TMZ Sports - Page 12

No, LeBron James isn't demanding a trade back to Cleveland ... but a verified Twitter account pretending to be the Los Angeles Lakers star duped people into thinking so on Wednesday -- as a result of Elon Musk's $8 blue check mark rollout.

The bird app's new subscription feature already has the trolls running wild ... and King James was the first to fall victim to the antics.

An account named @kIngjamez tried to pull a quick one shortly after the verification party got started ... saying, "I am officially requesting a trade."

"Thank you #LakersNation for all the support through the years. 💯 Onto bigger and better things! 👑 #ThekidfromAKRON #ImComingHome."

Of course, the REAL @kingjames' most recent tweet is an ad for a video game.

Here's the issue -- If folks didn't notice the misspelling handle or click on the check mark to read WHY the account is verified, they were led to believe #6 was going back to the 216.

Another account pretended to be ESPN insider Adam Schefter ... claiming Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels had been fired.

Elon's decision to give any Twitter Blue subscribers a blue check without any vetting had people concerned for this exact reason ... and so far, it's proven to be a massive headache for some.

The new Twitter head defended his decision ... explaining it was a way for the company to make money.

Kyrie Irving is facing justified consequences for propagating antisemitic views -- despite some in the Black community feeling like he's getting a "lashing" ... so suggests Rev. Al Sharpton.

We got the civil rights leader in NYC Wednesday to speak about the growing sentiment that KI is being overly-punished and made an example of by the powers that be in the NBA ... even though he's apologized for his controversial comments of late.

The Reverend says people should denounce bigotry no matter what, and that applies to Kyrie too. He says just because African-Americans have been subjected to racism and mistreatment historically doesn't mean it's okay to normalize hatred of another group.

Sharpton also seems to be hinting that the two shouldn't automatically be conflated.

Sharpton apparently believes Kyrie's promotions were antisemitic -- and that he's on the side of those who are calling for accountability.

Even though Kyrie has tried walking it all back, some feel it's empty because he's implied the Holocaust is simply a cultural issue important to Jews, rather than an outright atrocity.

Since then, he's been suspended and has met with Commissioner Adam Silver, who's Jewish. But the debate about his treatment rages on, especially across racial/cultural lines.

Get a load of this -- a sports radio producer literally couldn't keep his crap together after hearing a joke live on the air ... 'cause he laughed so hard, he pooped his pants!!

Here's the deal -- CBS Sports Radio contributor Shaun Morash was, ironically enough, reacting to a silly conversation about the Philly Phanatic pooping on people's chests ... when disaster struck for himself.

Morash damn near came out of his chair over the joke ... then admitted me made a mud pie in his trousers.

"I just went in my pants," Morash said as he unplugged his headphones and rushed to the restroom.

Naturally, everyone else erupted in laughter.

Morash later returned with his head down ... saying he used a "lot of paper towels" and couldn't look the guys in the eyes.

The most disgusting part came when Morash showed off the damage -- with the crew looking on in horror.

Damon Amendolara, the show's host, said he was glad that Morash found the joke funny ... but was concerned that his colleague couldn't control his bowel movements.

“On the other hand, I’m really terrified of a guy that, if you laugh really loud, can’t control the bowels," said Amendolara. "It’s like somebody dumped a milkshake down his pants!"

Morash explained what exactly happened ... saying, "I laughed too hard up and friction down. Luckily, it wasn’t mega poundage."

NBA star Miles Bridges has filed for a restraining order against the woman who accused him of domestic violence ... claiming she's harassed him repeatedly -- and won't stop.

Bridges spelled out his claims in new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, alleging that despite a June 27 argument between the two that turned physical and ultimately resulted in the basketball player's arrest ... Mychelle Johnson will not leave him alone.

Bridges says on three separate occasions, including just two days after he accepted a plea deal to close out his criminal case with Johnson, she's showed up to his home or places he's staying and harassed him, causing him emotional distress and anxiety.

The first incident allegedly happened on Oct. 12. In the docs, Bridges claims he had been renting an Airbnb in Los Angeles ... when Johnson unexpectedly entered his side gate with their two kids.

Bridges said in the documents that due to the ongoing criminal case with Johnson -- and the protective orders that had been put in place -- he ran inside in an attempt to avoid her.

He claims, though, his door would not lock -- so he had to hold it shut as Mychelle allegedly attempted to break in by swinging a hose nozzle at the home.

Bridges says after she couldn't get in, she then stole his dog, and left with their children.

Nearly three weeks later, on Oct. 31, Bridges said in the docs that Johnson followed him and his friends home from an L.A. hookah lounge at around 2:30 AM, and sat in his driveway with their two kids in her car demanding he speaks with her. He claims he didn't want to due to the ongoing criminal case.

