TMZ Sports - Page 50

Cody Bellinger ... MLB star, father, and now fiancé -- the Chicago Cubs first baseman just proposed to his Sports Illustrated model girlfriend, and she said yes!!!

Chase Carter -- who has also graced the cover of Maxim magazine -- shared the exciting news on social media, posting a photo of her massive new ring in front of the Chi-town skyline.

Fans of Carter and Bellinger -- who began dating in 2020 -- were stoked for the couple ... with one follower saying, "That’s a huge ring holy moly."

Another one commented, "I'm over the moon happy for you guys!!!"

The World Series champ and Carter welcomed their second child together in April ... after having their first daughter, Caiden, in November 2021.

There's a lot happening for Cody. In addition to the second baby and engagement, Bellinger also signed with the Chicago Cubs after a rocky end to his tenure in Los Angeles.

Of course, the 2-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner signed a 1-year deal with Chicago in December 2022 after the worst offensive season of his career ... where he's looking to return to his old form.

Ryan Mallett's death does not appear to have been the result of violent riptides in Florida waters ... according to authorities, the belief is the tragedy was all simply a freak accident.

Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden said in a video statement Wednesday there was "no indication of dangerous conditions" in the Destin area where Mallett drowned on Tuesday.

"We were under a yellow flag," Aden said, "which is a just swim with caution."

"It just seems to be just a tragic accident and not something to do with the conditions of the surf or tides or currents."

Initial reports said Mallett was among a group of swimmers who had been out in the ocean struggling to make their way back to shore. Mallett, authorities said, went underwater while fighting to return to safety -- and when he was eventually pulled out, he was unresponsive. He later was pronounced dead at a local emergency room.

Many had believed dangerous and unseen riptides were what caused the tragedy ... but Aden insisted those were "misperceptions out there."

"There were no indications of any 'riptides,'" Aden's office added in a written statement.

Authorities also released some body cam footage Wednesday from the incident ... showing the beach's conditions as officers raced to the scene.

Mallett's death rocked the sports world ... everyone from Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski to Bill Belichick mourned his passing in the hours after the news broke.

Sophia Culpo says Braxton Berrios is lying through his teeth about how their relationship ended ... sharing what she claims are receipts to back her side of the messy breakup.

Olivia's younger sister posted multiple alleged text exchanges and pictures with the Miami Dolphins wide receiver from as recent as February ... which would debunk the NFLer's timeline that the two decided to call it quits a month prior.

In the convos posted to the model/influencer's TikTok, SC and BB appear to be on the rocks ... with the two seemingly discussing the public speculation surrounding their relationship. Berrios' responses make it seem as if he's willing to work through their differences ... reassuring Culpo he will "do everything in my power" to make sure the situation doesn't blow up any further.

The most explosive allegation came in Sophia's caption of the post ... where she says the couple broke up following the Drake concert during Super Bowl weekend when Braxton was "seen making out with another girl."

As we previously reported, Braxton went to Instagram to defend himself earlier this week ... saying cheating was not a factor in the split -- despite rumors he was seeing TikTok star Alix Earle while he was still dating Sophia.

Culpo seems ready to put the drama to bed ... saying, "Not bitter, in fact I know this situation has been one of my biggest blessings."

Carey Price hasn't made many mistakes throughout his legendary NHL career, but on Wednesday, he committed one of the biggest blunders of all ... fumbling his team's draft pick announcement!!!

The snafu all went down early on in the first round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft ... when the Montreal Canadiens tapped their goaltender to reveal their franchise's top pick.

Price -- who hasn't played for Montreal since 2022 while battling knee issues -- started off the announcement just fine ... he said what's up to the fans in the building, and then began to say the No. 5 overall pick's name.

The problem? All he was able to get out was "David" ... before he realized he couldn't remember the future rookie's last name!!!

Price stood up there uncomfortably for several moments trying to get someone to help him out -- and, finally, Canadiens GM Kent Hughes mercifully bailed him out.

"We planned it that way," Hughes said, grabbing the mic from Price. "David Reinbacher!"

Everyone cheered and eventually moved on from Price's mishap ... although the goalie certainly didn't let things go afterward -- apologizing for it all on his social media page.

"Boy that was embarrassing," the 35-year-old wrote on Twitter. "Sorry David….. Reinbacher."

