TMZ Sports - Page 7

If and when Bronny James needs advice on how to come back from a scary heart issue ... Ronny Turiaf, one of LeBron's old basketball pals, tells TMZ Sports he'll be there no questions asked for the teenager.

Turiaf, of course, famously underwent open heart surgery back in 2005 ... after docs found he had an enlarged aortic root. The procedure was terrifying -- it lasted hours ... and the former NBA player didn't know if he'd ever be able to hoop again even when he made it through it successfully.

But, he went on to recover fully ... playing 10 years in the NBA -- including one championship season with LBJ in Miami in 2011-12.

Now, Turiaf tells us he's more than willing to provide a helping hand for James' oldest son when it comes time for the USC star to try to get back on the hardwood following his heart scare on Monday.

"If Bronny ever wants to talk, I'm sure that I'll be more than happy to talk to him," Turiaf said on Tuesday, the 18th anniversary of his own heart procedure. "If at any given time he wants to talk, I'm always available."

TMZ broke the story ... Bronny was raced to a local hospital on Monday after he collapsed during a workout on SC's campus. Thankfully, he was able to be treated following the cardiac arrest ... and now, he's out of the ICU and recovering.

While it's unclear what ailment ultimately caused the issue for Bronny ... Turiaf was optimistic it'll all work out going forward.

Morgan Wallen's got a new favorite pair of boots ... at least, according to The Shoe Surgeon, who supplied the country star with some high priced you-know-what-kickers.

Dominic Chambrone, aka The Shoe Surgeon, tells TMZ ... Morgan debuted his custom Tecovas during his concert this past Saturday night at L.A.'s SoFi Stadium, and these babies are literally one of a kind.

We're told MW stopped by Dominic's studio a few months ago, and a design in his concept room really caught the singer's eye -- a pair of shoes inspired by professional BMX rider Nigel Sylvester's Air Jordan 1's.

The boots are hand-dyed python skin with yellow suede binding, and it's all hand scuffed to mimic Nigel's shoes. The finished products were hand-delivered to Morgan before Saturday's show, where he took 'em out for a spin onstage.

BTW, Dominic's cooked up customs for some other celebs recently ... like singer/rapper Peso Pluma and soccer star Kellyn Acosta.

Hulk Hogan has wedding bells in his future ... because he just got engaged to his girlfriend of over a year.

The pro wrestling icon tells TMZ Sports ... he and Sky Daily got engaged last week, with Hogan popping the question at a restaurant in Tampa, Florida.

Hogan tells us he was very nervous about proposing ... but Sky said, "Yes."

The WWE Hall of Famer says his fiancée has three children of her own, and he fell in love with all of them.

As we reported, Hogan and Sky, a yoga instructor, started dating early last year ... with Hulk moving on quickly after his divorce from his second wife, Jennifer McDaniel, was finalized.

We broke the story ... Hulk also had to buy Jennifer a new car as part of the divorce settlement.

Hogan and Jennifer were married for over 10 years, tying the knot in 2010 after he split from his first wife, Linda Hogan.

Now, Hulk's heading for his third marriage.

Livvy Dunne is too cool for school -- literally -- the LSU gymnast says she can't go to class like a normal college student due to "safety reasons."

The popular influencer -- who has millions of followers on social media -- opened up about her struggles with fame in an interview with Elle this week ... admitting she always has to be "careful" when she walks around campus in Baton Rouge, 'cause there are always people watching her every move.

In fact, the interdisciplinary studies major says fellow college kids even sometimes approach her for selfies ... but some interactions were not so friendly, and she had to switch up her routine as a result.

Dunne says she now handles all her studies online ... claiming, "There were some scares in the past, and I just want to be as careful as possible."

"I don’t want people to know my daily schedule and where I am."

Of course, Dunne has made a killing off her brand ... reportedly earning millions of dollars through Name, Image and Likeness deals.

Deion Sanders is back!!!

The Colorado football head coach has returned to campus after having surgeries last week ... and he was in such a good mood, he was caught on camera dancin' and groovin' to some old-school music in his office!!

Deion Sanders Jr. posted the fun footage to Primetime's social media page Tuesday afternoon ... showing the 55-year-old Buffalo head man sitting at his desk and blasting One Way's "Push."

You can tell the former Dallas Cowboys star was feeling great ... 'cause he was belting out some of the lyrics, while dancing up a storm in his chair.

