TMZ Sports - Page 22

Kyrie Irving's first-ever Mavericks jersey won't have a place in a museum or a Hall of Fame -- no, it'll be somewhere in one of Floyd Mayweather's mansions ... 'cause the new Dallas star gifted the boxing legend with it following his debut on Wednesday night.

Floyd was one of the first people Irving sought out after he helped the Mavs beat the Clippers at Crypto.com Arena for the first time since he was traded on Sunday ... and as soon as the two athletes got within feet of each other on the court, they shared a lengthy embrace.

The guys exchanged words too -- and it all seemed somewhat emotional.

Finally, Irving passed off his jersey to Floyd -- who was with buddy Jona Rechnitz -- before he took off for the locker room.

Mayweather was pumped for the one-of-a-kind piece of NBA memorabilia -- he showed it off to cameras at the arena ... before he eventually headed home.

Of course, the guys have developed quite the bond recently -- after initially meeting years ago, Floyd has been in Irving's corner constantly.

In fact, back when Irving was going through his COVID-19 vaccine controversy with the Brooklyn Nets, Floyd released a video defending the basketball player's decisions.

Clearly, Irving hasn't forgotten the support.

Lil Uzi Vert's futsal footwork couldn't save him after he tried to play leapfrog at NAV's outdoor pool ... and the Philly Eagles ambassador was caught in 4K slipping on his ass!!!

On Thursday, NAV posted studio cam of Uzi attempting to hop his way into the island in the middle of his pool -- only to slip on the border and embarrassingly plunge into the water!!!

NAV can be seen bursting out laughing to the point he misses the dap Uzi tried to give him to assure he didn't break any bones!!!

The two wavy artists are frequent collaborators so fans will be happy to know they have another collab coming, which may end up on Uzi's highly anticipated album ... a project he's been successfully building buzz for.

Uzi's been everywhere these past few weeks -- recently repping for the newer class of rappers at the Grammys' 50th-anniversary hip hop tribute, and even marching the Eagles to victory with his hit record "Just Wanna Rock" during their route to Super Bowl LVII.

The woman who was accused of making false claims about Terrell Owens to police during a heated confrontation between the two back in August is now off the hook in her criminal case ... TMZ Sports has learned Caitlin Davis' misdemeanor charge stemming from the incident has been dropped.

A spokesperson for the Broward State Attorney's Office tells us the case was dismissed on Feb. 2 -- after prosecutors said in documents they "would not be able to prove the elements of the charged crime with the facts that were presented."

Davis had initially been charged with one count of misdemeanor false reports after Owens said she lied to cops following an Aug. 3 argument they had gotten into in a Deerfield Beach, Fla. neighborhood.

Owens said at the time she made up a story that he had come after her after she had yelled at him for the way he was driving on the street.

Owens actually filmed part of their altercation -- and in the clip, you can hear Davis yell at the former NFL star, "You're a Black man approaching a white woman!"

The Hall of Fame wide receiver said he was grateful that a charge had been filed against Davis over it all ... saying to us at the time, "KAREN IS REAL."

Kyrie Irving isn't the only superstar getting shipped out of Brooklyn -- the Nets just are now trading Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns in a blockbuster deal, according to multiple reports.

The shocking news just broke minutes ago ... with Shams Charania reporting the Suns will send Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks and more draft compensation to the Nets in exchange for the 13-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion and T.J. Warren.

The deal comes just days after Kyrie Irving requested a trade of his own ... which resulted in a transaction with the Dallas Mavericks.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports the Nets will receive the Suns' unprotected picks in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029. Woj also reports new Suns owner Mat Ishbia pushed to have the deal done Wednesday night.

This will be KD's fourth franchise -- after playing for the Sonics/Thunder, Warriors and Nets.

Russell Westbrook's days as a Laker have come to an end -- L.A. just finalized a trade to send the superstar point guard to the Utah Jazz in a three-team deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Lakers are sending Russ and a 2027 first-round pick (1-4 protected) to the Jazz in exchange for D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt, according to Shams Charania.

