TMZ Sports - Page 49

F1 driver Valtteri Bottas was one with nature during his trip to Aspen, Colorado ... getting buck nekkid and laying out in a creek!!

The Alfa Romeo star took a trip to the Centennial State after finishing 7th at the Miami Grand Prix over the weekend ... and didn't shy away from showing off his posterior on Instagram.

Now, it's not a new sight for fans of Netflix's "Drive to Survive" -- the Finnish driver takes it ALL off while sitting in the sauna during the show ... so really, this is just another day for Bottas' backers.

F1 drivers have a bit of downtime before taking the track in Barcelona ... so it's nice to see VB checking out the States a bit.

Getting the New York Giants' #5 jersey number from Graham Gano cost Kayvon Thibodeaux a whopping $50K ... but don't worry, the kicker said the cash is on its way to a VERY good cause!!!

Here's the deal ... Gano has worn the NY #5 since 2020, but after Thibodeaux was picked in the first round of the NFL Draft -- the star rookie wanted it badly.

After all, the 6-foot-4 pass rusher wore it when he starred for the Oregon Ducks from 2019 to 2021 -- AND he was also the #5 overall pick in last month's draft.

So, Gano cut an agreement with the former All-American ... send $50K to Puppies Behind Bars -- an org. that "trains incarcerated individuals to raise service dogs for wounded war veterans and first responders" -- and the jersey is yours.

Thibodeaux apparently gladly cut the check -- 'cause Gano is wearing #9 now.

"The whole idea behind the number five being special to myself and being special to Kayvon was being able to help five people get the five dogs and be able to make an impact in five people's lives for the better," Gano said.

"While it is special to me as well, there's a whole lot of meaning in that No. 5 to him."

Gano added, "I just wanted to be a good teammate and also be able to support others throughout the whole process."

So, the 35-year-old kicker -- who set a franchise record with three 50-yard plus field goals against the Cowboys in the 2020 season -- will wear #9 ... for the time being.

"I can be No. 9 and maybe in 10-15 years when he retires and I'm still kicking, I can get No. 5 back," Gano joked.

DJ Khaled pulled a Drake during the Miami Heat playoff game on Tuesday ... jumping up from his courtside seat to assist his beloved team -- including giving Erik Spoelstra a shoulder massage!!

The hilarious moment went down in the third quarter of the Heat's second-round matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers ... when the mogul hopped up to snag a ball that went out of bounds.

But, while Khaled was up, he decided to pump up the crowd by clapping and cheering ... and when he made his way back to his seat, he gave Coach Spo's shoulders a squeeze.

Of course, it's reminiscent of what Drizzy did to Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse back in the 2019 playoffs ... when he tried to calm him down after a Fred VanVleet three-pointer.

Khaled should be careful, though -- the NBA had to talk to the Raps regarding Drake's sideline antics ... but ultimately, nothing serious happened.

Spo seemed to love Khaled's gesture ... saying, "That was funny. I didn't even notice him until the end, what he was doing to get the crowd fired up."

"But, I loved it," he added. "That's awesome. I was humbled to be part of that moment. He's such a great fan there. Over the years, I've said hello a few times. But, that was the best interaction and that was genuine."

Jack Harlow always has time for his fans ... even the youngest ones on the outskirts.

The rapper cleared a path this weekend for a 10-year-old who was seeking a photo with him at the Kentucky Derby, but was blocked off by a gaggle of security guards flanking him on all sides.

The kid's mother, Katy Mackin, tells TMZ ... her daughter, Veronica, saw Jack down on the race track where he was scheduled to do the "riders up" call -- signaling the jockeys to take their starting positions on the horses. This family had a horse running, BTW ... Smile Happy.

Anyway, we're told Veronica saw Jack -- whom she loves -- and was eager for a pic ... something that was gonna be hard to achieve with all the muscle around him.

Lucky for her, Jack's got eagle eyes ... Mackin tells us he spotted her and figured she was itching for a quick meet and greet -- which he obliged by opening up the sea of men, so to speak. Before long, she was hugging the guy and got her snap!

Sad news in the NBA world ... Hall of Famer Bob Lanier passed away on Tuesday at 73 years old.

The Detroit Pistons legend -- who made eight All-Star teams in 14 seasons -- died following a short illness, the NBA announced. He was surrounded by his family when he passed, the league added.

"I learned so much from Bob by simply watching how he connected with people," NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, said in a statement mourning Lanier's death on Tuesday night. "He was a close friend who I will miss dearly, as will so many of his colleagues across the NBA who were inspired by his generosity."

"We send our deepest condolences to Bob's family and friends."

