TMZ Sports - Page 47

Jimmy Butler is ruthless for this one.

The Miami Heat superstar got the last word in after eliminating the Philadelphia 76ers from the playoffs on Thursday ... straight-up roasting his former team for letting him go and choosing to keep Tobias Harris.

"Tobias Harris over me," Butler yelled as he went to the lockers after dropping 32 points in the Game 6 win in Philly. "Tobias Harris over me?!?"

There were also a few expletives ... although it's unclear what Jimmy Buckets said. Whatever it was, it had the arena and team staffers nearby awkwardly smiling at each other.

Of course, the Sixers traded for Butler in 2018, but shipped him off to the Heat via a sign-and-trade deal the next offseason. Philly eventually signed Tobias to a 5-year, $180 million deal ... with hopes of building around Ben Simmons.

Butler has proven to be a top talent in the league ever since ... including a memorable performance in the 2020 NBA Finals against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers -- averaging 26 points, nearly 10 assists and 8 rebounds.

The move still puzzles Sixers MVP candidate, Joel Embiid, to this day -- after the game, he said, "I still don't know how we let him go."

"I wish I could have gone to battle with him still."

Kendrick Lamar is back ... K-Dot just released his highly-anticipated "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers" album -- and he brought up Kyrie Irving and his COVID drama with some sick bars on one of the new songs.

The track, called "Savior," is just a little under 4 minutes in length and features Baby Keem & Sam Dew -- and starts off with the California native referencing the Nets superstar and his vaccine stance.

"Seen a Christian say the vaccine mark of the beast," KL rapped. "Then he caught COVID and prayed to Pfizer for relief. Then I caught COVID and started to question Kyrie."

Clever wordplay from the MC ... but, of course, the bigger takeaway is him mentioning Kyrie, who missed a significant number of games for the Nets after refusing to get the jab.

Irving was ripped all season by NBA fans, the media, and celebs -- most notably comedians Chris Rock and Howard Stern -- for not getting vaxxed, but he never ended up taking it.

The line from Kendrick doesn't appear to be a dig at the 30-year-old. And, it seems Irving -- who was seen on Instagram Live on Thursday bumping the new Kendrick album -- isn't taking it that way. The point guard commented on the song during a recent Twitch stream, saying, "I'm not mad. I'm not indifferent. I'm just grateful. How about that?"

In a recent social media post ahead of the release of the new project, Kyrie also captioned a pic of Lamar with the words "We appreciate you Dot....."

Brittney Griner will remain in custody in Russia for at least another month ... a judge just denied her request for house arrest, forcing her to stay in jail for another 30 days.

The 31-year-old WNBA superstar appeared in a Russian courtroom on Friday morning with the hopes of getting out of jail ... but her attorney told the Associated Press that did not happen.

The attorney, Alexander Boikov, did say, though, that because of the short nature of the custody extension ... he did believe a trial in Griner's case might be coming soon.

Griner wore an orange sweatshirt to Friday's hearing, and left the courtroom with a hood up over her head. In photos of her leaving her appearance, you can see she was wearing cuffs on her wrists.

As we reported, Griner has been in custody in Russia since February -- after she allegedly had hash oil in her luggage at an airport.

She's now had her requests for house arrest denied at least two times by judges as her pre-trial detention has dragged on.

United States officials, meanwhile, have classified her as "wrongfully detained" ... and are attempting to negotiate her release.

Brody Jenner has a new woman in his life ... he's dating a professional surfer he met in Hawaii.

Sources connected to the couple tell TMZ ... Brody's new girlfriend is Tiarah Blanco, a 25-year-old pro surfer with a world championship medal.

We're told Brody and Tiarah have been dating since the middle of last month, and they met in Hawaii when Brody was there on a family vacation.

Our sources say Brody and Tiarah surfed together on the islands and there was an instant connection ... bonding over a shared love for the ocean. We're told even though it's new ... it's already a real relationship.

It's a long-distance relationship, for sure ... Brody lives in Malibu and we're told Tiarah splits her time between Hawaii and Cali, but they're making it work.

The couple's been hanging out this week in Calabasas ... hitting up Erewhon Market and going on a romantic bike ride through the Santa Monica Mountains.