Meanwhile, Utah's Mike Conley Jr. will join Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Rudy Gobert in Minnesota ... as well as a second-round pick.

The Lakers acquired Russ in 2021 in a trade with the Wizards ... which sent Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to Washington in exchange for the 2017 MVP.

Westbrook's last game with the Purple and Gold was Tuesday night against the Thunder ... when LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leading scorer.

Russ' tenure with the Lakers had its fair share of ups and downs -- the former triple-double machine struggled to find his role during his two years playing alongside James and Anthony Davis.

First-year head coach Darvin Ham decided to bring Westbrook off the bench three games into this season ... a role he's flourished in, averaging 15.9 points per game to accompany 7.5 assists per game.

Westbrook has a legitimate case to win the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award, but the Lakers are opting to move in a different direction ... despite his steady production with the team's second unit.

There are reports Westbrook's arrival in Utah will end in a buy-out ... which will allow him to join a team elsewhere.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was NOT pissed off LeBron James broke his all-time scoring record, despite what many basketball fans have said, according to Cap's close friend, teammate, and fellow Lakers great James Worthy, who tells TMZ Sports his buddy handled the situation with grace.

Of course, 38-year-old James toppled KAJ's near-long-held record (nearly 4 decades) ... and 75-year-old Abdul-Jabbar was on hand, sitting in the first row, to watch history in the making.

However, many NBA fans commented on Kareem's demeanor, noting the 19x NBA All-Star looked unhappy to be there.

So, we asked Worthy, a 3x NBA champion who was sitting with Abdul-Jabbar Wednesday night, if Kareem was bothered Bron broke his record.

"Not at all," James answered, with no hesitation.

"I mean, Kareem was overwhelmed and for those of you who knew Kareem 30 years ago, Kareem has come full circle in life and really is enjoying himself and enjoying just living. I mean, he said that records were meant to be broken. I don't think he thought anybody would break it but I think Kareem handed it over with grace."

Now, as for Worthy ... he admits, as much as he likes LeBron, that he was a bit bummed to see the record change hands.

"I was a little sad to see the record being broken 'cause I just love Kareem. He's my best friend on the team. I'm sure somewhere down deep in his heart, he's had it for so long that it becomes a part of you that you never think it's gonna leave you. Not to be able to say that again, it's probably something that he'll miss, but his body of work will never be forgotten."

Rod Wave was willing to split nearly $1 million with a rapper he barely even likes just to sit in a box at the Super Bowl, but now he may get to enjoy the game with a rapper he likely admires!!!

Rick Ross got wind of Rod Wave's baller budgetary concerns on Akademiks' page and stepped in to offer Rod a place inside his Boss suite at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ.

Rozay says the suite holds upwards of 26 people ... plenty of room for Rod and his boys to turn up with a legend who came up through similar hurdles and obstacles.

Both rap stars have yet to collaborate, but both hail from Florida and we're sure Ross can give the 'Beautiful Mind' creator a lot more game than what's out on the field.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is opening up on his relationship -- or lack, thereof -- with LeBron James ... admitting he didn't make much of an effort to be a mentor for the Lakers superstar due to their age difference.

75-year-old KAJ released a Substack essay to explain where he stands with the guy who dethroned him at the top of the all-time scoring list ... and aside from a "couple minor jabs" over his COVID-19 vaccine stance, the Captain says he has had high praise for the King over the course of his career.

But when it comes to being buddies with 38-year-old Bron, Abdul-Jabbar says James was right in saying they had "no relationship" back in October ... and he's taking responsibility.

"LeBron said we don’t have a relationship," KAJ said. "He’s right -- and for that I blame myself. Not for anything I did, but perhaps for not making more of an effort to reach out to him."

"I think the main reason that I never formed a bond with LeBron (again, entirely my fault) is simply our age difference," he continued. "I established my scoring record in 1984 -- the year LeBron was born. When he started to make a name for himself, I was already pretty removed from the NBA world. Except for certain gala events, I was just like any other fan, watching games on my TV in my sweatpants while munching on too many unhealthy snacks."

