TMZ Sports - Page 50

The Lakers, Nuggets, Heat and Celtics are all fighting like hell to punch their tickets to the NBA Finals ... so let's meet the lovely ladies who are supporting the last remaining teams in the Eastern and Western Conference!!

Savannah James will be keeping a close eye on L.A.'s series against Denver -- she's been LeBron's biggest cheerleader since they were kids ... and nothing has changed as the King makes his 12th appearance in the Conference Finals.

On the Lakers' side, Queen James will be joined by Malik Beasley's gorgeous lady, Montana Yao, and D'Angelo Russell's partner, Laura -- both of whom recently welcomed new babies into the world!!

Speaking of babies ... Nuggets defensive star Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's wife, McKenzie, is currently pregnant, so they have a lot to celebrate off the court. DeAndre Jordan's wife, Bethany might be in the crowd with their new addition, too!!

In the East, Heat legend Udonis Haslem's wife, Faith, will certainly be pulling for her man ... especially since the power forward said he plans to retire after this season.

Tyler Herro is out with a hand injury, but the Heat guard's girlfriend, Katya Elise Henry, will surely still be pulling for her man's squad just like Kevin Love's model wife, Kate.

Celtics stars Al Horford and Marcus Smart will have their partners, Amelia and Maisa, pumping them up ... just like they did last year!!

Jim Brown, arguably the greatest football player of all time, has died at the age of 87, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

"It is with profound sadness that I announce the passing of my husband, Jim Brown," Monique Brown tells us. "He passed away peacefully last night at our L.A. home. To the world he was an activist, actor and football star."

"To our family, he was a loving and wonderful husband, father and grandfather. Our hearts are broken."

We're told Jim hadn't been doing well ... and was recently visited by several of his close friends including Marshall Faulk, Eric Dickerson and Flavor Flav.

Brown, a first-round pick in 1957 (6th overall), went on to win 3 NFL MVP awards. Jim was named to 8 First Team All-Pro teams over the course of his incredible career. He led the NFL in rushing 8 times, and rushing touchdowns, 5. He won a championship in 1964.

Aside from his prowess on the football field, Brown was also a legendary lacrosse player at Syracuse, where he earned All-American honors.

After his athletic career, Jim went on to star as a Hollywood actor ... in films like "The Dirty Dozen" and "Any Given Sunday."

In addition to his incredible athleticism and talent on the big screen, Jim was also one of the most prominent voices on the civil rights scene.

Brown held the Cleveland Summit in June 1967, in support of Muhammad Ali, who refused to serve in the Vietnam War.

Brown was joined by Bill Russell and Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), and others.

The Cleveland Browns released a statement on Friday ... saying, "Legend. Leader. Activist. Visionary."

"It's impossible to describe the profound love and gratitude we feel for having the opportunity to be a small piece of Jim’s incredible life and legacy. We mourn his passing, but celebrate the indelible light he brought to the world."

"Our hearts are with Jim’s family, loved ones, and all those he impacted along the way."

Brown, whose #32 was retired by the Browns, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971 ... and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995. He's also a member of the Lacrosse HOF.

Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter also spoke on Brown's passing ... saying, "When Jim Brown’s name was announced in a room, other Hall of Famers stood and applauded him."

"His persona has stood the test of time -- a fearless and dominant football player. Jim will always be remembered as one of pro football’s greatest individuals."

Brown was last seen out in public during Super Bowl weekend ... appearing at the NFL Honors ceremony, where Emmitt Smith and Barry Sanders announced the league's annual rushing trophy would be named in his honor.

Flav shared a picture with Brown from that night in his tribute to the legend ... saying, "Today, I lost my mentor and hero. RIP Jim Brown. My deepest sympathies to your wife, Monique and your entire family."

LeBron James also shared a touching post in Brown's honor ... saying, "We lost a hero today. Rest in Paradise to the legend Jim Brown."

"I hope every Black athlete takes the time to educate themselves about this incredible man and what he did to change all of our lives. We all stand on your shoulders Jim Brown."

Brown's life off the field was not without controversy -- he was arrested over numerous allegations of violence against women spanning several decades. He was charged with rape, sexual battery and assault in 1985, although the case was later dismissed.

