TMZ Sports - Page 5

LeBron James has earned his spot in the rafters at Crypto.com Arena ... so says Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, who just revealed the team will retire his jersey after the future Hall of Famer's career is over.

Buss explained the decision in an interview with Sportskeeda ... saying, "The standard for having your jersey retired as a Laker is when a player is inducted into the Hall of Fame. I have absolutely no doubt that LeBron will make it into the Basketball Hall of Fame."

"When he does so, then we will retire his jersey. Knowing that he will make it into the Basketball Hall of Fame, he will have his Lakers jersey retired, no doubt about it."

Jeanie's confirmation means King James' number will hang among some of the greatest NBA players ever ... including Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor, Shaquille O'Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson.

But there's one big question -- which number will it be, or will he get the same treatment as Kobe, who has both Nos. 8 and 24 in the rafters??

"That would be a discussion for another time," Buss added.

It's a big honor for Bron ... but it also plays into the debate over whether James will get a statue in L.A. as well.

Remember, TMZ Sports recently spoke with Lakers legend James Worthy, who said he could see it happening ... depending on how the rest of his career plays out, and if he'll finish it in Purple and Gold.

Dennis "D.J." Hernandez -- the older brother of Aaron Hernandez -- repeatedly asked cops to shoot him before he was arrested earlier this month ... new police video shows.

In the footage -- which was captured on Bristol Police Department body cameras on July 19 -- you can see D.J. left a residence with his arms in the air ... and urged cops who had surrounded him to fire on him.

More than four times, he told them "shoot me" ... and at one point, as he continued to walk toward the officers with what appeared to be a water bottle in one of his hands, he shouted, "I'm not armed, but shoot me."

Cops ultimately did not shoot D.J. ... though they did tase the 37-year-old former Division I football player.

As he was on the ground, D.J. told cops who were putting him in handcuffs, "No one listens. I don't do this s***" ... before he added, "I need your help."

Cops then assured them they were there to provide him that assistance ... before they took him away from the scene.

According to police documents, cops had initially come to D.J.'s residence after several people had told them he had been acting erratically and sending threatening messages. Cops also said they were told those close to D.J. had feared he had been planning school shootings at UConn and Brown Univ.

D.J. was ultimately booked on charges of threatening and breach of peace following his arrest ... and he's currently still in jail, being held on a $250,000 bond.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson just made UFC fighter Themba Gorimbo's dream come true -- surprising the welterweight at the gym in an incredibly emotional video.

Remember, Gorimbo said he only had 7 bucks in his account before UFC Fight Night in Vegas last month ... a similar story to The Rock, who was also scrambling for cash at the beginning of his career.

The movie superstar got wind of Gorimbo's story and reached out to him on social media at the time ... saying he was so moved by his journey, he wanted to meet in person.

That day finally came on Thursday ... with the two linking up for the very first time -- and Gorimbo could barely keep it together as he saw his hero in the flesh.

Gorimbo -- who was doing a staged interview -- turned around, bolted up and hugged Johnson ... choking up as he realized what was happening.

"We’ve never met but I had to fly to Miami to look this man @thembagorimbo_mma in the eyes, hug him and shake his hand," The Rock said of the interaction.

"I’ve been moved & motivated by his story ❤️"

Gorimbo also spoke about the special meeting ... saying, "I am very grateful to have finally met @therock today after he saw about my $7 bucks situation."

"Big man with a big heart and he has changed my life completely today and I shall forever be grateful. I didn’t know how to thank him because words aren’t enough."

San Antonio Spurs point guard Devonte' Graham was sentenced to probation in his DWI case on Thursday, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to court documents, the 28-year-old hooper -- who pled guilty last month to a misdemeanor charge of driving while impaired stemming from his July 2022 arrest -- received a 21-day jail sentence ... but it was suspended, and Graham was placed on unsupervised probation for 12 months instead.

Per the docs, Graham was also required to pay $393 in fines and fees as part of his sentencing as well.

Graham was initially hit with the DWI charge following his arrest on July 7, 2022. At the time, authorities said they placed the NBA player in custody after they alleged he had been doing 63 MPH in a 40 MPH zone while intoxicated at around 3 AM in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Graham had been a member of the New Orleans Pelicans at the time of the arrest ... though the former second-round pick was sent to the Spurs a few months later in a trade for Josh Richardson.

Boxing star Jermell Charlo is REALLY confident his guy Errol Spence Jr. will handle business and remain undefeated on Saturday ... telling TMZ Sports he's putting a $25,000 bet on The Big Fish to beat Terence Crawford.