Lanier -- who gained notoriety for his size 22 shoes -- was taken by the Detroit Pistons with the #1 overall pick in the 1970 NBA Draft ... and he went on to star for the Motor City for the next decade, averaging 22.7 points per game and 11.8 rebounds per game.

The 6-foot-11, 250-pound big man later went on to star for the Bucks -- playing four seasons in Milwaukee before retiring following the 1983-84 season.

Silver called Lanier one of "the most talented centers in the history of the NBA."

Following his career on the court, Lanier briefly coached the Golden State Warriors. He later became a global ambassador for the NBA and a special assistant to commissioner David Stern and then Silver.

"His impact on the league went far beyond what he accomplished on the court," Silver said.
"For more than 30 years, Bob served as our global ambassador and as a special assistant to David Stern and then me, traveling the world to teach the game's values and make a positive impact on young people everywhere."

Silver continued, "It was a labor of love for Bob, who was one of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever been around. His enormous influence on the NBA was also seen during his time as President of the National Basketball Players Association, where he played a key role in the negotiation of a game-changing collective bargaining agreement."

The infamous ACE Family estate -- which was foreclosed on last year -- is now in the hands of a couple more influencers ... who actually got it for a heck of a deal!

Sources connected to the sale tell TMZ ... Austin and Catherine McBroom's one-time mega-property -- which is comprised of nearly 2 acres of land in Woodland Hills, CA, and essentially 3 houses spanning over 13,000 square feet total -- was sold Friday for a pretty penny.

The price tag, we're told, ended up at $9.275 million ... a serious drop from its original asking price of $12.9 mil.

As for the new homeowners ... our sources tell us twin brother YouTubers Alan and Alex Stokes -- who have 13.2M subscribers and over 30 million TikTok followers -- were the lucky fellas who snapped this puppy up. No word on their financing, which is kinda important.

The reason we're bringing that up is because AM and CM's financial sitch came under scrutiny during their time in this massive crib. They first bought it in 2019 for about $10 mil, with $9 mil reportedly secured via high-interest loans ... on which they eventually defaulted.

As news of their choppy money waters surfaced, the couple initially denied anything was wrong, but later copped to having $$$ trouble ... blaming others for their woes.

In any case, the bank ended up taking the property back at the end of last year -- and now it belongs to a whole new brood. BTW, this place is a beaut -- it's got 12 bedrooms, 13 baths and a lot of amenities, like a basketball court and in-ground trampoline, etc.

First Troy Aikman, then Tony Romo ... now, Tom Brady?!?

Eric Dickerson is fully expecting the G.O.A.T. to be in the same class as the former Cowboys superstars when he transitions to the booth after his football career ends ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks TB12 will be "great" as an analyst just like Aikman and Romo.

Dickerson explained why to us at LAX on Tuesday ... saying because of Brady's brain, he's expecting a Romo-like transition to TV for the Buccaneers star once he hangs up the spikes.

"I think he'll be great at it," Dickerson said. "He's a quarterback. He knows all the systems. He'll be great. He'll be like Tony Romo and all those guys. I think he'll be good."

Dickerson would know a thing or two about what awaits Brady -- he famously transitioned from Hall of Fame player to "Monday Night Football" sideline reporter back in 2000 and 2001.

And, he truly thinks Brady has what it takes to succeed in a similar role.

"Being a great quarterback doesn't mean you'll be a great commentator," Dickerson said, "but I think Tom will do a great job."

Fox Sports is certainly hoping E.D. is right -- because, according to the New York Post, the company gave Brady a whopping 10-year, $375 MILLION contract to enter the color commentator role after his time in Tampa ends.

The Phoenix Suns are making sure to show support for Brittney Griner for the remainder of their playoff run -- by putting a decal on their court in honor of the WNBA superstar as she remains detained in Russia.

As we previously reported, the Phoenix Mercury center has been detained since February ... after she was accused of having hash oil in her luggage while going through airport security.

Sports, entertainment and political figures have been calling for her release ever since ... with President Joe Biden's administration even claiming Griner is being wrongfully detained in hopes of bringing her home sooner.

The Suns revealed the "BG42" decal ahead of their game against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday ... saying, "One family. #WeAreBG."

"Honoring Brittney Griner on our court for the remainder of the playoffs. 💜🧡"

The decal is the same one the WNBA debuted recently ... with commissioner Cathy Engelbert promising to keep "Brittney at the forefront of what we do through the game of basketball and in the community."

"We continue to work on bringing Brittney home," Englebert added, "and are appreciative of the support the community has shown BG and her family during this extraordinarily challenging time."

Members of the Delaware State University women's lacrosse team claim they were racially profiled by police during a traffic stop last month ... but law enforcement is insisting that's simply not the case.

The HBCU's lacrosse team was traveling back to campus after a game in Florida on April 20 ... when their bus was pulled over for a minor traffic violation.

