TMZ Sports - Page 50

There was clearly no love lost for Ja Morant in Memphis during his recent suspension ... 'cause the second he returned to action for the Grizzlies, he was greeted with a massive standing ovation.

Ja -- after sitting out nearly the entire month of March for posting a video that showed him brandishing a gun at a Colorado gentleman's club -- made his long-awaited return to the NBA hardwood on Wednesday night against the Houston Rockets ... and the crowd went crazy after seeing him.

He came off the bench with 3:05 remaining in the first quarter ... and the nearly 18,000 fans at FedExForum in Memphis got on their feet to show they still supported him.

And, it didn't take long for the star point guard to give them more to cheer about -- minutes after he checked into the game, he dunked all over Houston's Kenyon Martin Jr.

Some of Ja's family was in attendance for the big night -- including his father, Tee, who wore a sweatshirt with an image of Morant and the word "Redemption."

Morant ultimately played 23 minutes in the game, scoring 17 points ... helping lead Memphis to a 130-125 victory.

At least one person believes in Cam Newton after his Pro Day workout this week ... Auburn wideout Shedrick Jackson, who caught passes from the QB during the sweat sesh, tells TMZ Sports he thinks the dude can definitely still get after it in the NFL.

Newton made a surprise appearance at the Tigers' showcase on Tuesday ... in an effort to restart his pro football career after not playing in the 2022 season.

The 33-year-old threw around 30 passes in front of NFL scouts, rolling out for some while standing in the pocket for others, and afterward, some on the scene seemed to see it as a bit of a mixed bag.

But, when we talked to Jackson on Wednesday -- he appeared to be convinced Newton could help out an NFL team this season.

"He's done it before at a high level in college and in the pros," the Auburn wideout said, "so, I think he still has it."

Jackson -- the nephew of NFL legend Bo Jackson -- said he was particularly impressed by the touch on Newton's footballs.

Belal Muhammad adamantly believes he, NOT Colby Covington, is the fighter most deserving of a title shot vs. Leon Edwards ... and the UFC star says he's willing to prove it in The Octagon!

"I would love to punch Colby in the face. I would love to go out there, let's do it. You think you're the best in the world? You think you're the number one contender, come and get it from me. I'm the rightful number one contender, who the world thinks is the number one contender," 34-year-old Belal told TMZ Sports.

Of course, Dana White wasted no time tapping 35-year-old Covington, the #2-ranked welterweight, as Edwards' next opponent during his post-UFC 286 media session, saying "[Colby] deserves the fight."

The revelation was met almost immediately with outrage from Covington's critics, who point out he's just 2-2 over his last four fights, including two losses to Kamaru.

Meanwhile, Muhammad, ranked fourth in the division, hasn't lost since facing Geoff Neal in January 2019. Throwing out a no contest against a pre-champion Edwards after an inadvertent eye poke, Belal's riding an eight-fight win streak.

During the run, BM beat Demian Maia, Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson, Vicente Luque, and then-undefeated rising star, Sean Brady, who Muhammad handed his first pro loss.

FYI, Usman is the #1 ranked WW, but obviously isn't getting an immediate rematch. After Colby comes Khamzat Chimaev, the #3 ranked WW. Then Belal. The rankings then go ... Gilbert Burns at five, and Shavkat Rakhmonov at six (more on him in a moment).

Belal believes the work he's done in the cage should warrant him the opportunity to fight for the championship.

"Bro, I don't think there's nobody that doesn't think that I actually deserve, like if they truly look in their hearts, and if they have an IQ, they'll know that I'm the true number one contender.  I'm the true guy that's earned it."

Muhammad continued ... "I put the work in. I put the time in. I fought every single person they put in front of me. I fought backward my last one when I didn't want to, and they forced me to, and I still beat this undefeated kid [Brady], and it was by finish. To get a finish like that, I figured it was 100% gonna happen."

Then, it came as no surprise when we asked Belal about Shavkat's impressive win over Geoff Neal at UFC 285 ... and while he was very complimentary of the Kazakh fighter, he made it clear he's not looking to fight a guy below him in the rankings.

"Why am I gonna have to fight downward again to fight another hot prospect? It really doesn't make any sense. Why am I the only guy fighting backward when there's guys ahead of me that aren't fighting at all?"

Snowboarding stars Shaun White and Toby Miller took a break from shredding the gnar to share their knowledge with a newbie this week -- Finneas -- and by looking at footage of the lessons, he didn't suck!!

The singer-songwriter/Billie Eilish's older bro and his actress girlfriend, Claudia Sulewski, hit the slopes with The Flying Tomato and his girlfriend, Nina Dobrev, while in Aspen this week to celebrate the one year anniversary of Shaun's snowboard company, Whitespace ... and it looked like a helluva time.