The disc jockey wife of "Rookie of the Year" star Thomas Ian Nicholas is pulling the plug on their marriage ... because she just filed for divorce.

DJ Colette, a house DJ and vocalist, filed divorce docs Thursday after more than 12 years of marriage.

Thomas, who was a child actor when he played Chicago Cubs fireballer Henry Rowengartner in the 1993 sports flick, and Colette tied the knot way back in January 2007 and they have two minor children together, a son and a daughter.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Colette lists the date of separation as Sept. 3, 2019, and she is citing the usual "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the split.

Colette is seeking joint legal and physical custody of the couple's children, and she wants to block the court's ability to award support to either parent. She says the couple has a prenup that she wants the judge to enforce it.

Memphis-born rapper Al Kapone -- most famous for his hit song "Whoop That Trick" -- says Warriors superstar Steph Curry can't use his signature line ... especially against his hometown Grizzlies!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the Southern MC after Memphis' 134-95 blowout win over Golden State Wednesday night ... and asked him how he felt about Curry saying his game plan heading into Game 5 was, "Whoop that trick."

"To be honest with you, I had two different feelings," Kapone said. "One feeling was, 'Wow, Steph Curry just said whoop that trick.' That was one feeling. Like, 'Man, this is pretty big.'"

"But the other side was -- you can't say that against my team. [I] was excited on one end, 'cause it was Steph Curry. But on the other end, you can't use that against my team."

Kapone -- who debuted the banger in 2005 -- said the Grizzlies tapped him to perform the record Wednesday night ... and once he saw Curry on the court, he knew what he had to do.

"I'm running around the court like I normally do," Kapone said, "getting the crowd pumped, and I just so happen to look up and notice -- there he is right there."

"I gotta make you eat those words right now, for Memphis!!!"

Of course, the song is a big deal because of its Southern roots ... but also because Terrence Howard performed it in the hit movie "Hustle & Flow" featuring Taraji P. Henson.

"It's amazing to have a song that's on the level of 'We Will Rock You,'" Al said. "It's amazing to know I birthed something that's iconic, and I'm here for every moment of it."

Speaking of TH, Al tells us he would love to share the stage with Howard and perform the legendary song together ... whether at a concert or a Grizzlies game.

"I talked to Craig Brewer, who is the writer and producer of Hustle and Flow, and we have had that conversation," Kapone said. "We're definitely trying to make that happen."

Dr. Myron Rolle says it was always in the back of his head to become a neurosurgeon once his NFL playing career was over ... and he credits Ben Carson with planting the seed.

The football defensive back turned brain surgeon joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and told us how he made the extremely rare transition from the football field to the medical field.

Myron was always gifted in school, he spent a year abroad studying at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar after earning a degree as a star player at Florida State, but he says Ben's 1990 book "Gifted Hands" got him thinking about neuroscience.

Understanding careers in the NFL are fleeting -- Myron's lasted about 3 years after being drafted by the Colts -- Rolle says he always had it in his mind to have a plan for after football, and he became a neurosurgeon because he wanted to help save lives.

Myron's still got a connection to football ... telling us his work as a neurosurgery resident at Massachusetts General Hospital allows him to operate on football players, and others, with brain injuries from concussions.

Myron says much of his success is also thanks to a mindset he developed from one of his FSU coaches, where the goal is to break large goals down to smaller tasks and get a little better each day ... and he's got a book coming out about it called "The 2% Way: How a Philosophy of Small Improvements Took Me to Oxford, the NFL, and Neurosurgery."

A woman at the Celtics' playoff game on Wednesday needed a boost -- literally -- 'cause she couldn't see what was happening on the court ... thanks to 7'6" Tacko Fall blocking her view.

The funny moment went down Wednesday night during Game 5 of the Celtics' series against the Bucks ... when a fan -- who is not 7'6" -- was trying to take in some playoff basketball ... but instead, she got a clear view of the back of Tacko's head.

In the clip, an arena staffer walks over to give the woman a booster seat -- much to her delight -- so she could finally watch the game in peace.

