TMZ Sports - Page 33

Aaron Rodgers is a HUGE fan of Taylor Swift ... and TMZ has the video to prove it!!!

Check out this footage we obtained, which shows the New York Jets star QB lapping up Taylor's Saturday concert at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. It was the second of three nights the pop star was slated to perform at the venue as part of her sold-out Eras Tour.

In the clip, Rodgers is dancing to Taylor's music with his arms raised and his eyes shut. He's seemingly in a trance and totally captivated by Taylor's song, "Style." Anyone know Rodgers was a Swifty?

Well, he did mention it last week during an interview with host Adam Schein on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio. Rodgers said he was "for sure" going to Taylor's concert because he's a "big fan." He also proclaimed his love for Taylor's "Folklore" album and one of its tracks, “August.”

As you know, Rodgers was traded to the Jets from the Green Bay Packers back in April. Before the announcement, Rodgers was very vocal about wanting to play for the Jets and move to the New York metropolitan area.

Hulk Hogan will never forget the impact pro wrestling legend Billy Graham had on his life, saying Graham's influence on his career is one of the main reasons he became one of the greatest icons in WWE history!

Hogan reflected on his relationship with Billy after the 79-year-old wrestling legend died last week, recalling how he would take his father to watch Billy's matches  ... and was captivated by BG's larger-than-life personality on the microphone and stellar physique.

"I want to be just like him," Hulk used to tell his dad, referring to Graham, as he watched in awe whenever "Superstar" would flex his biceps at events.

Hogan says he modeled his career after Graham, a former WWE Champion, and WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, aka "The American Dream."

"I stole a little bit from each of them," Hogan told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

Hogan said he and Billy became good friends over the years and shared a full circle moment  ... telling a story of how Graham came to watch him in the main event at Madison Square Garden after years of watching Billy headline shows.

"We just bonded and just got along great," Hogan said.

One of Hogan's career highlights was when he joined forces with Graham, a moment The Hulkster appreciates all these years later when he reflects on his wrestling legacy.

High school hoops star Mikey Williams has lost his partnership with a sports technology company, TMZ Sports has learned ... one month after he was arrested in Southern California.

As we previously reported, Williams -- who committed to play for the Memphis Tigers last November -- was jailed on April 13 after authorities alleged he was involved in a shooting near his San Diego County home in March.

Lace Clips, one of the first companies to ink the basketball player to a name, image and likeness deal, told us they will no longer work with Williams after the arrest.

"We are not continuing our partnership with Mikey Williams," said Jonathan Nussbaum, the president of Lace Clips.

Nussbaum also claims that Williams wasn't holding up his end of the bargain after they gave him a multiyear contract in 2022 ... adding that their relationship was deteriorating even before his arrest.

"He is not someone that will be associated with our brand going forward," Nussbaum said.

We're told Williams' partnership with the sports tech company -- which makes wearable smart activity trackers that attach to shoes -- will cease at the end of May.

Get ready, Sin City ... Dana White tells TMZ Sports he's planning to bro down with Tom Brady way more in Vegas now that the former NFL star is in line to be part-owner of the Raiders!!!

The UFC honcho sounded thrilled at the idea of it all, too ... saying he'll even pick up the checks when the two pal around at dinners!!

Of course, Brady is not quite a Raiders boss just yet ... while he and Mark Davis have agreed to a deal for minority ownership in the NFL franchise, the league still requires at least 24 of its other owners to give their stamp of approval before it's all greenlit.

But, that feels like nothing more than a formality at this point ... which has Dana pumped.

If you weren't already aware, the two have been buds for years -- Brady actually owns a small piece of the UFC -- and White made it clear their friendship is about to get way more fun.

"I think there's more opportunity for us to hang out now that he's around more in Vegas," White said. "I don't know about working!"

As for how he sees things going with the Raiders once Brady's officially got his stake in the game, White told us he has no doubt Vegas will benefit big time.

Gilbert Arenas is believing the hype around future NBA star Victor Wembanyama ... telling TMZ Sports the French hooper is a "generational game-changer" ... but there's one thing that could keep him from his full potential -- his feet.

We spoke with Agent Zero about the most hyped prospect since LeBron James, and he says if the 19-year-old possesses the basketball I.Q. like fellow international stars Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Luka Dončić ... he will thrive in the league.

But while Gilbert says Wembanyama checks off so many boxes, the one thing that concerns him is the 7'2" giant's dogs ... admitting foot issues could potentially impact his promising NBA career.

