TMZ Sports - Page 27

LeBron James made a HUGE announcement at the ESPY Awards Wednesday night ... telling the world he's staying put in the NBA.

The L.A. Lakers superstar strolled onto the stage to accept the ESPY for Best Record-Breaking Performance after surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar this year to become the league's all-time leading scorer.

During his acceptance speech, 'Bron revealed he ain't going anywhere after 20 seasons, amid talk of his retirement from the Association ... talk fueled by LeBron himself.

At the podium, 'Bron said, "I don’t care how many more points I score, or what I can or cannot do on the floor. The real question for me is: Can I play without cheating this game?"

He continued, "The day I can’t give everything on the floor is the day I’ll be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not today."

As we reported, 'Bron floated the idea he might call it quits on his storied career back in May after the Lakers were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals.

At the time, 'Bron told reporters, "I've got a lot to think about, to be honest. Just for me, going forward with the game of basketball."

Shaquil Barrett paid tribute to his late daughter in a touching way this week ... getting the 2-year-old's face tattooed on his forearm -- just three months after she tragically died in a drowning accident.

The NFL star turned to Tattoo Red to get the piece of little Arrayah done ... and the homage came out perfectly.

The ink features an image of the little girl from her second birthday party ... as well as some stars and a ray of light shining through clouds.

Tattoo Red -- who's been inking athletes and musicians for 14 years -- tells TMZ Sports ... it all took about five hours to put down. The artist also said Barrett's wife, Jordanna, got a tattoo on her wrist in honor of Arrayah too.

"Knowing what an emotional piece this was for the family made me feel honored," Tattoo Red said. "I wanted to give them the best piece I could."

Jordanna -- who also has three other kids with Barrett -- recently announced they are expecting another baby ... saying in the big reveal, "Arrayah had a special hand in picking this sweet girl to add to our family!"

Brandon Royval believes he's next in line for a title shot at flyweight, welcome news for the UFC contender, who says he's clearly the best in the division after watching Alexandre Pantoja beat Brandon Moreno at UFC 290!

30-year-old Royval served as the backup to the co-main event between AP and BM -- training and cutting weight, in the event either of the competitors couldn't fight -- and while he hasn't been told he's next, Royval says his team thinks that's the case.

"I haven't been told necessarily anything," Brandon told us ... "As far as my management team goes, he's like, 'I'm pretty positive you're next, who else, you know? Which is pretty dope because me and Moreno have the same management team."

FYI, both men are repped by Iridium Sports CEO Jason House.

Of course, a rematch between Pantoja and Moreno is also on the table ... but as Royval points out, the guys have already fought three times (2016, 2018, 2023), and the score is 3 to nill.

Not to mention Royval doesn't believe the fight with Moreno was very close, saying he scored it four rounds to one for Alexandre ("I thought the judges f***ed up").

As for how a scrap would look between Royval and Pantoja -- despite losing to AP in 2021 via submission -- Brandon thinks he's got a big-time advantage, and it's his fight to lose.

"There's holes all over all their games," Royval said.

"Watching them fight, I'm like, 'Damn, this could be great for me. They could be walking into some dangerous shots and putting themselves in dangerous positions.'"

The takeaway, Brandon says ... "I know I could be both those guys."

With that said, if it sounds like there's beef between Royval, Moreno, and Pantoja ... that's not the case.

BR says he was touched emotionally by Alexandre's win ... that's how special it was to see him realize his lifelong dream of becoming champion.

"F***ing awesome job," Royval said of AP's performance, adding ... "The moments I've had with Pantoja outside the cage have been such beautiful moments. And that guy's such a good person. Same thing with Moreno."

Brandon continued ... "What a beautiful moment, man. And to watch him win and to watch his family go in and to hear him say what he said was such a beautiful, inspiring moment in my life."

Forget diamond pendants ... Univ. of Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels pulled up to Big 12 Media Day with something far cooler around his neck -- a mini-TV that plays his highlights!!

The Jayhawks signal-caller paired it with a crisp, tan suit and red tie ... telling reporters his whole inspiration for the chain was to pay homage to his journey to stardom at KU.

"Just a reminder to everyone I'm walking around, this is what I do," he said as the piece showed him piling up yards. "I like to play football. I like to play quarterback. I like to score touchdowns."

TMZ Sports has learned ... Daniels got the bling from Ivy J Jeweler in Los Angeles -- after the QB's dad saw store owner Gambit wearing a similar one earlier this year.

