TMZ Sports - Page 50

It's out with the old and in with the new for NFL star D.J. Moore ... and we're not just talking his next team -- he upgraded his jewelry, too!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the former Carolina receiver -- who just got shipped to Chicago as part of the Panthers' acquisition of the first overall pick in the 2023 Draft -- decided to give a shiny shout-out to his new squad ... by getting some bling that matches the Bears' colors.

We're told Moore hit up Al The Jeweler from Labelle Jewelry in Totowa, NJ for the job ... and he came up with some seriously high-quality pieces that have him pretty stoked!!

Moore is now the new owner of a chain decked out in orange sapphires and VS white diamonds ... and a matching Cartier watch!!

Of course, Al has done work for a ton of NFL guys in the past -- including Stefon Diggs, Sauce Gardner and more.

Next on the tee ... John Smoltz?!?

The MLB legend is hoping to hear that a whole lot at PGA TOUR Champions events in the very near future ... telling TMZ Sports he wants to compete on the senior golf circuit as soon as he gets his ailing hip surgically repaired.

The 55-year-old didn't mince words when talking about his golf goals with us earlier this year ... explaining that the first time he tried to find success on the PGA Tour Champions, he was just simply too hurt to make a real run.

Now, though, he says he's already got one of his hips redone -- and he's hoping when he gets the other one fixed ... it could lead to serious success.

"I've got a new hip, I've got one more hip to do, and then after that," he said, "I want to see what my competitive juices take me to."

Hip pain or not, Smoltz is already considered one of the best celeb golfers on the planet. The former Atlanta Braves closer has competed alongside pros regularly ... and won before.

In fact, Tiger Woods said just a few months ago that Smoltz and Tony Romo were the two best non-pros he's played with.

If John doesn't get healthy enough to compete on the PGA TOUR Champions ... he tells us, don't worry, he'll still find some way to get into competitive tourneys.

WrestleMania 39 is over ... but Dolph Ziggler is already eyeing a spot on next year's card, telling TMZ Sports he's down to fight UFC star Conor McGregor on "The Grandest Stage of Them All" at WrestleMania.

We spoke to Dolph -- whose last WrestleMania match was in 2020 against Otis -- out in Beverly Hills recently ... and the former WWE Intercontinental Champion is already imagining what a feud with McGregor looks like on the heels of the WWE and UFC merger.

"Why not make it a best of 3?" Ziggler asked. "Octagon. Boxing match. Wrestling. Fighting. WWE. And then set it all up for the best out of seven at WrestleMania."

"That's just where the money is, but not everybody can go and back it up. But some of us can," said Ziggler, the 2012 men's Money in the Bank ladder match winner.

ICYMI -- McGregor posted a pic of him holding a WWE and UFC championship belt with the hashtag, "It's inevitable," one day before WWE sold to UFC's parent company, Endeavor.

After Vince McMahon announced he sold WWE and joined forces with UFC to create a new $21 billion sports company ... Ziggler wasted no time going after The Notorious.

"ABSOLUTELY AMAZING #WrestleMania PS: If I can drop 45 more pounds, I can drop anyone talking trash! seems even easier to get the deal done now, right @TheNotoriousMMA," Ziggler tweeted.

So, will we see Ziggler vs. McGregor at WrestleMania 40 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia next April?!?

Daniel Snyder needed to sell the Commanders ... so says the team's former star running back Brian Mitchell, who tells us former Washington players, him included, are thrilled the embroiled owner is finally selling the organization.

"When Dan [Snyder] came along, he had this mindset where, yeah, he needed us when he needed us, but he didn't want to have us around a lot," Brian, who was at a "Bye Dan" event celebrating the sale, told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

Even more so than the former players, Mitchell, a former All-Pro, says Commanders fans wanted Synder out, adding he hasn't heard a single person voice support for the 58-year-old owner, which speaks volumes to how people feel about him.

"I think a lot of fans are happy because they just wanted to get rid of him," Mitchell said. "You get to a point where you just don't think you can have success with a certain person, and it got to that point."

