TMZ Sports - Page 30

Terrell Owens wants the "ring culture" crowd to take a seat ... telling TMZ Sports championships shouldn't account for everything when it comes to respecting an athlete's greatness.

We caught up with Owens on the heels of 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony announcing his retirement last week ... and the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver told us although the Syracuse legend never won an NBA ring, he's still an all-time great.

Of course, T.O. and Melo have something in common -- both were among the best in their respective sports during their playing days ... but were never able to reach the pinnacle before walking away for good.

With that being said ... we asked T.O. about the folks trying to discredit ringless résumés ... and he feels it should have zero impact when it comes to legacy.

"Not everybody gets to win a championship," Owens said at LAX. "That's not the defining thing. Obviously, as an athlete, you want to compete. You obviously want to win a championship, but sometimes that's not in everybody's cards."

T.O. defended Melo ... saying his body of work in the pros playing most notably for the Nuggets and Knicks "speaks for itself" and warrants respect.

FYI -- former NY Giants running back Tiki Barber was one of the biggest talking heads to compare Melo to T.O. given how their careers played out ... saying, "Obviously one of the all-time greats. You're not even questioning his skill. You don’t question T.O.'s skill. But, you do start to question the winning. Did he ultimately win?"

Owens didn't take the comment as a diss ... and went on to say despite not winning championships, they'll both have some bling that holds a lot of weight when it's all said and done.

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass apologized on Tuesday afternoon ... saying a post he made on his social media page earlier this week was "hurtful to the Pride community."

On Monday, Bass reshared a video to his Instagram Story from the account "dudewithgoodnews" ... which appeared to feature anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.

The clip urged people to boycott "Target, Bud Light, and any other corporation that's pushing the things they're pushing" -- in light of their recent LGBTQ promotions.

Bass did not add any further commentary on the vid when sharing it ... though he was dragged by many MLB fans for re-posting it nonetheless.

But, during a short meeting with reporters at Rogers Centre ahead of Tuesday night's Toronto vs. Milwaukee game ... he said he was sorry for it.

"I recognize yesterday I made a post that was hurtful to the Pride community, which includes friends of mine and close family members of mine," said Bass, who has since deleted the Instagram post. "I am truly sorry for that."

"I just spoke with my teammates and shared with them my actions yesterday. I apologized to them, and as of right now I am using the Blue Jays' resources to better educate myself to make better decisions moving forward."

He continued, "The ballpark is for everybody. We include all fans at the ballpark. We want to welcome everybody. That's all I have to say."

The Blue Jays -- who are set to host a Pride night on June 9 -- said in a statement of their own that "individual player sentiments are not representative of the club's beliefs."

"The Blue Jays bring millions of fans together across Canada," the team added, "and are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming experience for all."

Former UCLA defensive coordinator Bill McGovern -- who coached linebackers in the NFL for nearly a decade prior to his time in Westwood -- died on Tuesday following a battle with cancer, his family announced.

He was 60 years old.

In a statement, UCLA officials said the longtime football coach -- who transitioned from Bruins' defensive coordinator to director of football administration earlier this year while fighting cancer -- passed away at his California home with his loved ones by his side.

"Early this morning we said goodbye to our beloved father and husband Bill after his long and difficult battle with cancer came to an end and today," the McGovern family said in revealing the sad news, "we would like to thank the entire UCLA community for all of the love and support you gave to Bill and our entire family during this very difficult struggle."

McGovern was hired by UCLA head coach Chip Kelly in 2022 ... after piling up an impressive résumé in the NFL.

From 2013 to 2019, he worked for the Eagles and Giants. In 2021, he had a role on the Chicago Bears' staff.

In his coaching career, McGovern also had stops at UMass, Boston College, Pittsburgh, Nebraska and more. He's currently on the ballot to potentially be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Gunna is back in the public eye after taking a plea deal in the ongoing YSL RICO case ... but Boosie Badazz doesn't want to see him prosper any further.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained footage of Boosie's upcoming appearance on "The Big Homies House" podcast with Kodaq and Jojo ... and the Louisiana rapper didn't hold back from revealing his ill will for Gunna, even wishing he never sells another record again!

Boosie says the "pushin P" rapper would be better suited to continue his rap career in another country outside the U.S., and used the recent backlash from in-house YSL producer Wheezy to justify his point.

Wheezy, who produced several songs on Gunna's last album, including the trendsetting record "pushin P," recently distanced himself from Gunna over respect for Young Thug ... who's been dealing with loads of courtroom drama.

Boosie also dismissed the notion that Thug is fine with Gunna resuming his daily life ... and painted him as a turncoat from day one who was waiting on his chance to squirm free when things got tough.

Gunna was spotted at the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics Game 6 on Saturday, clearly immune to the criticism that Boosie and others have been hurling his way since he was released from jail last December.