It's all an amazing sight ... considering what the NFL legend had to go through just a couple days ago. You'll recall, he needed another procedure on his foot ... in addition to a surgery to remove some blood clots. The time with the doctors was so serious, it actually wiped him out of his scheduled appearance at Pac-12 Media Day.

But, Sanders Jr. wrote as a caption on the vid that everything appears to be going smoothly now.

"My dads 1st day back In the office and he was happy as can be!" Sanders Jr. said. "Even tho he's supposed to be at home resting… but he said 'I’ve got to see my Dogs.'"

"We’re about to shake up college football like never b4!"

Ben Askren just showed he's dead serious about coming out of retirement to square off with his nemesis, Jorge Masvidal ... revealing he's been keeping in incredible shape despite being years removed from the UFC Octagon.

The former fighting star -- who's been retired from MMA since 2019 -- took to Twitter to show off his shirtless bod ... and to tell Masvidal he's now really ready for another scrap.

"I've kept in great shape during retirement," he said. "I have zero desire to fight anyone except that loser Jorge."

The two initially fought in the UFC way back in 2019 after months of trash talk -- and it was one of the most memorable bouts ever ... as Masvidal ended things in just five seconds with a flying knee to the face.

The two, though, have still traded verbal barbs nonetheless ever since ... with Masvidal telling TMZ Sports last week he'd definitely be down to run things back.

Seems Askren's all in too ... adding in an earlier tweet on Tuesday that he wants it to be an MMA fight -- not boxing.

In fact, he showed off an apparent text message exchange with Dana White ... where he asked the UFC honcho to put it all on for them.

LeBron James' son, Bronny, was rushed to a hospital after suffering cardiac arrest during a basketball workout, TMZ Sports has learned.

A James family spokesperson tells TMZ Sports ... "Yesterday while practicing Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest. Medical staff was able to treat Bronny and take him to the hospital. He is now in stable condition and no longer in ICU. We ask for respect and privacy for the James family and we will update media when there is more information."

The spokesperson continues, "LeBron and Savannah wish to publicly send their deepest thanks and appreciation to the USC medical and athletic staff for their incredible work and dedication to the safety of their athletes."

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ Sports ... a 911 call was made at 9:26 AM Monday from USC's Galen Center -- the venue where the team plays and practices -- and the 18-year-old hooper, who was unconscious, was taken by ambulance to the hospital.

Our sources say it was a Code 3 -- meaning the ambulance had lights and sirens going -- which signifies the seriousness of the emergency.

Bronny is a rising talent in his sport -- he recently committed to the Trojans and is expected to end up in the NBA.

Bronny was a McDonald's All-American during his high school senior season ... and LeBron has expressed his desire to play alongside his son in the League.

Bronny also followed in his dad's footsteps and competed in the slam dunk competition at the high school showcase in March.

Bronny will have a close friend to lean on in this situation if he needs one ... as Shaquille O'Neal's son, Shareef O'Neal, dealt with a heart issue of his own back in 2018 when he was a teenage basketball star. You'll recall, Shareef required surgery to fix an abnormality in his ticker ... and while it's unclear if Bronny's medical emergency is even remotely similar -- the two are good pals and appear to be totally fine in confiding with one another.

In fact, they were recently spotted out together in Hollywood earlier this month trying to party with one another at Saweetie's birthday bash.

Bronny -- who was just recently seen looking fine at the ESPY Awards two weeks ago with his family -- was a 4-star recruit who averaged 14 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists at Sierra Canyon during his senior season.

Shareef O'Neal just unleashed on a troll for blaming him for Bronny James' cardiac arrest ... calling out the distasteful comment in a fiery interaction on social media.

It all went down shortly after TMZ Sports broke the news of Bronny's medical emergency on Tuesday ... with one user referencing Shareef's own heart issues in an awful attempt to poke fun at the situation.

"Bronny started hanging with Shareef and now look," the tweet read. "@SSJreef stay yo ass away from him he’s destined for greatness not overseas 😆"

Shaq's son -- who had open-heart surgery to correct a right anomalous coronary artery in October 2018 -- got wind of the jab ... and he clapped back with a passionate response.

"That is very disrespectful of you to say," Shareef said in a since-deleted tweet. "I’ve been around Bronny for a very long time before this happened ... I’ll pray for you. You need help ... sick that you would even say something like that 🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️#dummy."

The Rock dropped at least a million bucks to help working actors get through the SAG-AFTRA strike -- and if you're one of them ... here's a how-to on reaping the benefits.