After years of back and forth, Spence and Crawford are FINALLY slated to throw hands in the ring at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday ... and it's clear Charlo -- who trains at the same gym as Errol -- has no doubt in his mind who will have their hand raised at the end of the epic matchup.

In fact, we asked Jermell if he's trying to make some money off the fight in case he's right ... and he told us, "Absolutely!!"

"A solid $25,000. That's my guy, I really don't like to go too crazy on betting and stuff, but $25,000 and have fun, you know what I'm saying? Enjoy my night in Vegas and get back home to my family and kids and keep training. I'm on my grind."

We also spoke with former boxer Shawn Porter -- who fought both Bud AND Errol during his career ... and he weighed in on what he's calling "The Super Bowl of Boxing."

"Errol has magnificent technique and Terence is extremely precise -- you're talking about elite versus elite," he told us in Vegas. "Whichever one get there first."

Baron's getting into boating!!!

Ex-NBA star Baron Davis has officially invested in a new team in the sailboat racing league SailGP ... and he's fired up over it all, telling TMZ Sports the action is like "Formula 1 on water."

Davis' new squad promises to be unique -- it'll actually be one he'll share with a bunch of other fans, who can buy into the franchise just like the former Golden State Warriors point guard.

According to SailGP, Davis -- along with the other fans who invest -- will have a say in the team's day-to-day operations, hirings and firings ... and even what the team's name will be.

The new squad will debut in 2024 -- and when we got Davis out in Beverly Hills earlier this month ... it wasn't hard to see he's stoked for it, telling us he actually knew he wanted to get into it all after watching a race in St. Tropez last year.

"For me," the 44-year-old said, "it was just like, I was fascinated by it. I got a chance to, like, follow the boats. So it was a cool experience."

In addition, Davis said he sees an opportunity for big growth in the league.

The fact Bronny James is home recovering tonight has everything to do with the absolute urgency with which someone called for help when he suffered a cardiac arrest, and the 911 call reveals the gravity of the moment.

TMZ Sports obtained the call, made by someone at USC's Galen Center at 9:26 AM Monday ... and the caller got right to the point by saying, "Get an ambulance here now!"

As we first reported, LeBron James' son was in the middle of a basketball workout at the arena when he collapsed ... and it's clear the caller understood time was of the essence. After he demanded an ambulance, the 911 operator asks if there's a doctor or registered nurse on the scene to aid with CPR, and the caller says no.

The operator reassured the caller that paramedics were already on the way. We know 18-year-old Bronny was unconscious when the call went out for help.

However, doctors at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was taken, have said he was alert by the time he reached the hospital -- a credit to the paramedics who worked on him at the Galen Center and in the ambulance.

On Thursday, doctors discharged Bronny from the hospital, and, according to LeBron ... his son is doing well, although doctors are still trying to determine what triggered the cardiac arrest.

One thing we all learned in the wake of Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin's on-field cardiac arrest ... time makes all the difference in these types of crises, and it seems everyone around Bronny understood that mission when he went down.

Errol Spence and Terence Crawford have a lot more than their undefeated records and four shiny belts on the line in Vegas Saturday night ... both superstars agree, the winner is the best boxer of this generation!

TMZ Sports is on the ground in Sin City ... and we talked to both fighters just days before the biggest clash of their professional lives.

"I can't wait to show everybody why I am not the best 147-pounder in the world, but the best fighter, period," 33-year-old Spence said.

If you're a boxing fan you can hardly wait. It's the scrap you've wanted for years, but believed would never actually happen -- two undefeated greats, champions -- battling in front of the world ... 28-0 (22 KO) Spence vs. 39-0 (30 KO) Crawford.

But, it is going down ... and it's only a day away.

"It took a while for me and Terence to happen, but it's happening at a great moment right now," Spence told us.

"We're fighting for all the marbles. He's undefeated, I'm undefeated. I think it's gonna be a great fight, a great showing, and we're definitely gonna give the people their money's worth on Showtime Pay-Per-View."

Crawford also believes the winner will rightfully lay claim to being called the best active boxer alive.

"I wouldn't say the greatest fighter of all-time, I would just say the greatest fighter of this era," Bud told us.

As for the motivation to take such a risky fight ... both men acknowledge they're going home with a big ol' check, but it's not all about the money. Not even close.

"I'm more motivated about beating him because it's a huge rivalry between us. Everybody always attaches our two names together for probably about 6 or 7 years now," Errol told us.

"It's more of a competition factor more than anything. I want to defeat him. I find gratification in defeating him more than anything else."

Despite being at the center of the storm, the magnitude of the fight isn't lost on Terence, either.

