

"We join with @UWBadgers and all #Badgers in condemning the abhorrent anti-Asian actions of an attendee at the Northwestern game this week," the school said in a statement.

Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay -- who's started 19 games for the team the past two seasons -- was arrested Wednesday night ... just four days before Kansas City's playoff game against Buffalo.

Jail records show the 23-year-old was arrested by the Overland Park Police Department in Kansas at 10:30 p.m. He was booked on a charge of criminal damage roughly two hours later.

According to jail records, Gay is still in custody. He has a court date scheduled for later Thursday afternoon.

Further details surrounding the arrest are unclear -- we're working on it.

Gay was picked by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft and has been a key contributor for the team the past two seasons, logging 87 total tackles, two interceptions and 1.5 sacks in 28 games.

His status for the Chiefs' home playoff game Sunday against the Buffalo Bills is now in question following the arrest.

Story developing ...

It's been seven years since Deflategate, but Aaron Rodgers clearly hasn't forgotten about it -- 'cause the dude is STILL taking jabs at Tom Brady over the scandal.

The Green Bay Packers superstar was doing an interview with Sportsnet when he unleashed the zinger ... commenting on the feeling of a football that was handed to him.

"This is too firm for the Patriots," Rodgers said.

Get it? 'Cause Brady (allegedly) deflated Patriots' footballs in the 2015 AFC Championship game in order to gain an edge on the Colts?!

Don't worry ... Rodgers clearly had no malice behind the comment -- he and Brady have a good relationship, and Rodgers even smirked toward the camera while making the quip.

It's still possible, though, that Brady gets the last laugh on Aaron this month ... because if both the Packers and Buccaneers win this weekend, they'll play in the NFC Championship Game the following weekend.

Daniel Jones won't be going to Super Bowl LVI this year -- but the NY Giants signal-caller made sure a New Jersey H.S. QB is attending ... surprising the player with free tickets!

"What's up Danny Dimes?!" a stoked Alex Brown said when DJ hit him up via Facetime on Wednesday.

FYI -- Brown is a senior QB out of Red Bank Catholic H.S. ... and made headlines after he scored 8 touchdowns (6 passing, 2 rushing) in a 58-34 playoff win in November 2021.

What made this stunning performance even more impressive was the fact Alex lost his mother, Michelle, to breast cancer the day before.

"Yesterday I lost my amazing mother," Brown said on Nov. 12, "Today I scored 8 touchdowns, thank you for watching over me mama ❤"

The G-Men QB admired the heartfelt moment and told Brown he was hooking him up with three SB tickets -- for him and his family.

"On behalf of the Giants, just wanna let you know that we wanna recognize you," Jones said, "and give you three tickets to the Super Bowl this year for you, your dad, and your brother."

And, needless to say ... Brown was hyped!

"Oh my God," Brown screamed, "That's insane! Oh my God!!!!"

Sha'Carri Richardson won't be running to the "Big Brother" house any time soon, cuz reports the one-time Olympic favorite is joining the show's cast just ain't true ... TMZ has learned.

The American track superstar's name flooded "Celebrity Big Brother" message boards and then hit outlets Wednesday reporting she'd be an upcoming contestant on the popular show.

Unfortunately for Sha'Carri fans, the reports just aren't true ... her rep, Ashley Blackwood, tells TMZ, “Sha’Carri was contacted months ago to be on Big Brother and declined. All coverage on her participating are false and simply just rumors.”

You'll remember -- Sha'Carri was a favorite to represent the USA at last year's Olympic games ... but those dreams were dashed when she failed a drug test with marijuana in her system.

She later made headlines when she appeared in a Beats by Dre commercial which featured a first listen of Kanye West's song "No Child Left Behind."

Other possible contestant names that circulated this week were "RHOBH" star Erika Jayne and former "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star NeNe Leakes ... sources close to both tells us neither will be on the show.

As for some celebs who actually might be on the show? Tiffany "New York" Pollard, Vanilla Ice and Todrick Hall are all names still floating around as possible houseguests.

Kyrie Irving clapped back at a fan and now it's going to cost him -- the NBA just fined the Nets star $25,000 for his "motherf***er" retort in a game on Monday.

The league announced the punishment on Thursday afternoon ... saying in a statement they levied the fine "for directing obscene language toward a fan."

The incident took place during Brooklyn's game against the Cavaliers in Cleveland ... when in the second quarter of the Nets' 114-107 loss, a fan appeared to ask Irving, "Kyrie, you need LeBron?"

Check out the clip ... you can hear Irving fired back at the troll by saying, "I got ya'll a championship and ya'll motherf***ers still ungrateful."

The back and forth between the hecklers and Kyrie continued ... as another fan appeared to yell, "It was just one. It was just one."

Irving -- who is only allowed to play in the team's road games due to his vax status -- then told the crowd, "Keep it, keep it. Save it."