TMZ Sports - Page 7

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.

The 2023 Home Run Derby champion will be walking away with a whole lot more than bragging rights next week ... they'll be getting a sweet new chain, too!!

The MLB revealed on Wednesday it's giving the event's winner some bling for the second straight season -- and this year's iteration of the jewelry is awesome.

According to the league, it weighs three pounds and features over 1,000 stones.

It also has a centerpiece made of recycled glass and 75 carats of white and yellow Swarovski Crystal embellishments. And, get this, the center even spins!!!

There will be eight guys gunning for it on Monday night at T-Mobile Park in Seattle -- Luis Robert, Pete Alonso, Mookie Betts, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Adolis Garcia, Randy Arozarena, Julio Rodriguez and Adley Rutschman.

Last year's winner, Juan Soto, will not be involved -- but he sure seemed to enjoy the 2022 version of the drip after he locked it all up at Dodger Stadium.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann are still doing things as a family despite their extremely bitter divorce ... taking their children to worship and break bread together.

The former 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star and former NFL player went to church as a family last Sunday in Atlanta, bringing their 4 minor children with them to the service.

Afterward, Kim and Kroy took the kiddos out to eat ... and there were even a few smiles among the family.

Frankly, it's a bit unexpected to see the estranged couple together with their kids in tow ... the divorce has just been that acrimonious.

As we've reported, Kim called the cops on Kroy just last month, because he allegedly accused her friend of kidnapping their son. She also allegedly punched him during a different argument that led to a police response, and she's accused him of being mentally abusive.

Financially, Kim and Kroy allegedly owe $1 million to the IRS and they're both being hounded in court for allegedly falling behind on payments for everything from Target purchases, to fancy cars and gambling trips.

Magic Johnson's annual yacht vacation has somehow gotten even MORE lavish ... Samuel L. Jackson just revealed the boat trip now features acupuncture sessions!!!

Johnson, Jackson and a few of their close pals set sale yet again for their yearly European vacay earlier this month -- hitting the French Riviera this time -- and the "Pulp Fiction" star showed there's truly no expense spared on the getaway.

In photos that Jackson posted to his Instagram page Thursday morning ... you can see he got healing needles injected into his skin -- all while he was relaxing and soaking in rays on one of the boat's decks.

Samuel clearly knew the moment was one dripping with luxury -- 'cause he captioned one of the pics with the words, "Accu in da Sun!!"

"DAAYUUUM!!!!" he added.

The treatments didn't stop there, though ... he also got some cupping therapy done right on a lounge chair as well!!

Of course, the extravagant amenities shouldn't surprise anybody ... Johnson's been going all out for the summer trip for nearly a decade.

This year's yacht is called "Phoenix 2" ... and the 296-footer comes with all of the expected bells and whistles -- including jacuzzis, a gym, an outdoor cinema, a swimming pool, and so much more.

Mark Zuckerberg apparently can't wait to get into an Octagon with Elon Musk to take shots at the billionaire ... he spent plenty of time Wednesday night throwing keyboard jabs at his nemesis -- as part of the rollout of his new app, Threads.

The Twitter rival made its debut right around dinner time ... and just a few minutes into its kickoff, Zuck took to the site -- which many are calling the "new Twitter" -- to go after Musk and his bird app.

First, Zuckerberg tossed shade at Twitter while explaining to Mark Cuban he hopes Threads is a more "friendly" area for people to interact.

"That's one reason why Twitter never succeeded as much as I think it should have," he wrote, "and we want to do it differently."

Later, the Meta founder told UFC fighter Mike Davis he's got hopes Threads will outgrow Twitter one day.

"It'll take some time," Zuckerberg said, "but I think there should be a public conversations app with 1 billion+ people on it. Twitter has had the opportunity to do this but hasn't nailed it. Hopefully we will."

There were some veiled comments from Zuck about a potential fight with Musk too ... while replying to new signups throughout the night, he consistently made references to winning "round one" of Threads. He also laughed at the prospects of the billionaire superfight being called "The Meta Threada." He spent a whole lot of time interacting with MMA stars like Jon Jones as well.

Zuck even appeared to get back on Twitter after an 11-year hiatus to get in another little ribbing at Musk ... with an account apparently associated with him tweeting out the Spider-Man meme.

No date has been set for the potential Zuck vs. Musk superfight -- there's a lot of hangups over the size discrepancy between the two -- but it's clear, the guys are more than content battling each other behind computer screens while it all gets sorted out.

Mike "Sugar Bear" Thompson is seeking help for an addiction ... and he's turning to one of Lamar Odom's rehab centers for treatment.

