TMZ Sports - Page 8

If Dwight Howard never plays another minute in the NBA, he won't have to worry about being unemployed (forget the $250 mil he made hooping) ... the NBA star and minister officiated a wedding in Spain last week!

The wedding was for London Wilmot, athlete and celebrity stylist, and fiancé, Pure, a model ... and you can't help but notice the 6'10" center standing at the altar as the officiant.

Howard, who received his ministry credentials last year, shared footage and photos of the lovely ceremony on Instagram ... revealing this isn't the first time he's married a couple.

"Took a trip out to Spain to officiate another wedding," the 37-year-old said on Wednesday.

"Man, it's no feeling better than seeing two people come together and unite in love."

From the look upon Wilmot and Pure's faces, they were thrilled to have the NBA champ as their minister.

The 17-year NBA vet has been keepin' himself busy since his last stint with the Lakers in 2021. He's been with the Taiwanese men's pro basketball league and was named an All-Star, All-Defensive First Team, and was awarded the Most Valuable Import of the T1 League for the 2022-23 season.

He also attended a WWE try-out last year ... channeling Sho'nuff from "The Last Dragon" movie, and did a damn good job.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards will be writing a hefty check to the NBA -- the All-Star guard was just hit with a $50,000 fine as a result of his postgame chair-swinging outburst last season.

Remember, Edwards picked up a chair and moved it in frustration as he ran toward the tunnel after the Denver Nuggets eliminated the Wolves from the playoffs back on April 25 ... with two female Ball Arena workers claiming they were hit by the seat, suffering undisclosed injuries.

The 22-year-old hooper was cited for assault the day after the incident ... charges his attorney slammed as "baseless" at the time.

The league announced Wednesday those charges were dismissed last month ... and with the criminal investigation closed, it was now free to hand down punishment on the 2020 first-overall pick.

The fine is pretty significant ... but it's not the first time he's had to cough up some big dough to the Association -- back in 2022, he was fined $40K for making a homophobic comment on social media.

Luckily for Edwards, he's reportedly made around $30.7 million through three seasons in the NBA alone.

Former NFL star Henry Ruggs has been sentenced to 3-to-10 years in prison over the 2021 car crash that resulted in the death of 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog.

The ex-Raiders wide receiver learned his fate just minutes ago inside a packed Las Vegas courtroom.

Ruggs, 24, showed up to the Wednesday morning proceedings in a navy suit and tie ... and issued an apology to Tintor's family right at the outset of the hearing.

"To the parents and family of Ms. Tintor, I sincerely apologize for the pain and suffering my actions the morning of Nov. 2, 2021 have caused you, your family and those who knew Ms. Tina and Max," he said.

"I let my family, my teammates and those who believed in me down with my actions and hurt so many."

He added that there was "no excuse" for his actions.

A statement from Tintor's family was also read inside the courtroom ... before the judge made her ruling. Ruggs was then immediately remanded into custody.

Ruggs was initially facing more than 50 years behind bars in the case after authorities accused him of drunkenly slamming his Corvette into the back of Tintor's Rav-4 in Vegas ... killing her and her golden retriever.

But, the former football player reached a deal with prosecutors back in May, agreeing to plead guilty to one felony count of DUI resulting in death and one misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter in exchange for a prison sentence that would not exceed 3-to-10 years.

Ruggs, who will now be eligible for parole following his third year in prison, was picked by the Raiders in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft ... and had started 19 games in his two seasons with the team. The org. released him following the accident.

Jamie Foxx is in the fast lane to recovery after his months-long health battle ... weeks after the actor was hitting golf balls at the range, Foxx was kickin' ass on the pickleball court!

The 55-year-old got in a game of doubles on Tuesday ... teaming up with top player Ryan Sherry (who is also an accomplished NFL agent). Jamie and Ryan played against Taylor Chien and Olympic volleyball player Casey Patterson.

The guys posted a highlight from the match ... showing Foxx pulling off a beautiful shot that he dropped in right over the net, and it had a ton of spin on it, making it almost impossible to return.

"That Jamie Foxx spin will get ya," Patterson captioned the video.

It was so good, some cynics doubted JF was the one actually hit the shot, so CP gave the haters another angle of the shot.

"For all the haters in the comments who say @iamjamiefoxx didn’t hit the ball," Casey said in another video on Instagram.

Foxx even trolled the fellas after the shot, saying "I got dead balls out here! Dead balls!"

It shouldn't be a shock that Jamie's nice on the court. He's big into pickleball ... and even owns his own company that makes paddles, The Best Paddle.

