TMZ Sports - Page 17

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.

Ex-NBA star Vince Carter had a horrifying Father's Day ... 'cause police say his home was burglarized while his wife and two kids were inside of it -- and nearly $100K was taken in the incident.

According to an Atlanta Police Dept. incident report, obtained by TMZ Sports, suspects broke into Carter's Atlanta home at around 11:50 PM on June 19 ... while the Toronto Raptors legend's wife, Sondi, and her two sons were lying in bed.

According to the report, Sondi said she was frightened by loud noises that had come from the front of her home ... so she took her two boys, hid in a bedroom closet, and dialed 911.

Cops say Sondi told them she had heard suspects rummaging through their belongings in different rooms.

According to the report, an off-duty Atlanta cop arrived at Carter's home first and saw a man wearing a mask and all-black clothing fleeing the property, before eventually getting into an SUV and taking off.

Officers say they arrived a short time later and saw the front window of the home was completely broken. They also said they found $16,100 in $100 bills scattered outside the gated home.

According to the docs, officers said they spoke with Carter on the phone and he said the cash was from a brown bag he had in his closet. He said the $16K was only a small portion of the $100K that was inside of it.

Cops say they also recovered two guns outside the home -- a Desert Eagle that they say belonged to Carter, and a Glock 26 with an extended clip that they suspect belonged to the alleged thief.

Thankfully, cops say no one was injured in the incident. An investigation is ongoing.

Jake Paul and Tommy Fury will settle their beef ... after seemingly years of back-and-forth trash talk, failed negotiations, canceled flights and an ultimatum from Jake -- fight me now or never -- the two boxers will finally square off in a ring.

Jake announced the news early Thursday morning ... proclaiming Tommy, Tyson Fury's younger brother, stepped up to the plate and accepted his challenge.

"Okay people he grew a set overnight. It's official, I'm taking this little Fury's head off," Paul said on Twitter.

JP also announced he and Tommy will co-main event alongside Amanda Serrano, who fights under Jake's MVP promotion and is fighting Brenda Carabajal at the mecca of boxing, Madison Square Garden.

Yesterday, Jake ripped 23-year-old Fury ... accusing him of ducking him and finding every possible excuse to prevent the fight from happening.

"Tommy Fury, you pulled out last year. Then you agree to fight me now but your dad is trying to pull you out again? We've given you everything you asked for," Paul told Fury.

He continued ... "We're 45 days away from the fight. We agreed to his 2 million dollar purse, we agreed to VADA testing, extra flights, extra rooms, extra tickets to the fight."

And, let's not forget back in December, Jake seemed to be over the Tommy saga ... after Fury pulled out of their Dec. 18 bout due to a chest infection and broken rib.

An artistic swimmer nearly lost her life after passing out in the pool following an intense routine at a major event Wednesday ... but, thankfully, her coach quickly dove into the water and rescued her.

The terrifying scene went down at the FINA World Aquatic Championships in Budapest, Hungary ... when American Anita Alvarez had just wrapped up a performance in the women's solo free event and suddenly fainted.

The photos from the pool are horrifying ... they show a lifeless Alvarez sinking to the bottom, clearly in danger of drowning.

Fortunately, her coach, Andrea Fuentes, immediately knew something was wrong ... and jumped in to save her.

Fuentes grabbed Alvarez, pulled her to the top ... and, according to U.S. Artistic Swimming officials, the 25-year-old swimmer is now expected to be OK despite the grim images.

"Anita has been evaluated by medical staff and will continue to be monitored," the team said in a statement Thursday morning. "She is already feeling much better and using today to rest."

Fuentes, meanwhile, spoke about her heroic efforts to BBC on Thursday morning ... saying she had to rub Alvarez's face to get her to release the water she had taken into her lungs after collapsing in the pool.

"She was very tight on her jaw," Fuentes said. "So I tried to wake her up and massage the jaw because it was too tense. And then she coughed and threw up the water out."

Shockingly, this is not the first time Alvarez has needed Fuentes to rescue her ... the swimmer had a similar incident go down last year at an Olympic qualification event.

U.S. Artistic Swim officials said there is now a chance Alvarez could still compete in Friday's team event.

Steph Curry's NBA championship celebration is STILL going on ... the 2x-MVP took a trip to a theme park in Northern California with his family on Wednesday to keep the good times rollin'!