Kareem admits he could have reached out to guide LeBron with all the pressure he faces as the star of the NBA, but took solace in knowing he had a guy like Kobe Bryant he could talk to.

"I couldn’t imagine why he’d want to hang with someone twice his age. How many do?"

LeBron James' childhood basketball coach says he's "honored" to be a part of the superstar's journey to becoming the top scorer in NBA history ... telling TMZ Sports he couldn't be happier for the King.

Dru Joyce -- who first noticed LeBron's potential at just 10 years old -- played a huge part in shaping the 4-time NBA champ's career ... coaching James and the "Fab Five" to a state championship at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary in 2003.

We spoke with Coach Dru about LeBron passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time scoring list ... and he couldn't help but reminisce about their earliest memories together.

"It was an honor to know the little kid who used to be at my house, days on end, and young man I watched him grow into in high school, to now reach this historic moment in professional basketball ... I don't have the words to describe it."

"It's a special feeling, and to know we've been a part of the journey, it makes it even more special."

Joyce even recalls advice he gave LeBron at an early age ... and praised how James was already mature enough to make the right adjustments and get better -- parts of his game Coach notices he still uses to this day.

Joyce also sends a special message directly to LeBron ... saying, "You're the greatest of all time. It's a special time, and the way you've gone about it makes it even more special."

"Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this journey. I've enjoyed it -- much love. I'm kind of taken for words, but 28 years ago, I just remember knocking on your door ... and little did I know where this journey was going to take us. So proud and happy to be part of that journey."

As for LeBron, he also spoke about his journey to the top of the scoring list ... referencing the famous Cedar Point amusement park to get his point across.

Damar Hamlin just received an incredible honor from the NFL Players Association ... and in his speech accepting the award, he told a throng of reporters that he was thankful to God "for being here."

The NFLPA presented Hamlin with the Alan Page Community Award at a ceremony at a Super Bowl event Wednesday afternoon ... recognizing him as a player who went above and beyond to perform community service in his team city and/or hometown.

Hamlin hopped on the mic after taking the trophy -- and spoke publicly for one of the first times since he went into cardiac arrest during a game last month.

"First, I just want to say, 'Thank you,'" Hamlin said. "Just thank God for being here and thank the other guys who were nominated for the award as well who did the work in their communities alongside me as well."

Hamlin beat out four others -- Patriots DB Jonathan Jones, Commanders OL Charles Leno Jr., Raiders TE Darren Waller, and Buccaneers linebacker Devin White -- for the prestigious honor.

In his acceptance speech, Hamlin said giving back to his community "has always been a big part of who I am." He thanked his father for instilling that value in him when he was young.

Even before his medical emergency, Hamlin had found ways to inspire others in his community ... hosting toy drives constantly, and distributing gifts to children in need in Pennsylvania through his Chasing M's Foundation.

Damar actually created a GoFundMe page for his non-profit org. -- and following his health scare, it raised over $9 million.

Ex-NFL star Vontae Davis seemed to be sound asleep on the side of a highway near two wrecked vehicles after he was accused of drunkenly crashing his Tesla during an accident on Saturday morning ... new photos, obtained by TMZ Sports, show.

In the pictures -- snapped just minutes after Davis allegedly rammed his ride into the back of a Toyota truck in Broward County, Fla. -- you can see Davis appeared to be unconscious on the pavement.

Wearing a mint-green corduroy set with his shoes still on, the 34-year-old former Indianapolis Colts defensive back was balled up with his head laying in his hands and his eyes closed.

A witness tells us that even as people moved around him -- including first responders, a clean-up crew and police -- Davis remained fast asleep ... until cops woke him up and put him in a squad car.

In Florida Highway Patrol dash cam footage we obtained, you can see Davis appeared to be having trouble staying awake there too.