"That's the only thing I think will slow him down is [his] feet," Arenas said. "Other than that, as long as he's healthy, I don't see anyone stopping the progression in his dominance."

While Wemby has had a number of injuries in his short career, he hasn't had any foot ailments as of yet. But unfortunately for big men, foot injuries have historically been a pain in the ass -- just ask Yao Ming, Joel Embiid, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Chet Holmgren to name a few.

Aside from Wemby's feet, Gil isn't worried that Victor's thin frame will affect him in the pros ... explaining he's been playing against people stronger than him his whole life and turned out fine.

The Spurs won the NBA Draft Lottery ... meaning they can select Wembanyama with the first pick in June -- and it sounds like Arenas thinks San Antonio will be getting a future all-time great if they take Victor.

AEW star Darby Allin, known for his death-defying stunts and daredevil personality, tells TMZ Sports he's "dialed in" ahead of his Fatal 4-Way championship match ... and believes a victory could catapult his career to the next level!

Allin faces three other men -- Jack Perry, Sammy Guevara, and the current AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman -- at AEW's Double or Nothing event at the T-Mobile Arena in Vegas on Sunday, and he's excited about the opportunity to become the champion.

"My first ever main event in the whole entire company," Allin said. "That's something I've strived for since day one. To be the face of the company. And to be the face of the company, I really believe you need to be champion."

Darby admits he never envisioned headlining an event of this magnitude when he signed with AEW, but now that the moment's almost here, he's got "all the confidence in the world."

"I'm ready to rock it," Allin said.

"This Sunday is going to be special. You got a bunch of young, hungry guys. I guess we all have chips on our shoulders. We got something to prove out there. We're on last, we have to close the show. Got to bring the heat. I'm ready."

Allin -- who once jumped 96 feet over his house in a jeep (he also recently told us he plans to climb Mount Everest next year) -- also told us the stunts he performs have prepared him to be in this main event.

Bam Margera wants a judge to dismiss his divorce pronto and let him hang out with his son ... but his estranged wife Nikki is pushing back.

Bam's legal team just filed new docs asking a judge to set an earlier court hearing on Bam and Nikki's divorce, with the former "Jackass" star making it clear he doesn't want to wait 2 more months for his day in court.

The hearing is currently set for July 11, but Bam says Nikki's not allowing him to see their son, Phoenix ... so he wants the judge to step in and get the ball rolling ASAP.

TMZ broke the story ... Nikki filed for legal separation back in February, citing irreconcilable differences and asking for legal and physical custody over Phoenix, as well as spousal support.

In his emergency filing, Bam is also claiming he was never legally married to Nikki in the first place.

Nikki also filed legal docs, obtained by TMZ, claiming there's no reason to rush everyone back in front of a judge. Nikki says she's abiding by the custody orders and Bam is still able to see their kid.

In the docs, Nikki shades Bam ... she says he can see their son, as long as he's in California and not under the influence.

Nikki's attorney, David Glass, tells TMZ ... "Mr. Margera continues to claim to be the 'injured' party because he isn't seeing Phoenix – even though he placed himself 3000 miles away after exposing the child to abuse and drug/alcohol abuse."

Scary moment during the LSU women's hoops team's visit to the White House on Friday -- freshman forward Sa'Myah Smith passed out during President Joe Biden's speech ... but thankfully, head coach Kim Mulkey says she's doing okay.

The incident happened just minutes ago ... when Biden was at the podium honoring the Tigers' historic NCAA title win over the Iowa Hawkeyes in April.

The White House's stream of the ceremony showed several players suddenly look toward the middle of the group as Biden spoke .. and seconds later, staffers rushed onto the stage.

The stream was quickly cut off, but the audio was still running ... and you can hear Biden say, "Folks, it's okay."

After a brief delay, the stream was live again ... and Coach Kim Mulkey provided an update on Sa'Myah's status.

"For those of you who are concerned, Sa'Myah is fine. I'll assure you of that," Mulkey said at the podium.

"She's kind of, right now, embarrassed. She doesn't want to leave. She wants to stand with us, but she needs to be checked out."

After everything calmed down, LSU star Angel Reese handed Biden and the First Lady custom Tigers jerseys ... and even gave Jill Biden a hug.

It was an interesting moment for Reese and Jill. Remember, Reese was initially hesitant about going to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave after FLOTUS showed interest in inviting Iowa as well.

Reese later changed her mind ... and said she was excited to go along with Coach Mulkey, Flau'Jae Johnson and her teammates.

