TMZ Sports - Page 38

Draymond Green is opening up about the Warriors' second-round playoff exit ... saying his squad would still be alive IF he hadn't socked Jordan Poole in the face before the season started.

Green spoke to Stephen A. Smith Tuesday night during Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and Nuggets, and was honest about where he thinks things went wrong this season.

"We're not playing right now because when you speak about the fouling, when you think about all of the slippage that we had as a team on the road, not being able to come together. None of those things happen if that doesn't happen," Green told Smith, referring to when he punched the Warriors guard in the face in October.

Draymond continued ... "None of those things happen if that doesn't happen, because the voice that I am and the departments that I lead this team in, there was a ton of slippage due to me sitting back, me not saying anything, me trying to allow that situation to play itself out and give it time to heal."

Green -- the emotional catalyst during the Warriors' dynasty -- said he felt like he lost his voice as a leader after the Poole incident ... and, as a result, it caused a "ton of slippage" throughout the season.

Green went on to say it wasn't until February that he felt comfortable being the Draymond that helped the team win four titles. But, at that point, too much time had passed, and the Dubs had developed bad habits, thwarting any possible hopes of repeating as NBA champs.

"If that slippage has been going on that long, you are who you are at that point. You've built those habits. You've built bad habits. That is who you are now. So to try to correct them then. It's like, 'OK, you may get a little better.' We did. We ended up in the second round of the playoffs but not at a championship level."

Earlier on Tuesday, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr echoed the same sentiments as Draymond during his end-of-the-season interview with the media ... saying Green punching Poole "compromised things."

Formula One fans will not see their favorite drivers back on the track this week -- the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Italy has been scrapped due to severe weather and flooding in the area.

F1 announced the decision on Wednesday ... saying after speaking with the FIA, local officials and the race host, it was best to cancel all events slated for this weekend.

"The Formula 1 community wants to send its thoughts to the people and communities affected by the recent events in the Emilia-Romagna region," F1 said minutes ago. "We also want to pay tribute to the work of the emergency services who are doing everything they can to help those in need."

The Emilia-Romagna region has been hit hard with heavy rainfall and flooding this week ... resulting in at least eight deaths and thousands of residents being forced to evacuate.

F1 said it would be impossible to keep fans, the drivers and teams and officials safe while going through with the event ... adding, "It would not be right to put further pressure on the local authorities and emergency services at this difficult time."

Defending champion Max Verstappen addressed the decision to cancel ... saying he supports the move and is sending his thoughts to those affected by the flooding.

"We wish you all strength to ensure your safety throughout this period," the Red Bull superstar said.

The Toronto Blue Jays will have to do a little outfield redecorating today ... and it's all 'cause Aaron Judge hit a baseball so hard, it damaged a sign at their stadium!!

The Yankees captain slugged the blast in the top of the eighth inning of NY's tilt with Toronto at the Rogers Centre on Tuesday night ... and the ball traveled so far and with so much velocity, that when it landed, it smashed through a maple leaf ad that had been hung in deep center field.

Check out the footage of the moonshot home run -- you can see when it came down, it took off a corner of the billboard ... leaving fans in the area in disbelief.

According to the MLB's Statcast, the exit velocity on Judge's swing was 113.1 MPH -- and the ball went a total of 448 feet -- making it one of the most powerful dingers that's been hit so far this year.

No word yet on who'll have to pay for the damage -- but if does come out of Judge's pocket ... it's certainly a check he won't mind writing.

The two-run bomb ultimately gave the Pinstripes a 5-3 win ... an extra sweet feeling for the outfielder, given that the Blue Jays had essentially accused him of cheating just a day earlier.

If you missed it, Judge was seen on camera looking off to NY's dugout a couple times during one of his at-bats on Monday ... before hitting a home run. The side-eye caused a ton of chirping from Toronto's locker room.

Judge insisted he was simply looking at his teammate to get them to calm down during his AB -- but the Blue Jays didn't seem to be buying it ... 'cause they were sure upset at the Yanks throughout Tuesday's game.

"My mama keep telling me to stop, I can't -- the second time they caught me with that gun, damn, I feel like Ja Morant."