Gambit said Daniels hit him up just after his pops told him about it ... and the jeweler got to work right away on creating the junior a custom piece.

We're told Jalon's drip is made with 18 carats of VS diamonds ... and also features his "JD6" logo. It all sits on a Cuban link ... and according to Gambit, it cost around $50K.

As for the live pendant, Gambit tells us it's interchangeable -- saying Daniels can upload up to four minutes of any video he wants on it. It all charges like an Apple watch too, Gambit added.

"You can literally have a new chain every day," he said.

Gambit said Daniels -- who threw for 2,014 yards and 17 touchdowns last season -- is the first college athlete to rock his tech chain ... though he has made several other similar pieces for NBA players and UFC stars. He's now hoping the attention Daniels' piece gets opens the door for more football-playing clients.

Ronald Acuña Jr.'s "too small" chain he rocked before the All-Star Game was anything but that ... and TMZ Sports has learned the flashy piece is worth a whopping $145k in diamonds!!

The Atlanta Braves star certainly turned heads prior to his fourth ASG appearance on Tuesday ... rocking an all-pink 'fit with an iced-out mini version of himself doing his famous celebration around his neck.

Gabriel the Jeweler -- go-to guy for some of the biggest names in sports -- tells us the piece is made of 80 carats total ... and the one-of-a-kind accessory was designed in collaboration with Xample Brand, Acuña's agency.

We're told Xample likes to treat Acuña to a new chain for every ASG appearance ... with each one documenting a new characteristic of Ronald's game.

Of course, Acuña's known to do the "too small" gesture whenever he hits homers ... so this year's jewelry was a no-brainer.

The chain itself is Gucci style and composed of brilliant diamonds and baguettes ... and we're told Ronald's family was also gifted smaller versions of the piece as well.

"I am blessed to be selected to play in this year's All-Star Game, and thank everyone who supported me on this journey and believed in me," Acuña Jr. tells us.

Nicki Minaj's bite just might be as big as her bark on rap tracks -- judging from the hands she's throwing with her sparring partner/husband Kenneth Petty!

"The Pinkprint" rapper shared video evidence of her skills Wednesday, showing off her jab-cross combos and footwork, which all looked pretty convincing.

Nicki never flinched and maintained solid boxing form throughout ... and even finished with a roundhouse kick for good measure.

Y'know what they say about a family that fights together ... don't mess with them!!!

Nicki's workout music was an unreleased collab with JT, and you can hear both dissing rival females who don't stack up to their flyness.

The City Girls rapper was also in the building with Nicki, but didn't break a sweat outside the studio.

Nicki's cooldown wasn't anything to scoff at either ... she backed that thang up on Kenneth and called him Big Daddy!!!

Lincoln Riley can cook opposing defenses with his playbook, but he still needs some serious help when it comes to preparing food ... 'cause USC's head football coach is getting ripped apart AGAIN for his most recent kitchen creation.

Two years after he was mocked to hell for his awful-looking Easter brisket, the leader of the Trojans' sideline still hasn't learned his lesson ... and this time, his victim was an innocent tuna.

The 39-year-old coach shared a pic of a cooked fish caught by his WR coach Dennis Simmons (sorry to bring ya into this, coach) this week ... and a lot of his followers struggled to figure out what it was by the time he was done with it.

"Did you smoke a red velvet cake?" one confused Twitter user said.

"Feed the team this before the Oregon game," another user added. "Will clear a locker room out faster than Rona."

There's more -- "IDC if this is filet mignon or tuna. I don't trust this dude on the grill any more than I do with a defense."

"You can afford a private chef, for the love of god get one," a pretty logical tweet pointed out.

Some users were trying to help out by suggesting different temperatures and using other seasonings... but ultimately, the general consensus is the dude is pretty much hopeless.

Despite the backlash, it doesn't seem Lincoln will be feeding into the hate anytime soon ... and who knows -- maybe you'll see him on a future episode of "Worst Cooks in America!!!"

Great news ... the child that took a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. line drive to the forehead during Monday night's Home Run Derby is now doing OK.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ Sports ... despite how bad things looked after the youngster was rocked in the noggin by a baseball in left field at T-Mobile Park, the kid was treated immediately on-site -- and was doing so much better on Tuesday, he was actually able to attend the All-Star Game in the evening.

We're told the boy's parents were present in Seattle to comfort him following the whole ordeal.