In fact, Reese, Flau'jae and Mulkey pulled up with some iced-out watches ... and showed 'em off while inside the White House.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann's divorce war seems to have been triggered by financial woes, and the latest turn -- selling her wigs -- seems to underscore what's behind it all.

Kim has put some of her personal items, including those blonde wigs, up for sale on her online website, The Biermann's Closet. The wigs are pricey ... up to $2,750. There are 7 in all, which start at $1,500.

As you know, the wigs were a signature on her reality show, and now they can be yours.

There have been allegations of gambling, drug use and more in the bitter divorce. Kim wants primary custody of their kids, while Kroy wants sole custody ... with each accusing the other of being an unfit parent.

Their home went into foreclosure back in February ... and there were signs the marriage was in trouble before TMZ broke the story they had both filed for divorce after 11 years of marriage. They also owe more than $1 million in back taxes.

LeBron James' team may have been eliminated this week, but he still has something to celebrate ... his son Bronny is now a graduate of Sierra Canyon School.

LeBron and his wife Savannah James, along with Bronny's grandma Gloria, were front and center on Thursday at the graduation ceremony.

As we reported, Bronny has tapped USC for his next move. The high school basketball star clearly has his sights set on following in his dad's very large footsteps -- as in joining the NBA.

The proud papa posted, "Continue to fly high,” with a crown emoji.

As for LeBron ... he seemed to leave the retirement option open but most people think he's just signaling to the Lakers .... get better players.

Lamar Odom is adding another assist to his stat line -- the ex-NBA star is stepping up to help a local rehab center that fell on hard times recently ... by raising money to keep it from closing its doors forever.

TMZ Sports is told ... Lamar's recent decision to acquire three California treatment centers has garnered the attention of several facilities in serious need of assistance after being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

We're told Lamar met with the family-owned Wavelengths Recovery out of Huntington Beach back in April ... and he felt compelled to partner with the center to help keep its lights on for good.

To get the ball rolling, Lamar has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for food, payroll, renovations and more ... and plans to hold a silent auction, with all profits going toward Wavelengths.

As we previously reported, the 2-time NBA champion recently launched the Odom Wellness Treatment Centers to fight substance abuse ... a cause he has vowed to fight for following his near-fatal overdose in 2015.

Odom previously invested in facilities in San Diego, El Cajon and Lemon Grove ... and he's determined to help save as many lives as possible.

In fact, he even offered his services to "Jackass" star Bam Margera back in April ... although it's unclear if the two were able to connect.

Shannon Sharpe's home in L.A. was burglarized last week ... and cops say the thieves made off with around $1 million in goods from the ex-NFL star's residence.

Law enforcement tells TMZ Sports ... the break-in happened back on May 19 between 7 PM and 9:30 PM -- after Sharpe had left his place for a few hours in the early evening.

We're told when Sharpe returned home after dinner with friends and noticed something was not right ... so he called the police.

Shannon told cops he was missing expensive watches, jewelry and some designer bags.

According to law enforcement, there were no obvious signs of forced entry -- and an investigation into the matter remains ongoing.

No arrests have yet been made ... but make no mistake, Shannon wants the perpetrator held accountable. So much so, Sharpe has put up a $50k reward for info leading to an arrest and conviction.

Shakur Stevenson vs. Devin Haney is a fight virtually everyone in boxing wants, but it's still not the biggest scrap out there for the star boxer from Jersey, who tells us a matchup with Gervonta "Tank" Davis is actually number one!

"I think both [Davis and Haney] fights is great fights for me," the 25-year-old undefeated lightweight told Babcock when he joined the "TMZ Sports" TV show this week (airs weekdays on FS1).

"Obviously, I think me and Tank is a bigger fight, but me and Dev is a fight where I could establish who I am as a fighter."

Stevenson (20-0, 10 KOs) has made it clear ... he wants smoke with all the top 135 lb. fighters, including the champ, Haney (30-0), Davis (29-0), and Vasiliy Lomachenko (17-3), who many believe actually beat Devin last Saturday night in Vegas.

Now, there's talk Devin, who has to cut a lot of weight to make 135, could go up in weight class ... and if he does move to junior welterweight, Shakur says he'll understand, because cutting weight sucks. But, it's not the move he'd make with so many doubting whether he truly won his last fight.

"If [Devin] can't make the weight and he don't feel the same, then just go up, but if it was me, if I was in his shoes, I would have the [Loma] rematch," Shakur told us, adding, "I would have to show the world that that dude can't f*** with me. That's how I would do it."

