TMZ Sports - Page 50

Jorge Masvidal's father has been arrested for attempted murder ... after he allegedly shot a man in the arms during a dispute at the ex-UFC star's Miami-area home on Thursday afternoon.

Jail records show Jorge Masvidal Sr. was booked at 1:33 AM Friday ... following allegations the 67-year-old opened fire on a man near the kitchen of Jorge Masvidal Jr.'s house roughly 12 hours earlier.

According to an arrest affidavit, obtained by TMZ Sports, Masvidal Sr. was at the Florida home with a man named Luis Leoncini -- when the two got into a verbal argument.

According to the docs, authorities say Leoncini told cops Masvidal Sr. shot him after the tiff, inflicting gunshot wounds to both of his arms.

It's unclear what sparked the alleged dispute ... but according to the affidavit, Leoncini was transported to a local hospital.

Meanwhile, Masvidal Sr., officials say in the docs, was taken into custody at 3:26 PM -- and later booked on a charge of attempted second-degree murder with a deadly weapon with a firearm.

Authorities added in the docs that following a search of the home, they found a .38 caliber revolver inside a kitchen cabinet.

It should be noted cops told us on Thursday evening that Masvidal Jr. was not present during the alleged shooting -- and "did not have any involvement" in it all.

Zendaya and Tom Holland made it abundantly clear Thursday night they're all-in on Steph Curry and all-out on LeBron James -- cheering their faces off for the Warriors against the Lakers!!

The A-list actors hit up Game 2 of the Golden State vs. L.A. playoff series at Chase Center in San Francisco ... and while they somehow didn't have the best seats in the building, there was no question whatsoever to whose back the couple had.

Zendaya, wearing a black Golden State cap for most of the game, roared every time the Dubs made a big basket. And, like a great boyfriend, Holland was right there joining her for the celebrations throughout the night.

Of course, the fandom shouldn't surprise many -- Zendaya is an Oakland native.

Seems all the cheering worked well for the home team ... 'cause Curry and the Warriors went on to blowout the Lakers, 127-100 -- evening up the playoff series at 1-1.

The duo, though, wasn't the only celebs in the arena rooting on Curry at the big game ... 49ers legend Joe Montana and current Niners stars Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Sam Darnold were also there.

In fact, at one point, McCaffrey, Kittle and Darnold seemed to have some fun with Holland by pretending to shoot Spider-Man webs out of their hands while sitting courtside.

Former WWE wrestler Sara Lee -- a past winner of the org's famous "Tough Enough" show -- died by suicide in October ... this according to a new autopsy report, obtained by TMZ Sports.

In the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office documents, officials say Lee ingested a lethal combination of alcohol and pills. They added that the former wrestler had left "letters of intent at the scene" before her death.

According to officials in the documents, Lee had bruises and abrasions on her head and body at the time of her passing -- though they suspected she may have suffered the injuries in a fall or falls while in an intoxicated state.

She was just 30 years old.

News of her death seven months ago rocked the wrestling world ... with the WWE saying in a statement at the time that it was heartbroken.

"As a former 'Tough Enough' winner, Lee served as an inspiration to many in the sports-entertainment world," the WWE said. "WWE offers its heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and fans."

Lee participated in season six of "Tough Enough" in 2015 and earned a one-year contract with the WWE from it. She wrestled for the org for most of 2016, but moved on to the independent circuit a short time later.

In 2017, she married WWE wrestler Wesley Blake ... and the couple had three kids together. Days after her death, Blake penned an emotional note to Sara on his Instagram page ... writing, "You were a motivator, a best friend, a sister, a daughter, an aunt, the back bone of our family, and (my favorite), my wife."

"I can’t promise that I will stop grieving but I know now, that you’re free," Blake said. "I can’t thank you enough for giving me the best years of my life so far."

RIP.

A man was shot at Jorge Masvidal's Miami area home Thursday afternoon following a verbal altercation ... before being transported to the hospital with at least one gunshot wound to the arm area, TMZ Sports has learned.

