TMZ Sports - Page 14

Some more positive news from hoops star Aaliyah Gayles ... the USC recruit is starting to walk again just two months after being shot 10 times at a house party.

The 18-year-old guard shared the amazing feat on Thursday via Instagram -- showing a video of her getting out of her wheelchair and taking a few steps.

"They told me I couldn't do it," Gayles said in the caption. "I told them watch me do it."

"I got the whole world watching. I gotta prove it."

The progress is both inspiring and exciting for the 5-star basketball recruit who was shot in both arms and legs during a house party in Las Vegas on April 16.

Over the last few weeks, Gayles has hit a few monuments during her road to recovery ... the #8 overall girls basketball player in ESPN's 2022 class also graduated from Spring Valley High School earlier this month.

Her father, Dwight, tells us he's as confident as ever that Aaliyah -- who is still committed to playing basketball for the USC Trojans -- will make a full recovery.

"She's going to be just fine," he said, "this kid is built different."

Two Travis Scott fans are somewhere cradling his shoes right now, after Trav blew their minds by handing them a pair of shoes ... apparently, right off his feet!!!

Here's how it went down -- Travis was leaving his event Thursday night at TAO in Hollywood, and, as usual, a group of fans were waiting outside to greet him and hoping to snap some pics or get an autograph.

The rapper hopped in his car and decided to swing by the crowd before taking off ... rolling down his window, and shocking the hell out of them by handing out a pair of laced-up Jordans.

Their faces say it all ... complete and utter shock. Even the security guard nearby was showing some respect for their new gifts.

One of the kids took off pretty quick after getting the Jordan 1 Lows -- gotta stash that in a safe place!

TS has been working closely with Nike for a while ... doing shoe collabs that sell out fast -- one of the latest drops had over a million people going online to clean them out in under 30 minutes.

Rafael Nadal took a well-deserved break after winning his 14th French Open ... hitting the Spanish seas with his pregnant wife and friends on an insane mega-yacht!

The No. 4 ranked tennis star was spotted on the 78-foot, multimillion-dollar catamaran yacht named "Great White" just days after beating Norwegian Casper Ruud in the major tourney -- setting a new record with 14 French Open title wins.

And, the champ was celebrating like someone who just made history ... diving into the water, and hanging out on the deck with his buddies.

His wife, Maria Perello, was also livin' the vacay life ... just days after the couple -- who married in 2019 -- announced they're expecting their first child.

But, the R&R won't last long, though. Nadal -- who's dealing with pain in his left foot -- has Wimbledon to win ... and his first match is Tuesday against Francisco Cerúndolo.

"I'm going to be in Wimbledon if my body is ready to be in Wimbledon," Nadal said after winning the French Open.

"That's it. Wimbledon is not a tournament that I want to miss. I think nobody wants to miss Wimbledon. I love Wimbledon."

Awful news out of Red Sox nation ... Drago -- the German shepherd who became famous for roaming the field at Fenway Park over the past few years -- has died at 10 years old.

The pup's owner, Red Sox head groundskeeper Dave Mellor, mourned the passing in a message to the Associated Press this week.

"I was blessed he was in my life as he saved my life, changed my life, inspired me, and gave hope to my life in ways I hadn't had in decades and didn’t know were possible,” Mellor said. "I am absolutely heartbroken."

Mellor, a die-hard Red Sox fan and a former star high school pitching prospect, got Drago back in 2014 in order to help deal with the PTSD he was suffering from after he was involved in two horrific car crashes earlier in his life.

The two quickly became inseparable -- and Drago soon joined Mellor at his job tending to the grounds at Fenway Park, where the dog quickly became beloved by Red Sox players, staffers and fans.

Sadly, Drago suffered a stroke before Boston hosted the Oakland Athletics last week, and died two days later.

The Red Sox org. showed a heartfelt message on the video board at the ballpark last Friday when the team played the St. Louis Cardinals ... saying that Drago was a companion who provided countless memories over the years.