Regardless of what the other top fighters do, Shakur has a plan mapped out.

"It's definitely some great fights to make," Shakur told us, adding, "If [Devin] stays, I think me and Dev should fight next. If he doesn't stay and he decides to go to 140, I think me and Lomachenko should bang it out. I think that's the big fight and the world get to see who I truly am, how special I am."

Stevenson clearly has a lot of respect for Lomachenko ... and believes the 35-year-old future Hall of Famer proved he's not done with his performance against the younger and bigger Haney.

"I feel like Lomachenko just showed the world that he's not washed. He's not washed up. Now that we know that, I think it's only right, throw me in there with him, and let's see if I'm the truth. I'll keep saying I'm the truth."

There's much more ... we talked to Stevenson about his take on the Haney-Loma fight (which has changed a bit now that he's rewatched it on TV), what he and Devin said to each other in the ring after the Loma fight, and whether there's truly a chance boxing fans get these super fights.

Antonio Brown's ownership "partners" with the Albany Empire say they've been frozen out by the former NFL star, and they have a message for AB ... buy us out, or we're prepared to go to court!

TMZ Sports talked to Charlotte von Schiller and her husband Steve ... who purchased a 5% stake in the organization last year before Brown came on board. Antonio now owns 95% of the franchise.

Unfortunately for the von Schillers, they say things have been absolutely awful since Antonio took over ... and he has even failed to acknowledge they own even the smallest piece of the Empire.

"If he wants to actually own 100% then he needs to buy us out. Otherwise, he only owns 95%, and that's just the facts," Charlotte told us.

The von Schillers tell us they've repeatedly attempted to have civilized conversations with AB about a buyout of their portion of the franchise, but instead, he's essentially told them to get lost, and at times has allegedly berated them on the phone.

"The disregard and disrespect from AB and his group has been incredulous."

In fact, it's gotten so bad, the von Schillers have consulted with an attorney ... and tell us they're ready to go to court if necessary.

But, they hope it doesn't turn into a legal battle ... and would instead like to reach an agreement amicably.

Brown's tenure in Albany, depending on who you ask, has been an unmitigated disaster, with players and coaches quitting midseason over AB's alleged erratic behavior.

Several former players and a coach previously told us Antonio ordered them locked out of their team hotel rooms after complaining about missing paychecks.

Joe Burrow's professional women's volleyball league just added some serious firepower ... Olympic legend Kerri Walsh Jennings has now come on board -- and she's bringing a team with her!!

Walsh Jennings -- a three-time Olympic gold medalist -- announced the move earlier this week ... and told TMZ Sports on Thursday she's absolutely fired up to partner with the Bengals quarterback and others in the new league.

If you're unfamiliar, Burrow helped launch the Pro Volleyball Federation earlier this year ... promising to bring super competitive, professional indoor volleyball games to cities throughout the country. Jason Derulo has already revealed he's in on the project, telling us back in February he's launching the league's Nebraska team.

Walsh Jennings, in addition to being an equity holder in the league, is bringing on a squad of her own in San Diego ... and she said with her, Burrow, Derulo and others involved, the org. has sky-high potential.

"What's clear is that the opportunity is ginormous here," Walsh Jennings told us. "The sport is so hungry for this elite, top, most-echelon place, and the time is now for women's sports."

Walsh Jennings says the goal for the league -- which will kick off its inaugural season in February 2024 -- is to ultimately have seven or eight teams. Right now, it's at six. Every squad, Walsh Jennings said, will have 14 players -- and signings will happen soon.

And, when it all finally comes together and they get to go head-to-head during a real season ... she promised she was going to be super competitive with Burrow and Derulo.

"Just knowing what I know of the other owners," she said, "I know we're all going to take this, carry this crown of being owners with a lot of pride, a lot of honor. And we're going to want to win."

Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli and his pregnant wife will be adding a couple more players to their roster at home ... turns out they're about to have -- of all things -- twins!!!!

The MLB skipper's bae, Allie Baldelli, shared the exciting, and wildly ironic, news on Thursday ... using pics of their dog and their young daughter.

In the images, you can see the couple's toddler holding ultrasound images of the unborn Baldellis around her head.

“BOY TWINS," Allie captioned the pics. "due in september 🤍🙃🤍🙃."

Baldelli currently has his baseball Twins in first place in the American League Central ... but in a matter months, he'll have a whole new set of twins to manage -- and we're sure he's fired up for the task.