Famed Harlem Globetrotter hooper Angelo Sharpless did his best Shaquille O'Neal impersonation over the weekend ... shattering a backboard after throwing down a monster dunk, and the wild moment was caught on video!

In the video, posted by Sharpless on social media, Angelo receives an outlet pass on a fast break, takes a few dribbles ... and blasts off, jumping from the low post area, nearly cocking the ball back to his head, and delivering an absolute hammer of a dunk.

The aftermath of the damage was telling -- the backboard's glass was shattered, and the rim was broken, as the crowd watched in disbelief.

Of course, Angelo's ferocious dunk was reminiscent of Shaq, who was known to have destroyed several backboards playing for the Orlando Magic, adding to his rep as an unstoppable force on the court.

Sharpless, a 6-foot-4 forward from Plymouth, NC, played his college ball at Elizabeth City State University ... and says he was inspired by Hall of Famer Magic Johnson and Carmelo Anthony growing up.

Angelo may not have Shaq's size, but he's still a force on the court, with career accolades including winning the CIAA Conference Player of the Year and CIAA Rookie Player of the Year.

Alexa Bliss and Ryan Cabrera just got the surprise of a lifetime recently -- the WWE Superstar and singer have a baby on the way!!

Bliss revealed the exciting news on Instagram early Tuesday morning ... admitting the pregnancy was not necessarily planned, but they couldn't be happier nonetheless.

As part of the reveal, Alexa posted a cute pic of her sonogram and a white onesie that fittingly reads, "Best Oops Ever!"

"The best moments in life are the completely unexpected 💖💙 Baby Cabrera arriving December 2023!!!" 31-year-old Bliss captioned the post.

Alexa also shared a pic kissing Ryan as they held wine glasses with a sign that read, "Do Not Refill Untill (sic) December."

The former two-time Smackdown Women's Champion married the 40-year-old "On the Way Down" singer in April 2022 ... and have been quite the power couple ever since.

Alexa's pregnancy announcement was received with overwhelming support ... with Liv Morgan, WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus and Bianca Belair publicly congratulating her.

Safe to say Serena Williams' 5-year-old daughter is a big fan of "The Little Mermaid" ... Olympia LOST IT after she got a Halle Bailey "Ariel" doll, and the entire adorable reaction was captured on video!

The video, which was shared on Olympia's Instagram, shows dad Alexis Ohanian handing his daughter a package from Amazon.

"Momma and poppa wanted to get this for you," Ohanian said.

When Olympia realized it was Bailey as Ariel, she (literally) jumped for joy ... and started screaming hysterically.

"Yay! 'Little Mermaid!'" Olympia yelled. "Thank you!"

Olympia explained it was her first LM doll ... and even broke down how she was going to play with Ariel for Mom and Dad.

The 2023 live-action version of "The Little Mermaid" has been a hit at the box office ... with Bailey recently celebrating the movie being number one in the world.

The movie reportedly grossed over $164 million globally over Memorial Day weekend, according to Deadline.

Of course, Olympia also made news a few days ago, losing it when Serena told her she was going to be a big sister!

The 23-time Grand Slam champ said Olympia had wanted a baby brother/sister ... and she's finally getting her wish.

"Blessings keep pouring" in for supermodel Chanel Iman ... just weeks after announcing she's pregnant with Davon Godchaux's baby, the NFL player proposed with a massive diamond ring.

And, she said yes!!

The New England Patriots defensive tackle got down on one knee while the couple was enjoying baecation in Italy ... and the special moment was captured on camera.

"First of all, I can’t even lie I was nervous ahh hell😂," the 28-year-old said in an Instagram post on Tuesday. "I never thought I would be getting down on one knee but LOVE will make you do some amazing things in life!"

"Chanel I love you so much and I wouldn’t have rather spend this moment with no one else by my side!"

Godchaux added, "From the moment we met I knew it was something about you and how much you value having a FAMILY that was really important to me! We are in this together and will always be, I love you from the bottom of my heart! My love, My fiancé, My everything!!❤️❤️🇮🇹💍"

Iman, 32, was in complete shock when Godchaux asked for her hand in marriage ... and she said she can't wait for the next chapter with her "soulmate, protector and best friend."

"Baby moon in Capri turned into the perfect engagement 🎉 I love you so much @chauxdown ❤️," Iman said in her own IG post of the proposal.

"You promised me the world and so far you have given me that and so much more!"

The Victoria's Secret model started dating Godchaux -- who signed a 2-year extension with the Patriots last year -- shortly after New York Giants WR Sterling Shepard filed for divorce in 2021.

Sterling and Chanel have two daughters together. In May, Iman and Godchaux announced they were expecting a baby.

Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson are essentially operating as one parental unit, but that doesn't mean they're romantic again ... despite growing speculation online.

