TMZ Sports - Page 50

Roy Jones Jr., a dual United States/Russian citizen, tells TMZ Sports he's working behind the scenes to free Brittney Griner, even saying he's willing to travel to Moscow to escort the WNBA star home.

"Would I put my life on the line, take a chance to go to Russia to exchange prisoners? Yes, I would," the Hall of Fame boxer says, before explaining why. "Because if [Brittney] was my daughter, I would want somebody to do the same thing for me."

Of course, Griner's been locked up in a Russian jail for around 4 months, and could ultimately face a decade or more in prison ... all because authorities at an airport near Moscow claim the star hooper attempted to bring drugs (hash oil) into the country.

Enter the legendary fighter ... who although born in Florida, also became a Russian citizen in 2015, with the help of Vladimir Putin.

Roy -- who last week also sat down with "Best Womens Boxing Show PERIOD" for a wide ranging conversation about Griner and his career, amongst other topics -- believes the friends he's made in Russia over the years may be in a position to help Griner.

"I had a friend, a couple of my friends that I knew, I called and I asked him 'Is there any way we can try to facilitate?' because I don't do politics. I'm a sports figure and they love me as a sports figure. 'Is there any way we can use my sports influence to possibly can get anything arranged to help get Brittney home?'"

And, Roy says there is a path to bringing Brittney home ... via a "prisoner exchange."

"My friend called and he called me back and he said, 'yes, they said they'd be willing to do a prisoner exchange.' I said, 'Well it's probably rough because the prisoner exchange is probably a real prisoner.' She's not necessarily a person that's a real prisoner but I'm sure that maybe the U.S. will be understanding of this and get her back home because I'd be terrified if my kid was stuck in a foreign country in jail, you know?"

As for the identity of Roy's friend ... he says one of his buddies is very close to Putin.

"One of my guys is like -- he's the right-hand man to the office of Mr. Putin, so he's high up on the political scheme. He's a reporter and he usually does most of the reporting for Mr. Putin so he can go make direct contact with whoever necessary to help me."

FYI, much of the news media in Russia is state-owned.

Steph Curry and the Warriors have done it again ... for the fourth time in the last eight years, Golden State is the champion of the NBA.

Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson roughed up the Celtics, 103-90, in Game 6 of the Finals on Thursday night to secure the title.

Curry led the way for the Dubs in the victory in Boston, scoring 34 points and logging seven rebounds and seven assists. He was later named MVP of the series.

Green chipped in a near triple-double with 12 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. Thompson, meanwhile, added 12 points and five rebounds.

The series finale was by no means an instant classic -- the Warriors took a big lead in the first half and never relinquished it.

To their credit, the Celtics did at times in the second half appear to at least threaten to make it close -- but Curry, Green and the Warriors were just too much.

The championship is the fourth for Curry, Green and Thompson, who previously won titles over LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers in 2015, 2017 and 2018.

All three celebrated their faces off on the court following Thursday night's win ... with Curry actually shedding tears.

Russell Wilson showed off his two-sport-athlete skills as he took batting practice at Coors Field on Thursday ... ripping homers in an impressive video!!

Meanwhile, Peyton Manning made contact with the ball!!

Of course, Wilson was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 4th round of the 2010 MLB Draft ... playing two seasons in the minors before deciding to return to college football and play for Wisconsin.

Manning, on the other hand, decided to focus solely on football after college ... and it was definitely for the best -- 'cause he didn't look quite as natural as Russ (still love ya, Peyt!)

The duo even took some grounders ... working on their double plays before the Rockies faced off against the Cleveland Guardians.

The two joked about their different experiences on the mound ... with Russell saying he was 6 years old the last time Peyton took a swing in the box.

And we'll admit ... it looked like it!!

FIFA just made official the 11 U.S. cities that will host World Cup games in 2026 ... dropping a list including Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, and even Kansas City.

The soccer association made the announcement on Thursday ... unveiling the 16 areas the tournament will be played in for their first-ever 48-team bracket (it was previously 32 teams).

60 of the games -- quarterfinals and semifinals -- will be played in the U.S. throughout 11 cities.

