TMZ Sports - Page 50

Amazing news ... White Sox star pitcher Liam Hendriks has just finished his cancer treatments -- and to celebrate, he rang the victory bell!!

The Chicago closer shared video of the momentous occasion on his social media page on Wednesday afternoon ... and it's awesome.

You can see the three-time All-Star rang the bell with glee ... after he finished up a grueling five months of treatment following his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosis.

"You never think you will be the one who hears 'you have cancer' but there I was... in shock and fear not knowing what comes next," the 34-year-old said in a caption on the video.

"These past 5 months have been both the quickest and slowest of my life. Being able to ring this victory bell has been one of the most emotional things I've ever done."

Hendriks said he needed treatment every 28 days since January to try to eradicate the disease ... and he thanked his wife, Kristi, for being at his side at "every single appointment."

"You held my hand every step of the way," he wrote in a message to her. "You were my voice of confidence and always made sure I felt loved and safe throughout it all. I love you."

Hendriks also thanked his fans for their support on his journey as well.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart.💚," he said.

If NFL general managers can't get a blockbuster trade to go through ... maybe some pretty rocks and colored gems can?!

Seems Aaron Rodgers is hoping that's the truth ... because as the Packers and Jets continue to struggle to complete a trade for the star quarterback -- he hit a rock store near Los Angeles to shop for some healing crystals that many believe could help turn talks around.

The 39-year-old was seen out at Topanga Rocks in Topanga, CA on Wednesday afternoon -- browsing through their crystal selection as he remains hopeful that he can be dealt from Green Bay to New York this offseason.

He was seen leaving the store with a small bag -- but it's unclear what was purchased.

Of course, in the spiritual world, there are several crystals that people think could help facilitate a Packers-Jets swap ... including citrine, which is thought to bring luck to its owner. Or, maybe he was simply just hunting for a stone that could help him deal with the anxiety of the uncertainty of it all.

Either way, Rodgers doesn't seem to be sweating things too much -- he was spotted out a coffee shop enjoying a drink with actor Jonathan Tucker just before making the pit stop at the rock shop ... and appeared to be doing just fine.

The Packers and Jets, meanwhile, are still haggling over what's a fair price for Rodgers ... but now that the spirits have potentially made their way into the conversation -- maybe that changes soon???

A lifelong Chicago Blackhawks fan received a surprise Tuesday night ... the team gifted her a hockey puck and stick before the game started, in honor of it being her first-ever NHL game, and the awesome gestures brought the fan to tears.

The Blackhawks posted a video on TikTok, explaining several players noticed the woman, who has been a fan of the team since she was 4, holding a sign during warmups that read ... "63 years. Fan 1st time seeing live."

NHL vet and former 1st-round pick Connor Murphy was one of the players who took notice of the woman, so he tossed her a puck. He also gave the fan his stick, too.

The woman -- wearing a Blackhawks white road jersey -- was visibly overwhelmed by the gesture ... and seemed incredibly thankful Murphy hooked her up with the gifts.

LeBron James tried his hardest to keep a straight face while his teammates serenaded him with goat noises during his postgame interview after L.A.'s OT thriller -- but eventually, the King caved and cracked a smile at the flattering gesture.

James and the Lakers defeated the Jazz, 135-133, in an overtime thriller at Vivint Arena -- and as reporters asked him about the game, Bron's teammates, led by DeAngelo Russell, went out of their way to show how grateful they were for his performance Tuesday night.

ICYMI, the Lakers blew a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter. Still, LeBron had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation, but missed a contested layup ... a shot he makes 9 out of 10 times.

James avenged his late-game miss in overtime -- with Demi Lovato and Lindsey Vonn in the building -- scoring the deciding basket by powering his way to the hoop, this time making the layup, and propelling the Lakers to victory.

Bron finished the contest with 37 points, six assists, and five rebounds and said ... "I had to redeem myself at the end of regulation," adding, "I smoked a layup."

Although James seemed flattered by the goat noises from his teammates, the 4x NBA champ knows the Lakers still have work to do if they want to make a playoff run, saying, "I got to stay focused. I'm locked in."

The Lakers (41-38) play the Clippers (41-38) at Crypto.com Arena Wednesday night.