Brown was also busted for smashing the windows of his wife's car in 1999 ... and served three months behind bars after skipping mandatory domestic violence counseling.

R.I.P.

We discussed Jim Brown's legacy in a recent episode of the Last Days Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

AEW star Dustin Rhodes -- formerly known as Goldust in the WWE -- is celebrating 15 years of sobriety ... saying he's thankful he turned his life around and is in a much better place now.

"Today is a day that I am most proud of," Dustin tweeted. "Today is 15 yrs clean and sober from drugs and alcohol."

Understandably, Rhodes -- who previously opened up about his struggles with cocaine, pills and alcohol in his book, "Cross Rhodes: Goldust, Out of The Darkness" -- says the road to recovery was far from easy ... but the programs set in place allowed him to reach the incredible milestone.

"I thank God for this second chance and new lease on life," Rhodes added. "I choose not to turn around and take a walk with the devil. I am clean from him, 1 day at a time. #KeepSteppin #Perseverance #CleanIsCool."

Dustin -- son of WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes and older brother to current WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes -- received a ton of support for his courage and determination ... including a nice message from fellow wrestler Matt Hardy.

"A remarkable achievement, my friend," Matt tweeted. "You’re an inspiration for so many people that are waging this war on a daily basis. Happy for ya & super proud of your discipline."

A man begged cops over and over again at the scene of the Henry Ruggs car crash in Las Vegas to get help for the ex-NFL star "ASAP" ... newly released police video shows.

In the footage, which was captured on Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept. officers' body cameras just after Ruggs had crashed his Corvette into Tina Tintor's Toyota on Nov. 2, 2021, you can see one of the people at the scene of the fiery wreck was desperate to get aid for Ruggs.

Repeatedly, the man can be heard on camera telling a cop to have medical personnel rush to Ruggs quickly ... as 23-year-old Tintor and her dog were dying in a blaze just feet away.

"I know somebody probably in there," the man said of Tintor's Rav4, "but this is Henry Ruggs right here. This is Henry Ruggs right here. He plays for the Raiders. He needs help ASAP."

An officer told the guy to calm down ... but he continued to plead for aid for the former wide receiver as cops surveyed the crash site.

"Hey, look, he plays for the Raiders," the man repeated. "He needs help ASAP, bro."

Eventually, a cop told the man and others at the scene medical responders were on their way to Ruggs, who was sitting on the street near a curb.

The video also shows just how horrifying the crash was -- in the clip, you can hear explosions coming from Tintor's vehicle as it burned in the middle of the roadway.

After the scene had been cleared, cops were seen on video discussing the crash ... with one officer saying he believed he could see skid marks and debris several yards away from where the two vehicles came to a stop following the collision.

As we reported, Ruggs was ultimately hit with five charges over his role in the crash ... after authorities alleged he had been traveling at 156 MPH while drunk just moments before he slammed into Tintor.

Ruggs, 24, reached an agreement with prosecutors to close out the case earlier this month ... pleading guilty to one felony count of a DUI resulting in death and one misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter. In exchange, the rest of the charges against Ruggs were dropped.

Formula One's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was canceled, but Yuki Tsunoda still deserves Driver of the Day honors ... 'cause the AlphaTauri driver decided to step up and help the locals in Italy clean up after this week's severe flooding.

Shots of the Japanese driver's good deed were captured on Thursday ... showing him shoveling mud out of the streets of Faenza, which is home to AlphaTauri headquarters.

Yuki and his team have been doing everything they can to help the area as it deals with the floods -- earlier this week, he called on his followers to donate to relief funds.

"After a horrible night the town is heavily impacted: dust, mud, and the smell of gasoline everywhere," Tsunoda said Wednesday morning. "Currently people are struggling to find food and especially places to stay, after many have been evacuated from their own homes."

"Please, anything you can do to help is appreciated."

Of course, F1 decided Wednesday to scrap the weekend's festivities ... saying it would not be possible to go ahead with the race while ensuring everyone's safety.

Northern Italy has been hit hard by the weather ... with thousands evacuating the area, and at least 13 deaths.

