TMZ Sports - Page 17

LeBron James is paying tribute to Takeoff in a big way ... changing his Instagram avatar to a photo of the late rapper -- something the Lakers superstar rarely does.

James' IG update happened Wednesday night just before the Lakers took on the New Orleans Pelicans in Los Angeles ... when he swapped out a pic of his family for a photo of Takeoff, who was tragically killed in front of a Houston bowling alley on Tuesday.

The pic shows a stoic Takeoff in a suit and tie ... wearing a pair of dark sunglasses.

The move is a very meaningful one for James -- whose IG profile photos almost always consists of pics of him or his family. Most recently, his two sons, Bronny and Bryce, held the honor.

37-year-old James previously used the gesture to honor Kobe Bryant following his tragic death in 2020.

Of course, the Migos and King James are fans of each other ... remember, the rap trio turned LBJ's famous "Taco Tuuuuuuesday" lingo into an actual song two years ago -- and Bron was hyped over it.

LeBron has yet to publicly comment on Takeoff's passing, though he did share a photo of the Migos rapper in one of his IG stories shortly after his death.

Takeoff was just 28 years old.

Chris Jericho knows how to piss off a crowd -- he called out Lamar Jackson Wednesday night at an AEW event in Baltimore, with the star QB sitting just feet away, surrounded by thousands of his fans!!

It all went down at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena -- Jackson was sitting ringside while Jericho was cutting a promo alongside Daniel Garcia and Jake Hager.

Jericho said he didn't care who his mystery opponent was for his Ring of Honor open title challenge ... saying, "I'll even whoop Lamar Jackson's ass," which evoked a response from the crowd.

Cameras quickly panned to LJ, who appeared blindsided by the remark, putting his head down while Jericho smiled in the ring.

"Lamar looks nervous," said AEW commentator Tazz, a former WWE wrestler.

Lamar didn't seem too worried, though -- and after the show, he got some face time backstage with wrestling legends Jeff Jarrett, Mark Henry, and Big Show.

Naturally, Lamar wasn't the only celeb in the building -- "The Boss" Rick Ross also attended the show, where he cut a promo backstage with AEW star Swerve Strickland.

"I'm here for one reason and one reason only," said Ross. "I want to make this clear, making sure Swerve is not only the biggest wrestler in the industry but also the largest recording artist in the world."

"That’s why we're here; we're celebrating today, and that's why we're here. Biggest!"

The Phillies let down the FLOTUS in a big way on Wednesday night ... not only losing to the Astros in front of Jill Biden -- but doing so in a historically awful fashion.

Biden hit Citizens Bank Park full of hope for the World Series' Game 4 ... but it didn't take long for her beloved Philly squad to disappoint.

In nine innings, the team didn't record a hit -- marking only the second time EVER that a squad has gone hitless in a Fall Classic game. Philadelphia ended up losing, 5-0.

To her credit, though, Jill -- who's consistently professed her love for Philly sports over the years -- didn't let the lackluster performance ruin her day at the ballpark. She appeared to be in good spirits throughout the evening, and participated in the game's moving Stand Up To Cancer moments of silence.

Bruce Springsteen and Miles Teller, meanwhile, were also in attendance to watch Philadelphia's flop ... with the two catching up for a few seconds before ultimately seeing Houston tie up the series, 2-2.

But, the Phillies are at least not done yet ... there's still three games left to go before it's all over.

Khloe Kardashian is putting her foot down with Tristan Thompson when it comes to footing the bill for their daughter's lavish parties ... something she made clear on True's 4th birthday.

Khloe's approach -- basically, "thanks but no thanks," Tristan -- comes through loud and clear in the latest episode of "The Kardashians." She was throwing a huge birthday bash for their daughter when Kris pulled Khloe aside to let her know Tristan had paid for the whole party behind her back ... and KK wasn't having it.

Khloe immediately shut down the idea, and was adamant she's paying for the entire baby banger by herself.

She told her momager .. "No, he's not taking care of the whole party."

Kris actually defended Tristan, and insisted Khloe should let him pay -- but after going back and forth, Khloe said, "That's nice, but I won't let that happen."

As you know, their relationship has seen a lot of turmoil before they split.

We broke the story ... they had a baby boy via surrogate, but Khloe later found out Tristan had cheated on her again, and had gotten another woman pregnant -- all behind her back.

In recent episodes of the show, she called TT a "liar." They've since been focused on co-parenting and denied rumors about rekindling.

As for the party, he apparently had a game and couldn't attend, but Khloe still wasn't about to let him pay for the whole party.

In her confessional, she said, "I work really hard to do elaborate things for True and I don't need anyone's help."

Halloween costumes like Jerry Jones' "blind referee" play into stereotypes that the visually impaired are incompetent ... so says the National Federation of the Blind, which tells TMZ Sports these kinds of outfits are "harmful."