"I definitely believe [it's the biggest fight in a long time]. This is the fight that everybody been wanting. You have the two of the greatest fighters of this era going head to head with each other, and it's gonna be a great night of boxing Saturday night."

As if the main event wasn't enough, the card also features several other kickass fights, including the great Nonito Donaire -- a future Hall of Famer -- taking on Mexican contender Alexandro Santiago for the WBC Bantamweight World Championship. Isaac Cruz is also fighting undefeated Giovanni Cabrera.

Terence "Bud" Crawford just lost his cool on an Errol Spence supporter ... repeatedly calling the man a "bitch" and a "ho."

The fiery scene played out toward the end of the boxers' prefight press conference Thursday afternoon in Las Vegas ... when someone who appeared to be in Spence's camp began chirpin' at Crawford from their front row seat.

It's unclear exactly what the agitator said ... but it ticked off Crawford, who paused everything on the stage to fire off insults at the man.

"You a bitch, n****!" Crawford said. "F*** you talkin' to?! You a bitch, n****, 'cause you keep talkin' like a bitch n****! You doin' all that talkin'!"

The 39-0 fighter kept the verbal jabs flying for several more seconds ... before, mercifully, it ended.

As for Spence ... he seemed to be amused by the situation, even joking with the guys if they were done so he could continue talking.

The entire event was filled with tension ... as the two fighters' trainers even got into a verbal spat while at the podium.

Hecklers in the audience, meanwhile, could be heard yelling at the boxers throughout it all as well.

This is probably the most trash talking we've seen from both sides since the two agreed to fight ... and it's something boxing fans have been waiting for.

Deion Sanders' son, Shilo, will head into his first season at Colorado looking as fly as ever ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned he just copped a sweet new chain -- that features 28 carats of diamonds!!

Primetime's kid -- who transferred from Jackson State to Boulder after his dad made the same move earlier this year -- got the bling from Saki Diamonds ... and the drip has an awesome story behind it.

Shilo considers himself a force on the field -- and when he makes tackles, he says it leaves his opponents with headaches.

So, naturally, when Saki Diamonds went to make Shilo some custom jewelry -- he ended up icing out a "Headache" pendant for the Buffs cornerback ... and it came out awesome.

In addition to the 28 carats of VVS diamonds, it also comes with a 19-inch style ball and link chain ... and while it's unclear what Shilo paid for it, we're told a similar piece would run a normie over $30,000!!

Shilo joins Colorado after a great two seasons with JSU ... where he recorded five interceptions in addition to being named second-team All-SWAC in 2021. Shilo also played two seasons with the South Carolina Gamecocks before his time in Jackson.

By the way, he won't be the only young Sanders iced out heading into CU's season opener next month ... Saki also created a sweet 28-carat diamond chain for Shedeur last year.

Great news ... Bronny James has been discharged from the hospital -- and he's now back home resting comfortably.

Cedars-Sinai Medical Group doctor Merije Chukumerije announced the positive update in a statement just minutes ago ... revealing LeBron's oldest son has shown very encouraging signs of recovery the past few days after suffering sudden cardiac arrest during a workout at USC on Monday.

"Although his workup will be ongoing," said Chukumerije -- a team physician/consultant for the NBA, NHL and MLS, "we are hopeful for his continued progress and are encouraged by his response, resilience, and his family and community support."

The doctor added in his statement that despite Bronny's scary collapse ... he arrived at Cedars-Sinai "fully conscious, neurologically intact and stable." He called the overall treatment for the cardiac arrest successful.

As for Bronny's dad, LeBron said in a statement of his own on Thursday morning he, his son, and the rest of his family are "doing great."

Lando Norris is issuing a mea culpa after accidentally destroying Max Verstappen's Hungarian Grand Prix trophy last weekend ... vowing to be more cautious with his celebrations moving forward.

The 23-year-old McLaren driver -- who finished second in Sunday's race -- went viral when he knocked the reigning champ's new hardware off a platform after slamming down his champagne bottle during their podium party.

Lando initially cracked jokes about the whole mishap ... saying Max should've been more careful with his prize.

But the young star has since had a change of heart ... owning up to his mistake in an interview ahead of this weekend's Belgian GP.

"I obviously had no intention in ever doing such a thing," Lando said Thursday. "I know how much it means to the Hungarians and part of their culture and so forth ... and I did apologize to Max."

Lando acknowledged he probably shouldn't have made funny comments after the incident ... admitting he'd be annoyed if it happened to his trophy.

"I do apologize for it and obviously to the people who put the time and effort into making it, I really didn't mean for it to happen. I'll make sure I'm a lot more careful next time."