The school says the belongings of the student-athletes -- including suitcases located in the luggage racks beneath the bus -- were searched by police and drug-sniffing dogs.

Video footage of the police interaction with everyone on the bus was uploaded to a YouTube channel by Sydney Anderson, a player on the DSU squad.

In addition to the video, Anderson wrote a lengthy piece for the Hornet Newspaper, detailing what she describes as a traumatic experience, explaining she believes cops only did the thorough search because they were black.

DSU's lacrosse coach Pamella Jenkins told Andscape she felt "angry" and "helpless" during the traffic stop because she sees her players as her own children and wants to protect them.

DSU President Tony Allen said in a statement that nothing illegal was discovered during the officers' search ... and that all of the school's coaches and student-athletes comported themselves with dignity throughout a trying and humiliating process.

"I am proud of our student-athletes, their coaches, the athletic department, the leadership and the reporters and staff of the school newspaper. Our mission is a critical one and as much a part of the American story as any."

"Again, I say. We shall not be moved."

Sheriff William Bowman of the Liberty County Police force held a press conference on Tuesday ... where he addressed the incident.

The bus, according to the sheriff, was pulled over for driving in the left lane on the highway ... when any bus or motor coach must drive in the 2 far right lanes.

As for the thorough search, Sherriff Bowman says deputies stopped a bus earlier that day and located contraband on board ... and contends the stop of DSU's bus was not racially motivated based on the information he has available to him.

Former Jacksonville kicker Josh Lambo is apparently taking his beef with the Jaguars and Urban Meyer to the courts ... reportedly filing a lawsuit against the team over its ex-head coach's alleged misconduct.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Lambo filed the suit in a Duval County court on Tuesday ... claiming his work on the field suffered after he says Meyer kicked him and verbally abused him at a practice in August.

During the alleged incident, Lambo said Meyer kicked him in the leg while he was stretching and said, "Hey Dips**t, make your f**king kicks!" Lambo claims he told the coach to never touch him again, but said Meyer responded, "I'll kick you whenever the f**k I want."

In the suit, according to the Times, Lambo and his legal team said Meyer's actions were illegal under both Florida criminal and civil law.

Lambo also reportedly went on to allege in the suit that Meyer's actions affected his sleep patterns, his practice ability, and his kicking performances during games.

Lambo -- who was released by the Jaguars in October -- reportedly claimed in the suit that Meyer's "hostility" caused him to "uncharacteristically" perform poorly.

Lambo is seeking, per the Times, his $3.5 mil salary for 2021 ... as well as other damages.

For Meyer's part, he had previously called Lambo's kicking allegations a mischaracterization of what actually happened.

"There are eyewitnesses to refute his account," Meyer said to the Times in December. "[General manager] Trent [Baalke] and I met with him on multiple occasions to encourage his performance, and this was never brought up. I was fully supportive of Josh during his time with the team and wish him nothing but the best."

Jake and Logan Paul got a mouthful of cow balls.

That's it. That's the story.

Okay, fine -- here's some context: Logan and his "Impaulsive" cohosts welcomed the viral "Liver King" influencer on this week's podcast episode ... and naturally, their guest brought along a spread of cow liver, testicle, pancreas, kidney and heart.

For those who haven't heard of the 'LK,' he's a self-proclaimed "CEO of the ancestral lifestyle" ... and has gained a mass following showing off his raw organ meat diet.

But, the tray of treats the "Liver King" brought along wasn't just for show -- he had the whole group test out the product ... which didn't start so great for Logan.

"Bro ..." Logan said as he took a bite out of a cow testicle before gagging and spitting it out.

Logan's dad -- who clearly has a stronger stomach -- called his son out ... saying, "You are a f***ing bitch, give me that nut" ... and yeah, he devoured it.

"Can I get a spit bucket??" Logan pleaded with a disgusted look on his face.

Jake -- who was watching the whole thing unfold -- was clearly disappointed in his bro's performance ... adding, "I eat this s*** every day. Y'all are being so wack. I eat raw liver every day and bone marrow."

The "Problem Child" admitted he hadn't tried the testicles ... but had no issue trying it out for the first time.

"It's like sashimi."

Logan redeemed himself with some bone marrow and liver ... downing both with only slight difficulty.

Who knows -- maybe it's the secret to crushing it in the boxing ring??

Scary moment on the MLB diamond Tuesday ... A's shortstop Elvis Andrus hit Chad Pinder in the face with his knee in a violent collision during Oakland's game against Detroit.

Thankfully, both guys were somehow OK.

The horrifying moment just went down in the fifth inning of the A's vs. Tigers afternoon matchup ... when Andrus attempted to leave the infield to catch a short pop-up that was dropping in left field.

