TMZ Sports - Page 26

Reggie Miller is 57 years old, but the NBA legend is still pushing himself to the limits athletically ... Reg just crushed a 100-mile cycling race that he says absolutely kicked his ass!

"The [SBT GRVL] race Blue course was the hardest race for me to date on a bike, Mother Nature kicked my A$$," Reggie wrote on social media.

The race is ridiculously difficult. Aside from pedaling a bike over 100 miles, the race surface is primarily gravel. To make matters worse, the course isn't flat. No ... there's nearly 7,000 feet in elevation gain.

"I was in survival mode after mile 55 when leg cramps made themselves a huge race presence. We started the race at 9 AM and it was already warm, it got up to 89 degrees for most of the race. So yes, hardest day for me, but also this was the most fulfilling I’ve ever felt on 2 wheels"

Despite it being a competitive race, Miller -- who serves on the USA Cycling Board of Directors -- says his fellow riders were awesome ... with many offering to help, sometimes at the expense of their own race times.

"At least 50 to 60 riders would roll up to me clearly seeing me in distress, a lot offered their own salt tabs stash, water, food, etc. This is why I will ALWAYS come do SBT GRVL, the gravel community is unmatched with so much inclusiveness. They weren’t helping me because I was 'Reggie Miller', all they saw was another rider needing help."

Ultimately, it took Reggie 6 hours and 55 minutes to finish the course ... a race he completed in 5 hours and 46 minutes last year.

Despite being an hour slower due to the conditions, Miller still finished in a very respectable position... crossing the finish line in 375th place finish out of 926 racers. His average speed was 14.46 MPH.

After the race, Reggie shared some inspiring words, writing ... "Always find a silver lining in your efforts that don’t stack up to your expectations, because you can always learn from them and use them next time you’re in that situation. #DamnDevilCramps"

Lonzo Ball hasn't played an NBA game since January 2022 -- and with no return in sight -- the #2 overall draft pick sat down with Trae Young and opened up about the serious knee injury that's threatened his career, and the guilt he feels over not being on the court for the Bulls.

"I feel bad just for the GM's, because I feel like they made the perfect team around me," Zo told Trae on his "From the Point," podcast on Monday.

"I finally got the perfect team that I felt could fit my game and play my way, and really just do what I wanted to do. That injury, I'm still going through it right now, but that one messed me up early just because I felt like we really had a chance, and we never got to see what it really was," Ball told the All-Star shooting guard.

Of course, 25-year-old Ball has undergone three surgeries on his left knee since the beginning of 2022 (cartilage transplant, torn meniscus repair, arthroscopic debridement) ... and it's totally derailed his career.

Lonzo only played 35 games during the 21-22 season and missed all of the 22-23 season. Despite the procedures, the Bulls, who initially acquired Lonzo in 2021, said they don't believe he'll be on the court for the 23-24 season.

"Going into the offseason, our expectation is that he’s not coming back next season,” Chicago exec Arturas Karnišovas recently told reporters.

When he has played, Ball's averaged 13 points, over 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

As for when he does return to the court, Ball's clearly in good spirits and believes he will once again play on the United Center's hardwood ... whenever that may be.

"I've always loved playing basketball, it's just basically something that got taken away from me. It's gonna be a whole new joy again. I'm gonna be hella happy to be back out there. I never took the game for granted, so for me, it's just getting your love back."

The entire interview is interesting ... injury talk aside, Ball also discusses his brothers LaMelo and LiAngelo, and their dad LaVar. The guys also chop it up over the Big Baller Brand, and where BBB went wrong.

There's no debate ... Steph Curry is the greatest point guard of all time -- at least, that's what the Golden State Warriors star himself believes.

Curry joined Gilbert Arenas on the ex-NBA star's "Gil's Arena" podcast this week to make the proclamation ... putting himself ahead of Magic Johnson on the GOAT PG list.

"It's me and Magic?" he asked Arenas. "Is that the conversation?"

The guys then kicked around the topic for a few moments -- but Curry made it clear, in his eyes, he's No. 1.

Of course, he's definitely got a case ... he's a four-time NBA champion, a two-time MVP, a nine-time All-Star, and the league's greatest-ever 3-point shooter.

