TMZ Sports - Page 7

Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is opening up on the gut-wrenching heartbreak he suffered after his baby son died during childbirth earlier this year ... calling it the worst experience he's had since his father passed in 2005.

CR7 got candid during a sit-down with Piers Morgan this week ... where he explained what it was like to be overcome with both joy and devastation after welcoming his baby girl and mourning the loss of his son at the same time.

"It is probably the worst moment that has passed through my life since my father died," Ronaldo said.

Ronaldo and his partner, Georgina Rodriguez, shared the tragic news back in April ... announcing the birth of their baby girl, but also relaying the news her twin brother didn't make it.

"When you have a kid, you expect that everything will be normal," Cristiano added. "And when you have that problem, it's hard. As human beings, me and Georgina had quite difficult moments, because we don't understand why it happened to us. It was difficult, to be honest, it was very, very difficult to understand what's going on in that period of our life."

Ronaldo said despite all the pain he was going through, soccer continued to demand his time ... which was another challenge he faced during his healing.

FYI -- Ronaldo missed one game for Manchester United following his son's death ... and returned to the pitch less than one week later.

CR7 says that time was difficult to explain ... as he was beyond happy to welcome Bella Esmeralda to the world, but was still grieving the loss.

"I try to explain sometimes to my family and close friends," Ronaldo added. "They say, 'I never felt to be happy and sad in the same moment.'"

Gillie Da Kid is lights out shooting the rock ... as the Detroit Pistons learned at their own training facility, and ya better believe he didn't hold back when it came to gloating!!!

The "Million Dollaz Worth of Game" podcast cohost battled Pistons assistant coach Jerome Allen Tuesday in a 3-point competition, where Gillie was talking more smack than Gary Payton in his prime. He even called out his victory before taking his first shot.

Jerome only sunk 3 out of 10 shots, and Gillie was confident he'd top that in short order.

The Philly rapper wasn't even dressed for hooping on the hardwood yet still hit several 3's in a pair of jeans and a Louis Vuitton belt that barely held them up. Jerome is also a former NBA player so the bragging rights are even sweeter.

Gillie's J was so butter, he also called out Pistons' star Cade Cunningham ... who was apparently watching the splashdown massacre from the sidelines but the former #1 draft pick didn't partake. Of course, he's injured with a sore shin, so he gets a pass on dodging the challenge.

Even at 37 years old, Gillie is one of the better rapping hoopers around, and few of his peers would disagree.

Just last year he dropped a cool 30 points in a Philly celebrity basketball game, and also got to show his stuff in Ice Cube's Big3 this past summer.

Chris Gutierrez is fresh off the biggest win of his career ... but, he says the moment was actually bittersweet, 'cause he retired UFC legend Frankie Edgar -- someone he admired as a young fan of MMA.

31-year-old Gutierrez, who came into UFC 281 as an unranked fighter, knocked out number 12 ranked bantamweight, 41-year-old Edgar, about halfway through the first round of their contest with a perfectly placed knee. It was the last fight of Frankie's Hall of Fame career.

"It's definitely bittersweet. I knew I still had a job to do, but at the end of the day, I didn't enjoy ... It was bittersweet. I gotta do what I gotta do and I won the fight but no one really likes to see a champion go down like that. It hurt me a bit. It did."

Chris says Edgar was someone he looked up to as a young MMA fan ... and the former champ actually inspired him.

"The reality is it was an honor to share the cage with him, an honor to share the Octagon. He's someone that I grew up watching from the beginning. He was the little engine that could. A smaller guy taking on these giants and he would come out on top. He would find a way. He inspired me as a kid to kind of push through life."

With the win over Edgar, Gutierrez cracked the top 15 ... and now sits in the 13th position. Chris is in the midst of a 4 fight win streak ... and hasn't lost since 2018 (he fought to a draw in August 2020).

We asked Gutierrez who he wants next ... and he had some ideas.

"I already have three people on my mind. Pedro Munhoz, Dominick Cruz, or Rob Font would be some good ones," Chris says.