Warriors fans were thrilled to see Andrew Wiggins make it back to the Golden State bench on Tuesday night -- giving the guy a standing ovation that was so loud, it brought a huge smile to the star's face.

The 28-year-old had been away from the team since February while dealing with a family issue -- and while he said things weren't entirely resolved back at home yet, he felt it was at least "in a safe place where I can come back."

And, nobody was more thrilled to see it than those in the Bay Area -- who showered him with cheers and applause during the Warriors vs. Thunder game at Chase Center.

Wiggins did not play in the contest -- Dubs GM Bob Myers said they want to make sure his conditioning is right before he steps back on the court -- but the forward told media members he didn't think it'd be "too long before" he's back out there.

As for the absence, Wiggins declined to get into specifics of it all ... saying, "I'd rather just keep that private."

Wiggins, though, told media members he felt love from his teammates throughout his extended time away from the team, and he was super happy to be back.

Dana White's adamant Leon Edwards' next fight will be against Colby Covington ... but Jorge Masvidal isn't quite so sure, telling us he believes he can change the UFC honcho's mind with a win over Gilbert Burns, and snatch the fight from "cop-calling charlatan bitch ass Cupcake Covington."

"100% [I can jump Colby]. I feel it in my heart, I see it in my mind," 38-year-old Masvidal told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weeknights on FS1).

"UFC, at the end of the day is a pay-per-view selling business, and Colby's bitch ass has never sold over 300,000 pay-per-views except when it was against me. What are him and Leon gonna do?"

31-year-old Edwards defeated Kamaru Usman last month, retaining the welterweight title. Following the fight, White told reporters Covington was next in line, to the chagrin of some fans who were really hoping to see Masvidal vs. Edwards.

Of course, Jorge and Leon have serious beef -- er, chicken -- which came to a head in the UK in 2019, when the two men were involved in a backstage altercation after Edwards yelled something at Masvidal as he was being interviewed backstage after beating Darren Till.

Gamebred didn't take kindly to what Rocky said, so he served him up a "3-piece and a soda."

First, Masvidal has to beat fellow contender, Durinho Burns, the 5th-ranked fighter in the division, at UFC 287 on Saturday ... a fight Jorge believes suits his style.

"In the Gilbert fight, I don't have a standout wrestler conditioning freak like that where he can just continue to go for takedown after takedown. He doesn't have that, he's never shown that," Masvidal said.

"And on the standup, yeah, he throws hard, but he doesn't understand the sweet science. He doesn't understand setups. He doesn't understand distance, timing, fakes, things like that. From a technical standpoint, I think this is a great match for me. I just have to show up, put my hard hat on, put my mouthpiece on, and get to work and just put the holes in this guy's face."

When Jorge and Gilbert step into the Octagon, they'll be doing it at Miami-Dade Arena in Masvidal's hometown of Miami, where Gamebred, just a kid, grew up fighting older and bigger dudes in backyards and in the streets.

Masvidal reps MIA heavy to this day ... and the card is especially important to him because as a kid, he told a friend he'd bring a big UFC card back to South Florida one day, and now he has.

"I looked over to my friend who I was with and I told him 'One day I'll bring a show over here to Miami.' It took 20 years but now we're in this bitch!"

And, Jorge says the city couldn't be happier or more grateful.

Before this flexible kiddo was hittin' the splits at the Olympics and one to reckon with in the fashion industry, she was just flippin' around Dallas, Texas with big dreams of becoming Olympic champ one day!

Following in the footsteps of her parents, both world-class gymnasts, this blondie tied her hair back, threw on her favorite pink leotard and owned the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Today, she enjoys all things fashion, being a social media influencer and working on various business ventures.

Need one more clue? Just ask her bestie and fellow Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson.

Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku's representation is demanding an apology and calling for punishment after Juventus fans appeared to hurl racist chants at the star striker during a soccer match on Tuesday.

The alleged incident happened after Lukaku scored a late penalty shot to tie it up at 1-1 against Juventus in the Coppa Italia semi-final at Allianz Stadium in Turin.

While the 29-year-old was celebrating by taunting Juventus fans with a "be quiet" hand gesture -- which got him a second yellow card -- they made "monkey" noises towards Lukaku ... something Romelu's reps claim was happening all match.

