TMZ Sports - Page 38

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."

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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.

A Dodgers fan was knocked out cold during a wild melee after a game earlier this week ... and the scary scene -- which featured multiple people brawling -- was all captured on video.

The fistfight broke out just minutes after L.A. had lost to the Twins at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night ... after several fans got into a verbal argument.

You can see in the footage, captured on a bystander's cell phone, a couple of men began pushing and shoving each other ... before they started to trade blows.

At one point during the fracas, a guy in a Clayton Kershaw jersey was socked so hard in the face after running toward a man in a blue Dodgers shirt ... he crumpled to the ground.

As his body made its way to the pavement, though ... you can see he hit his head hard -- leaving him completely unconscious.

One witness, Johnathan Lopez, told KTLA that security guards ultimately stepped in to break things up ... and loaded the injured man onto a stretcher. His status remains unclear.

"I honestly don’t know what started it," Lopez said. "You could tell some of them were drunk … and some of them were almost drunk."

A spokesperson for the LAPD, meanwhile, told TMZ Sports on Thursday cops had no information regarding the incident.

The fight is hardly the first at Dodger Stadium ... in fact, just 12 months ago, an L.A. fan and a Giants supporter got into a heated tiff in what appeared to be the same area as Tuesday's skirmish.

Bronny James is one step closer to becoming a college basketball star -- he just inked his letter of intent with USC ... and the occasion was so momentous, LeBron James said he shed a tear!!

Poppa James posted all about the Proud Dad moment on his Instagram page Thursday morning ... writing that he was "so damn happy" to see his 18-year-old boy put the pen to SC paper, locking him in to the Trojans for at least the 2023-24 season.

"Pops shed a gangsta 🥺😢 seeing this," LeBron wrote. "So AMAZING!! #ProudDad #BronnyGoingToCollege😱 #JamesGang👑 #FightOn✌🏾."

In his post, LeBron shared a few snaps of Bronny at his signing ceremony at Sierra Canyon H.S. on Wednesday.

In one of the photos, the teen could be seen rockin' an SC shirt with a big smile. In the other, his brother -- also wearing Trojans gear -- and mom joined him for a happy photo.

LBJ, of course, could not attend ... he's a little busy trying to beat the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals in Denver -- but it's clear as day he couldn't be more thrilled for his son's future.

The "White Men Can't Jump" remake -- starring Jack Harlow -- will pay tribute to Lance Reddick by dedicating the upcoming film to the late actor, following his sudden death.

TMZ Sports is told ... the film, a remake of the original 1992 flick, featuring Reddick in one of the leading roles, will receive an on-screen dedication ... after the actor passed away in March due to heart disease.

Reddick, best known for his work on HBO's The Wire and the John Wick movie franchise, plays a character named "Benji."

Of course, Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson starred in the OG White Men Can't Jump in 1992, and became an instant classic.

Charles “Calmatic” Kidd II, the Grammy-award-winning director of the remake, recently raved about working with Reddick while talking to the LA Times.

"As director, it was weird because I’m so used to giving actors notes. But for [Lance], I was like, “Man, I don’t have any notes. That was damn near perfect.” So I think what I learned from him was the importance of prep."

"I feel like when he came onto the set, he was just so prepared and knew exactly what to do and knew all the nuances of his character that he just knocked [it] out the park the first time. I don’t think we realize how good we had it for him to be a part of this film."

Harlow also recently opened during the movie's premiere about what it was like working with Lance, saying it "was an absolute pleasure to be around" him.

Reddick was 60 years old.

If you're trying to cop a pair of Ja Morant's signature sneakers, you'll have to look somewhere other than Nike's website, 'cause the NBA superstar's kicks are nowhere to be found in the online store days after his 2nd gun incident.

The Ja 1 athletic shoes were released on April 19, and have been very popular. However, when we looked on Nike's site Thursday morning, the Morant sneakers were not available. In fact, outside of a few t-shirts, there isn't anything Morant-related.

But, Nike hasn't totally erased Morant's sneakers. There's a new mismatched 'Hunger' colorway that's scheduled to be released on May 25 ... and it still appears in the "Upcoming" section of Nike's SNKRS app.

Other retailers like Dick's Sporting Goods, and secondary resellers like StockX and Flight Club still have Ja 1s for sale.

