TMZ Sports - Page 50

2 Chainz is returning from NBA All-Star weekend with a sweet-and-sweaty souvenir -- Ja Morant's game-worn jersey -- and it should score him some big points at home.

The Atlanta-bred trap star had a courtside view of Ja's insane double-pump reverse dunk (and his baseline blooper), and revealed he was able to successfully barter for the collector's item after the game -- and he's planning to gift it to his oldest son, Halo.

2 Chainz is a pretty cool dad parting ways with the jersey ... it totally matched his orange Louis Vuitton sneakers, but young Halo's closet is becoming quite the shrine for NBA collectibles -- he already has a signed Luka Doncic jersey he got last year!!!

Both Ja and Luka put their superstar skills on display Sunday night, but it was Jayson Tatum who took the ASG crown ... scoring a record 55 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to earn the game's MVP trophy.

If Dad manages to snag JT's jersey too, Halo's college tuition could possibly be paid in full!!!

Jordan Clarkson made sure his family was with him at all times at the 2023 NBA All-Star festivities ... coppin' a massive, custom gold chain with their names on it that he hardly ever took off.

TMZ Sports has learned the Utah Jazz guard commissioned Lake Side Diamond in Minnesota for the piece in the leadup to the big weekend ... and after putting in serious hours to create the bling -- the jewelers got it done just in time for All-Star weekend.

According to Lake Side Diamond officials, the chain took 350 man-hours to make ... and five guys almost pulled all-nighters to get it done before the party kicked off last Friday.

Polishing it alone, the jewelers said, "took a full workday."

But, all of the effort ended up being worth it, as Clarkson wore it both on and off the court -- proudly displaying it whenever he was in front of a camera.

The chain is white gold and features the names of five of Clarkson's close relatives. It also has a "no-flip design that's made so any name can be worn in front," the jewelers said.

NY Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu just accomplished something no women's basketball player ever has ... her rookie card just became the most expensive WNBA card EVER after selling at auction!!!

TMZ Sports has learned Ionescu's 2020 Panini Prizm WNBA Black Gold rookie card made history on Sunday night when it sold for $10,800.

Reps for PWCC, which brokered the sale, tell us it's the first time a WNBA card has netted five figures on the block.

As for why it was so coveted ... it's one of the rarest Ionescu pieces ever made -- with only five copies in existence.

The card -- graded a Gem Mint 10 -- is super cool ... it features the 25-year-old superstar handling the rock on the front, and on the back, it has a blurb about her college career.

Of course, the price of the card is eyebrow-raising ... considering she's only been in the WNBA since 2020 -- but according to PWCC officials, demand for her memorabilia has skyrocketed after NY added some huge free agents, including Breanna Stewart, this offseason.

"The table is set for one of the most exciting WNBA seasons to date and Ionescu is right at the forefront," PWCC exec Jesse Craig said. "Collectors are anticipating that energy and excitement and looking to buy premier Ionescu cards. We're entering an interesting phase here where supply for these high-end cards won't be able to match the demand."

Lil Wayne channeled his inner-Tony Hawk over the weekend by pullin' off some dope skateboard tricks ... and they were all caught on video!

You can see in the footage posted to his social media page Saturday, the "Mrs. Officer" rapper flexed all of his best moves -- starting off with a kick turn on a vert ramp at a skatepark.

He then flew through the track while doing more tricks, including a front side 180 and a pop shuvit. And, we gotta admit, he looks goooood on four wheels!!

FYI, the pro board Lil Wayne is riding in the video was a gift from pro skater, Torey Pudwill and his Thank You Skateboards company. It features the New Orleans rapper's face and some of his best lyrics.

Of course, the 40-year-old's passion for skateboarding is well known -- as he's been into the sport for years. In fact, the award-winning artist was caught watching highlight videos during a Grammy party earlier this month.

He also released a song called "Skate It Off" in 2016 ... and the music video was shot in a skatepark.

