TMZ Sports - Page 16

Working out at 5 AM sounds like torture, but Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams tells TMZ Sports he's actually loving his early sweat sessions with DeMar DeRozan ... praising his teammate for being a great mentor!!

The 14-year vet has enlisted his younger teammates to join him in the gym before the crack of dawn this offseason ... with the 2020 fourth-overall pick being one of those guys.

We caught up with Williams in L.A. this week ... and he said the workouts are going "real well," and he's improving all aspects of his game.

The former Florida State star praised DeRozan as a player and a mentor ... saying, "[There aren't] a lot of guys like him, for sure."

"He doesn't get half of the credit he deserves."

As for his expectations for the upcoming season, Williams has only one thing on his mind.

"Win. That's always the goal. That's the main focus coming in. Obviously, everybody kind of has their personal accolades of what they wanna see but winning takes care of everything. That's always been mine."

Stephen A. Smith deleted a tweet where he rhetorically asked if Kim Kardashian/Kris Jenner were involved in turning tricks -- despite talking about exactly that in his latest podcast.

Here's the deal ... SAS went live Friday night with the latest episode of "The Stephen A. Smith Show" -- where the ESPN personality talks about a number of issues, unrelated to sports. In the one from last night ... he decided to bring up Kim and Kris as a topic.

Specifically, he discussed a clip from back in September -- in which Candace Owens was digging into Ray J's claims that Kris brokered the infamous sex tape between him and Km.

You'll recall ... he went into all the alleged nitty-gritty about what he claims went down way back then -- saying Kris was fully privy to what they were doing, and claiming she essentially orchestrated it all behind the scenes. Ditto for Kim, he says ... alleging she was in on it too.

At the time, Candace talked about that on her own show (again, back in September) ... and she floated the blunt allegation that, in her view, Kris had operated as a "pimp" in that instance. She also called Kim a "prostitute" in that clip ... and now, for some, reason Stephen thought it'd be a good time to weigh in on this himself. Objectively, it's old news.

He got into a little bit of trouble, though ... because, in teasing this episode, he tweeted ... "Is Kim Kardashian a 'prostitute'? Is Kris Jenner a 'pimp'?" He followed that tweet up with yet another, trying to add context, in which he explained that's what Candace Owens thinks.

Unfortunately, the damage was done ... because none other than Patrick Beverly came to Kim's defense -- saying she's a mother, and that SAS shouldn't talk about her like that.

Stephen replied, saying Pat was right ... and attributing his tweet to a "clerical error." He deleted the tweet -- but the actual clip of him talking about this exact topic is still up on YouTube ... and guess what ... the dude appears to somewhat agree with Candace, assuming what Ray J says is, in fact, true ... as he clarifies in his breakdown of her argument.

His sister, who was on as a guest, also kind of agreed on that front. She said if the claims against Kris were true ... she can see where Candace was coming from. She does defend Kim though. All in all ... it's not a great look. Not only do they entertain the topic, but they seem to support Candace's take.

11:12 AM PT -- LeBron just posted a video of Bronny playing the piano, seemingly further confirming that his boy is doing alright.

LBJ wrote, "GRAND RISING!! God Is Great! @bronny YOU ARE AMAZING!!! Simple as that! Keep going Young 🤴🏾!!! We’re here right with you every step of the way!"

LeBron James took the whole fam out for dinner in L.A. Friday night ... and his son, Bronny, was right there by his side looking better than ever.

The Lakers legend was spotted heading inside Giorgio Baldi restaurant in Santa Monica with his wife, Savannah, and his kids Bryce, Zhuri and, of course, Bronny, who was the main attraction after his medical scare this week.

Check out these photos, obtained by TMZ, which show LeBron arm in arm with Bronny, who appears strong and alert.

This is great news after what happened Monday when 18-year-old Bronny went into cardiac arrest while working out at the University of Southern California's Galen Center.

TMZ broke the story ... and the 911 audio revealed just how frightening and chaotic the incident was for Bronny, who initially fell unconscious, but was awake by the time paramedics transported him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for treatment.

