TMZ Sports - Page 20

Bronny James is following in his father's footsteps ... signing a NIL deal with Beats by Dre -- 14 years after LeBron James became the company's first athlete ambassador.

Bronny, 18, is making history with the deal ... becoming the first high school athlete ever to be signed by the company, which was founded in 2006 by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine.

Beats by Dre even dropped a commercial featuring the newest member of its family ... showing 37-year-old James listening to classical music and going one-on-one with Bronny on the court.

In the video, LBJ and Bronny exchange buckets back and forth ... including a series of dunks and jump shots, all while donning Beats by Dre headphones during the game.

"The Chosen One vs. The Chosen Son," Beats by Dre fittingly wrote as a caption for the commercial. At the end of the video, "The Legacy Continues" appears on the screen.

Last week, the Sierra Canyon High School guard inked a NIL deal with Nike, who signed LeBron to a lifetime contract in 2015.

LBJ and Nike have been partners since 2003 ... when LeBron burst onto the NBA scene as an 18-year-rookie dominating the league, so signing Bronny was a foregone conclusion.

The Boston Celtics came up with a special way to honor Bill Russell this season ... with the late Hall of Famer getting a tribute on the team's alternate jersey.

The Cs made the announcement on Monday via IG with photos of Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and Grant Williams rockin' the new gear -- and they're pretty dope.

The jerseys are dark green, black, and gold featuring 11 gold diamonds on the sides ... to symbolize the number of NBA championships Russell had won during his career.

There's also another set of 11 gold diamonds surrounding Russell's No. 6 jersey number on the waistband ... and the new scripted Celtics wordmark was inspired by Slade’s Bar & Grill, a spot that was owned by Russell in the 1960s.

The Celtics also shared a tribute video of the jersey release ... showing throwback highlights of Russell and what he meant not only to the NBA but to the world.

"Paying homage to a true champion," Celtics said in the caption, "and the Gold Standard of what it means to be a Celtic ☘️."

FYI, Russell -- who played center for the C's from 1956 to 1969 -- helped design the city edition unis with the team before he passed this July at the age of 88.

The Celtics will wear the tribute gear 11 times this year -- another homage to his title wins -- and will start with their season opener against the 76ers on Tuesday.

Gisele Bündchen had a relaxing weekend amid her split from Tom Brady -- visiting her spiritual healer and spending time with her daughter -- while Tom took an L on the field.

Gisele was out and about Sunday in Florida, first visiting Dr. Ewa for a healing session. As we reported, GB paid the doc a visit earlier this month too, sans wedding ring.

After her one-on-one time with Dr. Ewa, Gisele switched gears and had some fun with her daughter, 9-year-old Vivian -- taking her to a horseback riding lesson -- snapping some cute pics of her kid.

Tom's Sunday was not so chill ... with the Bucs losing to the Steelers. T.B. was even seen screaming at his teammates during the game.

Darius Slay Jr. sent Meek Mill home from "Sunday Night Football" with a gift ... the Philly rapper got the Eagles stars interception ball as a souvenir.

The Eagles had been leading the Cowboys, 17-0, on "SNF" ... when Slay intercepted a Cooper Rush pass intended for wide receiver Michael Gallup.

After a short return, Slay, with his teammates nearby, approached Meek and gave the INT ball to the "Dreams and Nightmares" rapper after dapping him up.

Meek -- who had performed his iconic "Dreams and Nightmares" song before the game -- had good reason to celebrate throughout the night ... Philly was dominating the Cowboys.

In his third year with the team, Slay is having a monster season in the Eagles' secondary ... and has made it a tradition to hand over INT footballs to A-list celebs at home games.

Earlier this season on "Monday Night Football," 31-year-old Slay gifted 76ers star James Harden his INT ball after picking off a pass from Vikings QB Kirk Cousins.

Speaking of Harden, his Sixers teammate Joel Embiid -- who hit up the Phillies' closeout game against the Braves on Saturday -- got some facetime with Jill Biden at the game.

The First Lady led the "Fly Eagles Fly" song pregame ... standing alongside cancer survivors right before the Eagles and Cowboys battled it out for NFL East supremacy.

The Tennessee Volunteers football team is seeking help to replace the goalpost fans tore down after their upset win over Alabama on Saturday ... by starting a fundraiser for the cause.

They're serious, too -- the Vols shared a link to their campaign via Twitter ... one day after Tennessee fans threw the goalpost into the river to celebrate the victory.