It's good to see Foxx out and about and active ... remember, the "Project Power" actor suffered a medical emergency in April and was out of the spotlight until last month, first emerging in Chicago, where he was caught on a yacht waving at fans.

Rough night at the minor league ballpark for Blue Jays pitcher Chad Green ... the reliever was drilled in the head by his own catcher's throw -- and he was in so much pain afterward, he had to leave the game.

The wild incident all went down while Green was making a rehab appearance for Toronto's triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons.

In the fifth inning of the tilt against the Worcester Red Sox, Green threw a heater for a ball ... but his catcher, Tyler Heineman, popped up immediately to try to gun down a runner who was trying to steal second base.

Unfortunately for Green, the baseball didn't make it to its intended target ... 'cause it struck the pitcher right in the back of the head.

Green was in obvious pain as the ball caromed off his dome and ricocheted several feet away ... and while he tried to shake it off, he eventually had to exit the contest.

No word on if Green -- who's been trying to make his way back to the Big Leagues after undergoing Tommy John surgery last season -- suffered any serious ailments from the play ... although he was able to walk off under his own power.

Even one of the most famous athletes on the planet can geek out over celebrities -- 'cause Aaron Rodgers was giddy as hell after meeting Liev Schreiber at New York Jets camp ... calling him the "f***ing voice of God!!"

The "Ray Donovan" actor/"Hard Knocks" narrator made a rare appearance on the HBO series Tuesday night ... dropping in via helicopter to hang out with the team during practice.

The most excited player was easily Rodgers ... who told Liev he's a huge fan of his filmography.

The quarterback lost his mind to his teammates after greeting the movie star ... telling them to go say 'sup.

"He's the guy who narrates 'Hard Knocks,'" Rodgers told everyone who was willing to listen.

Rodgers even begged his offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, to go introduce himself ... saying Schreiber was "nervous" and wanted to hang out with the players.

"Just say 'hi,'" Rodgers told coach. "Just be nice. Look at him, he got all dressed up for it. He looks great."

"Don't be an ass****," he added.

Schreiber's spot on the show was pretty hilarious ... as he narrated the whole thing, explaining he wanted to drive to practice, but producers thought the helicopter would be more dramatic.

Gisele Bündchen says her divorce from Tom Brady has been no cakewalk ... admitting the recent split has been hard on her, but she's getting through the rough patch by shifting her focus elsewhere.

The supermodel went into detail about ending her 13-year marriage with the seven-time Super Bowl champion in an interview with Vogue Brazil this week ... where she opened up about finding the silver lining, despite how much of a toll it has taken on her.

"I've always believed that every situation, no matter how challenging, teaches us something and helps us grow," Gisele said.

"Breakups are never easy, especially when the media is speculating every step of the way."

Of course, there was a lot of speculation at the time about why Gisele and Tom were calling it quits -- many believed it was about Brady's return to football, but as we previously reported, that was simply not the case.

Gisele added she is keeping her kids, health, career, and aspirations the priority after the divorce ... as she now has a better understanding and acceptance of herself.

Shakur Stevenson vs. Devin Haney will likely NEVER happen, despite being one of the most coveted fights in boxing, according to SS himself ... 'cause DH knows it's a fight he won't win.

26-year-old Stevenson, 20-0 (10 KOs), joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) ... when the convo turned to 24-year-old Haney's future plans after the undefeated fighter recently announced he's moving up a weight class.

"It ain't really a hope, it's 'I dare him,' like I dare him to come back to 135 [lbs.] and try me. Like I pray that that's what he plans on doing and I can show the world I'm the truth," Shakur said.

"Right now, we're looking at [Vasyl] Lomachenko, but after everything unfolds and he fights Regis [Prograis] and I fight Lomachenko and they can build and make that a big fight, I dare him to come down to 135. I dare him!"

Of course, the fighters, who evolved from phenoms to bonafide stars, have been on a collision course for years ... and even exchanged words in the ring back in May after Devin scored a controversial decision win against Lomachenko.

For the time being, Haney is on his way up to the 140 lb. weight class ... despite the Stevenson fight being there for the taking. We asked Shakur why Devin wouldn't want the opportunity to prove he's a superior fighter.

"I don't know. I'm here but I think as far as for him to come back down and fight me is dangerous," Shakur told us.

"It's a dangerous thing to do. I think that's maybe the reason, I'm a big risk. I'm hard to deal with for anybody and I think he knows that. He's been around me for years so it's hard to deny the fact that I'm a big risk."

We followed up ... asking Shakur if he believes Devin doubts he would win the fight.