The Super Bowl champion said Washington went from a storied franchise to the laughing stock of the NFL under Snyder's tutelage and felt "something needed to change" for the fans and players to have some pride in the team again.

Mitchell -- who spent ten seasons with Washington -- recalled how the organization painted him to be a problem child and never hesitated to let him go ... a standard BM feels should also be applied to ownership.

Of course, DS' reign was plagued by scandal ... that got so bad Congress opened an investigation into the inner workings of the org.

Synder purchased the franchise in 1999 (for less than $800 mil), but after 24 years and a massive $6.05 billion bid from an ownership group featuring NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, 76ers owner Josh Harris, and billionaire Mitchell Rales, Snyder's tenure is coming to an end.

Alexi Lalas is heaping a ton of praise (and perhaps a little pressure) on the U.S. Women's National Team as they close in on a chance to make history at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup this summer ... telling TMZ Sports they'd arguably be the greatest team of all-time if they secure a historic third straight win!

The U.S. soccer legend and great FOX Sports analyst told us the USWNT is already in rarified air with their 4 World Cup titles (1991, 1999, 2015, and 2019), but winning 3 in a row, which has never been done before, "would certainly put them in the conversation of the greatest team ever."

Lalas likes the USWNT's chances in the event -- which features 32 teams (eight more than in 2019) -- and will be held in Australia and New Zealand, but says other countries are looking to "spoil the party," so winning it all won't be an easy task.

"The rest of the world has started to catch up," Lalas said. "They are putting more resources in. That's a good thing. Competition is a good thing. You have the likes of England, France, and Germany and our friends up to the north, Canada, and the Netherlands.

"Yes, we want to win every single game," Lalas said. "Yes, we want to win more World Cups, but we want it to be competitive. I want the U.S. to win, but I might want England not to win it even more. Anybody but England winning, I'll be cool with."

Despite the competition gap closing, Lalas believes USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski has enough to win it all because of stars like Alyssa Thompson, Dennis Rodman's daughter, Trinity Rodman, and Julie Ertz, who happens to be married to NFL tight end Zach Ertz.

FYI, the U.S. are slight favorites to win the whole tourney.

Tuesday marked the 100-day countdown to the world's biggest soccer tournament, airing on FOX Sports and FS1.

Biaggio Ali Walsh just picked up his third straight 1st-round knockout win, but despite his recent dominating performances, Muhammad Ali's grandson says he isn't ready to turn professional.

"Honestly, I don't think I'm that close. I think I need at least two or three more good wins under my belt and then I think I'll be ready to go pro," Biaggo told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays FS1).

24-year-old Ali Walsh fought last Friday at PFL 2 (Professional Fighters League) ... where he dispatched Isaiah Figueroa in only 1 minute and 42 seconds, winning by TKO.

Considering how long his fight before went, Biaggio took forever ... in November, he knocked out Tom Graesser in 45 seconds.

Many fans assumed BAW would go pro after his latest contest, but that's clearly not going to be the case.

"I do know that, before I do turn pro, my last two fights I would like to have a very good challenge, you know, maybe go to war where both of us are just bleeding to the pulp and black eyes, and cuts and bruises, whatever."

"I wanna go through at least one or two wars before I'm ready to go pro."

Biaggio is new to the sport. He's only trained for a couple of years ... and has a 3-1 record. Ali Walsh lost his first fight by submission but hasn't looked back since.

"I haven't been through like a bloody back-and-forth war yet and that's what fighting is about. I have a theory where some of the best fighters can also take the most damage. You watch guys like Max Holloway, these are guys that can just eat shots and keep coming forward."

Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan are madly in love ... and a lot of people are wondering how Scottie feels about his ex-wife dating his nemesis' son -- so TMZ Sports went straight to the source and asked the Bulls legend all about it.

And he said nothing!!!!!

The Hall of Famer was leaving Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills earlier this week ... and naturally, we brought up the hot couple's relationship and whether he was cool with all of it.

Pippen didn't entertain the question ... he just hopped in his Tesla and drove off.

Before he left, we also asked about another thing that had Scottie in the headlines recently -- Larsa revealing how much sex they used to have during an episode of "Real Housewives" -- but he wasn't too interested in opening up on that, either.

