TMZ Sports - Page 4

The action from the 2022 Winter Olympics XXIV in Beijing, China hasn't been all gold medals and stacked podiums ... athletes traveled the globe to leave it all out on the frozen grounds of competition ... which of course includes some pretty crazy crashes.

Put your day on ice while you check out all the biggest slips, spills and all-out blunders to put the impressive drive and courage from the world-class athletes into perspective.

Four stranded Rams players who badly needed a ride to LAX following the Super Bowl parade on Wednesday caught a lift from a generous fan ... and they rewarded the guy for the gesture with nearly $1,000!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... just after the Rams' parade settled down at the Coliseum in Los Angeles, Joe Noteboom, Taylor Rapp, Nick Scott and Jake Gervase somehow found themselves without a ride.

That was quite the problem -- 'cause they had to be at the airport ASAP to catch a plane that was set to take them to Las Vegas to continue their championship celly.

Blest with the ClockedIn Worldwide Team tells us he saw the players trying to flag down fans to give them a lift ... so he pulled up in his BMW -- and the dudes jumped in!!

Blest says the guys were super cool throughout the ride ... even when he had to make a pitstop for gas on the way. Check out the video, they all seemed to be in a great mood!

In all, the ride ended up being about half an hour -- and Blest got them to their terminal with enough time for the guys to catch their flight.

We're told each player handed Blest about $200 apiece for his time ... and thanked him as they took off for Sin City.

Did you know -- Barack Obama had some of the greatest NBA players EVER over at the White House for an insane game of basketball for his 49th birthday??

It's true -- Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Magic Johnson and Carmelo Anthony hit up 1600 Penn for a pickup game with POTUS in 2010 ... and now, a signed ball from the iconic day is hitting the auction block!!

Of course, Barry O is an avid hoops fan ... and was known to host some huge names for basketball during his time as Commander in Chief.

One of the game balls from Obama's birthday game with Magic, Kobe, LBJ and Melo is now up for grabs with Heritage Auctions ... featuring signatures from all all the guys.

Every hooper left their Hancocks on the ball ... but as an added bonus, the prez also jotted down his signature, which got a grade of 9/10.

We're told that this ball -- featuring all these history-making men -- is expected to sell for around $12,000!!!

No, Patrick Mahomes did NOT just ban his fiancée and own brother from attending his games next season ... 'cause TMZ Sports is told a report saying so is a load of crap.

A wild rumor started making rounds on social media Friday ... claiming the Super Bowl champ sat Brittany Matthews and Jackson down after the season and asked them to avoid Chiefs games as a result of all the "distractions" the duo has caused over the years.

Of course, Matthews and Jackson have been polarizing figures -- Britt's passionate cheering and champagne-spraying ... and Mahomes' TikTok dances and water-pouring incidents have drawn a ton of criticism.

But, our sources tell us the convo simply never happened ... and Patrick can't wait to have his loved ones cheering him on in 2022.

Mahomes was forced to defend Brittany from the Twitter trolls recently ... calling haters "weird" for constantly bashing his wife-to-be.

Matthews has turned all the hate she's gotten into a positive ... by selling "Team Brittany" shirts, with part of the proceeds going to charity.

Floyd Mayweather conquered boxing ... and now the legendary pugilist is taking his talents to a totally different sport -- auto racing -- by launching his own NASCAR team, TMT Racing.

The 50-0 boxer is debuting The Money Team Racing ... with 23-year-old up-and-coming driver, Kaz Grala behind the wheel of the #50 car.

And, yes, the #50 was no accident ... it represents Floyd's flawless record.

TMZ Sports recently had a chance to talk to Grala, just days before their debut race, about working with TBE.

"It's really cool. Really, really cool," Kaz says.

"[Floyd's] been talking about getting into NASCAR for a couple years here, and everyone wondered 'who's their driver gonna be?' It's pretty surreal to be the guy that they picked to pilot the 50 car for their maiden voyage."

But, TMT wasn't just given a spot in Sunday's Daytona 500 -- the Super Bowl of stock racing -- because of Floyd's fame ... they had to earn it on the track. And, that's exactly what Grala did Friday night at Daytona International Speedway.

"Making this race is an accomplishment in itself. It's one of the premier sporting events in the country each year. So, it's a huge victory just to be in the race and make it there," Grala told us.