Pinder raced in from deep in left to also try to catch the ball -- and as he dove to make the grab, Andrus accidentally hit him with full force.

Video shows Andrus' knee hit Pinder's face hard -- and the two stayed down on the grass for several minutes.

Trainers eventually came out to check on the Oakland duo -- and, wildly, both guys ended up being fine and stayed in the game.

After almost three decades together, EA Sports announced Tuesday its iconic partnership with FIFA is now over ... and its soccer video games will move forward as "EA Sports FC."

FIFA 23, which will be released sometime in the fall, is expected to be the last game featuring the two giants together before EA moves on with its new line of games.

EA Sports officials promised the end of the partnership won't impact the '23 version of the game ... and added they expect the game to remain the same -- and, in fact, significantly improve -- in the following years despite the new name.

"Next year, EA SPORTS FC will become the future of football from EA SPORTS," officials said in a statement Tuesday. "Alongside our 300+ license partners across the sport, we're ready to take global football experiences to new heights, on behalf of all football fans around the world."

According to the NY Times, EA and FIFA split after the soccer org. was looking to double the amount of revenue it received in the deal. It had been getting, per the outlet, about $150 million annually.

The Times also reported that the money, albeit important, wasn't the only reason a new deal wasn't reached, but rather, the two sides had different expectations about what should be included in the agreement.

Brazilian soccer star Marcelo lost his first team spot with French club Lyon for raising a stink -- literally -- with reports claiming the defender's "continuous farting and laughing" in the locker room led to his demotion last year.

The 34-year-old -- who now plays for Bordeaux -- was reportedly initially bumped down to Lyon's reserve squad back in August for laughing during teammate Leo Dubois' speech to boost morale after a bad loss to Angers ... which the club called "inappropriate behavior."

As it turns out, there was a lot more gas behind the decision ... with ESPN claiming Marcelo was punished for incessantly pooting in the dressing room and laughing while around team manager Peter Bosz and director Juninho.

Marcelo went on to make 11 appearances for Lyon II ... scoring 3 goals.

Lyon and Marcelo eventually farted parted ways in January, when the club terminated his contract. Two days later, he joined Bordeaux.

Boxing star Terence Crawford's daughter just pulled off the unimaginable -- the 7-year-old won a track race despite losing her shoe out the starting blocks ... and the video of the comeback is wildly impressive!!

A clip of the stunning upset was shared on social media on Sunday ... showing Talaya, a budding track star, getting off to a shaky start during the sprint competition at the Wings of Omaha Invitational at Northwest High School in Nebraska.

Talaya's shoe comes off right at the start of the race ... but instead of giving up like most would, she slips it right back on and gets to work.

Talaya's blunder cost her a significant amount of time (and distance), but she shows no signs of panic as she catches up to the rest of the pack.

In the video, you can hear the spectators recording the wild moment cheering Talaya's name as she picks up steam ... and, as a result, gaining ground fast on her competition.

Not only did Talaya hawk down her opponents, but she passed every single runner ... and won by a HUGE margin.

Of course, Talaya's dad is a world-class boxer, so we know athleticism runs in the genes. But, the biggest takeaway from this stunning, dominant performance was her tenacious spirit.

Bud commented about the accomplishment over the weekend, saying, "I just can’t stop thinking about my daughter's track meet yesterday."

"She just doesn’t have a clue how much she just motivated me. This is the definition of not giving [up], heart and grit. She let it all hang out even when she was hit with adversity."

Mike Tyson can breathe a sigh of relief -- the boxing legend will NOT face criminal charges stemming from his airplane beatdown, TMZ Sports has learned.

The San Mateo County District Attorney said Monday morning because of "the conduct of the victim leading up to the incident, the interaction between Mr. Tyson and the victim, as well as the requests of both the victim and Mr. Tyson" no charges will be filed against the legendary fighter.

It's a big deal for Iron Mike -- because he had been facing the possibility of multiple criminal charges after he punched a man repeatedly in the face at SFO on a JetBlue plane on April 20.

Reps for Tyson had alleged the man threw a water bottle at him and annoyed him repeatedly prior to the attack. An attorney for the man, meanwhile, had argued no bottle was thrown -- and blamed the incident on his client being "overly excited."

Stephen Wagstaffe, the San Mateo County D.A., tells us ultimately neither Tyson nor the man wanted to go to court over it all. Wagstaffe added that they believed there were more serious cases his office should be prosecuting regardless.

"We thank San Mateo District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe, the San Mateo County Sheriff, and all law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation for their careful, diligent, and professional work," said Tyson's attorneys, David Z. Chesnoff, Richard A. Schonfeld and Martin A. Sabelli.