Something tells us David and the rest of the Canadiens will forgive the guy ... after all, he's helped the team win 361 games over the past 15 years.

San Antonio Spurs guard Devonte' Graham has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving while impaired stemming from his July 2022 arrest ... TMZ Sports has learned.

According to a spokesperson for the Wake County District Attorney's Office, Graham entered the plea during a court hearing on Tuesday after cutting a deal with prosecutors.

We're told the speeding charge that Graham was also facing in the case will be dismissed as part of the deal.

A sentencing hearing for Graham has now been slated for next month.

The 28-year-old NBA player was initially hit with the two charges back on July 7, 2022 ... after authorities in Raleigh, North Carolina say he had been doing 63 MPH in a 40 MPH zone while intoxicated at around 3 AM.

Police at the time said after pulling over Graham for speeding, breath tests revealed he had a BAC of .11.

Graham -- a former second-round pick in the 2018 NBA Draft -- had been playing for the New Orleans Pelicans at the time of the arrest ... but he was traded to the Spurs roughly seven months later as part of a deal for Josh Richardson.

Graham went on to play in 20 games for San Antonio, averaging 13 points per game.

Jason Kelce and his affinity for pouring beer down his throat was on full display once again Wednesday ... this time, the Philadelphia Eagles star chugged 30 ounces of the suds in less than six seconds!!!

It all went down at the start of his third annual charity event in Sea Isle City, N.J. ... when he decided to kick off the fundraising by participating in a drinking contest with radio host James Seltzer.

The two were given huge mugs of beer -- and after Kelce took an early lead, he never looked back ... putting away the booze in 5.7 seconds!!

The crowd roared with delight ... but check out the video -- Kelce sure needed a few moments to let it all settle in his tummy!!

Don't worry -- he was able to recover nicely (as he often does) ... and he went on to compete in a few other events throughout Wednesday to try to help raise money for autism awareness.

During some of the games, he competed with his brother, Chiefs star Travis Kelce, and everyone involved seemed to have a great time.

There's still more left on the docket for Jason too -- he's slated to bartend at the famous Ocean Drive watering hole 'til late this evening in an effort to keep the fundraising going.

Jake Paul put some of his enormous fortune to good use, buying a brand new Ferrari for nearly half a million bucks ... AND THEN HE BROKE THE CAR THE SAME DAY!!

The Problem Child, very much living up to his nickname, hit up Ferrari Puerto Rico in San Juan ... where he spent $421K on the new, very rare whip.

The Ferrari 296 GTB is pretty amazing. It goes 0-60 MPH in 2.7 seconds, and 0-100 in 5.1 seconds. It does the standing quarter mile at 9.9 seconds and has a top speed of over 200 MPH.

26-year-old Paul documented the purchase in his latest vlog ... picking up the car, and putting it straight to the test.

Yeah, no breaking-in period here.

Jake took the Rari to an open parking lot, turned the wheel, and stomped on the gas ... executing a bunch of donuts.

The 296 GTB didn't like Paul's driving -- with just about every warning sign flashing on the dash, including a warning that simply said ... "go to dealer."

It's unclear if Jake got the supercar fixed ... or just parked it in the garage of his new $15+ million mansion.

The big purchase comes at a time when Jake's company, Betr, is taking off. In fact, the company was valued at $300 million during a recent round of funding.

Jason Derulo wants everyone to follow their dreams and not be bogged down by following the silly rules drummed into their heads by their parents!!!

The "Swalla" singer checked in with "TMZ Live" as his new book “Sing Your Name Out Loud: 15 Rules for Living Your Dream" is flying hot off the presses.

Jason thinks the key to success is not to be afraid of failure. He says failed at the majority of the risks he's taken ... but still, the failures don't define him -- the successes do.

Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are his inspirations — for the sheer volume of shots they missed to achieve greatness.

Jason says he's living proof being fearless in life works, and his book is the blueprint.

Simone Biles is BACK -- the 26-year-old gymnastics legend is set to make her big return to the sport at the U.S. Classic later this year ... her first competition since withdrawing from multiple events at the Olympics to focus on her mental health.

Team USA announced Wednesday Biles will compete at the Aug. 5 event ... saying, "BILES IS BACK."

By the way, Biles is no stranger to the competition -- she's the five-time women's champion.

