TMZ Sports - Page 31

A bartender in Los Angeles allegedly laughed after being shown gruesome photos from the horrific Kobe Bryant crash scene, according to surveillance video screen grabs shown in court.

The Bryant crash scene photo trial continued Friday ... with Victor Gutierrez, a bartender at Baha Grill, testifying about the moments L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy Joey Cruz showed bar employees and patrons photographs from the scene.

Gutierrez testified Cruz asked him if he wanted to see the Kobe pics ... and he said he did. When asked if he found the photos humorous, the bartender claimed he never laughed or found them amusing in any way.

That's when Vanessa Bryant's attorney showed the court still images from bar surveillance video where it appeared Gutierrez was laughing.

Gutierrez denied laughing ... saying you'd have to be psychotic to find those images funny.

The bartender also testified he believed the deputy showed the photos to unload the burden of the horrific crash.

The injuries to Kobe and the other people who died were described in court ... and it was ghastly.

Thursday is the second day of the trial ... which is expected to take about 10 days.

As we reported ... Vanessa sobbed in court Thursday during opening statements, with her lawyer telling the jury the 8 L.A. County Sheriff's deputies who snapped pics of Kobe and Gigi's bodies at the helicopter crash scene did it for personal use.

One Sheriff's detective said in a deposition he tried showing the photos to his wife, telling her they depicted "piles of meat." Another deputy is accused of showing the photos to a woman he met at a bar. Firefighters were allegedly shown the pics at an awards gala.

Vanessa's lawyer says she lives "in fear, anxiety and terror" of someday seeing the photos ... and she will be forever haunted by the deputies' actions.

In her lawsuit, Vanessa claims the deputies' conduct caused her severe emotional distress, saying the photos were an invasion of privacy. Lawyers for L.A. County say Vanessa's emotional distress is a result of the fatal crash, not the photos.

Lakers GM Rob Pelinka, who was Kobe's agent, took the stand Thursday, and was barely able to speak when talking about his close relationship with KB.

Pelinka says he was in church when he was notified of the crash, rushing to meet Vanessa at an airport, and going with her and deputies to the crash site, where he says they were promised the area would be kept private.

The corn rows out at the "Field of Dreams" game won't be without the late Ray Liotta after all -- the actor who starred in the 1989 film will be recognized during the MLB's big event, TMZ Sports has learned.

Our sources tell us ... there's going to be some sort of homage to Liotta during the Reds vs. Cubs game on Thursday night in Dyersville, Iowa.

Unclear exactly what the nod will feature ... but Liotta, who played Shoeless Joe Jackson in the movie that the stadium and game are based on, is going to have some kind of presence at the field.

Liotta has already received some "Field of Dreams" love this month -- Kevin Costner, who starred alongside Ray in the movie, penned a sweet message to his friend on his Instagram earlier this week, remembering him and his famous role.

"In honor of MLB at Field of Dreams this week, I wanted to share some memories from the movie," Costner said in the post, "but more importantly remember the amazing Ray Liotta."

"'Shoeless Joe Jackson' will be out there with all of us for a great night of baseball in the fields of Iowa."

As we reported, Liotta sadly passed away in the Dominican Republic in late May. He was 67 years old.

RIP

Marshawn Lynch was dragged out of his car by the hood of his sweatshirt and forcibly thrown to the ground during his DUI arrest earlier this week ... new police video shows.

In the footage, which was captured shortly after cops had begun questioning the former NFL star on Aug. 9 in Las Vegas, you can see Lynch was leaned back in the driver's seat of a 2020 Shelby GT500 -- appearing to be uncooperative with cops who were asking him to get out of the ride.

The officers can be heard in the video asking Lynch repeatedly to step out of the car -- but Lynch refused continuously, asking over and over again why he had to leave the vehicle.

After officers told him he was "obstructing an investigation," one of the cops reached in and grabbed him by the orange sweatshirt he was wearing.

The cop then threw the ex-Seattle Seahawks running back on the ground ... and told him, "Roll over. Hands behind your back. No more games today."

Officers then can be heard on the video saying he smelled like alcohol.

In police documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, cops say when they got Lynch back to the station, he was uncooperative there -- and said they "had to use a restraint chair" to draw blood from him after obtaining a search warrant.

