TMZ Sports - Page 50

Now under center for the Las Vegas Raiders ... Tom Brady?!?

Troy Aikman tells TMZ Sports he could imagine a scenario in 2023 where that situation is a very real thing ... saying he wouldn't put it past Brady to suit up for the team he's about to be a part owner of.

"I don't want speak for Tom," the Dallas Cowboys legend told Babcock, but "I wouldn't rule anything out."

Aikman's reasoning is simple ... he says because of the way Brady keeps himself in shape -- and his great relationship with head coach Josh McDaniels -- he could see it all happening.

Plus, Brady owning a piece of the team wouldn't hurt the chances, either.

"I would bet that just nothing is off the table," Aikman said, "as far as what may occur during the season or what Tom's role may be."

Of course, the Raiders already have Jimmy Garoppolo signed to a big contract ... and Aikman said he strongly believes Brady is "done playing."

"But," the Hall of Famer added, "you just never know."

Aikman also spoke with us about Aaron Rodgers' move to New York ... and he said he thinks the change of scenery from Green Bay could really impact the quarterback positively.

He also said he's stoked to be able to broadcast Rodgers' first-ever game as a Jet when NY takes on Buffalo during the NFL's season-opening "Monday Night Football" matchup in September.

Hulk Hogan heaped a ton of praise on Roman Reigns ... saying the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, whose title reign rivals some of WWE's all-time greats, has not only revitalized professional wrestling but has reminded him of his glory days.

"He's kept the art form alive," Hogan told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weekdays on FS1). "He has stepped up and got away from this choreographed looking, jumping, two guys doing the same thing and diving through the hoops."

Hogan credits Roman, who became the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion after defeating Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 38 last year, for taking the profession "back to where it should be."

"Big man. Big moves. Main event moves," Hogan added.

Hogan -- who once held the WWE Championship for 1,474 days -- also shared a story of how he held Roman at one of his family's events when he was a toddler ... and praised Reigns for embodying the wrestling style that propelled him to superstardom in the 1980s and 90s.

Reigns, AKA "The Tribal Chief," has gone toe-to-toe with the best superstars on WWE's roster, including Lesnar, John Cena, Drew McIntyre, Braun Stroman, and Cody Rhodes, en route to becoming one of the longest-reigning champions in WWE history.

Tevin Coleman will have his twins with him wherever he goes now ... the NFL running back just got an amazing, double-sided diamond pendant featuring his two beautiful kids!!

TMZ Sports is told the 30-year-old went to the famous Icebox jewelry spot in Atlanta to get some custom work done ... and his 6-year-old children, Nazaneen and Nezerah, are the clear inspiration behind the piece.

One side of the pendant reads "1125" to represent the birthdate of his twins ... and the reverse shows a portrait of them smiling.

The multiple layers of the pendant are filled with 14k yellow gold and white gold ... and feature more than 12 carats of VS diamonds.

On top of that, the piece has a 9mm, 22-inch Miami Cuban chain that weighs 122 grams!!

We're told this pendant is also a tribute to his daughter's sickle cell anemia, which Tevin was also diagnosed with during his college years in Indiana.

Coleman and his wife, Akilah, have been very open about the battle ... in hopes of bringing awareness to the disease.

In fact, Coleman -- who played on the 49ers in 2022 -- also used #MyCauseMyCleats week to pay homage to Nazaneen and the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America group.

Coleman was a third-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and has played for the Falcons, Jets, and 49ers.

Ryan McKenna, the Super Bowl selfie kid who snapped a viral photo years ago with Justin Timberlake, has pleaded no contest for allegedly going on a drunken rampage at a restaurant earlier this year ... and he's now on probation as he navigates adulthood.

The 19-year-old pled no contest on two charges -- resisting an officer without violence, and battery. The judge ordered the former selfie star to spend the next 12 months on probation.

Ryan's forbidden from consuming or even possessing alcohol -- he's not even allowed to enter places that primarily sell booze.

He's also been ordered to undergo substance abuse evaluation and submit to random breathalyzer and urine checks. He must also cough up $824 in court costs and fines.

We obtained body cam footage from February's incident ... which shows Ryan acting erratically before getting cuffed and taken to jail.

TMZ broke the story, cops got called to a Naples, Florida CPK on the eve of the Super Bowl after they were told Ryan was drunk and had hit his friend.

