TMZ Sports - Page 37

Just because Ja Morant flashed guns on camera while listening to NBA Youngboy and rap music doesn't make it hip hop's fault ... so says Maino, who tells TMZ Sports the blame for Morant's woes is entirely on the Grizzlies superstar -- and no one else.

We got the "All the Above" rapper out in L.A. this week days after Morant was seen yet again on a social media live stream waving around a firearm ... and he told us straight up, Morant needs to get his act together quickly.

He said he was concerned about the people Morant has surrounded himself with ... telling us he's worried they're not advising the basketball player to make smart decisions -- and he suggested Ja bring others into his circle ASAP.

"He gotta have people around him that don't care what he got to say," Maino said.

As for those who believe rap is playing any role in all this ... Maino made it clear, that's just not an excuse he believes Morant can use.

"We know you like the music, you come from a culture, but homie, truth be told, you got way more opportunity than the average person," Maino said. "Don't throw the opportunity away trying to keep up with what's goin' on."

Maino tells us he's speaking from personal experience ... as the Brooklyn native spent time behind bars earlier in his life, before he turned things around.

"I'm the last person to try to condemn somebody for making mistakes because I've made many," he said. "Trust me!"

"He got age on his side," the 49-year-old added. "He got time on his side. I want to see him do way better than that."

Memphis has suspended Morant from team activities indefinitely over the latest video. NBA commissioner Adam Silver, meanwhile, said earlier this week he was disappointed while announcing the league has already commenced an investigation into it all.

Looks like Adidas is trying to make good after getting skewered for failing to part ways with Kanye West during his antisemitic tirade ... because the company's donating a chunk of its upcoming Yeezy profits to the Anti-Defamation League and other charities.

Adidas says it's going to sell off some of its remaining inventory at the end of this month, adding a "significant amount will be donated to selected organizations working to combat discrimination and hate, including racism and antisemitism."

In addition to the Anti-Defamation League, the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change -- started by George Floyd's brother, Philonise -- will also benefit.

It's unclear how much will go to the charities, but as we reported, there's about $1.3 billion in Yeezy products left over after the company pulled the plug on Kanye back in October.

You'll recall, Adidas seemed slow on the draw when it came to Ye -- dropping him well into his antisemitic tirades, including his unforgettable post -- "death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE."

Ye also had some extremely controversial takes regarding Floyd's tragic death back in 2020.

Adidas eventually kicked Kanye to the curb and tried repurposing its remaining stock, selling the shoes without the Yeezy name ... which, by the way, fell flat.

Lots of Los Angelenos were disappointed Saturday night with the Lakers getting shellacked ... including a score of celebs who watched ... mostly on the hardwood of course!

Lakers vs. Nuggets Game 3 was a no-contest event, with the Lakers losing by a score of 119 to 108.  Among those who winced as they watched ... Adele, Jake Gyllenhaal, Denzel Washington, Eddie Murphy, Robert Pattinson, Andy Garcia, Jimmy Iovine, Flea and Jennifer Hudson.

Jack Nicholson should get his own, separate call out, so here it is ... he was on hand with his son, Ray.

But wait, there's more ... Eddie Murphy was hobnobbing it with entertainment titan Jeffrey Katzenberg.

Gilbert Arenas says Ja Morant can move past his two gun incidents and salvage his legacy ... telling TMZ Sports all the young NBA star has to do is follow Kobe Bryant and LeBron James' blueprint and focus on being great.

Morant's on-court success is currently being overshadowed by his off-court issues -- which include his most recent weapon-flashing video that's resulted in a second suspension.

Agent Zero knows a little bit about what the Memphis Grizzlies guard is going through -- in 2010, he was suspended indefinitely by then-NBA Commissioner David Stern for admittedly bringing guns into the Wizards' locker room and having a standoff with his teammate, Javaris Crittenton.

Arenas was hit with a hefty suspension over the whole ordeal ... and he tells us it's something that tarnished how people view his own career, despite all his accomplishments.

"What do you want your legacy to be?" Arenas asked. "I did 99 things right. I did one thing wrong. Everybody remembers the one thing. No matter how many championships, how many scoring titles you win. They're going to remember this moment in this time."

Ultimately, Agent Zero believes Morant needs people in his corner who will hold him accountable and challenges the embroiled point guard to reflect on what he wants to be remembered for when he's no longer in the NBA.

Gil name-dropped Kobe and LeBron as perfect examples of guys who did it the right way ... explaining they sacrificed fun and certain friendships for their love of the game.

Arenas says Ja will have to cut ties with some people in order to get back to being considered superstar status like Jayson Tatum, Luka Doncic and more ... but there's no doubt in his mind it can happen.

Gil spent 12 seasons in the NBA and has pivoted to being a media personality in retirement, talking all things hoops on his "Gil's Arena" podcast on the Underground Fantasy Content Network.

Mercedes Moné may have given us a preview of things to come when she fights this weekend ... 'cause the former WWE Superstar beat the s*** out of "Mojo" Muhtadi, making the TMZ Sports cohost tap out with her signature "Statement Maker" finisher.

Moné will fight Stephanie Vaquer, a Chilean professional wrestler, at Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, CA, on Sunday, during New Japan Pro Wrestling's "Resurgence" ... in the first round of the Strong Women's Championship Tournament.

But, first, she sent a message to her challenger ... at the expense of Mojo!

Muhtadi went to give Mercedes, his good friend, a high five, but she turned it into the "Statement Maker" (aka the "Bank Statement" in the WWE), a maneuver she's used on countless opponents throughout her wrestling career, culminating in multiple championships.

