TMZ Sports - Page 50

Anthony Edwards is proving once again why he's a fan favorite -- the Minnesota Timberwolves star made a 15-year-old cancer survivor's dream come true Monday night ... and gifted the youngster his shoes and signed his jersey!!

Edwards and the T-Wolves were in Atlanta playing the Hawks at State Farm Arena ... and after the game, Ant got some facetime with Preston, who's always wanted to meet the All-Star guard.

Take a look -- not only did Edwards grant Preston's wish, but he came bearing gifts ... giving him a pair of his Adidas BYW Select "ANT-MAN" kicks.

AE and Preston were all smiles as they posed for pictures ... and to cap things off, Ant autographed the #1 Edwards jersey Preston had been wearing.

The moment was special ... and Preston got to witness Edwards -- an Atlanta native -- go off in the game, scoring 32 points and grabbing eight rebounds as Minnesota defeated the Hawks, 136-115.

Michael Irvin is refiling his $100 million lawsuit against Marriott ... moving the matter to Arizona after receiving new details in the case, TMZ Sports has learned.

Our sources tell us ... after Marriott turned over the names of Irvin's accuser and others involved in the allegations against the former Dallas Cowboys star, Irvin's legal team filed a notice of dismissal for the case in Texas -- with the plan of refiling it in Arizona, the state where the alleged incident happened.

We're told Irvin's attorney, Levi McCathern, is set to have a news conference regarding the developments later Tuesday.

Irvin has been accused of sexually harassing a hotel worker on Feb. 5 while in Phoenix to help cover the Chiefs vs. Eagles Super Bowl.

According to court documents filed last week, a woman claims Irvin stopped her near the hotel's bar, told her she was attractive ... and then asked her "whether she knew anything about having a 'big Black man inside of [her].'" In the docs, the woman said when others intervened after they noticed her being uncomfortable with the 57-year-old, "Irvin then stated that he would come back to find her sometime that week when she was working."

According to the documents, the woman reported the interaction to her coworkers and management the next day. The NFL was soon made aware of the allegations, and Irvin was removed from his role as an analyst for the league's network a short time later.

For his part, Irvin has adamantly denied any wrongdoing in the case ... calling the whole situation "sickening."

"This takes me back to a time where a white woman would accuse a Black man of something and they would take a bunch of guys that were above the law, run in the barn, put a rope around his foot and drag him through the mud and hang him by the tree," he said.

McCathern, meanwhile, said footage released to him by Marriott showed the encounter between Irvin and his accuser was completely innocuous.

"She never acts upset," McCathern said of the woman's apparent demeanor on the video. "She doesn't act like there's any problems at all."

Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones ain't happening (at least no time soon), but there's another megafight seemingly on the horizon ... The Predator tells us he's currently discussing a two-fight deal with former heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder!

TMZ Sports talked to 36-year-old Ngannou -- a combat sports free agent after parting ways with the UFC in January -- and now the question is who does Francis fight, in what discipline, and where does it go down.

It's looking more and more like the answer to those questions are 37-year-old Wilder, boxing, and in Africa.

"We are looking into [Deontay Wilder] because he's available. He's ready for that. He's very excited about [a fight with me]. He wants it. So, we are looking into that. That's something I'm very excited about. We even discussed a potential one fight in Africa and one fight somewhere else. Why not even the two fights in Africa?", Francis told us.

Of course, Ngannou and Wilder are arguably the hardest/biggest punchers in all of combat sports.

12 of Francis' 17 wins came by knockout ... and his KO of Alistair Overeem may be the most brutal punch in recent UFC memory.

As for the Bronze Bomber, all but one of his 43 victories came by knockout.

Both guys clearly have the power to end the fight with a single shot ... but Francis tells us it's about more than simply throwing big power punches, and hoping one connects.

"I can knock everybody out. I have to be clear about something. To hit that person you have to get a clear shot which is more about technique and experience I don't have. So, I'm very aware of that aspect," Ngannou says.

"It's not like 'hit me, I hit you, and then we see who goes down.' It's a combat sport. Everybody trying not to get hit. I'm thinking more about the technique or the boxing side of it. The beauty of it. Then at the end, if you get an opportunity to connect then good. If not, I'm still expecting to win that fight in the decision so that's how I'm preparing myself."

