TMZ Sports - Page 10

Like sports and chicks?! Now you can enjoy both at the same time -- 'cause Holly Sonders just launched her very own TOPLESS competitive league!!

TMZ Sports sat down with the model and former broadcaster about her newest venture, the NSFW athletics organization, "Exposed Sportz" ... and she told us she enlisted her most attractive friends to give viewers the ultimate viewing experience.

"So, I had this crazy idea -- a great idea, actually -- of getting everybody together and creating a sports league just to show off everybody's talents ... and it's going to be topless!!" Sonders said.

"I can't believe nobody's ever thought of this before."

Sonders said she teamed up with respected creatives in the adult industry to make it happen ... and there will be videos of "the hottest girls on the internet" participating in all different kinds of sports and activities -- and yeah, there's nudity.

"This is almost like Jackass, but with the sexiest women you've ever seen. So you're going to be horny, and you're gonna laugh and it's unlike anything you've ever seen."

Sonders says she's pulling out all the stops with Exposed Sportz ... hiring the best makeup artists and editors to put out the best product possible -- and she sought inspiration from one of the most recognizable adult brands to ever exist.

"I know what people want to see," Sonders - who is dating boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya -- added. "I mean, I built my life on TV. So, I know what people are looking for and I know what entertainment value is -- especially competition. After doing sports as many years as I did, this is just a new kind of sports kind of inspired by 'Girls Gone Wild.'"

Xavien Howard says the woman who accused him of filming sex acts with her without her consent attempted to shake him down for a ton of cash before going public with her allegations.

The Miami Dolphins star made the claim in a motion to dismiss his accuser's lawsuit on Monday ... alleging the woman -- ID'ed only as Jane Doe -- sought "presumably millions of dollars" from him prior to filing her suit in Florida in the spring.

In the court filing, Howard also said the woman's suit should be thrown out immediately for a multitude of reasons -- including Doe's insistence on remaining anonymous.

As we previously reported, the woman filed the suit against Howard in May ... alleging he had not only videotaped sex with her without her knowing -- but he then distributed the footage to at least one other person.

In her suit, she said she found out about it all because a woman had sent her the clips after claiming Howard had messaged them in an effort "to make her mad because she didn't want to have sex with him."

The woman sued Howard for invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress -- and asked for damages.

In his motion Monday, however, Howard also argued that Doe didn't meet Florida legal standards for either of her claims.

"Her anonymous lawsuit is not compliant with the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, wildly at odds with due process, and further creates the practical problem of one-sidedly prejudicing the public and potential jury pool," Howard's attorney, Brad Sohn, wrote in the docs.

It appears MLB star Wander Franco won't be taking the baseball field anytime soon -- the Tampa Bay Rays shortstop has been placed on administrative leave as the league investigates claims he had inappropriate relationships with underage girls.

Franco -- who was previously on the Rays' restricted list -- is currently under police investigation in his native Dominican Republic ... after the allegations made on social media went viral.

"Per an agreement between MLB and the MLBPA, Wander Franco has been placed on Administrative Leave until further notice as MLB continues its ongoing investigation," MLB announced Tuesday.

"The administrative leave, effective immediately, is not disciplinary under the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy."

22-year-old Franco last played on Aug. 12 ... and did not travel with the team during its road trip against the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels.

He will be able to appeal the leave, although it's unclear if he will do so at this time. He will still be paid throughout the duration of his time away from the team.

"Please, please retire" ... was Dana White's message to Chris Weidman after the former middleweight champion lost his comeback fight to Brad Tavares after gruesomely breaking his leg in April 2021.

But, the man who shared the Octagon with The All-American disagrees with the UFC president's take when it comes to Chris' fighting future.

"I think from what I've seen from him, 100%, I don't think he's washed or done, he still has it in him," 35-year-old Tavares told TMZ Sports.

Tavares won the fight by unanimous decision ... and Weidman suffered another injury to his lower extremity, tearing a ligament (not the previously broken leg).

But, Brad believes Chris showed immense toughness in the fight ... even as his legs were chewed up.

"In the second round when I first hurt him with that really hard [leg kick] that he winced and was really in obvious pain, I thought he was done.  No, he pointed at me, he looked at me, and beat on his chest, and said, 'Come on, keep throwing it!'"

Tavares says he's happy Weidman returned to the Octagon after the devastating injury he sustained vs Uriah Hall at UFC 261 ... and while that's a win in itself, BT would like to see CW get his hand raised once more.

"I think in my opinion he definitely has more to go."

"I know if I was in his shoes I wouldn't want to go out on a loss. I definitely wouldn't want to go out on an injury like he did, so I'm glad he did come back. And I know I wouldn't want to go out on a loss, I would want one more crack at it and go out on a win and then retire."

