TMZ Sports - Page 22

Russell Wilson and Ciara have only been in Denver for a couple months, but they've already clearly adopted the city's hockey team ... going crazy for the Avs after their overtime win Wednesday night!

The couple hit up Ball Arena with their kids for a family date night ... and they immersed themselves in the Stanley Cup Finals action quickly.

Russ, Ciara, Future Zahir, Sienna and baby Win were all spotted cheering their faces off as the Avalanche took on the Lightning in Game 1 of the series.

After every goal, the Wilsons -- all decked out in Avalanche jerseys -- waved towels and screamed ... and during breaks, Mom and Dad enjoyed the adorableness of their kids taking in the sights and sounds (and popcorn!) at the arena.

Russ and Ciara then lost their minds for a bit after Andre Burakovsky buried a goal in the first few minutes of OT to give the Avs a 1-0 series lead ... cheering with the packed house wildly.

It's all a good sign for Broncos fans ... because it's clear the Wilsons have made the move from Seattle seamlessly.

Kenny "The Jet" Smith says Shaquille O'Neal had every right to clap back at a hater trying to diminish his success ... telling TMZ Sports no superstar has won a championship on their own.

As we previously reported, Diesel went OFF on a Twitter user for claiming he wouldn't have won his 3 rings with the Lakers without Kobe Bryant ... saying, "no person can win without another star big dummy."

We spoke with Smith about Shaq's issue with the heckler ... and he says anyone who knows hoop understands winning a ring isn't a one-man gig.

Worth mentioning -- Shaq brought Kenny into the debate with his rebuttal to the hater ... saying Smith wouldn't have won a championship without Hakeem Olajuwon.

Smith backs up the Big Aristotle ... saying the Hall of Famer is just spitting facts. And if the argument were about Kobe, it would be the same result -- no one wins without a stellar supporting cast.

WWE's board is investigating an alleged multi-million "hush pact" payment made by Vince McMahon to a former employee after the pair allegedly had an affair, according to a new report by The Wall Street Journal.

WSJ claims World Wrestling Entertainment's 12-member board -- where Vince sits as the chair -- is investigating the circumstances surrounding the alleged affair and subsequent payment.

FYI, WWE is a publicly-traded company on the NYSE. The company's stock closed up nearly 5% on Wednesday, despite the paper's story going public earlier today. Even though they're a public company, Vince holds immense power within the top wrestling promotion.

In January 2022, McMahon, the CEO and Chairman of WWE, allegedly agreed to pay a former employee with whom he had an affair $3 million total ... over the course of 5 years.

The woman -- who was allegedly hired as a paralegal in 2019 -- says McMahon paid $1 mil up front ... and the remaining $2 million was to be spread out over a 5 year period.

Vince has been married to his wife Linda since 1966.

What's interesting is the WWE board is partially made up of Vince and his family.

His daughter Stephanie McMahon -- who recently stepped away from the company to spend time with her fam -- and her husband Triple H (Paul Levesque), as well as WWE President Nick Khan, are all on the board.

The 8 other members have hired a New York City law firm to investigate the situation with VM and the ex-employee.

According to the Journal, the preliminary investigation shows McMahon made a payment using "personal funds."

Less than one day before Jeff Hardy was accused of drunkenly driving his car through Florida highways ... the AEW star took a swig from a cup and made a joke that whiskey was "my best friend and my worst enemy."

The 44-year-old wrestler was filmed on Sunday evening making the comment -- some 12 hours or so before cops say he was driving a white Dodge Charger while severely intoxicated in Volusia County.

The video shows Hardy in Orlando for a wrestling convention (one in which his brother, Matt Hardy, also attended) ... singing for several people inside what appeared to be a conference room.

Jeff, discussing lyrics to a song, took a big sip of a drink, turned to the crowd and said, "Whiskey is my best friend and my worst enemy!"

The footage shows he then smiled, while people in the audience chuckled and shouted.

As we reported, Jeff was later arrested at around 9 AM on Monday morning by the Florida Highway Patrol for DUI.

During the stop, officers say he reeked of booze, could hardly stand during questioning, and admitted to drinking before getting behind the wheel. They added that two breathalyzer tests revealed he had a BAC of .291 and .294.

