TMZ Sports - Page 50

Bryce Young is now officially the future in Carolina -- the Panthers just took the former Univ. of Alabama quarterback with the #1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft!!!

The 21-year-old shared a big embrace with Roger Goodell after the league's commish made the announcement ... and everyone in Carolina's war room could be seen smiling ear-to-ear on the draft's broadcast.

Of course, most expected this to happen ... Young had been the favorite to be the Panthers' selection for weeks -- but Carolina and its fans were thrilled over it all Thursday night nonetheless.

Young was certainly deserving of the pick ... in three seasons at Alabama, the signal-caller completed over 65 percent of his passes, threw 80 touchdowns to only 12 interceptions and had a 165.0 passer rating.

Young also won the 2020 CFB national championship under Coach Nick Saban ... while earning the 2021 Heisman Trophy.

Young set numerous records for the Crimson Tide too -- he threw for the most single-season passing yards (4,872) and the most single-season passing TDs (47) in Bama history.

The Panthers are now hoping Bryce can provide them some stability at the QB position ... as the team's struggled to find a consistent starter since Cam Newton initially left the team following the 2019 season.

Last year, Carolina rolled out a combination of Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and P.J. Walker -- but all three QBs struggled to succeed, and the Panthers missed the playoffs.

The 2023 NFL Draft is finally here ... and the biggest prospects are bringing their incredible fashion sense to Kansas City -- with some amazing 'fits and iced-out accessories!!

Texas Tech linebacker Tyree Wilson made quite the statement in a two-piece black suit ... which features a ton of blue and pink flowers splattered all over it.

The 22-year-old also paid homage to his school with the TT logo stitched inside the jacket!!

Boston College receiver Zay Flowers also had a custom jacket for his big night ... and honored his fam with photos inside the jacket. USC wideout Jordan Addison is bracing for his impending NFL money ... 'cause he got pictures of $100 bills stitched in his blazer.

Bryce Young -- who's projected to be the no. 1 overall pick to Carolina -- arrived with his parents and had on an expensive Dior jacket that might look familiar if you watched Travis Kelce's Saturday Night Live gig.

"You wait for this moment for so long and it's finally here," the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner said. "As a little kid, you know, you always dream of moments like this."

Some soon-to-be NFL rookies kept it simple and sweet ... like Alabama's Brian Branch, who wore an all-white fit, and Texas Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson, who elected to go all black.

Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba and C.J. Stroud looked sharp as hell, too ... especially thanks to their massive diamond chains.

Anthony Edwards' attorney is livid that prosecutors elected to hit the NBA superstar with assault charges this week ... saying the counts against his client are "baseless."

Harvey Steinberg, Edwards' rep, released a scathing statement on the matter on Thursday afternoon ... a day after the Timberwolves' guard was cited for tossing around a folding chair in the aftermath of Minnesota's loss to the Nuggets in Denver.

"With the game over," Steinberg said, "Anthony's exit from the court was partially obstructed by a chair, which he moved and set down three steps later."

"As video of the incident confirms, Anthony did not swing the chair at anyone and of course did not intend to hurt anyone."

The attorney added, "Anthony intends to vigorously defend against these baseless charges."

According to the Denver Police Dept., when Edwards picked up the chair and spun it in his arms, he struck two women with it. Cops say both suffered injuries.

Former Pro Bowl defensive back William Moore -- who played seven seasons for the Atlanta Falcons -- was arrested this week ... after he allegedly shot at a car while children were inside it.

According to the Gwinnett County Police Department, officers were called out to Alexander Park in Lawrenceville, Ga. at around 6 PM on Sunday ... following reports of a domestic dispute. Once they arrived, cops say a woman told them an unknown male, later identified as Moore, had shot at her car.

She also, according to police, said an unknown woman slashed her tire with a screwdriver during the incident as well.

The woman, police said, explained to officers that everything had started after her 9-year-old niece got into a tiff on the playground with Moore's young daughter.

According to police documents, the woman told police an angry Moore approached her and told her he was "going to get his niece to come and fight her" over the kids' altercation.

Police in the docs said the woman tried to leave in her car to avoid conflict ... but Moore blocked her in her parking spot with his vehicle. That's when cops say the unknown woman started puncturing her front left tire with a screwdriver.

Cops say the woman told them she tried to leave, but accidentally struck Moore's car ... and that's when she claims Moore shot at her ride while her niece and son were in the back seat.

According to the police report, the bullet struck the woman's driver's side door ... but thankfully, no one was injured.

The incident was apparently caught on video, and in the footage ... it looks like you can see Moore and a woman near the victim's car before a gunshot rings out.

Police said they later stopped a vehicle at the park matching the description of the suspect's car and detained Moore.

