TMZ Sports - Page 50

Gotta start 'em young ... and Patrick and Brittany Mahomes are doing just that -- 'cause their 2-year-old daughter, Sterling, is already showing off her athleticism in an adorable video!!!

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar and his wife posted footage of their oldest child's soccer session on Tuesday ... showing off her goal-scoring abilities.

Mom and Dad are happy as can be as Sterling kicks the ball around ... and she even gets creative at one point -- picking up the ball and scooping it into the net.

Sterling was certainly blessed in the genes dept. -- her family is full of athletes.

Of course, Brittany knows her way around the pitch -- she was a star at University of Texas at Tyler ... and ranks among the top in pretty much every offensive category in the school's history.

And Patrick ... well, you know about that guy.

Time sure is flying -- Patrick and Brittany's first child just celebrated her second birthday at a fun bash last month.

"My baby girl is a whole 2 years old!" Brittany said at the time. "I can’t even believe it. These have been some of the best years of my life being your mama Sterling Skye! You make everyday a good day! 💗✨"

"Now please stop growing up😭😭😭"

Daniel Jones ain't going anywhere ... he's staying in New York with the Giants -- agreeing to re-sign with the team for a WHOLE LOTTA cash!!!

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the 25-year-old quarterback will be inking a new four-year deal with the Giants worth $160 MILLION. There's also $35 million in incentives tied to the contract too, Pelissero added.

The new pact now makes Jones one of the highest-paid players in the NFL ... averaging just a few mil per year less than guys like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Patrick Mahomes.

Jones was certainly deserving of the new contract -- at least based on his play in 2022 -- he threw for 3,205 yards and 15 scores ... while rushing for 708 yards and seven more TDs.

He also led the G-Men to a playoff win over the Vikings as well.

Tom Brady may not be getting into stand-up comedy, but he's not going back to football, either ... 'cause just a day after rumors of a TB12 comeback lit up the internet, the G.O.A.T. made it clear a return to the NFL isn't happening.

"Anyone who thinks I have time to come back to the NFL has never adopted a 2 month old kitten for their daughter," Brady wrote on social media.

The talk of a return hit a fever pitch after Rich Eisen said there was talk around the NFL Combine in Indianapolis that Brady "might not be done after all," with insiders saying ... "keep an eye on Miami."

"If Tua [Tagovailoa] may not be ready to go and suddenly, there's Tom Brady sitting in Florida, where his family is located and he can easily locate himself. Keep an eye on that I was told by a couple of birdies at the Combine."

Of course, the Dolphins were one of the teams very interested in Tom's services after his first Super Bowl-winning season in Tampa Bay.

Brady retired on February 1 ... in what was a relatively understated announcement, vowing he was done for good (this time). Ten days later, the 7x Super Bowl champ officially filed his retirement papers with the league.

One of his first acts as a retired man was a trip to the animal shelter ... where he picked up two adorable Siamese kittens for his 10-year-old daughter Vivian.

Plus, why get lit up by 325 lb. defensive tackles when you can chill on your brand new 77-foot yacht, "TW12VE ANGELS."

All hell broke loose between JJ Redick and Kendrick Perkins on "First Take" Tuesday morning ... with the two former NBA players going at it over the league's tight MVP race.

Redick and Perk have been bickering over the topic for the past week ... with the Boston Celtics champ accusing MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic of stat-padding to win the award -- and implying white NBA reporters have a bias toward white players when it comes to voting.

Fast-forward to Tuesday, when Redick bashed Perk's notion race had anything to do with the MVP race ... saying, "What we just witnessed is the problem with this show, where we create narratives that do not exist in reality."

JJ continued ... "The implication, what you're implying, [is] that the white voters that vote on NBA are racist. That they favor white people. That is exactly what you stated. We all know what you implied the other day. We all know what you implied just now."

