TMZ Sports - Page 23

Kyrie Irving is fed up with people criticizing Ben Simmons as the hooper tries to reclaim his All-Star status in Brooklyn after years of injury and disappointment ... saying people need to "give him a f***ing chance!"

Irving spoke candidly when addressing the media after the Nets 110-99 loss to the Bucks, defending Simmons, who's been receiving heat for his early-season struggles.

"If we're going to come in and be honest as a team," Irving said, "I'm not trying to be critical over what Ben's done right or done wrong every night."

"You guys keep coming here asking me, 'what about Ben? what about Ben?' He hasn't played in two years. Give him a f***ing chance. We stay on his s***."

Simmons, 26, was traded to the Nets last season, but the former Philadelphia 76er didn't play a game for Brooklyn due to a back injury.

Ben's return to the Nets' lineup was supposed to spell good news for Brooklyn, considering Kevin Durant and Kyrie were already in place, but Simmons has struggled offensively.

The Nets, meanwhile, have a 1-3 record, and though it's early, Simmons is averaging career lows in points (5.2 ppg) and rebounds (5.8 rpg) -- leaving many to wonder if the three-time All-Star can ever be the same player.

However, Kyrie doesn't seem too worried about Ben ... and feels it's important for the Nets to support him by giving him "positive affirmations."

Hopefully for Ky, standing up for Ben won't hurt his pockets ... players have been fined in the past for cursing at postgame pressers (see Russell Westbrook, 2017, fined $15K).

The Problem Child looked more like the Problem Cowboy ahead of his fight against Anderson Silva ... 'cause Jake Paul showed up on horseback to his open workout on Wednesday!!

The undefeated boxer -- who's known for his grandiose antics before bouts -- decided to one-up himself in Phoenix ... by doing his best Canelo Alvarez impression and making friends with a foal.

Of course, Canelo is known for his love of animals ... and has showcased his horse-dancing skills over the years.

Paul eventually got off his horse and got to work ... showing off his moves in the ring.

But not only did Paul ride on a horse -- he had several HPs on his wrist, too ... with a Bugatti watch he wore to the open workout!!

TMZ Sports has learned, JP was rockin' a Bugatti Chiron 16-cylinder Tourbillon watch made by Jacob and Co.

The limited edition is designed with 18k of rose gold, anti-reflective sapphire crystals, and a 30-degree inclined Tourbillon cage. Unsure what Jakey dropped ... but we're told the retail price for this bling is $380k!!!

Silva also had his time to shine during his workout -- although, he did not have a horse.

Paul is now the favorite (-190) to beat Silva on Saturday ... after initially coming in as the underdog.

Silva says he's been training like crazy to prove the doubters wrong ... and after reports he was knocked out twice in sparring (which he says was NOT true), he released a statement confirming he's in fantastic fighting shape.

"I am fit and ready to fight and the only knockout people should be worried about is the one I'm about to deliver to Jake Paul on Saturday night."

Khloe Kardashian wants everyone to know how she feels about Tristan Thompson, and it's a short story ... she says he's a "F***ing liar!"

The way it went down is kinda weird ... there are cameras rolling on an audience screening an episode of "The Kardashians," when Tristan pops up and talks about expanding his fam with Khloe. You hear her shriek, "LIAR!!!"

Khloe then triples down in the confessional on the latest episode, calling Tristan's wistful comments about their relationship a "crock of s***."

She recalled thinking ... "I believed you and I was listening to you and I was receiving everything you said. But you're a f***ing liar!'"

As you know KK and TT have had insane drama. TMZ broke the story back in July ... they were expecting a baby via surrogate shortly after stories surfaced Tristan had a baby with a personal trainer Maralee Nichols last December. What's worse, Tristan cajoled Khloe into having a second baby, knowing Nichols was pregnant with his baby.

Delonte West has been arrested again, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to the Fairfax County Police Dept. in Virginia, officers were called to a local parking lot at around 5:53 PM on Oct. 15 after they say witnesses saw the former NBA player trespassing in a vehicle.

Cops say when they arrived on scene, they found West near the parking lot ... but claim he became combative when they attempted to slap cuffs on him.

According to an FCPD spokesperson, West took off running ... but was tracked down a short distance away. He was eventually taken into custody.

Cops say West was ultimately booked on four criminal charges over the incident -- vehicle trespassing, entering a vehicle, fleeing from law enforcement and drunk in public. Jail records show he was released from custody on Oct. 16.