But, no matter what happens from here ... Chris is grateful for all his success.

"To be honest I never envisioned myself being where I'm at in life so every day is like a blessing."

As for Frankie ... he goes down as one of the greatest fighters in UFC history.

The former University of Virginia running back accused of killing three current Cavaliers football players had "no overlap" with the victims during his time on the team ... the school's athletic director revealed on Tuesday.

According to Carla Williams, Christopher Jones Jr. -- the man who allegedly murdered D'Sean Perry, Lavel Davis and Devin Chandler on Sunday night -- only spent one semester on the Cavs' football roster as a walk-on in 2018, before he left the team.

Williams said during that time, neither Perry, Davis nor Chandler, who were all juniors this year, crossed paths with him on the field or in the locker room.

"There was no overlap," Williams said as part of an emotional press conference with football head coach Tony Elliott. "I don't know if there was any interaction outside of the class."

Jones Jr. allegedly opened fire on the three football players -- and others -- on a bus on campus after they had all returned from a class field trip. Police have yet to reveal a potential motive.

Jones Jr.'s father, Christopher Jones Sr., told NBC12 on Monday his son had complained about people "picking on him" at school about a month ago ... but said, otherwise, Jones Jr. "was doing real well."

At Tuesday's news conference, both Elliott and Williams spoke fondly of the victims -- remembering them as great men and teammates.

Elliott confirmed a fourth member of the Virginia football team -- running back Mike Hollins -- was also shot in the incident ... and is currently in the hospital receiving treatment for his injuries. Elliott declined to give further details on the football player's condition.

A new Nipsey Hussle docuseries is on its way ... and none other than LeBron James is going to have his fingerprints all over the project.

The Lakers superstar revealed the news on Tuesday morning ... announcing he and Maverick Carter's SpringHill Company has teamed up with Hussle's Marathon Films to bring Nipsey fans some new, inside looks into the life of the late rapper.

The work promises to, among other things, feature exclusive footage and tons of interviews with rap legends like Diddy and Snoop Dogg -- and Bron said Tuesday he was pumped for it all.

"It's an incredible honor for SpringHill to have a part in sharing Nipsey's story and legacy with the world," James said. "He used his gift to give back to his community and lived what it means to inspire, empower, and uplift others along the way."

LBJ added, "His words, his ambition, and his actions stick with me to this day as he continues to inspire myself, our company, and people everywhere."

The series does not yet have a title or a release date.

According to Deadline, James and Carter will receive credit as executive producers.

"It's an incredible responsibility to tell Nipsey Hussle’s story alongside his family and Marathon Films in a way that captures every facet of life from his childhood to his impact on community and culture," Carter said.

Hasim Rahman Jr. has found a new opponent ... former NFL star turned UFC fighter turned boxer Greg Hardy is stepping in last minute to save the main event after Vitor Belfort was forced to pull out after getting sick, it was announced Tuesday.

DAZN broke the news this morning ... announcing Rahman will square off against the ex-Panthers defensive end in just four days.

“I’m excited, man, this is my chance to show that I belong in the boxing world,” Hardy said.

“I know plenty about the Rahman name as boxers, and I know he was preparing for Vitor, but I’m definitely confident and prepared to show people I can box.”

Hasim and Vitor were originally set to go toe-to-toe on Nov.19 in Austin, TX ... but the bout was called off after the Brazilian mixed martial artist contracted COVID-19.

Rahman will have his hands full with Hardy ... who aside from being huge (Greg would have to cut to make the 265 lb. limit as a UFC fighter), also hits like a truck.

But, Hasim's also dangerous. The 31-year-old boxer -- whose dad was a heavyweight champ -- has a pro record of 12-1 (6 knockouts).

Of course, Rahman Jr.'s been one of the fighters feuding with Jake Paul of late. The men were scheduled to fight, but the bout fell apart weeks before. Hasim has been adamant the Problem Child's ducking him.