Lynch was ultimately booked on several charges, including DUI. He's due in court for a hearing on the matter in December.

The 36-year-old's attorneys, Richard A. Schonfeld and David Z. Chesnoff, released a statement on the matter Thursday afternoon ... saying, "Marshawn was not pulled over for a DUI. Rather the vehicle was safely parked and not in operation. We are confident that when all evidence is presented, this will not be a DUI under Nevada law. Marshawn appreciates and is thankful for everyone’s concern and support."

Trevor Bauer's assault accuser is firing back at the MLB star after he sued her earlier this year ... filing a countersuit for battery against the Cy Young winner in Los Angeles.

Lindsey Hill, from San Diego, filed a lawsuit for sexual battery and battery in federal court on Tuesday, again alleging 31-year-old Bauer beat her up on two occasions during sex, punching and choking her.

Bauer's always adamantly denied the allegations, maintaining he and Lindsey had a consensual, sexual relationship. The L.A. county district attorney's office investigated Hill's claims and opted not to file charges against the Dodgers pitcher. A judge also denied Hill a restraining order, calling claims in the petition "materially misleading"

In Hill's newly filed civil lawsuit, she claims her "life has been turned into a nightmare by a powerful man who mercilessly battered her and counted on facing no consequences whatsoever for his despicable conduct."

Lindsey claims Bauer got physical with her on two occasions ... in April and May of 2021.

"Last year, disgraced Major League Baseball player Trevor Bauer violently and sadistically abused Hill in the most appalling manner imaginable, sexually battering and battering a defenseless woman."

Hill doesn't specify how much she's seeking in damages.

Back in April 2022, Bauer sued Hill claiming she made up the damaging allegations in an effort to derail his career and secure a payday for herself.

Despite not being charged criminally, Bauer was hit with one of the longest suspensions in MLB history ... two years without pay. Trevor immediately appealed the suspension .. which is still ongoing.

He'd be eligible to return about 20 games into the 2024 MLB season.

Former NBA and college basketball standout Chris Webber is entering the cannabis biz via his new Player’s Only strain -- collaborating with several other rapper brands in the process!

On Thursday, C. Webb rolled out his Players Only strains C4, Time Out and G.O.A.T.’s Milk strains in addition to collaborations with Quavo’s BIRKINZ strain, Royce 5’9’s “Heaven” and Raekwon’s “Compliments Of The Chef” brand.

The Wu-Tang Clan legend’s company actually pays people to grow weed in their home state while Royce’s strain will double as an NFT.

And, the last time we checked with Quavo, his Birkin business was booming without any fear of copyright claims!

Naturally, C. Webb’s “Players Only” also lobs to athletes with cannabis companies and today’s launch reunites the Hall of Famer with his ex-Sacramento Kings teammate Jason Williams who has his “White Chocolate” strain, former Fab 5 teammate Ray Jackson and his Black Sox strain and former NBA champ and “All The Smoke” podcast co-host Matt Barnes, who launched “The Smoke” strain with Stephen Jackson.

Barnes was recently appointed Chief Collaborations Officer of PO and C. Webb calls it a big move for minorities and entrepreneurs alike.

For those who don’t know, C. Webb is quite the rap head … having produced for Nas' "Hip Hop Is Dead" album and even dropped a rap album towards the peak of his NBA career!

The late Bill Russell is getting the ultimate tribute -- the NBA just announced the Celtics legend's No. 6 will be retired throughout the league ... making him the first player to receive such an honor.

The Association just announced the move minutes ago ... with commish Adam Silver explaining the decision.

"Bill Russell's unparalleled success on the court and pioneering civil rights activism deserve to be honored in a unique and historic way," Silver said. "Permanently retiring his No. 6 across every NBA team ensures that Bill's transcendent career will always be recognized."

Current players who don the number -- most notably Lakers superstar LeBron James -- will not have to make a change ... as the league says those who currently wear No. 6 will be grandfathered.

On top of the number retirement, the league says each player will wear a jersey patch honoring the 11-time champion ... and each court will display a tribute logo next to the scorer's table.

The honor is exactly what names like Magic Johnson and Mike Woodson were hoping for -- both former players called for the league to raise No. 6 in the rafters at every NBA arena.