Of course, the two largest cities in the U.S. -- Los Angeles and New York -- made the cut ... with Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle also getting picked.

KC Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes was hyped the World Cup chose his city ... saying, "Let's show them why Arrowhead is the loudest stadium in the world!"

The event will also hit Canada and Mexico -- each hosting 10 games -- and they will be played in Toronto, Vancouver, Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey.

This will be the first time in FIFA history that three different countries will host the matches ... and the first time in the U.S. since 1994.

Ex-NHL star Sean Avery has just been convicted of attempted criminal mischief ... after he was accused of slamming his scooter into a car in a road rage incident back in 2019.

A spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office tells TMZ Sports ... Avery was found guilty of the misdemeanor charge on Thursday, following a short bench trial this week.

According to the spokesperson, Avery was sentenced to time served. The judge in the case also issued full orders of protection for the victims.

42-year-old Avery was initially charged back in 2019 ... after a businessman said the former New York Rangers center damaged his car following a dispute over a New York bike lane.

The man claimed Avery's outburst left a small hole in his vehicle's door, near where his 4-year-old daughter had been sitting during the incident.

Very cool gesture by the Chicago Bears ... the entire team wore No. 41 jerseys at practice to honor Brian Piccolo, who tragically died from cancer 52 years ago Thursday.

Piccolo -- who spent 4 seasons in the NFL (all with the Bears) -- was diagnosed with embryonal cell carcinoma, a form of testicular cancer, back in 1969 ... and sadly passed away at just 26 years old from the disease on June 16, 1970.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said he thought it was important for his team to be reminded of everything Piccolo did before his death, so he brought out the jerseys for Thursday's anniversary.

"He was a really good teammate and he liked to have fun with his teammates, he liked to play practical jokes on them and stuff like that," Eberflus said of Piccolo.

"Just a real man and a real person and a Chicago Bear. So, I wanted to make sure they got that message."

Piccolo, an undersized fullback, ultimately gained national fame during the 1960s for his beautiful friendship with teammate Gale Sayers.

The two grew so tight during their time as Bears, Sayers actually dedicated his George S. Halas Award (given to the Most Courageous Player) to Piccolo just before his death. The gesture -- along with the duo's friendship -- was depicted in the 1971 movie "Brian's Song."

The Bears have honored Piccolo yearly with the Brian Piccolo Award -- which is given to one veteran and one rookie who best exemplify the attributes Piccolo displayed during his life.

Former New York Mets prospect Darwyn Encarnacion died following a horrific car crash in the Dominican Republic this week.

He was just 21 years old.

According to MLB insider Hector Gomez, Encarnacion was driving an SUV on Wednesday when it tumbled off a bridge and crashed into a ditch below it.

The former outfielder, according to multiple reports, had somehow survived the initial impact, but died at a local hospital a short time later.

A Mets academy executive in the Dominican Republic confirmed Encarnacion's tragic passing to Gomez ... saying, "He was a great human being, very disciplined, respectful and polite. He played with us for just one year, in 2019. He was even using his scholarship that the team gave him when he signed and was currently studying at university."

Encarnacion signed a minor league contract with the Mets in March 2019 ... and, a few months later, played for their Dominican Summer League team.

He logged 113 at-bats in 35 games ... tallying one home run, 10 steals and a .248 batting average. He was eventually released by the team in Oct. 2020.

UFC star Zabit Magomedsharipov -- considered one of the best 145 lb.'ers in the world -- is retiring from fighting at just 31 years old, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Zabit, who has a professional record of 18-1, last fought in November 2019 at UFC Fight Night 163. He beat fellow UFC star, and current 4th ranked featherweight Calvin Kattar by unanimous decision.

Obviously, Zabit hasn't been active ... and the reason why isn't entirely clear.

In fact, Magomedsharipov was once ranked in the top 5 ... but the UFC removed him because of inactivity.

Its tough news for MMA fans 'cause Zabit was one of the most exciting fighters to watch perform in the Octagon.

Aside from beating Kattar (who fighting Josh Emmett this Saturday), Zabit also beat Jeremy Stephens and Brandon Davis.

As for Zabit's plans for the future ... that's currently unclear.