ICYMI ... Courtney B. Vance -- who heads up a private, SAG-adjacent foundation, and oversees an emergency fund tied to the union -- fired off a letter this month at the start of the strike ... with the correspondence sent to some of the highest-earning talent in the biz.

It essentially outlined the great need for financial assistance during this precarious time -- namely, for the not-so-famous actors ... who might be out of work for a while now.

In response to that, Dwayne Johnson's people followed up ... saying he wanted to donate 7 figures to back their cause -- something Courtney says proved to be an historic boost, and which will go a long way to keeping striking actors afloat. Again, most of 'em aren't A-list.

It's a super cool move on The Rock's part, obviously -- and for the thousands of actors out there who might need it ... there's an easy way to go and apply for funds, just hit their site.

There are some eligibility requirements one has to meet in order to be considered -- including being paid up on your SAG dues through Oct. 2022, and providing proof that you're in need of emergency financial support, among other things -- but all in all ... it seems simple.

BTW, if other big earners are inclined to donate to the fund ... they can do that here.

One last noteworthy thing about The Rock stepping up in this situation. Fact is, it's kinda fitting considering he's reportedly in line for a massive payday.

Karl-Anthony Towns couldn't keep his lips to himself during a couples vacation with his NBA friends this week ... swappin' spit with Jordyn Woods in a steamy makeout sesh!!

The Minnesota Timberwolves star is getting in some R&R with fellow hoopers Paul George, Ivica Zubac, Patrick Beverley and their significant others in Mykonos ... and they looked happy as hell as they threw on their bathing suits and hit the water.

KAT and Jordyn -- who started dating in 2020 -- weren't shy one bit about their romance in front of the crew ... passionately kissing each other as they all hung out.

KAT and Jordyn weren't the only couple packing on the PDA ... 'cause Pat Bev and his girl, Mandana, were also inseparable during the beach day -- embracing each other as they showed off their fit figures.

As for Paul and his wife, Daniela, they were also looking cute as ever ... with the Clippers forward lifting her up in his arms as they shared a laugh.

The sports world is sending its thoughts and prayers to Bronny James following his cardiac arrest Monday ... with Damar Hamlin and a bevy of others wishing their best for LeBron James' oldest son after his medical emergency.

Hamlin -- who suffered commotio cordis during a game in January -- took to Twitter on Tuesday to offer his support for Bronny and the rest of the James family ... saying he's available if they need anything from him going forward.

"Here for you guys just like you have been for me my entire process," the Buffalo Bills safety said.

NBA stars Trae Young, Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunson also took to Twitter to offer prayers for Bronny.

Magic Johnson, too, released a statement on the scary situation ... saying, "Cookie and I are praying for LeBron and Savannah's son Bronny after hearing he suffered a cardiac arrest. We are praying and hoping he makes a full and speedy recovery."

Metta World Peace added in a tweet of his own, "Prayers for Bronny. What a great kid. Come back stronger young fella. Get better and feel better."

We broke the story ... Bronny was rushed to the hospital after he suffered a cardiac arrest during a workout at USC early Monday morning. Thankfully, however, a rep for the James family said the 18-year-old is now in stable condition and recovering.

Tristan Thompson almost got a front-row seat to a violent street fight over the weekend ... but thankfully for the NBA player, he hightailed out of the area just before the fists started to fly.

The wild scene all went down Saturday night at Papi Steak in Miami ... when the former Lakers center was outside of the restaurant with the hot spot's owner, David Grutman, and a few other men.

It's unclear what exactly was happening on the sidewalk or what Thompson's involvement in it all was ... but check out the video, it seems some of the people at the scene were angry about something -- and when Thompson sensed the apparent tension, he bolted.

"I'm gonna be in the car," he told the group of men as he walked away. "You guys figure it out."

The decision was clearly a good one ... 'cause just a minute later, a man in a blue shirt confronted a restaurant patron as he was leaving the eatery -- and then punches were thrown.

The guys traded blows right on the sidewalk for several seconds -- before the scuffle was all mercifully broken up.

Thompson's ride appeared to stay in the area during the entire fracas -- though it should be noted he was never once involved in any of the action.

It was all part of an eventful weekend in South Florida for Thompson ... who not only attended Lionel Messi's first game for Inter Miami on Friday night, but he also partied with his ex's sister, Kim Kardashian, afterward.

Dennis "D.J." Hernandez -- the older brother of Aaron Hernandez -- has been arrested again ... this time after cops say there was concern he had been planning school shootings at UConn and Brown University.