Ja Morant's recent scandal is already getting the rap treatment ... with Vic Mensa dropping some timely lyrics just days after the Grizzlies star was suspended for flashing a gun on social media for a second time.

Mensa was out in NYC on Tuesday when TMZ Sports got his thoughts on the All-Star guard brandishing a weapon on Instagram Live ... and after revealing his tongue-in-cheek bars, Vic got serious about the situation.

"I think God blessed Ja Morant, man," the "$WISH" M.C. said Tuesday. "I pray that that brother gets it together and he figures it out because he's too brilliant and so talented. He's got a gift, he's got a real gift. So, I don't want to see him have to go down that path because he's so good."

"I think God blessed him," he added. "I'm not gonna say anything to disparage him. There's enough people doing that."

Many people are starting to wonder whether Morant is trying too hard to emulate rappers like NBA YoungBoy -- the artist he was vibing along to in the most recent clip -- given his recent off-court troubles ... but Mensa makes it clear the blame falls solely on Ja, not the music.

"Ultimately, NBA YoungBoy, he's just telling his truth and doing his thing."

Some ex-NBA stars have ripped into Morant for his second gun incident ... with Stephen Jackson referring to it as a "moron move," and Chandler Parsons calling for a year-long suspension.

Ja has since addressed the gun video ... saying he knows he has disappointed those who look up to him, and promising to continue to work on himself.

Mensa said he will support Ja as he deals with his impending punishment ... and even joked about switching up his music taste.

It's a helluva night to be a Spurs fan ... San Antonio just came away with the first pick in the NBA Draft Lottery -- AKA the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes -- paving the way for the organization to draft the hottest prospect since LeBron James!!

The lottery just went down in Chicago ... and when all the ping pong balls settled, the Spurs were the last team called, which means they get first dibs on the 7'2" player from France in June's draft.

Wembanyama has impressed NBA scouts with his ability to create a shot off the dribble and run the fast break, which is rare for a man his size. He's any GM's dream come true ... and some actually consider him the most coveted prospect EVER.

In fact, we recently spoke to Sonny Vaccaro -- the man behind Michael Jordan's legendary Nike deal -- and he told us Wembanyama has the type of talent that could land him an unprecedented sneaker deal.

Of the 30 NBA teams, 14 had a chance (albeit different percentages) to land the big man, but it was ultimately the Spurs who walked away with the coveted lottery pick.

Wembanyama reacted right after the announcement ... saying he wants to win championships as soon as possible.

Brett Favre is speaking out after months of silence ... and while he only briefly addressed the Mississippi welfare scandal, the Hall of Famer talked politics, flat out saying the U.S. was better off under President Trump.

"I think Donald was a non-political president, and I liked that about him," Favre told Jason Whitlock in a lengthy conversation Tuesday on the TV personality's "Fearless" podcast. "Was he perfect? Absolutely not. Am I perfect? Absolutely not. I'm flawed just like the rest of 'em. We're all flawed. But, I really felt like he had our country in a better place and really cared about our people in our country."

"Black, white, Hispanic, Asian -- you name it," the former Packers quarterback continued. "I think if you were an American citizen, he cared about you, first and foremost. I don't know if our current president has the same mentality."

It's no secret the NFL legend is a supporter of #45 ... something Brett told Jason has seriously hurt his checkbook.

"It's cost me money," Favre admitted.

The former Green Bay signal-caller also talked about one of the most polarizing issues in the country, transgender people ... a topic which Favre feels strongly about.

During the chat with Whitlock, he said, "To think that a young man who identifies as a girl, I don't understand -- just hear me out -- can go into a girl's bathroom and use the restroom with girls, and for us to think that's OK, I think is wrong. I'm sorry."

He went on to agree with Whitlock's opinion that transgender women shouldn't be allowed to compete against biological females in sporting events.

As for his alleged role in the Mississippi welfare scandal -- where he's been accused of working with government officials to obtain $5 million from welfare funds to build a volleyball facility at Southern Miss. -- Favre said he couldn't speak much about it due to a gag order.

He did say, though, he's looking forward to openly speaking about it all soon.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is clearly extremely disappointed with Ja Morant ... saying he was "shocked" to see the Memphis Grizzlies star once again flashing a firearm on social media.