"Y'all remember how we tore the goalposts down, hauled em out of Neyland and dumped em in the Tennessee River? Yeah that was awesome," the team said.

"Anywho, turns out that in order to play next week's game, we need goalposts on our field. Could y'all help us out?"

FYI, Tennessee will need that goalpost to play their Oct. 22 home game against UT Martin.

The team even found a way to troll the Crimson Tide on the donation page -- including using the final score as a dollar amount.

"Give $52.49. Final score of the breathtaking game."

There's also a $16 option -- the number of seasons since Tennessee beat 'Bama -- and a $1,019.15 choice ... which is the number of fans who sold out the Vol's stadium.

Of course, many ripped the team for the launch ... one person saying, "Is this real? You have a $130,000,000 budget. Get a new set. Problem solved. Good win."

As of Monday morning, the fundraiser has already received over $75k -- half of what they need -- from over 1,911 donors.

Draymond Green wants to keep it professional, and Jordan Poole says he'll do just that -- telling reporters his teammate apologized for punching him during practice ... and now his focus is on winning another championship.

Poole -- who just inked a 4-year, $140 million extension with the Warriors -- spoke with the media for the first time since the violent altercation ... and said he's looking to move past the whole ordeal.

“He apologized," Poole said ... calling their interaction "professional."

"We're here to play basketball and everybody in the locker room and on the team knows what it takes to win a championship, and we're gonna do that on the court."

Poole says the two will handle themselves in a professional manner moving forward ... adding, "We're here to win a championship and keep hanging banners."

As we previously reported, Green seemed indifferent about his personal relationship with Poole after the incident ... saying it's up to Jordan if he wants to repair their friendship.

"As far as us moving forward, Jordan's a professional, I'm a professional," Green said last week. "We have a job to do."

While Poole didn't blatantly take a shot at Green, his statement seemed cold ... leaving it fair to assume the guys aren't grabbing a beer together anytime soon.

Of course, we're told the practice altercation went down after Poole got cocky over his contract negotiations ... but Warriors players adamantly deny any change in his attitude leading up to the punch.

Now that Poole got paid, it leaves a big question mark on Draymond's future with the team ... especially since he didn't get an extension of his own.

Timothee Chalamet is only 26, but he's already a massive movie star -- and spending like one too -- after scooping up Kate Upton's Beverly Hills home.

The 'Willy Wonka' actor just snagged the Los Angeles pad for $11M -- owned by Kate Upton and her baseball star husband Justin Verlander -- and passed down by other celebs before them. Kate and Justin listed the place earlier this year for $11.7 mil.

Chalamet will be in good company in his new neighborhood, the home, located in the mountains above Beverly Hills is right next door to Vin Diesel and John Mayer. Cameron Diaz and Eva Longoria are among some of the others in the area.

The pad sits on 1.5 acres and comes with 4 bedrooms and 5 baths ... there's a living room with a huge fireplace, an eat-in kitchen with its own breakfast nook, a lounge and a walk-in climate-controlled wine storage room.

If you step outside there's a plunge pool, a raised spa, and a brick terrace ... not to mention the full-size tennis court!

Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor went Russell Westbrook yesterday ... hitting the "rock the baby" celebration after launching a home run off Yankees star pitcher Gerrit Cole.

Cleveland had been trailing NY, 3-1, in Game 4 of the American League Division Series (but leading the series, 2-1) ... when Naylor cut into the Yankees' lead, turning around a 98 MPH fastball from Cole.

As Naylor was rounding first base, the feisty Guardians slugger, who has a reputation for stirring the pot, began "rocking the baby" as he rounded the bases.

In the clip, it appears Naylor is mouthing, "He's my little f****** son," as he's approaching third base -- presumably referring to Cole, who he had just taken deep to right-center.

Cole -- who's allowed at least one home run in 10 consecutive starts, according to the broadcast -- spoke about Naylor's celebration after the game, admitting it was funny.

"Yeah, whatever. It's cute," said Cole, a five-time All-Star. "I didn't see it in the moment. It wouldn't have bothered in the moment, and it just is kind of funny."

Cole -- who's in his third season with the Yankees -- would get the last laugh ... as he led NY to a 4-2 victory over the Guardians at Progressive Field, forcing a Game 5 on Monday.