Hardy was charged with felony DUI and two other misdemeanors. He's due in court for a hearing on the matter in July.

Josh Allen's teammate just revealed the Bills superstar is obsessed with cracking "deez nuts" jokes ... saying the QB gets Buffalo rookies with the quip on a regular basis!!

Tight end Dawson Knox explained Allen's infatuation with the joke to a group of reporters on Wednesday ... saying dudes have to walk on thin ice in the locker room whenever Allen asks them a question.

"Every day is a new 'deez nuts' joke," Knox said. "You can never be comfortable around him because anytime he comes up and asks you a question, you just have to walk away."

Knox explained the veterans have become more savvy to it ... but Bills rookies are sitting ducks!

"That's why he loves having the rookies 'cause they have no idea," Knox said. "Anybody new in the locker room."

Knox said it's all fun and games, though ... and even added that it's so generally so humorous, most of the team joins in on it "by the end of the day."

"That's a little peek into his personality," Knox said.

Saints star Marcus Davenport will now only have about 9.5 fingers available to take down opposing ball carriers this year ... he just revealed he had to have the tip of his pinky amputated this offseason.

The New Orleans pass rusher told a throng of reporters on Wednesday following a Saints workout that he had to lose part of the digit after his finger developed an infection from a surgery he had back in 2021.

Davenport had to have a plate placed into the finger that year after injuring it previously ... but the 25-year-old said when the plate broke this offseason, it caused an infection that he got rid of by simply amputating the top of his left pinky.

Davenport said he expects the amputation to have no impact on his ability to play football going forward.

The bad news for Davenport about it all? Losing the body part wasn't even the worst part of his offseason -- the former first-round pick said he also had to have shoulder surgery from an unrelated injury too.

George Washington University is bailing on its nickname ... saying Wednesday it's set to retire its "Colonials" moniker -- in wake of inclusivity concerns.

In announcing the decision Wednesday, school officials said they made the choice after members of its campus and its community repeatedly expressed displeasure over the "Colonials" name for years.

According to a special committee the university tasked with analyzing the moniker, opponents of the name said that the term "Colonial" is so closely associated with "people who oppressed Native Americans and owned slaves" that it should be changed.

In a lengthy statement Wednesday, school officials said they agreed it was time for an adjustment.

"Today," school official Christopher Alan Bracey said, "the moniker no longer does the work that a moniker should -- namely, unifying the campus behind our academic and athletic institutional aspirations."

The school said "Colonials" -- a moniker the university initially adopted back in 1926 -- will remain the university's nickname until a new one is conceived.

It's expected that, following "a broad university community engagement process," the new name will be announced by the 2023-24 academic year.

What's interesting ... a school official tells TMZ Sports that despite a new nickname, the school is keeping "George" as its mascot.

"The decision to change the Colonials moniker was not taken lightly, and both the Board and Special Committee determined a new moniker will help unify the university community and serve as a source of pride," the school said in its statement.

Sad news ... South Korean hockey player Cho Min-ho -- who scored the first-ever goal for the country's Olympic team in 2018 -- has passed away after battling cancer.

He was only 35.

The International Ice Hockey Federation confirmed Min-Ho's passing in a statement on Wednesday -- saying the forward died at a Seoul hospital after an eight-month battle with lung cancer.

"The Korean ice hockey family will remember him not only as a great player," IIHF officials said, "but also as a great human and leader on and off the ice."

Min-ho started playing for South Korea's national team in 2008 -- and became a hero during the PyeongChang Olympics.

Within the first few minutes of the team's preliminary round game against the Czech Republic, Min-ho scored ... making him the first-ever Korean player to hit the back of the net in Olympic men's ice hockey history.

In total, Min-ho competed in 11 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship tournaments ... and was named the team captain for the South Korean national team at the Final Olympic Qualification for the 2022 Olympics in 2021.

Drake brought his IG moniker "Champagne Papi" to life on Tuesday -- winning a title in the Sanctuary Basketball League -- and he celebrated by sprayin' bubbly everywhere!!

The victorious moment was all caught on video -- when his NTIG teammate hit the game-winning shot in the SBL title game right on Drake's basketball court in his Toronto mansion.

