TMZ Sports - Page 31

Josh Allen and Hailee Steinfeld are having trouble keeping their mouths off each other in Mexico -- 'cause even at a lavish dinner earlier this week ... they were seen sucking face the entire time!!!

Just one day after the two put on a PDA show while taking a swim at their fancy Cabo resort ... the new couple was spotted getting in an oceanside meal -- and it, at times, got a little steamy.

In between bites, the two snuck in a bunch of kisses ... and there was even some heavy nuzzling and cuddling going on as well.

The NFL star and the "Starving" crooner have yet to publicly state they're an item ... but based on everything they're doing while on the out-of-the-country vacay, it's pretty clear this is more than just a fling.

The two were initially linked to each other back in May ... when they got a little snuggly at a sushi dinner -- and it seems things have certainly heated up since then.

Lil Baby recently participated in a Fanatics Global Volunteer Day with his buddy Michael Rubin, resulting in $20 million worth of merchandise being distributed across the country!!!

On Friday, Baby joined forces with VaynerMedia for his newest single and video combo "Merch Madness" ... which celebrates the charity blowout that took place on June 27.

The visual begins with Baby surprising students inside Harlem's Frederick Douglass Academy on the last day of the school year.

Baby eventually details his involvement by rapping, "Real trench baby, business with Fanatics/This like twenty million on a giveaway/Twenty buses, twenty cities, stadium to stadium/See they idols givin' back to them, makin' people go crazy/I get paid when I appear/To do this, I volunteer."

Similar to Rubin's "White Party," the celebs were in full support of the GVD movement ... top pro athletes Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Odell Beckham Jr., Russell Willson and Chris Paul were spotted among the fold ... as were superstar rappers Lil Durk, Meek Mill, Quavo, and A$AP Ferg.

The Victor Wembanyama security guard accused of slapping Britney Spears during a wild incident in Las Vegas on Wednesday night will NOT be charged with a crime, cops say.

According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept. ... an investigation into the allegations concluded on Friday morning -- and "no charges will be filed."

No further details regarding the police probe were revealed.

TMZ broke the story ... Spears had attempted to get Wembanyama's attention while outside of Catch restaurant in the ARIA Hotel -- but in an effort to keep the singer away from the San Antonio Spurs star, Wembanyama's security guard struck her in the face.

Spears claimed she was hit with such force, it rocked the glasses off her head ... and nearly knocked her to the ground.

She demanded an apology ... while her husband, Sam Asghari, said he wanted to see the guard punished.

For Wembanyama's part, he said he had no idea it was Spears who wanted his attention until several hours later.

The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft also told reporters Thursday that the whole incident with the guard was kicked off because Spears "grabbed" him from behind.

Spears, though, refuted that claim ... and said she simply "tapped him on the shoulder."

Photos we obtained from inside Catch later in the evening show Spears was visibly agitated at her table -- and according to one eyewitness, she seemed to be in shock ... and, at one point, made a beeline for the bathroom.

Spears has yet to publicly comment on the results of of the police findings.

Originally Published -- 9:32 AM PT

Britney Spears was extremely agitated after getting slapped by a security guard protecting NBA phenom Victor Wembanyama ... according to an eyewitness and photos obtained by TMZ.

TMZ broke the story ... Britney was outside Catch restaurant at the Aria Hotel Wednesday night when she saw Victor and made her way to him for a selfie. She says she tapped him on the back -- he says she grabbed him -- and Victor's security guy backhanded her across the face. Metro police are now conducting a criminal battery investigation.

An eyewitness who was dining at Catch when Britney walked in tells TMZ ... as she walked in she said in a "very animated voice" that the security guard "punched" her in the face, as she pointed at the guy who was sitting at another table.

The eyewitness says Britney's security guy went over to Victor's security and asked the guy to come over to her table and apologize. The eyewitness says the guy walked over and said "I'm sorry," and said something to the effect he didn't know it was her when he made contact.

