TMZ Sports - Page 44

Forget money, Jake Paul paid his personal barber with something far more special this week -- gifting his go-to guy a brand new Rolex for keeping his hair on point ahead of his big boxing match against Nate Diaz!!

The Problem Child flew in JB Always Fresh -- a famous hair stylist/businessman in his own right -- from Canada to Puerto Rico to get a fresh cut before heading to Dallas for fight week ... and made sure to thank the "best barber in the world" for his service.

"He's a young hustler," Paul said. "I love and respect young hustlers."

In a clip of the gift presentation that Paul posted on his social media page ... you can see the boxer revealed the classic Oyster Perpetual Rolex -- which comes with at least a $5,000 price tag -- and JB refused to believe it, thinking the whole thing was a skit.

"I'm being serious," Paul said. "It's a nice little Rolex. I'm being deadass."

"I'm being for real. It's yours, bro."

JB -- real name Jamiel Bustos -- was emotional over the gesture ... thanking his client for going above and beyond for him.

"Yo, oh my God. You don't know how much this actually really means to me bro," JB said. "I've met over like a thousand millionaires in my whole lifetime, I've met a bunch of other influencers, creators ... dude, this is like some real, genuine stuff."

Conor McGregor was devastated to learn of the passing of musical icon Sinéad O'Connor on Wednesday ... telling TMZ Sports he considered her "an international star and an Irish treasure."

The UFC fighter grew close to the singer throughout his career in the Octagon ... particularly after she sang during his walkout at UFC 189 in Las Vegas.

You'll recall ... during the July 2015 performance, she belted out "The Foggy Dew" -- and many have since considered it one of the best entrances to a UFC fight ever.

In fact, McGregor himself called it "an honor to go out to that" ... adding that it was "go-to-war music."

Following her death this week, McGregor told us in a statement he was absolutely heartbroken.

"The world has lost a beautiful voice and an even more beautiful person," he said. "I am honored to have known her, to have played her music both in and out of the Octagon. God rest Sinéad."

He later added in a tweet, "Ireland has lost an iconic voice and one of our absolute finest, by a long shot."

The Irish Times was first to report the news of O'Connor's passing ... though the circumstances surrounding her death are still unclear.

She was just 56 years old.

Tyreek Hill is finally opening up on the June fishing boat altercation that led to a police investigation into the NFL star ... saying Wednesday it was all a "bonehead mistake."

The Dolphins wideout didn't go into much detail about the incident following Miami's training camp workout -- telling a throng of media members, "I'm not here to get into that. I'm here to play ball." But, he did shed at least some light onto the matter.

He insisted that any civil issues arising from the June 18 tiff have been "resolved" ... while adding that he's cooperating with NFL investigators. He also said of the incident, "I just can't make bonehead mistakes like that" -- before telling one journalist, "I hope everything gets situated."

As we reported ... cops initially launched a probe into Hill after a Miami fishing charter vessel employee alleged the 29-year-old receiver slapped him on the back of the neck after he had told the football player and a group of his apparent acquaintances they could not be on his boat.

Hill and his accuser, according to Adam Schefter, reached a settlement to resolve their differences on Monday ... though prosecutors said Wednesday they're still mulling charges.

As for Roger Goodell and the NFL ... they've yet to suspend Hill -- and when the speedster was asked Wednesday if he thinks a ban could be coming this year, he said, "Nah, man. When I'm able to come here and play ball, man, I get a chance to get away from all that."

The Dolphins are slated to open their preseason schedule against the Falcons on Aug. 11.

Don't expect insults, expletives and antics before Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje get in the Octagon at UFC 291 ... 'cause the Diamond tells TMZ Sports their BMF title fight is nothing personal -- they actually have a lot of love for each other.

Poirier and Gaethje -- the second and third-ranked lightweights in the standings, respectively -- are set to fight each other for the first time since 2018 this weekend ... and both guys had high praise for each other in the days leading up to the showdown in Salt Lake City.

"It's a mutual respect," Poirier said. "Every time he fights, I'm watching. I love watching his style. You earn a different style of respect for someone after spending 20 minutes bleeding in an Octagon with him. Even though it was five years ago, I still remember it. And I'm excited to do it again."

DP says his opponent has gotten better and changed his game since their first meeting ... and now, he's expecting an entirely different fighter.

As for pre-event shenanigans, Diamond says that's entirely unnecessary ... 'cause any MMA fan knows what to expect Saturday night -- and he's going to put on a show en route to securing the belt.

Gaethje is equally pumped for the matchup ... and he told us adding the BMF title to his collection will be big for his legacy.