"We send love and support to his family, honor his service and recognize a life well-lived," the Sox's tribute read. "We will miss you, Drago.”

The L.A. Lakers' summer roster just got a whole lot more interesting ... because after the NBA Draft this week, the team signed Shaq and Scottie Pippen's sons to deals!!

Both Shareef O'Neal and Scotty Pippen Jr. inked agreements with the Purple and Gold on Thursday night ... after going undrafted in the NBA's annual two-round selection event.

According to reports, O'Neal signed on to play for the Lakers on their NBA Summer League squad. Pippen Jr., meanwhile, signed a two-way deal, meaning he'll also play on the summer roster with O'Neal, but will then have a good shot of getting on the actual regular-season squad.

The sons of both NBA legends were fired up over the contracts ... O'Neal posted a video of him as a baby in a Lakers jersey on his social media page to celebrate, while Pippen Jr. popped a bottle of champagne and then had a long hug with his family and famous Dad.

While the two aren't as gifted as their fathers (who the hell is?!?) ... both bring a ton to the Lakers' table. Shareef -- who played his college ball at both UCLA and LSU -- is a 6-foot-10, 225-pound big man who can stretch the floor.

Pippen Jr. -- a star at Vanderbilt the past three years -- is a 6-foot-3 guard who averaged 20.4 points per game in his final collegiate season.

Terrifying news from one of the stars of the Netflix series, "Cheer" -- Maddy Brum says she was struck by a car that was traveling 20-30 MPH earlier this week ... but thankfully, she escaped with just bruises and cuts on her body.

Brum -- who rose to fame during season 2 of the hit show -- says she was walking with her teammates at a crosswalk when a car turned and drove into her.

Brum posted pics from the hospital ... and appears to be in good spirits, giving a thumbs up.

In fact, the Navarro star -- who's currently on tour promoting the show -- says she will continue to perform during the next upcoming dates "to the best of my ability" after being checked out by an orthopedic surgeon.

Brum's Navarro friends shared kind words for their friend ... with La'Darius Marshall commenting, "I'm praying for you darling 😢get well soon!"

Gabi Butler added ... "I love you Madison 🤍 got them guardian angels around you 🙏🏽"

Navarro coach Monica Aldama said, "I'm so thankful it wasn't worse! ❤️❤️❤️ I love you!"

Brum thanked her teammates Angel Rice, Javon "Jay" Kendrick and James Thomas for taking care of her during the incident ... calling them the "bestest" friends.

NFL linebacker Matt Adams' time in Chicago is off to a bad start -- the 26-year-old was arrested for gun possession on Thursday, TMZ Sports has learned.

We're told Adams -- who signed a 1-year deal with the Bears in April -- was questioned by cops around 6:45 PM after he was spotted near a Jeep that was reported stolen.

Adams allegedly claimed to have bought the car ... but when cops searched the vehicle, they found a loaded handgun in the center console and an extended mag in the trunk.

Adams was arrested and booked on misdemeanor unlawful use of a weapon -- carrying/possessing a firearm ... and was cited for having a high capacity magazine and metal piercing bullets.

We're told Adams had a permit for the gun ... but it was NOT issued by the state of Illinois.

Adams -- who is still in custody at the time of this post -- is due in court in August.

As for the car, we're told the owner did not want to press charges ... chalking the whole thing up as a misunderstanding.

Ready or not, there will be another Manning-James backfield in the NFL coming soon ... so says Edgerrin James, who's guaranteeing to TMZ Sports that it will happen!!!

James told us out in NYC that he believes his son, Eden James, and Peyton Manning's nephew, Arch Manning, will rekindle the legendary James-Manning connection in the league in just a few years.

"I'm calling it right now," Edgerrin told us. "They're both going to be in the NFL together. The next wave -- 2.0!"