The news for West fans is troubling ... considering the embattled ex-Dallas Mavericks point guard had appeared to be turning his life around. He had landed a tryout with the Big3 earlier this year .... and even scored a gig with a flooring company in June.

In fact, just after he was hired, the company said it was thrilled with the job West was doing.

But, Mark Cuban told us earlier this month he had been made aware that things weren't going smoothly with his former player ... saying West was still struggling with some issues.

The hit 2000s show "MTV Cribs" is making a huge comeback ... and we've got a first look inside some celebs' homes to be featured on the season premiere.

This first episode is bound to pick up right where the series left off, showcasing the homes and lifestyles of some of the biggest names in Hollywood ... including Nicole Scherzinger, Olivia Culpo and Dwight Howard.

The former Pussycat Doll knows a lot about living large ... she'll be showing off her luxury home, located right on the Sunset Strip.

It comes with all the bells and whistles you might imagine ... including a theater, swimming pool and an amazing view.

Culpo will also be opening her doors this season. The 30-year-old model seems to have lots of space for entertaining. It'll be interesting to see how she kicks back, when she isn't posing in all her hot shots.

NBA champ Howard is going to have plenty to show and tell, too. His home features a 14-car garage, separate pool house, 5 kitchens, 20 HVAC units, and a saltwater pool with an outdoor fireplace.

There's even an elevator and underground tunnel that connects detached garages with the main house! Clearly, he got the "go big or go home" memo ... and he's doing both.

Kanye West is making a quick move to find a new home for his Yeezy shoes ... hitting Skechers headquarters to talk with the company's honchos, but immediately got turned away.

Sources familiar with Ye's visit tell us he was at the company's main office Wednesday morning in Manhattan Beach, CA ... but this was not a scheduled meeting with management.

Skechers says, Ye "arrived unannounced and without invitation at one of Skechers’ corporate offices in Los Angeles. Considering Ye was engaged in unauthorized filming, two Skechers executives escorted him and his party from the building after a brief conversation."

Now, we don't know if Kanye did his research or not, but Skechers is owned and operated by a Jewish family -- Robert Greenberg founded it, and his son Michael is currently the President. Considering his rampant anti-Semitism, you could say he barked up the wrong tree.

A spokesperson tells us, "Skechers is not considering and has no intention of working with West. We condemn his recent divisive remarks and do not tolerate antisemitism or any other form of hate speech. Again, West showed up unannounced and uninvited to Skechers corporate offices."

We're guessing Kanye's goal was for Skechers to be his new partner for the Yeezy shoe brand -- working both as a manufacturer and distributor, as Adidas did before it dropped him this week. Well, he struck out.

Still, Kanye was also spotted in good spirits at a local bagel shop before his meeting -- his smile certainly doesn't look like that of a man out $900 million -- a figure reported by Forbes.

As we reported, Kanye's anti-Semitic comments were the final straw for several business and professional relationships for Kanye -- including Balenciaga, his legal team and of course, Adidas who have all dropped him in the last few weeks.

Kanye West is persona non grata for Peloton -- the exercise company is banning his music from any new future classes.

Peloton took a stance Wednesday in a statement to Pelobuddy ... "We take this issue very seriously and can confirm Peloton indefinitely paused the use of Kanye West’s music on our platform. This means our instructors are no longer using his music in any newly produced classes and we are not suggesting any class that includes his music in our proactive recommendations to Members."

They add, "You should know this was a decision we made immediately following his remarks. Again, thank you for sharing your concerns and thank you for being a Member of our Peloton community."

The statement comes on the heels of Peloton's Alex Toussaint -- a popular cycling instructor -- declaring he would not be playing Ye's tunes during any of his classes. He said this on Monday during his Hip Hop Ride at 7 PM ET ... without ever naming the guy.

Toussaint said he doesn't tolerate hate speech and that he stands with the Jewish community -- going on to promise he would foster a safe space and not play "that artist." It seems his bosses felt that policy should apply across the board ... and it's a big deal.

There's been a lot of folks wondering what might happen to Kanye's music as he continues to fall from grace. Until now, there hadn't been many rumblings about censoring//muting his catalog -- but at this point, it appears the door's starting to be opened a bit.

Will Smith visited the Los Angeles Lakers to talk about staying strong in the face of adversity ... as the team tries to salvage its season after dropping its first three games.

Smith spent quality time with the Lake Show discussing themes that will be a part of his upcoming film, "Emancipation," such as the benefits of togetherness and practicing gratitude when difficult times arise.

WS got some facetime with Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka, and the team presented the 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' star with a No. 14 Lakers jersey.

