TMZ Sports - Page 50

Two star high school athletes from Illinois -- who were enjoying their spring break in Colorado -- were tragically killed in a horrific sledding accident over the weekend.

They were only 17 and 18 years old.

The Summit County Sheriff's Office said the crash happened at Copper Mountain Ski Resort in Frisco at 8:35 PM on March 19 ... after Dylan Bazzell and Drew Fehr's sled launched off of a massive snowbank at the bottom of a half pipe.

"The two individuals came down hard on the hard ice below," police said, "causing blunt force trauma."

Emergency medical personnel raced to the scene to tend to the two teenagers ... but they were pronounced dead a short time later.

The school district in Illinois where the two attended high school said counselors would be available to help students cope with the loss.

"As we know, 'it takes a village' to raise a child," Prairie Central school district officials said in a statement. "And it will take all of us working together to comfort and support our children through this tragic event."

Bazzell and Fehr, both high school seniors, played for Prairie Central's basketball and football teams. Bazzell had just been named to the Associated Press All-State First Team earlier this month.

Fehr, meanwhile, was a football team captain who logged 1,439 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns this past season.

Police said the deaths are under investigation ... and are urging spring breakers and other thrill seekers "to always practice safe on snow activity habits and to be aware of the risks associated with these activities."

Kyrie Irving seemingly snubbed Dillon Brooks when he refused to take the Grizzlies' forward's jersey after their game, but the Mavs superstar says the awkward moment wasn't intentional, saying he'd "probably get [the jersey] next time."

It all went down Monday night after the Grizzlies defeated the Mavs, 112-108, at the FedEx Forum in Memphis. Dillon and Ky shared an embrace on the court following the game, but the encounter didn't exactly go as planned for the 27-year-old Brooks.

In the clip, you see Kyrie hand his jersey to Brooks, but when Brooks went to give his jersey to Irving, Kyrie appeared to be in no mood to receive it ... and kept the exchange at a handshake before walking away.

Social media started to talk after the game, and Kyrie was asked about the exchange.

"I saw that after the game," Irving said. "I'll probably get it next time. Probably next time. Not this time. I was really onto the next thing, thought process-wise."

Meanwhile, on the court, Brooks had his hands full trying to guard Kyrie -- who scored 28 points in 33 minutes. DB is clearly a fan of Irving's, showering the All-Star with praise postgame despite the (maybe?) shade from Kyrie, even comparing him to the Black Mamba.

“He’s just like Kobe [Bryant]," Brooks said. "He’s just like Jordan and those guys. He plays the game at a different place. He uses both hands, mid-range God. And that’s where I want to be at one day, be able to shoot the ball more.”

One thing Kyrie definitely did do after the game was share a moment with Ja Morant, who rejoined the Grizzlies on Monday following an 8-game suspension for showing a gun on Instagram.

Memphis currently sits in second place in the Western Conference. Dillon -- for the second time this month -- is facing an automatic one-game suspension due to his technical foul totals.

Hundreds of Argentina fans flooded the streets of Buenos Aires just to get a glimpse of their hero, Lionel Messi, out at dinner Monday night ... and the scene was absolute insanity!!

The Paris Saint-Germain superstar is back in his home country ahead of an international friendly against Panama later this week ... and once word spread he was with his family at the Don Julio restaurant in Palermo, he was met with a massive crowd of crazed fanatics.

Videos show Messi needing a police escort just to make it out of the establishment shortly before 2 AM ... with folks screaming, reaching out and grabbing, and trying to take pictures with the footballer.

Despite the overwhelming amount of people, Messi appeared to take it pretty well ... smiling as he made his way through the sea of fans.

Of course, Messi was already beloved in Argentina ... but once he won the World Cup in December, his supporters' passion was multiplied by a billion.

Leo might be numb to all the love at this point -- after all, he also faced millions of backers who showed up to their World Cup parade.

Reggie Wayne absolutely lost it after his alma mater, Miami, shocked Indiana in the women's NCAA tournament on Monday night ... cheering his face off while going crazy with his pals!!!

The Indianapolis Colts legend had courtside seats for the Hurricanes' stunning win over No. 1 seed Indiana at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall ... and when The U star Destiny Harden made the game-winning basket with just three seconds left on the clock, Wayne went crazy.

The ex-Hurricanes receiver -- who played for Miami from 1997 to 2000 -- filmed his reaction ... and it was priceless.

Rockin' his The U gear, which included some Nike Dunk Low Miami Hurricanes kicks, he screamed loudly with a huge smile on his face.