TMZ Sports has obtained pics and videos of the four-time champion hitting up "Great America" in Santa Clara ... just two days after the 34-year-old was seen partying his ass off at the Warriors' championship parade on Monday.

Witnesses tell us ... Curry -- flanked by his three kids, Riley, Ryan, and Canon -- was all smiles throughout the day. Ayesha, we're told, didn't make the trip.

Of course, the greatest shooter in NBA history got on a bunch of rides with the crew ... and was seen enjoying himself on a kids roller coaster called "Lucy's Crabbie Cabbies."

Most championship winners tend to hit Disneyland following their big games ... but seems the Golden State superstar chose to keep the theme park celly local this time around.

NFL legend Tony Siragusa has died at 55 years old, his former Baltimore Ravens teammate, Jamal Lewis, confirmed to TMZ Sports.

"It's a sad day to be a Raven I must say," the ex-running back said on Wednesday.

A cause of death for the former defensive lineman has not yet been revealed.

Siragusa -- a 6-foot-3, 340-pound defensive tackle -- initially broke into the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 1990 and became a full-time starter by the 1992 season.

In 1997, he signed with the Baltimore Ravens ... and went on to be a key cog on the legendary 2000 team that won Super Bowl XXXV.

Playing alongside Ray Lewis, Rod Woodson and Adalius Thomas, Siragusa -- nicknamed "Goose" -- helped the Ravens defense set the record for fewest points allowed in a regular season on their way to winning a title.

In his 12 years in the league, he compiled 22 sacks and 564 combined tackles.

Following his playing career, Siragusa gained national fame for his role as an NFL sideline reporter and analyst for Fox. He made audiences laugh with his unique style and knowledge of the game.

Siragusa had also hosted several TV shows after retiring from the NFL, including "Man Caves."

Colts owner Jim Irsay just tweeted about Siragusa's death, saying, "The Goose, Tony Siragusa has passed away at 55.. I’m heart broken as is all of Colts Nation."

Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti also commented on Siragusa's passing, writing in a statement, "Our deepest prayers and sympathies go out to Kathy, their three children and the rest of the Siragusa family."

"This is a tremendously sad day for the Baltimore Ravens. We appreciate everyone who has expressed an outpouring of support for our players, coaches and staff."

L.A. Chargers defensive lineman Morgan Fox woke up Wednesday a proud dog dad ... 'cause his French bulldog won the Non-Sporting Group at the Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday night -- and is now heading to the finals!

The 146th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show -- which is held at the Lyndhurst Estate in Tarrytown, NY -- announced his dog, Winston, took home the W after a sweet performance Tuesday evening.

"Give a round of a-PAWS for your Non-Sporting Group Winner, WINSTON!" Westminster said on IG.

The defensive end -- who signed with the Chargers last month after playing for the Rams and Panthers -- watched the whole thing go down on TV ... and he was stoked!

"If this is how my parents felt watching my games all these years I apologize," Fox said on Twitter after Winston's win. "Winner winner!"

Following the victory, Fox had a hilarious interaction with a pet food and nutrient company over Winston's advantages with Dad being a six-year NFL vet and all.

"Has Winston been training with you on the field to get a leg up in the competition?" the company asked.

Fox responded, "😂😂 apparently I should be training with him."

Now, Winston -- along with Trumpet the bloodhound, Hollywood the Maltese, and River the German shepherd -- will advance to the finals.

Three more dogs will be selected on Wednesday afternoon, and then all seven pups will face off for the coveted Best in Show prize just hours later.

Paws crossed for Winston!

Fred Goldman says the staggering sum that O.J. Simpson owes him has now ballooned to a whopping $96 MILLION, TMZ Sports has learned.

Goldman laid it all out in new court documents, in which he's applying for a renewal of his old judgment against the former NFL star stemming from the death of Fred's son, Ron Goldman.

You'll recall, in 1997 ... O.J. was ordered to pay $33.5 million to the Goldman family after he was found liable in the 1994 killing of Ron, who died along with Nicole Brown Simpson in Brentwood, Calif.

In 2015, Fred said with interest, O.J. owed him $57 million. But, in the new docs, Fred now says interest has continued to pile up over the last 7 years and has now reached nearly $97 mil.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was grilled on Wednesday by a U.S. Congressman over his apparent beef with Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy ... and the whole interaction was both contentious and awkward.