Drizzy and his squad went nuts after securing the dub ... cueing up the champagne showers.

And, Drake paid homage to the late Kobe Bryant for his game strategy ... saying he channeled his inner Mamba Mentality.

"I did what Kobe did in Game 7 against the Celtics," Drake said, "Shots not falling, you play f*****g defense!"

BTW, Drake launched the SBL league last year ... and now is a 2-time champ, after his team again won the 'ship.

Rafael Nadal is going to be a father -- the tennis icon and his wife, Mery Perello, are expecting their first child together, according to reports.

Spanish publication Hola! confirmed the news this week ... after weeks of rumors surrounding the couple.

Mery was spotted wearing "loose-fitting" clothing as she cheered on 36-year-old Nadal ... who won his 14th French Open and 22nd Grand Slam at Roland Garros earlier this month.

Mery also showed off what appeared to be a baby bump while on vacation with Rafa.

The #4-ranked player in the world has been with Mery for a long time (nearly 17 years) ... and the two got married in 2019.

Nadal, who's currently ahead of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic for most Grand Slam titles ever, previously told Hola! of his plans to expand his family one day.

"Obviously, I intend and want to form a family," Nadal reportedly said in 2018. "I love children and I would like them to do what they want in life."

Well, it looks like Rafa is getting his wish.

The video game developer for "Halo Infinite" is under fire for rolling out a new nameplate to honor Juneteenth ... folks are enraged the customization was named after an ape.

The folks over at 343 Industries apparently thought it would be a good idea to title the nameplate -- a palette adding a red, black and green colorway to a player's username -- "Bonobo" ... which is an endangered primate.

Problem is ... folks were angry with the association of apes with Juneteenth, considering the racist and discriminatory history between those words and Black people.

As you know ... Juneteenth is now a federal holiday, commemorating the day the last enslaved Americans got the news President Lincoln had abolished slavery.

In response to the backlash, the video game developer renamed the nameplate to "Freedom" and then to "Juneteenth."

343 Industries says the nameplate was originally named "Bonobo" in reference to a developer tool -- and they claim it was an oversight on their end.

Bonnie Ross, the founder and head of 343 Industries, says once they were made aware the nameplate "contained a term that was offensive and hurtful" they immediately made a change with a game update.

Just seconds before Arizona Cardinals defensive back Jeff Gladney died in a car accident last month ... he was both "swerving" and "flying" down a roadway, this according to a crash report obtained by TMZ Sports.

In the official documents, authorities say Gladney was driving a 2019 Mercedes-Benz with his girlfriend, Mercedes Andrea Palacios, at around 2:20 AM on May 20 on the Woodall Rodgers Service Road in Dallas.

According to the docs, a witness told investigators Gladney sideswiped a Lexus while traveling at "a very high rate of speed."

Investigators say Gladney then lost control of his ride, traveled into a nearby grassy area, and flipped into a bridge pillar. The collision, according to the report, caused the car to burst into flames.

In the docs, authorities say a witness on the scene filled out an affidavit claiming Gladney was both "swerving" and "flying" prior to colliding with the Lexus. The witness, investigators say, claimed Gladney caused the crash.

In the docs, investigators noted neither Gladney nor Palacios were wearing seatbelts. They listed "unsafe speed" and "faulty evasive action" as contributing factors in the accident.

Authorities also noted in the docs that responders arrived eight minutes after they were initially notified of the wreck.

As we previously reported, both Gladney and Palacios were tragically killed in the crash. Gladney was just 25 years old; Palacios was just 26.

It's unclear if either alcohol or drugs played a role in the accident, the crash report notes specimens were not taken at the scene. The Dallas County Medical Examiners Office, meanwhile, told TMZ Sports on Wednesday autopsy results for Gladney are still pending.

Gladney -- a former Minnesota Vikings first-round pick in 2020 -- had just signed with the Cardinals this offseason and was expected to compete for a starting cornerback role.

The NBA could be in serious trouble in 16 years ... 'cause Stephen Curry's 3-year-old son is already following in his papa's footsteps and showing off his incredible dribbling skills!!

Steph's wife, Ayesha, posted the clip on Tuesday ... with Canon mimicking Steph's iconic pregame ritual.