A Denver Broncos special teamer is suing the NFL, the Chargers and a bunch of others ... claiming mats placed on the sidelines at SoFi Stadium earlier this year caused him to suffer a severe knee injury.

Aaron Patrick spelled out his allegations in a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, saying that a series of poor decisions by the league and its L.A. team resulted in his ACL tear back on Oct. 17 during the Broncos vs. Chargers' "Monday Night Football" game.

The 25-year-old Denver outside linebacker said in his suit the injury happened in the overtime period of the contest in L.A. ... while he was attempting to make a tackle on a punt return.

Patrick says because of his effort to make the play on the field, his momentum carried him into the sideline area -- where an NFL official who monitors television timeouts was standing. Patrick claims in the suit in an attempt to avoid the man, he had to step on mats that stadium workers had put down to cover up NFL instant replay sideline monitor cords and cables.

Patrick says, as a result, his foot got caught in the mats and the cords -- causing his knee to bend awkwardly. He was later diagnosed with a torn ACL, and is expected to miss the rest of this season.

Patrick is heaping blame on not only the NFL and the Chargers for it all, but also ESPN, the mat company and others -- claiming they all could have done more to prevent the injury from happening.

Patrick claims all parties should have known the mats presented a dangerous hazard for players. He also says the NFL official shouldn't have been standing where he was.

Patrick is suing for unspecified damages, including lost bonuses and future earning potential.

"Player safety should be the foremost of importance to the NFL and its owners," said Patrick's attorney, William M. Berman of Berman & Riedel. "The NFL is a multi-billion-dollar sports enterprise and business, and it needs to do everything possible to protect its players from non-contact game injuries."

Jake Paul wants to settle his feud with Tommy Fury once and for all ... saying he'll fight TNT in the U.K. in February -- or he's moving on forever.

The Problem Child announced his plans in a message to Fury's promoter on Tuesday ... saying, "Dear @FrankWarren, I agree to fight Tommy in Manchester or London in Feb. I’ll come to his country, no more running."

The fight has been cursed since the very beginning -- it was scrapped twice due to issues on Fury's side ... including an injury and trouble getting access to the United States.

The beef reached new heights after Tommy's exhibition fight on Sunday ... when the two jawed back and forth -- and John Fury even ripped his own shirt off and taunted Jake.

After the incident, John told reporters Jake agreed to finally fight Tommy ... and JP followed through on his promise.

Paul -- who's fresh off an impressive win over Anderson Silva -- wants ink to paper ASAP ... saying Fury's team can either agree to the fight in the next week, or lose their opportunity forever.

"Since John is adamant we’ve agreed, I am giving u 7 days to present a signed contract by Tommy or I’m moving on," Jake tweeted.

Tommy has yet to respond.

It's worth noting -- Tommy is expecting his first child with fellow "Love Island" star Molly-Mae Hague around the time of the proposed fight ... but Jake claims Fury's camp has assured there won't be any issues this time around.

Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle learned the hard way ... if you don't want to be completely ignored, never go anywhere with Jimmy Garoppolo!

The 49ers stars sat courtside for the Warriors-Spurs game Monday night ... and the Golden State dancers couldn't get enough of the handsome quarterback.

Can't say the same for his star teammates, though.

While Jimmy G sat in his floor seat, the Warriors dancers gave him a warm welcome, shaking hands and literally making the 31-year-old blush.

In addition to Jimmy, George, and Christian ... star fullback Kyle Juszczyk was also with the boys.

This 49ers gathering came a day after the squad's insane comeback win against the L.A. Chargers, bringing the team to 5-4. They're currently in 2nd place in the NFC West, behind the 6-4 Seahawks.

Fans have come a long way since the start of the season ... when Trey Lance was under center, and many fans wanted Garoppolo shipped out of town.

Tom Brady was deeply concerned with Antonio Brown's decision-making well before his shirtless exit from the NFL ... with the controversial receiver going public with a passionate text from his former teammate in May 2021.

