TMZ Sports - Page 18

Matt Barnes says he's in full support of the transgender community ... but when it comes to trans athletes competing in sports, he believes "Whatever you're born, I feel like you should play in that space."

Barnes made his thoughts on the controversial topic crystal clear in an interview with VladTV ... where he was asked about the potential of trans athletes competing in the WNBA.

"I don't like that," Barnes said.

"If you're born a woman, you should play women's sports. If you're born a man, you should play men's sports. I think the sports thing is a little different."

Barnes made sure to note he is "pro-make your choice" ... but when it comes to sports, it's a completely different situation.

Barnes referred to Lia Thomas, the transgender NCAA swimming champion, whose accomplishments were questioned because she was born a male and started hormone therapy in 2019.

Lia faced backlash from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Caitlyn Jenner ... who both felt Thomas' success resulted from an unfair advantage.

Khloe Kardashian was the first in her family to publicly support the Jewish community and defend her sister Kim Kardashian against Kanye West ... but apparently, she's still a fan of the Yeezy shoe itself.

Khloe was spotted wearing Yeezy 350s Wednesday while taking her daughter True to an art class, followed by a stop for ice cream in Calabasas.

While Khloe's still wearing Kanye's designs, True was wearing Nike kicks. So, mixed signals here.

Remember -- Khloe posted a message of solidarity with the Jewish community Monday amid Kanye's continued antisemitic rants ... with Kendall, Kylie, and Kris Jenner later sharing the same post.

Adidas, who makes and distributes Yeezy gear, announced Tuesday it was ending its partnership with Kanye ... and by Wednesday, folks across the globe were scouting out the best time to sell their Yeezy kicks.

TMZ broke the story ... Kanye's looking for a new partner in the shoe game, showing up uninvited to Skechers headquarters and being shown the door.

Ex-NBA player Eric Bledsoe was arrested for domestic violence on Wednesday ... just hours after reports he is signing with the CBA's Shanghai Sharks, TMZ Sports has learned.

We're told cops received a call about a domestic incident around 11:13 PM ... with a victim claiming she had been slapped by her boyfriend.

Officers responded to the Lost Hills, Calif. residence ... and after an investigation, arrested Bledsoe for misdemeanor domestic violence.

32-year-old Bledsoe was booked at the Lost Hills Sheriff's station ... and has since bonded out.

A photo was posted to Bledsoe's girlfriend's Instagram account after the incident ... appearing to show a red mark on her face. The caption said, "NO RELATIONSHIP LIKE THIS IS EVER WORTH STAYING IN."

The woman added ... "Domestic violence is real! This wasn't the first time but I sat here and stayed so it's my fault!!"

"ERIC BLEDSOE really is a monster."

The post has since been deleted.

Bledsoe -- a Birmingham, Alabama native -- was a star for the Kentucky Wildcats from 2009-10 ... and was picked 18th overall in the 2010 NBA Draft.

He played for the Clippers, Suns, Bucks and Pelicans over the course of his career.

Kamaru Usman -- in Los Angeles for the Hollywood premiere of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" -- stopped by the TMZ offices and talked about being part of a major blockbuster action film ... even showing BTS photos from the set.

"To be honest, it's something I kind of spoke into existence," 35-year-old Usman said when he sat down with Babcock for the "TMZ Sports" TV show. "After seeing the first one, I was such a big fan. I was like, man why wouldn't I be in the second one? They're fighting, they're Africans, they look the part, they're physical, like, I should definitely be in it."

When he did land the role, the job was different than Kamaru thought ... turns out acting isn't easy!

"It was definitely not what I expected. Let me just say, it's much harder than I thought. Extremely harder than I thought."

Usman says the gravity of being in Black Panther hit him when he got to the set.

"My first day on set, I'm in a scene where I'm explaining -- well I don't wanna give away the movie, but I'm in front of the people in the movie, and a piece of me is like 'Oh s**t! I'm on set!' So, was a little bit nervous and I only had just a couple of lines!"

So nervous ... he literally forgot to deliver his lines.

"I was in awe of everybody to where I forgot to talk. So it's like my turn, everyone is quiet. Oh s**t, I forgot to talk, because I'm just so into everyone else. I mean just watching the masters at work was incredible."

Kamaru also shared some photographs from set -- where he posed with Winston Duke -- the first images we've seen of him in character.

Of course, the first Black Panther film, starring Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan and Lupita Nyong'o was released in 2018 to worldwide acclaim. Many fans declared the movie the best in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Tragically, Chadwick died in mid-2020 after quietly and courageously battling colon cancer.

Despite the terrible loss, the cast and crew pushed forward with the highly anticipated sequel ... which drops worldwide on November 11.

The movie is all but assured to be one of the biggest of the year.

And, Usman hopes it's not his last film ... he sent a message to industry decision-makers.

Kanye West's Donda Academy is officially toast ... the rapper just shuttered the doors to his school ... at least for now, as his troubles mount following his antisemitic remarks.

The school's principal, Jason Angell, fired off an email to the parents of students, informing them that "at the discretion of our founder, Donda Academy will close for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year effective immediately."

Kanye himself weighed in on social media in a since-deleted Instagram post ... "Here's the clout you're looking for. My school is being shut down." Hollywood Unlocked was first to report the closure.

In his email to parents, Angell insisted the school plans to reopen in September 2023, adding ... "we are confident that our scholars will continue to advance as the creative innovators, influencers and academic leaders of the next generation."

An unaccredited Christian institution, Donda Academy required parents to sign non-disclosure agreements before their children could become students. There were only about 100 students in total, with half on scholarships from Kanye and friends of the rapper.

Parents whose kids didn't get scholarships had to cough up $15,000 per year for their kids to attend. Students wore designer uniforms by Balenciaga and Ye's own clothing line, Yeezy.

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.