The "Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa" crooner only posted one clip from the training session, but he was able to keep his balance as he made his way down a gradual decline ... with Miller spotting him from behind.

"Very ridiculous that my first time snowboarding ever I got to learn from Shaun White and Toby Miller but I am not complaining!!!" Finneas said on Instagram.

No word on if it was Claudia's first time as well ... but she also appeared to be in great spirits throughout the trip.

Finneas has a ton of Grammys and other awards in his trophy case ... but is an X Games medal next??

Johnny Manziel got a little extra sun protection at the beach on Wednesday courtesy of a bird ... who dropped a giant load all over his head while he was just lounging around!!

The hysterical moment happened just minutes ago while the former Heisman Trophy winner was soaking in some rays in Miami with his girlfriend, Kenzie Werner.

In video that Werner (thankfully!!!) shared on her social media page, you can see Manziel got crapped on ... and then was absolutely flummoxed over what had just happened.

"Is that s*** on my head?!" he asked.

Werner, like the rest of us, was laughing way too hard to answer.

"If you don't get that camera out of my face," he said with a huge grin, "and get it off me, Kenzie, I'm going to wipe it on your f***ing whole body!!"

It appears Werner eventually helped out her man -- but not before she took a photo to memorialize the situation, which she fittingly captioned, "My poopy boy."

Don't worry, Manziel ended up not being upset about it at all ... he was heard laughing in some of Werner's vids later.

Of course, with a view like this one at a beach in Florida ... how could ya possibly be pissed over a little bird poop?!?

Carlos Boozer's son, Cameron, is off to a great start when it comes to following his NBA father's footsteps ... 'cause the Florida hoops star just won the Gatorade Player of the Year!!

... as a sophomore!!!

The sports drink giant broke the news on Wednesday ... saying the 6'9", 215-pound forward is the recipient of the most prestigious high school hoops honors in the nation -- and he's the first from Christopher Columbus H.S.

Miami Heat star Kevin Love -- who won the award in 2007 -- surprised Cameron with his trophy in front of his teammates and coaches at the Florida school gym.

FYI, Cameron thought he was getting sized for his Class 7A state championship ring ... so he was in complete shock when the former NBA champ rolled through.

"I couldn't find a sample ring, but I could find some new hardware -- the 2023 Gatorade National Boys Player of the Year," Love said while handing over the trophy.

Cameron was extra hyped -- and so was his father, Carlos -- who shared the clip on his Instagram, saying in the caption, "Congratulations @cameron_boozer_12 So Proud Of You!!!"

Carlos has a lot to be proud of -- Cameron is the #1-ranked player in the 2025 basketball recruiting class ... and averaged 21.1 points, 11.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2 blocks per game this past season.

He led the Explorers to their second-consecutive state title and has received offers from top basketball schools, including his father's alma mater, Duke.

Outside of basketball, Cameron is an excellent student ... and currently has a 4.81 GPA.

Of course, Cameron has basketball in his DNA -- his father was named McDonald's All-American, won the 2011 NCAA championship with the Blue Devils, and had a successful 13-year career in the NBA. He played for the Cavs, Jazz, Bulls and Lakers.

When it comes to player of the year in girls' basketball, Sierra Canyon High School's Juju Watkins was named the winner, and the 6'2" senior guard -- who will be playing at USC this fall -- was surprised by Candace Parker last week.

Patrick Beverley is channeling his inner Rocky Balboa during the NBA season ... admitting he has ZERO sex the night before games -- 'cause he wants to keep his legs fresh!!

The Chicago Bulls guard revealed his routine on Barstool Sports' 'Pat Bev' podcast this week ... when his cohost, Rone, brought up how Larsa Pippen claimed she and Scottie used to have sex four times a night during their 23-year marriage -- and asked Pat how much bangin' is too much bangin'.

That's when Pat opened up on his own sex life ... saying, "So I don’t have sex night[s] before games."

As it turns out, Pat agrees with the superstition Rocky learned from his old trainer, Mick, in the classic boxing movies ... 'cause he wants to make sure he's 100% for tipoff.

"I wanna have fresh [legs], you know what I’m saying?" he added.

Beverley admits his wife, Mandana Bolourchi, isn't too crazy about the idea ... but at the end of the day, he's sticking to his guns.

"Wifey gonna kill me, though," Pat said. "It be hard, though, because you got games every other day and s***. Shoutout to [the] wifey, man."

Beverley's strategy seems to be working ... 'cause he's been playing well after joining the Bulls in February, and they've racked up solid wins as they fight for a spot in the playoffs.

Buddy Hield has just been fined $25,000 by the NBA ... and it's all 'cause he flipped off someone during the Pacers vs. Hornets game on Monday night.