According to the Gwinnett County Sheriff's jail records, Moore was booked on two counts of aggravated assault, one count of felony criminal damage to property in the second degree, and one count of felony possession of a firearm or knife during the commission.

He's also being charged with two misdemeanor counts of cruelty to children in the third degree. His bond has been set at $21,700.

A pair of boxing gloves worn by Michael B. Jordan in his latest blockbuster, "Creed III," is up for auction ... and can be yours for the right price!!

SCP Auctions is offering a pair of cream-colored Grant boxing gloves worn by MBJ, who stars in the film as Adonis "Donnie" Creed, son of Apollo Creed, to the highest bidder.

The gloves show visible signs Jordan wore them while filming the latest installment in the Rocky-adjacent series ... which had huge success across the world. In fact, the movie grossed almost $156 million domestically and $116 million internationally, for a total of $272.1 million worldwide, according to box office figures.

Creed III tells the story of Adonis' childhood friend and former boxing prodigy Damian "Diamond Dame" Anderson, played by Jonathan Majors, resurfacing to fight Creed, according to IMDB.com.

Speaking of the embattled Majors ... a pair of boxing gloves he wore while filming Creed III is also up for auction with SCP.

The 10 oz. XL Grant gloves are black with gold and bronze accents, and their condition indicates they were used by Majors, whose character was the main antagonist in the film.

MBJ directed, produced, and starred in "Creed III" -- and if you didn't know already judging by the success of the movie, Creed IV's on the way!

The "f***ing c***" barb that ex-ESPN reporter Marly Rivera hurled at a female journalist earlier this month was captured on video ... and in the footage, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see it all went down right in front of Aaron Judge.

The incident -- which resulted in ESPN firing Rivera from her role as a national baseball reporter earlier this week -- happened on April 18 at Yankee Stadium ... just before New York took on the Los Angeles Angels in the Bronx.

According to the New York Post, Rivera had set up an interview with Judge ... but grew frustrated when freelance reporter Ivón Gaete showed up at the same time looking to speak with the Yankees superstar as well.

The video shows Rivera got so livid with Gaete -- who the Post reported had been at the stadium to cover Angels star Shohei Ohtani for Tokyo Broadcasting -- she began to raise her voice at the woman in Spanish ... as Judge signed autographs and posed for pics with fans just feet away.

At one point, Rivera rolled her eyes and called Gaete a "f***ing c***."

Gaete was clearly taken aback by the remark -- and asked a nearby camera person if they had caught it on video.

The two reporters then lingered around Judge for several moments. When he finally left the area, it seemed Rivera wanted to apologize ... but it didn't appear Gaete was willing to accept it.

ESPN said on Wednesday it had parted ways with Rivera following the encounter. Rivera, meanwhile, told the Post she fully accepted responsibility for her actions.

"There were extenuating circumstances but that in no way is an excuse for my actions," Rivera said. "I am a professional with a sterling reputation across baseball and I do believe that I am being singled out by a group of individuals with whom I have a long history of professional disagreements."

Rivera has since deleted her social media pages.

Lamar Jackson isn't going anywhere -- the superstar quarterback just agreed to a humongous 5-year, $260 million deal to remain with the Baltimore Ravens ... making him the highest-paid player in NFL history.

The team announced the news on Thursday ... saying they were FINALLY able to reach a number that would satisfy both sides after months of heated negotiation.

Of course, Jackson revealed back in March he had requested a trade out of Baltimore ... after the team placed a nonexclusive franchise tag on the former first-round pick.

At the time, Lamar claimed the Ravens were not "interested in meeting my value" ... but it's safe to say that's no longer the case.

The monster deal includes $185 million in total guaranteed money, according to reports.

Jackson shared his immediate reaction via the Ravens' Twitter account ... saying, "You know, for the last few months, there's been a lot of he say, she say. A lot of nail biting, a lot of head scratching going on."

"But for the next five years, there's a lot of flock going on. Let's go, baby!!"

Monica Aldama of "Cheer" fame and Navarro College where the series takes place, are being taken to court ... after one of their cheerleaders claims the program tried to sweep her sexual assault claims under the rug.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Navarro cheer squad member Madi Lane claims she was sexually assaulted during her first semester at the Texas college in 2021 in her own dorm room by team member Salvatore "Salvo" Amico.

Lane claims her roommate wanted to bring Amico back to their dorm room, and eventually went back to bed when her roommate, roommate's boyfriend, and Amico were all in the living room.

After some time, Lane claims her roommate and their boyfriend came into the bedroom, while Amico followed and got on Lane's bed and started taking off her clothes. She says she screamed at him to stop, but he kept going and inserted his fingers inside her.