A Toledo basketball player turned into a hero during a game last weekend -- performing successful CPR on a referee who had collapsed in the middle of the contest.

The scary incident was caught on video ... when during the Toledo Glass City's game against the Jamestown Jackals on June 11 -- a ref wobbled, and then crumpled to the floor.

You can see in the footage, referee John Sculli lay motionless for several moments ... before Glass City's Myles Copeland raced over to help out.

Copeland -- who's also a firefighter -- told ESPN he didn't feel Sculli's pulse or see him breathing when he got to the man ... so, he started CPR with the help of another ref until paramedics arrived.

And, thanks to his efforts, Sculli -- who's been officiating for almost 40 years -- survived -- and is now expected to have surgery this week to fix his health issues.

"It was kind of instinctual," 25-year-old Copeland said of it all. "It surprised me how quick I was able to switch into that mode, especially being in a basketball game."

"But, with being a firefighter, when you're off the job, you're really not off the job. You still got to keep an eye out for the community and what's going on around you."

He continued, "I didn't feel like I went out of my way to do anything special. It's just what I was put here to do. God was able to work through me. I feel like other people see me differently as a hero, but I don't see myself any different."

FYI, Copeland drove to NY for the playoff game after working a 24-hour shift as a firefighter -- and his team ultimately won the game, 96-93.

It appears Logan Paul has a new lady in his life -- the YouTuber/boxer was spotted out with Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover model Nina Agdal in London this week ... and we're told they were packin' on the PDA.

Sources tell TMZ Sports the 27-year-old social media star and 30-year-old beauty were getting cozy at Novikov on Wednesday night ... and at one point, they even shared a kiss as they sat at a table with friends.

We're told Logan and Nina tried to keep it lowkey as they left the restaurant ... exiting several minutes apart from each other as they headed out to go clubbing.

It sure seems the two are hitting it off -- Agdal recently followed Logan's mom and his closest friends, George Janko and Mike Majlak, on Instagram.

Paul previously had long-term relationships with model Josie Canseco and actress Chloe Bennet ... and Agdal famously dated Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Brinkley-Cook.

Paul's been killing it lately -- he fought Floyd Mayweather, crushed it at WrestleMania and launched his Prime Hydration drink line ... just to name a few highlights.

Now he's getting close with one of the most attractive women on the planet??

Sue Bird -- a 4-time WNBA champion and star guard for the Seattle Storm -- says she's retiring ... announcing Thursday she's hanging up her sneakers for good at the end of this season.

"I’ve decided this will be my final year," said Bird, who shared a photo of her hoopin' as a youngster.

"I have loved every single minute, and still do, so gonna play my last year, just like this little girl played her first."

The 41-year-old, who was a 2-time NCAA champion at UConn, was picked #1 overall back in 2002 ... and has played every year since for the Storm.

In her 19 years in Seattle, she piled up 12 All-Star selections ... and became the WNBA's all-time assists leader as well as the league's all-time leader in starts.

Her retirement will mark truly the end of one of the greatest basketball careers ever -- as Bird is one of only six players ever to win an NCAA championship, a WNBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal.

Jerry Jones is ripping Dallas mayor Eric Johnson for suggesting the city needs a new NFL team -- the L.A. Chargers -- saying it'd have a huge negative effect on the beloved Cowboys.

The 79-year-old billionaire -- who's owned the Cowboys since buying the team in 1989 -- thinks the mayor's suggestion isn't only a bad one -- but also misinformed.

"Well, I like the mayor," Jones told The Dallas Morning News. "I like him personally, but he doesn’t have the depth. He doesn’t have the knowledge that others have regarding how unique Dallas is and how we enjoy the interest in the Cowboys."

"He wouldn’t want to water that down as it relates to Dallas if he knew as much, and has spent as much time in sports as I have," he added.

Jerry is responding to a comment recently made by Johnson ... who suggested the Chargers -- currently embroiled in a nasty legal battle for control of the team -- should move to Dallas.

"Southern Dallas is the fresh start the @Chargers need! Several sites, including @cottonbowlstad and Hensley Field, would be ideal locations for a state of the art practice facility and world headquarters or stadium," Mayor Johnson wrote.