Britney seemed in shock, according to the eyewitness, and angry. She said she couldn't believe it happened and beelined it for the bathroom.

We've learned so far ... neither Victor nor anyone else from the San Antonio Spurs has reached out to Britney, and she is not pleased.

We covered it all in the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Dennis Rodman took the saying "tattoo my name so I know it's real" to the extreme ... getting a portrait of his girlfriend's face inked on his cheek!!

The NBA legend hit up 'Black Ink Crew's Van Johnson on Thursday, getting tattooed at the artist's home. Dennis shared video of the new tattoo on social media.

As for anyone who thinks the ink is fake, Johnson tells TMZ Sports it's "really real," saying the job took a little over an hour to finish.

"He was a champ, he sat through it," Johnson says. "Pretty random, but he love the hell out that girl."

We're told Dennis and his GF love the piece, but not everyone feels the same way ... some fans in the comments weren't exactly loving the new artwork, with one person writing, "You should have tried to talk him outta that my G."

Another person wrote ... "His girlfriend should have been against that. Shows her immaturity to NOT STOP him from doing this."

Though, it's a safe bet Dennis, who has a ton of tattoos and has never been shy when expressing himself, isn't losing sleep over a few negative Instagram comments.

Former WNBA star and ex-Tennessee Lady Volunteers hooper Nikki McCray-Penson has tragically passed away at 51 years old.

The heartbreaking news was confirmed to The Tennesean on Friday by Rutgers University, where McCray-Penson had been working as an assistant coach for the women's basketball team.

The school did not provide a cause of death ... but Univ. of Tenn. reporter Maria Cornelius said McCray-Penson passed away after battling breast cancer for a second time.

The former guard starred at Tennessee in the 1990s ... winning SEC Player of the Year twice (1994, 1995) -- as well as earning Kodak All-American honors twice.

Following her stint with the Vols, she went on to become a three-time WNBA All-Star ... while playing eight seasons for the Mystics, Fever, Mercury, Silver Stars and Sky.

She also won two gold Olympic medals with Team USA in her career ... and was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

Her coaching tenure began in 2006 ... when she was hired to be an assistant on Western Kentucky's staff. She later became a head coach for Old Dominion, where she won C-USA Coach of the Year in 2019-2020. She then had a stint as Mississippi State's head coach ... before she began her career at Rutgers in 2022.

McCray-Penson also had a significant impact off the court ... she was selected by Bill Clinton to be a member of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. She was also picked by the Library of Congress as a speaker for the Women's History Month Address in 1999.

News of the death has rocked the basketball world ... with many stars remembering her fondly after learning of her passing.

"Nikki McCray : Sweet person and cold hooper!," ex-NBA star Chris Webber wrote. "Rest in Peace."

Added Dick Vitale, "I am so heartbroken hearing this news a few minutes ago about Nikki McCray - Penson . Loved everything about Nikki - she was a Hall of Famer as a player & as a person . May Nikki RIP."

Lady Vols senior Rickea Jackson, who played under McCray-Penson at Mississippi St., also tweeted her condolences to the McCray-Penson family.

"One of the most beautiful souls I've ever met," Jackson said. "The one who genuinely went out their way to understand me when I was so misunderstood. The one who was always there."

"You fought so long and hard and I am grateful to have known you. I love you. Rest easy."

Josh Allen appears to be getting a lot more serious with Hailee Steinfeld … the two were spotted in a heavy makeout sesh while on vacation in Mexico!!!

The Buffalo Bills quarterback and the actress spent their Fourth of July south of the border, packing on the PDA during a romantic getaway.

Josh and Hailee looked to be all over each other in the resort pool, wrapping their arms around one another and sucking face.

Hailee showed off her body with a red bikini ... and Josh showed off his muscles with some board shorts ... no wonder they couldn't keep their hands -- and lips -- to themselves.

Josh and Hailee haven't publicly confirmed they are in a romantic relationship yet ... but the signs clearly appear to be there ... and we previously saw them get cozy back in May during a sushi dinner in New York City.