The alleged chants were caught on video ... and you can see upset fans making noise toward the field.

Michael Yormark, president of Roc Nation Sports International which represents Lukaku, released a statement ... saying the incident was "beyond despicable and cannot be accepted"

"Romelu scored a penalty late in the game. Before, during, and after the penalty, he was subjected to hostile and disgusting racist abuse. Romelu celebrated in the same manner he has previously celebrated goals."

Yormark adds that Lukaku deserves an apology from Juventus and the league should condemn those who yelled the racist chants.

"The Italian authorities must use this opportunity to tackle racism, rather than punish the victim of the abuse. I am certain that the footballing world shares the same sentiment."

Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder is saying thanks, but no thanks to Jill Biden welcoming the Hawkeyes to the White House ... saying LSU should be the only team visiting because they're the champs.

Bluder dropped the friendly RSVP to Biden's suggestion on Tuesday ... tweeting, "I gratefully acknowledge the First Lady’s sentiments, but a day at the White House should belong solely to the champion, LSU and Coach Mulkey."

The 3-time Big Ten Coach of the Year then flipped the script ... saying the Bidens should jump on Air Force One and visit them instead!!!

"We would welcome the First Lady and President to come to Iowa’s 'House' – Carver Hawkeye Arena — any time!"

Of course, FLOTUS's proposal caused a lot of commotion since the whole point of teams visiting the WH is that they're the winners.

Biden's Press Secretary later clarified her words ... saying FLOTUS made the suggestion to admire "how far women have advanced in sports since the passing of Title IX."

LSU's Angel Reese wasn't buying the explanation ... and believes her team wouldn't be receiving the same treatment if they lost to Iowa.

"I just know if the roles were reversed, it wouldn't be the same," Reese said on I Am Athlete. "If we were to lose, we would not be getting invited to the White House."

The star forward is unsure if she'll go to the White House to celebrate LSU women's first-ever title ... but President Joe Biden says he looks forward to meeting them and UConn, who won the men's NCAA championship on Monday.

Andrew Dodson -- a high school football player in Kentucky -- has tragically died ... after he suffered a head injury during a routine tackle in an intrasquad scrimmage last week.

The boy's father, Alan Dodson, told the Lexington Herald-Leader his son was running the ball in the Pulaski County varsity football spring Maroon and White game on Friday ... when his teammate tackled him and he landed on his head.

Alan said there was nothing illegal or violent about the hit ... but because of the way Andrew fell, he suffered a serious brain injury.

"He had a major surgery to relieve the pressure and has never awakened," said Alan, who added that his son was wearing a helmet during the collision. "He has been fighting for his life on total life support."

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association confirmed on Monday the boy had passed away due to the injury.

"Today, we all mourn with his family, friends, teammates, and the entire KHSAA family, the loss of this young man," the KHSAA said in a Facebook post.

"No words can explain, justify or rationalize tragedies such as these. We only ask for peace and comfort to all around him."

Andrew was reportedly in his junior season ... playing both tight end and defensive end.

Univ. of Kentucky football head coach Mark Stoops expressed sorrow over Andrew's passing ... writing in a tweet on Monday, "We are heartbroken by this tragedy and are deeply sorry for your loss."

Finn Balor needed 14 staples to close the huge head gash he suffered during his Hell in a Cell match with Edge at WrestleMania 39 ... and if you didn't believe it, the WWE Superstar is providing the gnarly photographic evidence.

Balor posted pics of the staples he received following his brutal match with the Rated R superstar ... and the images of all his injuries are not for the faint of heart.

Remember ... Edge threw a ladder at Finn during their match on Sunday, causing the Demon King to bleed profusely from his head -- and the contest to be temporarily stopped.

WWE referees and medical staff tended to Finn immediately ... but the damage was already done, and Balor's body marks just go to show how physical his match was.

Balor and Edge have been engulfed in a rivalry for a while ... and you can tell by the level of physicality each Superstar was out to prove something to the other.

Finn's head wasn't the only part of his body affected at WrestleMania ... Edge hit Balor with several kendo sticks multiple times throughout the night, leaving his back bruised.

It wasn't all one-sided -- Finn had his fair share of moments against Edge, most notably when he put him through a table and delivered his signature Coup de Grace finisher.