Bronny, who signed on to play for USC's basketball team in the spring, felt well enough to be released from the hospital Thursday.

LeBron has said Bronny is doing well, although doctors are still trying to determine what caused the teen's health issue.

Jimmie Johnson is speaking publicly for the first time about the apparent murder-suicide that claimed the lives of three family members.

The NASCAR driver posted a statement on Instagram Friday, saying he's devastated by the loss of his 11-year-old nephew Dalton and his wife Chandra's parents, Jack and Terry Lynn Janway. Jimmie also thanked well-wishers for their outpouring of love and support during his time of grief.

What's interesting is that Jimmie made a point of mentioning Terry in his heartfelt message, showing compassion for his in-law despite police naming her as the suspect in the fatal shootings of Dalton and Jack before turning the gun on herself.

As we reported ... police responded to the family's Oklahoma home in June after receiving a 911 call from a woman who said she saw someone with a gun.

Cops found one person sprawled out dead in the hallway near the front door moments before a gunshot was heard elsewhere inside the house, where two more bodies were later discovered.

Johnson -- a 7-time NASCAR Cup champion -- tied the knot with Chandra in 2004 and they have two daughters together, Genevieve and Lydia.

Mike Tyson might not know who will win the Errol Spence vs. Terence Crawford fight, but he is sure of one thing ... it's definitely ending in a knockout.

TMZ Sports got Iron Mike's prediction on the massive match just before the two star boxers officially square off Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas ... and he seemed to kind of like Bud to win it.

Then again, he wasn't super confident about it all ... telling us a recent talk he had with Spence was changing his mind a bit.

He did, however, have one guarantee about the tilt ... and that's that it ain't going all 12 rounds.

"After seeing them both fight, I know it's not going to last," the boxing legend said. "I think it's going to end in a knockout."

If the Clippers acquire James Harden in a deal with the Sixers this year ... Baron Davis tells TMZ Sports he thinks it could lead to a title for Los Angeles at the end of the season.

"I think that'd be dope!" the former NBA star said.

Davis seemed super fired up about the possibility for his former team while hosting a party to celebrate his SailGP team investment earlier this month ... telling us a guy like Harden is exactly what L.A. needs.

He explained ... Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and the rest of Clips move at such a frenetic pace most of the time that adding a guy like Harden could help change things up for the better.

"The Clippers need another playmaker," he said. "Somebody that can get fouled and slow the game down."

As for if the trade could actually happen ... it does seem like a very real possibility. After all, Harden's reportedly been upset with the Sixers' brass -- and seems to want out badly.

Kayla Harrison is still itching for a fight with Amanda Nunes ... telling TMZ Sports if the UFC's G.O.A.T. ever comes out of retirement, she wants to throw hands with her badly!!!

But, don't get it twisted ... there's absolutely no bad blood on Harrison's end toward Nunes -- she just wants the scrap to prove that she can beat the best ever.

"She is the greatest of all time," Harrison said of The Lioness. "She was the woman. And I wanted to be the woman. And, to me, that's like the greatest compliment I can give someone. I value what you have so much and who you are so much that I'm like chasing you."

Problem for Harrison is ... it doesn't seem like Nunes has any intention of getting back in the octagon ever again.

You'll recall ... the 35-year-old officially called it a career after she beat Irene Aldana at UFC 289 last month -- and she seemed dead serious about the decision, saying it was "the perfect night to retire."

Harrison tells us it all bummed her out -- even though she was ultimately happy for her former training partner.

"She's done everything she's wanted to do," Harrison said. "She's got a beautiful family, she's living the dream."

Errol Spence and Terence Crawford ain't the only boxers fighting in Las Vegas ... Caleb Plant and Jermall Charlo got into it on Friday as well -- and the altercation between the two stars was wild.

You can see in video shot at T-Mobile Arena ... Plant and Charlo were backstage at the Crawford vs. Spence weigh-ins, when Plant charged at Charlo and slapped him right in the face.