As for the most important opinion ... Chris himself. He says he isn't hanging up his gloves.

"I'm not done. I'll be back better than ever. This was a good opportunity for me to get back in the Octagon," Weidman told Megan Olivi after the fight.

We also talked to Tavares, born and raised in Hawaii (Kailua), about the devastating wildfires that have tragically claimed 115 lives in Maui, and the death toll is expected to rise.

"My wife [Zoie] is Maui, so we do have family there and friends there that are there helping out, they're at ground zero.  We're getting these real-life stories and man, it is heartbreaking."

Tavares also talked about the many Americans who have donated to the rescue and recovery effort, including White and the UFC, which gave $1 million.

"Dana is a standup guy, and that's not blowing smoke."

LeBron James may not wear No. 6 anymore, but he's still got love for the 6 God -- the Lakers superstar and Bronny were front and center at Drake's concert in L.A. on Monday ... escorting the rapper out to the stage at the start of the show!!

Drizzy has made it a thing throughout his "It's All a Blur" tour ... enlisting famous celebs and friends to walk out with him before his performance.

Fittingly enough, Drake decided to give the James Gang the honor at Crypto.com Arena ... and judging by their faces, the ballers were thrilled with the rockstar treatment.

It's great to see Bronny at yet another public outing ... considering he suffered cardiac arrest at a USC workout less than a month ago.

Drizzy also gave Bron a big shout-out during the show ... thanking the four-time champ for being a day one supporter.

Former Univ. of Houston basketball player Reggie Chaney -- a member of the Cougars team that made the Final Four in 2021 -- has tragically died at 23 years old.

Details surrounding the death have not yet been revealed ... though the school's president, Renu Khator, said in a statement Monday night "The news has left us with sad and heavy hearts."

He was a "giant among giants of Houston basketball," she added.

Chaney initially began his college career at the Univ. of Arkansas in 2018 -- playing in 34 games his freshman season. But, following his sophomore year with the Razorbacks, he transferred to Houston, where he became a key part of the 2020-21 squad that advanced all the way to the NCAA tournament's Final Four.

This past season with the Cougs, the last one of his college career, he played in 35 games and earned American Athletic Conference Sixth Man of the Year honors. In total, he logged time in 104 contests for the Cougars in his three years at the school.

News of his death has rocked the hoops community ... with his former coach at Arkansas, Eric Musselman, saying in a statement Monday evening that he and his program are "devastated."

"He was a relentless worker and loved by his teammates," Musselman said. "His family is in our thoughts and prayers."

Justin Gorham, Chaney's former teammate at UH, added on X that Chaney was "always dependable."

"Glad I got the chance to lace em up with him, without Reg we don’t accomplish half the things we did. Rest easy brother LOVE."

Chaney had been slated to play professionally later this year in Greece.

Florida cops have been ordered to arrest Antonio Brown once again ... after a judge ruled he missed yet another child support payment.

According to Miami-Dade County court documents, the ruling was issued on Aug. 9 ... after Brown apparently missed a $15,000 payment to his ex, Wiltrice Jackson.

Per the docs, Brown can have the order purged if he pays up ... plus an additional $5,000 in attorney fees.

It's the second time this year a judge has ordered law enforcement to take the ex-NFL star into custody over unpaid child support ... back in April, the order was issued after Brown failed to make a $30,000 payment to Jackson.

AB, though, paid up before he was put behind bars.

Brown and Jackson dated in the early stages of the former wide receiver's football career ... and have a daughter together.

The two, however, have had their share of ups and downs since ... with Jackson accusing Brown of shoving her during a domestic dispute in 2019. Brown was never charged in the case.

The war between Magic Johnson and Norm Nixon on HBO's "Winning Time" was blown way out of proportion ... so says one-half of the former Lakers duo, who tells TMZ Sports that's not how it went down in real life.

Season two of the hit show has been largely centered around the terrible relationship between the veteran point guard, Nixon, and Johnson, the team's young star. One scene even depicted Michael Cooper breaking up a locker room fight between the players.

So, when we saw the 2x All-Star outside LAX on Monday, we asked him whether the show got things factually correct.

"Naw," Nixon responded ... "Not even close."

Norm, who is portrayed by his son, DeVaughn Nixon, isn't the only former Lake Show star who isn't exactly a big fan of the hit show.

In fact, we recently talked to Hall of Famer James Worthy ... who doesn't count himself as a viewer.

"I just think [Winning Time] could have been done really, really good. And I was disappointed that it wasn't," Worthy told us.

Back to Norm, we also asked the 2x NBA championship-winning PG about Steph Curry's recent claim that he was the greatest point guard ever.

Nixon averaged nearly 16 points, 8+ assists, and 1.5 steals a game over his 10-season NBA career. He obviously also played with Magic (who he didn't hate ).

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.