Sources close to Sugar Bear tell TMZ ... he reached out to Lamar over the weekend about going to one of his treatment centers, and on Thursday evening he will check into a facility in Kansas to focus on his recovery.

We're told Honey Boo Boo's dad is hooked on prescription drugs he started taking as part of his diabetes treatments, and he also has severe depression and anxiety.

Our sources say Sugar Bear first met Lamar last summer through their manager, and they've since established a friendship, which led him to start rehab at the Gold Bridge Treatment Center in Louisburg -- part of the Odom Recovery Group.

We're told Sugar Bear hasn't had a relationship with Honey Boo Boo for more than a year now, and he was noticeably absent from her graduation. It's unclear if their estrangement is tied to his addiction.

Our sources say Sugar Bear is still hoping he can mend fences with his daughter once he's completed his rehab stint.

As we reported, Sugar Bear underwent an astonishing makeover last year following a cancer scare, but since then he's hit a rough patch -- we're told his most recent girlfriend broke up with him a month ago, and he hasn't been handling it well.

It finally happened ... after months of trying to link up, Lil Wayne got to meet LSU hoops star Flau'jae Johnson -- and now, TMZ Sports has learned the two are getting to work on a rap collab!!

The "A Milli" spitter and the Tigers guard got to see each other face-to-face for the first time in New Orleans on Sunday ... after Weezy's surprise performance at the ESSENCE Festival.

The two shared a big hug backstage ... and then they posed for a couple pics. They got to exchange some quick words too -- before Wayne had to get to his other obligations.

But, sources close to Weezy tell us following their connection ... they've now put the wheels in motion on a new song -- with plans to get things started on it ASAP.

Of course, Wayne has been trying to get this all going since April ... when he said on ESPN during the women's NCAA tournament that he wanted to connect with Johnson -- an aspiring rapper who's signed to Roc Nation.

At the time, Johnson was stoked about the Wayne shoutout ... tweeting, "Imagine Winning A National Championship Your FRESHMAN Year! Then Getting A Lil Wayne Feature Right After ??! What is life."

LeBron James traded in his signature Nike kicks for a polo and clipboard on Wednesday, coaching up son Bryce James at one of the most heralded H.S. hoops tourneys in the world!

It all went down Wednesday afternoon at Nike's Peach Jam in North Augusta, SC ... which features some of the best high school players from around the country, competing against each other.

16-year-old Bryce hoops for SVG -- Strive For Greatness -- and while LeBron isn't technically the head coach, he shared some of his wisdom with the squad as they took on the Florida Rebels.

And, the King wasn't alone ... 2x NBA champ Rajon Rondo was also there, assisting.

FYI, Bron and Rondo aren't the only big names around ... Chris Paul, Bradley Beal, Carmelo Anthony, and several other NBA stars also have teams.

Rivals reporter Krysten Peek even captured video of Bron drawing up a play during a timeout, while the former Celtics star coached up one of their players on the side.

SVG won their first game on Monday ... where 6'4" Bryce, who recently transferred to Campbell Hall from Sierra Canyon, dropped 12 points (on 4-of-9 shooting).

The Victor Wembanyama effect is real -- the most hyped prospect since LeBron James isn't just generating an uptick in regular season tickets sales ... fans are paying big money to catch a glimpse of the 7'5" phenom in the SUMMER LEAGUE!

Wemby -- who sat out the Sacramento Summer League games earlier this week -- is expected to make his NBA debut in the Las Vegas Summer League on Friday against the Charlotte Hornets.

Ticket reseller Gametime, which specializes in last-minute tix, tells TMZ Sports they're seeing a "huge demand for tickets" ... and they're going for significantly more than other summer league games.

We're told ticket prices for most games are 40 around bucks, but for Wemby, prices start at $186!

"The top-priced seats are going for $617 per seat," a Gametime spokesperson told us.

It probably shouldn't come as a surprise... hype around the 19-year-old prospect, who became the first French-born player to be drafted first overall, has been insane.

He can run, jump, shoot, defend ... all of it, at his absolutely massive size (he has an 8-foot wingspan!)

Not even LeBron is immune to the hype around Wemby.

"Everybody’s been a unicorn over the last few years, well he’s more like an alien," James said last season.

"His ability to put the ball on the floor, shoot step-back jumpers on the post, step-back 3s, catch-and-shoot 3s, block shots. He’s for sure a generational talent."

Wembanyama will have the eyes of the basketball world on him later this week ... but he won't be the only star playing in the game. Number two overall pick Brandon Miller (good enough to be the first overall pick in most drafts) will be across from Victor, playing for the Hornets.