Now, Josh and Hailee are going international ... and kissing.

George Valera -- arguably the most touted prospect in the entire Cleveland Guardians farm system -- has found himself in some seriously hot water ... after he shoved an umpire during a game on Thursday night.

The wild scene all went down in the third inning of the Columbus Clippers' tilt against the Nashville Sound ... when Valera -- who was playing centerfield for the Clips -- stepped into the box for his second at-bat of the night.

Broadcast video from the game shows during the middle of the AB -- Valera appeared to take exception to something Sound catcher Alex Jackson said ... and he confronted him about it, halting play.

The two then got so heated, the home plate ump tried to intervene -- but that didn't stop Valera from sticking his finger in Jackson's mask. A few moments later, Valera pushed the ump in what seemed to be an effort to get to Jackson.

The shove ignited an all-out brawl on the field ... as both benches cleared to back their guys. Pushing and shoving then ensued -- before, thankfully, cooler heads prevailed.

Both Valera and Jackson ended up getting thrown out of the game over it all. It's unclear if Valera will face further punishment for putting his hands on an ump.

Lance Armstrong's opinions on transgender athletes have rubbed a lot of people the wrong way recently … including a pair of his "Stars on Mars" castmates, who actually confronted him about it all while he was on the competition show.

The former cycling star has shared his two cents on the matter over the last few weeks repeatedly ... especially after filming an episode of his "The Forward" podcast with Caitlyn Jenner.

On the pod, he and Jenner spoke about trans women competing against biological females -- and the two appeared to share the opinion that there should be a separate category for the parties, due to what they believed was an unfair advantage of being born a male.

While filming "Stars on Mars," Armstrong made no attempts to distance himself from that stance ... telling Ronda Rousey he doesn't see why it'd be "unfair" to introduce a new category to the sports competition landscape to assuage the issues.

Quickly, however, Tinashe jumped in to confront him over the thought process.

"We just have to care about if you other-ise people," the "2-On" singer said on the new Fox show. "It's not good for their mental health."

When Armstrong asked her to expound, she added, "Like, kind of, like, exclude them from the same spaces and places that everyone else is."

Armstrong swore he wasn't trying to exclude anyone with his ideas ... saying, "I sound like a right-wing lunatic. I'm not. I'm the most liberal person -- but from a sporting perspective ..."

But, Tinashe wasn't having any of it ... later telling Fox cameras, "I definitely didn't think that he should be the spokesperson for that."

Adam Rippon -- an openly gay figure skater -- also chimed in on Armstrong's remarks ... making it clear he was not a fan of them either.

"That is so disheartening," he said.

Rippon further explained he believed Armstrong's words could shake up the whole dynamic of the show going forward.

Britney Spears says NBA phenom Victor Wembanyama is simply wrong when he says she "grabbed" him from behind ... she insists it was simply a friendly tap.

Britney is responding to the story TMZ broke early Thursday ... that the head of Victor's security backhanded her in the face outside Catch restaurant in Vegas. The account she just posted on social media aligns with what she told the police.

Britney says, "I recognized an athlete in my hotel lobby as I was heading to dinner. I later went to a restaurant at a different hotel and saw him again." That hotel is Aria.

She goes on to describe the encounter ... "I decided to approach him and congratulate him on his success.  It was really loud, so I tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention."

Now the dispute ... "I am aware the players statement where he mentions 'I grabbed him from behind' but I simply tapped him on the shoulder."

As for the slap, she says "His security then back handed me in the face without looking back, in front of the crowd. Nearly knocking me down and causing my glasses off my face."

Britney adds she herself was "swarmed" by around 20 fans on her way into Aria, noting, "My security team didn't hit any of them."

As we reported, Victor spoke with reporters -- including KENS 5 reporter Nate Ryan -- after practice Thursday to detail his side of how things went down.