Edgerrin, whose son will be a freshman running back on the Howard Univ. football team this year, made the promise just hours after Arch, the top-ranked QB in the 2023 H.S. class, committed to Texas.

"When I saw Arch Manning coming out in 2023, I have my son that's at Howard, so I said it's going to be a reconnection in the future," Edgerrin said. "You're going to see my son -- you're going to see James-Manning connection."

Of course, the first iteration of Manning and James went extremely well ... Edgerrin lined up in a backfield with Peyton from 1999 to 2005 in Indianapolis -- and the pair piled up gaudy numbers together.

Seems Edgerrin -- who, by the way, also told us about a cool NFT project he's been working on with Upstream -- can't wait for Round 2 to go down.

The speculation and suspense have finally come to an end ... the Orlando Magic have selected Duke superstar Paolo Banchero with the #1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Commissioner Adam Silver just announced the choice ... revealing the team took Paolo over Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren and Auburn star Jabari Smith.

The 19-year-old former Blue Devil -- who scored 17.2 points per game as a freshman on Duke's men's basketball team this past season -- will be suiting up for an Orlando team that desperately needs him to succeed.

The Magic finished with a 22-60 record last season and didn't have a single All-Star on its roster.

Banchero could very well change that, because, in addition to his prolific scoring, he added 7.8 rebounds per contest and shot 47.8% percent from the field in 2021-22.

Former NFL running back Hugh McElhenny -- whose #39 is retired by the San Francisco 49ers -- has passed away, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Thursday.

He was 93 years old.

The Hall of Fame said McElhenny died of natural causes at his home in Nevada.

"We pass along our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and to the many whose lives he touched," The Hall wrote in a tweet when announcing the news.

McElhenny -- whose nickname was "The King" -- was taken by the 49ers with the 9th overall pick in the 1952 NFL Draft ... and he went on to star for the team for 9 seasons.

A 6x-Pro Bowler and 2-time All-Pro, Hugh was a unique offensive weapon who posed a threat to opposing defenses rushing, receiving and in special teams.

In his first NFL season (1952), McElhenny was unanimously elected Rookie of the Year and earned All-Pro status as well as a spot on the Pro Bowl team.

McElhenny's final year came in 1964 with the Detroit Lions, but he also played for the Vikings and Giants.

McElhenny -- who finished his career with 38 rushing touchdowns and 5,281 rushing yards -- was inducted into the Pro Football of Fame in 1970, and he's also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Tom Brady is firing back at Josh Allen -- who essentially called the GOAT a crappy golfer -- reminding the Bills star that whenever the two meet head-to-head, it's Brady who owns him!

Allen -- who competed with Patrick Mahomes against TB12 and Aaron Rodgers in "The Match" earlier this month -- was asked on the "Bussin' With The Boys" podcast this week what order he would rank the superstar quarterbacks as golfers.

"I'd say, Aaron, Pat, myself, Tom," Allen said, motioning to the floor when referencing Brady.

"Oh, Tom was that bad?" host Will Compton asked, before Allen replied quickly, "Yeah!"

Brady got wind of Allen's comments and didn't waste any time letting the world know he's punked Josh every single time the two have met on the football field AND the golf course.

"Love this confidence after moving to 0-5 all-time head-to-head," Brady wrote on his social media page. "This is why Josh will succeed in this league!"

Although Brady wasn't the hero the day at "The Match" (Rodgers came through in the clutch for the team), TB12 has indeed gotten the better of Josh on the gridiron.

The last time Brady and Allen squared off before the golf event, it was Tom who outdueled the 26-year-old in an instant NFL classic this past season -- as the Bucs defeated Buffalo, 33-27.

"Cheer" star Jerry Harris should spend 15 years behind prison bars for his child pornography case ... at least according to federal prosecutors.

In legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the U.S. Attorney's Office is recommending that sentence when the judge metes out Harris' punishment next week.