Even though he didn't talk, what we do know is that Larsa and Marcus can't get enough of each other -- as we reported earlier this week, they were super mushy as they hung out on a boat in Miami.

The celebrity jeweler who's suing Antonio Brown over $1 million worth of diamonds that he says the NFL star took from him tells TMZ Sports everything would be forgiven if AB would just send the stuff back.

Shuki International opened up to us on Thursday out in Los Angeles about the lawsuit he filed against the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver this week ... and he explained he has absolutely no bad blood with the 34-year-old at all.

In fact, he told us he still loves the guy, considers him a great friend ... and plans on hitting a rap stage with him soon.

But, Shuki says AB has really put him in a bind over some of the diamonds he lent him back in 2022 ... and now, he wants Brown to either pay him for them or return 'em.

"This is just a wakeup call," Shuki said of the lawsuit against Brown. "Call me. Bring back the baby."

According to Shuki's lawsuit, the jeweler gave several items to Brown last year -- including two diamond fingers that he said were worth $500K apiece.

Shuki told us on Thursday that when he handed them over to Brown ... he expected the former football player to wear them for a little bit before giving them back so Shuki could ultimately sell them.

The jeweler, though, said when he recently tried to get Brown to return them ... the dude straight-up ghosted him.

Now, Shuki -- who's designed pieces for many high-profile clients, including Floyd Mayweather -- is pleading with Brown to get in contact with him so they can resolve everything.

"He's just got to rotate the jewelry," Shuki said. "You cannot just hold it, you know what I mean? It's mine. I gotta look good."

Shawn Kemp has been charged with first-degree assault ... a charge stemming from that March parking lot altercation where the NBA legend was seen shooting a gun.

The case had been in limbo until this week. Authorities in Washington initially arrested the SuperSonics legend, before deciding they needed more time to investigate. All the while 53-year-old Kemp claimed he acted in self-defense, saying his actions were "reasonable and legally justified."

Unfortunately for Shawn, that's not the way prosecutors ultimately saw it, and they've now hit him with a first-degree assault charge. If convicted, the charge can carry a life sentence.

We broke the story last month, Kemp -- wearing a red vest -- approached a vehicle and pointed his gun, appearing to yell something before firing at least one shot outside a Tacoma, Washington shopping mall around 2:00 PM on March 8.

Kemp claimed he was simply trying to locate his phone, which was previously stolen, when things took a violent turn, and he was forced to defend himself.

Fortunately, no one was injured.

At the time of the confrontation, witnesses told us they heard multiple gunshots before pulling their phones out to record the incident, suggesting SK wasn't the only person shooting.

Moments later, the video also seemingly captured Shawn dumping his firearm in a bush.

Witness footage also showed police locating the weapon minutes later.

Now, barring a plea, Kemp's going to have to fight for his freedom in front of a judge ... and fight is exactly what his attorney says he's going to do, saying he'll plead not guilty to the charge.

Three weeks after being diagnosed with cancer, NFL tight end Foster Moreau says he believes he'll beat the disease, and hopes his story will inspire people to prioritize their health.

Moreau provided an update on his condition Friday on "Good Morning America" ... after he was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma, a type of cancer that attacks the body's immune system, following a physical with the New Orleans Saints in March.

“It’s at stage 2, so it’s spread from the initial location," Moreau said on GMA. "But, it appears to be a slow spread, and we should be able to get rid of all of it."

The former 4th round pick also had a message for viewers ... "To anyone who doesn’t want to get a checkup, afraid to see your doctor, afraid to take whatever test you’ve gotta take, it’s not gonna change the outcome, right? It’s better to know."

Moreau previously described his diagnosis as "life-changing," but is attacking the cancer much like he did preparing to play football, with purpose and intensity.

“There’s no other way to look at it, right?" Moreau asked. "So, I’m preparing for my opponent, right? Hodgkin’s lymphoma, chemotherapy, I’m preparing for being on an IV, for six, seven, eight hours."

Odell Beckham Jr.'s on a roll ... days after securing a lucrative one-year contract with the Ravens, a judge denied Nike's request to dismiss OBJ's lawsuit against the sportswear giant, ruling the case can go forward.