League Exec Joe Dumars announced the punishment for the Indiana star on Wednesday afternoon ... after he was spotted shootin' the bird not once, but twice while on his team's bench.

The incident occurred with 11:30 left in the second quarter of the game ... as Hield was sitting next to Tyrese Haliburton.

Cameras showed Buddy appeared to be locked in on something ... before he discreetly tried to flash his left middle finger. Eventually, he just let the single-barrel salute fly.

Unclear who Hield was flipping off or what caused him to make the gesture ... but he seemed to crack a sly smile in the video, so it's possible it was all in jest.

Daniel Vogelbach's mom ain't gonna be too happy about this ... right after a groundout Wednesday, the Mets DH let an F-bomb fly -- and it was so loud, hot mics actually picked it up on the game's broadcast!!

The whole scene was actually pretty funny -- well, for everyone except Vogelbach -- because after the 30-year-old got thrown out at first base in the sixth inning of NY's spring training game against Houston despite a sharply hit ball, he screamed, "I can't buy a f***ing hit!"

Cameras then captured him walking off the diamond completely defeated.

Obviously, there won't be any punishment for Vogelbach -- that is, if Momma lets this one slide -- but being caught cussin' on live TV hasn't always been the best look.

Then again, letting out some frustration seemed to help wake up his bat -- 'cause just two innings later, he singled to right center, bustin' out of a mini-slump.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is cracking down on Crypto companies ... and some big-name celebs -- including Jake Paul, Lindsay Lohan and Soulja Boy -- who praised the currency companies while getting paid without disclosing it ... and they've agreed to cough up some dough to make it all go away.

Jake and Lindsay are among the celebs named in the SEC's filings Wednesday ... they're charged with illegally touting Tronix and BitTorrent. Others charged include Lil Yachty, Ne-Yo, Austin Mahone, Kendra Lust and Akon.

The SEC says these celebs failed to disclose they were getting paid for promoting these companies.

Almost all of the celebs agreed to pay a total of $400K to settle the charges.

Scary moment for Paul George on Tuesday night ... he suffered a gnarly knee injury in the Clippers' game against the Thunder -- and his status going forward is now in question.

George hurt his leg in the fourth quarter of the contest against OKC -- as he was coming down from grabbing a rebound.

Broadcast cameras showed when he landed on the court, he awkwardly bumped into Luguentz Dort ... causing his knee to bend backward.

The 32-year-old immediately crumpled to the court in pain. Trainers tended to him for several minutes, before they helped him off the floor. George didn't appear able to put any pressure on the leg.

Clips head coach Ty Lue didn't have much of an update on his star after the game -- but, reportedly, George was seen leaving Crypto.com Arena on a cart with his leg locked in an extended position.

Of course, George is no stranger to severe injuries ... back in 2014, he suffered a gruesome broken leg while playing for Team USA. The knee he injured Tuesday was a part of that same leg, though the two ailments don't appear to be related.

The Clippers ended up losing the game without George -- and they'll certainly need him moving forward if they want to avoid more of that ... they're currently in a fight with seven or eight other teams vying for some of the last spots in the playoffs.

Get well soon, PG.

Scary news for Alexa Bliss ... the WWE superstar says she was recently diagnosed with skin cancer, and now she's urging everyone to "get your skin checked!"

Bliss revealed the diagnosis this week, saying she had a biopsy done on a spot on her face that'd "gotten worse," and the test showed it was basal cell carcinoma.

FYI, an estimated 3.6 million cases of basal cell carcinoma are diagnosed each year, according to the Skin Care Foundation. SCF says the cancer is curable if detected and treated early.

Bliss says she then had a "quick and easy procedure" to remove the cancer. Alexa says doctors also discovered squamous cells, another form of carcinoma, which is often the result of too much UV light, according to Mayo Clinic.

"Dear younger me," Bliss wrote on social media after the procedure, "you should have stayed out of tanning beds."

But, in the end, it's good news for Alexa!

"All clear now though! Thank you @americanskininstitute for taking care of me!

Bliss also reassured fans she'll be fine and back in no time ... writing, "Don’t worry, short healing time. Always get your skin checked! Esp if you are in the sun or use tanning beds! Lol"

Bliss hasn't been seen on WWE programming since she lost to Raw Women's Champion Bianca Belair at the Royal Rumble in January ... but Alexa has denied rumors she's on a hiatus from the company.

"Tired of seeing these tweets," Bliss tweeted on March 10. "I am not on a hiatus. They know where to find me."

Kevin Garnett revealed he squashed his beef with former teammate Ray Allen because of Kobe Bryant ... saying the tragic and unexpected death of the NBA icon made him realize life's too short to be angry.