During questioning, the two-time Pro Bowler seemed to fade in and out of consciousness ... and when one officer eventually began telling him why he was being arrested for DUI -- the cop said, "Your eyes are bloodshot. Your speech is slurred. You can barely stay awake. All right? You almost killed somebody."

Other photos from the scene we obtained show just how fortunate everyone is to have come away from the wreck alive -- you can see in the pics, Davis' Tesla was mangled ... as was the back of the Toyota.

Davis did admit to cops he had drank two "mixed drinks" before getting behind the wheel, but he said he had no recollection of the car accident.

The former football player, who spent 10 seasons in the NFL from 2009 to 2018, was ultimately arrested and booked on a charge of DUI.

Super Bowl commercials can no longer be contained for just the big game, and several high-profile rappers -- Diddy, Snoop Dogg and Jack Harlow to name a few -- have all been getting the bag with multi-million dollar TV spots!!!

Diddy's mogul status is the basis for his Uber Eats ad and he incorporates his Love Records, CÎROC and DeLeon Tequila imprints all in one swoop.

In the spot, the Bad Boy Records CEO looks for the perfect jingle from remixed hits ... and well-placed randomness from Montell Jordan, Donna Lewis, Kelis, Ylvis and Haddaway!!!

Not to be outdone, Snoop assumes yet another brand ambassador role with Skechers Slip-Ins alongside Martha Stewart, Howie Long and Tony Romo.

The colorful commercial loops Snoop's classic hit "Who Am I? (What’s My Name?)" as Tha Doggfather walks through his various elements ... walking red carpets, rocking concerts and cruising through L.A. on a beach cruiser!!!

Jack and Missy Elliott have been teasing a Doritos commercial (and collaboration) for weeks now and dropped new content Wednesday. It's a hypothetical look into Jack's career if he adopted the chip into his stage act ... to hilarious results.

The newest clip costars Sway Calloway and Heather B. from "Sway In The Morning" ... as well as a mic-dropping cameo from Sir Elton John.

This year, 30-second SB commercials will reportedly cost companies $7 mil a pop ... and that's before they pay the rappers' salaries!!!

If ya can't wait till Sunday, we've got more of those high priced spots.

Jerry "The King" Lawler is recovering after suffering a "massive stroke" on Monday ... and although his speech is limited, he's expected to make a full recovery with rehabilitation.

A rep for Lawler provided a health update on Wednesday ... after fans spent the last two days concerned for the 73-year-old WWE legend following his recent health scare.

Lawler, who has a history of heart issues, gave a thumbs up from a Fort Myers, FL hospital where he's recovering ... a welcome sight for WWE fans.

Jerry also got a visit from WWE icon Jimmy Hart, best known for his work as a pro wrestling manager, musician, and composer ... and the guys took a picture together.

As we reported earlier on Wednesday, Lawler's longtime friend and broadcast partner, Jim Ross, also gave an update, saying Jerry was trending in the right direction, but encouraged people to still pray for him.

JR said he spoke briefly with Lawler, and could tell his speech was affected by the stroke, but he was confident his friend would bounce back.

"Jerry’s prognosis is positive but he needs all our thoughts and prayers," Ross tweeted.

Unfortunately, this isn't Jerry's first health scare ... in 2012, he went into cardiac arrest on an episode of Monday Night Raw. He also suffered a stroke in 2018.

Jake Paul is fed up with Tommy Fury -- calling out his opponent for missing another pre-fight event this week ... saying TNT is being straight-up disrespectful to the fight game at this point.

Fury was not slated to attend Wednesday's press conference in Saudi Arabia ... claiming the event could wait until he made it to town on Feb. 16.

Paul was asked about Tommy's absence minutes ago ... and he unleashed on the guy.

"I'm used to his behavior at this point," the Problem Child said. "He's unprofessional, he's a flake, he's not a serious businessman, and he's not a serious fighter."