Nike initially filed docs claiming there were no grounds for the case and asked a judge to throw out the suit on February 28. After reviewing the motion, a circuit court judge in Multnomah County, Oregon (where Nike's headquartered) denied the motion to dismiss, according to court records.

Of course, it doesn't mean OBJ has won the case. A defendant asking the court to throw out a lawsuit is pretty standard, and it's a difficult motion to win, but the bottom line is it's a win for the star WR.

We broke the story in November ... 30-year-old Odell accused the Swoosh of screwing him out of millions of dollars by suppressing shoe sales that would've triggered an automatic lucrative contract extension.

Beckham Jr. also said Nike withheld money he was rightfully owed for what they deemed footwear and glove violations (customizing Nike products).

At the time he filed the lawsuit, Odell issued a statement to us, reading in part ... "Unfortunately, Nike did not honor its commitments. Throughout our partnership, I have kept my promise and fulfilled my obligations to the brand. I am extremely disappointed that I’ve had to take these measures to ensure Nike fulfills their obligations and promises."

Beckham Jr. continued ... "Today, I'm taking a stand not just for me, but to set a precedent for all athletes who have dedicated their life to the sport they love – especially those who don't have the means to stand up for themselves. We are held responsible for fulfilling our obligations under our contracts, but we also have to hold powerful companies like Nike accountable for honoring their commitments too."

All told the Pro Bowler says Nike shorted him around $20 million ... and Odell wants his cash, and now it looks like his attorneys will get their day in court.

On the field, Odell is the newest member of the Baltimore Ravens, signing a contract worth between $15 and $18 million earlier this week.

Mikey Williams, one of the country's best and highest-paid high school hoops stars, was reportedly arrested in San Diego on Thursday on multiple felony assault charges.

Police say an 18-year-old matching Williams' name, birthday, and description was booked into San Diego County Jail just before 3:30 PM, according to NBC San Diego. The outlet reports MW was arrested on 5 felony counts of assault with a firearm.

The alleged incident happened Thursday afternoon in Jamul, a suburb of San Diego, where Mikey bought a 3,700-square-foot home last summer.

We're told Williams was released late Thursday night after posting $50K bail.

Williams -- the 34th-ranked player in the class of 2023 according to ESPN -- is a 4-star recruit out of San Ysidro High School.

He scored a career-high 77 points, including nine 3-pointers, in 2019 and led the Cougars to the CIF-SDS Division III title win in 2020.

Mikey transferred to Lake Norman Christian School in North Carolina for his sophomore and junior years before returning to San Ysidro last year, where he averaged nearly 24 points and more than nine assists in his final season as a high schooler.

Williams' squad lost in the semifinals of the CIF Open Division playoffs.

Aside from being one of the top players on the court, he's among the highest earners off the hardwood ... raking in millions in Name, Imagine, and Likeness deals.

The 6'2" guard received offers from several top colleges but committed to Penny Hardaway's Memphis program last November. He's expected to be a big part of the Tigers team next season ... though the arrest could throw a wrench in their plans.

NBA star Miles Bridges has been suspended 30 games by the NBA ... for a domestic violence incident involving the mother of his kids last summer.

But, because 25-year-old Bridges missed the entire season (he was unsigned), the NBA has credited him with serving 20 games, meaning he only will have to sit out 10 more games next season.

"The incident occurred on June 27, 2022, in Los Angeles, after which Mr. Bridges was arrested and charged with multiple offenses."

"On November 3, 2022, Mr. Bridges entered a plea of no contest to a felony domestic violence charge and the remaining counts against him were dismissed," the league announced Friday afternoon.

Shortly after the incident, Mychelle Johnson claimed she suffered injuries to her face, arms, legs and back.

The NBA says they conducted their own investigation and conferred with D.V. experts, and that's how they arrived at the penalty.

"The 30-game suspension is based on all facts and circumstances of this matter and considers the conduct and its result, as well as the outcome of the criminal matter, among other factors."