Lane says she was eventually able to get him to stop, but when she brought it to her team's attention, she claims one of the "veteran" cheerleaders, Maddy Brum, told her, "You just need to drink it off and get your mind off it" and "We don't tell anyone. We just keep it to ourselves."

On top of that, Lane says she took her concerns to Coach Aldama, who allegedly told her, "Let's not make this a big deal. I want the best for you and I will help you cheer wherever you want." Lane claims, when she quit the team a few days later, Aldama told her, "If you keep quiet, I’ll make sure you can cheer anywhere you want."

WNBA superstar Brittney Griner was holding back tears as she met with media for the first time since her release from Russian prison ... giving a heartfelt interview as she reflected on her time behind bars.

The 32-year-old Phoenix Mercury center got behind the mic just minutes ago ... and her emotions got the best of her as she detailed her 10-month stay in a penal colony on drug-related charges.

Griner also acknowledged the massive crowd of reporters ... saying she hopes the league gets the same amount of coverage as her story did last year.

The WNBA champion said she would much rather go through the most grueling practices than ever go back to what she experienced in Russia -- and vowed to never play overseas again, unless it's for Team USA.

Griner also cracked several jokes as she responded to reporters ... referring to her teammate, Diana Taurasi, as a "walking fossil" and pointing out how she dunked on her wife when she first touched a basketball when she returned to the States.

As for her WNBA career, Griner said getting back on the court was never in question ... explaining she knows she can always bet on herself and her abilities.

Nate Diaz is now in custody in New Orleans ... jail records, obtained by TMZ Sports, show the ex-UFC star turned himself in early Thursday morning after an arrest warrant was issued for him earlier this week.

According to the records, Diaz was booked at 7:40 AM on a charge of second-degree battery.

No further details surrounding the turn-in were made immediately available.

As we reported, the New Orleans Police Dept. initially issued the arrest warrant for the 38-year-old fighter on Monday ... two days after he was seen on video choking out a man during a large altercation on Bourbon Street.

In the footage, you can see Diaz -- who was in Louisiana to watch the Misfits Boxing 6 event  -- got a guy in a headlock ... and choked him unconscious before he laid the dude down in the street. Cops said the man suffered a head wound in the altercation.

After the arrest warrant was issued, Diaz's rep, Zach Rosenfield, said Diaz was innocent ... and "acted entirely in self-defense."

Diaz is slated to fight Jake Paul in a boxing match later this summer. It's unclear if Wednesday's arrest will alter any plans for the much-anticipated fight.

"F*** Miami!!! F*** Miami!!!"

New York Knicks fans celebrated like they won the NBA Finals after their beloved team advanced to the second round of the playoffs on Wednesday ... and they made it clear how they felt about their next opponent as they partied in the streets.

The Knicks made it to the semifinals after beating Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers to complete their first-round series in five games ... and their loyal fan base let their emotions loose right near Madison Square Garden.

The whole bash was caught on video ... and you can see a ton of fans in orange and blue jumping up and down shortly after the final buzzer rang.

The hyped-up crowd chanted many things, including "F*** Miami" ... and even Trae Young, a longtime nemesis of the Knicks fandom, caught a few strays.

Fans even booed a Heat supporter, who happened to be in the crowd wearing a Jimmy Butler jersey ... and former Knicks president Phil Jackson also got thrown into the chants as folks reminisced over his bad tenure with the team.

People even treated the victory like Warped Tour ... as one fan jumped on top of Knicks fans and started crowd surfing.

The fans have every reason to celebrate -- it's the first time in 10 years the Knicks made it to the second round ... and there's a bit of history between NY and Miami going back to the '90s.

Thundercat is back in his musical bag for the first time in 3 years with the track, "No More Lies"... his new jazzy, snazzy collab with Tame Impala!!!

The track, co-produced by both prestigious musicians, dropped along with a visualizer showing a gazelle and leopard running in the wild -- perhaps to showcase their adjacent styles on the song ... in a NatGeo kinda way.

Thundercat will be able to test the song out in real time this weekend.

The Grammy Award-winner was tapped to close the 2023 NFL Draft in an effort to "curate a special performance which will pay tribute to the rich music history and the legacy of jazz in Kansas City" ... according to the league.

All's well in the Askren household ... despite accidentally insulting his wife in an appreciation post earlier this week, Ben Askren proved Wednesday night he ain't in the doghouse with his spouse after all!!!

The former UFC star shared a cute video of him and Amy Askren on the couch ... revealing she isn't the least bit upset at him for inadvertently calling her unattractive in a sappy tweet that he penned on Tuesday afternoon.

In the video, Ben can be heard asking Amy if she was offended ... and she responded with some sarcastic quips.

