TMZ Sports - Page 24

Nike is gearing up to relaunch Kobe Bryant's line with the Swoosh, the sportswear giant's CEO announced to investors on Thursday ... and fans won't have to wait long, products are expected to drop before the end of August!

CEO John Donahue spoke on an earnings call this week, where he announced some seriously awesome news ... "It's going to be an exciting summer as we set the stage to relaunch the Kobe brand in advance of Kobe Day on 8.24," JD said.

Donahue, nor Nike, expounded further, so specifics surrounding Kobe's brand are still unclear.

A relaunch wasn't always a foregone conclusion. The longtime partnership between Nike and Kobe/KB's estate came to an end in April 2021 when a new contract could not be agreed upon.

Fast forward to March 2022 ... when Vanessa Bryant announced the estate reached a new deal with Nike, restoring one of the most successful partnerships in shoewear history.

At the time, Vanessa said of the new agreement ... "We're excited to announce our partnership with Nike is going to continue! I am so proud that my husband's shoes are still the most worn by players on NBA courts and that the demand for his shoes remains so desired by his fans around the world."

Bryant continued ... "With this new partnership, fans will soon be able to have access to Kobe and Gigi Nike products for years to come and with Nike donating 100% of the net proceeds yearly for Gianna’s shoes to our Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation."

Since the reunion, the releases from Nike have been sparse. There were Kobe 4 and 6's released on a limited basis, but there haven't been any major drops.

Lamar Odom is worried for Bam Margera ... worried he's keeping bad company.

As we first reported ... Bam was detoxing in San Diego earlier this month with Lamar's help, but he left early, and given Bam's track record, Lamar is concerned.

Lamar clearly thinks Bam is hanging with the wrong crowd, saying, "Who you surround yourself with is critical. We are the company we keep."

Bam actually stayed with Lamar last weekend after leaving the detox center, but he bounced and Odom thinks that's more than problematic.

Lamar thinks there's a card his friends and family can play that could get Bam's attention ... namely his ability to see is son, Phoenix.

Remember, Bam threatened to smoke crack until he died if he couldn't see his kid, so that could be a pressure point that works.

Lamar says he's going to try and track Bam down and encourage him to go to rehab at the Odom Recovery Group.

Roy Jones Jr. is one of the best boxers ever, but the legendary fighter is stepping back in the ring with an opponent like never before, massive bodybuilder and social media star NDO Champ!

54-year-old RJJ and 39-year-old NDO Champ -- who is 250 lbs. of solid muscle -- are fighting Friday night in the Metaverse (more on that later).

NDO Champ, government name Robert Wilmote, is an IFBB Pro bodybuilder who has over one million followers on Instagram ... and has gone viral a bunch of times. There's a good chance you've seen NDO's videos online.

Much different than Roy's typical opponents ... which he concedes.

"It's much different than I'm used to. It's kind of like Godzilla versus King Kong. You know, King Kong being the gorilla, that's what he kind of reminds me of with all the muscles and he's such a big dark figure," Jones Jr. said.

But, RJJ has a strategy to deal with his powerful foe ... "be smart enough not to run into the foolishness." The "foolishness" being a big power punch.

As for how he sees the fight going, Jones Jr. says he'll win ... it's just a matter of whether it's by knockout or not.

"Depends how good of a punch he can take. He can't take good punch then he goes to sleep. All depends on what happens. I don't know, I've never been in the ring with him. I've never seen him box. There's no film on him. That's what makes it so different."

Roy continued ... "You don't know what he's bringing. You don't know if he's gonna be a Mike Tyson puncher or a guy with a lot of muscle that can't punch at all."

Champ, as you may expect, sees things playing out a bit differently.

"Listen, we don't train to lose. We don't train to come in there and play. If that's the case, I'll go back doin' something else, you feel me. No disrespect, I salute the OG, but it's wartime."

NDO continued ... "I'm not coming in there to congratulate you on all our successes, nah, you shouldn't have gotten in this ring with this man. You shouldn't have gotten in the ring with me. I'm a born stone killer!"

Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley are gonna love this -- Kenny "The Jet" Smith has landed back on the beaches of Miami ... and he brought along the stunning Aline Bernardes for another relaxing day in the sun.

The "Inside The NBA" cohost and his lady first made waves back in May when they were spotted out in Florida together ... which, naturally, had his TV buddies cracking jokes left and right for the next few days.

Luckily for Smith, the NBA season is over ... so he can enjoy his free time with the model without worrying about the guys cracking jokes in front of a national audience.

Smith and Bernardes appear to be really into each other -- they were closer than ever as they rocked their swimsuits and went for a soak in the water on Thursday.

While their first trip to the beach was pretty chill, there was more PDA this time around -- Aline wrapped her arms around the NBA champ as they walked deeper into the ocean.

It looks like the return to the beach was entertaining for both ... they smiled from ear-to-ear throughout the day.

Domingo German received ALL of the love after throwing a perfect game Wednesday night ... getting a hero's welcome at the Yankees' team hotel -- and TMZ Sports has video of it!!

The star pitcher showed up to the swanky San Francisco spot just minutes after making history in an 11-0 win over the A's at the Oakland Coliseum -- and you can see in the footage, a TON of fans showed up to celebrate his moment with him.

As soon as he stepped off the bus, Pinstripes supporters cheered loudly ... and showered him with "Perfect game!" chants.

German was so grateful for the warm responses -- he spent a few moments signing autographs for those who lined up.

One of the fans who was there tells us ... German appeared super happy the entire time, thanking everyone there for their support.

Of course, the 30-year-old deserved all of the praise after his performance on the mound ... his nine flawless innings marked just the 24th time in MLB history that a pitcher has been perfect throughout a night at the ballpark.

No word yet on how the party was when Domingo got inside the hotel ... but the Yanks had a day game Thursday afternoon -- so it probably wasn't too rowdy.

Saquon Barkley isn't letting feisty contract negotiations with the Giants keep him out of the gym ... he just showed he's lifting more than ever -- box squatting somewhere near 600 pounds for reps!!!

Despite currently being in a back-and-forth with New York brass over his pay ... Barkley made it clear he's still prepping for the 2023 season nonetheless -- showing video of him Thursday getting busy in the weight room.

Barkley posted the footage to his Instagram page ... and the strength he displayed while doing box squats in the clip truly looks superhuman.

It's unclear how much exactly it all is -- but if the plates are the standard 45-pound ones ... it's 585 total LBs!!!

And, check out the video ... he got it up and down four times!!!

It all might just be a message to his team ... as both he and the Giants are currently at odds over the running back's contract. He wants a boatload of cash over a multitude of years -- while the Giants seem like they'd be happy if he'd just play on the franchise tag this season for right around $10 million.

Things have gotten so testy between the two ... Barkley told reporters earlier this month he'd contemplate sitting out the season if a deal isn't reached by the NFL's July 17 deadline.

Isaiah Rodgers will be away from an NFL field for the foreseeable future ... the league just suspended the Indianapolis Colts defensive back indefinitely for violating its gambling policy.

NFL officials announced the ruling on Thursday morning ... adding that two other players -- Colts tight end Rashod Berry and free agent defensive lineman Demetrius Taylor -- were also hit with the same punishments.

Titans offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere, meanwhile, was banned six games for gambling policy violations as well.

Rodgers' punishment had been looming for weeks ... after he admitted earlier this month that he had broken the league's betting rules.

It's unclear exactly what all of the guys' violations specifically were -- the NFL didn't say when making its announcement -- but it did reveal Rodgers, Berry and Taylor will only be able to return to the gridiron if they petition for reinstatement at the end of this season.

While Berry and Taylor were viewed as more of role players ... the loss of Rodgers is a big one -- he's played in 45 games for the Colts the last three years, and has been a special teams ace in addition to a productive cornerback.

"I am very sorry for all of this," Rodgers said in a statement earlier this month.

Thursday's bans for gambling violations are hardly the first the NFL has doled out in the last year or so -- stars like Lions wideout Jameson Williams and Jaguars receiver Calvin Ridley have also been punished recently over the betting policy.

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!!!