Bridges says despite attempts from his friends and bodyguards to get her to leave, she refused and stayed parked there for nearly 6 hours before leaving.

On Nov. 5 -- two days after Bridges pleaded no contest to one count of felony domestic violence stemming from their June 27 incident to close out his criminal case -- the 24-year-old former Charlotte Hornets star said he was forced to call the LAPD after Johnson showed up to his Airbnb and "stood outside the home antagonizing me and refusing to leave."

Bridges says officers showed up ... and were able to convince her to leave without incident.

Bridges -- currently an NBA free agent -- is asking a judge to order Johnson to stay at least 100 yards away from him and have no contact with him or his dog.

If any haters are still out there doubting Jake Paul ... boxing champ Lawrence Okolie clearly believes they need to drop that opinion ASAP -- praising the guy as the real deal in the ring following a sparring sesh with the former YouTuber on Wednesday.

Okolie and Paul traded blows at PrettyLittleThing founder Umar Kamani's Kamani Club in Dubai ... getting in work so intensely, they were drenched in sweat.

And, afterward, Okolie said Paul is no joke with the gloves.

"He's better than most boxers," the WBO cruiserweight world champ said, according to boxing reporter Michael Benson. "People just hate because of his influencer background."

Of course, many boxing fans have discredited Paul, despite his 6-0 record ... simply because none of his victories have come against actual boxers.

Paul, though, has tried to fight real boxers in the past few months ... setting up matches with both Tommy Fury and Hasim Rahman Jr. But, both bouts fell through before the first-round bell could sound.

Ime Udoka will not be the next head coach of the Brooklyn Nets after all -- the team just elevated Jacque Vaughn to the position after parting ways with Steve Nash.

There were reports the Nets were eyeing the Celtics coach -- who is currently serving a one-year suspension for having an improper relationship with a female employee.

Team owner Joe Tsai reportedly faced pushback from "strong voices" against hiring Udoka ... pleading to go in a different direction when hiring Nash's replacement.

Of course, the Nets were already facing a ton of issues without Ime ... from Kyrie Irving's backlash for sharing a link to an antisemitic film on social media, Kevin Durant's offseason trade demand and the team's underperforming start to the 2022-23 campaign.

Vaughn played in the NBA from 1997-2009 ... suiting up for five different teams.

JV is 65-161 as a head coach -- he spent just over 2 1/2 seasons with the Orlando Magic ... and served as interim head coach for the Nets after Kenny Atkinson got canned in March 2020.

It sure seems like Ottawa fans love the idea of Ryan Reynolds becoming their beloved team's next owner ... with the actor getting thunderous applause at the Senators game on Tuesday.

The "Deadpool" star hit up Canadian Tire Centre to catch the Sens go up against the Vancouver Canucks ... fresh off confirming he's interested in acquiring the team.

The PA guy made sure to recognize the VIP guest during the game ... and fans made sure to give him a warm welcome.

Of course, Ryan is a wealthy man and has had success on the screen and in business ventures ... but with the team valued at around $525 MILLION, he may need some help in making his dream a reality.

RR went on 'The Tonight Show' and told Jimmy Fallon about his plans to sort out the finances ... saying he's looking for a "sugar mommy or sugar daddy" to team up with to make a bid.

Reynolds already has some experience in sports team ownership -- he teamed up with "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" actor Rob McElhenney to buy Wrexham AFC in 2021.

Longtime Senators owner Eugene Melnyk passed away in March at 62 years old ... and given Reynolds' Canadian roots, it seems like a perfect fit.

Horrifying moment on the NHL ice Tuesday night ... Edmonton Oilers star Evander Kane's wrist was slashed so badly by a skate, he had to be rushed to the hospital.

Thankfully, however, doctors were able to repair the damage ... and the hockey player said he's now "on the mend."

The alarming incident happened in the second period of the Oilers' game against the Lightning at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay.

Kane collided with Lightning defenseman Phillipe Myers ... and unknowingly exposed his wrist as he fell to the ice. Pat Maroon then accidentally skated over Kane's arm while he was scrambling for the puck.

Video from the game's broadcast shows Kane immediately started pouring blood onto the ice. He appeared terrified ... and raced off the playing surface to his team's locker room for treatment.

Kane was transported to a nearby hospital and had immediate surgery. He posted on Twitter on Wednesday morning that everything went well -- and he's now recovering.

"Obviously last night was an extremely scary moment for me and I'm still in a little bit of shock," the 31-year-old said. "I would like to thank the entire training staff of the Edmonton Oilers and Tampa Bay Lightning, along with all the doctors and paramedics who rushed to help treat and repair my injury."

