TMZ Sports - Page 34

Danielle Kang, one of the world's best golfers, revealed she's been playing in the U.S. Women's Open with a tumor on her spine.

The 29-year-old made the shocking revelation on Friday ... saying she received the diagnosis from doctors "a few weeks ago."

Kang -- the #12 player in the world -- said she's undergone extensive testing, and is waiting for doctors to tell her if the tumor is benign or malignant.

"I’ve gone through a lot of procedures so far, and with the process of elimination, we are narrowing it down,” she said Friday. "It’s going to take time."

It's been a rough few months for Kang -- she's been dealing with back pain, which forced her to withdraw from the Lotte Championship in early April. She also pulled out of the Palos Verde Championship later that month.

The golf sensation is optimistic doctors will be able to tell her the condition of the tumor ... and identify whether it's the source of the pain in her back.

Despite the health scare, Kang had her sights set on finishing out the week in hopes of making the cut ... but admits she's not feeling "fantastic" out there on the course at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in San Francisco.

"My goal right now is to get through this week," Kang said. "I wanted to make the cut. I wanted to play four rounds out here and then my focus was going to be getting better after that."

"The only thing on my mind has been to play the U.S. Open."

Longtime MLB announcer Jim Kaat has found himself embroiled in controversy yet again ... this time, it's because he referred to New York Yankees star Nestor Cortes as "Nestor the Molester" during a broadcast.

83-year-old Kaat was providing color commentary for the Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins game on Thursday afternoon ... when he tried to offer some on-air praise to Cortes, who was pitching against the L.A. Angels in a game in New York at the same time.

Kaat made a reference to Twins pitcher Devin Smeltzer and said, "That favorite pitcher, being kind of like Devin Smeltzer, 'Nestor the Molester!'"

"Nestor Cortes," Kaat added. "Man, he is fun to watch."

The comment was immediately hit with raised eyebrows on social media ... and while Kaat didn't address it again on-air, a Twins official told the Associated Press the team did speak with the Hall of Famer about the matter following the game.

"Obviously, we take these matters seriously and, like in all cases, will handle this internally and privately," Twins vice president of communications and content Dustin Morse said, before adding, "Jim meant no ill will."

Cortes, meanwhile, was also asked about the comment ... but he told the AP he was not offended.

"I'm sure, you know, he didn't really mean it," the left-handed pitcher said, "and people make mistakes, but it didn't offend me at all."

This is the second time in less than a year Kaat has faced backlash for an on-air remark ... back in October, he was forced to apologize for making a slavery reference during a Yoan Moncada at-bat in an Astros vs. White Sox playoff game.

Kaat -- a former Twins pitcher who was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame last year -- has been broadcasting games for decades.

In an unexpected turn of events, play was temporarily halted during a French Open men's semi-final match on Friday after a protester ran onto the court and tied herself to the net.

The woman, who was wearing a shirt that had "We have 1028 days left" printed on the front, interrupted the match between Marin Cilic and Casper Ruud at Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris.

Unclear what exactly the woman's motive was for interfering during the contest, but security officials moved quickly to ensure she caused no harm to the players.

Ruud was astonished at the site of the woman on the court ... and he actually had to stop serving for several moments as guards worked to get her off the net.

Security ultimately carried the woman, whose identity remains a mystery at this time, off the clay so the match could finally resume.

Of course, this isn't the first time we've seen a demonstrator try to have their voice heard by causing a disruption at a live sporting event.

F1 star Sergio Pérez is owning up to the videos of him partying with women after winning Monaco on Sunday ... saying the clips do not represent his character -- and claiming his relationship with his wife is stronger than ever.

Footage of Checo's celebration started making rounds on the internet after the huge victory ... showing the Red Bull driver dancing and putting his hands around women who are not his wife, Carola.

32-year-old Pérez is now addressing the vids ... taking full responsibility for his actions.