In the end, it didn't matter -- Edge pinned Balor after finishing him off with his famous ConChairTo, but Finn earned the respect of many WWE fans for his gutsy performance.

Angel Reese has an unlikely ally ... Iowa star Caitlin Clark is coming to the defense of the newly crowned NCAA champ, straight up saying "I don't think there should be any criticism for what she did."

Of course, 21-year-old Clark found herself at the center of the biggest sports story in the country on Monday, after 20-year-old Reese threw up John Cena's famed "You Can't See Me" celly right in CC's face during the waning seconds of Sunday's women's national championship game.

Reese was instantly attacked online, with many people calling her actions unsportsmanlike. Defenders of Angel pointed to Caitlin's use of the Cena celebration during the very same NCAA tourney. Clark's defenders pointed out she didn't do it in her opponent's face. And, the debate raged on.

But, now Clark is weighing in ... and hopefully putting an end to the debate -- was Angel right or wrong.

"I think the biggest thing is we're all competitive. We all show our emotions in a different way. Angel is a tremendous, tremendous player. I have nothing but respect for her. I love her game, the way she rebounds the ball, scores the ball is absolutely incredible. I'm a big fan of her and even the entire LSU team," Clark said during an interview with ESPN.

"Like I said, they played an amazing game so I don't think there should be any criticism for what she did. I honestly didn't see it when the game was going on and like I said, I haven't been on social media really at all."

FYI, despite the criticism (there was also a bunch of support), after the game, Reese made it clear she wasn't going to apologize.

Caitlin also addressed Jill Biden's recent comments, where she remarked she'd tell her husband, President Joe Biden to invite the losing Iowa team because "they played such a good game."

FLOTUS was destroyed for the comment ... as it's customary for the winner of a championship, never the loser, to head to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave for some face time with the prez.

"I don't think runner-ups usually go to the White House. I think LSU should, you know, enjoy that moment for them."

So, debate settled??? Probably not.

We covered it all in a recent episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms!

Jarryd Hayne -- a former NFL running back and professional Australian rugby league footballer -- has reportedly been convicted of rape after standing trial for a third time.

According to BBC News, Hayne, who starred as a winger for the Parramatta Eels of Australia's NRL, was found guilty ... after being accused of performing non-consensual sexual acts on a woman at her Newcastle home in Australia in 2018.

The prosecution argued that the woman told Hayne she did not want to have sex with him after she realized a taxi was waiting for her outside.

35-year-old Hayne and his legal team, however, insisted their encounter was consensual.

In 2020, Hayne's first trial in the case resulted in a hung jury. Hayne was then convicted in 2021 and sentenced to five years and nine months in prison, but he appealed, and a three-panel judge ordered a new trial.

A sentencing date has not yet been revealed.

Hayne transitioned from the NRL to the NFL in 2015 ... where he spent one season with the San Francisco 49ers, rushing for 52 yards on 17 carries in eight games.

While Jarryd was playing for the 49ers ... police investigated another accusation of sexual assault but ultimately did not charge Hayne with any crime.

The woman claimed she had been heavily intoxicated during their alleged encounter ... and filed a lawsuit against Hayne in 2017.

Joey Chestnut gave the whole Detroit Pistons squad a front-row seat to a grub-guzzling extravaganza this week -- downing 38 chicken wings in just over three minutes -- and the players couldn't believe their eyes!!

The greatest eater of all time is slated to be the halftime entertainment when the Pistons host the Miami Heat on Tuesday ... where he'll down as many Coney dogs as he can to raise money for Forgotten Harvest, an org. that helps feed the needy.

Apparently, Jaws needed to warm up his jaws before the big moment ... getting in some practice by showing Pistons hoopers how many wings he could eat in three minutes and 13 seconds (get it, 313?).

Guard Jared Rhoden was starstruck over Joey's visit ... saying he's been a big fan for years.

Center James Wiseman didn't have to say much to get his feelings across -- his eyes grew massive as Joey wrecked some drums and flats.

The Pistons even cheered for the guy ... chanting "Joey, Joey!" while the pile of bones grew bigger.

3:13 later, Joey's total was officially announced ... and he hilariously replied, "That's it?!?!"