Positive news ... Jay Briscoe's two young daughters have been released from the hospital -- one month after they were badly injured in a car crash that took the wrestler's life.

Briscoe's wife, Ashley Pugh, shared the encouraging update on her Facebook page on Saturday ... showing a photo of the two girls in wheelchairs with smiles on their faces -- as they sat next to their brother.

"Got all my babies back together," Pugh wrote.

The two girls suffered serious injuries back on Jan. 17 in Delaware ... when according to Delaware State Police, a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 veered into Briscoe's lane and slammed head-on into his 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500.

Briscoe -- real name Jamin Pugh -- was pronounced dead at the scene. His 9-year-old and 12-year-old, according to cops, were raced to the hospital in critical condition.

Ashley at the time asked for prayers ... saying, "We have a long long road ahead of us!"

A GiveSendGo page set up for Briscoe's family in the wake of the crash raised nearly $350,000.

New Mexico State football head coach Jerry Kill made good on a promise to his players Sunday -- getting a tattoo after they helped him win a bowl game ... and it's MASSIVE.

Coach Kill made the agreement with his squad back in December ... telling his team if it defeated Bowling Green in the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit, MI, he would get the ink on his arm.

And, after his players got the 24-19 dub -- he kept his word ... hitting a tattoo shop in Las Cruces, N.M. this weekend.

Kill and NMSU showed off the artwork in a series of photos on their social media pages, and you can see the piece is huge -- featuring two intersecting pistols, the year of the bowl victory (2022) and the words "Bowl Champs."

"It's honoring a group of young men that did some things that probably nobody, including their head coach, didn't know if they could do it," Kill told KTSM after getting the tat.

"It is a good way to honor them and a good way to remember them. Believe me, I would not have made the bet if I didn't think it was special."

The ink was the first Kill's ever gotten.

Former UFC star Nate Marquardt is in the crosshairs of the LGBTQ community ... after he tweeted an anti-gay response to a commercial that showed two men kissing.

The 43-year-old, who famously knocked out Tyron Woodley in a 2012 fight, fired off the offensive comments after he said he saw the ad while watching ESPN+.

In his tweet, he said the commercial was "disgusting" and that he had to tell his kids "look away so they don't see two men kissing."

The former fighter, a devout Christian, added a throwing up emoji.

Immediately, the ex-Strikeforce Welterweight Champion was panned by fans for the remarks ... but he doubled down on his stance in further tweets.

As of Monday afternoon, the posts were still up on his social media page.

It certainly looks like things are gettin' serious between Pete Davidson and Chase Sui Wonders -- 'cause the two had a sweet PDA moment on their date at the Daytona 500 ... and TMZ Sports has the pics of it!!!

The comedian and his "Bodies Bodies Bodies" costar enjoyed their Sunday at NASCAR's Super Bowl in Daytona Beach, Florida -- and they were inseparable throughout the action while mobbin' around the famous racing event.

The couple toured the Daytona International Speedway track, and then, at one point, they got up into a box -- where they just couldn't keep their hands off each other.

They strapped on red earmuffs, wrapped their arms around one another, and locked lips -- all while cars whizzed by on the track just feet away.

Of course, this ain't the first time we've seen the two kissing ... just last month, they gave each other a big smooch during a date at Universal Studios Hollywood.

So as you can see, the relationship appears to be getting pretty serious.

Outside of the two lovebirds, a bunch of other celebs showed up for the race ... Tiffany Haddish, WWE's Charlotte Flair, NFL's Ian Thomas, and country singer Dierks Bentley were all there too.

Michael Jordan, who launched the 23XI Racing team in 2020 with NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin, was also in attendance ... taking advantage of the NBA All-Star break.

Chicago White Sox prospect Anderson Comás revealed this weekend he's gay ... saying he's hoping coming out now will help inspire others to "fight for your dreams."

