TMZ Sports - Page 19

It's safe to say Alex Rodriguez is fitting in as part-owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves ... 'cause rookie guard McKinley Wright IV tells TMZ Sports it's a huge advantage!!!

We spoke with Wright out in NYC this week ... and asked the 23-year-old how it is to have the Yankees legend on board.

"Big blessings," Wright said. "One of the G.O.A.T.'s on the baseball field. It's a blessing."

Wright -- who's in his first season with the team after 4 years at Colorado -- mentioned that he and Alex have spoken ... and the 2-time MVP gave him some sound advice.

"Just continue to be yourself," Wright says A-Rod told him, "And be who you are. Don't change for nobody. Do what you gotta do to win games."

Of course, A-Rod's tenure as an NBA owner got off to a pricey start -- back in November, Minnesota was slapped with a $250,000 fine after he hosted a team gathering at his Miami mansion during the offseason.

Unfortunately, for Alex and Co., the NBA had a rule in place that prohibited teams from organizing or paying for offseason practices -- in addition to restricting teams from conducting workout sessions outside of their market.

Jon Hamm doesn't like to be left out, especially if Hollywood's boarding the Apple train without him ... which he made perfectly clear in an ad that would make Don Draper blush.

The smooth-talking actor is featured in a new campaign from Apple TV+ that made its debut this weekend during primetime NFL playoff coverage -- and the consensus seems to be ... damn, that was a good spot. Even more illuminating ... JH is pretty freaking funny!!!

Check it out ... the commercial shows Jon hanging out at home on the couch and surfing through Apple TV+'s many offerings -- with Jon scoffing at the fact that there's all these celebs plastered on the screen, but no sign of him anywhere.

He then asks the camera ... "Hey, Apple -- did I do something to offend you?" He goes on to pitch himself as someone worthy of a show or movie, like all his famous pals seem to have these days, and even makes a fake phone call to Tom Hanks ... which is hilarious.

Apple hits the point home ... they've got all the stars on their roster -- except one, that is. Of course, by hiring him for the ad, they nabbed their man in the end after all. Clever, clever.

Like we said, the commercial's a big hit and even went viral Saturday ... with many saying it was Super Bowl worthy, even though the game is still weeks away. And as for Jon's comedic chops -- well, that sorta took people aback as well ... since he's a big drama (genre) guy.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was just involved in a bad car accident  ... so bad his monster SUV rolled over on top of another car, and that driver was badly injured.

Arnold was driving a Yukon SUV when it collided with a red Prius at around 5:00 PM PT.  His SUV started to roll and ended up on top of the Prius, then continued rolling to the left into a Porsche Taycan.

One eyewitness says it was crazy ... it looked like a stunt in a movie. The collision was intense enough that the airbags deployed on the Yukon.

The woman who was driving the Prius was injured -- bleeding heavily from her head. We're told an ambulance took her to the hospital.

Arnold, we're told, is OK and is deeply concerned about the injured woman. An Arnold source tells TMZ he wants to personally check up on her.

Jake Steinfeld of "Body By Jake" fame was apparently at the scene at the time of the crash and that's him in the photo (above) with Arnold. The two are close friends. In fact, when Arnold was Governor of California, Jake was the Chairman of the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness.

One of the witnesses says it appeared the Prius was on Sunset Blvd and Arnold was on Sunset turning left in the opposite direction when the collision occurred.

At the time of this post, Arnold is still at the accident scene, which is about a mile from his home.

Dana White isn't sweating the contract drama with UFC heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou ... telling TMZ Sports he's been dealing with similar issues for the last 2 decades!

We talked to the UFC honcho before 35-year-old Ngannou faces interim heavyweight champ Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 on Saturday ... a fight which The Predator says could be his last with the fight promotion.

Why? Ngannou wants more cash.

We asked Dana where his organization stood with respect to Francis' future.

"I've been in contract drama for 20 years with people. It's part of the business. I honestly don't know where we'll end up after Saturday," White says, adding, "We'll see how the fight goes, we'll see what happens and I'm sure we'll figure it out one way or another."

And, White says personally, everything is cool with him and his champion fighter.

"Francis and I have had our moments over the last several years. I bumped into him at dinner a few weeks ago and we had a good conversation. It was funny because we needed to talk. We needed to see each other and the universe made it happen."

"We'll see how these things play out. I don't blame Francis as much as I blame the not so very smart people that surround him."

Dana is (likely) referring to Ngannou's rep, Marquel Martin ... whom he's feuded with in the past.