As we reported, the "Cheer" star is facing a maximum of 50 years behind bars after pleading guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography, and one count of traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.

Prosecutors called Harris' actions horrific, but noted his rough childhood also factored into their recommendation of a somewhat lenient 15-year sentence.

They've also requested he get 10 years of supervised release once he gets out of prison.

For his part, Jerry's legal team is trying to convince the judge to give him an even lighter sentence of 6 years in prison, and 8 years supervised release.

You'll recall, Harris -- a breakout star from the popular Netflix series -- had been under a 2019 FBI investigation for soliciting sex from minors at cheer competitions, and coercing teen boys to send inappropriate photos.

Police tell TMZ Sports ... NFL legend Tony Siragusa received CPR at a home in New Jersey before he tragically passed away on Wednesday.

The Toms River Police Department tells us officers were dispatched to a home on the barrier island in the beach section of town at around 11:45 AM ... after receiving a call about a "CPR in progress."

Cops say Siragusa was pronounced dead on the scene shortly after officers and EMS arrived. He was 55 years old.

A cause of death has not yet been revealed -- police tell us an autopsy is pending.

The scene is horrifyingly similar to the one Siragusa's father faced when he passed away while Siragusa was just 21 years old.

In discussing that tragic aspect of his life with Howard Stern back in 2012, Siragusa said he and his brother had tried to administer CPR on their father after the 48-year-old had suffered a "massive heart attack."

"In the middle of the night, I hear my mother screaming," the former star football player recalled. "Me and my brother ran in there. And he was like gasping for air ... I'm like trying to push his chest in and stuff."

"We were just holding onto him," Siragusa added.

Tony told Stern that despite the unexpected death as well as the history of heart disease in his family, he was not concerned about his own mortality.

"If I die tomorrow, I told my wife, just put a smile on my face," Siragusa said. "Put a little Sinatra on. You know, let's go."

Huge news in the college football world ... Peyton and Eli Manning's nephew, Arch Manning -- the top H.S. football player in the country -- has committed to Texas.

The 18-year-old quarterback just made the decision ... announcing the oral pact in a six-word tweet Thursday morning.

In his announcement, Arch included a picture of him in a Longhorns T-shirt ... adding, "#HookEm."

The move has potential seismic ramifications for the college football landscape ... because Arch is just that good.

He's rated as both the #1 H.S. quarterback in the nation, as well as the #1 H.S. football player overall by all of the major scouting services.

Arch -- whose dad is Cooper Manning -- has been tearing defenses for years at Isidore Newman H.S., the same Louisiana school that Peyton, Cooper and Eli (as well as Odell Beckham Jr.!) all attended.

Arch had scholarship offers from every major program in the U.S. ... and ultimately picked Texas over his other two reported finalists, Alabama and Georgia.

Nike is leaving Russia permanently ... the shoe giant will no longer be doing business in the country after temporarily suspending its operations there 3 months ago.

Nike announced the official exit on Thursday, saying, "Our priority is to ensure we are fully supporting our employees while we responsibly scale down our operations over the coming months."

The move comes just three months after the retail giant suspended operations at all of its stores in Russia ... following Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine.

Calabasas moonwalkers Blueface and DDG are running pretty tight these days, making music and even cutting their teeth in the world of boxing.

We ran into the 2 rappers Wednesday in Los Angeles during what appears to be a music video shoot. They were pretty tight-lipped on the subject ... but told us to check back later.

What they did want to talk about -- or rather, vent about -- was DDG’s lack of a boxing opponent in the upcoming Social Gloves event at the Crypto.com Arena.

While the “Thotiana” rapper is scheduled to fight former Lakers champ Nick Young ... DDG has been left ass out after PnB Rock just bailed on their fight.

We can definitely see why DDG wants in on the action. During a Social Gloves event last year, he put in work on TikToker Nate Wyatt’s face — fresh off from splurging at the strip club the night earlier.