Jerry dressed up in a ref uniform and sported sunglasses and a walking stick over the holiday weekend ... in an attempt to playfully go after NFL officials for missing penalty calls.

While Jones certainly isn't the first person to sport the costume, the NFB tells us it's an "unfortunate" choice ... especially because it leans into the underlying stereotype that the blind are "incompetent."

"When anyone perpetuates that stereotype, it's harmful," Chris Danielsen, the NFB's director of PR tells us ... pointing out nearly 70% of blind people are unemployed.

Instead of ripping into the Cowboys owner for his choice, Danielsen believes this can be a teachable moment for Jones and anyone else considering wearing costumes that make light of the blind.

"He does have blind Cowboys fans," Danielsen added. "They show up at games and put on headsets or listen on the radio. It may be something for him to think about."

Danielsen says there are plenty of blind people who want to be more involved in sports in any capacity ... and the "blind referee" costume only complicates things for them.

Jemele Hill says she's had enough with rappers dying from gun violence ... and wants to see folks come together to talk about how to stop it once and for all.

We got Jemele at LAX Wednesday and asked her for solutions following Takeoff's death in Houston ... she's calling on artists, record labels and politicians to start tough conversations on gun violence.

While Jemele senses some of these talks may be going on behind closed doors ... she highlights why it's important to discuss issues and solutions surrounding gun violence in a public forum.

As we reported ... Takeoff was shot and killed this week while visiting Houston, the coroner's reports says bullets struck the Migos rapper in the head and torso.

Jemele also has strong thoughts on the practice of rappers "checking in" with certain people wherever they are traveling -- comparing it to "some slave s***." She says Black people should never have to feel unsafe going into another area.

For Jemele, she wants industry leaders to say enough is enough after the shooting deaths of Takeoff and PnB Rock -- lamenting the fact nothing's really changed since Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur were gunned down back in the day.

Joshua Primo was cut by the Spurs after a team psychologist claimed he exposed himself during therapy sessions ... but sources close to the 19-year-old hooper are adamant he did absolutely nothing wrong.

Primo, the 12th overall pick in the 2021 draft and one of the youngest hoopers in the league, was released by San Antonio on Friday ... after he was accused of "multiple alleged instances of him exposing himself to women," according to an ESPN report.

But, sources close to Primo are insistent he never intentionally exposed his privates ... and if anything was visible at any time, it was strictly a wardrobe malfunction resulting from laying down on a couch in basketball shorts.

It's been documented ... JP had a rough childhood, and we're told the psychologist was helping him work through some personal issues ... so he'd almost always go to her office in shorts before or after practice or games.

The accuser's attorney has identified his client as Dr. Hillary Cauthen ... a performance therapist with the organization.

Our sources say Primo was shocked by the allegations ... and many in his circle feel he's a young guy who's being taken advantage of by a medical professional twice his age.

Shortly after he was released, Primo released a statement addressing the shocking news.

"I know that you all are surprised by today’s announcement. I’ve been seeking help to deal with previous trauma I suffered and will now take this time to focus on my mental health treatment more fully."

The former Alabama star continued ... "I hope to be able to discuss these issues in the future so I can help others who have suffered in a similar way. I appreciate privacy at this time."

As for the Spurs, Gregg Popovich's squad hasn't addressed the allegations ... but did issue a statement after parting ways with Primo, saying, "It is our hope that, in the long run, this decision will serve the best interest of both the organization and Joshua."

Primo played in 50 games as a rookie last season ... averaging 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. He appeared in 4 games this season before being cut.

The accuser has hired Tony Buzbee -- the attorney who represented many of Deshaun Watson's accusers -- and the two are scheduled to hold a news conference Thursday in Texas where they're expected to expand on the allegations for the first time.

Primo has received a demand letter from the accuser's attorney, according to our sources, but a lawsuit has not been filed. Josh has not been charged with any crime.

Xavien Howard is firing back at his accuser in new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports ... calling the woman "a scorned ex-lover" -- and insisting her STD lawsuit against him is "the epitome of a shakedown."

The Miami Dolphins star filed the docs on Friday -- one day after the woman, who filed her suit anonymously as Jane Doe, claimed he negligently gave her genital herpes.

In the documents, Howard argued the woman's suit should be thrown out ... and he says the woman has stalked him, threatened him with violence, and tried to extort him for cash.

In the docs, Howard claims he has text message proof that showed the woman is "nothing more than a scorned ex-lover who has elected to prey on [Howard's] public status for the purpose of obtaining a financial windfall without right or claim."

The cornerback even included texts that he says show the woman calling him curse words ... before threatening to "come to your job tomorro and cause a whole scene."