The recently retired UFC superstar was NOT home at the time of the incident ... and was not involved in the incident in any way, according to officials.

However, Jorge's dad, Jorge Masvidal Sr., is currently in custody, where he is being interviewed by police.

Miami-Dade PD tell us they received a call around 3 PM. When they arrived, EMTs were already on the scene "rendering aid to an adult male who was shot in his upper extremities."

Cops say the victim told them he was "involved in an argument that escalated when the subject produced a firearm and shot him."

The cause of the argument, and who was involved, is currently unclear ... though police tell us the parties know each other.

We're told the victim was transported to a local hospital where he is now in stable condition.

38-year-old Masvidal recently retired from the UFC ... but is still one of the most popular fighters in the world.

Jorge is scheduled to have a Gamebred Bareknuckle event in South Florida on Friday night.

Incredible gesture from Luka Doncic ... the NBA superstar is paying for the funerals of the victims who were killed this week in a mass shooting at an elementary school in Serbia, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The tragic incident happened Wednesday morning ... when officials say a 13-year-old student opened fire inside Vladislav Ribnikar primary school, killing eight children and a security guard.

Six other children and one teacher were also injured. The alleged shooter was arrested.

Doncic -- whose father is from Serbia and still has family in the area -- was so moved by the tragedy, a rep for the basketball player told us on Thursday he's covering the funeral costs for the victims as well as providing grief counseling for classmates and school staffers.

"I am heartbroken by the tragic school shooting in Serbia and the loss of lives, including those of innocent school children," Doncic said in a statement. "My thoughts are with the families and the entire community affected by this tragedy."

Lance Blanks -- a Univ. of Texas men's basketball legend who later in life worked as the Phoenix Suns' general manager -- has died, TMZ Sports has learned.

A spokesperson for the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office in Texas tells us ... Blanks passed away on Wednesday.

A cause and manner of death are not yet known ... the rep said exam results are still pending.

Blanks began his collegiate hoops career at the Univ. of Virginia in 1985 ... but transferred to Texas after two seasons, and became a superstar there. In his two years at UT in 1988 and 1989, he averaged 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He was later inducted into Texas' Hall of Honor in 2007.

The shooting guard went on to be selected by the Pistons in the first round of the 1990 NBA Draft following his UT career ... and played three seasons in the league for Detroit and Minnesota.

He later played overseas -- before he returned to the States to work as an exec in the NBA.

Blanks spent time as the director of scouting for the San Antonio Spurs, before he became the Cleveland Cavaliers' assistant general manager. In 2010, he was named the GM of the Suns.

Years after he left his role in Phoenix in 2013, he signed on to broadcast UT games for the Longhorn Network.

Former NFL star Eric Metcalf, a UT alum and Blanks' good friend, appeared to comment on Blanks' passing on Thursday on Twitter ... writing, "Everyone hug your family and friends and tell them you love them. We lost a dear friend and brother. People are going through things and you never know it!!!"

Several of Blanks' family members, including his two daughters, released statements on his passing late Thursday afternoon.

"My dad was my person," Riley Blanks Reed said. "He was my teacher, my idol, my best friend. The love I have for him is simply immeasurable."

Added Bryn Blanks Lewis, "My heart aches for the tragic loss of my daddy. He was our father, our rock, our superhero -- the one who was there when we needed him most. Life will never be the same without him."

Blanks was 56 years old.

Jessica Alba isn't phased Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner didn't know who she was ... and says after meeting the Jets' star cornerback, she understands why he has the nickname!

ICYMI, Sauce hit up the Knicks playoff game against the Heat Tuesday night (game 2) with his new quarterback, 39-year-old Aaron Rodgers, who had some fun with the 22-year-old for not knowing who Alba was.

"He was just picking on me for being young," Sauce told reporters Wednesday. "We was getting seated, and he was like, 'We about to sit by Jessica Alba.'"

"I'm just like, 'Oh, I don't know who that is.' He looked at me like I'm crazy. That whole night he'd keep asking me, 'Do you know who that person is?'"