No matter what happens between Anderson Silva and Jake Paul, 47-year-old Spider will NOT be retiring after their boxing match, the UFC legend tells TMZ Sports.

We talked to the MMA G.O.A.T. about his upcoming scrap with 25-year-old Paul -- going down on October 29 in Phoenix, AZ -- and asked Silva if this could be the last fight of his historic career.

"No, no, definitely not," Silva told us without hesitation, continuing ... "I don't know when I'm gonna stop. I know one day I will stop. But not now."

"I try to challenge myself every day, and especially right now my kid started fighting, and I help my kid."

Anderson, who will turn 48 in April, has been fighting professionally for 25 years and is arguably the greatest mixed martial arts fighter to ever grace a cage.

Silva last fought for the UFC in October 2020 ... when he lost to Uriah Hall by TKO.

Despite losing his last 3 fights in the Octagon, Anderson has looked incredibly sharp in the ring.

Silva starched Tito Ortiz in September 2021, but the really impressive feat came against former boxing champ Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. ... who lost to AS by a split decision in June 2021.

Of course, Chavez's dad is arguably the most respected Mexican athlete ever.

As for Paul, he's 5-0 in the ring, with 4 knockouts. The first Tyron Woodley fight was the only bout to go the distance.

Despite the age difference, Silva is actually a slight betting favorite for the fight ... airing on Showtime PPV.

Bottom line, Silva clearly loves fighting, and walking away isn't even on his mind at this time.

Sonny Vacccaro -- the shoe brand industry legend -- tells TMZ Sports he's absolutely fired up for his upcoming biopic ... explaining he loves that Matt Damon is playing him in the movie!!!

"This is the best thing that I could have ever imagined," the 83-year-old said. "And it's bigger because I never imagined it could happen. It's off the charts. It's off the charts."

Damon and Ben Affleck have teamed up to make the movie about Vaccaro's life -- with Affleck set to play famed Nike honcho Phil Knight in the flick.

Producers promise the movie will tell the story of how Vaccaro and Knight relentlessly pursued Michael Jordan to sign a shoe deal with Nike back in the 1980s. Filming officially kicked off this summer.

Further details surrounding the script haven't been made public yet -- and while Vaccaro himself is unsure of the minutia of the movie, he's pumped for it nonetheless.

"I can't explain," Vaccaro said. "I'm 83 years old. It was complete surprise to me. It's an unbelievable honor and I believe in what they're going to do is going to be the truth on the film."

Vaccaro says he and his wife, Pam, were actually invited to the set recently, and they had a blast. He tells us us they got to meet with Damon while there, and told him they share a funny connection with Jason Bourne.

Vaccaro also told us he was blown away when he saw the entire cast -- explaining, "It's like 'Gone With The Wind' or something. I mean, my God, there are no guys that the world's not going to know."

Le'Veon Bell says he doesn't watch the NFL these days ... telling TMZ Sports his focus on his fighting career has his full, undivided attention.

We spoke with Bell outside DASH radio store in Hollywood Monday -- and the former Steelers RB told us he hasn't been keeping up with his old team amid their 1-4 start.

"I ain't gone lie, I have not watched one down of football," said Bell, who last played in the NFL in 2021 with Tampa. "I don't know nobody's record or nothing."

Bell -- who knocked out ex-NFL running back Adrian Peterson in an amateur fight last month -- is slated to make his pro boxing debut against MMA star Uriah Hall on October 29 in Arizona.

Despite Bell's impressive fifth-round KO of AP ... people aren't giving the 30-year-old a legitimate chance of beating Hall, one of the most feared men in combat sports, when they collide.

"Everybody sleeping on me," Bell said. "I'm glad I'm the underdog. This probably be the last fight I [will] be the underdog. My first pro fight probably be the last fight I'm an underdog."

LB may be all in on boxing at the moment, but the future Hall of Fame running back hasn't abandoned making music. In fact, he's already eyeing the perfect person for a collab.

It's Christmas in October for Mario Edwards ... the Tennessee Titans defensive lineman just spoiled himself by copping a massive 25-carat diamond pendant of his head!!

TMZ Sports has learned the defensive end wanted some new mini-me bling, so he hit up Ari The Jeweler to design the piece.

You see the pendant looks just like the 28-year-old ... from his hairstyle all the way down to his facial features and beard.

The pendant also has his jersey number, 97, inscribed on his forehead in diamonds.