AB has made headlines for all the wrong reasons recently -- from ripping his pads off and quitting on the Bucs mid-game in January, to allegedly exposing himself in a public pool, to showing his support for Kanye West's "White Lives Matter" movement ... and most recently, making disrespectful comments about TB12 amid his divorce from Gisele Bündchen.

But before all that, Tom appeared to have sent AB a heartfelt plea to get his act together ... saying, "You are demonstrating very poor decisions and poor communication to so many people who have gone above and beyond to help you."

Remember, Tom and AB were thick as thieves at one point -- the 7-time champ vouched for Brown twice to get the New England Patriots and Bucs to take a chance on him ... but things have turned sour in recent years.

It's unclear what exactly upset Brady -- AB had been previously accused of sexual assault and attacking a moving truck driver (just to name a few incidents), but seemingly kept out of trouble around the time of Tom's text.

TB12 only says he was upset with AB's behavior "over the past few months" ... and made sure not to mince his words when calling out the former star.

"You are acting selfish and unfortunately many of those people are exhausted by the erratic and unpredictable emotional behavior," TB12 says.

In the message, Brady claims AB was humble and ready to improve his life when they first met ... but something changed.

"Unfortunately you have reverted very much back to a young immature man that is selfish, self serving, irrational and irresponsible."

Brady seemingly blames AB's circle for being bad influences ... adding, "You have gone from hanging around good quality people that had genuine interest in seeing you succeed, to seeing others whose lives are erratic and out of control and leading you down a negative path."

Christopher Jones Jr. -- the ex-University of Virginia football player who's been accused of murdering three current members of the Cavaliers team -- had complained of bullying before the shooting, this according to Jones Jr.'s father.

Christopher Jones Sr. spoke with NBC12 just one day after his son allegedly shot and killed three UVA football players while on a bus on campus ... and he explained, for the most part, his son appeared normal during their last encounter about a month ago "and he was doing real well."

But, he did note that while Jones Jr. had stopped by his house to do laundry, the 22-year-old admitted he was having some issues while at school.

"He had some problems," Jones Sr. said of Jones Jr., a former UVA running back. "The last time I talked to him, he said some people was picking on him or whatever. He didn't know how to handle it. I just told him, 'Go to school. Don't pay them no mind. Do what you got to do.'"

Jones Sr. added, "He wouldn't tell me everything."

Jones Jr. allegedly opened fire on a bus full of students after it had returned from a class field trip at around 10:30 PM on Sunday night. According to authorities, the gunfire killed D'Sean Perry, Lavel Davis and Devin Chandler, and wounded two others.

Cops say Jones Jr. then fled the scene ... remaining on the run for about 12 hours -- before he was eventually arrested in Henrico County. He's now facing six charges, including three counts of second-degree murder.

Jones Sr. said he had no clue what could have caused Jones Jr. to pull the trigger.

"What happened?" Jones Sr. said. "Why did it have to get this far? He could have called me."

Jones Sr. then issued an apology on his son's behalf.

On campus, meanwhile, students participated in a candlelight vigil to honor the three who died in the tragedy.

Barnes & Noble has pulled the controversial book "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake up Black America" off its shelves ... while Kyrie Irving continues to face backlash for promoting it.

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), commended B&N Tuesday morning ... saying the bookseller's decision to yank the book should set a precedent.

Greenblatt then turned his attention to Amazon, revealing he wrote to the company over a week ago, looking to have a conversation about the book/films presence on the giant retailer's website. The ADL CEO says he'd like a disclaimer added to the book and film, at the least.

Greenblatt added the book and film "will lead directly to the harm of Jews," adding Amazon needs to follow B&N's lead before it's too late.

Of course, Kyrie landed in hot water after tweeting a link to the controversial film.

The Nets eventually suspended Irving for an indefinite amount of time. He hasn't played since  November 1 ... and it's unclear when he will return.

Amazon is carrying the book and movie on its website.

Tim Hardaway was forced to issue an apology on Monday night ... after he disturbingly compared a player's rough defense to rape during the middle of a Warriors game.