There's much more ... we also talked to Francis about Jon Jones calling him a "big ole p***y," the possibility of signing to Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions, and Dana White telling us he believes Ngannou would've been easily handled just like Ciryl Gane was at UFC 285.

Ja Morant won't be back on the court anytime soon -- the Memphis Grizzlies superstar just entered a counseling program and won't rejoin the team until further notice.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon reported the news on Monday ... saying Morant is seeking help in Florida and there's no set date for his return to the Grizzlies.

You'll recall ... Morant was suspended after he brandished a gun during his Instagram Live video while at a strip club in Colorado last weekend.

Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins was asked Monday if Morant would be eligible to return for Friday's game against the Spurs ... and he said there are things that have to happen before Morant suits up for the Grizzlies again.

"There are a lot of internal dialogues going on and obviously there’s still things going on at the league level that we’re in communication with," Jenkins said. "Ja’s fully engaged in this process and ready for whatever comes next after these 2 games."

As Morant continues to work his way back, the 23-year-old did get some good news last week ... when the Glendale Police Department in Colorado announced that he won't face any charges over the gun incident.

The famed Tom Brady-autographed U.S. flag at the center of a lawsuit with the Patriots Hall of Fame last year can now be all yours -- if you've got some DEEP pockets.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the stars and stripes that Brady signed and then re-signed following a man's dispute with New England's HOF in 2021 is going up for sale on eBay later this month -- and its starting price tag is $299,999.

Unclear what it's ultimately expected to sell for ... but we're told the profits will go to a good cause nonetheless.

Dan Vitale -- the owner of the flag who feuded with Patriots officials after he alleged they ruined the item after putting it on display at the team's HOF -- is donating a portion of the proceeds to the Behavioral Health and Developmental Services of Strafford County, Inc. -- a non-profit whose goal is to help those with autism. Vitale says the rest of the funds will go into a trust for his daughter, who has autism.

When it eventually sells, the new owner of the flag will be getting a sweet piece of Brady memorabilia -- one that has quite the story attached to it too.

As we reported, it initially flew over Foxboro Stadium during a New England vs Miami game in '01 -- the same year Brady first took over as Patriots starter. Brady then signed it years later.

Vitale ultimately bought it and handed it off to the Pats Hall of Fame to display it -- but he claims officials there caused the signature to fade when they improperly took care of it. He sued in 2022, alleging their mistakes decreased the value of the piece by $1 million.

Brady, though, came to the rescue ... re-signing it in big, black ink following the Buccaneers vs. Seahawks game last year. Vitale said he was stoked with the new signature -- and believed it was worth over $1 mil again.

“While the flag holds a lot of value to me personally," Vitale said, "I could not be more thrilled to auction it on eBay so another collector can own this rare piece of sports history and in the process, support those with autism -- including my youngest daughter.”

Bidding on the item begins on March 23 ... and will end on April 1.

Good luck!!!

Marcus Smart's on-court scuffle with Trae Young is gonna cost him ... 'cause the NBA just fined the Boston Celtics player $25K as a result of the altercation.

The two guards got into it with 1:25 left in the game at State Farm Arena on Saturday ... when Young drove to the basket and got fouled by Smart.

It appeared Young may have accidentally kicked Smart in the groin during the play -- and Smart didn't like it one bit.

After the whistle was blown, Smart got into Young's face ... and the two exchanged some heated words.

That's when Smart and Young took their beef to the hardwood ... as Smart pulled the Hawks guard down with him as he fell to the floor.

Both players' teammates and referees broke them up ... and Smart was ejected from the game, while Young received a technical.

On Monday, an NBA executive announced that Smart -- the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year -- was fined $25K for "initiating an on-court alteration and pulling" Young to the floor.

As for Trae ... it seems he got away with just a tech.

It's Tristan Thompson's birthday, and he's getting some major love from Khloe Kardashian -- who's got tons of praise and compliments for the guy -- while also showing off their baby boy.

KK threw up an IG in Tristan's honor, wishing him well as hits the big 3-2 ... and showering him with sweet words that certainly paint him as a great dad and family man. She writes, "Happy birthday @realtristan13. You are truly the best father, brother & uncle."