"Without all of you I know things would've been much worse and I'm sincerely grateful."

The 13-year vet said he'll miss some time ... but he vowed to be back on the ice soon.

Eli Manning was big drippin' when he hit the studio with Fivio Foreign on Tuesday ... and the 2x Super Bowl-winning QB even took shots with the NYC rapper!!

Fivio tweeted on Tuesday, "I'm goin to the studio w Eli Manning" -- then later posted a video with the former Giants QB and his old teammate and center, Shaun O'Hara, pouring shots.

"We doing shots. Eli. Shaun. Toasting. We in the studio making Big Drip," said Fivio.

It's unclear what sparked the unexpected linkup ... but Eli and the "Big Drip" rapper appeared to be having a great time at the studio while pouring shots for one another.

41-year-old Eli wore a yellow Celine hoodie (they go for like $1,100) and bucket hat ... and had an iced-out chain around his neck in the video.

Eli's studio sesh had a different feel than the popular "Manningcast" show he's accustomed to hosting with his brother, Peyton, during "Monday Night Football."

Nevertheless, it was funny to see the legendary NY football star enjoying himself with Fivio.

Earlier Tuesday, Fivio said new music is on the way, tweeting, "Ov course I'm droppin friday 2 lol.."

Maybe we'll hear Eli on the new project?!? One can hope!

Herschel Walker sees his race for the U.S. Senate ending like a Talladega night -- and it just might -- but right now it's way too close to tell who's first or who's last.

The ex-football great opted for a NASCAR metaphor late Tuesday night as election results were still trickling in ... he told supporters in the critical Georgia race he's feeling like Will Ferrell's character in 'Talladega Nights' -- "I'm like Ricky Bobby. I don't come to lose."

As of Wednesday morning, though, Herschel and incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock are in a virtual tie, with neither candidate holding 50 percent of the votes -- and that would mean the race goes into overtime, if you will.

Walker had trailed for a majority of the evening, but as the night went on ... he began to pull within a point or so of Warnock -- and at varying moments, was even ahead for a bit.

He confidently said he'll eventually be "the new Senator for the great state of Georgia" ... but it hasn't happened yet.

Nearly the entire state has reported their tallies, and election officials estimate this is going to slip into a run-off race on Dec. 6.

Cain Velasquez was nothing but smiles and relief after finally getting out of jail on Tuesday night -- giving a huge hug to a friend, and saying he feels "appreciative" and "blessed."

Velasquez had been locked up since Feb. 28 -- after authorities say he fired a gun at Harry Goularte, a man who had been accused of molesting one of the UFC legend's close relatives.

But, following a lengthy hearing Tuesday afternoon, a judge set Velasquez's bail at $1 million ... and he posted the bond several hours later, giving him his first taste of freedom in over eight months.

Velasquez will now have to follow multiple restrictions while out on bond -- including wearing a GPS monitor -- although it was clear on Tuesday night, Velasquez was very happy to finally be out from behind bars nonetheless.

"I just feel blessed, you know?" Velasquez said. "Ready to go home, be with the loved ones -- family, friends."

The 40-year-old promised to "make something positive of this terrible situation," and thanked all of his fans and former coworkers for their support. His friend even joked about getting him some Taco Bell.

Velasquez is still facing 10 criminal charges in the case -- including 1st-degree attempted murder and multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

WNBA star Brittney Griner is transferring to a Russian penal colony -- known for its terrible living conditions -- and her team has no idea where exactly she is or how she's doing.

BG's move from the detention center in Iksha began on Friday ... which happened to be one day after she met with U.S. embassy officials.

It's something Griner's family and team have feared ever since her conviction in August ... as a penal colony is far worse than a detention center. Prisoners are forced to perform labor, and it's much more difficult to make contact to the outside world.

Griner's team was not made aware of the update until Tuesday ... and her current location is unclear. Her legal team says it may take up to two weeks to be notified of her destination.

Lindsay Colas, Griner's agent, released a statement saying the number one concern is her client's health and well-being.

Colas says Griner's camp continues to work with the U.S. government in an effort to bring her home and keep her safe in the meantime.

"We are thankful for everyone's support, and hope that as we near nine months of detention, that BG and all wrongfully detained Americans will be shown mercy and returned home to their families for the holidays," Colas said.

The White House also released a statement ... slamming the move.

"Every minute that Brittney Griner must endure wrongful detention in Russia is a minute too long," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

"As the Administration continues to work tirelessly to secure her release, the President has directed the Administration to prevail on her Russian captors to improve her treatment and the conditions she may be forced to endure in a penal colony."

Griner has been in custody in Russia since February ... after she was accused of bringing hashish oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport.