The former Golden State superstar was in the TV booth for the team's special "Run TMC" broadcast -- which featured Hardaway, Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond instead of the Warriors' regular announcers -- and a little more than halfway into the game, Tim put his foot squarely in his mouth.

While trying to talk about how he felt a player crossed the line on defense during the Warriors' matchup with the San Antonio Spurs, he shockingly said, "See, ya'll thought that was great D, I thought that was just raping him."

He added, "I think he should have called the police on that."

The other members of the broadcast booth quickly tried to move on ... but viewers were so outraged and appalled by the remarks, Hardaway had to issue a mea culpa just a few minutes later.

"Hey everybody," he said as the game headed into the fourth quarter. "I used a poor choice of words earlier in the broadcast. I want to apologize for that. And, you know, let's get back to the game. And, let's finish this game off with a 30-point win and go home happy."

No word yet from the Warriors if there will be any punishment coming for Hardaway.

Of course, this is not the first time the 56-year-old former basketball player has offended with his words -- back in 2007, during a talk on "The Dan Le Batard Show," he infamously said, "I hate gay people."

Hardaway eventually apologized for those comments.

TMZ Sports has obtained Ben Gordon's mug shot after he allegedly attacked two McDonald's security guards in Chicago ... with the ex-NBA star appearing alert and wide-eyed.

As we previously reported, Gordon was being escorted out of a local Mickey D's on Nov. 4 when he allegedly hit a 29-year-old male guard in the face and threw him to the ground. He is also accused of shoving a second 21-year-old male guard during the altercation.

It's unclear what led to the altercation, but the former NBA lottery pick appeared to have a blank stare as he posed for his mug shot shortly after being taken into custody.

39-year-old Gordon was charged with two counts of misdemeanor battery ... and his first court date is slated for next month.

Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield are teaming up once again ... but this time, it's not in the boxing ring -- the two legends are releasing a cannabis gummy collection together!!

Iron Mike has become quite the weed businessman with his Tyson 2.0 brand in recent years ... and went viral when he released his "Mike Bites" edibles, which are a reference to the time he infamously took a chunk out of Real Deal's ear during their infamous 1997 bout.

Tyson is now including Holyfield in the money-making opportunity ... joining forces with his former nemesis to create a new line called "Holy Ears."

The ear-shaped gummies -- which are "Cherry Pie Punch" flavored -- have Holyfield's stamp of approval ... 'cause he tells TMZ Sports he took one and was knocked out!!

"It put me to sleep!" Evander tells us ... adding he thinks the finished product is "great."

Holyfield says he was honored when Mike called and pitched the idea ... and considering the benefits of cannabis, he couldn't pass on the opportunity to help the cause.

Tyson's partner, Chad Bronstein, says the product will drop next week ... and both THC and Delta 8 versions will be available all over the country.

Tyson gives credit to his wife for coming up with the idea for "Holy Ears" ... and admitted it wouldn't be right to release the new collection without Evander on board.

Former MLB superstar Yasiel Puig is facing up to five years in prison ... after he agreed to plead guilty to lying to the feds during their investigation of an illegal gambling ring.

Federal prosecutors announced the plea deal on Monday afternoon ... saying the ex-Dodgers outfielder intends to make a guilty plea to one count of making false statements at a court hearing later this month.

The charge, according to the feds, carries a maximum sentence of five years behind bars.

Puig -- who's now playing baseball in South Korea after seven seasons in the MLB -- had been accused by officials of placing bets through an illegal gambling business beginning back in May 2019.

Officials say in a matter of weeks, he racked up $282,900 in gambling losses -- and then cut two separate $100K checks to the operators of the illegal gambling biz to pay off his debts ... and continue to make bets.

Authorities say following the payments, he went on to make an additional 899 more bets on the sites from July 2019 to September 2019 on tennis, football and basketball games.

According to officials, Puig was ultimately interviewed over it all -- and they say he lied through his teeth ... prompting the federal charge.