She continues ... "Your love, attention, silly dances, hugs, carpool rides, bed time rituals, the way u show up for them. All of the above means more than you’ll ever know to your family of littles."

And finally, Khloe has a bit of a message for Tristan ... which seems to touch on his repeated cheating fails over the years. She writes, in earnest, "My birthday wish for u is that u continue to crave change, healing, and transformation. Be strong, be kind, be patient, be free. Continue to Make your soul and your mommy proud. Happy birthday baby daddy."

By the sounds of it ... Khloe seems convinced that Tristan is on a good path, and that he's dedicated to doing better. What that means for them romantically, well, hard to tell.

We know Khloe and Tristan hang out a lot because of their 2 kids -- but she also appears to be at his side for unrelated reasons too ... including the death of his mother, for which she flew out and attended the funeral. Of course, they were out this weekend too.

Remember, Tristan tagged along for the Haqq sisters' birthday bash, Khloe's BFFs ... so maybe they're working toward a reconciliation after all. In any case, Khloe's still got warm feelings for TT.

Trevor Bauer's potential road back to an MLB mound will be making a stop in Japan first ... the former Cy Young winner is signing a deal to play for the Yokohama DeNA Baystars this season.

According to Sanspo Sports, Bauer's contract with his new team will be for one year ... and right around $3 million. ESPN reported Monday afternoon the deal is expected to become official later Monday night.

Bauer was just released by the Dodgers in January -- after he was reinstated from a suspension that the MLB had hit him with following an investigation into allegations he sexually assaulted a 27-year-old woman during two encounters in 2021.

Initially, the ban was for 324 games ... but it was ultimately reduced to 194 games by an independent arbitrator, making Bauer eligible to play in the MLB this season.

But, following his release from LA, no team signed him ... prompting the move to the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization.

Bauer hasn't pitched professionally since June 2021 -- but when he was on the mound, he was as effective as any pitcher in baseball. In the '21 season before he was put on paid leave as the MLB kicked off its investigation, he had 2.59 ERA with 137 strikeouts in 107.2 innings pitched.

Bauer -- who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in his case -- has yet to publicly comment on the new deal.

Peyton Manning's giving his top 10 list -- but it's got nothing to do with quarterbacks, or even football -- the Hall of Famer's revealing the greatest business minds in history, as the legendary signal-caller sees it.

The list is part of an episode from Manning's new History channel show, History’s Greatest of All Time with Peyton Manning ... where the 46-year-old 2x Super Bowl champ was asked to name his top 10 "titans."

"How does someone get to be known as a titan of their industry? To start from nothing and go all in on pocket aces before the dealer even lays down. Whatever there failed, these men and women share one thing. They risked a lot to change the world," Peyton said.

"First up, someone who has built an empire on showing that upscale casual living is a good thing. Kicking off our countdown, the woman who taught us how to fold a fitted sheet."

10) Martha Stewart
9) Ted Turner
8) Oprah Winfrey
7) JP Morgan
6) Jeff Bezos
5) Andrew Carnegie
4) John D. Rockefeller
3) Walt Disney
2) Henry Ford
1) Steve Jobs

As you can see, the list features a mix of not only present, but also past titans of industry ... from banking to automotive magnates, to the creator of the iPhone.

Speaking of the mobile phone that forever changed the world, Jobs -- who passed away in 2011 -- earned the top spot on Peyton's list.

Jason Kelce's back with the Eagles ... and he celebrated his return in the most Kelce way possible -- by rippin' a massive shot with Philadelphia's general manager!!

The All-Pro -- and noted party animal -- made it known on Monday morning he was coming back for his 13th NFL season  ... saying in a statement, "I ain’t f***ing done yet!"

A short time later, he revealed how he informed Howie Roseman of his decision ... and, yes, it featured plenty of booze.

Roseman, after giving the 35-year-old a big hug, poured Philly's center a shot cup of mezcal before giving himself one too ... and then the guys threw it back no problem.

Of course, the liquor-infused party is certainly warranted -- Kelce is one of the best offensive linemen in Eagles history ... and there appeared to be a very strong chance he was done playing football following Philly's loss to Kansas City in the Super Bowl.