She pleaded guilty to drug charges in July ... and was sentenced to 9 years in prison.

Griner spent her 32nd birthday behind bars last month ... and her appeal was denied on October 25.

La La Anthony ensured her son, Kiyan, will have the best birthday gift ever ... she pulled a one-of-a-kind Miles Morales Spider-Man card worth over $100K, and mom's reaction is amazing!!

And, the odds of landing the unique card ... one in 602,400!

Anthony recently visited Ken Goldin at the Goldin Auctions company headquarters in New Jersey where she cracked boxes from the 2021-22 Upper Deck Marvel Spider-Man set ... and got the Purple Light FX Miles Morales card.

“Breaking boxes with my son Kiyan is the highlight of the hobby for me," La La said. "I love understanding a world he’s a part of and enjoys so much. I was so excited to bring home this incredibly rare card to him, it’s truly a gift of a lifetime."

La La's reaction when she saw the card was priceless ... she was absolutely shocked, explaining they'd never landed such a prized card in the past.

Of course, Morales took over as Spider-Man for Peter Parker after his comic book death a decade ago.

Kiyan, 15, is an avid collector of Marvel and superhero cards, so the gift from mom will surely mean a lot to the rising hoops star.

“The fact that La La pulled this one-of-a-kind card featuring Miles – an inspiration and hero that so many people look up to – is really marvelous," Goldin, who has sold some of the most valuable memorabilia items ever, told us.

"This was the first one-of-one card I’ve ever pulled in my more than 40 years of collecting, too which made it even more special!”

Ex-NFL star Domata Peko's father-in-law had a helluva Tuesday -- it turns out his gas station sold the $2 BILLION Powerball-winning ticket ... resulting in a $1 million payday!!

The 37-year-old former Bengals nose tackle -- who played the majority of his career in Cincinnati -- shared the exciting news just now ... saying, "My Father In-Law Sold the winning PowerBall (ticket) 2 billion $"

"Congrats Baba."

Joe Chahayed -- who owns the Joe's Service Center gas station in Altadena, CA -- turned into a local celeb after it was announced he sold the winning ticket ... with folks in the area heading to his store to take selfies with him.

Joe told reporters he's had some winning tickets in the Super Lotto and Fantasy 5 at his location in the past -- but those tickets were only worth up to $9,000.

BTW -- Domata reportedly made over $47 million in contract money over the course of his career.

Joe says he's not going to retire just yet ... but his family can expect a really nice Thanksgiving.

A judge has just granted Cain Velasquez bail in his attempted murder case ... paving the way for the UFC legend to be out from behind bars for the first time in over 8 months.

Velasquez's bail was set at $1 million ... and, assuming he posts it, the judge also ordered the former fighter to wear a GPS monitor, and to stay away from the alleged victims in the case.

The 40-year-old has been locked up since Feb. 28 -- after authorities claimed he shot at Harry Goularte, a man who had been accused of molesting one of Velasquez's relatives.

Attorneys for Velasquez had argued for months that he should be granted bail -- though prosecutors vehemently opposed, saying he was still a threat to Goularte.

At previous hearings, judges had sided with the prosecutors ... and denied Velasquez bail. But, at a proceeding in a Santa Clara, Calif. courtroom on Tuesday, a judge ultimately ruled in favor of bail, citing, among other things, Velasquez's clean prior criminal history, and his status as a father.

Lamar Jackson paid a surprise visit to a young fan before the Ravens' big game on Monday -- and the little boy was so moved by seeing the QB in person, he cried tears of joy!!

The heartwarming moment happened just before Lamar beat the New Orleans Saints on "Monday Night Football" -- when the Ravens star snuck into a room to say hello to Landon, one of his biggest fans.

You can see in video of their interaction, filmed by Landon's father, the boy was so shocked to see the former MVP in the flesh -- he ran over to hug him, and wouldn't let go!!

At one point during their embrace, the kid even began crying hysterically.

"He's making my day," Jackson said with a smile. "Wipe your tears, man."

Landon -- who's battling a heart condition -- eventually got to go down to the field with Jackson ... taking a pic with the signal-caller and enjoying the quarterback's talents up close.

He also met several Ravens players on the field ... and even got hooked up with autographs.

Landon's father, Jason Berry, said all of it was made possible after he realized the Ravens would be playing the Saints in New Orleans this year. While residing in Mississippi, he emailed multiple people at the Ravens' and Saints' organizations asking if Landon could meet LJ ... and someone eventually replied.

"My heart melted because I knew I was going to be able to fulfill my son's dream," Berry said in a post about the experience on his social media page, "What an unbelievable experience for Landon (one we know he will NEVER forget)."