Plant's hand connected so flush with Charlo's cheek, it actually made a loud sound that forced a gasp out of at least one bystander.

The two seemed to want to escalate things further ... but, thankfully, a security guard ushered Plant away from the scene -- which calmed everyone down.

It's unclear why Plant hit Charlo, but after the squabble was broken up, Caleb yelled, "Don’t you ever grab me by my motherf****in' face again like that, boy."

The two have had beef for a while ... with Plant calling out Charlo prior to his fight against David Benavidez in March.

At the time, he said he wanted Jermall if he couldn't see Canelo Alvarez next. Coincidentally, Canelo is next slated to fight Jermall's twin brother, Jermell, in September.

Ray Lewis III -- the son of NFL legend Ray Lewis -- died from a lethal mix of drugs ... according to an autopsy report obtained by TMZ Sports.

In the medical examiner's documents, officials say fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine intoxication was what led to the former football player's son's passing.

They ruled the manner of death as accidental.

According to the toxicology report, Lewis III additionally had alcohol and alprazolam -- the drug found in brands like Xanax -- in his system at the time of his death.

We broke the story ... cops say after responding to a call for a medical emergency at a residence in Florida back on June 14 -- they discovered an unresponsive Lewis III.

They said at the time a friend had been screaming for Narcan (a drug used during overdoses) ... and when they eventually administered it in his right nostril, there was no response. Lewis III was later pronounced deceased.

He was just 28 years old.

Ray Lewis remembered his son fondly at the funeral days later, saying in an emotional speech, "We will see you again."

Whatever Adrien Broner did in Las Vegas, he's in DEEP trouble with his girlfriend now ... 'cause he's sharing his most sincere apologies with TMZ Sports -- saying, "None of these bitches got nothin' on you."

We caught up with AB following Thursday's press conference for the Errol Spence and Terence Crawford fight ... and while he's hyped up for the epic showdown, there was something else eating him up inside.

"I got into it with my girl," he told us before issuing a direct mea culpa to his lady. "I wanna say Trea'Jure, I love you, I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. I love you."

We did some digging on the drama ... and it seems like AB might be referring to an interview he did earlier in the day, when he repeatedly asked a female reporter for her number.

Trea'Jure appeared to respond on Instagram ... saying, "Lmao [I don't care] about that damn interview! Adrien is single ok. That's what he's supposed to do tf"

"I hope he gets plenty numbers I'm rooting for him."

The whole "single" thing might be news to AB ... 'cause in his apology, he made sure Trea'Jure knew he was a faithful, one-woman man.

"None of these bitches got nothin' on you," AB said. "I'ma just be out here jackin' my d***."

Vince McMahon underwent major surgery last week to fix an issue with his spine, TMZ Sports has learned.

Sources close to the WWE honcho tell us the procedure lasted over four hours. It was, however, deemed a success ... and the 77-year-old is now recovering.

No word yet on what it will all mean for his future in the ring ... though McMahon's action in the squared circle has waned since his memorable appearance at Wrestlemania 38.

Regardless, it's been a year full of ups and downs for McMahon ... he retired as WWE CEO last July amid allegations of misconduct -- only to come back in January.

Months later, in April, McMahon helped spearhead a merger between the WWE and the UFC ... forming a $21 billion company.

Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan are counting their blessings today ... 'cause the couple says they were at the scene of a terrifying officer-involved shooting Thursday evening.

The incident went down at around 5:30 PM in a popular shopping area in Miami ... after a man had allegedly taken two people hostage inside a Victoria's Secret and threatened to stab them with a knife.

According to police, in an attempt to de-escalate the situation ... an officer opened fire on the man and struck him.

Larsa said in an Instagram post following the shooting that she was just feet away from it all ... and it was "scary AF."

"So thankful for the Miami Beach Police Department," she said, "everyone was running and screaming."

In footage from the scene that Pippen shared, you can see people were panicked ... as officers tried to clear out the area.

A spokesperson for the Miami Beach Police Dept. says the suspect was taken to the hospital following the shooting ... though he was later pronounced dead there.

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.