Cops say Marshawn Lynch appeared to be completely wasted during his DUI arrest earlier this week -- falling in and out of sleep during questioning and reeking of booze -- while telling officers he had stolen the car he was in.

The allegations are all spelled out in new police documents, obtained by TMZ Sports on Thursday.

In the report, cops say they initially found Lynch at around 7:25 AM on Aug. 9 asleep at the wheel of a 2020 Shelby GT500 near the strip in Las Vegas.

According to officers in the docs, Lynch's car was beat up -- missing a tire and rim, while displaying "dents and dings" elsewhere. They also said roadway markings seemingly showed Lynch's car had slammed into sidewalk areas repeatedly before it had come to a stop.

Cops also say in the docs, when they were trying to speak to Lynch, he would talk, but would "then fall back asleep several times throughout the encounter."

Cops noted Lynch had just one shoe on, and claim the smell of an "alcoholic beverage" was coming out of the former Seattle Seahawks running back's car.

During the stop, cops say Lynch "stated that he was not drinking and he does not do drugs, but that he stole the vehicle."

Lynch then allegedly refused to get out of the car after officers asked him to exit the ride.

The 36-year-old was eventually arrested about half an hour after the stop was initiated ... but cops in the docs claim he continued to be uncooperative after officers had obtained a search warrant to get a blood sample from him.

"Lynch was not cooperative or willing to comply with the Search Warrant and corrections officers from the City of Las Vegas had to use a restraint chair to force a blood draw," officers wrote in the police report.

Lynch was ultimately booked on several charges, including DUI.

Marshawn's attorneys, Richard A. Schonfeld and David Z. Chesnoff, released a statement on the matter Thursday afternoon ... saying, "Marshawn was not pulled over for a DUI. Rather the vehicle was safely parked and not in operation. We are confident that when all evidence is presented, this will not be a DUI under Nevada law. Marshawn appreciates and is thankful for everyone’s concern and support."

The GOAT is GONE in Tampa -- at least for the next roughly two weeks -- the Buccaneers revealed on Thursday that Tom Brady is now out of training camp while handling a "personal issue."

Todd Bowles was just peppered with questions about his star QB -- who left training camp Thursday and is not expected to return until sometime in late August -- but the Bucs head coach declined to get into specifics of it all.

Instead, Bowles would only say Brady is out dealing "with some personal things."

"It's something he needed to handle," Bowles said. "We trust him. We talked about it. It was scheduled way before training camp and he will not be here until after Tennessee."

The Bucs are slated to play the Titans in a preseason contest in Nashville on Aug. 20 -- which means a return date for Brady won't come until at least Aug 21.

And, it seems the 45-year-old's absence could extend longer than that, 'cause Bowles wouldn't guarantee the signal-caller would be under center for their season-opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 11.

But, Bowles did say his confidence is "pretty high" that Brady will be there.

"It's a personal issue," Bowles said. "That's all I can tell you."

Brady didn't appear to be hampered by any injuries at all while attending Bucs practices earlier this week -- throwing completions and touchdowns with regularity throughout the workouts.

James White is hanging up his cleats ... the New England Patriots running back announced Thursday he's retiring from the NFL after 8 seasons in the league.

White -- AKA "Sweet Feet" -- shared the announcement on social media ... in a heartfelt post where he addressed the Pats organization.

"It has been an honor to represent my family, my teammates, and the people of New England as a Patriot!" said White.

"Reflecting on my nine years in the NFL, and all the sacrifices it took to get here, there are many people that were just as much part of this journey."

The three-time Super Bowl champ thanked Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick for "giving me the opportunity to live out my childhood dream" ... calling it a "tremendous blessing" and "honor."

"To say that Foxboro will always hold a special place in my heart is an understatement. It's been the most significant chapter of my adulthood; my kids were born here," James wrote.

"It's the place we know the best as adults and where I have grown and created my family."

Kraft released a statement on White's retirement ... saying, "James White has always been one of the most reliable and dependable players on the field."

"Our fans will remain eternally grateful for his record-setting performance in Super Bowl LI when he helped the Patriots overcome a 20-3 deficit by scoring 20 points, including the game-winning touchdown in overtime."

White -- selected by the Pats in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft -- was one of the most reliable weapons for Tom Brady out of the backfield and as a receiver.