But, as cool as it is, Kaz says Mayweather and the team aren't content with simply being in the race -- which goes down Sunday afternoon on FOX.

Now they've made the field, and they wanna win!

Delonte West is back on the basketball court ... and TMZ Sports has learned the ex-NBA star is training for a chance at playing in Ice Cube's BIG3 league!!

Sources tell us the 38-year-old has been training at the Pat The Roc Basketball Academy in Gaithersburg, Maryland every single day for the past month ... in hopes of making a huge comeback.

We're told despite everything that's happened recently, West hasn't lost his touch ... and looking at footage that surfaced online this week, it's true.

In video posted on social media, the guy is able to hit several shots ... and his handles look great as well!!

Not only has West been training hard for his return, we're told he's also been speaking to the kids at the academy and shelling out advice on hoops.

Remember, DW -- the 24th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft -- played 8 seasons in the league for the Mavs, Celtics, Cavaliers, and SuperSonics ... but fell on hard times with mental struggles and substance abuse.

With the help of his family and Mavs owner Mark Cuban, he entered rehab in 2020.

Tennesee Titans defensive end Bud Dupree spent part of his Friday morning in jail ... TMZ Sports has confirmed the football player finally turned himself in for booking after he was cited for his alleged role in a January altercation at a Walgreens.

The Metro Nashville Police Department tells us Dupree was booked on a misdemeanor assault charge in the 9 o'clock hour Friday morning. He took a mugshot and he's no longer in custody, a spokesperson told us.

According to records, Dupree also had a court hearing scheduled for Friday.

As we previously reported, Dupree was cited for misdemeanor battery on Jan. 4 after cops say he attacked an employee at a Nashville Walgreens on Jan. 2, just hours after the Titans' home game against the Miami Dolphins.

In a statement, cops said Dupree grabbed the employee and then later tried to take the man's phone -- and eventually fled the scene before officers arrived.

TMZ Sports obtained video of the incident ... and in the footage, you can see Dupree did appear to grab a man and then wrestle with him for several seconds inside of the store.

Sources close to Dupree allege he was being heckled with nasty comments ... claiming the man threatened to spit on the women he was with and kick Bud in the knee.

Ex-Atlanta Hawks superstar Josh Smith says covering his body in ink was not cheap -- admitting this week that it all cost him around $65,000 ... and maybe even more than that.

The former NBA player was chatting about his tattoos with Inked NBA when he made the stunning revelation ... explaining he "probably spent that much for real."

Smith says the tattoos were that expensive -- though he did add that he was including airfare and other fees for his artists that were associated with getting the ink.

Smith, though, clearly thinks it's all worth it -- because in the long talk with the outlet, he gushed about his tats and what they all mean to him.

Smith said he has nods to Atlanta on him, his parents, his kids -- and even said he has Chuck Taylors on his shoulder as well.

The 36-year-old said he doesn't really have plans on stopping anytime soon either, but he did say he would likely never put the needle on his face.

Lewis Hamilton says there was zero chance he was going to walk away from Formula 1 in protest after getting screwed over at the end of the 2021 season ... saying it was tough to swallow, but he's ready to "attack" again.

The racing superstar addressed all the speculation surrounding his future at the Mercedes car launch on Friday ... saying, "Well, I never ever said that I was going to stop."

"I love doing what I do, and it is such a privilege working with this large group of people when you really feel like you're part of a family and part of a team and you're working towards that common goal."

Hamilton was rumored to be plotting his exit from F1 after the controversial finish at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December ... when his hopes at another title were crushed due to the mishandling of a safety car with 5 laps to go.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen was able to catch up and beat Hamilton due to the botched call by race director Michael Masi (who was fired over the issue on Thursday) ... preventing the Mercedes driver from passing Michael Schumacher for most F1 titles.

Hamilton says it took some time to get over the incident with the help of his loved ones.

"There's no feeling quite like it," he added. "I needed to ... it was obviously a difficult time for me and it was a time where I really needed to take a step back, focus on being present. So, I had my family all around me and created great moments."

"It eventually got to a point where I decided I was going to be attacking again coming into another season with Toto [Wolff] and [teammate] George [Russell]."