But, in his announcement Monday, Kelce said conversations with his wife and "many other friends and family" led him to his comeback.

It didn't take long for Chris Beard to land a new job -- the ex-Texas Longhorns head coach is taking the same position at Ole Miss ... one month after his domestic violence case was dropped.

The Rebels made the news official on Monday ... saying Beard will replace Kermit Davis, who was fired late last month.

"We thoroughly evaluated a number of outstanding candidates, and there is no doubt Coach Beard is one of the top coaches in the nation," Keith Carter, Ole Miss' Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics, said in a statement. "After conducting due diligence and speaking to a number of individuals on and off the court, it was evident he is the right person to guide our team to greatness."

Beard was accused of strangling, throwing and biting his fiancée, Randi Trew, in their home back in December. He was arrested and immediately suspended from coaching, but the woman later backtracked on her claims ... and said Beard was only acting out of self-defense.

Despite the woman's public apology over her initial accusations, Beard was fired from UT in January ... and his attorney stated the decision was "based on Twitter feeds and editorials -- and not the facts concerning a truly innocent man."

Beard's case was dismissed last month ... with prosecutors saying after investigating and speaking with the victim, "the felony offense cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt."

Beard -- who's 171-73 in his career as a head coach -- seems thrilled with the second chance at leading a sideline ... saying, "I am honored to be joining the Ole Miss family and excited to get started at this great university."

Tiger Woods claims Erica Herman is no victim of sexual abuse ... saying in new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, she's simply "a jilted ex-girlfriend."

Woods filed the docs on Monday morning ... in response to Herman saying a non-disclosure agreement she had with the golfing legend should be declared unenforceable under the federal Speak Out Act, which allows someone to get around an NDA if a dispute involving sexual assault or sexual harassment arises following the initial agreement.

Woods says in the docs Herman has no right to invoke the federal statute ... because she's never alleged in her filings Woods committed any sexual wrongdoing.

In fact, Woods says in the $30 million lawsuit she filed -- the one where she alleged Woods booted her from their home and broke an "oral tenancy agreement" they had -- she checked the box for "NO" when asked "does this case involve allegations of sexual abuse."

Woods claims Herman is just using the law as a way to litigate her claims publicly in court -- and get around the NDA that was supposed to force her disputes to be heard in a private arbitration hearing.

"Ms. Herman's position is utterly meritless," Woods says in the docs ... before adding, "It is a transparent abuse of the judicial process that undermines the purpose of the federal statute and those whom the statute seeks to protect."

Woods is now asking a Florida court to force her to abide by the NDA's arbitration provisions.

As we reported, Woods split with Herman in October after around six years of dating. He claims he told her he was ending things with her, and that she was "no longer welcome" in his home. He said he did provide her with temporary housing and financial support following the breakup.

Herman, meanwhile, alleges Woods concocted a scheme to get her out of the house by promising her a "short vacation." When she got to the airport for the trip, she says Tiger's team told her she'd been "locked out" of the house and could not go back. She said it all violated an agreement they had, which was supposed to last five more years.

WWE star Ridge Holland -- who inadvertently broke Big E's neck during a match last year -- says he's received death threats and been called "racist" ... one year after the tragic incident occurred.

Remember, Holland and Big E were fighting on SmackDown last March ... when E's neck was broken after a belly-to-belly suplex went wrong. The WWE Superstar later said doctors told him the injury could've killed him.

Big E has been out of ring action ever since ... and fans appear to be pissed at Ridge over the injury to the former WWE champ.

"Death threats. Threats to my family. Lobbying for me to lose my job. Being labeled as racist. Great stuff keep ‘em coming," Holland tweeted.

TMZ Sports recently spoke with E -- who's been sidelined as he rehabs his neck injury -- and he told us he doesn't know if he'll ever compete in a ring again, adding I "want to make the best decision" on his future with the company.

"I gotta see what the scans say," E said. "Talk to doctors, and then go from there." "Right now, before I know anything, I'm not going to make any rush to judgments or anything. See how everything looks."

Talk about putting your money where your mouth is ... a fan just spent over $13K on a card that was signed and kissed by Paige VanZant!

The first edition card hit auction last week on eBay ... and after 102 bids, the 1-of-1 sold for exactly $13,200, and the Bare Knuckle FC boxer was hyped!