The commish directly addressed Ja's latest incident before Tuesday's NBA Draft lottery on ESPN, telling the network ... "Honestly, I was shocked when I saw this weekend — that video. Now, we're in the process of investigating it."

Silver admits the footage, which appears to show Ja holding a handgun while in a car with his buddy, is grainy ... but given Morant's past, Silver says he's "assuming the worst."

The latest video comes just 2 months after Ja was seen holding a pistol on Instagram Live while at a Colorado strip club ... an incident that resulted in Morant being suspended 8 games.

Silver says he had a lengthy conversation with Ja after the first incident, with the commish making it clear to Morant why it was such a big deal and why the consequences were so severe.

The commish says Ja seemed to be taking the first incident seriously, which is why he was so shocked to see Morant waving another gun around for the cameras.

The Grizzlies suspended Ja from all activities pending the NBA's review, and it sounds like Silver will come down even harder on Morant this time.

Stay tuned ...

Steve Kerr is admitting Draymond Green's violent incident with Jordan Poole had a serious impact on the Warriors' season ... saying the practice punch broke trust and "compromised things."

The Golden State head coach was open with reporters during the team's exit interviews on Tuesday ... and he felt the players' lack of chemistry following the October altercation had the whole team facing an uphill battle all season.

"Anytime some trust is lost, then it makes the process much more difficult, and there was some trust lost," Kerr said. "That's as blunt as I can be."

"We have to get back to what has made us really successful, which is a really trusting environment and a group that relies on one another and makes each other better."

Kerr specifically mentioned the Green/Poole incident as he addressed the team's change in identity compared to previous seasons ... adding, "It's hard for that not to impact a team."

Despite what went down at the beginning of the season, Kerr says Green -- who has a $27 million player option for next year -- is vital to the team's success moving forward ... and even though the 4-time champ would have to work on his relationships in the locker room, coach wants him back.

Here's Kanye West's wife Bianca Censori modeling a new fashion line ... and it's leaving little to the imagination.

As you can see, there's not much here in terms of actual clothing -- there's a black square of material covering Bianca's boobs, a black cross on her butt crack, and a black landing strip covering her vagina ... and that's about it.

Oh, and she's wearing some black boots/leggings running all the way up to her upper thighs. Very minimalist, to say the least.

Bianca's modeling for a look from designer Mowalola Ogunlesi who Kanye had previously hand-picked to help lead the Yeezy GAP team.

The fashion line definitely won't be for everyone ... and Bianca's certainly showing some confidence by basically going nude here.

This outfit might explain why Bianca's been hitting the gym ... remember, we saw her and Ye going for a workout together Monday in WeHo, right after they'd hit a Chick-fil-A drive-thru for some odd pre-workout fuel.

Forget Rookie of the Year ... is new Ravens wideout Zay Flowers already the Son of the Year?!?

Baltimore's first-rounder sure made a great case for that accolade this week ... buying his dad a new car as a thank-you present following April's NFL draft!!

Flowers' agent, Eric Dounn, said the 2023 Mercedes Benz GLE 450 was the first thing the former Boston College star picked up with the new marketing money he got after the Ravens took him with the No. 22 overall pick ... and, check out the video, Poppa Flowers was clearly elated with the present.

In the footage, you can see Willie Flowers smiling ear-to-ear while looking at the new car before he shared an emotional handshake and hug with his 22-year-old son.

Of course, Willie had every reason to be jacked for the gift ... the luxury car can cost right around six figures with all of the bells and whistles on it.

"Dream was to always buy his dad a car!" Dounn said when sharing the news of the present earlier this week. "He DID just that."

Zay has always spoken highly of his Dad ... recently telling the Ravens' team website that he gets all of his work ethic from the way he watched Willie raise him and his siblings.

According to Dounn, Zay's NFL contract has yet to be finalized ... so there's still a ton more money coming in for the wideout.

Jackson Mahomes appeared in a Kansas courtroom on Tuesday afternoon ... marking one of the first times he's been seen in public since he was arrested for aggravated sexual battery earlier this month.

Patrick Mahomes' little brother -- a social media star who's amassed over 1 million followers on TikTok -- showed up to the Johnson County court looking sharp ... wearing a grey suit, a dark tie, and some sunglasses.

Jackson briefly sat before a judge in order to request a modification of his bond.