The highlight of White's career was his performance in Super Bowl LI against the Falcons. With the game knotted at 28-28 in overtime, "Sweet Feet" scored the decisive touchdown ... sealing the game for the Pats.

JW finished the game with 14 receptions for 110 yards (129 yards total), scoring 3 touchdowns and a 2-point conversion. A legitimate argument could be made he earned SB MVP honors ... and Brady may have agreed. Tom gave James his MVP prize ... a brand new truck.

White only played in 3 games last season ... due to a hip injury that sidelined him for most of the year.

White's ex-teammate, Julian Edelman, showed respect to James' career, writing, "Mr. Reliable. Congrats on a legendary career bubs @SweetFeet_White."

In March, White signed a 2-year, $5 million contract extension keeping him in New England ... but, it appears he's had a change of heart.

Huge victory for Lamar Odom -- the ex-NBA star is finally in possession of his own Instagram page again ... after claiming his former management refused to give him access.

Odom shared his relief on the social media platform on Wednesday ... saying, "I'm back! Got access to my account thanks to Instagram."

Odom -- who was without his IG since late July -- was fighting like hell to get his account back. In fact, he literally went to the IG headquarters in California to get it handled this week.

It was an awful experience for LO, especially because his former management was desperately posting to get clout or make a few bucks right up until he regained control over the page again.

"Anything you saw posted in my story or on my page was not me posting or commenting from this page," Odom said.

The former hooper also praised his NEW management in the return message ... thanking Gina Rodriguez for her efforts in making things right.

Remember, Odom ripped his old team last month ... saying, "my social media is not yours! If I chose to leave, that's the decision I make. Your decision shouldn't be to highjack my social media."

The Diamondbacks vs. Pirates game on Wednesday night got a whole lot more interesting in the 8th inning ... when two fans invaded the field -- and juked the hell out of stadium security while they were out there!

The guys jumped from the stands in the middle of a Pirates player's at-bat and raced toward the outfield ... and then caused chaos for several moments.

Video shot from inside of Chase Field in Phoenix shows the men did laps around a bevy of guards who were trying to bring them down -- and at one point, one of the guys even stripped his shirt off.

The highlight of their jaunt, though, came when one of the men evaded a security member so badly, the worker actually fell flat on their face.

But, after running around for nearly a full minute -- the guys gave up, and guards appeared to take them off the field without further incident.

Aaron Rodgers gave a group of kids from the Washington County Boys & Girls Club the experience of a lifetime yesterday ... surprising them with some facetime while on a tour of iconic Lambeau Field!

The Green Bay Packers star QB was in the building, as he gears up for his 18th NFL season, when he ran into a group of about 20 kids who were soaking up the sights of historic Lambeau.

That's when the tour took an awesome turn for the kids. Rodgers, who was leaving the locker room, emerged and asked, “Does anyone know which locker is Aaron Rodgers?” ... as the youngers looked at him in disbelief.

Aaron stopped and posed for a group photo with the kids ... and dished out a few high fives to the little ones.

It's not uncommon for groups to run into Packers players during the tour (the tour route takes you by the locker room), but tour participants never know who, if anyone, they may see.

It just so happened to be perfect timing for the B&G Club ... because they got some facetime with a future 1st ballot Hall of Famer.

Steven Seagal's pro-Russia publicity stunt isn't sitting well with orgs dedicated to helping Ukraine ... not in the slightest.

A rep for NOVA Ukraine, a nonprofit that spreads awareness of the war while providing aid to Ukrainians, tells TMZ ... the fact Seagal showed up at a Russian prison site -- where upwards of 50 innocent lives were taken at Putin's behest -- is despicable, especially since it served as nothing more than a photo-op.

They call it a "reprehensible example of how when your career is already tarnished some of us scrape to the lowest levels of Earth to claw back any relevancy, even being paraded around by dictators who oppose the U.S."

The rep adds that those who are flirting with Russia during this dire time -- like Seagal -- deserve to have sponsorships and opportunities stripped from them ... much like how businesses are exiting en masse there in general. SS hasn't had a mainstream Hollywood career in ages, so that wish is already coming true for NOVA.