Tacko, a former member of the Celtics, turned around and acknowledged the debacle ... and shared a smile with the woman over it all.

Of course, both sides were great sports over the whole thing ... but it could have been a legit problem -- the seats were very close to the court, which comes with a hefty price tag.

Once the lady got the boost she needed, she was able to see well over Tacko.

No word on if the booster seat caused a domino effect with the people sitting behind her ... but we're assuming everything worked out.

Milwaukee staved off elimination on the court ... thanks to a 40-piece from Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Tacko previously talked to TMZ Sports in the past about his other issues with being so tall ... saying it's really tough to take a shower!!

Denver Broncos star receiver Jerry Jeudy was arrested in Colorado on Thursday ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

A rep for the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office tells us the 23-year-old was taken into custody between 11:30 AM and 12 PM and is currently in jail.

The allegations against Jeudy are unclear ... the spokesperson said the former Alabama superstar is still being processed in the booking phase.

The ACSO spokesperson, though, did say Jeudy was arrested following a call for service.

Jeudy was picked in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Broncos ... and has recorded 90 receptions, 1,323 receiving yards and three touchdowns in two seasons with the team since.

He and Courtland Sutton are expected to be the top targets for Russell Wilson in Denver's offense this season.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and his wife, Hillary, just welcomed their baby boy ... and the family couldn't look happier and healthier!!

The couple just announced Hudson David Trubisky was born on May 9 ... weighing 7 pounds, 10 ounces ... and 20 1/2 inches long.

The Trubiskys returned home on Thursday ... celebrating with a big sign and a ton of balloons.

A bunch of their friends congratulated the couple on their new addition ... including Khalil Mack; Josh Allen's girlfriend, Brittany Williams; Rachel Bush; Golden Tate's wife, Elise; and more.

As we previously reported, Mitch and Hillary announced they were expecting back in November ... a few months after getting married.

Mitch and Hillary have been together for a long time ... and now, they officially have their first child.

The NFL omitted Ray Rice's jersey from a viral video that former Houston Texans star Arian Foster posted on Thursday morning.

In Foster's clip, the ex-running back showed off a bevy of signed, game-worn jerseys that he had accumulated throughout his career.

There were some big names in the pile -- Jason Witten, Troy Polamalu, Andrew Luck, Tony Gonzalez and Ray Lewis -- and, at one point, Rice's uniform was revealed too.

However, when the official NFL Twitter account shared Arians' vid, Rice's jersey was edited out of the clip.

Foster noticed the change, and tweeted about it a short time later ... saying, "lmao y'all cut out ray rice."

It's unclear what the league's intentions were with the removal -- it should be pointed out, they also left out a few other jerseys, including former Texans punter Shane Lechler's.

But, it is certainly notable, considering the league's history with Rice. You'll recall, it suspended him indefinitely following his now-infamous elevator attack on his then-fiancee in Atlantic City in 2014, essentially ending the running back's pro football career.

Did you know Tom Brady has Medusa-like powers? He does! ... according to Charles Barkley, who says the NFL star is so handsome -- he can't look the man in the eyes!!

Chuck dropped the compliments during the "NBA on TNT" broadcast Wednesday night ... while bringing up a hilarious conversation he had recently with Shaquille O'Neal.

"Shaq came in the other night and said, 'I had dinner with Tom Brady the other night,'" Chuck said. "He says 'Man, I gotta tell you something?' I said 'What?' He says, 'I was out with Tom Brady the other night -- you right, that's a pretty man.'"

Shaq couldn't deny Barkley's story ... and even added to it, saying Brady is truly "gorgeous." That's when Barkley revealed that Brady has some kind of powers in his eyes.

"Every time I'm around him, when he start talking to me and I would make you contact, I don't remember nothin' he say after that," Chuck joked.

"We'll start talking and then I make eye contact and then you know ... that's a pretty man."

This ain't the first time Barkley has mentioned the spell Brady has on him -- back in 2019, the 59-year-old said similar things about TB12's eyes on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

"I look him in the eyes and I said, 'Damn. You a pretty man,'" Barkley said to Kimmel.

"I see why he scores all the touchdowns because those defenses look into his eyes and get mesmerized."