"Yes! Yes! I think he believes in himself, but I think when it comes down to me, he knows deep down inside, he knows that I'm the truth."

Then, in his heart of hearts, does Stevenson believe the fans will get the fight they want? Shakur isn't very optimistic.

"If I'm being honest, I'd say 20% [chance the fight happens]."

Shakur continued ... "The logic that they're putting out there is [Devin's] gonna go up for this one fight and then come right back down and fight me for the belts but, like, I just don't see him being that bold. I don't think he got that in him, so I'd say 20% chance."

Conor McGregor spared no expense for Dee Devlin's birthday this week ... putting on an epic boat party for his fiancée, while showering her with designer gifts.

The UFC superstar shared pics of his surprise bash for his lover on Tuesday -- one day before Devlin, who's pregnant with the couple's fourth child, officially turns 36 -- and you can see, the guy went absolutely all out.

McGregor strung up a ton of balloons -- some pink, some gold -- in a room on their yacht ... and then he forked over handbags and shoes that cost several thousand dollars each.

One of the gifts was a super rare Chanel purse ... which the fighter said had significant meaning to him, 'cause it represented his big feelings for her.

"Baby my love for you is as deep as the ocean!" McGregor said of the presents and the party. "Here is the limited edition ocean @chanelofficial bag, among other things you love!"

"I love you baby," he added, "happy birthday ❤️"

The lovebombing didn't stop there ... 'cause the couple and their kids eventually hit one of the boat's decks for a big cake!!

The two have been nearly inseparable since McGregor was accused of sexual misconduct at an NBA game back in June -- she traveled to New York to give him some TLC just after the allegations surfaced ... before they jetted off to France earlier this month for a vacation.

Dillon Danis first ... Le'Veon Bell next?!

If Bell had things his way, that's exactly how Logan Paul's upcoming fight schedule would work out ... 'cause the former NFL star-turned-boxer says he wants all the smoke with The Maverick in the ring soon.

Bell made his intentions known with a fiery tweet on Tuesday afternoon -- just hours after Paul revealed he's going to fight Danis on Oct. 14.

"lol you really can’t duck me forever @LoganPaul," Bell wrote. ".. at some point you're gonna have to see me in that boxing ring."

Bell -- who first stepped into the celebrity fighting world following the 2021 NFL season -- has previously had his sights set on Logan's little brother, Jake ... calling out the 26-year-old multiple times over the past couple years.

But, seems he's now turned his attention squarely toward Paul -- adding in a separate tweet that he'd "be ready" if the Danis fight falls through.

Of course, Bell's going to have to get in a long line to be Paul's next opponent ... a bunch of fighters have already requested a taste of the WWE Superstar, including Tyron Woodley, who told TMZ Sports last week he's ready for the older Paul brother after two fights with Jake.

Ric Flair was not saying "WOOOO!!!!" after smoking weed with Mike Tyson -- the former WWE Superstar says he got so high with the boxing legend ... he thought he croaked!!

The Nature Boy opened up on the time he got super faded with Iron Mike in the Hamptons during his appearance on the "This Past Weekend" podcast with Theo Von ... explaining he wanted to go hit for hit with Tyson, and it ended up being a huge mistake.

In fact, Flair -- who spent 11 days in a medically induced coma in 2017 -- compared his high to his medical emergency ... admitting, "I actually thought I died."

Naitch said once he got back to his room, he wasn't able to move ... so he kept asking those around him to squeeze his hand, and everything was in a delayed process.

"I said to myself ... 'Did I die? Have I just died?'" Flair told Von. "I feel like I did when I was in my coma. But I can think, and I don't think I could think when I was in my coma. That's the way I was talking to myself."

Luckily, Ric finally snapped out of it around 3 AM ... and he had to call someone on the phone to make sure he was still kickin'.

Ric and Mike are partners in the weed biz now ... and they've never shied away from sharing footage of their smoke sessions in the past.

Logan Paul is getting back in the boxing ring -- the Maverick is slated to go up against MMA fighter Dillon Danis in October.

The WWE Superstar and internet superstar announced the big news on Tuesday ... saying, "OCTOBER 14 I return to boxing after fighting Floyd Mayweather over 2 years ago."

"I doubt this little parasite will show up but if he does I’m going to erase him from existence."

Paul's hesitation is warranted -- Conor McGregor's buddy was supposed to fight KSI in January ... but backed out due to being "underprepared," according to Misfits Boxing's Mams Taylor.

Paul -- 0-1 as a professional -- most recently went up against TBE in Miami back in June 2021, an exhibition fight that did not have a winner declared.