Goodell -- testifying in front of Congress during a hearing on the alleged misconduct within the Washington Commanders' organization -- was blasted by a series of hard-hitting questions from Rep. Jim Jordan, a member of the Republican Party.

Jordan, in his line of questioning, specifically wanted to know about the apparent ban the NFL has placed on Portnoy over the past few years.

"Commissioner, you believe in the First Amendment, don't ya?" Jordan asked Goodell, who appeared at the meeting via teleconference.

"I do," Goodell answered.

"Why do you ban Dave Portnoy from NFL games?" Jordan continued. "He's a journalist, in fact, he's a sports journalist. Why is he banned?"

Goodell said he wasn't familiar with the issue ... adding that he'd be "happy to check with my staff" about it.

Jordan pushed back ... saying, "I think we're all aware of that. I mean he interviewed the President of the United States. He interviewed President Trump in the White House."

"Seems to me if he can get into the White House, he should be able to get into a football game -- frankly as a member of the press, and as a member of the sports press. You don't know anything about that?"

Goodell replied, "I don't, sir."

If you're not familiar, Portnoy has had plenty of public issues with Goodell and the NFL for years.

The 45-year-old Barstool honcho was arrested at the league's offices in New York back in 2015 after protesting Tom Brady's Deflategate punishment. He was also booted from the Patriots vs. Falcons Super Bowl in 2019 by event security ... and in 2020, Portnoy claimed Goodell blocked a one-on-one meeting he had set up with the commish after winning the opportunity in a charity auction.

In a recent convo with TMZ Sports, Dave insisted Goodell was one of the "great criminals, villains, dictators of all time."

Jake Paul is over Tommy Fury duckin' him ... giving Tyson's little bro an ultimatum -- fight me now or fight me NEVER -- and it appears to have worked!

"Tommy Fury, you pulled out last year. Then you agree to fight me now but your dad is trying to pull you out again? We've given you everything you asked for," Jake wrote, listing out the so-called demands.

"$2M purse ✅
VADA testing ✅
Tampon’s ✅"

Paul's alluding to their 2021 fight that never came to fruition ... after Tommy sustained an injury. Tyron Woodley ultimately took his place, and was knocked out.

Now, Jake says Tommy's running out of time, and must sign on the dotted line ASAP ... so they can fight August 6 at Madison Square Garden.

To hammer home the point, Jake went on Instagram and said, "We're 45 days away from the fight," continuing ... "We agreed to his 2 million dollar purse, we agreed to VADA testing, extra flights, extra rooms, extra tickets to the fight."

Paul added, "It kept getting pushed until now .. what's the excuse? Oh, 'I can't come and I can't do it because my dad can't be there with me during the fight.'"

It's an excuse "The Problem Child" ain't buying, saying "It doesn't make any f***ing sense."

"You're scared! You claim you're a professional boxer but you don't wanna make the fight with me who you talk so much s*** about?!"

Thankfully for fans who want to see the scrap, it seems the pressure tactic worked for Paul ... 'cause the 8-0 (4 KOs) boxer seemingly accepted the terms via Twitter.

"See you august 6th pal," Fury wrote.

Tyreek Hill says multiple fans threatened to take his life following comments he made about Patrick Mahomes earlier this month ... explaining the threats were made on "every social media account I own."

The new Miami Dolphins wideout -- who was traded from the Chiefs this offseason -- initially made the remarks about his old QB on the debut of his "It Needed To Be Said" podcast two weeks ago.

When discussing Mahomes vs. Tua Tagovailoa, Hill said the 'Fins QB was more accurate. He added that he believed he wasn't necessarily used right in the Chiefs' system, and said Mahomes' job was now going to be much more difficult without him around.

In his second episode of his "It Needed To Be Said" pod ... Hill said the responses he got from fans to those statements were scary.

"Every social media account I own, I got death threats on," the 28-year-old said. "Which is ridiculous."

Hill explained he believed some of his comments were taken out of context -- adding, "They really didn't see what I said. A lot of people are just acting off emotion."

Mahomes himself said he was "surprised" by the comments ... but Hill made it clear in Tuesday's pod that he still has love for his ex-teammate, and was just trying to express his belief in his new one.

This is awesome ... an outdoor basketball court in Los Angeles got a complete makeover this week -- with images of Kobe Bryant, Shaq, Magic Johnson, and other Lakers legends being painted all over it.

