TMZ Sports - Page 31

Rap legend E-40 isn’t concerned his Warriors gave up a double-digit lead and lost game 1 of the NBA Finals at home … telling TMZ Sports Golden State will absolutely still be champions.

"This gonna be a good series, but I got us in 6. And if it goes 7, we’ll win," 40 says without hesitation.

Of course, the Warriors, who entered the 4th up 12, were outscored 40-16 in the final quarter … on the back of Al Horford. The vet scored 26 points in the game … with 11 coming in the last 5 minutes of the game. Boston won 120-108 over GS.

"We had them. 4th quarter come, them boys would not stop hitting them 3s."

But, the rap legend says that's unlikely to continue ... and that's why GS should still win the series.

"As long as they shooting like that throughout the whole series we gonna be straight. That was very rare. They was hitting and we was bricking.”

We asked 40 if game 2 was a must win for the GSW … 'cause going to Boston down 2-0 isn’t far less than ideal.

"I think [game 2's] very important. The home team advantage is always the best. As long as we show support, we get louder in there, we show them we’re right there with 'em. I think we’ll win [game 2], and I think we'll win a couple of games on the road. I think we’re gonna surprise everybody. We just had a bad 4th quarter man."

And, if the Warriors need any more motivation to win themselves rings … 40 says he’s going to hook up the MVP with a bunch of liquor, wine and champagne from his Earl Stevens Selections.

Check out the clip -- we talk to E-40 about a bunch more basketball-related topics ... from the cost of his courtside tix (yes, 40 pays!) to celebs like Jay-Z showing up to watch the Celtics and Warriors hoop.

Kobe Bryant's game-worn Lakers jersey from his first playoff series -- the only one publicly known/available -- just sold for a riiiiiiidiculous amount of money ... $2,735,546 million, to be exact!

The threads were on the block at SCP Auctions ... and after 26 bids, the purple and gold Lakers home jersey went for 7 figures.

As we previously reported, Bryant wore the jersey on at least five occasions ... including two home games during the 1996-1997 NBA playoff series against Karl Malone, John Stockton, and the Utah Jazz.

The playoff games were played on May 8 and May 10, 1997. On the 8th, the Lakers won 104-84. Bryant dropped 19 points in just over 19 minutes.

During game 4 on May 10, 1997, L.A. -- down two games to one -- was defeated 110-95. Mamba, who came off the bench that series, had a down game, scoring 9 points in 28 minutes.

It was some of the last losing Bryant -- who ultimately won 5 NBA titles -- would experience in the postseason.

SCP also had a rare -- likely one-of-one -- signed 1997 Precious Metal Gems Kobe card on the auction block ... which sold for over $403K!

The identity of the fan who put in the winning bid for the jersey is currently unknown ... but, we can confirm the person's wealthy.

In case it wasn't already clear, Justin Jefferson's good friend let everyone know the Vikings star is indeed the King of the Griddy ... by gifting the wideout a custom pair of 'Griddy' cleats last week!!!

"Jets" was given the awesome spikes by cleat artist I Am Luke Dangler at the receiver's first-ever Jets Youth Football Camp on May 28 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

TMZ Sports has learned Dangler brought the items -- which took around 40 hours to make -- as a thank you gift to Jefferson after the 22-year-old football player had extended him a special invite to the camp.

"How could I not show up with some show-stopping Griddy cleats?!" Luke told us this week.

The blue-painted Under Armour shoes are awesome -- they feature Jefferson in his #18 Vikings gear doin' the hip-hop dance on both sides.

They also have 'Get Griddy!' and 'Got Griddy?' inscribed on them ... and judging by the way Jefferson danced with kids at the camp in them, it sure seems like he loved 'em!!

"The cleats quickly became the center of attention," said Luke, who's made cleats in the past for Las Vegas Raiders stars Josh Jacobs and Johnathan Abram. "The kids went nuts for them ALLL DAYY LONGGG!"

"The Griddy is just so big," Luke added, "and it's all because of Justin Jefferson."

Jefferson wasn't the only one getting gifts at the camp ... the youngsters also got limited-edition Justin Jefferson Camp t-shirts, a group camp photo, and Chick-fil-A!

Hall of Fame hooper and amazing TV personality first ... successful NBA head coach next?!?

Shareef O'Neal says it wouldn't shock him if his dad did just that ... telling TMZ Sports that Shaq has the skill set that it takes to one day run a team in the Association.

"I mean, he's coached a few of my teams," Shareef said of his pops. "My last AAU tournament, he coached into a championship."

In fact, Shareef said his dad helped several of his youth teams win multiple titles.

Shareef, though, said he wasn't exactly certain the success there would translate to the NBA -- but he definitely wasn't ruling it out.

Deshaun Watson seems to be shooting himself in the foot ... courtesy of his own lawyer, who is now trying to clarify comments he made about massages and "happy endings." 😣

The Browns QB -- who's been cleared in a criminal probe, but still faces a mountain of civil suits about alleged sexual misconduct from multiple women -- is in damage control this week ... this after his lead attorney, Rusty Hardin, made some wild remarks on the air.

The dude was doing an interview with SportsRadio 610 (based out of Houston, DW's previous home in the NFL) when he said it isn't technically illegal for men to get a little something extra at the end of a session ... so long as nobody is forced or coerced into it.

Yeah ... he literally said that. And yes, it left a lot of people with their mouths open, because they couldn't believe Hardin had said it ... seemingly in connection to Deshaun's sitch.

You can listen to what he said for yourself and decide whether he's talking about Deshaun or not -- especially in light of Hardin's clarifying comments thereafter, in which he said he was talking "hypothetically," and that his remarks in no way, shape or form explicitly reflected what Deshaun had or hadn't done pertaining to all these masseuses accusing him.