The disturbing allegations are all spelled out in new Bristol Police Department documents, obtained by TMZ Sports ... where cops say D.J. showed signs this month of being "gravely disabled and a danger to society."

According to the BPD, several people came forward in early July claiming D.J. had been acting erratically ... and sending alarming text messages, including one that allegedly read, "we're taking lives if s*** isn't paid up. It's been years in planning just taking notes, names and locations. They talked their way into this and it's almost point game."

Cops wrote in the docs that they were told by a woman claiming to be D.J.'s ex that instead of using her car to go to his scheduled July 7 Court date ... he actually drove to Brown Univ and UConn and "went into a number of classrooms and buildings." Cops say another person told them they believed D.J. had traveled to the campuses in order to plan school shootings.

Police say additionally, D.J. had posted messages with threatening language on his social media page on July 19 ... including one that they said read, "Will I kill? Absolutely, I've warned my enemies so pay up front."

According to the docs, police showed up at a residence D.J. was at later that day ... and a scary police standoff ensued.

Cops say they tried to get D.J. out of the home ... but he had told them that he was "on foot, armed and that if we approached him, he would kill us all." A short time later, D.J. exited the residence ... but according to cops, he "began advancing towards the police with his hands outstretched to his side."

"He began yelling shoot me," police added, "and disregarded the numerous police commands."

D.J. was then tasered and fell to the ground ... and moments later, cops took him into custody -- before they transported him to a local hospital for evaluation.

While there, police say he continued to make threats at the hospital ... saying he would kill "anyone who profited off of his brother Aaron." Dennis, cops said, "mentioned specifically ESPN, but not any people."

D.J. was ultimately released from the hospital and taken into the Bristol Police Department, where he was booked on charges of threatening and breach of peace. He was held on a $250,000 bond.

He's now due in court for a hearing on the matter next week.

Barack and Michelle Obama's personal chef, who used to cook for them at the White House, is dead ... after drowning in water near the couple's Martha's Vineyard estate.

Tafari Campbell's body was found by divers Monday after going missing Sunday night in water that backs up to the Obama's compound ... this according to police in Massachusetts.

In a statement, Barack and Michelle say Tafari was a beloved part of their family and their hearts break over his death.

The Obamas are remembering Tafari as a talented sous chef who was "creative and passionate about food, and its ability to bring people together" ... and as a "warm, fun, extraordinarily kind person who made all of our lives a little brighter."

Police say they received reports Sunday of a missing paddleboarder, and a search of the waters near the Obama estate ended Monday morning when divers recovered Tafari's body from Edgartown Great Pond.

Cops say Tafari's body was found 100 feet from shore and 8 feet below the surface.

The Obamas were not home at the time of the incident, according to police, and an investigation into Tafari's death is underway.

Tafari is survived by his wife, Sherise, and their twin boys, Zavier and Savin. He was 45.

Steve-O is firing back at Bam Margera after his former 'Jackass' costar said he sucks at skateboarding ... and he's got video with Tony Hawk backing him up.

In a video response to Bam's diss track, Steve-O brushes off Bam's criticism as jealousy and envy, and then hammers his point home with a skateboard mixtape showing off his skills.

TMZ broke the story ... Bam's featured on a new rap song, and in his verse, he takes shots at all of his former 'Jackass' buddies, mostly knocking Steve-O for his skating ability compared to himself and other pro skaters.

Steve-O says the fans buying his autographed skateboard decks are probably making Bam upset... and he's taking serious offense to Bam's claim he can't skate worth a damn.

Ya gotta see Steve-O's compilation vid -- he's doing kickflips, board slides and wall rides and it's Tony Hawk approved!!!

Lionel Messi's clearly looking to make South Florida feel more like home ... the new Inter Miami star was spotted house hunting over the weekend -- scoping out a massive mansion in Fort Lauderdale.

The 36-year-old -- fresh off scoring the game-winning goal in his debut for David Beckham's MLS squad last Friday -- used his day off on Sunday to check out the potential new spot for him and his family.

Messi's wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and all of their tykes joined the footballer on the trek ... looking at a big place that was right along the Intracoastal Waterway.

No word yet if Messi liked it enough to put an offer on it ... but one thing is obvious -- the guy can certainly afford whatever price tag it came with.

As part of his new 2.5-year deal with Inter Miami, he'll reportedly make roughly $5 MILLION per month!

Of course, he's already shown he's worth it ... 'cause he lifted his new squad over Cruz Azul with a free kick in the 94th minute of his first match with the team.