The artist behind the work, Gustavo Zermeno Jr., tells TMZ Sports he initially linked up with Veniceball and Project Backboard to repaint the court at Southside Christian Church in Inglewood to try to give it some TLC.

The Lakers theme was Zermeno Jr.'s idea ... saying he's been wanting to do this for years and "the pastor of the church is a huge Laker fan so it worked out perfectly."

Zermeno -- who's been painting professionally since 2016 -- tells us the focal point was Kobe (his favorite Laker) and other players who had their jerseys retired.

He also wanted to pay homage to Pau Gasol ... saying he "deserves to be up there with them."

And, after working alongside his friend Nick Flax for 2 weeks (10 hours per day using $3,000 worth of paint), he delivered a masterpiece.

Besides Bryant and Gasol, the court features Shaq, Magic, James Worthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Chick Hearn, Jerry West, and Jerry Buss in front of the downtown L.A. skyline and Staples Center.

"It means the world really," Zermeno said of the piece. "It's also right next door to the new Clippers arena so it also shows this is still a Lakers town haha."

The unveiling marks the start of Zermeno's upcoming nonprofit organization called "Heart In The Paint" which will focus on the betterment of young lives through sports, art, and education.

Baltimore Ravens pass rusher Jaylon Ferguson has tragically died at 26 years old, the team announced on Wednesday.

No details surrounding his death were released.

"We are profoundly saddened by the tragic passing of Jaylon Ferguson," the Ravens said in a statement early Wednesday morning.

"He was a kind, respectful young man with a big smile and infectious personality."

The team added, "We express our heartfelt condolences to Jaylon's family and friends as we mourn a life lost much too soon."

Ferguson was picked by the Ravens in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft ... and played in 38 total games for the team the last three seasons, tallying 4.5 sacks and 67 tackles.

Prior to his NFL career, the 6-foot-5, 275-pound athlete was a superstar at Louisiana Tech Univ.

Ferguson recorded 45 total sacks in his career there, making him the NCAA career sacks leader. The school mourned his death in a statement on Twitter on Wednesday morning.

"We will remember his God-given talents on the field and his infectious personality off of it," the university said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."

TMZ Sports actually spoke with Ferguson just before he was drafted back in 2019. At the time, he had been mired in a bit of controversy due to an arrest during his freshman year at Louisiana Tech that was preventing him from fully participating in the NFL combine that year.

But, he was kind and humble during our conversation, and explained he was looking at the whole situation from a positive perspective.

RIP

Michael Rubin -- the billionaire minority owner of the Philadelphia 76ers -- is selling his stake in the Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment company which owns the Sixers and the New Jersey Devils.

Rubin, 49, shared the news this week during an interview with FOX Sports ... saying he decided to unload the teams after 11 years of ownership because of a conflict of interest.

The conflict? Michael's the CEO of Fanatics, and the company is getting involved in the incredibly lucrative sports gambling industry. Doing that while owning a team is a no-no -- thus the sale of his 10% stake.

HBSE exec Josh Harris said that Rubin's decision doesn't come as a surprise ... and that he was "grateful" for his years of partnership.

"Michael will always be a member of our HBSE and Sixers family, continue to be a presence courtside and a key partner in our collective commitment to be a force for good in Philadelphia," Harris said.

David Blitzer, co-founding and co-managing partner, called Rubin a "visionary" and "innovator" who "played an integral role in helping us grow and position HBSE for future success."

Red Bull Racing has suspended junior driver Juri Vips after the 21-year-old used the n-word this week while playing "Call of Duty" on a live stream.

The driver -- who's racing in Formula 2 this year -- was gaming on Twitch with another driver when microphones caught him abruptly using the racial slur.

On Tuesday, Red Bull Racing announced its suspended Vips "from all team duties" over the language ... saying an investigation is ongoing.

"As an organization, we condemn abuse of any kind," the Red Bull Racing team said in a statement, "and have a zero-tolerance policy to racist language or behaviors within our organization.”

Vips released an apology on his Instagram page shortly after the suspension was announced -- saying what he did was "unacceptable."

"I wish to unreservedly apologize for the offensive language used during a live gaming stream earlier today," Vips said.

"This language is entirely unacceptable and does not portray the values and principles that I hold. I deeply regret my actions and this is not the example I wish to set."

The Estonian driver -- who won the 2017 ADAC Formula championship -- had been sitting 7th in the Formula 2 standings this season.