TMZ Sports - Page 50

Just call him Snoopstradamus!!!

Hours after Snoop Dogg predicted Jordan Poole would choke in a key moment in Game 1 of the Warriors vs. Lakers playoff series Tuesday night ... the Golden State star did just that!!

The "Gin & Juice" rapper initially offered up the Miss Cleo-like prognostication during an appearance on "First Take" ... when he correctly guessed the Lakers' defense would force Poole into a situation he wouldn't be able to capitalize on.

"We're going to be probably doubling Steph," the Lakers superfan said on the show, "and somebody else is going to be open. Jordan Poole, keep shooting. I like the way you've been missing brother."

Turns out, in the fourth quarter down 115-112 ... L.A. doubled Curry -- which led to Poole trying to make a game-tying 3-pointer from deep behind the 3-point line. But, he missed it ... giving the Lakers the big win.

Poole, though, did have a solid game otherwise ... scoring 21 points (7-15 FGs) -- but his end-of-game brick drew a lot of ire from fans, including Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal.

"I don't like that shot right there," Barkley said on NBA on TNT ... while Shaq added that it wasn't a "good shot" by the guard.

One person who didn't mind the shot was Dubs head coach Steve Kerr, who said in the postgame press conference he was happy with the possession.

Brooks Koepka got a birthday present of a lifetime this year ... the golf superstar is going to be a daddy!!

The 33-year-old and his model wife, Jena Sims, shared the awesome news on Wednesday ... saying, "happiest birthday, the best is yet to come 🤍🤍🤍"

The married couple also shared several snaps from the beach ... showing Brooks kissing Jena's growing baby bump as she wore a white bikini top, grey sweatshirt and jeans.

Their friends were quick to send their kind words on social media ... with everyone saying congrats.

Of course, Brooks and Jena first went public at the U.S. Open back in 2017 ... and were married in June 2022.

They've been attached at the hip ever since ... and Jena makes sure to attend all of Brooks' tournaments.

To commemorate Brooks' best birthday ever, Jena even got him a cake ... which read, "HBD daddy."

Tori Bowie, a track and field athlete who won three Olympic medals for Team USA, is dead.

Tori was found deceased Tuesday in Florida, but the cause of death remains unclear.

Her management team released a statement Wednesday morning confirming the tragic news, saying they're "devastated" over her passing.

"We've lost a client, dear friend, daughter and sister," the sports agency said. "Tori was a champion…a beacon of light that shined so bright! We're truly heartbroken and our prayers are with the family and friends."

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil, Tori won three medals ... including one gold as a member of the women's 4x100 meter relay team. Tori also earned a silver in the 100-meter dash, plus a bronze in the 200-meter dash.

Before her Team USA triumphs, Tori was a standout track star in college at the University of Southern Mississippi ... where she was a two-time NCAA long jump champion in both indoor and outdoor track.

The year after her three-medal performance at the Rio Olympics, Tori became the world's fastest woman ... winning the 100-meter dash at the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London with a blistering time of 10.85 seconds.

In addition to her athletic success, Tori also modeled ... she was featured in a Valentino campaign and also posed for ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue.

Tori was 32.

Aaron Rodgers appears to already have a new Jets BFF -- he went on a man date with NY star Sauce Gardner to the Knicks game Tuesday ... and it sure felt bromantic to us!!

After months of recruiting the quarterback to the Big Apple, Gardner finally got some alone time with his new teammate ... and the two seemed to certainly hit it off.

According to Rodgers' IG, the guys got some grub at Carbone ... before they pulled up to Madison Square Garden for the Knicks' huge playoff game against the Miami Heat.

The two had great floor seats -- they sat next to "Entourage" star Jerry Ferrara -- and they even got to rub elbows with Carmelo Anthony and his son, Kiyan.

The guys were later shown on the jumbotron during the game -- where they received a massive ovation from the nearly 20,000 fans in attendance.

The dudes appeared to be good luck for the home team, too ... as NY beat up the Jimmy Butler-less Heat, 111-105.

Both guys gushed over the evening afterward on social media, with Rodgers writing, "Another great day and night in the city with my boy @saucegardner."

"One of the best days/nights I had in a while man❕I appreciate you my guy🤞🏾," Gardner added in the comment section.

Henry Cejudo believes he's one win away from securing a spot as one of the greatest four fighters in MMA -- joining legends Demetrious Johnson, Jon Jones, and Anderson Silva -- and all that's left to do is beat champion Aljamain Sterling.

36-year-old Triple C joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) ... where he talked about his return to the Octagon after 3 years away, and what a win would mean for his legacy.

"I think that puts me on the Mount Rushmore of MMA. I'm probably not better than Demetrious or Jon Jones or Anderson Silva, but I think that puts me at number four," Henry said.