"Thank you to everyone who bid," the 28-year-old said on Monday via Instagram. "This was a really cool experience for me ♥"

The card is pretty sweet ... it features a photo of VanZant in her boxing gear with a pink lip print and she proves the kiss was from her lips by sharing a picture of her kissing the card.

She also signed it with her name and "XOXO".

The whole idea was to help launch her husband, Bellator star Austin Vanderford's new shop where you can buy, sell, and/or trade sports cards.

"Go bid while you can and take a look at everything he’s got for sale if your into football cards :) And follow @vanderford_cards for new listings," VanZant said.

Of course, if you follow the couple, you know they support each other in a big way ... ever since getting married in 2018.

"Oh the places we have been," VanZant said in a recent IG video of Austin. "And oh the places we will go. ❤️ @austinvanderford"

Just about everyone in Hollywood was at the Oscars on Sunday, and just about everyone else was at one of these two after-parties ... courtesy of Elton John and Vanity Fair.

These were the biggest shindigs in town post-award show -- and as you see, they were absolutely packed with star power. Not just actors, BTW, but musicians, comedians, models and socialites were dressed in their best getups.

Check out who showed up where ... over at the VF bash in Bev Hills, we saw faces like Jessica Alba, Jennifer Coolidge, Donald Glover, Trevor Noah, Naomi Watts, Tracee Ellis Ross, Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union, Michael Keaton, Queen Latifah, Olivia Wilde, Sarah Paulson, John Legend, Chrissy Teigen ... and even 2 politicos, Nancy Pelosi and Monica Lewinsky.

Meanwhile, out in WeHo, the Rocket Man himself was hosting an Oscars viewing party through his AIDS foundation ... and that, too, was flowing with glamorous A-listers.

Elton was able to get a solid crowd together himself ... people who swung by include Heidi Klum, Kathy Hilton, Christina Hendricks, Tiffany Haddish, Brooke Shields, Patricia Arquette, Smokey Robinson, Zooey Deschanel, Hilary Duff, Emma Watson and many more.

Of course, everyone there was also dressed to impress ... rocking gowns, suits, tuxes and everything fancy in between. Elton himself was in his traditional heart-shaped shades.

It's just the cherry on top for a pretty great night all around ... everybody seemed to be on their best behavior and was certainly having a ball as they celebrated filmmaking.

Like we told you, all the nominees were in quite the touchy-feely mood behind the scenes at the Dolby Theater itself -- but in a good and respectful way ... meaning, they were just bringing it in for hugs and kisses as they congratulated each other. No slaps or swings.

And, naturally, every person that made their big entrance in front of the cameras was also in their best Sunday 'fits ... with most everybody rocking fairly traditional, elegant outfits.

Not only were the nominees looking pristine ... but so were the presenters, all 40+ of 'em.

As for the highlights of the actual broadcast itself ... well, there were a lot. Ke Huy Quan (the kid from "The Goonies" and 'Temple of Doom') won an Oscar, as did Jamie Lee Curtis and Michelle Yeoh ... as did Brendan Fraser. They took home the top acting honors of the night.

Speaking of "Everything Everywhere All at Once," that movie swept just about every major category it was nominated in ... including Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Director(s) and Best Picture

It was the Lakers and Knicks who took priority for Denzel Washington and Spike Lee on Hollywood's biggest night -- the two A-listers skipped the Oscars to catch the NBA teams go at it in L.A.!!!

Washington and Lee ditched stage-side seats at the famed movie award ceremony for courtside ones at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday evening ... and didn't seem one bit displeased with their choice.

The guys were seen sharing a hug before the game ... clearly not stressing about missing the Oscars -- which were taking place at the same time less than 10 miles away at the Dolby Theatre.

Lee, of course, is a huge Knicks fan -- and Denzel is a big Lakers one ... and the two talked smack to each other about their teams throughout the contest.

Lee ended up getting the last laugh -- the Knicks beat the Lakers 112-108 ... though Washington didn't seem too beat up over it all.

The actors weren't the only celebs at the game ... star boxers Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia, plus Flea, were there too.

In fact, Washington and Davis had a moment with each other before the game, where Denzel voiced some big support for the fighter.