Morant signed a multi-year deal with Nike in May 2019, but could be in jeopardy of losing his endorsement with the world's largest athletic apparel company ... after the 23-year-old was seen holding a gun on IG live, sitting shotgun in a car, listening to music.

This comes just two months after the 2x All-Star flashed a pistol inside a Denver strip club ... again while on Instagram Live.

Ja was suspended for eight games after the March incident.

This time, the penalty will be much more severe. Morant's already been suspended from all team activities, though it's the offseason for the Grizzlies.

The back-to-back gun incidents have fans confused and even pissed off, including Michael Wilbon, who said he won't let his son wear Ja's shoes.

If retailers continue to pull the Ja 1s, even people who want to wear Morant's kicks may soon have trouble tracking down a pair.

Antonio Brown might be taking matters into his own hands to help his struggling National Arena League team ... 'cause the former Pro Bowl receiver is considering unretiring to play for the Albany Empire.

Brown's tenure as a team owner has gotten off to a shaky start ... with the two-time defending champions struggling to get wins and put butts in seats at home games.

But, AB is now looking into solving both problems in one swift motion by dusting off his helmet and cleats ... because a rep for the former Pittsburgh Steelers star says he could possibly become a player-owner as soon as May 27 when the Empire host the Fayetteville Mustangs.

"He wants his team to win and give the community a good show," the rep tells us. "But, we will see."

TMZ Sports spoke with NAL commissioner Chris Siegfried about the "Put That S*** On" rapper's potential plans ... and he says Brown has not submitted a player contract to the league offices just yet.

If Brown does file the paperwork, we're told he has the league's support if he so chooses to play.

We also asked if there were any restrictions that would keep AB from playing while he holds ownership (some leagues like the NBA have a rule against it) ... and Siegfried pointed out the pretty unique circumstances, considering the NAL hasn't had an owner with Brown's youth and athletic abilities in the past.

Caitlyn Jenner is backing the University of Wyoming sorority sisters who claim they're being menaced by a transgender member in their house.

Caitlyn's sounding off about the Kappa Kappa Gamma sisters suing their sorority for letting 21-year-old Artemis Langford join their chapter last year. In the suit, the women say they now "live in constant fear in our home" ... because they allege 6'2, 260 lbs. Artemis gets physically aroused around them.

Caitlyn made her views clear, tweeting, "The person is not a true trans. They are a sexually deviant perv who hangs around a female sorority watching young women undress with a visible erection!"

She goes on to refer to Artemis as a male, calling them a "mentally disturbed person."

Caitlyn also puts a good chunk of the blame on the sorority for letting Artemis into the sisterhood, calling on others to either drop out of their chapters or refuse to join in solidarity.

Jenner shared her brash thoughts on Fox News, bluntly saying to Artemis ... "You're not a woman, and you do not belong in women's spaces."

Tiger Woods has just notched a big victory in court over his ex ... a judge has ruled Erica Herman's gripes with the golfing legend must go to a behind-closed-doors arbitrator -- something Woods has been wanting for months.

Herman initially sued Woods back in early March ... alleging he wrongly kicked her out of their Florida home following their split in 2022. She argued at the time her disputes should play out in public court -- not private arbitration -- claiming an NDA that he made her sign in 2017 should be nullified on the grounds that Woods allegedly conditioned her job and right to live their home on their romantic relationship -- which she says constitutes "sexual harassment" under Florida law.

Woods countered that she couldn't bring him to court, saying the NDA required any qualms between the two to be meted out in arbitration. He added that he had never been sexually inappropriate with her.

Martin County, Fla. judge Elizabeth A. Metzger ruled in Woods' favor late Wednesday, saying Herman must abide by the NDA's arbitration provision.

She also said in her ruling Herman's sexual harassment claims were "vague and threadbare" and "implausibly pled" ... writing, "Herman has had the opportunity [to] provide factual specificity for any claim relating to sexual assault or sexual harassment, however, she has not done so."

It's unclear if Herman has plans to appeal.

Woods and Herman began dating around six years ago, shortly after she had been hired to work at his Florida restaurant. She alleged in court filings that once they became romantic, he "forced her to sign an NDA ... or else be fired from her job."

The couple dated until the fall of '22 ... when Herman claimed Woods concocted a scheme involving false promises of a spontaneous vacation to throw her out of their home. She argued it all violated an oral agreement they had -- and she sued his trust for $30 mil.