On Thursday, the 42-year-old actress -- who got her breakthrough on the big screen in the 2003 film "Honey" -- spoke glowingly about Gardner ... despite the former 1st round pick being unfamiliar with her work.

"Lol -I totally see how this kid Sauce got his name," Alba tweeted. "But in all honesty he was actually very polite with his elder @AaronRodgers12 and everyone else in the room."

"It was nice meeting you," she added.

What won Jessica over was when Sauce -- the '22 Defensive Rookie of the Year -- asked one of Alba's friends ... "How can I get caught up when I'm the catch?"

Trinity Fatu -- formerly known as Naomi in WWE -- is officially making her return to the wrestling ring, but the squared circle isn't the end goal ... 'cause the wrestling superstar wants to act on stage in a Broadway play!

"Before I became a wrestler," Trinity told TMZ Sports' Mojo Muhtadi, "My dream was to be on Broadway. I love theatre. To dance since I was 8 years old. I sing. That was always an aspiration and dream of mine."

Fatu says along the way, she fell in love with wrestling ... and being the superstar she is, it dominated her life.

"Once you get the wrestling bug, it kind of takes over your whole everything, and that's what happened. So, literally, the last 13 years has been all about wrestling and I kind of got away from it, but it's always been in the back of my mind as something, if I ever had the opportunity, I'd do it."

Trinity says now that she's in a different place (no longer with WWE), she again focusing on making her ultimate dream a reality.

"Now that I am where I am in my life, I've definitely been pursuing it. Going to New York as much as I can, taking dance classes, taking acting classes, and just really trying to learn more about the craft. Broadway, Off-Broadway, I just want to be in it."

But, that doesn't mean the pro wrestling star is giving up on kicking ass in the ring. In fact, Trinity will make her highly-anticipated return with Impact Wrestling on Thursday.

Naturally, her best friend Mercedes Moné -- who was just over in Japan competing for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) -- traveled back to the United States to support her.

Remember, Trinity and Moné were suspended indefinitely after they walked out of "Monday Night Raw" last May and were stripped of their women's tag team titles, effectively ending their WWE careers.

The Impact match airs tonight, but was already taped ... and the 35-year-old former 2x-Smackdown Women's Champion admitted she felt pressure in her debut match, especially after Tamina and CM Punk surprised her at the show.

However, their support gave her the confidence to overcome her fears after the long layoff.

"It was everything," Trinity said.

"It gave me that extra boost I needed to follow through and really do it. I was so scared. Mercedes being there. She was there with me the entire weekend. Helping me pick out my outfits."

Trinity's back in the ring, and hopefully, will grace a Broadway stage sometime soon!

Shawn Kemp showed up to a Washington court on Thursday to fight back in his parking lot shooting case ... pleading not guilty to the felony charge that prosecutors hit him with three weeks ago.

The SuperSonics legend arrived at the Pierce County courtroom several minutes before the hearing was slated to begin ... wearing a blue button-down shirt with a black vest over it.

Kemp appeared stoic throughout the minutes-long proceedings -- eventually entering a plea of not guilty to one count of first-degree assault, before leaving.

As part of the conditions of Kemp's release, the judge said the former NBA star could not have firearms. Kemp was also ordered to have no contact with the alleged victims in the case.

Kemp did not speak with reporters who were on the scene.

Kemp was initially arrested in the case back on March 8 -- after cops alleged he fired a gun in a Tacoma, Wash. mall parking lot during a dispute with people in a nearby car. On April 14, prosecutors formally charged him with assault.

The 53-year-old has been adamant he was simply acting in self-defense, calling his actions "reasonable and legally justified." He's vowed to fight the case in court.

Kemp is now due back for another hearing on the matter next month.

Former hockey player Petr Klima -- who scored the game-winning goal for the Oilers in the historic Game 1 of the 1990 Stanley Cup Finals -- has sadly passed away, the NHL announced.

He was only 58.