After the incredible feat, the team got to take some pics with Joey ... and they were all super pumped over what they just saw.

The LSU women's hoop team thoroughly beat Iowa and are NCAA champs, but Jill Biden says she wants BOTH squads to come to the White House ... a notion Tigers star Angel Reese finds very funny!

FLOTUS made the awkward suggestion on Monday at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver ... a day after watching in person LSU win the NCAA tourney against Iowa at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

"I know we’ll have the champions come to the White House, we always do," Biden said.

"So, we hope LSU will come. But, you know, I’m going to tell Joe I think Iowa should come, too, because they played such a good game.”

Obviously, the idea's ridiculous. The winner goes to the White House, not the loser. The idea left Reese laughing.

"🤣🤣 A JOKE," the Tigers forward tweeted.

In fact, there was a suggestion Reese retweeted ... the Tigers hoops team should go to former First Lady Michelle Obama's house instead.

Of course, all this comes on the heels of another controversy that directly involved Reese. She got a ton of blowback (and an equal amount of support from stars like Shaq) for taunting Iowa star Caitlin Clark with John Cena's famed "You Can't See Me" gesture as the title game ended this weekend.

We asked the White House if an official invite had been made to Iowa. So far, no word back. We also reached out to Iowa to see if they'll accept an invite, should it actually come.

We covered it all in a recent episode of The TMZ Podcast.

Former Ohio State star Darron Lee -- who was picked by the Jets in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft -- was arrested Monday ... after he was accused of beating the hell out of both his mom and the mother of his child.

The disturbing allegations are all spelled out in court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports.

According to the docs, police were called out to a residence in Dublin, Ohio at around 5:30 PM on Monday after the mother of Lee's 2-year-old son, Lindsey McGlone, said Lee had attacked his mom, Candice Lee, at the home.

McGlone claimed she was downstairs in the kitchen when she heard Candice yelling at the top of the stairs. She said when she ran up, she saw Candice "lying on her back with Mr. Lee overtop of her with a raised fist."

In the docs, cops say Candice told them she had shown up to the residence after McGlone told her she wasn't feeling safe around Darron. According to cops, Candice said she went upstairs, found Darron lying on the floor of a bedroom, and told him he needed to leave.

That's when she claims the former football player snapped, began yelling at her, and then grabbed her by her shirt and pushed her into a wall twice. Candice said Darron then threw her to the ground and punched her in the face and the back of her head repeatedly. She claimed Darron also pulled her hair. She said it was all broken up when McGlone ran upstairs and pulled Darron off of her.

According to the docs, police said Candice had swelling injuries on her left cheek -- as well as head pain. She was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

Following the incident, cops say McGlone then accused Darron of being violent with her on a different occasion back in 2022.

She said it all happened on Oct. 17, when Darron believed McGlone was cheating on him. In the docs, cops say McGlone told them Darron got on top of her while she was in bed, and said "that he would kill her and their child." She then claimed he punched the pillow next to her head multiple time,s before he squeezed her throat.

Police say the woman said when Darron eventually got off of her, he grabbed her phone and threw it at a wall. McGlone said it bounced and struck her in the head, causing her ear to bleed.

According to the docs, she said that she then went downstairs -- but Darron followed her, and continued his attack. McGlone claimed Darron grabbed her by her neck, lifted her up, swung her around and then dropped her onto the ground. She told cops she was eventually able to grab the couple's child and leave before things escalated further.

For his part, Darron -- according to the documents -- told cops McGlone had struck him in the face during the altercation. He also denied ever throwing anything at her or putting his hands on her neck.

Cops, though, said they observed photographs of McGlone's injuries as well as pictures of her broken phone and a journal entry she had written on that date.

Darron was ultimately arrested ... and court records show he was hit with four separate charges -- two counts of misdemeanor domestic violence and two counts of misdemeanor assault.

Jail records show as of Tuesday morning, the 28-year-old was still behind bars.

Darron starred at Ohio State from 2013 to 2015 ... and was such a touted linebacker prospect, the NY Jets selected with the No. 20 overall pick in '16. He played three seasons with the team, before he was traded to the Chiefs, where he helped the KC win Super Bowl LIV.