TMZ Sports - Page 50

Karl-Anthony Towns wanted all the smoke Wednesday night ... savagely trolling Lakers guard Russell Westbrook over a horrible air ball he shot during the Lakers vs. Timberwolves game.

The funny exchange happened late in the fourth quarter of Minnesota's win over L.A. ... when Russ thought he lined up a corner three, but instead, came up with nothing but air.

Broadcast cameras caught Towns -- who was in perfect position to grab the "rebound" -- immediately making fun of the dude over the shot, looking to the sky as if to see what caused Russ to miss everything.

The Timberwolves broadcasters got a kick out of Karl's reaction ... with one saying, "KAT is looking where the wind is," before asking, "Did somebody open up a door?"

Wolves star Patrick Beverly then got in on the ribbing ... clowning the Lakers during Minnesota's blowout win.

Pat Bev appeared to mouth "trash" -- while making a gesture with his nose as if something stunk -- after intercepting a pass from Westbrook and starting a T-Wolves fast break.

A short time later, Pat was seen staring down LeBron James and flexing in his direction ... before going over to give the King a pat on the backside.

The Minnesota fans in the arena ate it up ... and Pat played to the crowd -- but Russ appeared to be furious over it all afterward.

When being interviewed by reporters after the loss, Russ said he won't pay any attention to Minnesota's trash talk because "Nobody over there's done anything in the league."

Beverly eventually responded on Twitter, saying, "Playoffs every year. 2 western conference finals with 2 different Teams individual stats or team stats? I thought it was a team sport??"

Arnold Schwarzenegger is using the power of his celebrity to reach Russian citizens and members of the military ... applauding the Putin dissenters from within and giving others the lowdown on what is REALLY going on in Ukraine.

Arnold posted a 9-minute video in which he praised those who are taking a stand against the Russian President, saying, "The world has seen your bravery. We know that you have suffered the consequences of your courage. You have been arrested. You have been jailed, and you have been beaten. You are my new heroes."

Schwarzenegger may have unique power to break through the modern version of the Iron Curtain ... he's such a massive, world star, his social media posts may seep through the cracks for his Russian fans.

Arnold has history in Russia ... he was the first Western star to film in Moscow -- in "Red Heat" back in 1988.

Arnold is urging Putin to "Stop this war." Putin won't care, but again, if Russian citizens hear this, they're gonna think twice about Putin's claim it's not a war at all.

Patrick Mahomes wasn't the only Mahomes getting a big, public kiss in this month ... his brother, Jackson Mahomes, just starred in a TikTok video where he smooched a famous social media star.

Jackson shared the footage on his Instagram page Wednesday night -- and it's pretty steamy.

Vibing to Kevin Gates' "Thinkin' with My D***," TikTok star Blaneoh began the video on screen -- before Jackson lightly pushed him out of the way to stand next to Dayna Marie.

If you're not familiar ... 21-year-old Dayna is HUGE on social media, she has nearly 7 million followers on TikTok and over 1 million followers on Instagram.

In the footage, Jackson can be seen laying a big kiss on her -- before everyone eventually left the screen and the camera cut off.

No word if everyone was just having fun -- or if this is the start of a new relationship for Jackson. But, either way, it's been a notable past few days for the younger Mahomes.

He was just Patrick's best man at the Chiefs star's wedding in Hawaii last weekend, and his social media presence has ballooned even further following Patrick's big day.

Kevin Durant wanted no part of exchanging playful banter with a courtside fan on Wednesday -- telling a man bluntly, "Shut the f*** up and sit down."

The interaction happened at some point during the Nets' game against the Mavericks at Barclays Center in Brooklyn ... when a fan urged Durant to score more points during a small break in play.

"Kevin!" the fan shouted while the NBA superstar was hunched over just feet away. "You've got to take this game over!"

Durant took about a millisecond to digest the comment -- before he unleashed a savage response.

"You've got to shut the f*** up and sit down," he said, not even taking his hands off his knees to deliver the chirp. "Sit your ass down."

Durant did ultimately try his best to take over -- scoring 23 points and logging 6 rebounds and 10 assists -- but the Nets ultimately fell to Dallas, 113-111.

After the game, a man shared video of the incident with KD on Twitter -- and Durant actually ended up responding to it -- poking fun at the fact that a fine from the NBA was no doubt heading his way.

Michael Jordan and Tony Romo bro'd down on Wednesday -- getting in a round of golf together at a swanky course in Mexico.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the NBA's GOAT and the former Dallas Cowboys superstar hit up El Camaleón Mayakoba Golf Course in Playa del Carmen -- and looked quite chummy while hitting it around.