Britney says, "“I also don’t appreciate nor do I thin this is a laughing matter. Watching the player smile and laugh was cruel and demoralizing with the situation that took place. I am 5’3 and he’s 7’4…”

Sources close to Britney tell us she hasn't yet heard from Victor's team and she's pissed about it ... thinking someone would've at least reached out to apologize.

TMZ spoke to an eyewitness who says he not only saw the head of security slap Britney, he heard the impact.  He also says Britney was furious, screaming "This is f****** America."

As we reported, Metro PD has launched a criminal investigation and interviewed Britney this morning at her hotel. We're told the case will "likely" be referred to the D.A. for review.

Victor Wembanyama says Britney Spears didn't just tap him on the shoulder before a security guard put his hand on her on Wednesday night ... the NBA star says she full-on "grabbed me from behind" -- sparking the intense scene.

The San Antonio Spurs' top pick explained his side of the situation to KENS 5 reporter Nate Ryan shortly after a workout on Thursday afternoon ... saying it all went down as he was walking into Catch restaurant in the ARIA Hotel in Las Vegas.

Wembanyama -- the most touted basketball prospect since LeBron James -- said there were a lot of people in the hallway near the eatery calling for him ... but he was instructed not to stop in order to avoid creating a chaotic scene.

One woman, though, kept asking for him ... before she ran up to him and put her arms around him.

He later learned that person was Spears.

"I didn't see what happened, because I was walking straight and we were told, 'Don't stop,'" Wembanyama said. "But that person grabbed me from behind -- not on my shoulder, she grabbed me from behind -- and so I just know the security pushed her away."

"I don't know with how much force, though. But security pushed her away. I didn't stop to look so I could walk in and enjoy the nice dinner."

Wembanyama said he didn't know the woman was Spears until "a couple hours later" because he never saw her face.

"At first I was like, 'No, you're joking,'" he said. "But, yeah, it turns out it was Britney Spears."

Spears' husband, Sam Asghari, also addressed his side of the incident in a pair of Instagram posts Thursday afternoon ... chastising Wembanyama's security guard for getting physical with the singer during the incident.

"The violent behavior of an out-of-control security guard should not cast a shadow on the accomplishment of a great young man on the rise @wemby," he said. "The blame should fall on the coward who did this, the people who hired him without proper vetting, and a systemic culture of disregard for women within sports and entertainment."

Sam went on to say he believed Spears was "physically assaulted," and he demanded to see changes "come from the top."

"And I look forward to those changes," he said.

An eyewitness to the Britney Spears slap at the hands of security for NBA phenom Victor Wembanyama tells TMZ ... he clearly struck her and she was furious.

Brian Grajales, a Canadian who was outside Catch restaurant Wednesday night says he saw Britney approach Victor's entourage, clearly wanting to take a photo with him.

Brian says she "infiltrated" her way into his circle, leaned in, and in a British accent, said, "Excuse me, sir ... excuse me, sir." She then touched Victor's back, and that's when he says the head of Victor's security backhanded her right in the face.

One law enforcement source told TMZ, the security guy hit Britney's hand and her hand then hit her face, but Brian squarely disputes that. He says the security guy struck her.

Brian says Britney's sunglasses flew off, but he doesn't recall if she fell, but there was a lot of commotion.

He says Victor walked into the restaurant, and, in a British accent, Britney screamed, "This is f**king America!!!"

As we reported, the Metro PD is conducting a criminal investigation, they went to interview Britney this morning, and we're told the case will "likely" be sent to the D.A. for review.

Marcus Jordan, you motorboatin' son of a bitch! 😅

MJ's son celebrated his girlfriend Larsa Pippen's 49th trip around the sun with a photo dump of the lovebirds enjoying each other's company -- and we stress enjoying!

Jordan posted a clip where the 32-year-old is seen threading a Hookah mouthpiece through Larsa's top -- a low-cut black dress -- before taking a big ol' puff, all while the couple hangs out at an unknown club.

MJ exhaled ... and then did his best "Wedding Crashers" impression.

It wasn't all steamy videos ... Marcus also came with the prerequisite lovey-dovey-ness.