It all initially appeared like it could have been much worse ... because after he was hit by the Guerrero Jr. shot, the kid crumpled to the ground in pain.

He was later seen with a bandage on his head -- though he was, fortunately, able to walk away from the stadium under his own power.

Michael Jordan clearly ain't sweating the damage he caused by commenting on his son's relationship with Larsa Pippen ... 'cause he was seen looking as carefree as ever on Tuesday, puffing a cigar while on a boat in Italy.

His Airness was out in Capri just hours after Larsa said he "traumatized" her by stating publicly that he didn't approve of her relationship with Marcus Jordan ... and check out his demeanor, he certainly didn't seem too remorseful about it all.

MJ lit up a stogie while cruising through Italian waters with his wife, Yvette Prieto, before he took to land to get some shopping in.

The NBA legend not once seemed down while in the sun ... in fact, the guy appeared to be nothing but chill.

Of course, back on July 2, Michael seriously rocked the boat when it came to his son's romance with Larsa ... saying emphatically that he didn't approve of it all -- presumably due to Larsa's former relationship with Scottie Pippen, Michael's former Bulls teammate-turned-enemy.

On her and Marcus' "Separation Anxiety" podcast Tuesday, Larsa said the statement really hurt her ... telling Marcus, "I didn't think it was funny."

"There's nothing funny about it," she continued ... before adding, "I was kind of embarrassed."

Marcus, though, said Michael reached out to the two after making the remarks -- and told them he said it all in jest ... and he actually had no problem with the relationship.

"Anudda scratch"

That's Dan Hooker describing HIS BROKEN FACE ... another of the serious injuries he sustained during his war of a fight vs. Jalin Turner at UFC 290.

Of course, 33-year-old Hooker won the fight by split decision (both men showed amazing heart and skill) ... but didn't escape the scrap unharmed.

We knew Hangman broke his wrist ... in fact, Joe Rogan asked Dan about it in the Octagon after the fight, with Hooker now famously saying, "It's just a scratch!"

But, not the only scratch.

After getting checked by doctors, Dan was told he also suffered a facial fracture near his right cheekbone (likely from a huge head kick JT landed in the 2nd round). Hooker shared a photo of the X-ray on social media, and captioned the pic, "Anudda scratch"

Hooker, now ranked 10th in the lightweight division after the dub, will now have to rest up and heal before he takes another fight.

The HBO cameras will be rolling when Aaron Rodgers gears up for his first training camp in the Big Apple -- the New York Jets have reportedly been picked to appear on the next season of "Hard Knocks."

The news broke via Adam Schefter on Wednesday ... who announced Gang Green was selected over the Saints, Bears, and Commanders, who were also eligible to participate in the annual docuseries.

Fans might be thrilled with the choice, but Jets head coach Robert Saleh previously said the squad was opposed to being followed around throughout camp.

When it comes to entertainment value, the Jets were the clear favorites for the gig ... considering Rodgers -- a 4-time MVP and Super Bowl winner -- was traded to the Jets in April, and it will be his first time on the show.

Outside of Rodgers, the team is full of personalities, including star cornerback Sauce Gardner ... who's already had some viral moments in his young career.

The Jets were also on Hard Knocks in 2010 ... which resulted in some memorable clips, including an expletive-filled speech from then-coach Rex Ryan.

Britney Spears is still furious with Victor Wembanyama's security ... calling his use of physical force in Vegas last week completely unnecessary -- while demanding he issue a public apology.

The "Toxic" singer opened up about the situation Tuesday in a video posted to her Instagram ... after she says she heard a local radio host say she deserved to be hit in the face for touching Wemby.

She called out the station for the opinion ... explaining in all her years of touring and being in public around rowdy fans -- her security team has never taken things that far.

"I've been with the most famous people in the world -- *NSYNC at one time," she said. "Girls would like literally throw themselves at them. On my way into the place, actually, I was knocked down by like three 12-year-olds trying to get my picture. My security not one time touched them or even came near them."

"Point being," she continued, "I didn't appreciate the people saying that I deserved to be hit, because no woman ever deserves to be hit."

In her video, Spears also recounted the July 5 scene from her perspective once again ... saying she was backhanded so hard in the face that she went down to the floor and needed to be picked up by her best friend.

Of course, video TMZ obtained showed she never hit the ground after being struck -- though the sunglasses on her face were knocked to the floor.