Side note -- Mercedes' 2022 car is looking 🔥🔥🔥!!!

While there was a ton of speculation surrounding Hamilton's future, Wolff says he was never concerned about having to replace Hamilton in 2022.

Several members of the Arizona State football team were so upset that their quarterback, Jayden Daniels, was hitting the transfer portal ... they raided his locker, and talked smack while they did it.

Daniels -- who was the Sun Devils' QB1 for most of the last three seasons -- made his intention to leave ASU known on Thursday ... and you can see in video, the news clearly pissed off his teammates.

ASU defensive lineman Travez Moore caught their reaction on camera -- showing several players rummaging through Daniels' locker while shading the guy.

"Clear that n***a s*** out!" a player can be heard saying in the clip.

"He out of this bitch," another player said. "N***a suck anyway!"

The video was deleted off Moore's IG a short time after it was posted -- and Daniels has not yet made a public comment about it.

Shanna Moakler says she's not trying to get with Lamar Odom ... despite flirting with him on "Celebrity Big Brother" and upsetting her boyfriend in the process.

Shanna, who was recently evicted from the 'CBB' house, tells TMZ ... she's not interested in Lamar, romantically or in any capacity -- but she understands why her boyfriend, Matthew Rondeau, is pissed about her antics in the 'CBB' house.

TMZ broke the story ... Shanna's boyfriend, Matthew Rondeau, was not happy with the subtle sexual innuendos flying back and forth between SM and LO, and was having second thoughts about popping the question.

Shanna says Matthew's feelings are valid, admitting she made comments that would have hurt her if the roles were reversed. She adds ... the last thing she ever wanted was to hurt the one person who has been by her side through thick and thin.

Remember, Matthew was shopping for engagement rings earlier this month, but now he's pumping the brakes on a potential proposal ... and he and Shanna have unfollowed each other on Instagram.

Shanna says she and Matthew -- who've dated on and off since 2020  -- are taking things day by day, but are still together and "working on us."

Sounds like Shanna wants a future together ... she says Matthew means everything to her and she's happy to have him in her life because "we have a real and honest love."

Tom Brady's retirement won't last too long ... so says Antonio Brown, who explained Thursday night he believes his former quarterback isn't done with football just yet.

The former Buccaneers wide receiver was asked about the G.O.A.T. on his way into Craig's ... and he made it pretty clear, he thinks Brady will be back on the field in 2022.

In fact, when asked if he thinks Brady was "going to retire for good" -- Brown said straight up, "Why would he do that?!"

Of course, Brady did retire earlier this month ... and despite leaving the door somewhat ajar for a comeback, he said just days ago he's content with his decision.

Brown, though, said he could see the return happening -- and added that it might not necessarily be with the Bucs.

No word on if AB has any sort of inside info on the situation -- he did say previously the two talked following his messy breakup with the Bucs, but it's unclear if they've caught up since.

Brian Flores is putting rumors to rest he and his former quarterback Tua Tagovailoa didn't get along ... saying reports they had beef are flat out wrong!

Flores -- who spent three seasons as head coach of the Dolphins -- reportedly didn't see "eye-to-eye" with the ex-Alabama QB during his tenure with the team.

But, the former coach recently sat down with Chad Johnson, Omar Kelly and Brandon Marshall for his "I Am Athlete" show and said that's just not true.

"I think we had a good relationship," Flores told the guys while reflecting on Tua.

"It was a player-coach relationship. And I think in a relationship like that, the coach challenges the player, and often times the player challenges the coach."

BF added, "There was a great deal of respect between the two of us. So you hear this crazy kind of narrative that's out there, but this is a young man who works, developed, and got better over 2 years and I think he's got a bright future."

Flores and Tua missed the playoffs this season, though, Miami won 8 of its last 9 games after starting the season 1-7.

Despite the late season success, many believe Flores was fired because of friction between him and the star QB ... whom the organization selected with the 5th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Flores knows rumors of the beef likely won't be squashed ... even with the coach addressing the issue with Marshall. But, he says he doesn't care what people believe, 'cause he knows the truth.

"Yeah, the world can think what they want to think. Ask Tua, you know, I think he'd say the same thing."

Cancel Saturday's main event and give Joaquin Buckley the W ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned viral D.U.S.T. self-defense star, Commander Dale Brown is cornering the UFC star at Fight Night.