Mercedes also broke down this weekend's tourney ... explaining a win over Stephanie would catapult her to the championship match against her translator from Japan, Momo Kohgo, or AEW wrestler Willow Nightingale, to crown the first-ever NJPW Strong Women's champ.

Following her split from WWE, Mercedes returned to the ring in February ... and was an instant hit in NJPW, where she defeated Kairi to win the IWGP Championship in her debut.

Unfortunately, Moné dropped the title to Mayu Iwatani at the Stardom All Star Grand Queendom event in Tokyo in April.

Oakland A's fans won't like this ... but ex-MLB star Adrián González tells TMZ Sports he believes relocating the team to Las Vegas would be "a great move" for the franchise.

The Athletics appear to be on their way out of the Bay Area after partnering this week with Bally's Corporation to build a potential new stadium right on The Strip ... and González said in L.A. he likes the idea of it all.

The former Dodgers first baseman tells us seeing the success of the NHL's Golden Knights, the WNBA's Aces and the NFL's Raiders leads him to believe the MLB would thrive in Sin City as well.

"Vegas is doing really well with sporting teams," he said.

Of course, there's still a chance the A's could remain in Northern California ... the team is reportedly asking for around $400 million of public funding to help build the new Vegas stadium -- but if Nevada lawmakers shut that request down, the franchise could possibly explore options to stay put.

One man that would certainly be thrilled about that is A's legend Dave Stewart, who told us last month he's hoping for "a miracle" to keep the team in Oakland.

If the sports TV biz somehow doesn't work out for Pat McAfee ... he's got a HUGE future as a WWE wrestler -- at least, that's according to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who gushed over the former NFL punter's work in the squared circle earlier this week.

The Texas Rattlesnake couldn't have heaped more praise on the 36-year-old when talking to us about the ex-Indianapolis Colt ... saying the guy simply has a sky-high ceiling in the WWE if he would ever join the org. full-time.

Austin, of course, would know a thing or two about the topic ... not only is he a WWE legend himself -- but he got a firsthand look at the way McAfee worked in the ring at WrestleMania 38 last year, and he was blown away.

"Pat has a natural feel for the business," Stone Cold said. "Epic performer. Great on the stick. Athletically, that match he had with [Austin] Theory was awesome."

Austin also had big praise for the way McAfee took his "Stone Cold" Stunner during their wild, beer-filled meetup in the 'Mania 38 ring.

In fact, Stone Cold said it was one of the three most memorable Stunners he's ever performed.

"I think he's amazing," Austin said of McAfee. "He's very entertaining. And, as a human being, I like him a whole lot."

McAfee, though, appears to be all-in on his television career at the moment ... his "The Pat McAfee Show" has taken off -- gaining so much popularity, it was actually just acquired by ESPN.

New York Jets star Sauce Gardner will never forget Jessica Alba now ... 'cause just a couple weeks after he didn't know who she was during a Knicks game meetup -- he scored some custom cleats with her face all over them!!!

Sauce got the feet heat this week from artist Mike Jordan ... who thought it was absolutely hilarious that the NFL defensive back couldn't recognize her while the two were at Game 2 of the Heat-Knicks playoff series with Aaron Rodgers.

If you missed it, Sauce revealed two days after his Madison Square Garden man-date with his new QB that he truly had no knowledge of the actress as she sat right near him in a courtside seat. In fact, he said Rodgers made fun of him for it all night.

Jordan tells TMZ Sports ... he wanted to commemorate the funny ordeal by drawing up some Alba-themed kicks for the 22-year-old cornerback.

On one of the Nike Vapor spikes, Jordan featured a depiction of Alba in her movie "Honey." On the other, he drew Alba from her Susan Storm role in the "Fantastic Four."

Jordan says both shoes took a few days to complete ... and he ultimately ended up dropping them off for Sauce at the Jets' facility on Tuesday.

"I wanted to do something fun," Jordan said of the spikes. "I hope Jessica likes them, too."

Cris "Cyborg" Justino might've re-signed with Bellator, but that doesn't mean a scrap between Kayla Harrison and the MMA legend is off the table for good, with the Brazilian fighter telling us the super fight can still happen!

37-year-old Cyborg, the Bellator women's featherweight champion, opted to stay with CEO Scott Coker's company, inking a new deal with the promotion.

The downside -- many believed the re-signing to be the final nail in the coffin for anyone who hoped to see Cyborg fight Kayla.

In fact, the PFL star herself said the odds of it happening were "slim" and "decreasing, not increasing" ... though the 2x Olympic gold medalist may now have a glimmer of hope after hearing what Cyborg told us this week at LAX.

"Yes, she can call Scott Coker and make this fight happen. She can come to Bellator."

Obviously, the giant catch is changing promotions ... but the bottom line is Justino's saying there's a chance.

"If she wants to make a great fight, I think the best division is in Bellator. We have a full division at featherweight," Cyborg told us.

"If she wants to make something great, she can go [to Bellator]."

If the fight does happen, it'd pit two of the most dominant female MMA fighters ever against one another. Cyborg's a trailblazer ... and has only lost twice (Erica Paes in her first ever pro bout and Amanda Nunes) in 28 professional fights. Cris has smashed her opps going back two decades.

As for Kayla, she's newer to the sport, but no less dominant. Harrison is 15-1 ... and coming off the only defeat of her awesome career (she lost to Pacheco in November). A sign of KH's dominance ... 9 of Harrison's 15 wins were first-round knockouts or submissions. Outside of Larissa, no one's even come close to beating her.

If the fight does ultimately go down, it's not going to happen imminently. So, it's likely Cris will face Cat Zingano next, the number 1 contender.

We asked Cyborg about that matchup ... and she gives us an update on contract negotiations.

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.