In video of one of the holes they played, you can see the guys were chattin' on the green while their partners tried to sink putts.

Jordan smoked a cigar, while Romo had a big smile on his face.

We're told Tony ended up making his 20-footer right after the video ended -- and several fans that had gathered to watch cheered with joy. Jordan, meanwhile, missed his putt on the hole, we're told.

We also got footage of Romo's drive on the ensuing hole -- and it's clear, the dude still has a really pretty golf swing.

No word yet on who got the better of whom out on the course -- we're told the two were actually still getting holes in as of late Wednesday afternoon.

If you were wondering, they both have incredibly impressive golf handicaps -- so it's unclear who's the favorite.

Terrifying news from Paul Pogba -- the Manchester United star says his home was broken into during his game Tuesday night ... and his children were there at the time of the incident.

Pogba says the home invasion happened during the team's 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid ... while his kids were sleeping in their bedroom.

"This occurred during the final minutes of last night's match when they knew that we would not be home," Pogba said on Wednesday via social media.

"My wife and I rushed home not knowing if our children were safe and unharmed."

It is unclear if the kids had a babysitter or nanny at the time of the incident ... but the 29-year-old says this is a father's worst fear.

"As a father there is no feeling worse in the world than not being there to protect your children and I sincerely hope that no one ever has to feel what I felt last night."

The French midfielder doesn't mention what was stolen ... but says his fam's safety has been violated and is offering a reward for any info on the suspects.

"The burglars were in our home for less than five minutes but in that time they took from us something more valuable than anything we had in our home ... our sense of safety and security."

"It is for this reason that I would like to offer a reward for anyone who has a clue to help us."

The University of the Southwest golf team van was involved in a fatal traffic crash following a competition in Texas ... and 7 passengers -- 6 students and the coach -- were tragically killed, the school announced.

The accident happened Tuesday night in Andrews County, West Texas ... when a passenger van carrying both the men's and women's teams collided head-on with a Ford F-150 truck.

Two students were airlifted to a nearby hospital with serious injuries. Officials have not announced any additional details surrounding the crash.

Sgt. Steven Blanco of the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed to KWES-TV there were fatalities in both vehicles, but the total number of deaths hadn't been confirmed at the time of his comments.

University president Quint Thurman released a statement on the tragedy ... saying, "We are still learning the details about the accident, but we are devastated and deeply saddened to learn about the loss of our students' lives and their coach."

Tyler James, who was in his first year as H.C. of the men's and women's team, passed away.

USW's Athletic Director, Steve Appel, tells TMZ Sports there were nine passengers in the van at the time of the accident.

"The USW campus community is shocked and saddened today as we mourn the loss of members of our university family," Appel said. "Last night, the men’s and women’s golf teams were traveling back to campus from competition in Midland, Texas, when their bus was struck by oncoming traffic."

"While the accident investigation is still underway, reports indicate that seven passengers aboard the bus were killed in the crash. Two of the passengers are in critical condition undergoing medical treatment in Lubbock, Texas."

"USW is coordinating with Texas DPS to assist with the investigation and public information efforts. University administration is communicating with families of the students and coaching staff to provide more information as it becomes available."

The Seahawks are blaming their breakup with Russell Wilson entirely on the QB -- saying Wednesday that Russ is the one who forced them to trade him out of Seattle.

"Russell made it clear he wanted this change," Seahawks chair Jody Allen said in a statement.

The comment is a surprising one -- considering for most of this offseason, Russ had praised Seattle, including just a few weeks ago, when he said the city and the team were "great."

The 'Hawks, though, made it clear ... Russ really didn't want to play for them anymore.

"It became evident that Russell was interested in playing elsewhere," general manager John Schneider said in a statement.

The Seahawks' brass did offer "thank yous" and "goodbyes" to Russ in their statements ... adding that they at least felt grateful they were able to get a haul of drafts picks and players in their trade for the QB last week.

Allen added that he was looking "forward to welcoming our new players and to everyone being fully engaged while working our hardest to win every single day."

Freddie Freeman's time in Atlanta is over ... the 2020 NL MVP just officially waved goodbye to the Braves with an emotional farewell letter.

Freeman wrote the note and posted it to his social media page on Wednesday ... confirming talks about a new deal with ATL have broken off.

"It has been a blast to have you cheer for me and I hope I was able to bring smiles to a lot of your homes over the years," Freeman said. "I gave everything I had day in and day out and I hope you guys saw that as well."