The message in Will's talk was profound ... and came at a time when the Lakers have been experiencing constant scrutiny, a feeling Smith experienced earlier this year.

Remember ... the 54-year-old Philadelphia native faced immense public backlash and consequences, including a 10-year ban from the Academy Awards, for slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars.

Smith seemingly became public enemy No. 1 for the viral moment -- but he eventually apologized to Rock and has been doing damage control ever since to repair his public image.

Ultimately, Smith wanted to instill in the Lakers that no matter how grim things look, the only way to overcome them is by sticking together and appreciating the struggle.

Chicago Bears linebacker Roquan Smith showed raw emotion over his friend, Robert Quinn, getting traded to the Philadelphia Eagles ... breaking down in tears and ending his press conference after hearing the news.

32-year-old Quinn -- who had 18.5 sacks in 2021 -- was shipped to Philly in exchange for a fourth-round pick on Wednesday ... and Smith was in the middle of his media availability when he got wind of the deal.

"It sucks," 25-year-old Smith said as he tried to compose himself. "I'm gonna take a second for a second, if you don't mind."

"I have a great deal of respect for that guy, you know ... damn. Crazy."

Smith waited several more moments before deciding to get up and leave the room.

Quinn now joins an undefeated Eagles team that's sitting pretty at the top of the NFC East ... which is a much better situation than the 3-4 Bears.

Smith and his Chicago teammates will now try to improve their record without their star defensive end.

The Celtics will be without Grant Williams for one game -- the NBA just suspended the forward after making contact with a referee during Boston's matchup against the Bulls this week.

The call was made during the 4th quarter of the Celtics game on Oct. 24 ... after Williams was charged with a blocking foul against Zach LaVine.

The 6'6" baller disagreed with the call and unintentionally bumped into referee Cheryl Flores as he got up with frustration.

Williams was immediately ejected for making contact ... and he was so pissed, he had to be forced into the United Center tunnel by Celtics coaching staffers.

The NBA's Executive VP Joe Dumars announced Williams was suspended for one game without pay "for recklessly making contact with and directing inappropriate language toward a game official."

When Adidas decided to stop producing products for Kanye West, people from around the globe rushed to the Internet to check the temp of selling the popular Yeezy shoe.

Google searches for the phrase "sell Yeezy" skyrocketed a whopping 581% Wednesday -- according to data commissioned by Celeb Tattler -- after news broke that Adidas was dropping their contract with Ye and stopping production of his brand's products.

The numbers suggest folks are trying to figure out if it's a good idea to start selling their Yeezy gear now, or wait for prices to potentially increase in the future.

As we reported ... Adidas, Kanye's biggest corporate partner, announced Tuesday they were cutting ties with Ye in the wake of building public pressure following his antisemitic comments.

The German shoe company says a "thorough review" of the Yeezy partnership projects a $246 million loss in net income this year by ending the deal.

The two Ohio fishermen who left the sports world stunned after allegedly stuffing fish with weights during a tournament pled not guilty to multiple charges on Wednesday.

42-year-old Jacob Runyan and 35-year-old Chase Cominsky were indicted by a grand jury earlier this month on felony charges of cheating, attempted grand theft and possessing criminal tools ... as well as misdemeanor unlawful ownership of wild animals.

Both anglers appeared in a Cleveland court on Wednesday ... but neither spoke.

Runyan, a native of Ohio, and Cominsky, a native of Pennsylvania, were on the verge of winning $28,760 for the two seven-pound walleyes fish they caught during the Lake Erie event in September.

The problem ... officials were suspicious of Runyan's and Cominsky's haul -- and once they cut the fish open, they noticed they contained weights and other fish filets inside.

Both Runyan and Cominsky had been suspected of cheating in past tournaments, though there was never enough evidence to nab the two.

Fans at the event were frustrated ... and insisted that the honchos in charge file a police report against both men.

Deshaun Watson is adamant he NEVER pressured his latest accuser into giving him oral sex ... claiming he has a bevy of DMs from the massage therapist that contradict her story.

Watson was sued by the woman, ID'ed as Jane Doe, back on Oct. 13 over an alleged 2020 encounter with the QB ... but in a new court filing, obtained by TMZ Sports, the Cleveland Browns star is calling BS on her allegations.

In the documents, Watson and his attorneys showed several direct messages as well as texts that they say revealed the woman was experiencing "unrequited love" with the football player.

Watson and his team of lawyers claim some of the messages were sent in Sept. 2021, nearly one year after the 2020 meetup where Watson was accused of being inappropriate with the woman.