Sources close to the two tell us they're still operating as they have been for months -- as co-parents -- but Tristan lives near Khloe's place, so they're spending a lot of time together. Remember, they now have two young kiddos, and we're told it's important to Khloe that the kids get to spend as much time with Tristan as possible.

Another clue that things are good between Khloe and Tristan -- she was spotted driving around in one of his vehicles last Tuesday -- so they're sharing keys too. Our sources say the two are in a great spot as friends.

What's more, we're told Khloe let Tristan and his younger brother stay with her in the immediate time following the funeral for Tristan's mom. At the time, Tristan was getting work done on the roof of his home after some water damage ... so Khloe opened up her doors.

TMZ broke the story ... it was back in January when Khloe boarded a private jet to be with TT in Toronto after his mom's sudden death. At the time, our sources told us Khloe wanted to be there as a source of support and comfort for Tristan -- Kim and Kris eventually came too.

Clearly, the family bond hasn't broken between anyone ... as we continue to see the Kardashian family support Tristan, even sitting courtside to cheer him on with The Lakers.

There appears to be a new woman in Josh Allen's life ... the NFL star grabbed dinner with Hailee Steinfeld over the weekend -- and they sure looked like a couple at the restaurant.

The Buffalo Bills quarterback and the actress hit Sushi By Bou in New York City ... and in a photo they posed for at the dinner table, you can see they were awfully cuddly.

In the pic, Allen's arm is draped over Steinfeld's shoulder ... and his hand is firmly entangled in the "Starving" singer's too.

Neither has confirmed a romantic relationship publicly -- but it's not the first time the two have been seen out together ... just last week, they were spotted walking on NYC streets as well.

27-year-old Allen had been in a long-term relationship with Brittany Williams ... though the two appeared to split right around the time the Bills' season came to an end in the winter.

As for Steinfeld, the 26-year-old previously dated Niall Horan ... but they split in 2018.

Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks made his return to an MLB mound on Monday night -- nearly five months after he was diagnosed with cancer -- and the scene was emotional.

The 34-year-old came into Chicago's game against the Angels in the top of the eighth inning ... and for a full minute, fans at Guaranteed Rate Field gave him a standing ovation. In fact, a stadium-wide "LI-AM" chant broke out, too.

Hendriks soaked it all in as Angels catcher Matt Thaiss purposely took his time getting into the batter's box ... and then he fired a perfect strike once play resumed.

While the pitcher didn't go on to have his best outing -- he gave up three hits, a walk, and two earned runs -- he said afterward he was super grateful to be back.

"It was definitely emotional," Hendriks told reporters. "It was humbling going out there and walking out there and seeing the amount of people wearing my shirts and the amount of people having signs or flags or anything like that."

"It was a very humbling and sobering moment for me," he added.

Hendriks was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in January ... and spent the ensuing months undergoing treatment. In April, docs declared him cancer-free -- and for the past few weeks, he's pitched in the minor leagues to gear up for his White Sox return.

While Day One back on the bump resulted in a loss, Hendriks told media members he'd be available once again on Tuesday if Chicago needed him to throw again.

Megan Thee Stallion just might have a new bae -- she's sparking dating rumors with Inter Milan star, Romelu Lukaku, as they were spotted getting nice and cozy at a wedding together!!!

The pair sat next to one another during Romelu's teammate Lautaro Martinez and model Agustina Gandolfo's lavish ceremony ... and there are plenty of signs the pairing wasn't a seating arrangement coincidence.

Both stars are signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation management imprint ... and Megan was recently spotted at an Inter match several weeks ago.

They also spent some QT together outside of the wedding party. Italy has no shortage of sightseeing, that's for sure!!!

Megan was attached to rapper/songwriter Pardison Fontaine for more than 2 years before the fallout from the Tory Lanez trial seemingly led to their split -- they unfollowed each other on social media in February.

Romelu reportedly broke up with his longtime girlfriend of 5 years, and it was also revealed he quietly fathered his 2nd child -- a one-year-old son named Jordan.

Jimmy Butler had one more opponent to go up against after beating the Boston Celtics on Monday -- the Miami Heat star came face-to-face with a bumblebee during his postgame press conference ... and his reaction is hilarious!!

It all went down shortly after the Heat finished off the Cs in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals to avoid becoming the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-0 lead ... but before he could put his focus on Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, Jimmy had a much bigger problem on his hands.

As the series MVP was answering a question about his upcoming matchup in the NBA Finals, he abruptly paused his response to address an intruder.

"Oh my God, y'all saw that?!" a shocked Butler asked as he put his hands up in defense. "Goddamn bumblebee."

To Butler's credit, he quickly regained his composure to finish his answer ... but understandably, that was the end of his media availability.

It wasn't the only viral moment of Butler's night -- he was also spotted rejecting the Eastern Conference Finals Championship trophy from his teammate, Bam Adebayo ... appearing to say "I'll hold the next one" during the postgame ceremony.

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.