She went on to say the San Antonio Spurs star's security apologized to her at her table inside Catch restaurant at The Aria some 30 minutes following the incident ... but he, Wemby and the team have yet to publicly say they're sorry -- something she clearly wants.

It's the second time in the last week Spears has spoken about the incident ... she previously wrote a lengthy note on Instagram, saying all she had wanted from Wembanyama outside the eatery was to "congratulate him on his success."

As we reported ... Las Vegas Police investigated the incident, but decided against filing charges.

Wembanyama, meanwhile, went on to play in two games in the NBA's Summer League in Vegas with mixed results following the incident. He's since been shut down by the Spurs in anticipation of the upcoming season.

Jamie Foxx's whirlwind recovery reveal is still in full swing in Chicago ... the actor was just photographed hitting the pickleball courts around town.

Check out the image posted on Instagram Tuesday night ... Jamie playing doubles with his partner against a couple of other dudes -- and they're clearly having a blast, laughing it up at the net together.

But, this is only his latest, happy moment ... Jamie's been having fun all over the Windy City lately, taking a ride on a yacht along the river, whacking golf balls at the driving range and even saving the day by returning a lost purse to a woman. He's also been spending quality time with his fam and close friends.

Nice to see Jamie in such good spirits and looking strong after everything he's been through the last several months.

From our vantage point, it appears Jamie is well on his way to full recovery while continuing his treatment at a physical rehab facility in Chi Town. As you know, Jamie suffered a medical emergency in April, which, to this day, still remains a mystery.

Former WWE wrestler Mike Halac, who famously competed as Mantaur in the '90s, has passed away. He was 55 years old.

Halac's daughter, Demi, announced the news on Halac's personal Facebook page on Tuesday ... saying, "He went peacefully in his sleep. He's no longer in pain."

"This really hit home to lose my father, he will forever be in my heart and many others. I love you dad. Make the skies beautiful for me."

Halac debuted as Bruiser Mastino for the Catch Wrestling Association in the early 1990s before joining the World Wrestling Federation as Mantaur, a role based on the mythical half-man/half-beast Minotaur character ... which was fitting for his 400-pound frame.

Halac -- who was open about his battle with diabetes -- continued to compete in the ring until 2019.

Fellow wrestler Paul Neu -- AKA P.N. News -- shared a touching tribute ... saying, "This is a bitter pill to swallow. RIP Michael Halac my tag partner, great friend and brother in all sense of the word except blood."

"We fought like family,, but always made up. You will be missed. God bless your soul. Until we meet again. Love you brother."

Bam Margera says his estranged wife Nikki is still blocking him from seeing their son, face-to-face -- even though he says he's committed to lifestyle changes to remain sober.

We got Bam Tuesday outside court in downtown L.A., where he said it's a terrible feeling to know his son Phoenix is a short drive away, yet he still can't see him ... and he insists he's far from being the violent guy Nikki's making him out to be.

The former "Jackass" star says his only goal right now is to see Phoenix again, but he says Nikki's only allowed him a couple of FaceTime calls.

As for Bam's sobriety, he tells us Lamar Odom wanted to work on his addiction a bit differently from how rehab centers have handled Bam in the past, which is why he's out.

Instead, he says he's surrounding himself with sober people -- some of them coaches, and some just friends -- to keep him straight.

FYI, Bam and Nikki were in court to establish whether their marriage was even valid and to determine if CA is the right court to deal with the case.

Bam testified he was informed their 2013 wedding in Iceland wasn't legit because they weren't residents of that country. The judge hasn't ruled yet.

One of the most popular surf spots in Southern California is teeming with man-eating sharks -- video clearly shows a handful of great whites lurking just under the surface as surfers catch waves.

Ya gotta see the footage from San Onofre State Beach ... there are 4 to 5 sharks swimming between the waves with more than a dozen surfers nearby, or in some cases, paddling right over the potentially killer fish.

The incredible video was captured by photog Kevin Christopherson's drone Friday over San Onofre -- one of SoCal's surf meccas -- and most surfers don't seem concerned about what's swimming underneath them.

As you can see, sharks are there as surfers zip over them on waves ... and the predators are swimming nearby while surfers bob in the water, waiting for the next break.

These sharks are pretty big too ... because they're as big or bigger than the surfers' longboards.

Fact is, San Onofre State Beach is known to be a breeding ground for great whites ... so, most, if not all, of these surfers are aware of the risk.

Still, getting shark sightings like this on camera is a rarity.