In one of the messages, which Watson's attorneys say he did not respond to, they say the woman told the 27-year-old, "do you want to meet?" In others, they claim she said, "I have the best head in all of Houston," and, "Let me know when your ready to make big deposits."

Watson and his attorneys also say the woman sent him texts just days after their 2020 meetup, where she told him, "I'd like to see you again we should hang out."

Watson's lawyers say in the documents the woman did go to authorities with her allegations ... but they "were considered -- and ultimately rejected -- by police, the Harris County District Attorney's Office and a Harris County Grand Jury."

They also claim the woman was interviewed by Watson's counsel in 2021 over the claims ... and she said at the time, "I wasn't scared, I wasn't intimidated. I didn't do anything I didn't want to do."

If Karl-Anthony Towns was trying to be a leader for publicly criticizing Anthony Edwards' diet, it had the complete opposite effect -- so says Chandler Parsons, who's calling the star's comments "super wack."

As we previously reported, KAT told reporters he wants to help change what the 2020 #1 overall pick is putting in his body after a bad loss on Monday ... saying, "I know y’all think it’s funny up here when he talks about Popeyes and all that s***. That doesn't make me happy to hear."

Parsons got wind of KAT's statements ... and he's completely against how he went about it.

"It's just super corny for him to say that," Parsons said on FanDuel TV's "Run It Back."

"I don't know if it's his attempt of trying to be a leader, but leaders don't do that in public. Leaders privately pull their player or their teammate over there and they talk about that or they get with the training staff, they get with the chef, they get with whatever they have to get  to to address this issue."

He added ... "You do not air that out after a bad loss when emotions are already high. Doing that to another star player on the team, I just think that's completely out of bounds. That's not how you lead. That's not how you get things done and I just think that's super wack."

Jake Paul's bad luck could strike once again -- his fight against Anderson Silva might be in trouble ... after the former UFC champ claimed he was knocked out twice during his last sparring session.

47-year-old Spider made the shocking comments in a video posted to MMA Weekly on Tuesday ... saying his workouts leading up to Saturday's fight in Phoenix were so grueling, he was KO'd twice.

"I'm training hard for the win," Silva told Jim Grieshaber. "I'm training with the good boxers, high-level, and five guys come to help me. "And the last sparring with [my partner], he knocked me out two times, and when I finish my training, I talked to my coach and even said, 'Coach, let me tell you something, why the guys knock me out two times?' And the coach said, 'You need to prepare for war, and you prepare for war.'"

Silva's statement caught the attention of the Arizona Department of Gaming -- the organization that oversees professional bouts in the state -- which told MMA Fighting it is "looking into the matter."

Here's the issue -- due to Silva's age, he must undergo rigorous testing in order to be cleared to fight ... which includes disclosing his most recent knockouts and the amount of time he was unconscious.

Silva's coach, Luiz Carlos Dorea, adamantly denied the fighter's claims ... saying he is 100% ready for the fight.

No update has been provided so far ... but Paul is clearly expecting to scrap on Saturday -- tweeting out, "3 days" as he continues to count down to the big event.

If Silva's revelation ruins the fight, it'll be the third time Paul has been left without an opponent ... after Tommy Fury and Hasim Rahman Jr. were forced to back out.

Here's hoping it doesn't come to that.

La La Anthony is spillin' more tea on her marriage to Carmelo ... revealing this week that the Knicks trade for her former NBA superstar hubby led to the couple's "demise."

The T.V. personality went on Alex Cooper's "Call Her Daddy" podcast on Wednesday to talk about the difficulties of being a wife of a 10-time NBA All-Star ... and she unveiled that everything was good between the two -- until New York got involved.

La La -- who married Melo in July 2010 -- says their relationship was gravy when the basketball player was starring for the Denver Nuggets ... but got dicey when he was traded to the Knicks in February 2011.

“When we lived here [in New York] under all of that [attention], that's when things became complicated," La La said.

"I think that was kind of the start. Now that I look back, that was kind of the start of the demise of the marriage."

The NY native says the bright lights of the city weren't the only things that started the problems between her and Melo, but they were some of the hardest things to deal with.

"That's not the only reason things didn't work out, but things got tough with New York. Just constantly being under the spotlight and people watching every little thing."

La La ultimately filed for divorce from Melo in 2021, citing irreconcilable differences, but she told Cooper they're still friends ... and are co-parenting their 15-year-old son, Kiyan, without issues.

"It wasn't all bad," she said. "Like, we had great, great times."

La La says she is dating again ... but is not open to NBA players anymore.