Bridges was arrested on June 29 and ultimately charged with felony domestic violence ... and while he always maintained his innocence (Miles claims his ex has incessantly harassed him), he pleaded no contest to the charge in court.

The NBA star was sentenced to 3 years probation and 100 hours of community service, as well as requiring he take parenting classes.

Miles was the 12th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, after starring under Tom Izzo and Michigan State. Bridges has averaged 13.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists over the course of his career.

The Dallas Mavericks season may be over, but the team's still making headlines -- the NBA fined the organization $750K for resting several key players like Kyrie Irving vs. the Bulls in the second-to-last game of the season, with the league accusing the team of losing on purpose.

The league announced the hefty punishment Friday ... explaining the Mavs violated the league's player resting policy on April 7 in the game with Chicago to improve their chances of keeping their first-round draft pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

NBA executive VP Joe Dumars condemned Dallas for the move ... saying the team's actions "undermined the integrity of the sport," adding their actions "failed our fans and our league."

The Mavs were tied with the Bulls for the tenth-best lottery odds heading into the matchup ... and would have owed the Knicks their first-round pick if they beat Chicago, going back to terms agreed on during the Kristaps Porzingis trade.

The NBA launched an investigation after Dallas rested several key players -- Kyrie Irving, Christian Wood, and Tim Hardaway Jr. -- even with the team's play-in tournament hopes still alive. Luka Doncic played the first 12 minutes and 35 seconds but missed the rest of the game.

Dallas head coach Jason Kidd seemed to confirm the idea of resting their players in the crucial game came from upper management ... but said he agrees with his bosses' decision.

The short-handed Mavericks took Chicago down to the wire ... but ultimately lost their final two games, finishing the regular season with a disappointing 38-44 record after reaching the Western Conference Finals last season.

New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba made a young fan's night and future -- by gifting him not only the jersey off his back, but a law school scholarship!!

The heartwarming moment went down Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, where the Toronto Maple Leafs played the Rangers.

Garden of Dreams Foundation member Isaiah Márquez-Greene, who survived the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012 but lost his sister Ana in the horrific event, met Trouba, his favorite player, on the ice and got the #8 jersey as a gift.

26 people, mostly elementary school-age kids, were senselessly murdered by a 20-year-old man on December 14, 2012, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

"I've been a fan of you since Winnipeg [Jets]," Marquez-Greene told Trouba.

The hockey defenseman was flattered and signed the jersey for Isaiah ... but he had more in store for him.

"I know your story. I feel for you," Trouba said. "You're an amazing human."

That's when Trouba surprised Isaiah -- who wants to be a lawyer -- with a full scholarship!

"From the Garden of Dreams, this is a scholarship for law school! So you're gonna graduate from college, you're going to go to law school and you're gonna have no debt coming out of school."

Trouba even gave Isaiah his phone number to stay in touch so he gets his party invitation when he graduates.

"I want an invitation to when you graduate law school," Trouba said. "And I'm gonna check in with you when you go to college next year."

According to Márquez-Greene's mother, Nelba, the 18-year-old will be heading to UConn this fall.

Rudy Gobert says he apologized to his teammate, Kyle Anderson, for punching him earlier in the week during Minnesota's final game of the regular season  ... and says he has nothing but love for Kyle.

Gobert rejoined his team Thursday after the Timberwolves sent him home from the arena and suspended him for one game ... and Rudy told the media he and Anderson are both putting Sunday's incident behind them.

"We both apologized to each other, and you move on," Gobert said. "I still love Kyle. He's still my brother. I tell people, 'Sometimes you fight with your family. Sometimes you fight with people that you have a lot of love and respect for.'"

He continued ... "It's life. No one is perfect. Mistakes happen, and then you grow, and you move on."

Anderson echoed similar sentiments as Gobert did on Tuesday ... saying the two "hashed it out" and reminded people that grown men fighting "happens all the time in sports."

"We're teammates at the end of the day," Anderson said. "I don't want it to be a Kyle vs. Rudy thing. That's never the case. I always got my teammates' back, and we moved on."

Meanwhile, Gobert's status for Friday's elimination game against the Thunder remains uncertain as the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award winner deals with lingering back pain.