TMZ Sports - Page 31

Boriša Simanić -- a 25-year-old member of Serbia's national team -- had to have his kidney removed over the weekend ... after the power forward was injured during a play in a FIBA World Cup game last week.

Simanić had been guarding South Sudan's Nuni Omot during their contest in the Philippines on Aug. 30 ... when Omot appeared to accidentally elbow the big man right in his side.

Simanić --- a member of the Utah Jazz's summer league team last year -- doubled over in pain ... and hours later, he required emergency surgery at a local hospital to fix the issues the inadvertent collision caused.

Unfortunately, Serbian coach Svetislav Pesic said Simanić suffered a setback in his recovery over the weekend ... and according to Serbian team officials, he then had to have one of his kidneys removed on Sunday.

He's expected to remain in the Philippines for the foreseeable future while he heals.

For his part, Omot released a statement Monday saying he had no intentions whatsoever of hurting Simanić.

"As a sportsman, I firsthand understand the severity of his situation and I am deeply sorry that this happened," Omot said. "No player should have to go through that. I pray for Simanić's recovery and speedy return to the court."

Deion Sanders' Colorado Buffaloes walked the walk on Saturday in a huge win over TCU ... and on Tuesday, they were rewarded for their performance -- earning a place in this week's Top 25 rankings.

The Associated Press just revealed the Buffs slid into No. 22 on the list ... after they scored a massive, 45-42 win over the Horned Frogs in Texas despite being 21-point underdogs.

Sanders' squad -- which was just 1-11 last season -- looked impressive ... especially PrimeTime's quarterback son, Shedeur, who threw for 510 yards and four touchdowns in the victory.

Coach Prime knew it was a big win after the final whistle had blown ... 'cause he gloated throughout his postgame press conference, even asking one of his biggest detractors repeatedly, "Do you believe?!"

Sanders and his team will have another opportunity to prove they're the real deal this weekend ... when they face off with Nebraska on Saturday in Boulder.

Chandler Jones' days in Las Vegas might be numbered -- the star defensive end just bashed the Raiders in a bizarre rant ... saying he no longer wants to play for them after not being allowed in the team facility.

Jones' verified Instagram profile posted a number of stories on Tuesday ... calling out head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler.

"They won't let me in the building tho, tryna provoke a n****," Jones' story said ... adding he wants the team's current defensive coordinator to take over on the sidelines.

"F*** it, I don't wanna play for the Raiders if that's my HC or GM ... I want Patrick Graham Ivy League n****."

Jones' account also shared what appeared to be a text to McDaniels ... saying he had to go to a local gym to work out "for no apparent reason."

"This is wild to me Josh and you know it you need to do what's right."

There's more ... but it's hard to make heads or tails of what exactly is going on. The team has not addressed the situation.

The timing of it all isn't ideal ... especially with the first week of the NFL season just days away.

Jones joined the Raiders last season on a three-year, $51 million contract ... after spending his first 10 seasons with the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals.

Snoop Dogg is proclaiming Shaquille O'Neal to be the best NBA player to ever release hip hop music ... this, after getting wind of The Big Aristotle's latest rap collab!!!

As we told you last week, Shaq linked up with L.A.-based group Coyote for their single "3 Lokos" ... the first of a newfound partnership.

Shaq told the artists he wanted to bring "'90s energy" to the song ... which clearly struck a chord with Snoop to the point he crowned the big man with such a big honor!!!

Shaq's place in hip hop is indeed solidified ... having his 1993 debut album "Shaq Diesel" go platinum while earning respect from many established rappers at the time.

The NBA legend also brought 3 championships to Los Angeles with the Lakers in the early '00s ... undoubtedly an extra reason to get Snoop's top pick. 😉

NBA rappers have gotten a lot more competitive since Shaq's era and Damian Lillard, will likely have something to say about Snoop's taste ... he's long touted himself to be the best NBA player to ever clutch a mic.

He just dropped his new album with co-signs from Rick Ross and Lil Wayne and even performed during the 2020 NBA All-Star Game, where he also played.

Beyoncé celebrated her birthday with another packed L.A. concert ... one that was filled to the brim with celebs, and came with a surprise performance from the legendary Diana Ross.

The Beyhive was out in full force Monday night at SoFi Stadium to celebrate the singer's 42nd birthday -- with Kim & Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Corey Gamble, 10-year-old North, and 11-year-old Penelope Disick all showing up as one happy family.