"It was a bad party that I did not know how to control myself," the Mexican driver said on Instagram. "But it was just that, a bad party."

"The people close to me know my values and the type of person that I am."

Pérez is adamant there are no issues with his wife -- who just gave birth to their third child, Emilio, last month -- saying they are "more united than ever."

"And for those that just want to cause us harm, I wish you better."

Take notes, fellas ... AEW superstar Sammy Guevara popped the question by proposing to his pro wrestling star girlfriend, Tay Conti, at the Eiffel Tower in Paris -- and she said YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guevara, 28, asked Tay, real name Taynara Melo de Carvalho, to be his wife with one of the world's most iconic (and romantic) structures as a backdrop.

In classic, old-school fashion, Sammy got down on one knee before asking Conti -- who he's been dating since December -- to marry him.

26-year-old Conti wore a mauve pink, rose-gold colored dress ... while Sammy sported a green suit, white shirt and a paisley green tie. They looked stunning!

Of course, Tay managed to show off the new rock her future hubby got her, while Sammy held the Brazilian wrestler in his arms with a massive smile.

Sammy and Tay are regularly paired together on AEW programming ... and it appears they have undeniable chemistry both on and off-screen.

PETA is pissed at Jack Harlow for "glamorizing horse racing" in his latest music video ... calling on him to make things right by donating his earnings for the project immediately.

A rep for PETA tells TMZ ... Jack made a big mistake showing off the sport in his "Churchill Downs" video with Drake. They say he's only showing the positives about the event, and is "missing the whips, drugs, and deaths that run rampant in the industry."

They believe Jack's profiting off the abuse of animals, and are urging the rapper to pay for the care of American Thoroughbreds who would otherwise be sent off to slaughterhouses.

According to PETA, an average of 3 racehorses die on U.S. tracks every day ... and they claim 7,500 Thoroughbreds are exported to be slaughtered every year.

The epic French Open match between Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev came to an unfortunate halt on Friday ... after the German star was forced to retire due to a gruesome ankle injury.

The semifinal showdown had all the makings of being a classic -- Rafa won the first set in a tiebreaker ... and as Rafa positioned himself to force another tiebreaker, Sascha's ankle rolled and he fell to the clay.

Zverev screamed and writhed in pain ... as Nadal came to his side in support.

As it turns out, NBA star Kevin Love was in the stands at Roland Garros ... documenting the heartbreaking scene on his Instagram.

The 25-year-old was taken off in a wheelchair ... and eventually came back out on the court on crutches to officially retire from the match. The crowd cheered as he waved to the fans.

Nadal praised Zverev in a post-match interview ... and gave the #3-ranked pro a hug.

LeBron James and his family are sharing their condolences after a 17-year-old boy died near the NBA superstar's I Promise School in Akron ... saying, "Our condolences goes out to the family who lost a loved one!!"

A male victim was found beaten and unconscious in the parking lot of the school's outdoor court at 10:45 PM on Thursday ... after authorities say he was assaulted by unknown suspects.

Cops believe the victim was in a fight with three other suspects who were playing basketball at the school's court, according to Fox 8.

The victim's friends reportedly rushed home to call 911, but he succumbed to his injuries at the scene at 11:05 PM.

LeBron's foundation released a statement on the tragic incident ... saying, "Our community is everything to us."

"We were devastated to learn of the overnight incident that saw a life lost near our school," the org. added. "We are grieving with our community over another senseless act of violence. Our campus is safe and secure as we continue to do everything we can to support our students, families, and the entire Akron community."

LeBron also tweeted just minutes ago ... saying, "My (sic) the heavens above watch over you during this tragedy! Pray for our community! 💚👑."

Akron Public schools also addressed the student's passing ... saying he was a student leader at the Firestone Community Learning Center and involved in the design academy.

We've reached out to cops for more information.

Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love got an eyeful at the Louvre Museum on Friday ... and by an eyeful, we really mean it.