The 23-year-old became just the second active MLB minor leaguer to reveal he's gay ... and in an emotional Instagram post on Sunday, he wrote, "I'm doing this cause I wanna be an inspiration for those like me out there fighting for their dreams."

"Please don’t listen to those stupid things that people say about us," he added, "fight for your dreams, believe in yourself and go for it."

Comás signed with the Sox in 2016 out of the Dominican Republic ... and began his career as an outfielder. In 2022, though, he switched to pitching -- and logged 11.1 innings on the mound for the White Sox's rookie league team last season.

After his announcement Sunday, the White Sox applauded him -- saying on Twitter they were "proud" of the prospect.

Team assistant general manager Chris Getz later said in a statement Comas came out to the team last year.

"I was very pleased that he was comfortable sharing with us in player development," Getz said.

It's great to be a Super Bowl champ, and apparently it's great to be a Super Bowl champ's daughter too ... 'cause Patrick Mahomes threw his 2-year-old a huge birthday party Sunday -- and it was epic.

The Chiefs star QB and his wife, Brittany, invited over some of their baby's closest pals and put on a huge dessert-themed bash to celebrate Sterling Mahomes' big life moment ... and it was clear, they spared no expense for the occasion.

The festivities -- aptly named "Sterling's Two Sweet" -- included a bunch of sugary treats, a ball pit, a bouncy house and some slides.

There were also plenty of play areas, stuffed animals and even ... fitness bikes?!

At one point, Mom and Sterling -- joined by Patrick and baby brother Bronze -- blew out the candles on a cake ... while everyone cheered on.

After the party wound down, the Mahomes fam headed back home ... and while there, they gave Sterling her bday present -- a Chanel purse!

Of course, going all out for their daughter is nothing new for the Mahomeses -- just last year, they had a butterfly-themed party for her, complete with hundreds of balloons and cotton candy.

Gisele Bündchen is clearly havin' the time of her life at this year's Carnival festivities ... and she seems to be doing it alone this time around.

The single supermodel was living it up in Rio de Janeiro Sunday ... sharing some clips of her fun times during the event. She was even all smiles with a big group of pals as the night went on, wearing a super small top while flashing her abs.

Appears Gisele rode solo to the big event -- no sign of Jiu-Jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente, who many have speculated is her new guy. Regardless, it looks like she was enjoying every minute of Carnival.

As we reported, Gisele and Tom Brady divorced back in October, and we've seen her with Joaquim quite a bit -- from vacationing with the kids to riding horseback together -- although she hasn't said what their deal is yet.

We know folks connected to her were, at least initially, saying he was only teaching P.E. to Gisele's home-schooled kids.

BTW -- Gisele used to show up to Carnival with Tom back in the day ... but clearly those old memories aren't stopping her from partying her heart out solo.

Francis Ngannou has a boxing legend giving him at least a chance in a fight against Tyson Fury ... with Mike Tyson telling TMZ Sports believes "anything is possible" if the two heavyweights face off in an epic matchup.

Ngannou, who recently became a combat free agent after spending more than 8 years with UFC, told us last month he's been in contact with Fury's camp about making a fight happen with the Gypsy King.

Of course, Ngannou is one of the hardest-hitting fighters in the game, but it would be his first professional boxing fight ... and going up against Fury would be a huge task for anyone, let alone a rookie pugilist.

Tyson showed a bit of optimism for The Predator when we caught up with him in LA ... giving us a simple, yet hopeful response to his chances in the ring.

Fury might already have his next opponent lined up with Oleksandr Usyk, but it's clear both sides are serious about putting ink to paper sometime soon.

Brittney Griner is returning to the WNBA, signing a 1-year contract with the Phoenix Mercury ... less than 3 months after being freed from a Russian jail, where she spent nearly 10 months.

32-year-old Griner last played during the 2021 WNBA season ... where she lead the Mercury to the Finals. They lost to the Chicago Sky, 3 games to 1.