Quick refresher ... Allen, KG, and Paul Pierce were teammates with the Boston Celtics, where they won the NBA title together in 2008.

However, their Big 3 was split up when Ray left for the Miami Heat in 2012 ... a move that really pissed off KG, who felt some type of way when the 10-time All-Star chose their conference rival over him and Paul.

"What made the Ray situation so prolific with us is because the structure we built in Boston, the three of us built that," Garnett told Kevin Hart on his "Cold as Balls" show this week. "So if it was one team we had an issue with, it was Miami."

"I wasn't looking at it like, better business decision for Ray, [or] Ray has a chance to get another ring -- I ain't take on none of that! I was in my own feelings!"

But, when Kobe passed away on January 26, 2020, it changed Garnett's whole mindset ... culminating with the former friends turned enemies coexisting together, peacefully, at the NBA's 75th Anniversary event, as well as hugging it out at KG's jersey retirement ceremony in 2022.

“The passing of Kob and all of us getting older helped me understand that life is not given to none of us," the hooper said.

"It would have f***ed with me if something were to happen to Ray and I didn’t get a chance to amend this."

"I got off the bulls***."

Dak Prescott's plant leg just got a whole lot better lookin' -- TMZ Sports has learned the Dallas Cowboys superstar got it tatted over the weekend ... with tributes to his mom, brother, Kobe Bryant and more.

The quarterback hit up Andres Ortega out at Onder Ink in Arizona just days after his star wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb, got a back piece done by the artist -- and Prescott came away from the shop with a massive new tattoo.

The artwork covers nearly his entire right leg -- and it features a ton of imagery that's near and dear to the 29-year-old's heart.

The picture of the moose is a nod to his brother, Jace, who died by suicide in 2020. The photo of a Pegasus honors his mother, Peggy, who passed away from cancer in 2013.

The tattoo also pays homage to several sports icons -- there's images of a Black Mamba for Kobe, a Jumpman logo for Michael Jordan ... and a picture of Muhammad Ali.

The tat also features Daffy Duck doing Dak's signature touchdown celebration; Dallas' skyline; and a sign from the Pine Creek Estates mobile home park in Louisiana where Prescott grew up.

Forget the champagne and cigars ... Shohei Ohtani turned to Budweisers to celebrate winning the World Baseball Classic -- getting soaked in the beer in an epic locker room celebration with Team Japan!!

The party all went down at LoanDepot Park in Miami late Tuesday night ... after the Angels superstar helped lift his home country to a 3-2 victory over USA.

Just after he struck out his L.A. teammate, Mike Trout, to lock down the W ... he and the rest of Japan's roster hit the locker room -- and cracked open Bud Heavy after Bud Heavy after Bud Heavy.

Check out footage from the scene ... Ohtani and the guys doused each other with the beer -- and loved every second of it.

There did appear to be at least some champagne in the mix, too, and there were plenty of smiles and dancing. Even St. Louis Cardinals star Lars Nootbaar could be seen splashing suds everywhere!!

Of course, Shohei and Team Japan had every right to party hard ... Ohtani dominated the tournament both at the plate and on the mound, winning MVP -- while his team never lost a single game.

No word when the guys turned in ... but the MLB season doesn't start 'til next Thursday -- so we're sure it wasn't exactly an early bedtime.

Draymond Green is speaking out on the rumors surrounding his teammate Andrew Wiggins ... saying it doesn't matter if it's true or not, the "nosy" and "disgusting" people need to mind their business.

Wiggins -- who was traded to the Golden State Warriors in 2020 -- stepped away from the team after their Feb. 13 game (right before the All-Star break) due to a personal matter.

The situation is really intense, according to an anonymous player, who told The Athletic, "What he’s dealing with is some real s***."

Rumors about Wiggins' absence have been circulating social media ... and Green, his teammate, has seen some of what's been said, and he's pissed.

"I'm not here to say whether it's true or false. I don't know -- not my business!!" Green said Tuesday on his podcast. "But point being, it's not yours either!!"

"Like y'all are so thirsty to know what's going on in someone's life that THAT becomes the thing?!"

The 4-time NBA champ continued to rip those spreading rumors without evidence -- calling them insane and disgusting for investigating Wiggins' personal life.

"That's insane!! That's nuts!! The fact that people are so nosy and so consumed on what someone else do in their life, not basketball, in their life that THAT is the story ... with no confirmation of nothing?! Sometimes people disgust me," the 33-year-old said.

"I don't think it matters for the world to ever know if it is [true] or isn't."

Wiggins has yet to respond to any of the gossip ... but his girlfriend, Mychal Johnson, recently tweeted, "Literally the farthest thing from the truth. It’s sad y’all even doing this."