The NHL broke the news by releasing a statement on Thursday ... saying its sympathies are with his family, friends, and fans.

"The NHL mourns the passing of Czech legend Petr Klima, who scored 313 goals across 13 NHL seasons," the league said.

Klima -- who was drafted in the 5th round of the 1983 draft -- suited up for several teams during his long career ... including the Edmonton Oilers, where he had one of the most iconic goals in franchise history.

It happened in the third overtime in Game 1 of the 1990 Stanley Cup Finals ... when Klima scored against Andy Moog of the Boston Bruins.

This triple-OT game is the longest in Stanley Cup Final history ... and it was the last time the Oilers won the Stanley Cup.

Klima also played for the Detroit Red Wings, L.A. Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins, an Tampa Bay Lightning.

"The Red Wings organization offers its heartfelt condolences to the Klima family during this difficult time," the Detroit organization said.

Klima's twin sons, Kelly and Kevin, are also pro ice hockey players.

Formula 1 star Lando Norris is going balls out for the Miami Grand Prix -- beach balls, that is -- thanks to his super-realistic design on his helmet for this weekend's big race!!

The McLaren driver just revealed the cool look for his noggin protector ahead of the three-day event ... posting a pic of him wearing it in the pool while holding an actual beach ball.

Aside from the sponsor logos, the design literally makes it look like an inflatable toy ... with Lando's name, number and the phrases "Miami 2023" and "Beach Ball" etched throughout.

Balls have become quite the trend for the 23-year-old when he visits Florida -- he wore a basketball-themed helmet for the first-ever Miami GP last season ... although it didn't help him get the win, as he ended up not finishing the race.

Norris is currently in ninth place with 10 points in the driver standings ... so he's gotta be hoping the race on Sunday is like a day at the beach!!

The South Carolina man who stalked and attempted to kidnap WWE superstar Sonya Deville was sentenced to 15 years in prison, TMZ Sports has learned.

On Tuesday Phillip A. Thomas II pled guilty to several charges, including attempted kidnapping, armed burglary, and aggravated stalking ... all in connection to Deville.

In August 2020, Thomas, who, according to prosecutors, was "obsessed" with Deville, drove from South Carolina to Lutz, Florida, where Sonya lives, to kidnap the WWE wrestler.

According to FOX13, Thomas entered Deville's home just before 3 AM, armed with a knife, plastic zip ties, duct tape, and pepper spray.

The outlet reports Deville -- real name Daria Rae Berenato -- fled and called 911 once she saw Thomas ... who made entry into her home. When cops arrived, Thomas was still inside the home.

In the months leading up to the break-in, Thomas also sent threatening messages on social media to 29-year-old Deville, according to prosecutors.

Deville was so shaken up by the terrifying situation ... she's had to resort to carrying a gun. In fact, she was arrested for unlawful weapon possession in New Jersey in February.

As for Thomas II, after his 15 years in prison, he will be on probation for 15 years.

Don't count on Logan Webb going to Mexico again anytime soon -- the Giants' pitcher says three-quarters of the team has "the s**ts" after their trip to Mexico City .... and he can't wait to be back home in the Bay Area!

Webb said a majority of the Giants squad has a severe case of the runs ... and he's blaming it on their two-game series against the Padres in Mexico City last week.

"The whole trip was very grindy," Webb told reporters on Wednesday. "It's been a mental grind. It's been a physical grind. I think three-quarters of our clubhouse has the s**ts."

"It'll be good to get back home for sure. Hopefully, the s**ts go away, and we'll be better in a couple [of] days."

In August 2022, Major League Baseball announced that the Giants and Padres would play in the first-ever regular season series in Mexico City as a part of MLB's World Tour.

The series between the two NL West teams took place on April 29 and 30 at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú stadium, the home of the Red Devils of Mexico in Mexico City.

The Padres swept both games against the Giants ... including a 16-11 win in what was a slugfest between the two teams.

Despite dropping both games in Mexico to their division rival, the Giants rebounded by winning two out of three against the World Series champion Astros in Houston.