The sold-out crowd, and perhaps Beyoncé, got an exciting surprise when Diana Ross hit the stage to sing "Happy Birthday" ... along with all the fans. Bey was rightfully emotional after Diana's gift -- shouting out, "Give it up for the queen!"

Other faces in the crowd included couples like Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, and Justin and Hailey Bieber -- and Adele, Winnie Harlow, Vanessa Bryant, Tom Sandoval, Scheana Shay, Keke Palmer, Zendaya, Chris Rock, Queen Latifah, Kerry Washington and even Meghan Markle all showed up for the big gig!

Beyoncé also brought out Kendrick Lamar to perform the remix of their collab, "America Has a Problem."

As we reported, Kylie Jenner and  Timothée Chalamet were also at the concert -- goin' public with their relationship by packing on the PDA while in the VIP section.

Jorge Vilda led his team to a World Cup title just over two weeks ago, but Spain's soccer coach is out of a job today ... as fallout from the Luis Rubiales kiss incident continues.

42-year-old Vilda was fired by the Spanish soccer federation on Tuesday, days after the coach applauded Rubiales for refusing to resign ... despite mounting pressure from within the country, and around the world.

Prior to getting the ax, Vilda -- who is an ally of Rubiales -- was the lone remaining member of the staff that beat England in the World Cup final on August 20 in Australia.

All of the other coaches, 11 in total, resigned in a show of support for Jenni Hermoso, who was kissed by Spain's soccer president during the postgame celebration following the championship-clinching game.

Of course, Rubiales was suspended by FIFA for 90 days ... as officials within Spain continue to investigate the incident.

It's hard to imagine a scenario where Rubiales returns ... the entire team has vowed not to play unless he is forced out.

As for Vilda, who took over control of the women's team in 2015, his tenure at the helm wasn't without controversy.

He barely survived a player-led revolt in September 2022, when many on his team accused the coach of treating them poorly, and demanded better working conditions. Vilda kept his job, but many of the unhappy players opted not to return for the World Cup.

Both of Tom Brady's boys are now following in his footsteps ... the NFL legend just revealed his youngest son is beginning his football career this year -- albeit at a position that's a whole lot different than Dad's.

Brady said on his "Let's Go!" podcast Monday that Ben -- the 13-year-old who he shares with Gisele Bündchen -- told him recently that he's stepping onto the gridiron in 2023.

However, Tom said the kid won't be under center like he was.

"I was like, 'What do you want to play?'" Brady said. "And he's like, 'Tight end. I want to be like Gronk.'"

Brady, though, didn't seem disappointed one bit with the decision ... saying he actually texted Rob Gronkowski immediately after Ben broke the news to him.

"I'm like, 'Yo, my boy wants to be like you,'" Brady said. "And he loved it. He's like, 'That's so great.'"

Brady added on the pod that he's now preparing Ben for games ... explaining he spent a large portion of his Sunday night throwing the pigskin around with the teenager to get him accustomed to catching balls.

"He's going to be a little beast," Brady said.

Of course, Ben is now the second of Brady's offspring who will strap on the shoulder pads and helmet ... his eldest boy, Jack, has already been shining on high school fields as a quarterback.

It doesn't matter what number Ezekiel Elliott is rocking on the field, 'cause he won't have to choose between digits off it -- the New England Patriots star just copped a diamond chain that reps both his old AND new look ... and we're told it's worth a whopping $260k!!

TMZ Sports has learned, Zeke wanted a new piece in honor of his new No. 15 with the Pats ... so he hit up celeb diamond setter Gabriel French for the job.

But, Elliott -- who inked a one-year, $3 million deal with the Pats this offseason -- isn't leaving his Cowboys career in the past ... 'cause the pendant's reverse side displays "21," the number he wore during his time in Dallas.

We're told the pendant was made with 70 carats of VVS emerald and brilliant cut diamonds ... and the Cuban chain consists of 70 carats of emerald and round cut diamonds.

Gabriel has worked with a ton of big names in the NFL over the years ... including Odell Beckham, Jr., Jalen Hurts, Amari Cooper and Aaron Donald.

Antonio Brown's tenure as the owner of the National Arena League's Albany Empire was apparently much worse than previously imagined ... with two former players claiming the former NFL superstar threatened to pull a gun on them in a heated exchange.