The 23-year-old was asking to be able to contact four people that he had been previously barred from speaking with as part of the conditions of his release from jail on May 3.

During Tuesday's proceedings, the judge ruled he could have contact with three of the four.

Jackson then left the court without speaking to reporters on the scene. He's due back for another hearing in late August.

As we reported, Jackson was arrested earlier this month and hit with four charges -- including three counts of aggravated sexual battery -- after a restaurant owner claimed he tried to forcibly kiss her multiple times during an incident back in February.

At the time of the alleged encounter, the owner also claimed Jackson had shoved a male member of her wait staff earlier in the evening.

Jackson, through his attorney, Brandan Davies, has said he's done nothing wrong.

Rolly Romero pulled out all the stops before fighting Ismael Barroso on Saturday ... rockin' a 20-carat diamond pendant of HIMSELF, and it's awesome!

The lightweight boxer earned a (controversial) 9th-round TKO against Barroso at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas on May 13th ... bringing his record to 15-1.

But, before the fight (and the much-debated stoppage by veteran official Tony Weeks), Romero pulled up in style, rocking an iced-out pendant of himself in a fur coat and no shirt ... an outfit that may look familiar to boxing fans.

It's the exact fit Romero wore during his viral press conference with Gervonta 'Tank' Davis last year ... before their fight on May 2022 scrap.

TMZ Sports has learned Rolly hit up GS & Co. and commissioned the piece ... and he picked the Tank presser outfit because he believes it's one of the most iconic moments of his career.

We're told the piece is loaded with 20 carats of round VVS diamonds and 120 grams of 14k yellow gold ... and the retail value is around $30K.

As we previously reported, Romero also wore "Channel Orange" custom boxing shoes -- in tribute to musician Frank Ocean.

Becky Hammon -- who many believe could eventually become the NBA's first-ever female head coach -- has just been suspended two games by the WNBA ... after the league determined she made inappropriate remarks about the pregnancy of one of her Las Vegas Aces players.

The WNBA said in a statement Tuesday that following a months-long investigation into claims that the Aces mistreated pregnant star Dearica Hamby ... it found that Hammon did violate a Respect in the Workplace policy during a conversation with the player.

The league did not say specifically what it believes the head coach told Hamby ... though in a statement, it said the comments were "made by Hammon to Hamby in connection with Hamby's recent pregnancy."

The WNBA also docked the Aces a 2025 first-round pick following its findings.

Hamby first went public with the allegations in January ... after she was traded from Las Vegas to the Los Angeles Sparks.

In a lengthy statement on her social media page, Hamby alleged the Aces "bullied, manipulated and discriminated against" her after she told the team she was pregnant.

She also accused the team of promising her "things to entice me to sign my contract extension that were not followed through on."

"I was asked if I planned my pregnancy," she wrote of the Aces in her statement. "When I responded, 'no,' I was then told that I 'was not taking precautions to not get pregnant.'"

She continued, "I was being traded because 'I wouldn't be ready and we need bodies.'"

Hamby said despite the pregnancy, she fully planned to play in the 2023 season -- which just kicked off this month -- but the team was still angry with her over it ... and decided to trade her nonetheless.

"The unprofessional and unethical way that I have been treated has been traumatizing," the 29-year-old said in her January statement. "To be treated this way by an organization, BY WOMEN who are mothers, who have claimed to 'be in these shoes,' who preach family, chemistry, and women's empowerment is disappointing and leaves me sick to my stomach."

46-year-old Hammon took over as head coach of the Aces back in Dec. 2021 -- after years of working as an assistant on the San Antonio Spurs' staff. Many, including Byron Scott, have said she deserves to one day be the first female head coach in the NBA.

Bad news for anyone hoping to see two ex-NFL stars settle their longstanding beef in the ring ... 'cause Vontaze Burfict is slamming the door on a boxing match with Le'Veon Bell -- saying he wants to golf instead!!

In case you missed it, Bell was talking about potential future opponents on the "Misfits Boxing" podcast recently ... and said he wanted to get revenge for what he felt was a dirty play during a game in 2015.

It's pretty obvious who he was referring to, considering Bell suffered a knee injury in Week 8 against the Bengals that season ... after Burfict and another Cincinnati defender made a tackle on the running back.