Freeman had been negotiating with the Braves for a while -- but after Atlanta traded for former A's first baseman Matt Olson this week, and then proceeded to give him a huge contract extension, it's clear both sides are now headed in different directions.

Freeman played 12 years for the Braves after being drafted by the team in 2007 -- and in 2020, he won an MVP award, and then in 2021, he won a World Series.

"It was truly an honor," Freeman said. "We went through the very highs together and some lows but those lows is what made last year so special."

"You watched me grow up from a baby faced kid to marrying my love @chelseafreeman5 and seeing us bring 3 beautiful boys into this world. I’m so glad my family got to be apart of yours!"

Freeman added, "I look forward to seeing and playing in front of you all again. When that time comes, I hope you remember all the wonderful memories we made together. I love you Braves Country! Champions Forever!"

Heads up, Matt Ryan ... Warren Moon tells TMZ Sports he believes the Falcons are a legit threat to land superstar quarterback Deshaun Watson in a trade this month.

"Atlanta is his hometown," the Houston Oilers legend said. "He's well-liked in that area, great organization and they could use a younger quarterback with fresh legs and everything."

Watson is on the verge of being shipped out of Houston -- and Atlanta has recently thrown its hat into the mix to try to score him in a trade.

Moon tells us he believes it's not just a ploy by the Falcons to drive up the price for the rival Saints and Panthers -- saying he thinks Watson has ties to ATL that shouldn't be ignored.

Notably, Moon says Warrick Dunn -- one of the Falcons' minority owners -- has a relationship with the former Clemson standout that could sway things.

"He put Deshaun in one of his houses [through his charity] many, many years ago," Moon said of Dunn. "So, there's a connection, a tie there with the Atlanta Falcons."

The Texans are also reportedly considering trading Watson to the Browns, in addition to the Falcons, Saints and Panthers.

Of course, a deal is imminent after Deshaun and the Texans had a messy breakup following allegations that he was sexually inappropriate with multiple female massage therapists.

Last week, however, a grand jury decided Watson will not face criminal charges over the claims in Harris County, Texas ... which paved the way for the MVP-caliber quarterback to return to the gridiron.

Moon -- who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006 -- tells us he doesn't think Watson will have any rust when he eventually suits up for his next team ... adding that he's happy the signal-caller will get to continue his career.

"I met him a number of years ago, he's a really first-class young man," Moon said. "Hopefully he gets back on the field sooner than later."

Forget body slams and full nelsons -- WWE's Indi Hartwell and Dexter Lumis fought Persia Pirotta and Duke Hudson by trying to out-makeout each other ... and coincidentally, wrestling interest is through the roof.

The wild moment went down on WWE NXT on Tuesday ... as Indi and Persia were duking it out in a singles match, and Hudson showed up to cheer on his lady.

Of course, Dexter couldn't miss the big match either ... popping up to cheer on his lady.

Hartwell ended up winning the match over Pirotta ... but the real competition came when both couples decided to brawl each other in a wild bloodbath for the ages.

Just kidding -- the two couples decided to see who could suck face the best.

The scene is bonkers -- the couples try to one-up each other with the PDA ... and Indi even rips Dexter's shirt off to make it pretty PG-13.

Eventually, both couples are laying on the canvas and playing tonsil hockey ... with Dexter even giving a thumb's up to the crowd as it happens.

While the whole interaction was shocking, Indi teased going even further in the ring with Dexter on Twitter after the match ... hinting at wanting to recreate Edge's famous "Live Sex" celebration with Lita from Monday Night Raw in 2006.

The Washington Commanders have cut Deshazor Everett ... three months after his alleged role in a fatal December car crash.

The team announced the roster move on Wednesday -- though it's unclear if his legal case had anything to do with the decision.

As we reported, authorities say Everett was going over 90 mph in a 45 mph zone just before he crashed his Nissan GT-R in Virginia on Dec. 23.

The accident was so bad, it ultimately killed his passenger, Olivia Peters. In 911 audio, obtained by TMZ Sports, a witness at the scene said the wrecked car was "trapped in the trees."

Following weeks of investigating, authorities hit Everett with a felony charge of involuntary manslaughter in February -- and records show he's due in court for a hearing on the matter in June.

Everett had been a key player for the Commanders, he was a team captain who played in 89 games for Washington in seven seasons.

Andrew Whitworth knew he was retiring the moment the confetti fell on Super Bowl LVI -- 'cause the Rams star told his kids he was hanging up his helmet while celebrating the championship on the SoFi Stadium field.