Perkins vehemently disagreed with Redick's criticism ... screaming at the former NBA star-turned-commentator ... saying, "I stated the facts and you not about to sit up here and act like it's something more than that."

In case you missed it, Perk explained his side last week ... saying, "When it comes down to guys winning MVP since 1990, it’s only three guys that won the MVP that wasn’t top 10 in scoring -- Steve Nash, Jokic, and Dirk Nowitzki. What do those guys have in common?"

Kendrick doubled down on his position after JJ's callout on Tuesday ... tweeting, "Last year I was a c***. This year I’m a racist. Well damn, which one is it? IT’S NEITHER. I call out facts and not afraid to address the elephant in the room."

Dwyane Wade's daughter, Zaya, made her runway debut in Paris on Tuesday -- crushing it in a green wool ensemble -- and Dad couldn't have been prouder, cheesin' on the sidelines ... and even shedding a tear!!!

The 15-year-old hit the catwalk at Miu Miu's Paris Fashion Week show ... and looked as cool as ever -- while struttin' in a jacket, skirt and brown high-heeled shoes.

Wade, alongside Gabrielle Union, had a front-row seat for it all ... and check out video posted to Instagram by Zaya's stylist -- the Miami Heat legend looked like he had just won another NBA championship.

Wade said on his social media page he was "proud" of it all -- while adding, "I'm not crying, you're crying."

The entire time that he watched Zaya go to work, the 41-year-old was seen grinning ear-to-ear ... and afterward, he gave her a big hug and words of encouragement.

He also took to his Twitter page to share a photo of the fam at the event ... writing in the caption, "Just an icon living. Zaya’s @MIUMIUofficial debut."

The Women's Tennis Association has secured the proverbial bag in a big way ... locking down a $150 million investment from the private equity firm that co-owns LaLiga, and the goal is to blow up the sport and increase player pay!

"Obviously, the ambition is to materially grow women's professional tennis. Grow our profile, its value, the prize money," WTA Chairman Steve Simon said, adding, "This arrangement is certainly going to provide for us to create more investment opportunity to our players and our tournaments."

The WTA and CVC Capital Partners formed WTA Ventures LLC. The new subsidiary will oversee all sponsorship, broadcast rights, gaming, and more.

The WTA was founded by Billie Jean King in 1973. The tour has more than 50 events yearly across the world. Unfortunately, outside of the four Grand Slams (U.S. Open, Wimbledon, French Open, Australian Open), prize money is significantly lower in the women's game. Hence the partnership.

The new deal has players hopeful that with an influx of cash and CVC's connections, the game will grow, and the money will follow.

“This is exactly what women’s tennis needs and I’m excited for what’s to come. For so long, we’ve been championing the sport for women across the world and it’s great to have the investment and belief in the players and WTA product,” number 3 ranked player Jessica Pegula said.

The daughter of the Buffalo Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula isn't the only player pumped about the future prospects of the WTA.

Number 1 ranked player Iga Swiatek also believes the new deal could be a game changer.

“I am proud to be a part of the WTA, as they are committed to innovating the sport, investing in the players, and promoting us all over the world. I’m inspired to be a part of the evolution of women’s tennis and building out the next 50 years of the WTA.”

It's a familiar deal for Luxembourg-based CVC. A few years back, CVC struck a $2+ billion deal with LaLiga, the top soccer league in Spain. Like with the WTA, the partnership put the company in charge of sponsorship and broadcasting.

Plaxico Burress is weighing in on the Ja Morant controversy ... calling on the Memphis Grizzlies superstar to learn from his mistakes -- after Morant was suspended for brandishing a gun on an Instagram Live video over the weekend.

"If you can't learn anything, learn from me," Burress said Tuesday on "The Carton Show." He added, "Make better decisions because you really don't want for him to have that label being that he's so young. He has the opportunity to be the face of the NBA. He's that great of a player."

Of course, Burress is speaking from personal experience ... in 2008, the former New York Giants wide receiver, who caught the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII, suffered an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound at a nightclub in NYC.