Johnson, meanwhile, is a five-time champ, a three-time MVP, and a 12-time All-Star.

But Curry told Arenas he just has to put himself on top ... saying, "I have to answer it that way."

"But I really feel like, to your point, Magic's resume is ridiculous," the 35-year-old added. "So the fact that we're even having that conversation that's a place I never thought I'd be in."

Dodger fans had at least one thing to cheer about before falling to the Marlins on Friday ... 'cause "American Idol" star Nutsa Buzaladze had the whole stadium going wild after a killer rendition of the national anthem!!

The Georgian singer was a special guest at Dodger Stadium for the home team's contest against Miami ... getting the honor of singing the "Star-Spangled Banner" in front of 46,000 spectators.

Nutsa -- who's repped by agent/manager Darren Prince -- got to hang out with some high-profile peeps at the game ... including Magic and Cookie Johnson, Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter and Dodgers pitcher Brusdar Graterol!! Small world, 'cause Prince also has repped the Lakers legend for nearly 30 years.

Of course, Nutsa made the top 12 of the famous singing show ... but after hearing her perform at the game, it's hard to figure out how she didn't go all the way!!

Spain has taken home the gold in the Women's World Cup, but folks online are more focused on a super-cringe moment after the win ... when the country's football president planted a kiss on one of the players' lips.

The smooch went down Sunday, as the team received their gold medals after beating England in the final.

Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales was at the end of the line congratulating the athletes when he gave midfielder Jenni Hermoso a kiss squarely on her mouth.

It's a pretty awkward moment, especially because he grabbed the back of her head -- Hermoso admitted she wasn't a huge fan of what went down, but she's still defending him, saying it was a spontaneous, mutual gesture coming from all the post-win joy.

She's gone on to say his behavior with the team has been great, and they have a great relationship ... and is hoping fans will be putting the focus on the triumphant win instead.

Of course, folks online have been pointing at the kiss quite a bit, with many calling it completely inappropriate ... but Hermoso doesn't see it that way.

Bill Belichick might be telling his locker room to be more like Taylor Swift ... 'cause the legendary Patriots coach can't get enough of the pop superstar's toughness after seeing her perform!!

Belichick raved about T-Swift during his appearance on WEEI's "Greg Hill Show" on Monday ... admitting while he's usually a Bruce Springsteen kinda guy, he had to hit up Gillette Stadium when the "Eras" tour rolled through earlier this year.

"I saw a little bit of Taylor," BB said ... stopping short of calling himself a full-blown "Swiftie," but praising the 12-time Grammy winner for putting on a helluva show, despite the heavy rainfall that night.

"That was pretty impressive. She's tough, man. She just stood out there and played right through it."

In fact, Bill even mentions how he can relate to one song in particular ... and who knows, he may need to use the mantra during games this upcoming season.

"I'm definitely on the 'You gotta calm down,' that's pretty good. 'You gotta calm down.' There's a lot of times when that's very appropriate. 'You just gotta calm down.'"

No baseball was played at Dodger Stadium on Sunday due to Hurricane Hilary ... but a swimming meet coulda broken out -- 'cause the epic storm nearly flooded the historic venue.

As the squall made landfall in Southern California, it pelted Los Angeles with so much rain, it left L.A.'s ballpark covered in water.

Footage shot from up above the downtown stadium shows the parking lot surrounding the site was underneath feet of water ... though, thankfully, it appeared the diamond and its surrounding seats survived the inclement weather.

Of course, the Dodgers moved their Sunday afternoon game against the Marlins to Saturday ... so there were no issues with the team's schedule -- though it's unclear if the effects of the weather will impact L.A.'s next slate of games at Dodger Stadium next week.

As for Hilary, it's still bombarding the southwestern U.S. with rainfall ... causing major flooding on roadways and severe damage to buildings elsewhere.

New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen gave a positive update on Jimmy Graham after his recent "medical episode" that led to his arrest ... saying the tight end is a bit "shook up" over Friday's incident -- but overall, he's doing better.

Coach provided the info to reporters after the Saints beat the Los Angeles Chargers in their preseason matchup on Sunday ... and even though Graham did not suit up for the game, Allen said things are going in the right direction.