"We’re ready for the @NFL in  @CityOfDallas! @nflcommish"

"You can be rest assured that you would not have the NFL supporting another team because of the kind of value that the game and the NFL receives of having [the] Dallas Cowboys as one of its marquee teams and again," Jones said.

He continued ... "Logic tells you [the NFL] wouldn’t want to water that down."

FYI, Forbes estimates the Cowboys worth at $6.5 billion, making them the NFL's highest-valued team. But, it might be worth even more. JJ recently said he could sell the team for $10 billion, if he wished.

The mayor -- who claims to be a diehard Cowboys fan -- responded to Jones saying, "I like Jerry [Jones] a lot, and he has done a great job turning my beloved Cowboys into the most valuable sports franchise on the planet."

"No team will ever dethrone the Cowboys -- but that's not the point. This region loves football and could certainly support a second team. And as a mayor, my job is to grow my city's economy."

Already holding the title of most-followed golfer on social media, Paige Spiranac just added another impressive item to her resume -- Maxim's Sexiest Woman Alive.

The mag just announced the honor ... officially crowning the golf star and influencer hottest on the planet in its latest "Hot 100" edition on Thursday.

And, Paige was fired up to hold the title ... saying in a post on her Instagram, "I am so honored by being named the sexiest woman alive by @maximmag this year!"

"When I got the call," she added, "I kept asking them, 'are you sure?' because I was truly in disbelief."

Paige gained fame several years ago after winning a golf tournament, when fans noticed her swing -- and her looks.

Soon after, Paige became a social media star ... and now has more followers on IG than Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson!!

Paige is no longer competing as a pro golfer -- she spends most of her time working on business adventures and her podcast -- but, don't it get it twisted, she's still got plenty of game on the course.

You'll recall, she made a hole-in-one last year in front of Gary Player!!!

Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis is making an astonishing donation to help the Uvalde community following the tragic shooting that left 21 dead ... pledging $1 million to increase security in the school district.

The Uvalde Leader-News reported the gesture on Thursday ... saying Davis decided to step in and help out after conversations with former Raiders star Vann McElroy, who grew up and currently lives in Uvalde, Texas.

Davis presented the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District with the check via a Zoom call this week ... saying, "We are proud to be part of something to make the children in these schools safer."

"Two weeks ago, I had a conversation with Vann. He told me about the hurt his hometown was going through."

"He said that Uvalde was in pain and needed help," Davis added. "I asked him what we would do to help ease that pain."

The donation will go toward installing impenetrable doors, security cameras inside and outside, as well as building an unscalable fence outside.

The gesture comes amid criticism of local law enforcement's response to the tragedy ... as well as the shooter's access to the school.

Patrick Mahomes' 1-year-old daughter has quarterback genes in her blood ... and, clearly, the youngster has some hoops ones as well -- 'cause she's already dunking!!

Brittany Mahomes shared video of baby Sterling accomplishing the feat on Thursday morning -- and it's adorable (and impressive!).

In the clip, you can see Sterling walk right up to the rim, and throw it down with ease. Sterling walked off after scoring the basket, but after Brittany encouraged her to shoot it again ... Sterling put home another rim-rattler!

Mom loved it -- cheering on Sterling the entire time ... and even tagging Patrick so Dad knew his baby's athleticism is coming in nicely.

Sterling should have a partner to throw her some lobs in the very near future ... Patrick and Brittany just announced this month the two are expecting another child soon.

Drake is a basketball champion and J. Cole is a pro hooper -- but none of that matters to Lil Durk because he "knows" he's the best hip hop baller out there.

We checked in with Durkio as he was checking outta LAX to get his thoughts on Drake's recent trophy win ... in his own basketball league, mind you.

Seems like an obvious conflict of interest, but Durk says he'd do the same thing if he had his own court and b-ball league.

He also perked up with J. Cole's recent stint in the Canadian Elite Basketball League ... especially while claiming he'd put Cole on a poster with a dunk!!!

He's got backup for that smack talk, though -- remember, LeBron James recently went on record putting Durk's b-ball skills over every rapper out there and Durk is clearly, and proudly, wearing that title on his sleeve.