Ice Cube has a serious bone to pick with the NBA and Adam Silver ... saying the league talks a good game about equality, but when it comes to supporting a black-owned company --like Cube's BIG3 -- they've completely dropped the ball.

The rap legend and 3-on-3 league founder teed off on the commish while he was on Tucker Carlson's Twitter show ... calling out Silver for making it seem like the league is at the forefront of change -- when, in his opinion, it's not doing much at all.

He said, "The NBA is full of great slogans and they write 'Black Lives Matter' on the court and they do all those things, but pretty full of s*** when the rubber meets the road."

Cube believes promoting the BIG3 would be a layup for the Association to show they're really about the cause ... but instead, their grand gestures have resulted in no real action.

"I'm just saying it's easy for them to put that on the court. It takes a little more effort to really care to work with a league like the BIG3. You really gotta want to make a difference."

Cube has been in an ongoing feud with Silver ... claiming there are several NBA team owners who want to get involved in the BIG3, but the league won't let them.

He's even openly said "I don’t give a f**k about working with the NBA" ... but wants the league to quit trying to keep his organization from growing.

A field invader during the Wrexham vs. Manchester United game found out very quickly he should've just stayed in his seat ... because moments after he stormed the pitch -- he was decked by security.

The man's wild run during the much-anticipated exhibition soccer game all went down on Tuesday night in San Diego at Snapdragon Stadium.

In the second half of the tilt ... the fan, for some reason, hopped over a stadium wall, stripped off his shirt -- and took a joyride through the players on the field.

Video shot from fans inside the venue shows the man was able to avoid guards for a while ... but once they caught up to him, they plowed him into the turf.

Somehow -- despite the brutal blow -- the guy was able to get up ... though he was eventually led off the field in cuffs.

Bronny James is doing well enough after his health scare that his parents are "relieved," sources with knowledge tell TMZ Sports.

LeBron and wife Savannah put everything on hold Monday after Bronny suffered cardiac arrest while practicing at USC.

TMZ broke the story ... Bronny, who was unconscious, was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and taken to the ICU.

We're told Bronny is doing much better ... well enough that his parents are calmer. Not to say, of course, they're not anxious to know what caused Bronny's heart to stop, but they seem to have gotten enough reassurance from his doctors to tamp down the fear. One word used to describe them -- "optimistic."

One sign that must have reassured LeBron and Savannah -- Bronny was only in ICU for a short time.

LeBron and Savannah have yet to say anything publicly about Bronny's situation ... but his brother, Bryce, posted a pic with Bronny Tuesday and a heart emoji.

Travis Kelce basically lives in the end zone, but he couldn't score with Taylor Swift ... 'cause the Super Bowl champ says he failed to give the pop superstar his phone number at her recent concert.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end detailed his master plan to shoot his shot during Taylor's Eras tour stop at Arrowhead Stadium on his "New Heights" podcast this week ... saying he made friendship bracelets with his phone number on them in hopes of giving one to the recently single singer.

Kelce explained he was bummed to find out Swift doesn't meet with anyone prior to taking the stage in an effort to preserve her voice ... so baby, now they've got bad blood.

"I was disappointed that she doesn't talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings, so I was a little butthurt I didn't get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her," Kelce told his brother, Jason.

"She doesn't meet anybody -- or at least she didn't want to meet me, so I took it personal."

Jason joked the rejection had to be because Swift is a big Eagles fan and probably not over the Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs ... but Travis -- who called things off with Kayla Nicole in 2022 -- is taking it all in stride, saying it was a great time nonetheless.

Lionel Messi Mania is in full effect down in South Florida -- the soccer superstar scored two more goals for his new Inter Miami team on Tuesday night ... and a ton of celebs were there to celebrate.

The former Barcelona star suited up for the MLS squad for the second time in less than a week ... and he dazzled once again.

Coming off a game in which he netted the match-winner ... Messi poured two more balls into the net in just 78 minutes -- lifting his team to a 4-0 win over Atlanta United.

As it was last Friday night in his debut, celebs flocked to DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale to get a glimpse of the soccer G.O.A.T.

DJ Khaled, P Diddy and Camila Cabello were all there ... and Inter Miami owner David Beckham and his wife Victoria Beckham rolled out the red carpet for them.

The A-listers sat in front-row seats ... and, at one point, DJ Khaled's son even got in on the action, helping escort Messi onto the field before play officially began.

Khaled was pumped over it all afterward ... thanking Beckham for the experience in an IG post.

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.