Nick Swisher says the Phillies would not be two games away from a World Series title if they had kept Joe Girardi ... telling TMZ Sports the team's new manager, Rob Thomson, is the biggest reason for Philly's success this year.

"If it was Joe Girardi in this position," the former Big Leaguer told us, "I don't think Philly would be in this spot."

The Phils had started the season with Girardi at the end of the bench -- but put him on ice back in June after a disappointing 22-29 start. Thomson then became the interim manager, and the team took off.

Swisher told us he believes none of that ensuing success was a coincidence ... saying Thomson -- who was one of the outfielder's coaches during his time with the Yankees -- is just that good of a honcho.

"Rob Thomson has given that team the freedom to be themselves," Swish said. "He has given them the freedom to go out and play with freeness and be open and authentic."

Swisher clearly believes the guy and his team can close out the Astros this week, too ... telling us with the talent they have, and the fan support in Philly -- two more wins shouldn't be hard to come by.

As for what Swisher's been up to outside of watching this year's Fall Classic -- he's actually launched a new podcast, "The Nick Swisher Show," where he'll be interviewing people from all different walks of life about the importance of positivity.

"On this podcast, man," he told us, "we jump in!"

A 17-year-old boy has been arrested for his alleged role in the shooting of Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson back in August ... cops confirmed to TMZ Sports on Wednesday.

The Metropolitan Police Department said the teen -- who was 16 at the time of the Aug. 28 incident -- was hit with a criminal charge of assault with intent to rob while armed (gun).

The boy's identity was not disclosed.

Cops added they are still on the hunt for an additional suspect ... who they say was captured on surveillance video brandishing a gun at the scene of the crime.

As we reported, Robinson was shot two times -- once in the glute and once in the knee -- after cops say two males attempted to rob him outside of a row of businesses in D.C.

Cops say after the suspects fired on the NFL player ... they fled the scene in a vehicle.

Robinson required surgery to fix the damage caused by the bullets -- but ultimately made a full recovery. He played in his first-ever game on Oct. 9 ... and has logged snaps in every Washington contest since.

Did Ezekiel Elliott just spoil the Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day uniform surprise?!?

It sure seems that way ... because the running back revealed the team's sweet, new throwback helmets on his social media page -- and then quickly deleted the post!

Dallas is scheduled to wear the white helmets and special uniforms for the food-filled holiday later this month -- but the team had yet to officially show them off to the public. It seemed they were waiting for closer to gameday to ceremoniously unveil them.

But, it appears Elliott didn't get that memo -- and dropped a pic of his Turkey Day helmet right on his IG stories on Wednesday afternoon. The post was up for about one hour, before it was swiftly taken down.

Of course, Elliott didn't unwrap the whole holiday gift -- the complete look still hasn't been seen -- so the team shouldn't be TOO disappointed in their star.

As for what the whole 'fit ultimately might end up looking like ... it likely won't be too far from the white helmet theme that the Cowboys wore last on Thanksgiving Day in 2012.

Karl Malone is a big fan of Post Malone -- and the feeling's apparently mutual, 'cause the rap star rocked the Hall of Famer's Jazz jersey during a recent concert in Utah ... and the Mailman, who happened to be at the show, absolutely loved it!

The Jazz posted video of Karl, 59, at Post's concert at Vivint Arena in Utah ... showing the "Congratulations" rapper getting showered with cheers from the raucous audience. The camera then pans to KM ... who has clearly jazzed the rapper rocked his jersey.

Of course, Karl rocked the iconic #32 jersey throughout his legendary NBA career.

And get this ... after the concert, Karl and Post linked up backstage, where they played beer pong! No word who won.

The Jazz selected Karl in the first round of the 1985 NBA draft ... and he spent 18 seasons with the franchise, beating up on the league for nearly two decades with running mate, John Stockton.

Although Karl never won an NBA title (blame Michael Jordan), "The Mailman" is recognized as one of the best power forwards in league history.

Malone was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 twice --- for his career with the Jazz and as a member of the 1992 U.S. men's Olympic basketball team.

Tom Coughlin's wife Judy, who was married to the 2-time Super Bowl-winning head coach for 55 years, passed away Tuesday morning after battling a rare and incurable brain disorder. She was 77 years old.

TC announced the terrible news Wednesday morning ... sharing a heartfelt statement on Judy's death.

"My cherished wife and our beloved mother and grandmother, Judy Whitaker Coughlin, passed away this morning at the age of 77," the longtime head coach wrote ... adding, "Judy was a remarkable woman in every way."

"She lived a life filled with love and unselfishly gave her heart and soul to others. Judy made you feel like an old friend from the first hug to the last. She was a mother to all on and off the field."

Coughlin continued ... "For everyone who knew and loved Judy, the enormity of her absence cannot be put into words, but the immense kindness she showed to others will always endure. Our hearts are broken, but we know she is free from suffering and at peace with our Lord."