Of course, Wayne had every right to lose his mind ... as the No. 9 seeded Miami was a huge underdog in the game. The victory also marked the first time in school history that the women's basketball team would enter an NCAA tournament's Sweet 16.

FYI, the Miami men's team also beat Indiana in the guys' NCAA tournament over the weekend ... and Wayne made sure to gloat about on Monday night too.

"Well...." the former first-round draft pick wrote on his social media page, "Looks like another #Hurricane has hit the state of Indiana @caneswbb @canesfootball @caneshoops #TheU."

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova says her recent battle with cancer has paused her plans for adoption with her wife ... even though she revealed she's now, thankfully, free of the disease.

Navratilova recently sat down with Piers Morgan to talk about everything she's been through since she was diagnosed with throat and breast cancer earlier this year ... and she admitted that despite beating it all -- it sadly led to her putting an indefinite pause on ideas of adoption with Julia Lemigova.

The 66-year-old, who also previously beat breast cancer in 2010, explained in the interview for Morgan's Talk TV show, "We were thinking about adopting but that's definitely put on hold, and I don't think it's going to happen."

She added, according to the Daily Mail, "I think it's just too complicated and the energy, I only have so much right now."

Navratilova then told Piers, "I'm not really the youngest anymore and I don't want to be the grandmother on the playground."

Lemigova, a 'Real Housewives Of Miami' star, said during a reunion show for the Bravo TV hit earlier this year that the couple had, at one point, actually been very close to adopting ... before Navratilova's battle took precedence.

At times during her interview with Morgan, Navratilova got emotional over everything ... wiping away tears.

She did, though, ultimately deliver some great news regarding her health ... saying doctors recently told her, "as far as they know I'm cancer-free."

Jimmy Garoppolo's Raiders career might start off with a bang -- that is, if he accepts a once-in-a-lifetime offer from two Nevada brothel workers ... who tell TMZ Sports they wanna hook him up with free sex forever!!

The two lovely ladies are Caitlin Bell and Alice Little of the famous Chicken Ranch brothel ... and they tell us they're really excited the "heartthrob" is moving to their neck of the woods after inking a 3-year deal with the Raiders last week.

The licensed workers wanna show Jimmy G just how grateful they are now that he's moving from The Bay to Vegas ... with a free-for-life sex package!!!

"I almost fainted when I heard Jimmy signed with the Raiders," Bell said in a statement.

"He deserves free sex just for joining our team," Bell said. "But he gets free sex for life from us just because he’s such a legit babe!"

Little also points out that next year's Super Bowl is at Allegiant Stadium ... so she wants to make sure the 31-year-old feels stimulated all season.

"Jimmy brought the Niners to the Super Bowl and he could do the same for the Raiders," Little said.

"The next Big Game is in Vegas, so I’m going to go all the way to inspire Jimmy to go all the way!"

If Jimmy G goes through with the offer, he's definitely in good hands -- Bell has been featured in several adult videos and was recently nominated for Best Sex Scene in the 2023 XBIZ Awards, while Little is a sex worker advocate and intimacy coach.

The offer seems to be right up Garoppolo's alley -- after all, he famously went on a date with adult film actress Kiara Mia back in the day.

These brothel workers aren't the only ones wanting to give Jimmy G a deal ... Sheri's Ranch in Pahrump, Nevada penned a letter to the QB, inviting him and a few of his new teammates to a VIP experience.

"A celebratory weekend blowout with you and a few of your new Raiders teammates to take advantage of the resort’s themed hotel suites, bar and restaurant, swimming pool, and Jacuzzi - all expenses paid, of course," a Sheri's Ranch spokesperson said in the letter.

"Sheri’s invites you into the VIP bungalows with your choice of on-site courtesans, as well as a special Playland with themed rooms to make you feel right at home."

Hey, they don't call it Sin City for nothin'!!!

College ice hockey player Carson Briere -- the son of Philadelphia Flyers GM Daniel Briere -- was hit with three criminal charges on Monday ... after he was seen on video pushing a woman's wheelchair down a flight of stairs earlier this month.

According to court records, Briere was charged with criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, and conspiracy to commit criminal mischief. The records show he's due in court in May for a hearing on the matter.

In court documents, obtained by the Associated Press, Erie City Police allege Carson -- a junior center on Mercyhurst Univ.'s hockey team -- put people at risk when he shoved a wheelchair down stairs at a bar near Mercyhurst's Pennsylvania campus on March 11.