As for the actual fight ... Dana tells us they're going to smash the previous gate record (money spent on tickets) at the Honda Center in SoCal.

Charles Oakley says Devin Booker was right to get pissed off about the Toronto Raptors mascot's free throw antics ... telling TMZ Sports the dino was crossing the line.

We spoke with Oak about the Phoenix Suns star's ongoing feud with mascots across the league ... and he says the 25-year-old should be left alone -- especially when fans aren't in the stands.

Of course, Oakley is referring to when Booker called on officials to move the Raptor from underneath the basket while at the charity stripe last week ... during a game that was played in Toronto's empty arena due to COVID-19 protocols.

Oak says if fans aren't in the stands, there's no need for the dino to be hanging out around the court ... and it definitely shouldn't be trying to impact the game.

The Knicks legend says if things get worse between Booker and mascots across the league, he thinks the NBA will intervene and tell the furry creatures to cut it out.

We also spoke with Oak about his book, "The Last Enforcer," which drops next month ... and he says he's dishing on what went down with some of the biggest names in his era.

"Tyrone Hill, Dennis Rodman, Charles Barkley Pat Riley. Everybody in the book. Bringing 'em out."

And, what'll happen if those guys get upset over what's in the book?

"Cool Runnings" actor Rawle D. Lewis says it's time for a reboot of the classic 1993 film -- telling TMZ Sports it should represent the Jamaican women's bobsled team this time around ... and Lupita Nyong'o should have the starring role.

Of course, the OG flick was a Disney adaptation of the story of the Jamaican bobsled team's appearance in the 1988 Winter Olympics.

Lewis tells us he wants to see the story hit the silver screen again -- with the focus on the women's team.

"People don't realize that women [bobsledders] also did well," the Cool Runnings actor told us this week. "I think the reboot might be like the whole women doing their thing."

And, Lewis is shooting for the stars with his idea ... saying he'd love to pass the "Cool Runnings" torch to Nyong'o.

"She can play anything," RDL says.

The whole movie convo came up after we spoke to Lewis about the four-man Jamaican bobsled team that made it to the 2022 Winter Olympics for the first time in 24 years.

RDL played Junior Bevil in the OG flick ... and he's ecstatic about the real team making it back to the Games.

"I was watching it and I was like, 'God, that is so f**king amazing,'" RDL said.

"There's no snow in Jamaica. Like, none! Like, I don't know if people understand the concept of what they're able to accomplish here, but that's amazing."

The MLB season is in jeopardy due to a lockout, but Aaron Boone clearly ain't ready to sweat about it all just yet ...

TMZ Sports got the New York Yankees manager out at LAX this week ... and he didn't seem to be too concerned about the contentious negotiations that are currently going down between team owners and the players association.

Boone was in great spirits ... and when we asked if he had any advice for the players going through the lockout, he said calmly, "Nah. They'll figure it out."

Of course, there are others around the league that are far more concerned than Boone ... given that baseball's been in a work stoppage for nearly two months.

Owners and players are trying to come to a common ground on a new collective bargaining agreement ... but significant strides toward a final deal have yet to be seen.

And, with spring training set for next month -- and the start of the season scheduled for March -- there's a lot of hand wringing going down.

Chargers owner and chairman Dean Spanos is being sued by his own family ... who accuse Uncle Dean of secretly diverting money meant for them after the team moved from San Diego.

The allegations are spelled out in a lawsuit filed Friday in San Joaquin County, California.

Dean's nephews, Dimitri and Lex Economou -- beneficiaries of the trust that owns a portion of the NFL team -- have accused Spanos of secretly changing the trust, screwing them out of boatloads of money in the process, according to the lawsuit.

According to the suit, here's the deal ... the trust owns 36% of the Chargers. In addition, the trust is also partially funded by revenue from the stadium -- and therein lies the problem.

The Economous' claim Dean convinced the family the move from San Diego to Los Angeles would be lucrative with the building of SoFi Stadium ... the $5+ billion state-of-the-art facilities where the Chargers play.

However, Dimitri and Lex say Dean -- with aid from brother Michael Spanos -- surreptitiously diverted money from the trust ... cutting them off from the stadium-related revenue (ticket sales, etc.).

FYI, Dean's dad, billionaire Alex Spanos, purchased the team in 1984. In 2017, the team moved from San Diego to L.A.

The suit claims Dean and Michael redirected the money while dad Alex and mom Faye -- who both passed in 2018 -- were in "failing health."