Plaxico did not have a license to carry a gun in NYC ... and turned himself in on charges of criminal possession of a handgun. Burress eventually accepted a plea deal that saw him spend two years in prison, effectively derailing his NFL career.

Burress would return to the NFL in 2011 with the New York Jets, but he retired a few years later after making a return to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Plaxico's life changed because of the mistake ... and that seems to be the message he's trying to convey to 23-year-old Morant, who's been embroiled in drama recently.

"You want to see him mature as a person as his game is getting better," Burress said, "and I think that all comes with time and being around the right people."

Minnesota Vikings receiver K.J. Osborn is a straight-up hero ... the football player -- along with three others -- helped save a man from a burning car after a fiery crash on Sunday.

The 25-year-old went into details about the terrifying incident on Adam Schefter's "The Adam Schefter Podcast" Monday, saying he was in an Uber on his way home from a workout in Austin, Texas ... when he saw a car that had crashed and caught fire.

Osborn said he, his driver, and two others nearby immediately pulled over to help ... and when they realized how serious it was, all four of them rushed to the car to pull the man out of the vehicle.

"He was kind of in a daze," Osborn said. "I don't know if he was conscious but I think he felt the heat coming to his legs and obviously he just got into a big crash so he's kinda out of it."

"That's when we began to talk to him, try to get him out and he was able to a little bit, you know, muster something for himself before we were able to."

Osborn believes if he and the group didn't spring into action, the man -- who only suffered minor injuries -- would not be alive today.

"No, he doesn't live," Osborn said. "I think that car would've burned on fire. It would've been really tragic."

Osborn said he never thought in his wildest dreams that he would be a part of something like this ... but he's glad he and the other three heroes were on the scene -- calling it all, "Right Place Right Time."

"I believe God had me, us, at the right place at the exact right time," Osborn later said of the incident on his Twitter page.

Osborn's quarterback, Kirk Cousins wasn't surprised by his wideout's heroism ... saying on his social media page Tuesday, "This is totally on-brand for @KJ_Osborn. Just a tremendous person & teammate."

The Michigan native was selected by the Vikings in the 5th round of the 2020 NFL Draft. In the past two seasons, he's logged in 1,305 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.

He's also currently working on his master's degree in criminal justice at the University of Miami ... with his eyes on joining the FBI or Secret Service after his NFL career ends.

LeBron James channeled his inner LaVar Ball on Monday ... declaring his 18-year-old son, Bronny, is "definitely" a better basketball player than some guys in the NBA right now.

"Man Bronny definitely better than some of these cats I've been watching on league pass today," King James said on Twitter as he recovers from his foot injury. "S*** lightweight hilarious 🤣🤣🤣🤣."

Some bird app users assumed the tweet was fake ... but it's certainly real and was posted on Bron's verified account.

Of course, Bronny is a high school star ... and some draft experts think he could be a top-10 pick when he's draft eligible in 2024.

The 6'2", 180-pound Sierra Canyon guard still has to wait a year before going to the league ... and he's yet to announce a potential college he'll attend in the fall.

LeBron has been able to get an up-close look at Bronny's skills at games recently ... sitting in the front row -- rocking a boot -- as his oldest son dropped 21 points in a playoff contest.

The Lakers superstar was surrounded by hype throughout his high school career at Akron's St. Vincent-St. Mary ... and his tweet will certainly put an even brighter spotlight on Bronny.

No, Ja Morant is not throwing away his NBA career ... at least, that's according to Richard Jefferson, who tells TMZ Sports the star's latest lapse in judgment is simply a young man "making mistakes in front of the public eye."

The former NBA champ made the comments to us out at LAX on Monday -- just two days after Morant filmed himself brandishing a gun while out at what appeared to be a Colorado strip club.

Many believe the 23-year-old is tanking his own career -- as he's now not only under police investigation over the footage, but he's also been booted from his Grizzlies team for the time being.