The heartfelt moment was captured by NFL Films on Feb. 13 ... but wasn't released until the 40-year-old left tackle announced his retirement on Tuesday.

In the clip, you can see Whitworth sitting on the turf with his four kids, surrounded by confetti.

"Hey, listen to me," Whitworth says, "That is daddy's last football game."

"That's it. No more. I'm gonna be home with you guys, okay?"

The kids reaction was adorable ... they're clearly very excited daddy's gonna be home.

Whitworth spent 16 seasons in the league. The former second-round pick in 2006 out of LSU played 11 years with the Bengals ... and his last 5 in Los Angeles.

Andrew had a hell of a career ... he made four Pro Bowls, two First-Team All-Pro, won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year (2021), the 2022 Super Bowl champ and oh, he also made over $107 million.

Now, Whitworth has time to spend with his wife, Melissa, and kids, Sarah, Drew, Michael and Katherine.

"Promise, I'm gonna be a better dad, I'm gonna be around more. I'm gonna coach the crap outta you boys."

"We're gonna have some fun. I love yall!"

The newest 'Bachelorette' star is trading her pom-poms for roses ... 'cause Gabby Windey is a former Denver Broncos cheerleader!!

The 31-year-old current ICU nurse was announced as one of the costars for the next season of the ABC dating show ... after getting her heart broken by ex-NFL hopeful Clayton Echard in the final week.

Windey -- who handled the dumpster-fire ending of her relationship with Clayton like a champ -- spent several seasons on the Broncos sidelines ... joining the squad in 2015 before leaving in 2021.

On top of being a pro cheerleader, Gabby also worked on the frontlines as a nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of course, Gabby is sharing the title of 'Bachelorette' with Rachel Recchia, who was also crushed by Clayton's lack of transparency at the end of his season.

As it turns out, Rachel also has a cheerleading background -- she was a member of the squad during her time at Ohio University.

In case you weren't following the season, Clayton was "intimate" with both Gabby and Rachel during fantasy suites ... which led the third finalist, Susie Evans, to break things off with him and go home.

Clayton then admitted to Gabby and Rachel he was in love with all three finalists and fought to keep them on board ... before eventually admitting his heart was ultimately with Susie and breaking up with the other two women at the SAME TIME (yeah, bad).

As it turns out, Susie eventually reached back out to Clayton after the show ended ... and now they're happily together.

Rachel and Gabby, on the other hand, will now try their luck with the show again ... this time, being on the other side of things.

The season airs later this year ... we'll be "cheering" for love.

U.S. congressman Colin Allred tells TMZ Sports Brittney Griner is "OK" in Russia ... though he added he can't say much more, hoping relative silence keeps the WNBA star from becoming a political pawn.

Griner has been detained in Russia since mid-February ... after she allegedly tried to go through airport security with hash oil in her suitcase.

Details surrounding her detainment have been fuzzy and few and far between ever since -- and Allred hinted to us out on Capitol Hill on Tuesday that has been by design.

The U.S. rep. -- who played football at Baylor just a few years before Griner starred on the basketball court there -- says they're hoping keeping things quiet about her status here in the States allows her to get a fair shake out in Russia.

"Right now, we want to see her treated normally," Allred said. "As anyone else would be and come home as soon as possible."

He added, "We have to make sure that she's treated as anyone else would be and she's not a symbol or a hostage or anything like that."

In one of the few public comments since her detainment, Griner's wife said earlier this month that she hasn't been able to communicate much with the basketball player and that it's all been devastating.

NFL running back Duke Johnson waited THREE YEARS to get revenge on Baker Mayfield ... and he finally got it by roasting the QB amid his uncertain future with the Browns.

26-year-old Baker released a lengthy, heartfelt message to the Dawg Pound on Tuesday ... breaking his silence as the Browns reportedly pursue 3-time Pro Bowler Deshaun Watson.

The post almost certainly seemed like a goodbye to the city that welcomed Mayfield in 2018 ... with lines like, "I have given this franchise everything I have," and mentioning how he'll work hard "wherever I take my next snap."

Johnson -- who played one year with Baker on the Browns before requesting a trade in 2019 -- wasn't feeling the mushy post, though ... and made his reaction known by referencing an old quote the Heisman Trophy winner made during their time together.

Of course, the trainwreck tweet is a shot at comments Baker made about Duke's trade request ... when the QB said, "You're either on this train or you're not."

Johnson chose the latter ... as he was eventually traded to the Houston Texans, where he played for 2 seasons.