The lawsuit doesn't specify an amount ... but we're talking about a team worth nearly $3 BILLION, according to a Forbes report last summer.

While the team has improved on the field and is worth a lot of money, the lawsuit paints a grim financial picture for the Spanos family.

According to the docs, the trust is in major financial trouble ...  and that's been compounded by Dean's alleged misconduct.

Bottom line ... the suing family members want things to go back to the way it was before the changes were instituted. Dimitri and Lex have also asked a judge to remove Dean as the co-trustee of the trust ... and they want monetary damages awarded to them.

More trouble for Nate Hobbs -- the Raiders rookie was busted for reportedly driving well over the speed limit on Sunday ... just 2 weeks after he was arrested for DUI.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... the 22-year-old cornerback was cited for reckless driving on Jan. 16. According to 8 News Now, Nevada State Police Highway Patrol clocked him driving 110 miles per hour in a 65.

Hobbs was issued a citation ... and his car was reportedly towed from the scene.

We broke the story -- Hobbs was arrested for DUI around 4 AM on Jan. 3 ... just hours after the Raiders' road win over the Indianapolis Colts.

Cops say they found Hobbs passed out in his car in the exit ramp of a parking garage ... and claim he smelled like booze and had "glassy watery eyes."

Hobbs was arrested after cops claim he did not do well on field sobriety tests, but his attorneys released a statement saying there were serious concerns it did not qualify as a DUI under Nevada law based on the facts relayed by Vegas police.

Hobbs' recent run-ins with the law are obviously not the first time someone from this Raiders team has allegedly acted recklessly in a vehicle -- Henry Ruggs is accused of getting drunk, speeding in his car and then killing a woman and her dog in a wreck in Las Vegas in November.

Krystof Hrabik -- a forward for the American Hockey League's San Jose Barracuda -- has been suspended 30 games by the AHL ... after he allegedly used a racist gesture toward a Black opponent.

The incident took place during a game on Jan. 12, when Hrabik, who is white, allegedly directed a racist gesture toward Boko Imama ... a Black player on the Tucson Roadrunners.

According to ESPN, 22-year-old Krystof imitated the movements of a monkey ... in an effort to taunt Imama during Tucson's 4-3 victory over San Jose.

The AHL said it became aware of the incident the following day ... and immediately launched an investigation, and removed Hrabik from all team activities while the probe moved forward.

The San Jose Barracuda and the San Jose Sharks' orgs released a joint statement Friday apologizing to Imama.

"The Barracuda and San Jose Sharks organization were appalled to learn of this incident," the teams said. "We offer our sincerest apologies to Boko, the Roadrunners organization, the AHL, our fans, and the entire hockey community."

"The AHL stands with Boko Imama," AHL president and CEO Scott Howson added in a statement. "It is unfair that any player should be subjected to comments or gestures based on their race."

"They should be judged only on their ability to perform as a player on the ice, as a teammate in the locker room and as a member of their community."

Imama has been the victim of a racist act by an opponent before -- during a game in Jan. 2020, Brandon Manning of the Bakersfield Condors used a racial slur toward Boko during a verbal altercation.

Manning -- who later apologized for his actions -- was suspended for five games.

As for Hrabik ... he's already served three games of his suspension. The AHL says he will have the opportunity to receive training on racism and inclusion from the NHL's Player Inclusion Committee during the ban.

San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa appeared to relieve himself right on the bleachers at a high school football stadium ... and TMZ Sports has the pic.

The Niners -- who are set to face off against the Green Bay Packers this weekend -- practiced at a local Bay Port H.S. on Friday in order to adjust to the anticipated weather conditions before the big matchup ... and at some point, 24-year-old Bosa seemingly had to go #1.

Bosa just recently cleared concussion protocol ... and will be set to line up against Aaron Rodgers and Co. on Saturday in the divisional round of the playoffs.

The game is set to go down at Lambeau Field at 5:15 PM PT ... with a shot at the NFC Championship Game on the line.

Joe Biden took a subtle jab at Aaron Rodgers over his COVID vaccine stance in December ... and now the NFL star is finally swinging back -- wondering out loud how the guy got votes.

If you missed it, while Biden was touring a tornado-ravaged part of Kentucky, he whispered to a woman in a Green Bay Packers cap and shirt, "Tell that quarterback he's gotta get the vaccine."

The interaction was captured on camera ... and when Rodgers was finally asked about it as part of a lengthy interview with ESPN this week -- he said he was pissed.

Then, he took his own jabs at POTUS.