The AP reports the woman who owned the wheelchair, Sydney Benes, told police she had just bought the chair for $2,000 a year ago ... and Carson's push left it significantly damaged.

According to the AP, Mercyhurst Univ. lacrosse player Patrick Carrozzi was also hit with criminal charges for his alleged role in the incident.

Carson fessed up to pushing the chair after video from the bar went viral ... saying in a statement last week he was "deeply sorry" for his behavior. His father added in a statement that Carson's actions were "inexcusable."

Carson has been suspended from Mercyhurst's team as the school investigates the matter. The bar, meanwhile, has banned him.

Ja Morant is officially back with the Grizzlies following his gun video suspension ... and his head coach said if everything goes according to plan, the superstar will suit up for Memphis as early as Wednesday.

The 23-year-old, who had been away from the Grizz for nearly three weeks, was reunited with his teammates on Monday ... and Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins called it "a good first day back," adding Ja addressed his teammates and coaches upon his return.

Morant vowed to seek help following his latest controversy ... and the two-time All-Star kept his word when he checked into a counseling program in Florida.

Since leaving the program, Morant sounded like he's focused on putting the drama behind him -- telling Jalen Rose in a sit-down interview that the gun in that IG video did not belong to him.

"I made a bad mistake and I can see the image I painted over myself with my recent mistakes," Ja told Rose. "But, in the future, I will show everybody who Ja really is, what I'm about, and change this narrative."

Ja told the ex-NBA star his time spent away from the NBA helped to put things in perspective ... and he better understands the responsibility he has to represent himself and his family in a more positive light.

SoFi Stadium might be coming up empty in its bid to host the World Cup finale in 2026 ... and it's all 'cause its field could be deemed too narrow for FIFA's liking.

Seriously.

According to a report from The Times, the pitch at SoFi in Los Angeles is not currently wide enough for FIFA. In fact, the outlet reports, the building would have to increase its field by up to 63 feet to meet the soccer org.'s requirement.

The stadium would have to take out some of its seats in order to make that happen -- but FIFA reportedly would have an issue with that too ... because SoFi, which seats 70,240, is already struggling to meet the 80K World Cup final minimum.

MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and AT&T Stadium in Dallas are now considered the front-runners for the tourney's championship if SoFi can't figure out a way to resolve the issues.

The 2022 World Cup Final between Argentina and France was played at Lusail Stadium in Qatar -- and set a record for attendance ... with 88,966 soccer fans packing into the venue to watch Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe go toe-to-toe.

MMA fighter Iuri Lapicus -- who recently fought ex-UFC star Eddie Alvarez -- has died following a motorcycle crash in Italy last week, ONE Championship announced Monday.

He was just 27 years old.

The 14-2 fighter lost control of his motorbike in Northwest Milan on Friday, according to Milano Today, and was thrown several feet from the crash site. He was taken by helicopter to a hospital, the outlet reported, and had remained in a coma ... until he tragically succumbed to his injuries on Monday.

One Championship, the org. Lapicus began fighting for in 2019, said following the news of his passing that it's "heartbroken."

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones at this difficult time," the org said in a statement to ESPN.

Lapicus had fought five times in the ONE Championship, logging a 2-2 record. His April 2021 bout against Alvarez ultimately ended in a no-contest.

His last fight was against Zebaztian Kadestam on Aug. 26, 2022 ... but the Modolvan-Italian fighter lost, going down in Round 1 via KO.

Gisele Bündchen and her jiu-jitsu instructor clearly have a thing for Costa Rica, but the same can't be said for jiu-jitsu -- they're still there together, having all kinds of fun minus the martial arts.

Joaquim Valente and Gisele are getting their feet in the sand, tossing a frisbee and taking a dip in the ocean. It looks like a pretty action-packed day for the third outing we've seen them have in CR over the last few months.

This time, Joaquim showed off his ripped body, while GB rocked a pair of shorts on the shore. And a few others seemed to tag along for the outing.

Of course, we most recently saw them taking a pretty chill walk together with a couple of pooches.

We've seen them do a lot down there ... just not jiu-jitsu.

As you know, Tom Brady's ex-wife has maintained the outings with the instructor are just friendly ... but it's hard to tell at this rate, given all the time they're spending together.

You'll recall, the duo went horseback riding through the jungle back in January ... and seemingly haven't slowed down since.

Justin Thomas got REALLY close with one of his biggest admirers at the Valspar Championship over the weekend ... when he signed a female fan's boob -- and it was all caught on video!!!