Saquon Barkley might've just saved a teenager's relationship with his ex-girlfriend ... all by putting his John Hancock on a poster.

For real.

Here's the deal ... Kareem Reyad went out to New York Giants practice Thursday at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in New Jersey to urge the 26-year-old running back to help him get his girl back after the two had split late last year.

Wearing a No. 26 Barkley jersey, Reyad wrote on a sign, "Saquon my ex will take me back if you sign this" ... and he flashed it throughout the NYG workout.

Turns out, Saquon noticed it ... and following the practice -- he actually helped Reyad out!!

Barkley autographed it ... and then posed for a photo with the guy -- and get this, Reyad told TMZ Sports afterward he thinks it all might work out now!!

The Rutgers University student says ... he and his GF initially broke up in September due to college -- but she's always been a huge Saquon fan, and he has a feeling the two-time Pro Bowler's autograph might be enough to bring them back together.

The 19-year-old said he's going to drop the sign off at her house soon ... with the hopes that it all works out.

"I have nothing but love for this girl," he said.

LeBron James is breaking his silence on Bronny's medical scare ... assuring fans his family is "safe and healthy," and sharing his appreciation for all the support over the past few days.

"I want to thank the countless people sending my family love and prayers," the Lakers superstar tweeted on Thursday morning. "We feel you and I'm so grateful. Everyone doing great. We have our family together, safe and healthy, and we feel your love."

"Will have more to say when we’re ready," James added, "but I wanted to tell everyone how much your support has meant to all of us! #JamesGang👑"

Bronny initially suffered cardiac arrest on Monday ... while he was working out at USC. He was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center -- but, thankfully, he's been making steady progress ever since.

It's unclear what caused the issue and when Bronny will be able to return home -- but when he does eventually get out ... several people who have suffered similar medical emergencies have already said they'll be there for him if he needs them.

LeBron's former teammate, Ronny Turiaf -- who needed open-heart surgery in 2005 -- said he'd be "always available" to talk.

Shareef O'Neal, meanwhile, said he too would be down to chat with Bronny -- revealing Thursday he's already reached out to his good friend.

Joe Thomas has gone from playing in front of the Dawg Pound to getting bitten by them -- the Cleveland Browns legend was viciously attacked by canines in a crazy demonstration at a military base!!

The 2023 Hall of Fame inductee and fellow ex-NFL star Whitney Mercilus hit up the Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio in partnership with USAA ... where they got a full VIP meet and greet with the four-legged military sidekicks that are trained to locate explosives, narcotics, and personnel.

Thomas and Mercilus found out firsthand just how talented these doggos are ... 'cause they threw on some bite suits and agreed to run a 40-yard dash while being chased down by the animals.

Tech. Sergeant Hendrix warned Thomas and Mercilus before the demo ... "They are trained to bite and hold until we tell them to let go."

Despite the head's up, Thomas and Mercilus were ready to go against the dog with the strongest bite out of the bunch ... and let's just say they were doomed from the start.

The video is unreal -- Thomas barely made it a few strides before the dog launched into his back, clinging on for dear life before bringing the former offensive tackle to a complete stop.

"My heart rate was as high as I can remember, probably since I was playing football," Thomas said.

Both Thomas and Mercilus ended up being dragged to the ground by the military dog during the drill ... and thankfully, they made it out alive.

Bullfighting star Andrés Roca Rey -- aka the "Messi of Matadors" -- suffered gruesome injuries during a show in Spain on Tuesday ... after he was terrifyingly gored by a 1,100-pound beast.

The horrifying incident happened at the Santiago de Santander Fair ... when Roca Rey was attempting to lure a bull through his cape.

The matador stared down the animal for several seconds ... but when it finally charged -- it ended up catching Roca Rey right in the thigh. It then took him for a scary ride.

The bull tosses Andrés in the air ... before ramming him into the stadium's boards. The bull then appears to stick its horns in the man -- before turning its attention to other matadors who had jumped in to help.

Roca Rey's teammate, Cayetano Rivera Ordoñez, jumped in the ring and managed to divert the bull's attention away from Roca Rey but was then gored by the bull as well suffering a fractured rib.

Reportedly, Roca Rey was taken to the hospital with wounds to his knee -- and bruises on his neck, face, and legs.

Fortunately for the fighter, however, he avoided life-threatening wounds ... and took to Instagram just hours later to thank his teammate and fellow matador Cayetano Rivera Ordoñez who jumped in to save him and was attacked and gored by the bull as well, suffering a fractured right rib.