"Happy birthday to my best friend & partner in crime," Jordan wrote on one of the photos.

Larsa was clearly appreciative of the birthday love ... sharing posts from not just her bae, but from her friends, as well.

Unfortunately, it's not all cupcakes and rainbows for the couple. Earlier in the week, Michael Jordan publicly stated he doesn't support his son dating the ex-wife of his former teammate/frenemy, Scottie Pippen ... flat-out answering "No" when asked if he approved of the relationship.

With or without MJ, it's clear Larsa and Marcus -- who began dating last year -- are very much in love!

Britney Spears was allegedly assaulted Wednesday night in Vegas, after a member of NBA phenom Victor Wembanyama's security backhanded her in the face, and she has filed a police report.

The incident went down at Catch restaurant in the ARIA Hotel around 8:30 PM. Britney, along with her husband, Sam Asghari, and 2 others went to the restaurant for dinner. She was swarmed by fans as she entered the casino.

Britney and co. walked over to Catch, and as they were entering the restaurant, Britney spotted Victor. We're told she's a fan and went over to him to ask if they could take a photo together. She tapped him on his back, right shoulder and, we're told the Director of Team Security for the San Antonio Spurs -- the team that drafted Victor last month -- instantly backhanded her, causing her to fall to the ground ... knocking her glasses off.

Britney composed herself and went to her table. We're told the security guy came over to the table and apologized. He said, "You understand how it is when you're being swarmed by fans." He apologized and Britney accepted it. BTW, we're told he also said when he slapped her he didn't know who she was.

Britney's security team spent time with Victor's security guy, and afterward her team filed a police report with the Metropolitan Police Dept. alleging battery.

Originally Published -- 7:35 AM PT

Scary scene during the Yankees vs. Orioles game Wednesday night ... a cameraman was drilled in the forehead by an errant throw -- and the baseball did so much damage, the guy had to spend the evening in the hospital.

It happened during the fifth inning ... when Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson hurried a throw to first base in an attempt to get Anthony Volpe out.

The toss, though, sailed high on the Baltimore rookie ... and it ended up going into a dugout where YES Network cameraman Pete Stendel had been filming.

Video from the game's broadcast shows the baseball caught Stendel flush ... and he immediately crumpled to the ground in pain. Trainers rushed over to help him -- before they strapped him to a backboard and took him away from the field.

Stendel was able to give the crowd a wave while he was being transferred out of the stadium ... and, fortunately, YES Network officials said later in the evening he was conscious while he undergoing further examination at a local medical facility.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone, meanwhile, said after the game the whole thing was horrifying.

"Definitely praying for him," Boone said following NY's 6-3 loss. "It was good to see him, obviously, coherent and obviously raising his hand going off."

Get well soon, Pete.

Kobe Bryant will once again grace the cover of NBA 2K24, the video game maker announced ... the 4th time for the NBA legend!

2K -- first released in 1999 by Visual Concepts -- took to social media on Thursday, writing, "Sharing the Mamba Mentality with the next generation. Introducing our #NBA2K24 cover athlete, Kobe Bryant."

The game will come with two different covers ... a Kobe Bryant Edition and a Black Mamba Edition!

The KB version features a young Bryant, wearing number 8, flying through the air for a dunk. The BM edition features a veteran Kob, wearing his purple and gold away Lakers jersey.

"As we celebrate 25 years of NBA 2K with Kobe Bryant, we commemorate his legacy and the generational impact he has had on the game of basketball," the Prez of Visual Concepts said.

"While we mark the history of the franchise, NBA 2K24 also looks ahead to the future to bring an innovative leap in technology and the introduction of community-requested features like crossplay."

Kobe was last on the cover for the 2K21 edition ... following Bryant's tragic death in January 2020.

The NBA Hall of Famer was also featured on the special edition cover for NBA 2K17 ... and NBA 2K10.

Preorders for the game start Friday ... and the game drops at the beginning of September.