The hilarious moment went down as social media influencer/OnlyFans model Karin Hart attended the event in Florida ... when she explained on her Instagram story she wanted the two-time major championship winner to autograph her chest.

Hart's big opportunity came about an hour later when JT was signing items for fans ... and she pleaded with the golf star to fulfill her wish.

"Yeah, baby, come on ... sign it, sign it!" Hart said with a big smile on her face. As it turns out, JT was down to grant her wish ... 'cause after some initial hesitation and laughter, he signed her chest!!! (By the looks of it, this may have been a first for JT).

Hart was over the moon about the interaction ... later saying it made her year.

Jose Canseco's daughter, Josie -- a Victoria's Secret model -- is firing away at her critics ... insisting she never received a leg up, at least monetarily, from her dad or anyone else in her family.

Josie unleashed on her haters in a series of Instagram posts on Monday morning ... claiming to be entirely self-made.

It's unknown what was exactly said to her or about her that set her off -- but she clearly wanted to let everyone know that despite her dad's huge MLB career, she grew up far from wealthy.

"Everyone claiming I came from all this rich money because I'm a 'canseco' do ur research," the 26-year-old said. "My 'family money' was blown by the time I was 6/7 w bankruptcy n I had to work my ass off to not only sustain my 'family name' but also pay my bills cause no one paid that s*** except me."

Josie said there were times in her life when she was in debt, barely making $100 a week, and living in tiny New York apartments packed with models.

"My family is broke," she said, "and I dont get the advance of a family that was rich."

Josie did acknowledge she has "been graced with a privilege of being born within a family that earned what they earned" -- though she added, "I really went through that s*** n busted my ass the traditional way."

FYI -- Jose reportedly made over $40 million in his 17-year MLB career. He filed for bankruptcy back in 2012.

One dude crossed the finish line in this year's L.A. Marathon with a pretty impressive feat, but he wasn't on a runner's high -- he was just high.

Podcast host Adam Ill took to the streets of Los Angeles with over 22,000 others Sunday morning ... but, we're guessing he was one of only a few smoking joints while on the 6-hour jog.

Adam documented a good portion of his trek, but he was mostly showing off his HIGHlights.

He didn't set any time records, coming in 954th out of 1,163 men in his age range -- but he was live on Twitch during his run and mentioned it was all going down on his birthday. One hell of a way to kick off another trip around the sun.

For those unaware, Adam calls himself "The Highest Host" and a cannabis celebrity ... and he hosts 'The OG Potcast', one of the longest-running Mary Jane-themed podcasts.

It's a lock he lit up more than birthday candles to celebrate finishing the marathon!!!

Shaquille O'Neal sparked concern after sharing a photo of himself in a hospital bed on Sunday ... but TMZ Sports has learned the NBA legend simply needed to fix a nagging injury, and he's now doing OK.

Our sources tell us the 51-year-old went under the knife over the weekend to have an issue with his hip corrected -- and everything went according to plan. We're told he's already on the mend.

In a caption Shaq posted along with the photo -- he tagged his "NBA on TNT" colleagues, Ernie Johnson and Candace Parker, saying even though he couldn't be at work, he was still tuning in to the show.

"Miss y’all," he wrote.

Parker, a two-time WNBA champ, responded, "Love ya big Fella ♥."

It's unclear when Shaq will return to his TV gig -- our sources say there's no set time frame -- but in discussing the upcoming procedure earlier this month on his podcast, "The Big Podcast With Shaq," he seemed to say he had April 16 in mind for when he could be active again.

He added on the pod that he was going to go on a diet to get "shredded" after the surgery ... and eventually reveal an 8-pack!!

Diplo was among the thousands of runners participating in the L.A. Marathon on Sunday ... and his time was mad decent -- finishing the thing in under 4 hours!!

The famous DJ completed the 26.2-mile race in 3 hours, 55 minutes and 16 seconds ... which was 1,661st-best for men and good enough for 2,013th overall!!

The 44-year-old had made his target time known prior to the race ... saying, "tbh all that matters is that I can beat Oprah Winfrey time (she was pretty fast)."

BTW -- Oprah was a bit of a speedster herself in 1994, completing the Marine Corps Marathon with a time of 4:29:20.

Olympian Alexi Pappas -- who ran alongside Diplo during the race -- gave the producer his props in a congratulatory Instagram post ... saying, "We were total gazelles out there."

Diplo is a bit of a freak athlete -- he also ran the Miami Half Marathon with zero training in 2022 ... and proceeded to hit the club right after.