This will be Danis' boxing debut ... but he holds a 2-0 record in Bellator.

Conor seems pretty stoked for his friend's combat comeback ... saying, "Dillon Danis Returns!"

Danis' involvement is pretty interesting ... considering KSI is on the same card, fighting Tommy Fury.

KSI told us Danis was banned from Misfits Boxing after pulling out of their fight ... saying he would "slap him in the face for all the disrespect he gave me."

It's gotta be a bummer for Tyron Woodley, who recently told us he wanted to throw his name into consideration to be Logan's opponent.

The Wilson family is getting bigger -- Russell and Ciara just announced they have another baby on the way ... courtesy of a sexy silhouette video of the singer showing off her bump!!

The Denver Broncos quarterback and R&B star broke the news on Tuesday with footage Russ took during their anniversary trip in Japan a few weeks ago ... showing Ciara several months along in her pregnancy.

In the clip, Ciara danced to her new single with Chris Brown, "How We Roll" ... and used lyrics from the song to bring the message home.

"You look at me like that again, we make another kid ... You my heart I’m your rib" 🥰😘❤️" Ciara says in the tune.

This will be the third kid for the lovely couple ... and Ciara's fourth. She also has a son, Future Zahir, with rapper Future.

Wilson definitely spoke this bundle of joy into existence --  remember, the 34-year-old begged his wife of seven years for another kid when Ciara was hosting "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" last year.

"We definitely can, but we've got a little time before we get there," Ciara said on the show. "But, I'm down to do it again with you!"

Tom Brady is reflecting on the past 45 years after returning from his African safari vacation ... saying the trip helped remind him life is all about "relationships and memories."

TB12 was in his feels following his getaway with the kids ... releasing a heartfelt message on Instagram about the lasting impact his visit to "the most amazing continent" had on him.

"To wake up to sunrises and untouched parts of our beautiful planet, to witness these animals in all their glory, to see how different people can live with true joy and happiness continues to bring me great lessons in learning," Brady said.

The seven-time Super Bowl champ explained the mental reset came at the perfect time ... as he's preparing for the next chapter of his life.

Brady even included two quotes -- "The life you lead, is the lesson you teach" and "If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, what am I?" -- and added he will continue to use the mantras as he embarks on the rest of his journey.

"I am taking these next days one at a time, focusing on being my best self for me, and others, and living a life of integrity and purpose," Brady said.

The self-reflection comes amid some of the biggest changes of Brady's life -- he's recently divorced from Gisele Bündchen, retired from football and back on the dating scene ... spending time with model Irina Shayk in L.A. before heading to Africa.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone absolutely lost it on an umpire during New York's game Monday night ... becoming so enraged, he actually mocked the guy in front of the entire stadium at home plate.

The wild scene all happened in the eighth inning ... as the Pinstripes were down 2-1 to the visiting Chicago White Sox.

Laz Diaz -- who's zone had been questioned by Yankees players and coaches throughout the evening -- called Anthony Volpe out on strikes ... and that's when Boone blew a gasket.

NY's bench boss initially began barking at Diaz from the dugout ... but he left to get into Diaz's face. The guys then traded words for several moments, before Boone went to the dish to embarrass the 60-year-old.

He drew a line in the dirt where he thought Bryan Shaw's last pitch went ... and then he mocked Diaz with an over-the-top punchout gesture.

Boone's tirade, though, didn't stop there ... 'cause he got in Diaz's face once more -- and appeared to tell him repeatedly, "You stink!"

Boone was given the boot ... and, mercifully, he went back to the clubhouse to let the game continue.

LeBron James and his son, Bronny, have jetted off to Minnesota ... in an effort to seek out further treatment for the USC hooper following last month's medical scare.

The two touched down in Rochester at some point over the weekend ... and they've been spotted in and around the Mayo Clinic there since -- seemingly seeking further answers to why the 18-year-old suffered cardiac arrest back on July 24.

Following one of their visits to the medical facility on Monday ... the duo -- plus some friends -- got dinner at Terza Ristorante in downtown, though when they left, they were mobbed by a crush of fans.

In video from the scene, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see Bronny -- wearing a white shirt and black jacket -- exiting the eatery's backdoor first ... with LBJ not far behind.

Once the two get into a waiting SUV -- a group of LeBron supporters pull out their phones and begin screaming for the Lakers superstar, while surrounding the ride.

The guys, though, are able to peel away before the scene gets too chaotic.

As we reported, Bronny needed to be hospitalized for several days following his emergency on SC's campus ... though he was released on July 27 -- and seen just one day later looking fine while out at dinner with his family in Los Angeles.