"Canon Jack out here stuntin like his daddy 😍😆 @stephencurry30" Ayesha said on Tuesday

Of course, Steph goes through a rigorous pregame warmup before every contest ... which has drawn fans to show up early to check out the spectacle.

Steph has previously talked about giving his son shooting advice but hilariously admitted the toddler isn't too fond of listening to the 3-time champion's help.

It should come as no surprise Canon's got natural talent -- after all, his dad, uncle and gramps all made it to the league.

A Klay Thompson impersonator has been BANNED for life from Warriors home games ... after he allegedly fooled arena personnel into believing he was the Golden State star, allowing him access to not just the building, but also the basketball court.

"Banned bc I walked past 5 layers of security guards (who willingly let me through security without asking for ID) & shot around on the court for 10 minutes," Dawson Gurley announced on social media.

And, Daws isn't kidding about the ban ... he posted a photo of a letter from a Warriors executive laying out his punishment.

"You deliberately deceived Chase Center building personnel by impersonating a GSW employee," the letter read, in part.

The disciplinary letter goes on to say Daws -- who isn't denying the allegation -- can't ever come back. They also threatened him with a trespassing charge.

For his part, Daws thinks the suspension is BS! He says he actually had a ticket for the game ... saying it isn't his fault security didn't stop him.

"I also spent 10K on tickets which they are not refunding. Why should I be banned because their security is incompetent?" Dawson asked his followers.

10 bands is obviously a lot of money to waste. But, the Klay impersonator says he doesn't have any regrets.

"Was it worth it to lose 10K on tickets and be banned for life? Absolutely. I was an NBA player for 10 minutes bro."

During those 10 minutes, Daws even had time to take a photo.

It's not the first time Gurley's received attention for impersonating the All-Star. He pranked fans during the 2018 NBA Finals, sitting courtside, dressed as Klay. That video has millions of views.

Side note: the real Klay Thompson had 21 points in Monday's game 5 win. The Warriors are one game away from winning an NBA title.

Jason McElwain -- the former basketball manager who went viral in 2006 after suiting up and scoring 20 points in a high school game -- broke nine ribs in a serious bicycle accident Monday afternoon ... but luckily, he was wearing a helmet, and is expected to make a full recovery.

According to USA Today, police in Greece, New York responded to a call of "a bicyclist who made contact with a motor vehicle."

The 34-year-old was transported to an area hospital ... where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

A spokeswoman for Strong Memorial Hospital confirmed Jason is listed in guarded condition at the facility ... meaning his status is extremely serious with an uncertain outcome.

Jason's brother, Josh, said he suffered 9 broken ribs, a broken scapula, and a punctured lung ... but he did not sustain injuries to his head or back, fortunately.

Josh said he's thankful Jason was wearing his helmet at the time of the accident ... fearing things could have been much worse for his brother.

Jason, who is autistic and now works as a motivational speaker, had one of the most memorable games ever as a senior at Greece Athena High School in 2006.

The teen scored 20 points in the team's final home game -- hitting 7 of 13 shots and channeling his inner Ray Allen, hitting 6 threes, earning him an ESPY award that year for best sports moment.

Police say former heavyweight boxer Julius Francis -- who famously fought both Mike Tyson and Vitali Klitschko early in his boxing career -- will not be arrested over his one-punch, street knockout this past weekend.

Metropolitan Police said in a statement Wednesday they have concluded their investigation into Francis' punch -- which went down while he was working as a security guard in the U.K. on Saturday -- and will not arrest the 57-year-old over it all.

"Officers have spoken to all parties involved and have reviewed relevant CCTV," cops said. "No further action will be taken in relation to the incident involving the security guard and male customer."

Police initially began investigating Francis after he was seen on video throwing a right hook at a man's jaw after the guy had appeared to get into a confrontation with security guards at BOXPARK Wembley.

The man was reportedly causing a scene at the venue, and after he was booted by the guards, he became combative.

BOXPARK Wembley founder Roger Wade believed Francis did no wrong ... saying in a statement following the incident that the former fighter was simply defending himself -- and it seems cops agreed with him.

Francis fought professionally 48 times in his career in the 1990s and early 2000s, losing to both Tyson and Klitschko in their matches.