"It's someone from football," Bell said. "They had purposely injured me. I don’t think I want to say the name, but people who watched my career when I hurt my knee, people know. Yeah, people know. I would love to put my hands on him in a ring."

Vontaze got wind of Le'Veon's comments, and instead of accepting the offer the ex-Steelers running back laid down, Burfict suggested they do a charity golf event instead.

“[Le’Veon Bell] why we lookin to fight?" Burfict wrote on Instagram. "Why not show everyone WE can change the narrative. Let’s show the world WE can squash beef in other ways than boxing. Let’s meet and compete on the golf course."

He continued ... "Get some charities involved so WE can help people in need and show kids that we resolved our differences to make the world a better place.”

Le'Veon didn't seem too thrilled with Burfict's idea ... writing, "lol sure bro."

But that didn't stop him from clapping back at Burfict's former teammate, Adam "Pacman" Jones, who said he'd bet $100k that VB beats Bell in a fight.

"I throw hands, I don't wrestle .. tell em step in the squared circle tho & i’ll beat the dog s*** out of him … & you can put whatever you want on dude, it’s yo money to lose," Bell tweeted at Jones.

Jimmy Graham ain't letting his horrible bike crash stop him from pedaling again ... the ex-NFL star said Tuesday he's already back on the road -- "stitches and all."

The former Saints tight end was all smiles as he, once again, cruised through the roadways on two wheels in Miami ... less than a week after a car slammed into him and his bike, injuring his back and leg.

Check out footage the 36-year-old posted of his AM ride to his Instagram page ... he looked overjoyed to be healthy and riding again.

"Back on it," Graham captioned the video.

Graham was initially hurt last week ... when the 5-time Pro Bowler said a vehicle turned into him while he was going around 20 MPH.

Graham initially thought his leg was broken when he got hit ... but, thankfully, all of his bones were intact. The former footballer said he did suffer wounds, though, sustaining a massive gash on his calf while losing skin on his back.

"I guess the guy in the one lane didn't see me because the sun was coming up and just took a left and T-boned me," Graham said of the accident on "The Pat McAfee Show."

"Luckily I had a helmet on."

You can also see in Graham's clip that he got a new ride ... and thanked MPH Paint and Elite Cycling Miami for "getting me back on the road with the new Pinn-Daddy."

Stephen Jackson defended Ja Morant when he flashed a gun on IG Live in March ... but the former hooper says he can't have the back of the Grizzlies superstar this time around,  calling the act "the dumbest thing he could've done."

"It's not what you do, it's what you do after. And, what you do after is not do the same thing again, like what [Ja] just did," 45-year-old Jackson said on I Am Athlete's Paper Route show.

"All the people like me that was taking up for him, that's said 'it was a mistake, he's a young kid.' We can't go to bat for him this time. This is the dumbest thing he could've done. This is a moron move."

Of course, 23-year-old Morant was suspended by the Grizzlies over the weekend after another video surfaced, showing the 2x NBA All-Star holding a handgun while in a car with his buddy.

The video comes just two months after Ja was seen holding a pistol on Instagram Live while in a Denver area strip club on March 4. Morant was suspended 8 games ... and decided to seek treatment, entering a counseling program in Florida, where he stayed for a few days.

In a sitdown interview with Jalen Rose, Ja vowed to make better decisions going forward ... though Jackson always doubted the effectiveness of the treatment Morant received in the Sunshine State.

"It's just a f**ked up situation, but you gotta really just put everything in his lap and let him deal with it. He gotta deal with everything that comes with it because he done the same dumb thing again that he act like he went and got help for," Stak said.

He continued ... "Just like I told yall, he didn't talk to nobody and get help that fast. There was no way. That was a publicity stunt. This is all on him and can't nobody defend him. I definitely won't stand up and defend him because that was the dumbest thing you could've done."

Jackson, who played 14 seasons in the NBA, says he had Ja's back before the first incident because he was once in a similar situation to Morant ... but Stephen says he learned and made changes where necessary.

"I was one guy that actually went to bat for him because I've been a guy who was thrown a lot of money at a young age and made a mistake, but I'm totally different than the person I was. A lot of people commend me on the changes I made after the mistakes I made."