"Jimmy's with us," Allen said. "He's healthy, he'll have some more testing to go on, but look, he's a little shook up, but yet overall, he's doing OK."

Prior to kickoff, Allen said the team is thankful the situation wasn't more serious medically.

"I think he's in a good spot, but we're going to rest him tonight."

TMZ Sports broke the story -- Graham was arrested after cops say he was wandering in traffic near a Newport Beach resort. He was booked on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance and resisting, delaying and obstructing a police officer.

Video prior to Graham's arrest shows the Pro Bowler evading hotel security ... with witnesses saying he hid in bushes prior to making a run for it.

No shirts were necessary for Novak Djokovic following his Cincinnati Open win on Sunday ... 'cause the tennis star ripped the tee right off his chest in celebration of his big victory!!!

Just seconds after the 36-year-old won a grueling, 3-hour-and-49-minute match over Carlos Alcaraz in Ohio ... he ditched his top to commemorate the occasion.

At first, Djokovic dropped to the ground in disbelief over his thrilling win ... and then, after sharing an embrace with Alcaraz, he decided to tear the polo straight off his body.

Djokovic ripped the piece from his neck down -- revealing a shredded bod -- and everyone in attendance loved it.

Of course, the celly was much deserved ... Djokovic needed every ounce of his talent to beat Alcaraz in a final that featured 90-degree heat and multiple lengthy rallies.

Afterward, Djokovic told media members the evening was "one of the exciting matches I've ever played in any tournament."

"It felt like a Grand Slam," he said.

Djokovic became the oldest man to ever win the event ... locking up a victory over Alcaraz for the first time since the 20-year-old beat him at Wimbledon last month.

"You never give up, do you?" Djokovic told Alcaraz after the match. "I love that about you."

He went on to say he hopes to compete against the young star at the U.S. Open later this month.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has already made a ton of money in the NBA, but he's looking to rake in even more in retirement ... telling TMZ Sports he wants to take his talents to Saudi Arabia.

It's becoming quite the trend in sports ... with soccer and golf stars getting massive checks made out to them to play in the Middle Eastern country -- like Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo and all the LIV Golf guys.

Giannis has cracked jokes in the past after seeing the offers being thrown at the biggest names in sports ... so when we caught up with him in L.A. this week, we asked if he was really down to suit up in Saudi Arabia after his NBA days.

"Of course," the 28-year-old said with a smile on his face.

"If the NBA worked out, maybe like a trade between the NBA and Saudi Arabia League, I'm there!" the champ said ... although it's unclear if he meant suiting up for a hoops team, or alongside his buddy Neymar on the soccer pitch.

Giannis isn't the only NBA superstar who likes the idea -- after French soccer star Kylian Mbappe was offered $776 million to play for Al-Hilal, LeBron James tweeted he was also heading to Saudi Arabia.

While it may all be in good fun, many see a serious issue with players going to Saudi Arabia for a big payday ... considering the country's history of human rights violations.

It's not often you see fans cheering on the same team get in a nasty brawl -- but that's exactly what happened in San Francisco -- with haymakers flying ... and even a knockout!!!

Unclear what led to the massive melee Saturday night at Levis Stadium as the 49ers hosted the Denver Broncos in a preseason matchup, but it got messy fast. You can see lots of pushing, shouting and confusion before blows are exchanged.

At one point, a guy in a Jerry Rice jersey starts absolutely unleashing some fists on a dude in a white t-shirt, connecting several times with his face.

One of the blows appears to knock the dude out, sending him into a chair. After things calm down, the same guy -- wobbly on his feet -- gets up with blood on his mouth and shirt.

Event staff leads the battered dude up and out of the section, while he struggles to take on the stairs.

All seems to be back to normal in the James' household -- as Lebron, Bronny and Bryce all hit Dodgers Stadium to honor LeBron -- about a month after Bronny's scary health emergency.

It was LeBron bobble-head night Saturday in L.A. and fans packed the stadium to get their hands on one of the free souvenirs. Even more special -- LeBron was there in person to show his gratitude while also accepting a $100k check for his LeBron James Family Foundation.

Of course, it was even more special to see Bronny with Dad considering it was less than 2 months ago when he collapsed at a USC basketball practice.