Many fans questioned whether Griner would return to the court after she was swapped with high-value Russian prisoner, Viktor Bout as part of her release in December 2022 ... but Brittney vowed to return to the court.

“I also want to make one thing very clear, I intend to play basketball for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury this season," BG wrote shortly after her release, adding she wished to thank everyone who advocated on her behalf while she was locked up.

Of course, Griner was locked up near Moscow in February 2022 after Russia claimed she was caught attempting to smuggle vape cartridges into the country. BG wasn't unknown to Russia ... she previously hooped overseas, where players can earn a more lucrative salary.

The 2023 WNBA season starts in mid-May.

The terms of the deal have not yet been announced ... and neither Griner nor the organization, have issued a statement on the signing.

Rihanna's pops found out about his soon-to-be grandkid same as everyone else -- while watchin' her Super Bowl halftime show ... and he's hoping, once again, for 2 X chromosomes.

Ronald Fenty tells TMZ ... he's over the moon about his daughter and A$AP Rocky's new kiddo, and with 4 grandsons already, he's hoping RiRi can shake things up with a girl.

He says he's excited at the prospect of having a granddaughter ... face it, he had great luck in that department with his famous daughter.

Ronald tells us Rihanna got him tickets to the big game, without telling him she's eating for 2 -- so he was insanely surprised when he spotted the bump from the stands ... telling his partner, "Oh my god! My baby girl looks pregnant!"

As we reported, Ronald was crossing his fingers for a girl this time last year when it was first revealed Rihanna was pregnant ... saying he had a feeling they wouldn't stop at just 1.

Ronald says he hasn't been involved with RiRi and A$AP's son's life yet ... referring to her super busy schedule and his living in Barbados.

X-Pac, member of the legendary "New World Order" faction says Roman Reigns, Jimmy and Jey Uso, Solo Sikoa, and formerly Sami Zayn's "The Bloodline" is "right up there" with NWO ... and he understands why fans compare the two groups.

We spoke to Pac, real name Sean Waltman, about the comparisons being made between the factions, and he admitted "the magnitude is similar" between the two groups and the impact they've had on wrestling.

Of course, many wrestling fans believe The Bloodline storyline is one of, if not the greatest, in WWE history.

As for NWO, it originally started out as a group in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) with Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall. Their goal was to take over WCW by any means necessary, destroying everything in their path.

In 1996, Waltman joined NWO in WCW, becoming the group's sixth member. The WWE inducted NWO into its Hall of Fame in 2020, bestowing the honor on Waltman, Nash, Hall, and Hogan.

NWO will be featured on the season premiere of A&E's docuseries "Biography: WWE Legends" on February 19 ... and Waltman's pumped for the show, which will examine how the group changed the sports entertainment landscape.

"It's nice to have been a part of something that people want to see tv shows made about it, Pac said. "It feels really freaking good."

Josh Murray has high hopes for a new 'Bachelor' spinoff about senior citizens finding love ... and he laid out some compelling reasons why the show might be better with older folks.

We got the 'Bachelorette' and "Bachelor in Paradise" alum at LAX, where gave us an insider's perspective on the upcoming series, "The Golden Bachelor".

ICYMI, "The Bachelor" producer, Mike Fleiss recently announced the new series is in the works, and that, naturally, created a lot of curiosity within Bachelor nation.

Josh tells us he's all in for the new show because, in his words ... old people need loving too, and there's a better chance they'll find it on a reality show than younger people.

Josh's prediction is the series will be a lot more genuine as older bachelors and bachelorettes won't be out for fame or money ... and will actually sign up just to find love.

He also thinks the hometown visit episodes would get a fun new twist -- instead of meeting parents, suitors can get the stamp of approval from kids or even grandkids!

And, don't get him started on the fantasy suites episode -- he's envisioning a stash of little blue pills.😂