We're told the piece -- including a chain -- totals out to 650 grams, and the pendant alone has 25 carats of diamonds!!!

Ari also tells us it took six long weeks to design the new ice ... as for the price Mario paid, that's undisclosed. But, Edwards has it ... he's made around $16 million in eight seasons in the NFL.

In other words, his pockets can handle it.

Nate Robinson -- a three-time NBA slam dunk champion -- announced he's been battling kidney failure for four years ... and is undergoing treatment.

Robinson shared the news on Saturday, saying, "I am currently undergoing treatment for Renal Kidney Failure and have been privately dealing with it for the last four years."

He continued ... "I'm sharing this now because I want to be the voice for all those who are having trouble speaking about this illness and come together for a greater cause -- our health."

Robinson, 38, was selected in the first round of the 2005 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns ... and played for the Knicks, Bulls, Celtics, Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, Thunder, and Pelicans over the course of his career.

Robinson -- who stands 5'9" -- gained a reputation for playing big above the rim, routinely captivating NBA fans on a nightly basis with his athleticism.

Nate's longest stint with an NBA team came in New York ... where he played for the Knicks from 2005-09.

After retiring from the NBA following the 2015-16 season, Robinson continued his basketball career ... signing with Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier league.

In November 2020, the longtime point guard tried his shot in another arena -- when he stepped into the ring for a boxing match with the "Problem Child" Jake Paul.

Nate hit the mat several times that night at then-Staples Center, thanks to Paul, including a second-round KO ... which ended the fight.

But now we know that Robinson was fighting another fight with his health when he stepped into the ring with Paul... making his effort all the more impressive.

Robinson expressed his gratitude to those praying for his recovery ... and said a part of why he's coming forward with this information is to help those affected by or dealing with kidney disease.

Dikembe Mutombo has been diagnosed with a brain tumor ... and the 56-year-old Hall of Famer is receiving treatment in Atlanta, the NBA announced Saturday.

“NBA Global Ambassador and Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo is currently undergoing treatment for a brain tumor. He is receiving the best care possible from a collaborative team of specialists in Atlanta and is in great spirits as he begins treatment."

The statement continued ... "Dikembe and his family ask for privacy during this time so they can focus on his care. They are grateful for your prayers and good wishes.”

The family has not released any further information.

Mutombo played 18 seasons in the league ... spending mostly with the Nuggets, Rockets and Hawks. He also played with the Knicks and Nets in shorter stints. Dikembe was a 4x Defensive Player of the Year and made 8 All-Star teams.

Dikembe was inducted into the Naismith Basketball HOF in 2015.

Aside from being one of the most dominant defensive players in NBA history, Dikembe is one of the most philanthropic athletes of his generation.

Mutombo has opened hospitals and schools in Africa, and even welcomed U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken to the Congo this summer.

The dog that opened a can of worms with Sylvester Stallone and Jennifer Flavin is now a full-fledged member of the brood!

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, Dwight is not only living with the fam in Hidden Hills, but Jennifer now really digs the pooch ... a lot!!!

As we reported, Jennifer didn't want another dog, especially a large one like a Rottie, but Sly prevailed and brought Dwight home. It became a source of conflict between the 2.

Sly then covered up a tattoo of Jennifer on his arm and replaced it with Dwight, and our sources say that was super upsetting for her.

Whatever the case, all is forgiven. The divorce petition has been dropped and the family is fully back together and they're happy as clams.

Sly, Jennifer and 2 of their daughters hit up a Ralph Lauren fashion show Thursday night, and they were clearly back on track.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West aren’t talking, but that doesn’t mean they can’t share the same space for their kids.

Ye and Kim K both showed up for North’s game Friday. North arrived with a teammate, Kim with Saint, Psalm and Chicago ... and Kanye solo.

It’s the second time in a few weeks we’ve seen both Kim and Kanye at one of North’s events … as we first told you, Kim didn’t talk with nor even look in Kanye’s direction as he showed up wearing a 'White Lives Matter' shirt to the last one.

Kim wasn’t the only familiar face for Kanye at Friday’s game … giving Nick Cannon a hug as he made his way inside.

Sources at the game tell us Kanye left before it was over, Kim stayed with all 4 kids.

TMZ broke the story, Kim’s cut off all communication from Ye in the midst of an apparent mental health episode.

In times past, sources tell us even when Kim was the target of his attacks, she’d still work behind the scenes to get him help and repair fractured relationships.