TMZ broke the story -- Bronny was rushed to Cedars Sinai Hospital after he went into cardiac arrest. At the time, the family told us, "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've seen Bronny out and about since the incident, but the guys seemed totally carefree while taking in Friday night's game.

We also got video of LeBron and Bronny in Minnesota a couple weeks back visiting the Mayo Clinic -- one of the top medical heart facilities in the world -- safe to say the family's been doing all they can to get to the cause of the scary issue.

UFC star Sean O'Malley delivered the goods in spectacular fashion Saturday night in Boston, knocking out Aljamain Sterling and snagging the Bantamweight title, and dude has all the makings of the next Conor McGregor.

After a slow first round, Sean delivered a crushing blow to Sterling's noggin, and then pummeled him until the ref called it a night.

Sean, sporting Pepto Bismol-colored hair, was humble after the win, telling reporters, "Honestly, this is the most nervous I've ever been for a fight. In my eyes, Aljamain Sterling is the greatest bantamweight of all time," adding, "I always say it only takes one mistake with me. I don't even know if that's a mistake. I'm just that f---ing good!"

It's been smooth sailing for the Dodgers on the field in the second half of the MLB season, but off the field, two of the team's biggest stars have had a much tougher time, having to deal with some scary break-ins at their homes.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports ... at least two burglars got into Max Muncy's L.A.-area residence last week. And, about a month prior, Freddie Freeman's place was hit too.

In the Muncy case, authorities tell us the infielder was with his family on the way home from a game at Dodger Stadium earlier this month when his alarm company alerted him that thieves had broken into his place. We're told they were seen on video ransacking the unit -- but they took off before cops arrived.

It's unclear what was taken.

Back in July, law enforcement sources tell us a similar incident happened at Freeman's L.A.-area pad ... though it's not yet known if the two burglaries were related.

We're told cops are investigating both matters -- and are actively trying to see if the burglars were targeting athletes, or if they were simply just random break-ins.

Mark Jackson ain't sure what's next for him following his abrupt exit from his role as ESPN's top NBA color analyst ... but one thing he does know is he has no hard feelings toward the man who's replacing him -- Doc Rivers.

We caught up with the former Golden State Warriors head coach out in Beverly Hills on Friday ... and despite being let go from ESPN just a couple weeks ago, he was in great spirits.

While he said he doesn't know if his next career move will include coaching or broadcasting ... he told us he's confident it'll be a good one for him regardless.

"It's going to work out," he said. "Figuring it out now. But the next move will be my best move."

"Excited about what God has for me," he added.

As for Rivers, who will replace Jackson on ESPN's top broadcast team alongside Mike Breen and Doris Burke, Jackson says he hopes for all kinds of success for the guy.

In fact, he said he's actually spoken with Rivers recently ... and there's no beef whatsoever.

If you expect Mark Zuckerberg to fight a professional fighter and get slaughtered, you may be in for a rude awakening ... ONE Championship star Mikey Musumeci has trained with the Meta boss on several occasions, and says Zuck would 100% win a fight.

"I was pretty shocked. [Mark's] a grinder. He has that grind in him. The second I saw that I said, 'Okay, he can be very good at MMA or jiu-jitsu' because first of all, he has the highest IQ, but he's also tough as f***!" Mikey told TMZ Sports.

It's high praise coming from Musumeci ... a 5x IBJJF world champion and current ONE Championship flyweight grappling champ. He's quite literally the best in the world!

Mikey and Mark are friends who not only train together ... but also talk when they aren't working out.

We doubled down ... asking Musumeci if he really believed Zuck could "hang with a professional fighter?"

"100%. 100%, and I think he could win."

Of course, we asked Mikey the question because all signs point to Zuckerberg, now that the Elon Musk fight is seemingly done, fighting against an actual pro fighter in a top MMA promotion.

"Not holding my breath for Elon, but I'll share details on my next fight when I'm ready," Mark said on Threads.

"When I compete, I want to do it in a way that puts a spotlight on the elite athletes at the top of the game. You do that by working with professional orgs like the UFC or ONE to pull this off well and create a great card."

There's more ... we also talked to ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong -- who is also friends with Mark -- about the billionaire's foray into MMA.