The 2016 champ hit up the world-famous museum in Paris prior to catching Rafael Nadal's semifinal match against Alexander Zverev at the French Open ... and decided to document all the artistic man junk he saw along the way.

Relax ... it's art!!!

K. Love also checked out some non-nude pieces along during the trip ... including the Mona Lisa (which was cleaned up after the cake attack on Sunday), Athena of Velletri and The Wedding at Cana ... as well as Napoleon's apartment.

One of the most recognizable fight songs in all of college sports is getting a makeover ... Notre Dame just announced its changing lines in its famous tune to recognize the university's "daughters."

The school just made the change official ... revealing Friday morning instead of singing "While her loyal sons are marching/Onward to victory" in the song, the line will now be sung as, "While her loyal sons and daughters/March on to victory."

Notre Dame officials say they made the change to the song -- which is played and sung continuously at Fighting Irish sports events -- in part to honor the 50th anniversary of the university's decision to admit female undergraduate students.

Joe Girardi is out in Philadelphia ... the Phillies just canned the manager after the team's disappointing 22-29 start.

The team announced the move Friday morning, revealing bench coach Rob Thomson will replace the 57-year-old.

"It has been a frustrating season for us up until this point, as we feel that our club has not played up to its capabilities," president of baseball operations David Dombrowski said in a statement.

"While all of us share the responsibility for the shortcomings, I felt that a change was needed and that a new voice in the clubhouse would give us the best chance to turn things around."

The move is very early -- there's still more than 100 games left in the season -- but the Phillies are already 12 games behind the first-place Mets in the National League East division.

The Phils were a favorite to win the division this year ... after they shelled out huge contracts to Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber this offseason.

"I believe we have a talented group that can get back on track," Dombrowski said, "and I am confident that Rob, with his experience and familiarity with our club, is the right man to lead us going forward."

Girardi was hired by the Phillies in 2019 and never made the playoffs with him as headman.

Jon Rahm almost took out a female member of the broadcast team after tossing his club in frustration at the Memorial Tournament on Friday ... leaving the golf star apologizing profusely.

The incident happened after the Spanish pro hit an approach shot on the par 5 11th hole at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio ... and while he made it to the green, Rahm was clearly not pleased -- throwing his wedge and nearly hitting a woman holding a microphone on the fairway.

The TV worker appeared to dodge out of the way to avoid contact, but Rahm immediately regretted the move and apologized.

Rahm -- the former #1-ranked golfer, who's currently second in the world -- has been known to be an emotional player ... but his actions could end up resulting in a fine.

Rahm went on to continue his round as usual ... two-putting his way to par on the 11th.

Jay-Z may be a Brooklyn native, but he was seen showin' love to the Boston Celtics after their wild comeback win over the Warriors -- dapping up Jayson Tatum after the game.

If you missed Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, the Celtics were down 12 points by the end of the 3rd quarter against Golden State ... but Tatum and the C's went off in the 4th and outscored the Warriors 40-16 -- pulling off an upset win, 120-108.

The Celtics did it all right on the Warriors' homecourt -- and hip-hop legend Jay-Z was front and center to watch the epic win at the Chase Center.

HOV had to show the Celts some love for their stunning performance ... and dapped up Tatum -- the Eastern Conference Finals MVP -- right on the court.

The cool part about the exchange? Jay-Z's track "On To The Next One," featuring Swizz Beatz, was playing on the arena's speakers.

Shawn Carter wasn't the only celeb in the crowd who witnessed Celtics' upturn ... San Francisco Giants legend Barry Bonds was also in attendance, as was legendary director Spike Lee.

Lee -- who's a diehard New York Knicks fan -- was seen on camera before the game giving love to Warriors star Draymond Green and yelling, "Let's go, baby! Let's go!"

FYI, Tatum had 12 points and 13 assists in the game ... but Al Horford was the star of the show, leading the team with 26 points.