Biles famously backed out of the individual all-around and the majority of the team final at the Tokyo Games in July 2021 ... revealing she was dealing with a bad case of the "twisties," which could have resulted in serious injury had she fought through the issue.

Biles -- the seven-time Olympic medalist -- went on to win a bronze medal in the balance beam finals ... but since traveling back to the States in 2021, she has only trained her skills in the gym.

"It means more than all of the golds," the two-time Olympian told the Today Show about her third-place finish in 2021.

On Team USA's announcement on Instagram, two-time Olympic gold skier Mikaela Shiffrin celebrated Biles' return ... writing, "Yes!! 🙌 "

Recently, there's been plenty more for the gymnastics G.O.A.T. to celebrate about -- she tied the knot with the Green Bay Packers' Jonathan Owens in May ... and who knows, maybe the couple could take another honeymoon in Paris ... at the 2024 Summer Olympics!!!

Moriah Mills -- the woman who claims to have had an intimate relationship with Zion Williamson -- just seemingly announced she's pregnant ... and she's dropping major hints that the NBA star is the father.

The former porn star posted a video of a positive pregnancy test on Wednesday ... just weeks after she said Zion -- who is expecting a baby girl with his GF -- "better pray" he didn't knock her up, too.

Moriah is leading fans to believe she is, in fact, preggo with the 22-year-old's child ... as she also created a poll for potential names for the baby -- "Junior" and "Zoriah."

Mills has been highly active on social media after coming out with her allegations ... revealing extremely personal details of her alleged relationship with Zion and threatening to release a sex tape of them together, which ultimately got her booted from Twitter.

She also had people talking after claiming she got the Pelicans forward's name tattooed on her cheek ... although there is speculation it might have been fake.

Despite all the drama, Zion has gotten support from his family ... as his stepfather publicly backed the hooper at a recent event in New Orleans.

Kroy Biermann took out a line of credit for a gambling trip in the Caribbean and never paid the money back ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

The former reality TV star and NFL player is being sued by Sky Warrior, which apparently handles the credit lines at the famous Baha Mar Casino in the Bahamas.

According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, Kroy obtained a $100,000 line of credit for use at Baha Mar Casino in advance of a November 2021 trip, and he ended up using $52,500 to gamble.

Sky Warrior claim Kroy agreed to pay back any money he gambled and promised that he had the money in his SunTrust bank account ... but they say he drew $52,500 in chip markers at the casino and didn't repay the amount before leaving.

The suit alleges Kroy still hasn't settled up ... and Sky Warrior say they have been unable to get the money from Kroy's bank account.

It's more financial trouble for Kroy ... he and estranged wife Kim Zolciak allegedly owe the IRS north of $1 million, he's being sued for allegedly missing lease payments on a Rolls-Royce and he's claimed Kim has a gambling problem in their nasty divorce.

Sky Warrior is going after Kroy for the $52,500 they say he owes ... plus interest and attorney's fees.

Bellator star Cris Lencioni is starting to show signs of improvement after suffering cardiac arrest earlier this month ... but despite the positive update, there are many uncertainties surrounding his future.

Lencioni's wife, Marca, told MMA Fighting doctors believe the heart attack may have been caused by Long QT syndrome (a heart rhythm disorder that can be fatal) ... and an MRI revealed the fighter suffered brain damage as a result of the terrifying incident.

Lencioni is out of the ICU, but remains in the hospital ... where he has started the rehab process.

Marca said the 28-year-old is taking steps in the right direction ... recently moving his hand out of a bag of ice and smiling, and even attempting to stand up on his own.

"Ten percent of people survive this," Marca told the outlet, "and the fact that he is moving, and trying to get up and, like, doing what he’s been doing ... he drank water today for the first time."

"It’s blowing [the nurses'] minds, and it’s blowing my mind."

Marca said the professionals are refraining from speculating on Lencioni's future and potential recovery ... as it all hangs on how he responds.

Marca added the doctors want to move Lencioni to a facility in Idaho to continue recovery, but he is uninsured ... so she is asking the MMA community to continue to donate to a GoFundMe set up to help with medical costs.

Kim Zolciak's family friend, who was accused by Kroy Biermann of kidnapping their son, is speaking out ... claiming Kroy's getting desperate in his attempt to keep custody of his kids.