Judy was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy in 2020 ... but the presence of the illness wasn't known until Tom wrote a guest essay for The NY Times in August 2021, where he openly discussed his wife's sickness.

The Mayo Clinic defines the disease as "an uncommon brain disorder that causes serious problems with walking, balance and eye movements, and later with swallowing."

The disorder can ultimately lead to life-threatening complications.

In Coughlin's essay, you could feel his anguish.

"As so many of you are gearing up for another NFL season, I will be sitting far from the sidelines, at the bedside and holding the hand of my biggest supporter, my beloved wife, the mother of our children and a grandmother to our grandchildren," he wrote.

"After several years of doctors trying to pinpoint the disease that has been slowly taking her from us, Judy was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy in 2020. It is a brain disorder that erodes an individual’s ability to walk, speak, think and control body movements. It steals memories and the ability to express emotions and, sadly, is incurable."

Daniel Snyder could part ways with the Commanders after all ... the team just confirmed he's hired Bank of America to explore a potential sale of the NFL franchise.

Snyder has received pressure to move on from his org. for years ... but, most recently, following multiple allegations of workplace misconduct, the cries for a sale have grown to a deafening roar.

In fact, just two weeks ago at an NFL owners' meeting in New York ... Indianapolis Colts honcho Jim Irsay came out and strongly suggested he'd be in favor of Snyder's ousting.

The Commanders said Wednesday Snyder is now looking into "potential transactions" following all of the recent backlash -- though it's clear, it's all very preliminary at the moment.

And, according to Forbes, the 57-year-old could just be simply looking into selling a "minority stake" of the team.

Washington officials did not provide further clarity on the situation ... only adding, "The Snyders remain committed to the team, all of its employees and its countless fans to putting the best product on the field and continuing to work to set the gold standard for workplaces in the NFL."

Former NBA star Amar'e Stoudemire -- who converted to Judaism in 2020 -- wants Kyrie Irving to own up to his actions and apologize for tweeting out a link to a movie filled with antisemitic rhetoric ... saying the Brooklyn Nets guard made a mistake.

STAT addressed the controversy surrounding Irving on ESPN’s "Get Up" Wednesday morning ... saying, "You have to give an apology because if you’re going to promote a documentary that has false allegations inside of it, and you may not understand that these allegations that’s inside the documentary are false, okay, you made a mistake, right? So apologize for it."

39-year-old Stoudemire says Kyrie created a problem by not expressing any regret over the situation ... and is giving the NBA and commissioner Adam Silver no choice but to look into it.

"I think something has to happen, intensive conversations with the commissioner about what he’s doing and what his plans are as a basketball player."

As for whether Kyrie should be suspended over the whole ordeal, Amar'e -- who previously served as an assistant for the Nets -- is on the fence.

"I mean, Kyrie’s a guy who’s trying to find himself," he added. "He’s always on this quest for learning and information. And if you’re not totally understanding what you’re learning and what you’re trying to promote, then just don’t promote it. Just learn quietly and try to figure it out."

"But once you start putting information out there that’s not true, then now it creates a problem."

Amar'e has gone after Irving in the past ... saying the guard's decision to not get the COVID-19 vaccine affected the team's chemistry.

Irving has been at the center of criticism for how he's handled the backlash ... with both Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal calling him an "idiot" on TNT's "Inside The NBA."

Nike -- Kyrie's biggest sponsor -- released a statement regarding the matter ... denouncing hate speech of any kind.

"At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech, and we condemn any form of antisemitism," the Swoosh said on Tuesday.

TMZ Sports spoke with Amar'e about antisemitism back in 2020 ... when the six-time All-Star told us he wanted to "bridge the gap" between Black and Jewish people after comments made by Nick Cannon and NFLer DeSean Jackson -- for which they apologized.

More than a century later, a game-used bat from Ty Cobb's 1905 rookie season is up for auction ... and already has a bid of $236K, TMZ Sports has learned.

The piece of wood was manufactured by Hillerich & Bradsby ... and is 34.5 inches long and weighs 36.6 ounces. The ash bat has ball marks on the right and back barrel and a slight crack on the upper handle, according to Grey Flannel Auctions.

The lumber was graded a perfect 10 ... and is accompanied by a Letter Of Authenticity from  PSA/DNA, guaranteeing the legend used the wood during his rookie campaign.

Nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Tigers -- serving as the team's player-manager for the last six -- where he won 12 batting titles with the franchise.

Cobb finished his career with a stellar .366 batting average -- and led the league in hits on eight separate occasions.

A winner of the 1909 Triple Crown Award and 1911 MVP award, Cobb was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, where he received an impressive 222 of 226 possible votes.

Simply put, he's one of the greatest baseball players to ever grace a diamond.

There have already been 10 bids ... with a high mark of $235,798.