"He's gonna have to pay for all the times he pulled out," he continued. "All the business people he screwed over. It's disrespectful. There are some of the biggest names in boxing, some of the biggest promoters in the world, some of the most influential people in the world, one of the greatest countries in the world, and he doesn't want to show up 'cause a 'private matter' -- cool. We all have private matters."

Paul also goes on to call Fury's excuses BS -- because he initially said he didn't have to prepare for the fight, but then walked back the claim and said he needed more time to train.

"It's typical Fury stuff," Paul said.

Jake also claims Tyron Woodley hit him up recently ... and admitted this is an easier fight for Paul than himself and Anderson Silva.

Michael Irvin will no longer be one of the faces of NFL Network's Super Bowl coverage this week -- the former Dallas Cowboys star who's turned into a huge TV personality has been pulled from shows following an incident he had with a woman in Arizona on Sunday night.

Irvin told the Dallas Morning News the encounter happened at a hotel in Glendale -- the site of this weekend's SB LVII -- after he had returned to the property following a night out on the town.

Irvin says he spoke with the woman for roughly 45 seconds in the lobby -- and described it all as an almost entirely non-physical interaction.

The woman, though, according to the DMN, launched a complaint about Irvin's actions -- leading to the NFLN pulling him from their coverage on Tuesday.

Irvin says he's been left "perplexed" by it all -- explaining to the outlet it was such an innocuous conversation, he hardly even remembered it.

"When I got back after going out … I came into the lobby, and I talked to somebody," Irvin said. "I talked to this girl. I don't know her, and I talked to her for about 45 seconds."

"We shook hands. Then, I left. … That’s all I know."

He added, "I don’t really recall that conversation, to tell you the truth. We were out drinking. It was just a friendly conversation. ‘What’s up?’ I don’t even know. … I am totally perplexed."

An NFL Network exec confirmed to TMZ Sports Irvin will not be a part of the station's SB coverage this week. But, it remains unclear what the woman alleges Irvin said or did during their meetup -- as Irvin adamantly denied any wrongdoing.

"What law did I break?" Irvin said according to the Dallas Morning News. "There was definitely nothing physical. … That’s honestly all that happened. Nobody was in my room. It was a 45-second conversation in the lobby, a handshake and we left. … I don’t know. I don’t know what this is, and it’s running me crazy."

Star athletes weren't the only ones going crazy for LeBron James after becoming the NBA's all-time scoring leader ... so were A-list celebrities like Drake, Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, and one of his biggest fans, Rihanna!

In fact, Ri-Ri, Drake, and Kendrick's toast to King James was shared in a video montage after he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record on Tuesday.

"I am so grateful to witness this moment in history," Rihanna said in the clip.

"My favorite thing about being a LeBron James fan is just watching you prove yourself over and over again, against all odds and all doubt."

"Thank you for reppin' for all of us. Keep striving for greatness always and congratulations King James!"

Drake -- who was holding a basketball in the video (of course) -- called it a "legendary night in NBA history" while Kendrick applauded him for silencing the haters.

"From the time you went to the league when you had the doubters and the naysayers and people that think you wouldn't take it this far, you've proved 'em wrong dog," Lamar said.

Wayne saluted Bron on Twitter ... the "Hustler Musik" rapper wrote, "Kongrats King!! Glad to say I’ve shaken your hand brudda. God bless you and the fam and the homies."

Outside the musicians, NBA stars Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Trae Young also gave the 4x champ his flowers, as well as Lakers legend and former exec, Magic Johnson.

"I want to personally thank you LeBron for trusting & believing in me & the Lakers in 2018 when I was president of basketball operations," Johnson said in a tweet.

"Everything you said you would do, you’ve done; led the Lakers to a championship, elevated the Lakers brand, & gave back to the city of LA!"

NFL players also chimed in, including Odell Beckham Jr. who shared a photo of the exact moment James took the shot that made history.

Of course, LeBron partied the night away after becoming the NBA's all-time scoring leader -- hitting up The Fleur Room in West Hollywood with his wife, Savannah, and friends.