She later said in the clip that she knew what Ben's intentions were with his message, joking he's so attracted to her physically, she has to "beat" him "away with a stick."

Amy, however, did admit she could see how Ben's post was misconstrued ... and she went on to praise her defenders as "very sensitive and thoughtful."

Ben then earned a few brownie points with Amy ... 'cause after he asked her, "How do you feel about being one of the best wives ever?" she responded, "I'll take that compliment."

LSU gymnast and social media superstar Olivia Dunne's stock continues to rise -- the beloved influencer was just nabbed to star in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition!!

The publication just announced the 20-year-old's next big move on Thursday ... sharing several smoking-hot snaps to confirm her spot in next month's issue.

Of course, Dunne has a massive following on TikTok and Instagram ... boasting millions of followers on both platforms.

Dunne -- who makes millions off the NCAA's recent name, image and likeness rules -- spoke about the big move on Thursday ... saying, "Thank you @SI_Swimsuit for making my dreams come true💕"

SI Swim editor MJ Day explained the decision to include Dunne in the annual mag ... saying the athlete is way more than a sexy star.

"The refusal of some to appreciate Livvy for being more than just a pretty blonde is missing the point," Day said. "The backlash she received for 'leveraging' her sexuality for endorsement dollars after the NIL restrictions were lifted is incorrect."

"We are here to celebrate this incredible young woman and encourage the world to respect and applaud Livvy and her fellow athletes for owning the blood, sweat and tears that have fueled a lifetime of achievements."

Bam Margera is no longer on the run in Pennsylvania, surrendering to face charges for allegedly assaulting his brother ... and speaking out with details of how he says it all went down.

Bam turned himself in Thursday, days after cops in PA put out a warrant for his arrest. It was Sunday when Bam allegedly got in an altercation with his brother, where cops say he threatened to put a bullet in his head.

The Pennsylvania State Police tells TMZ ... Bam appeared in court for his first appearance and his bail was set at $50,000. He's due back in court at the end of May.

According to court docs, the judge ordered Bam to complete a drug and alcohol assessment. He was also ordered to stay away from his brother and the other victims and his brother's house. The judge said Bam has to get permission from the Pretrial Services Department if he wants to leave the state of Pennsylvania.

Upon turning himself in, Bam shared a photo of himself in front of the courthouse on social media and captioned it, "I just got out of the courthouse with my lawyers. Everything went great and the false accusations of what my brother says are not true and he will be sued for defamation as well as being evicted from castle bam sooner than later. The reason I lost my cool is because I read his phone saying he wants me back in California and he wants to find a way to 302 me. F*** him"

Bam's attorney Michael van der Veen tells TMZ... “He was arraigned and entered his plea of not guilty. He was released on an unsecured bail. Mr. Margera enjoys all of his constitutional rights, including the presumption of innocence. The wild rumors regarding his behavior this week are absolutely false. He is in good health and in good spirits.”

TMZ broke the story ... cops were called to a home in Pocopson Township, PA Sunday where Bam's brother, Jess, claimed Bam attacked him, hitting him multiple times in the head. Jess said Bam was enraged, allegedly saying, "I'll kill you. I'll put a bullet in your head".

Jess said Bam fled into the woods after the alleged attack.

TMZ broke the story ... Bam allegedly made phone calls to his family while on the run, seemingly intoxicated, telling everyone how much he hated them for putting him in a treatment center last year and accusing them of stealing money from him.

Bam Margera is on the run from cops, but he's still contacting family members with disturbing and aggressive phone calls ... blaming them for his struggles.

Sources close to Margera tell us ... Bam's family is clueless as to where he fled since disappearing Sunday. We're told everyone who loves Bam is extremely worried -- he's been a loose cannon lately and they want him to come home so they can help him.

What's more ... our sources say Bam has made random calls to family members -- seemingly intoxicated -- telling them how much he hates all of them for putting him in a Florida treatment center last year. He's also accusing them of selling his home and stealing money. He trusts no one and has threatened to sue them for money he claims they stole from him.

During these phone calls, we're told Bam refuses to disclose his location ... they don't even know if he's still in Pennsylvania. Our sources say cops are interviewing people and trying to determine his whereabouts.

Bam doesn't have a cell phone, and cops have allegedly told the family they aren't working to ping the girlfriend's cell (he's allegedly traveling with her) because the case isn't considered a priority.

TMZ broke the story ... cops were called to a home in Pocopson Township Sunday, April 23 after Bam's brother, Jess, says Bam attacked him, striking him multiple times in the head. Jess says Bam was enraged, allegedly saying, "I'll kill you. I'll put a bullet in your head."

Jess says Bam fled into the woods behind the house after the alleged attack, and cops have not been able to locate him since.