Former NFL star Marion Barber III was working on a trucking venture, writing a book, and had been committed to raising awareness for social injustice before his tragic death this week ... his attorney tells TMZ Sports.

Zoltan Papp, who represented Barber in his legal case following his 2019 arrest, says he and the former Dallas Cowboys running back were close friends -- and the 38-year-old had given him no signs recently that he had been in any kind of trouble.

"There was no indication of any desire to end his life, if that is what happened," Papp said. "Everything was about the fight to bring justice and to help others. Marion is a person who at his core is pure good."

Papp tells us Barber -- who was found dead in his Frisco, Texas apartment on Wednesday afternoon -- had started a trucking venture following his retirement from the NFL after the 2011 season.

Papp also says the former Pro Bowler was an advocate for social justice and had spent a large portion of the past few years trying to help kids in inner cities.

In fact, Papp tells us the ex-tailback was involved in the coaching team at Flow -- a business simulation designed to help people improve their leadership abilities and lifestyles.

Barber was also working on a book about his life "to show others how to work through difficult times," Papp added.

"He has been a warrior for all in a constant battle with an unjust system," Papp said. "He attacked his craft of football and life with grace, integrity, purpose and authenticity."

"He lived life humbly and with kindness and generosity ... and all against a system that gave little help or support, and recently went hard against him as he was working on helping others."

As for any effects of potential CTE, Papp said, "Marion's personality is grounded as a very humble and soft-spoken man, and that may be wrongly taken as cognitive dysfunction."

Authorities have yet to release any information regarding the circumstances of Barber's death. Cops say an investigation is still ongoing.

It turns out money can't buy you everything ... 'cause the Portland Trail Blazers just turned down a $2 billion offer from Nike founder, iconic businessman Phil Knight to buy the team.

The former chairman and CEO of the swoosh -- along with the Dodgers co-owner Alan Smolinisky -- submitted a lucrative offer to become the new owners of the Blazers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.

However, despite the more than $2 bil offer on the table, the Allen group -- who controls the trust that runs the Blazers -- is adamant the team is NOT for sale.

Aside from having the capital necessary to actually purchase the Blazers (Forbes says Phil's worth $47.5 B), who play in Portland, Knight has strong ties to the region through Nike. The company was founded and is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon ... which is 10 miles from the team's arena.

However, it appears the billionaire won't be expanding his portfolio ... the Blazers told Woj flat-out "the team remains not for sale."

The Blazers have been owned by the Allen Trust group since late owner Paul Allen died in 2018.

The team, purchased in 1988, is valued at a whopping $2.05 billion ... making it one of the top 15 most valued franchises in the NBA.

Dr. Preston Phillips -- a former WNBA team doctor -- was the main target in the deadly mass shooting at a hospital in Oklahoma this week that left four innocent people dead.

A male gunman opened fire on the second floor of the Warren Clinic in Tulsa Wednesday afternoon ... after police say a patient of the hospital traveled to the clinic with multiple weapons and opened fire.

Cops say the killer -- who we've chosen not to identify -- was furious with Dr. Phillips after the orthopedic surgeon recently operated on him, claiming the procedure caused him terrible back pain.

Officials say the man went to a local gun store on Wednesday -- just hours before the shooting -- and bought a semi-automatic rifle which he eventually used in the attack.

Phillips, aside from being a highly respected doctor in the city, also served as head team physician for the Tulsa Shock ... beginning in 2010.

The Shock moved to Dallas in 2016 ... where they currently play.

Indiana Fever assistant coach Gary Kloppenburg, who coached for the Shock from 2012-2013, penned an emotional letter to Phillips on social media, and blamed Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt for weak gun laws.

"Lord help us, our wonderful WNBA Tulsa Shock team doctor Preston Phillips was one of the innocent people murdered in the latest mass shooting."

"Such a kind and compassionate man who loved basketball and looked out for our players."