Michael Capponi -- President of the Global Empowerment Mission, another org that’s working to help Ukraine -- tells TMZ ... Seagal, per usual, is acting as a pawn for Putin and that the guy was clearly given special access to the jail in question.

He continues by saying they've been on the ground there for 5 months, and adds this about the narrative Seagal and Russia are trying to spin ... "The notion or suggestion that Ukraine is doing this to themselves is not only patently false, it's dangerous misinformation and comes solely from Russian propaganda."

Capponi concludes ... "This is nothing but someone drinking too much Kool-aid. It has 0 merit. Ukraine is doing everything it can to defend its sovereignty. Ukraine is not attacking its own people."

Karl-Anthony Towns and his beau Jordyn Woods were spotted jewelry shoppin' in Italy this week -- and it's got us all wondering ... are those engagement rings they're looking at?!?

The couple has been out in Bellagio, Italy the past few days, soakin' in a vacation during KAT's NBA offseason ... and TMZ Sports has learned they popped into a jewelry store on Wednesday evening to browse through some bling.

Witnesses say they looked at necklaces and other items -- but at one point, they both appeared to lock in on the rings.

Of course, the two -- who have been dating since 2020 and have professed their love for each other continuously over the last two years -- are not yet engaged (at least not publicly), so their perusal of the store's finger band selection is intriguing!

Unclear if they bought anything they liked ... but we're told they looked super happy together nonetheless, calling each other pet names and holding hands.

Vanessa Bryant dissolved into tears as her lawyer addressed the jury in opening statements, saying the 8 L.A. County Sheriff's deputies who took photos of the bodies of her husband and child took the pictures "for a laugh like they were souvenirs."

Vanessa's lawyer said the deputies "poured salt in an unhealable wound" by using their cellphones to take the photos for personal use. The lawyer described "pictures of broken bodies, close-ups of limbs and burnt flesh."

The lawyer played the deposition of a Sheriff's detective who said his wife didn't want to see the photos, and that's when he told her they showed "piles of meat."

The attorney says Vanessa lives "in fear, anxiety and terror" that someday she and her family will see the photos.

The lawyer said Vanessa's children were her everything, Kobe was her everything, and she will be forever haunted by what the deputies did.

The crux of the case involves L.A. County Sheriff's deputies who took photos of the bodies of Kobe and daughter Gianna at the crash scene and then shared them with colleagues. In one case, a deputy allegedly showed the photos to a woman at a bar, and the bartender is the one who blew the whistle on him.

Vanessa claims in the lawsuit ... the conduct of the deputies caused her severe emotional distress, adding it was an invasion of privacy. Lawyers for L.A. County responded by claiming Vanessa's emotional distress is rooted in the crash, not the photos.

Horrible news from the sports world ... Ben Stelter, the 6-year-old Edmonton Oilers super fan battling brain cancer has passed away, his father announced Wednesday.

"The world lost the most special boy and an absolute hero last night," Ben's dad wrote on social media.

He continued ... "Ben, you were the best son we could ever hope for, and you were my best bud ever. Your sisters were so lucky to have you as such a sweet brother."

"You fought so long and hard and beat so many odds," he added.

Ben -- who was diagnosed with glioblastoma (an aggressive type of cancer that can occur in the brain or spinal cord) about a year and a half ago -- got a chance to meet the Oilers team in March, even accompanying team captain Connor McDavid onto the ice before a game.

That night, Ben -- gearing up for another stint of chemotherapy -- wore a custom Oilers jersey with his last name "Stelter" and the number 2 ... as the fans and players provided support and words of encouragement.

Ben attended many Oilers games throughout the season ... and became a good luck charm for the team, evidenced by their impressive record with him in attendance.

"Ben’s coming to the game tonight and has his eye on the cup," Mike wrote in June. "The @EdmontonOilers are 10-0 with Ben in the building at Rogers Place. #LetsGoOilers #BenOilersStrong."

The organization addressed Ben's passing online, Tweeting ... "We are mourning the passing of our dear friend, number one #Oilers fan, good luck charm & inspiration, Ben Stelter. Although small in stature, Ben's impact on our team & community were massive.  Play La Bamba, baby. 💙🧡"

The Oilers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Avalanche in game 4 of the WCF. Colorado went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Ben's presence will forever be missed on the ice and in the locker room going forward.