Jefferson, though, said he doesn't have any concerns this could derail the superstar's track in the Association ... telling us he's confident Morant will learn and grow from the fallout with relative ease.

"Him and his family are good people," Jefferson said, before adding, "I believe in him. I believe that he'll kind of turn things on. And, look, we've seen men come through worse and come out on the other side."

Morant -- who was also accused of flashing a gun at a high school basketball player during an altercation with the teenager at his home last summer -- vowed on Saturday to seek out help.

Fans and MMA "experts" may believe Stipe Miocic has no chance against Jon Jones, but the man Bones Jones called the greatest UFC heavyweight ever says he's motivated by the underdog status, and has zero doubts he going defeat JJ!

40-year-old Miocic joined Babcock and Mojo on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) where we asked him, you vs. Jon aside ... give us your scouting report of Jones, the heavyweight.

"He won, good for him. That's about it."

So, yeah ... color Stipe unimpressed with the heavier version of Jones.

"I don't really have much to say because it wasn't that long of a fight," Miocic added.

Of course, Jon only needed 2 minutes and 4 seconds to choke out Ciryl Gane, one of the most dangerous men in the world at UFC 285, winning the heavyweight title Stipe held for years.

The fight between Jon and Stipe is likely to go down in July, and Jones is already around a -370 favorite (put up $370 to profit $100). Add to that all the MMA fans who have said Miocic doesn't stand a chance in the Octagon with Jon. We asked SM if he was motivated by the doubters.

"Hell yeah it does [motivate me]. I love being the underdog, I love being told something not gonna happen because I'm the guy that puts a big dagger in that."

It seems some people may have forgotten what Miocic has accomplished in the Octagon. Stipe previously beat Daniel Cormier, twice. He also defeated Francis Nagannou, Junior dos Santos, Fabricio Werdum, Mark Hunt, and others.

Speaking of Cormier, his rivalry with Jones was one of the best (and realest) in UFC history. We asked Stipe if he's considered bringing D.C. into camp to help him train. Miocic didn't say no, but it's clear this is just another fight for the firefighter from Ohio.

"No, no, I mean maybe, I don't know. Right now, just gonna keep getting better and grinding away and make myself the best I can be."

As for retirement, we asked Stipe if the Jones bout could be the last of his illustrious Hall of Fame career.

"I don't know. We'll see. I think about retiring after every fight since my first one. We'll see. Right now just gonna keep getting better, getting stronger, make myself finally tuned ready for that fight in July."

Cannot! Wait! 👊

Tom Brady has a shiny toy to enjoy in retirement -- the 7-time Super Bowl champion was spotted on his brand new yacht in Florida this week!!!

TB12 was spending time aboard the 77-foot "TW12VE ANGELS" with friends in a Hollywood, Florida marina on Sunday ... and the boat is a beaut.

The Wajer 77 superyacht is a bigger version of the Wajer 55S Brady bought in 2020 ... which he named "Viva a Vida" in honor of Gisele Bundchen's environmental conservation initiative.

In May 2021, Brady announced he was upgrading to the Wajer 77 for $6 million. According to records, the boat was manufactured in 2022 ... and was officially registered at the end of February.

At the time, Brady said he was also going to name the Wajer 77 "Viva a Vida" ... but we take it he decided to call an audible after the divorce.

As we previously reported, Brady's Wajer 77 is like a hotel on water -- it can sleep 9 people comfortably, and the former Patriots and Buccaneers legend said it would be used for trips to the Bahamas.

"With a little bit bigger boat, for us, the 77 allows us to sleep overnight really comfortably and those weekend trips would be really something," Brady said in 2021. "That would be great memories for our family for years to come."

Now that he's got a lot more time on his hands, we take it Brady will be putting the floater to good use!!!