Another angle shows authorities slamming him to the ground before finally putting him in cuffs. Cops say he put his hands on an officer who was trying to calm him down.

Jewel sang the National Anthem at the Indy 500 this weekend, but there's no consensus for it online ... folks either thought it was the greatest thing ever or straight dog poo.

The singer was tapped as the talent to lead everyone while crooning the "Star Spangled Banner," which she did to kick off the festivities in Indianapolis ... except, she had a very unique take on the classic tune -- and it doesn't sound like everyone enjoyed it.

Check it out for yourself ... Jewel was strumming the guitar and pretty much rearranged the entire song, belting out a slower, more soulful take that had some country twang embedded.

Like we said, it was very ... different. You could argue it was in the same vein as Fergie -- or, on the flip side, maybe Marvin Gaye. Depending on how you interpret it will probably decide which camp you fall in -- as the reactions to Jewel's rendition were very love/hate.

One wrote, "Jewel butchered the national anthem at the Indy 500. People were trying to sing along but couldn't because of the way she sang it. What a shame." Another shared a similar sentiment ... "jewel’s national anthem for indy 500 might be the worst anthem rendition to date." There are tons of other responses like this ... likening it to Roseanne.

Of course, there were just as many who liked it ... with one person praising it mightily, writing ... "Jewel just did the best national anthem I’ve ever heard in my life I’m not exaggerating."

The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Jewel's iteration definitely didn't follow the traditional structure of the Nat'l Anthem, but that's kinda what you want from these ... right? Anybody can come out and belt put the "SSB" right on cue, but that's been done a ton.

Bottom line ... Jewel took a risk and tried something new, and considering how much chatter it's spurred -- you could argue she succeeded. IndyCar Series wants eyeballs on their product, and it sounds like they achieved that with Jewel.

LeBron James has tons of free time now that he's out of the playoffs, including family time -- which he soaked up this weekend with yet another graduation drop-in.

The Lakers superstar attended Chaminade High School's ceremony Saturday in West Hills, CA -- where his "nephew," Auston Mims, was all set to walk across the stage in a cap and gown as part of the Class of 2023. Mims played football there, and LBJ is close with the kid ... having attended games of his in the past. Although it's unclear if they're actually related.

Auston appears to be the son of LeBron's longtime friend and business partner Randy Mims. In any case, Bron was front and center to watch Auston receive his high school diploma.

Check out these videos, obtained by TMZ, where you can see the King is trying to lay low as the names are called, checking out his phone and keeping his head down. In these clips, he seems to be alone ... but eyewitnesses tell us he was actually there with family and friends.

Of course, he totally stands out -- at about 6'9", no less -- so, eventually, he parked it and had a seat. That didn't stop people from approaching him and fanning out a bit, though.

At one point, a young guy walking by spotted him ... and tapped him on the shoulder for a little handshake -- which Bron obliged and reciprocated. There was even an adult who came over to say hello ... but it kinda seems like LBJ just wanted to keep to himself here.

Anyway, this is the second graduation (that we know of) that LeBron's gone to in recent weeks. Remember, he was just at his own son's Thursday ... and was one proud papa.

The backdrop of all this is the question of whether he's going to hang it up on the court and retire from basketball. He suggested he might in his Game 4 loss presser ... noting he had a lot to think about in the offseason. Stuff like this might be at the forefront of his thoughts.

Fact is, if he was still playing ... it's possible he might have missed these types of moments. Certainly possible, but if a game was scheduled to be played on a Saturday ... it'd probably be tough to do both. Lucky for him, he was able to catch all the big days this year.

Boston Celtics fans were partying like they won the championship Saturday night ... celebrating in the streets of Beantown after the team's miraculous buzzer-beater win against the Miami Heat.

Local Boston reporters captured video of fans honking their horns, dancing, and even climbing street poles moments after the Celtics big win.

If you think the celebration is over the top ... then you probably weren't watching the game. Trailing by one with less than a second left on the game clock, Derrick White tipped in the go-ahead shot to save the Celtics season.

The Celtics are now on the brink of making NBA history ... becoming the first team to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a playoff series, and the city is feeling it!

No question the Celtics will be feeding off fan energy ... star forward Jayson Tatum told the press, "I've never been so excited to go back to Boston in my life."

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.