NFL star Taylor Lewan claims Dr. James Andrews -- arguably the most notable sports surgeon on the planet -- is the one who botched his ACL surgery two and a half years ago.

According to the lawsuit the former Tennessee Titans left tackle filed this week in Florida, Lewan said Andrews caused permanent damage when the doc operated on his right knee after the O-lineman injured it during a game against the Houston Texans in October 2020.

In the suit, obtained by TMZ Sports on Thursday, Lewan says Andrews, among other things, failed to create a proper tunnel position in his knee, damaged cartilage and didn't fix all of his injuries during the operation.

Lewan says it all resulted in severe pain and disability ... and ultimately cut his NFL career short.

The 31-year-old, three-time Pro Bowler is asking for what could potentially be huge damages in the suit ... he was in the middle of a five-year, $80 million contract at the time of the surgery.

The allegations are shocking ... considering Andrews' resume. If you're unfamiliar, the 80-year-old doc -- who works for the Tampa Bay Rays, the Washington Commanders and the Auburn Tigers -- has operated on star athletes such as Michael Jordan, Drew Brees and Adrian Peterson for decades with great success.

Lewan spoke generally about the claims on his "Bussin' With The Boys" podcast earlier this week ... saying the whole situation has "sucked."

Lewan -- one of the best linemen in the NFL prior to his 2020 injury -- played in just 15 total games following the surgery ... before he reinjured the knee in Week 2 last season.

Detroit Pistons assistant general manager Rob Murphy is out of the job -- the team let the front office exec go on Wednesday ... following an investigation into a workplace misconduct claim made by a former female employee.

The Pistons confirmed the decision in a statement to the Detroit Free Press ... saying after a seven-month long probe, it had no other choice but to part ways with the 50-year-old, who was just promoted to the position last June.

"Mr. Murphy was recently terminated for violation of company policy and the terms of his employment agreement," the team told the outlet. "The facts that gave rise to his termination surfaced during a review, assisted by a national law firm, of allegations made by a former employee."

The Pistons said they cannot provide further details regarding the investigation due to it being a "personnel matter."

Murphy's career with the Pistons started back in March 2021 ... when he was hired as the president and GM for their G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise.

After one season, he was promoted to the Pistons' Senior Director of Player Personnel, before becoming the assistant GM in June 2022.

Cops in Alabama say their initial report of Michael Jefferson's car crash was wrong ... telling TMZ Sports on Wednesday they now believe the 2023 NFL Draft prospect was the one who was impaired on the night of the tragic wreck last month.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency says it somehow mixed up the drivers of the two vehicles in its first report of the fatal car accident on April 9 in Mobile County, AL.

Initially, the ALEA claimed Jefferson was driving a 2019 Chevrolet Impala ... before Charles Dunn slammed head-on into it in his 2014 Dodge Charger.

Now, however, the ALEA says Jefferson was actually driving the Charger -- while Dunn was in the Impala.

That means, according to the crash report, cops suspect Jefferson was the one who was under the influence of both alcohol and drugs at the time of the accident -- not Dunn.

It also means, per a diagram of the crash in the report, that Jefferson (labeled Unit 1) is the one who was traveling in a southbound lane before moving into Dunn's northbound lane, headed in the wrong direction, before colliding with the 55-year-old (labeled Unit 2) head-on.

As we reported, Dunn died as a result of the crash. Jefferson -- a former star wideout at Louisiana who was in line to get drafted last month before the wreck -- sustained significant injuries that required several surgeries.

Police told us an investigation into the crash remains ongoing. According to the report, the 23-year-old's blood was taken following the crash, but the results have not yet come back.

Meanwhile, Jefferson's attorney, Brad Sohn, told us on Wednesday he had "absolutely no reason to believe that Michael Jefferson is under criminal investigation or has ever been under investigation."

Dunn's family told us in a statement they now want a public apology from Jefferson and his representatives ... adding, "Charles Dunn never drank or smoked in his life and we would like for his name to be cleared."