KSI's win over Joe Fournier is no more -- 'cause just days after the businessman/boxer filed an appeal claiming he was illegally elbowed, not punched, the boxing commission overturned the victory.

KSI vs. Fournier is now officially a "no contest."

Of course, the two met in the ring at the Misfits Boxing event at the OVO Arena Wembley ... where each fighter traded punches for two rounds before KSI landed the final blow to Fournier's jaw.

At first, it looked like KSI landed a clean punch ... but upon further review, it was clear the ref missed the illegal hit -- an elbow.

Many were furious with the result ... as KSI would certainly not have been declared the winner if the official noticed what went down.

The fight was Saturday night, and by Monday, Joe had already appealed to the Professional Boxing Association. After reviewing video from the fight, the PBA ultimately decided a no contest was appropriate.

The PBA noted the elbow was not thrown on purpose ... and was "accidental."

Fournier, as you'd expect, was thrilled with the decision ... and made a video reacting to the news online.

As for KSI, he sarcastically congratulated Fournier ... and posted a few memes for good measure.

Tom Brady and Travis Scott are sharing some of their immense wisdom ... mentoring a group of star rookie quarterbacks including #1 overall pick, Bryce Young, as they transition from college to the pros.

TB12 and La Flame both found the time to attend a luncheon hosted by Michael Rubin at his L.A. home ... where the trio gave all kinds of advice on business and brand building to CJ Stroud, Will Levis, and Anthony Richardson, in addition to Young.

Video shows Brady telling the guys not to be discouraged, even in the face of adversity, a window into how the 7x Super Bowl champion overcome failure during his legendary career.

Tom also shared one of the keys to his longevity, saying he didn't get complacent with his early success, remembering he was selected No.199 in the sixth round. That allowed him to play more than 20 seasons.

"I just outlasted everybody," Brady said. "There's another me back there. So how do I keep my edge on everybody? I had to keep working. I didn't go, 'Hey, I'm good. I won three Super Bowls.'"

Rubin's message to the guys was simple ... mistakes are a part of the process, but don't let them stress you out ... saying it's all about how you bounce back.

"Every day we're screwing things up," Rubin said. "We've just got to get a lot more right than wrong and keep learning from it ... The tougher s*** gets, the more focused I am."

As for Travis, he drilled home the importance of Young, Stroud, Richardson, and Levis having a core group of people they can rely on daily, and hold them accountable.

Tragic news ... Micky Geller -- a waterskiing star who helped the Univ. of Louisiana-Lafayette win a national championship last year -- has died at just 18 years old.

A cause of death was not revealed ... but according to Geller's loved ones, the Ragin Cajuns athlete passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on May 6.

"With his full throttle approach to life, Micky experienced more in his 18 years than many ever will," his family and friends wrote in Geller's obituary. "However, he was just cracking the surface of the possibilities that lay ahead."

Geller began his athletics career at a young age in gymnastics ... before he moved onto rock climbing and then waterskiing -- where he excelled.

According to ULL, which mourned his death in a social media post on Thursday, Geller was ranked sixth in the world in the U21 jump as a junior water skier.

"His friends and family remain in the thoughts, hearts and prayers of many at the University," the school said.

Geller also participated for Canada's junior national waterski team .... and in a Facebook post earlier this week, Water Ski Canada said it will remember him for "his amazing work ethic, unending passion, humour, athleticism, and charisma."

ULL flew its flags at half mast on Thursday to honor Micky. A funeral service was held for him on Thursday in Ottawa as well.

"Our boy will be remembered for his empathy, passion, strength, fearlessness, drive, discipline and limitless potential," his family wrote in his obituary.

Anything Martha Stewart can do, Barbara Corcoran can do just as well ... 'cause the "Shark Tank" star just had her own makeshift Sports Illustrated swimsuit photo shoot -- and she looks fantastic!!

The 74-year-old real estate mogul and businesswoman threw on a white one-piece suit and orange cover-up to recreate her friend's new S.I. cover that was revealed this week ... captioning the pic, "I can’t cook, but I sure can swim. @si_swimsuit @marthastewart48."

The responses have been nothing but positive ... with huge names like Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Chrishell Stause and Martha herself all showing love in the comments.