ESPN's Bomani Jones is planting 🚩🚩🚩 all around the Ja Morant gun situation, and thinks the NBA star could find himself in a fatal tragedy -- much like Young Dolph -- if he keeps messing around in Memphis.

Bomani and Domonique Foxworth were discussing the now infamous scenario on "The Right Time" podcast when they brought up former Memphis Grizzlies All-Star Zach Randolph ... who experienced a few obstacles himself trying to shake the streets once he began playing in arenas.

According to Bomani, Zach's credentials in the streets actually stacked up while Ja's hood demeanor is questionable -- and he thinks it's highly relevant that Dolph was murdered at a seemingly neutral zone, like a cookie shop.

The popular Memphis-born rapper was shot and killed on the way to his annual Thanksgiving turkey drive in 2021 ... and Bomani says Ja's playing with guns with "regular people" in a city that is currently in the top 10 for murders.

For his part, Randolph started the NLess Entertainment record label that propelled Moneybagg Yo to prominence and has become a philanthropic beacon for years. Ja might need a similar turnaround.

Brandon Miller just received top honors in his conference -- despite his connection to a murder case -- with the Alabama Crimson Tide star being named Player of the Year.

The Southeastern Conference unveiled the winners of the men's basketball postseason awards on Monday ... which are selected by the 14 head coaches.

The Tide forward -- who leads the SEC this season with 19.6 points per game -- received two of the awards: Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year ... weeks after Miller's name was mentioned in a murder case.

As we previously reported, law enforcement testified that Miller was the one who brought his former teammate, Darius Miles, the gun that killed 23-year-old Jamea Harris. The mother of one was gunned down on Jan. 15 in Tuscaloosa.

Miles' friend, Michael Davis, is the alleged shooter.

Both Miles and Davis are facing capital murder charges ... but Miller isn't in any trouble with the law or his school.

This, of course, has upset some college hoops fans ... who recently chanted "lock him up" at the Bama-South Carolina game last month.

The victim's parents are also furious the university continued to let him play despite the allegations.

"He took a brief pause and it didn’t stop. It’s like, OK, slap on the wrist and go play ball," Harris' mother, DeCarla Cotton, told USA Today.

"They're worried about his career, but what about this 5-year-old boy (Harris’ son, Kaine). He’s the true victim in all this. He won’t have a mother anymore to influence his growing up and who he’s going to be."

Red Sox star Justin Turner just got drilled in the face by a pitch during a spring training game ... and the blow was so violent, it left him oozing blood at home plate.

The scary incident happened during Boston's exhibition tilt with the Tigers ... when Turner came up to bat with two runners on base in the bottom of the second inning.

Detroit right-hander Matt Manning threw a ball up and in ... and Turner couldn't get out of the way -- and it caught him flush in his face.

The former L.A. Dodgers third baseman immediately dropped to the ground in pain ... and video from the game's broadcast showed he was bleeding profusely from his face.

Red Sox trainers raced out to tend to him, covering his mouth with a towel before ushering him into the locker room.

The Sox -- who acquired Turner last December in free agency -- have yet to announce an update on the 38-year-old's status.

Calvin Ridley is cashing out of his suspension -- the Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver was just fully reinstated back in the NFL after getting busted for betting on games, the league announced Monday.

Ridley was banned for the entire 2022 season last March ... after investigators determined he bet on his own team while on the Non-Football Injury list as a member of the Atlanta Falcons in November 2021.

The NFL said at the time there were no signs the game was "compromised in any way" ... but handed down the punishment to prove it has zero tolerance when it comes to protecting the integrity and reputation of the sport.

Ridley also spoke out at the time ... saying he doesn't have a gambling problem, as he only bet $1,500 total.

The league says Ridley is now eligible to participate in all team activities ASAP ... which means he can finally get acquainted with his new Jags squad.

Ridley was traded to Jacksonville in November 2022 for a couple of draft picks ... but due to the ban, he has yet to suit up alongside Trevor Lawrence.