"When the president of the United States says, 'This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated,' it's because him and his constituents, which, I don't know how there are any if you watch any of his attempts at public speaking, but I guess he got 81 million votes," Rodgers said.

"But when you say stuff like that, and then you have the CDC, which, how do you even trust them, but then they come out and talk about 75% of the COVID deaths have at least four comorbidities."

Rodgers continued, "And you still have this fake White House set saying that this is the pandemic of the unvaccinated, that's not helping the conversation."

As we previously reported, Rodgers has been extremely vocal about his vaccine status in the last few months ... famously explaining he's not vaccinated because he says he's allergic to the Pfizer and Moderna shots, and just doesn't want the Johnson & Johnson version.

Steroids contributed to the shocking and sudden death of bodybuilder George Peterson ... autopsy results, obtained by TMZ Sports, revealed.

In the documents, officials say Peterson died due to "sudden cardiac dysrhythmia due to hypertensive cardiovascular disease." They note in the docs that "anabolic steroid use" was a contributing factor.

Officials ruled the manner of death as "natural."

He was just 37 years old.

As we previously reported, Peterson -- aka "Da Bull" -- was found dead in October in Orlando ... just before he was set to compete in a top bodybuilding competition.

His coach and close friend Justin Miller said at the time Peterson was in great spirits just before his death, saying the bodybuilder was pumped for the show.

But, tragically, Miller said he found Peterson face down on the floor of his hotel room before the bodybuilder was able to compete. Medical personnel was unable to save him, Miller said.

Peterson was a star on the bodybuilding circuit ... he won the Classic Physique competition at the 2019 Arnold Classic and competed in the Olympia four times.

Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay will play in K.C.'s huge playoff game against the Buffalo Bills despite being arrested this week ... Andy Reid just announced.

The Chiefs' head coach told media members that Gay practiced on Friday ... and will suit up for the team on Sunday even though he was just in a Kansas jail cell less than 24 hours ago.

As for why, Reid said, "I decided he'd play. I'm not going to get into conversations. But I decided that after just hearing some of the information there."

As we reported, Gay was arrested just before midnight on Wednesday ... after he was accused of breaking a vacuum and other items during an argument with the mother of his child in Overland Park.

Gay was hit with a charge of misdemeanor criminal damage ... though he pled not guilty in court hours later -- and was eventually released.

Gay's rep, Maxx Lepselter, said in a statement just before his release from custody that he expected a quick resolution to the case.

"Likely just pays a fine and replaces vacuum," Lepselter said. "Nothing more, all should be resolved today with no further issues."

Jerry Jones says he will make no effort to block out the sun at AT&T Stadium ... despite the roaring glare costing his team points in their playoff loss last weekend.

The Dallas Cowboys owner was adamant there will be no addition of sun shades or a curtain to his domed palace in Arlington, explaining Friday on 105.3 The Fan, "that's about 10,000th on my list of things to worry about."

"We're not going to do anything with it," Jones said. "It goes both ways."

If you missed it, toward the end of the first half of the Cowboys' loss to the 49ers on Sunday, a Dak Prescott pass fell incomplete due to the sun.

The intended target, Cedrick Wilson, said the glare blinded him -- and robbed him of a completed pass that would have put Dallas in position to kick a field goal.

Most thought it would lead to Jones finally putting something up to block out the sun ... but he said emphatically on Friday he has no plans whatsoever to do that.

"I need to be worrying about something frankly that gets us back this week, next year, in the playoffs," Jones said.

Wrestling legend Sting just proved age ain't nothin' but a number -- the 62-year-old AEW star stole the show this week ... when he threw himself off the stage into another wrestler on a table!!

The insane moment happened during AEW Dynamite ... when Sting was originally scheduled for a tag team match against The Acclaimed -- featuring stars Anthony Bowens and Max Caster.

But, when Sting's tag team partner, Darby Allin, got hurt, the match turned into a handicap match ... meaning Sting had to fight both Bowens and Caster by himself.

The video is nuts -- the 37-year wrestling vet gets a running head start on stage and goes crashing down into Caster, who had been laid out on a table.

Keep in mind ... this spot in the match came after Sting had just wrestled two guys nearly half his age by himself -- for 10 minutes!!!

Even the most casual wrestling fan has to admit this was impressive ... especially considering other wrestling icons like Ric Flair and The Undertaker are retired.

AEW brought in Sting a little over a year ago, and his current on-screen role is supposed to be a mentor to Darby ... but it looks like Allin needs to be taking moves from the former WCW and WWE legend!!