"Looking great barbara Corcoran!!!!!" Stewart, 81, said.

There was one troll, however ... and anyone who's familiar with the Sharks will not be surprised one bit that "Mr. Wonderful" had something to say.

"I've reported this to Instagram," Kevin O'Leary said ... to which Barb responded, "Ok hater."

Barb's post was all for fun -- earlier this week, she even joked with us that she wouldn't buy the mag if Martha looked too good.

Tom Kim proved Thursday night that even pro golf stars have flashes of weekend warrior in them ... 'cause in a wild attempt to rescue a brand new ball from a hazard area, he got absolutely lathered in mud.

The hilarious scene all went down during Kim's first round at the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in New York ... when on the sixth hole, the 20-year-old blasted his tee shot way off line.

Turns out, the ball was struck so badly ... it went over a creek and settled in a patch of high weeds.

Kim then had two options -- take a penalty stroke and drop the ball near the hazard ... or, strip off his shoes and socks and go in after it.

Turns out, Kim chose the latter ... and it ended up being a comically poor decision.

Check out the footage of Kim trying to find his Pro V1x ... the dude waded through waist-high mud for several moments, before he had to turn back without the ball and crawl to safety.

Video shows Kim left the hazard covered in mud ... and after the round -- while he was a good sport about it -- he was clearly embarrassed.

"You know," he said with a sheepish smile, "I miss the days when I played on a tour without cameras."

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin is sharing his fond memories of "Superstar" Billy Graham and the huge impact he had on professional wrestling ... after the WWE Hall of Famer passed away on Wednesday.

"I watched his career very intently," Austin told TMZ Sports this week. "He started becoming so entertaining with his promos that the crowd was starting to like him, which is what happened to me."

"He was great. He was all about the showmanship of it and the physique, and he was a different vibe and a helluva promo. He influenced a whole lot of people."

Billy died Wednesday with his wife, Valerie, and their daughter by his side ... after battling "very serious health issues" that left him hospitalized in the ICU for three weeks.

Despite now being gone, it's clear Graham will not be forgotten ... fellow Superstars like Ric Flair, X-Pac, and Bubba Ray Dudley have all expressed condolences after his death.

Jake Paul is going to have to take a break from boxing soon to do some serious unboxing ... 'cause TMZ Sports has confirmed the fighter just bought a mega-mansion in Puerto Rico -- off of ex-MLB star Yadier Molina!!!

The Problem Child, according to a rep for The Caribbean Realty Group, scored the San Juan-area palace on Wednesday for $15,750,000 ... and it's insane.

The two-story property has eight bedrooms, eight full bathrooms, two 1/2 bathrooms, a fitness center ... and a luxury pool.

It's also got an elevator, a wet bar, a dry bar, a 6-car garage ... and over 12,000 square feet of living space.

No word on why the newly retired Molina gave up the place -- which was built in 2021 -- but Paul landed a great deal on it nonetheless.

The Caribbean Realty Group reports the house was initially listed at $19,995,000 ... before the former Cardinals catcher and Paul worked out the new price this week.

Jake and his brother, Logan, initially moved to Puerto Rico a couple years ago ... after the two brothers claimed the region gave them the ability to train for fights without distractions.

Perhaps don't hold your breath for that second Tyson Fury appearance on 'JRE' ... 'cause the superstar heavyweight champ just eviscerated Joe Rogan, calling him a "p***y, little f***ing m****t, bald-headed m****t."

😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳

34-year-old Fury unloaded on 55-year-old Rogan, blasting Joe for comments he made during a recent podcast ... when he essentially said The Gypsy King would get his ass whupped by MMA G.O.A.T. Jon Jones.

“You want to talk about who’s the baddest man on the planet?" Rogan asked. "If Jon Jones and Tyson Fury are locked into a room, I’m pushing all of my chips on black."

Rogan, who has always been complimentary of Fury, also said Tyson "doesn't have a f***ing chance in hell of making it out of that room" unless he immediately catches Jones with a knockout punch.

Fury, the best heavyweight boxer in the world, and one of the greatest pugilists of all time, didn't take too kindly to the remarks, and he made that abundantly clear.