Dwayne Hollis and Darius Prince detailed the confrontation in an interview with ESPN ... saying the whole incident was sparked by a social media tribute to former teammate Mo Ruffins, who died last year.

The post was quickly deleted from the Empire's account without explanation ... so when Hollis and Prince ran into AB at a local cigar lounge, they wanted answers.

The players allege Brown -- who was still fresh off buying his part of the team at the time -- got pissed over their approach, and told his assistant, Ryan Larkin, to go out to his car to get his weapon.

"AB looked at Ryan and was like, 'Hey, man, you still got the AR in the car? Go get it,'" Prince told the outlet. "Then I was like, I'm not going to allow this dude to walk out of here after you just threatened us."

Prince says cooler heads eventually prevailed and they were able to have a conversation ... but made it clear the threat rubbed him the wrong way.

It's no secret -- AB essentially ran the Empire into the ground in a matter of months, with former players and staffers accusing him of being a nightmare to work with ... eventually leading to the team getting booted from the league.

A US Open fan was booted from his seat early Tuesday morning ... after tennis star Alexander Zverev insisted the guy screamed "the most famous Hitler phrase there is" right in the middle of a match.

The incident happened during Zverev's grueling clash with Jannik Sinner at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York ... when just before Zverev went to serve, a fan allegedly yelled out, "Deutschland über alles" -- words associated with Hitler's Nazi regime.

Immediately after the patron had finished shouting, Zverev turned to the chair ump and told him the comment was "unacceptable."

"This is unbelievable," he added.

The US Open official then turned toward the crowd and demanded to know who yelled the remark. Several moments later, the alleged shouter was ID'ed and ejected from the venue.

"A disparaging remark was directed toward Alexander Zverev," a United States Tennis Association spokesman said in a statement following the incident. "The fan was identified and escorted from the stadium."

Zverev would go on to win the match despite the scene ... and afterward, he expressed his disappointment over the whole interaction.

Lamar Odom's keeping it in the family ... he hired his son and daughter to work for his substance abuse treatment company, and he treated them to a company getaway.

Sources close to Lamar tell TMZ ... he's focused on strengthening his bond with his kids, and that includes getting his son, LJ, and daughter, Destiny, jobs at Odom Recovery Group.

Lamar's son is a marketing consultant ... we're told he's basically been mirroring Lamar, learning the ins and outs of the company so he can be Lamar's backup when needed.

Meanwhile, Lamar's daughter is a client representative ... she's responsible for taking down patients' information and making sure they're all set up when they start their recovery journeys. We're told both kids even participated in a commercial for the company, which will air on Hulu in various locations.

In recognition of their hard work on the job, we're told Lamar took his newest employees on a little vacation in Orange County, spending a few nights at an oceanfront property in Newport Beach.

Not a bad work perk!!!

The job opportunities and company vacations are all part of Lamar's attempt to reconnect with his kids ... and we're also told they've all been living under the same roof since the end of May.

Lamar definitely needs the help at his company ... Odom Recovery Group keeps expanding, he's added 14 new rehab centers to his portfolio and it's all hands on deck at work, with his baby mama Liza also helping out on the job.

Ex-NFL star Ricky Williams says the league is moving in the right direction by loosening its stance on cannabis in recent years ... but tells TMZ Sports he's hoping Roger Goodell's organization goes one step further by allowing teams to treat players with marijuana after games.

Ricky -- who was suspended five times and missed a chunk of his career for violating the league's substance abuse policy -- believes society is going through a big transformation when it comes to accepting the benefits of cannabis and psychedelics ... and he's hoping the NFL follows suit.

FYI -- the NFL changed its marijuana policy in 2021 ... electing to only test players once a year and handing down less punishment if someone is popped for the drug.

Ricky is thrilled with the league's changed stance on cannabis but feels it would have great benefits for players if they were encouraged to use marijuana instead of pills during recovery.

"I think the next step, though, is at the end of a game, if we're on the plane ride home, the trainer is walking down the aisle and has two capsule cases -- one of Ambien, and the other one of Vicodin," Williams said. "And he's walking down the aisle and saying, 'Do you need any of this, do you need any of this?'"

"And the truth is, for football players, we do need something because it hurts, and you're all revved up and it's hard to calm down go to sleep. And I'd love to see cannabis as being one of those things that the trainer is walking down the aisle and offering to those players."