"I think that puts me in a league, I'm a two-division champ, Olympic champ. I come back three years later, I do believe in my heart that I am the greatest combat athlete of all time, just by my resume, just by my accolades, but I think this fight right here puts me on Mount Rushmore."

Of course, Henry hasn't fought since he beat the legendary Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 in May 2020. He was in the midst of a 6-fight win streak, including dubs over Mighty Mouse, Marlon Moraes, and T.J. Dillashaw.

FYI, Cejudo won an Olympic gold medal in freestyle wrestling back in 2008 in Beijing.

Now, Henry will look to earn that spot on Mt. Rushmore ... with a win over bantamweight Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 on May 6.

If he gets past Aljo, Henry says he'd like to fight rival "dirty Q-tip Ronald Meth-Donald" 'Suga' Sean O'Malley.

Once he does all that, Cejudo believes there is a path to becoming the greatest ever, period. In order to do that, he believes he needs to beat current pound-for-pound king Alex Volkanovski for a third belt ... which has never been done before.

Soccer reigned supreme once again when it came to lining pockets in 2022 ... with Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé making the most money out of all athletes, according to Forbes' annual list -- and LeBron James and Stephen Curry rounding out the top five.

In the top spot is 38-year-old Ronaldo -- who parted ways with Manchester United in November to join Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr in January. The superstar raked in $136 million total on and off the field over the past 12 months.

Coming in at second and third on the list are Messi and Mbappé, respectively. Messi earned $130 million ... while 24-year-old Mbappé -- the only athlete under 30 to grace the top 10 -- pocketed $120 million.

King James is in the top five yet again at fourth on the list, earning $119.5 million. Meanwhile, Steph Curry ($100.4 million) and Kevin Durant ($89.1 million) are the only two other NBA players to make the top 10.

Canelo Álvarez is the lone boxer in the top 10 -- the 58-2-2 Mexican-born fighter made $100 million pounding on opponents inside the ring ... and an additional $10 million out of competition.

Two of golf's biggest names, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson, proved the LIV money is real ... with DJ earning $107 million, and Phil earning $106 million.

Finally, Roger Federer -- who's won 20 Grand Slam men's single's titles in his career -- held it down for his respective sport ... as he was the only tennis star to make the top 10, earning $95.1 million.

Charles Leclerc is a multi-millionaire, but you wouldn't be able to tell by the way he went into full rescue mode when he lost his AirPods this week ... 'cause he got on the ground, used some tweezers and brought them back to safety -- all while ironically wearing a $200k watch!!!

The Ferrari superstar documented the whole mishap on his Instagram page ... showing him sprawled out on the floor at the Zurich International Airport in Switzerland.

The whole thing looked like a game of Operation ... as the 25-year-old patiently tried to get both his earbud AND the case out of the tiniest crack in the floor -- and thankfully, it was a success!!

What's hilarious about it all -- Leclerc most certainly has the money ... so he could have just as easily gotten a new pair at a nearby gift shop.

Throughout the recovery, Charles was also wearing a super-expensive, rare Richard Mille RM 72-01 watch on his left wrist ... which comes with a $185k price tag, but good luck getting your hands on one of them at that price -- or at all.

Of course, Leclerc has a sponsorship with Richard Mille ... so he's got the hook-up.

Perhaps he needs an Apple brand deal next!!

Forget tuxes and red carpets, Tom Brady was more into tee boxes and fairways on Monday ... eschewing a spot at the Met Gala -- an event he used to attend regularly with Gisele Bündchen -- for a round of golf.

The newly retired quarterback was spotted roughly 3,000 miles away from his ex-wife and the bright lights of the famed New York fashion event ... getting in hacks at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles.

Brady didn't seem to care much about missing the show that he's gone to multiple times over the last decade ... as he appeared ultra focused on improving his golf game.

The former Buccaneers and Patriots star could be seen hitting his wedges, irons, and driver -- while mobbin' around in a golf cart with his pal.

Of course, Gisele didn't seem to be missing Brady too much out in NYC either ... she rolled up to the event dateless -- and looked stunning.

The two used to attend Met Galas often ... hitting almost every single one from 2010 to 2019 -- and their looks over the years were iconic.

Antonio Brown's tenure as a football team owner is allegedly off to a horrific start -- the controversial former NFL star is being accused of running the organization into the ground ... making violent threats toward the ex-head coach and locking players out of their hotel rooms.

TMZ Sports spoke with two former members of the National Arena League's Albany Empire -- head coach Damon Ware and quarterback Sam Castronova -- and they both detailed their hellish experiences before leaving the team.

Ware said Brown's ownership was doomed from the beginning ... explaining it was a "hostile takeover" when the Super Bowl champ came on board in March, forcing other owners out by throwing money their way.