“I heard Joe Rogan say something about me," Fury fumed, "and I’ve been off all the social media and didn’t reply to that little p***y, little f***ing m****t, bald-headed m****t."

“I heard him say that Jon Jones could f*** me up if we were in the room together. I don’t think so. Not a man born from a mother could f*** me up, in a room, on our own."

Fury added ... "Whatever happens in that room, I’d be walking out. Not a f****** problem.”

Before this week's drama, Tyson and Joe seemed to have a good relationship ... and even sat down together for hours on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience in 2018.

As for what would happen if they were to fight ... it's impossible to know for sure. Tyson has a huge edge in striking with his hands, but Jon is an incredible grappler/wrestler who is also extremely proficient with his hands, legs, and knees.

Cross-promotion events are common these days ... here's hoping we'll get to settle this debate one day once and for all!

Travis Scott is inching closer to the release of his first album drop in 4 years, and taking extra precautions to make sure it doesn't leak ... literally handcuffing the damn thing to his muscle-bound security guard.

The rapper was spotted out in Hollywood Thursday leaving a vinyl record spot -- but he wasn't alone -- watched closely by his guard, who flashed a briefcase handcuffed to his own wrist with the word "Utopia" written on it as he held the door open for TS.

This ain't just a cool fashion statement, it's also an insanely creative piece of marketing ... because a source tells us the highly-anticipated album is indeed inside. We're told the whole reveal for Travis' return to music is pretty damn imminent -- sometime this summer.

Another hint Travis is up to something, check out the shoes he's wearing, with "Utopia" on the back ... gotta imagine there's another collab with Nike on the way.

For those unaware, fans have been waiting almost 5 years for Travis to bring out some new music ... and as we reported, he played "Utopia" for the Houston Astros earlier this week ahead of their game against the Cubs -- talk about team perks!

BTW -- producer Mike Dean posted, then quickly took down, a screenshot this week of his editing bay of what appears to be "Utopia," and The Weeknd, who was featured on 2018's "Astroworld," threw up a couple of lollipop emojis before the thing was scrubbed.

Bryson DeChambeau has ruffled some feathers yet again on the golf course ... this time, the LIV star hit an approach shot so poorly, it drilled one of his fellow competitors right in the back.

The wild scene went down just minutes ago during the first round of the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in New York ... when Kenny Pigman was standing on the 18th tee box, getting ready to smoke a drive.

You can see in replays from the ESPN broadcast of the tournament, as he was leaning over his ball ... another ball suddenly came careening right for him.

Turns out, the ball was hit off of DeChambeau's club on the 17th hole ... less than 200 yards away.

Thankfully, a "fore" call was yelled ... allowing Pigman to duck for cover -- but he was still nailed in the back of the shoulder by the wayward shot.

DeChambeau, who's made a habit through the years of annoying others on the course, like Brooks Koepka, clearly didn't mean to hit Pigman ... and he came over to apologize shortly after.

And, somehow, despite the horrendous shot, DeChambeau was able to save a bogey on his hole ... and is now in the middle of a great round.

New England Patriots player Ty Montgomery is providing a life-changing opportunity to a group of former foster kids this summer ... sending them to Israel for what is being described as a "transformative experience."

TMZ Sports is told -- the wide receiver will send 11 foster care alumni to the Holy Land for a 10-day Jerusalem Encounter tour ... with the intent to give them some guidance right as they adjust to living on their own.

The trip will include a tour of Israel, reading the Bible, and getting a better understanding of the history behind their faith ... something Montgomery did back in 2022.

Of course, the cause means a lot to Montgomery ... whose mother, Lisa, raised foster kids throughout his childhood.

Montgomery spoke about his decision to help out ... saying, "I want to send these people to Israel because God has asked me to, and I believe this experience will transform their lives."

"Those who have been in the foster care system will always hold a special place in my heart. I know the love they need. I saw it firsthand as my mom raised 17 foster youth alongside me."

"What better way to impact the lives of those exiting foster care than providing this experience of a lifetime."

Montgomery is hoping to make the trip an annual thing through his charity My 10 Percent ... and has already gotten financial support from NASCAR stars Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace to help the cause.