And, let's be honest ... he ain't losin' with Commander Brown by his side.

The soon-to-be 14-4 MMA fighter recently hit up Brown -- known for his awesome/viral self-defense videos -- and actually traveled to his Detroit Urban Surviving Training school last month to learn some moves.

FYI, Brown's popularity exploded after Odell Beckham Jr. paid tribute to him during the NFL season ... mimicking one of the commander's moves after scoring a touchdown.

Cleary, it went well ... and when Buckley had an open spot Octagon-side for his fight against Abdul Razak Alhassan, he asked Brown.

"He thought of me as soon as they needed another cornerman," Dale told us when we spoke to him on Thursday.

"Super excited and honored to be chosen by a respected talented pro-MMA fighter that was so impressed by my urban survival tactical training system after he tested it that he wanted me on his team as the first 'survival tactics cornerman.'"

Brown tells us he got his license from the Nevada State Athletic Commission last week ... and is anxious for Buckley to show off some exclusive D.U.S.T moves.

"There are going to be surprise tactics never seen before used in the MMA UFC Octagon," Brown says.

"This collaboration is going to be totally unexpected and these new Detroit survival tactics will be just as unexpected."

That's scary ... Buckley is already electrifying in the cage. In fact, he became an overnight sensation after he executed one of the best head kick KOs ever.

Watch Buckley fight Alhassan -- with Commander Brown looking on -- Saturday afternoon on UFC Fight Night.

Eli Manning says his dream guest on the Monday Night Football "Manning Cast" is #44 ... and it isn't Ahmad Bradshaw -- it's President Barack Obama!!

Eli and his big bro, Peyton, had all types of guests come on their ESPN 2 show this past season -- from Snoop Dogg to The Rock to their friendly rival, Tom Brady.

But, even with all those amazing cameos, we asked the Giants legend if he still had a star on his checklist he wants to cross off.

"Maybe a President," Manning told us at Fanatics Super Bowl party. "Barack Obama would be pretty good."

"I think we can get him."

Eli, Peyton and Barry O have all met before -- when the Giants won Super Bowl in 2011 and the Broncos in 2016. So, a nice reunion would be dope.

Hopefully, Eli won't have another "double bird" incident (which got 3 FCC complaints) this time around ... but if it happens again, we're sure the 2-time Super Bowl champ will be able to laugh it off.

The "Manning Cast" will be back next season ... and if Obama ends up on the guest list, you'll know why.

Just days after Saints star Alvin Kamara was arrested for felony battery, two other men have been charged in connection with the alleged beating of a man in Las Vegas during Pro Bowl weekend.

TMZ Sports has learned two men -- Darrin Young and Percy Harris -- turned themselves in to Clark County jail on February 14 ... and both were booked on battery resulting in substantial bodily harm.

It's the same charge that 26-year-old Kamara is facing -- a felony -- that can carry up to 5 years in prison, if convicted.

As for what happened ... there are a few versions of the story, depending on who you ask.

Police say surveillance video show Kamara pushing a man outside a nightclub on Las Vegas Blvd. ... before punching the man at least 8 times.

According to an incident report, Kamara's friends then got in on the action ... punching and stomping the man.

Due to his injuries, the guy had to be treated at a local hospital.

The incident occurred early Saturday morning ... but Kamara wasn't arrested until after the Pro Bowl (he caught 4 passes during the game) on Sunday.

And, that's caused controversy ... 'cause the NFL allowed the Saints superstar to play in the game, despite knowing police wanted to speak with him in connection to an alleged battery.

After the game, Kamara spoke to investigators and admitted to hitting the man ... claiming the guy said something disrespectful to his group.

However, cops say CCTV shows Kamara hitting the man at least 8 times.

But, Kamara's attorneys believe there is more to the story.

"Alvin Kamara has gained a well-deserved reputation for being a hard-working and community-minded individual. The recent Las Vegas allegations are not consistent with who Mr. Kamara has shown himself to be in both his public and private life."

"Therefore, we are conducting our own investigation into all of the circumstances and individuals associated with this matter to determine both the facts and motivations of all involved."

After the Valentine's Day arrests, three men have now been charged in total for the alleged attack.