Elise, who says she's the one who took 12-year-old KJ to the rodeo earlier this month, spoke out on Instagram Wednesday, denying the kidnapping claims from Kroy -- backing up the story Kim initially told the Alpharetta Police dispatcher.

Elise blasts Kroy, saying he's "desperately trying to control every move to ensure he gets full custody and child support so he falsely accused me of kidnapping KJ so he can appear as the only parent who takes the kids out."

She ends her post by asking for people to pray for Kim and her kids -- adding they'll need it to "navigate Kroy's narcissistic, controlling behavior."

As we reported, in the 911 call audio, obtained by TMZ, Kim told the dispatcher she gave  KJ permission to go to the rodeo with his friend, with Elise chaperoning the outing. Sources told us Kroy doesn't trust Elise and had no idea Kim let their kid go with her.

What's more, sources said Kroy asked Elise over the phone to bring KJ back, but she allegedly hung up on him. Kim then told cops Kroy threatened to file kidnapping charges against her friend ... although our sources say he never filed.

Braxton Berrios is finally opening up on his messy split from Sophia Culpo ... and he's claiming all rumors he cheated on her with TikTok star Alix Earle are 100% false.

The Miami Dolphins receiver has been the center of some spicy allegations recently ... with Olivia Culpo's little sister telling her followers he was spotted out in public with Earle shortly before their breakup, leading many to believe he was being unfaithful.

Sophia has been shading the hell outta her ex and his new girl ever since ... and it's gotten to the point where BB took to Instagram to share his side of the story.

"I don't want to start anything, I don't want to fuel anything," Berrios said in a video. "I genuinely want all this to be over and everybody to move on and do whatever makes them happy."

The former Miami Hurricanes star said his relationship with Sophia was good and healthy ... but at the end, they both realized it simply wasn't working out.

"It had nothing to do with anything else," Berrios said of the January breakup. "It had nothing to do with anybody else for that matter. And we just didn't work out, and that's okay."

"I've been quiet because it's totally out of character for me to talk about my private life publicly, but I feel like it needed to be touched on now."

Tom Brady sent a heartfelt message to Ryan Mallett and his family after the former quarterback tragically died on Tuesday ... writing in a sweet note, "We lost a great man."

The Patriots legend -- who was teammates with Mallett in New England from 2011 to 2013 -- posted the message to his Instagram page ... adding, "Thank you for everything Ryan."

"Praying for the Mallett family and all their loved ones tonight."

The post went up only hours after cops say Mallett drowned while swimming in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday afternoon.

According to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, Mallett was part of a group of swimmers who had been "struggling to make their way back to shore" after getting in the water at around 2:12 PM

Cops say Mallett went under ... and when he was finally pulled from the ocean, he wasn't breathing. He was later pronounced dead at a local emergency room.

The passing shocked the NFL world ... in addition to Brady, several other stars penned tributes to the ex-QB on their social media pages, including J.J. Watt -- Mallett's former teammate in Houston -- who wrote, "Gone way too soon. Rest in Peace brother."

Dez Bryant and Rob Gronkowski added messages of their own to Mallett on their Instagrams as well.

Mallett was just 35 years old.

Elon Musk is already hitting the training mats in anticipation of his huge fight with Mark Zuckerberg ... throwing and slamming a famous black belt who recently trained with Elon's fellow billionaire.

Popular podcaster Lex Fridman says he had an impromptu training session with Elon on Monday, sharing a photo of Elon slamming him to the ground.

Lex, a black belt in jiu-jitsu, says he came away super impressed with Elon's fighting prowess.

"I'm extremely impressed with his strength, power, and skill, on the feet and on the ground," Lex said. "It was epic. It's really inspiring to see Elon and Mark doing martial arts, but I think the world is served far better if they train martial arts but not fight in the cage."

Don't get it twisted, Lex wants to see Elon and Mark do battle ... just like everyone else.

Lex adds ... "That said, as Elon says, the most entertaining outcome is the most likely... I'm there for them, no matter what."

It's interesting to see Elon and Lex training ... Lex recently had Mark on his podcast, and they trained some jiu-jitsu.

In addition to Lex, Elon's accepted an offer to train with UFC legend Georges St-Pierre ... while Jon Jones recently offered Mark his services.

As TMZ Sports first reported, Dana White told us both sides are for real about getting in the Octagon together ... and now Elon's showing just how serious he is.