Ware said the main issue was getting everyone paid ... and his conversations with AB about the matter would get so bad, the receiver would resort to texting him violent threats.

According to Ware, Brown -- who now owns 95% of the team -- was a nightmare to work with ... as his ego got in the way of improving the squad and helping players move on to the next level.

"It became all about him, not the football team," Ware said. "We built a wonderful organization over three years -- he came in and killed it."

FYI -- the Empire are back-to-back champions in the NAL, but are off to a 1-2 start this season.

We're told team members usually expect their game checks the week after each contest ... but once the money hadn't hit their bank accounts for their past two contests in April, players contemplated sitting out.

Eventually, the athletes agreed to suit up when they were shown what appeared to be a payment confirmation. But, following Sunday's game, Castronova said players were still without their check ... and several captains decided to confront team officials on their bus ride back from North Carolina.

Once they got to their team hotel, Ware, the captains, and several other players discovered their room keys no longer worked -- and hotel staffers told them it was Brown's doing.

In fact, they had to fight like hell just to get their belongings out of their rooms ... dealing with housekeeping in order to make it happen.

Even though the team has followed up with one missed payment so far, Ware, Castronova and several other key players say they are fed up with the team ... and they're already looking forward to restarting their careers elsewhere.

"It's a happy day for me to be out of this crazy situation," Ware added.

"Goodbye, good riddance."

We covered the drama in a recent episode of the TMZ Sports Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Henry Ruggs has agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors in his DUI case ... and now, he could spend the next decade of his life behind bars if a judge signs off on the agreement.

Ruggs and his attorneys revealed the details of the deal at a hearing in a Nevada courtroom on Tuesday morning ... explaining the former Raiders star receiver will plead guilty to one felony count of DUI resulting in death and one misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter stemming from the fatal car crash in Las Vegas that he was involved in back in November 2021.

In exchange for the guilty pleas, prosecutors said they will drop the rest of the charges against the former NFL player.

As part of the agreement, Ruggs' attorneys also told the courtroom the 24-year-old would accept a sentence that included prison time of anywhere from 3 to 10 years.

Ruggs spoke briefly at the hearing, saying he agreed to all of the details of the outlined deal.

A judge is now expected to rule on the agreement at another hearing next week. If the judge does not agree to the stipulations, Ruggs' attorneys said the deal allows for his client to withdraw the guilty pleas and move forward with a trial.

"This is the first step toward a fair resolution to this matter," Ruggs' lawyers, David Z. Chesnoff and Richard A. Schonfeld, said following the hearing, "and we look forward to closure for all the parties involved."

As we reported, Ruggs was initially hit with four felonies and a misdemeanor in the case ... after prosecutors say he drunkenly slammed his Corvette into the back of Tina Tintor's Toyota Rav4, killing her and her dog.

According to prosecutors, Ruggs was traveling at 156 MPH just before the crash ... with a blood alcohol level that was twice the legal limit.

Ruggs, the 12th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, was cut by the Raiders immediately after the accident ... and hasn't played a down in the NFL since.

Nick Kyrgios' Tesla was stolen in Australia after an assailant pulled a gun on his mom, demanding the keys, according to police ... but thanks to the tennis star's quick thinking, cops got his car back and arrested the alleged thief, who's now behind bars.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the incident went down around 8:30 AM on Monday when a 32-year-old man from the Canberra area pointed a "long-barrelled gun" at Nick's mother, Norlaila Kyrgios, and demanded the keys to Nick's bright green Tesla.

The man asked Nick's mom how to drive the Tesla while still pointing the gun at her, according to officials. Norlaila was able to flee and run for help.

Thankfully, Nick -- the 26th-ranked tennis player in the world -- was nearby and had the sense of mind to use an app to track the vehicle's location. Police located the Tesla, and began approaching with guns drawn, but the guy fled, and the pursuit was on!

The chase, which wasn't terribly fast (around 55 mph) was eventually stopped when the cars entered a school zone. But, Nick's app was able to track the car, and even limit the top speed to 50 mph.

Cops eventually caught up with the Tesla, and the alleged thief, in a nearby suburb. As police tried to arrest the man, they say he resisted, and a taser was deployed.

The guy is now facing five charges including aggravated armed robbery and failure to stop for police.

Deontay Wilder spent part of his Tuesday morning locked behind bars ... TMZ Sports has learned the star boxer was arrested in Los Angeles following a routine traffic stop.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Wilder was pulled over in Hollywood at around 1:15 AM after LAPD officers claimed his Rolls-Royce's windows were illegally tinted and his license plate was obstructed.

During the stop, cops say they smelled an odor of burnt marijuana coming from his ride -- so they searched the car. Our sources say they then found weed and a 9mm in the vehicle, and put Wilder into custody. We're told the 6-foot-7 fighter was cooperative and nice throughout the whole ordeal.