An incredibly rare baseball signed by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky just sold at auction ... and a portion of the proceeds are going to a relief fund for the country.

The winning bid for the autographed baseball came in at $50,103 ... according to Boston-based RR Auction, which will be donating their cut of more than $15k to relief efforts in Zelensky's war-torn country.

The sale price is higher than expected ... remember, the ball was projected to go for $15k, and now that's the figure that's being donated.

Zelensky signed his last name on the baseball in two different languages ... Ukrainian cursive and English print ... with his signature underneath an MLB logo.

The ball comes with a letter signed by Volodymyr Yelchenko, Ukraine's Ambassador to the United Nations in September 2019, when Zelensky left his John Hancock during a visit to New York.

Randy L. Kaplan, a government affairs specialist in the Big Apple, got the ball as a gift from Yelchenko ... and he's been collecting signed Major League baseballs from world leaders and heads of state dating all the way back to 1996 with Bill Clinton.

We're told there were 35 bids entered and the buyer wishes to remain anonymous.

There will NOT be a Triple Crown winner this year -- Rich Strike, who beat the odds and won the Kentucky Derby -- will forgo competing at Preakness Stakes ... in hopes of returning at Belmont.

The decision is a bummer, but it shouldn't come as a huge surprise -- trainer, Eric Reed, previously said he does not usually like to run his horses in races so close to each other ... and with Preakness just one week away, he decided to focus on Belmont in June.

Owner, Rick Dawson, released a statement on Thursday, saying, "Obviously, with our tremendous effort & win in the Derby it's very, very tempting to alter our course & run in the Preakness at Pimlico, which would be a great honor for all our group."

"However, after much discussion & consideration with my trainer, Eric Reed & a few others, we are going to stay with our plan of what's best for Ritchie is what's best for our group, and pass on running in the Preakness, and point toward the Belmont in approximately 5 weeks."

After 45 years, the NBA's Larry O'Brien Trophy is getting a makeover.

The league just debuted the new-look championship trophy on Thursday ... showing off Tiffany & Co.'s redesign of the iconic award.

The new trophy won't differ too much from its predecessor -- its size, shape and weight will remain the same -- but there are some awesome new features to spice up its look.

For instance, in honor of the league celebrating its 75th anniversary, the new LOB trophy will have the names of the first 75 NBA champions etched on it ..., and moving forward, the name of each champion's name will be added to the bottom disc.

The trophy -- formerly known as the Walter A. Brown trophy --  was named after then NBA commissioner Larry O'Brien in 1984.

Victor Solomon -- the mastermind who designed the NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP Award -- teamed up with Tiffany to create the new-look award, which features sterling silver on the 24-karat gold basketball that sits atop.

In addition to the remodeled NBA Finals trophy, the league announced that there will be Conference Finals MVP trophies named after Larry Bird and Magic Johnson ... who played a pivotal role in elevating the sport with their rivalry in the '80s.

Jorge Masvidal will be allowed to inspect Colby Covington's watch to see if it's a phony Rolex ... the UFC star's attorney tells TMZ Sports a judge just granted their motion to see the timepiece up close.

Covington had alleged Masvidal banged up the watch -- which Colby says is worth around $95K -- during an attack in Miami last month ... but Jorge and his legal team say they have doubts it's a real Rolly.

In fact, Masvidal and his attorney, Bradford Cohen, were so skeptical ... they filed a motion earlier this month asking a judge to allow them to closely view it.

In the docs, Cohen said he believed the watch was a "Folex" composed of aftermarket and fraudulent parts -- and wasn't worth anywhere close to the $95K Colby said it was.

According to Cohen, a judge just granted the motion at a hearing on Thursday morning ... paving the way for Masvidal and the legal team to look at it soon.

As for the other motion, Cohen filed earlier this month -- the one in which they asked a judge to order Colby to submit to a physical exam following claims he suffered a "brain injury" in the alleged attack -- Cohen tells us a hearing regarding that motion has been set for a later date.

As we reported, Masvidal is facing felony charges of aggravated battery and criminal mischief after Covington told cops he injured him and scratched up his Rolex outside of Papi Steak on March 21.