Ricky -- who legally changed his name to Errick Miron recently -- has been an advocate for the cause for decades ... and is outspoken on the positive effects cannabis had on his mental health throughout his career.

Now, Ricky's own lifestyle brand, "Highsman," is going strong ... and he said the whole experience has been nothing but positive.

Tom Brady and Irina Shayk are still on as a couple, even though lately it hasn't always looked that way ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the couple is, indeed, continuing to date and that they're still romantically involved. Obviously, we haven't seen much evidence of them canoodling in public the way we did in July and August ... but we're told they're an item.

It's unclear what the deal was with Irina's PDA post featuring her ex, Bradley Cooper, just a couple weeks ago ... but, clearly, it hasn't scared Tom off -- as he's still seeing her.

Remember, Irina threw everyone for a loop when she threw up a topless shot of herself and shirtless pic of BC as well ... where they certainly seemed to be getting cozy on the beach, which led folks to believe they might be getting back together. They share a kid, after all.

Unless she's in some kind of open relationship -- which isn't what we're hearing on our end -- then you can assume it was just a platonic thing ... and relatively harmless.

TMZ broke the story about Tom and Irina first linking up ... she spent the night at his pad here in L.A. for two days in a row -- and they were seen being affectionate in his car. After that, they were again spotted going in and out of the same London hotel a few weeks later.

There've been reports that Tom wasn't bothered by Irina's spotlighting of her baby daddy -- and there was even a claim they aren't necessarily in a committed relationship either.

Dodgers star Julio Urias was arrested Sunday night for felony domestic violence in Los Angeles, TMZ Sports has learned.

Details surrounding the arrest are not currently clear ... but we know the 27-year-old starting pitcher was taken into custody at the LAFC vs. Inter Miami game (he was there to watch Lionel Messi) just after 11 PM, and transported to an LAPD jail, where he was booked around 1 AM.

Urias was listed at 6'1 and 240 lbs. on his jail booking sheet.

Bond was set at $50K ... and after 4 hours behind bars, Urias -- who is earning over $14 million this season -- posted and was released around 5 AM Monday morning.

It's not the first time Julio has been arrested for domestic violence. Back in May 2019, Urias was involved in an alleged incident at the Beverly Center mall in Beverly Hills. Urias was accused of pushing a woman he was with, however, the alleged victim told investigators she simply fell.

Ultimately, prosecutors did not charge Urias with a crime. Still, Urias was suspended 20 games by MLB for violating their Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse Policy.

Urias, who will be a free agent after this season, last pitched for the Dodgers on Friday, September 1 ... a subpar outing for him, giving up 5 earned runs in 5 innings of work.

Julio, who won a World Series in 2020, has a court date scheduled for later this month.

Story developing ...

Hollywood's elite came out in force Sunday night to watch soccer star Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami team go up against the Los Angeles Football Club.

Will Ferrell, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Tom Holland, David Beckham, Selena Gomez, Owen Wilson, and Jason Sudeikis were all on hand to enjoy the match-up at BMO Stadium in LA.

Oh, and some royalty showed up too ... Prince Harry was seen smiling from ear to ear as he took in the Major League Soccer game, but his wife, Meghan Markle, was MIA.

Harry was sitting in a box seat near Ferrell (co-owner of LAFC), DiCaprio, and the other famous faces in the crowd. At one point, Harry appeared giddy while tightly gripping his LAFC scarf, leaving no doubt which team he was rooting for.

Jeanie Buss is usually rocking power suits in business meetings, but over the weekend -- she was decked out in all white on the beach ... this after getting married, TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the Lakers owner got hitched to comedian Jay Mohr Sunday during a small, intimate ceremony in Malibu -- where about 20 close friends and family members in attendance ... and the bride and groom looking happy as can be.

As you can see in this photo, Jay was over the moon when Jeanie said "I do" ... sweeping her off her feet and holding his bride up with a gorgeous backdrop behind them. BTW, our sources say there weren't any famous people in attendance ... meaning no players.

That's reflected in the vibe here -- super casualchill, but Jeanie looks great in her gown -- which is quite traditional. It's a great ending for a couple who's been together for years now.

While she first went public with their relationship just in 2021 ... we know she and Jay had quietly started dating as early as 2017 -- this after she broke it off with one-time fiancé Phil Jackson in 2016. Since then, Jeanie and Jay have been inseparable -- and very in love.

They announced their engagement in December 2022 ... and now 9 months later, they're man and wife.