Our sources say the 37-year-old was booked on a charge of possession of a concealed weapon. Jail records show he bonded out at 6:34 AM.

Wilder -- a 43-2-1 fighter with 42 knockouts on his resume -- has been rumored to be the next opponent for Anthony Joshua ... with the heavyweight superfight expected to go down at some point in 2023.

It's unclear if Tuesday's arrest will have any impact on the fight's negotiations.

It's been over 2 months since the Chiefs won the Super Bowl, but Patrick Mahomes is still livin' it up, hitting the 2023 Met Gala with his wife Brittany, and they looked fabulous!

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar and his wife walked the red carpet at the world's most famous fashion event in Manhattan on Monday for the "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty" themed night.

Mahomes opted for a classic look, smooth black tuxedo made by Hugo Boss, along with loafers and a pair of dark shades.

Brittany wore an elegant off-the-shoulder gown with silver sequins and a thigh-high slit. As for her hair ... Artistry by LB gave her a natural look, placing her hair in a sleek bun.

Brittany -- who married Mahomes last March -- considered it the perfect "date night".

Fans, friends, and family loved the get up ... including Patrick's brother, Jackson, who said on Instagram, "BEST PHOTO EVER. SO GLAD YOU GUYS WENT!!"

NFL star Taylor Lewan says he's dragging the docs and others involved in his 2020 ACL surgery to court ... claiming they screwed up the procedure -- affecting his career and his life.

The former Tennessee Titans offensive lineman broke the news on his "Bussin' With The Boys" podcast on Tuesday ... revealing he recently filed a lawsuit "against the people and entities that are involved with my surgery from October of 2020."

Lewan didn't want to get into too many specifics of the complaint -- saying his lawyers advised him not to go into detail about it all -- but he made it clear, he believes the people tasked with repairing his knee botched it.

Lewan initially tore up the ligament on Oct. 18, 2020, during a game against the Houston Texans. He went on to have surgery to try to fix the issue days later.

The 31-year-old, though, was never quite the same after the procedure. He played just 13 games in the 2021 season ... and in 2022, he played in just two games -- before he reinjured his knee in a Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Following the season, Lewan was cut by the Titans.

It's David Beckham's birthday, but it's Victoria's followers who are getting a present on Tuesday ... 'cause the soccer superstar's wife just shared a thirst trap of the 48-year-old in his undies for the occasion!!

Victoria posted the sexy snap just now ... showing David rocking nothing but some white Calvin Klein briefs and a beanie as he takes a dip in some water -- and something tells us it was cold outside.

The pic already garnered more than 229,000 likes on social media ... and yeah, the comment section is exactly what you'd expect.

"Let’s all celebrate @davidbeckham !! You’re welcome!😂," the former Spice Girl said on Instagram.

One follower summarized it perfectly ... saying, "Thank you Victoria.. from all the women of the world 🤣🤣🤣🤣"

Another decided to get more Rated R ... adding, "Don't be shy, show us the front 😭😭😭"

Victoria also shared a more serious tribute of her own ... gushing over her man in an emotional post.

"Happy Birthday @DavidBeckham we love you sooooo much xxxxx The most amazing husband and incredible daddy🙏🏼You are our everything 💕💕💕💕"

The Beckham birthday festivities are underway ... and by the looks of it, the shredded athlete isn't worried about having too many sweets -- as he's already cut into "cake no. 1" of the celebration.

Brittney Griner clearly isn't taking her newfound freedom for granted ... she hit up the Met Gala with her wife on Monday night -- and didn't seem to stop smiling once.

The 32-year-old -- who was freed from Russian custody just five months ago -- wore a custom Calvin Klein suit for the occasion ... and couldn't have been happier to be with her spouse at the ultra-exclusive party.

She and Cherelle Griner flashed ear-to-ear grins for the entirety of their walk into the event ... and at one point, BG even shared a sweet embrace with Dwyane Wade on the red carpet.

The two basketball legends hugged it out while Wade was showing his daughter how everything looked on the Met's steps.

Brittney and Cherelle later spoke about their Met Gala experience with Vogue ... and it isn't hard to see they were thoroughly enjoying their time together after their tumultuous 2022.

"It's surreal still," Cherelle said. "This time last year, I was missing my wife. So to have her right here, to be in this moment -- breathtaking."

Brittney also took time at the event to raise awareness for the Bring Our Families Home campaign.

The trip to the Met is just one of many cool moments Brittney has gotten to experience since she was swapped for Viktor Bout back in early December ... she's also rubbed elbows with President Joe Biden, started to write a book on her Russian detainment -- and returned to WNBA practices.