BTW, the number of lawsuits he's facing is now in the dozens (24 to be exact) and the NFL's apparently on the verge of announcing their decision on what to do about DW this season.

Of course, Deshaun was signed to a monster contract during this offseason ... getting a five-year $230 million deal from the Browns, with all the dough guaranteed. And it's not even clear if he'll even play in 2022!

Multiple officers spent hours at Tito Ortiz's home in Southern California on Friday ... after police tell TMZ Sports they're investigating a burglary at the UFC legend's place.

According to a Huntington Beach Police Department spokesperson, officers responded to a call for service at Ortiz's home early Friday morning, after an alleged theft had taken place there.

We're told Ortiz was not home at the time of the incident and is safe.

It's unclear what was said to be taken from Ortiz's home ... an investigation, according to cops, is ongoing.

Of course, Ortiz is one of Huntington Beach's most famous residents ... he grew up there and later fought in the UFC under the nickname "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy."

Ortiz was also elected Mayor pro tempore of the city back in December 2020 ... though he resigned from the position just six months later in June 2021, saying, "this job isn't working for me."

Here's Blac Chyna preparing to step into the ring for her celebrity boxing match ... and from the looks of her training, she's got a mean right hook!!!

TMZ obtained this vid of Chyna working out at Fortune Boxing Gym in L.A., where she's bobbing and weaving her way through a sparring session.

Not to give away her strategy or anything, but BC's throwing tons of punches with her right ... and keeping her left in the defensive position up by her face.

Damon Feldman of Celebrity Boxing tells TMZ ... Chyna is gearing up for next week's match by training with Tamara Frapasella-Fortune, who famously went toe-to-toe with Kim Kardashian in a 2010 celeb boxing match.

Sounds like she's getting tips from one of the best ... besides her celeb boxing track record, Tamara's husband, Justin Fortune, is a trainer for legendary boxer Manny Pacquiao.

BC's been wearing a du-rag and some Chanel shoes during her training sessions ... but she's using more traditional footwear when it's time to spar.

As we reported ... Blac Chyna is fighting Instagram model Alysia Magen in a June 11 charity event presented by Bitcoin Rodney in Pembroke Pines, FL. UFC legend Rashad Evans will referee the bout.

DeSean Jackson caught 9 TDs from Donovan McNabb in 2009 ... but he just revealed he had issues with the QB that year -- saying it's all because the former Eagles star made some remarks about his Pro Bowl selection.

Jackson sat down with LeSean McCoy, Brandon Marshall and Adam "Pacman" Jones to explain the situation on the latest "I AM ATHLETE" podcast ... saying his resentment toward the Philly signal-caller began after he earned a nod to the NFL's All-Star game in '09.

Jackson -- who was selected to the 2009 Pro Bowl as both a punt returner and a wideout -- says he overheard McNabb telling Eagles' then-backup QB Michael Vick that he didn't believe Jackson should've gotten the honor.

"When the ballots came out, and they found out that I was the first player in NFL history to get elected to start in the Pro Bowl for two positions," Jackson said, "my starting quarterback tells Michael Vick, 'Damn, I don't think he should've got that. He shouldn't have deserved that.'"

Jackson told the guys on the set the comment rubbed him the wrong way ... especially because he had logged 1,156 receiving yards on 62 receptions that season.

"Like, you're telling another quarterback, that your receiver -- that you throw to, your receiver -- that he didn't deserve that."

"That was crazy, bro," said McCoy, who was teammates with both Jackson and McNabb at the time.

Jackson -- who said he never addressed the comments with McNabb -- added he also had issues with the QB over the dude's spending habits ... calling him, "one of the most cheapest, richest motherf***ers you could know."

"He'd make you pay for everything."

Jackson, though, says he has "no beef" with McNabb these days ... and said the two are "cool."

Jon Jones' first fight at heavyweight should NOT be for an interim title ... UFC heavyweight contender Jairzinho Rozenstruik adamantly tells TMZ Sports 'cause it just ain't fair!

We asked 34-year-old, 6'3", 255 lb. fighter -- ranked 8th in the division -- about the possibility 34-year-old Bones Jones gets a crack at an interim belt ... a fight that would be his first in the division.

"I'm hearing people calling for an interim title. What is fair, what is unfair, who is gonna fight for it?" Jairzinho asked.

"And, then I heard names like Stipe [Miocic] and Jon Jones. I still think that's unfair to put them in an interim fight instead of real fighters who are keeping the division up and running."

Of course, Jones hasn't fought since beating Dominick Reyes in February 2020. Jon's plan was to move up a weight class and fight champion Francis Ngannou, but the parties couldn't agree on money.

Instead, Ngannou fought and beat former training partner Ciryl Gane. Unfortunately, Francis hurt his leg in the lead up to the fight (and 5 rounds with Gane didn't help), and now needs surgery on his leg.

Often, a UFC interim belt is created when a champ is injured for an extended period.

Dana White was asked in March whether Jon could lock down a fight with Stipe for the title, and the UFC honcho responded ... "I haven’t thought about it at all, but yeah, it sounds like something we would do.”

FYI, Stipe hasn't fought since losing to Francis in March 2021.

We also asked Rozenstruik -- who has only 3 career professional losses -- about his clash with #7 ranked contender, Alexander Volkov, at UFC Fight Night Saturday night. Jairzinho has some advice ... don't blink.

"I definitely think it's a first-round, second-round fight. I definitely think it's a first-round, second-round fight."

Rozenstruik also talked about the prospect of him fighting Jones ... though, he doesn't believe it makes sense for Jon due to Jairzinho's awesome power.

And, down the line, JR, who lost to Ngannou just 20 seconds into their UFC 249 fight, would like to make things right with the Predator.

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.