TMZ Sports - Page 27

Houston Rockets player Kevin Porter Jr. was arrested on Monday ... after allegedly hitting his girlfriend and putting his hands around her neck.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports the incident happened at the Millennium Hotel in New York.

We're told police responded to a call of a dispute around 6:45 AM ... and at the scene, cops observed a laceration above the 26-year-old woman's right eye and noticed there was blood on her face.

The woman -- who also complained of neck pain -- claimed KPJ struck her multiple times throughout her body during the physical altercation. EMS responded to the scene ... and the girlfriend was taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation.

Porter is currently behind bars in New York on assault and strangulation charges.

Our sources claim Porter's girlfriend was upset over how long he stayed out earlier in the night ... so she locked the doors to keep him from entering their room when he got back.

We're told KPJ eventually got into the room with help from hotel security ... and the alleged altercation ensued minutes later. Witnesses say the girlfriend ran out to the hallway of the hotel and screamed for help.

KPJ -- the 30th overall pick out of 2019 NBA draft -- has played for the Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers so far in his career ... averaging 19.2 points and 5.7 assists a game for Houston last season.

LeBron James is reportedly putting together his next super team ... recruiting the biggest names in the NBA to join him on Team USA for one last ride together at the 2024 Olympics.

The four-time champion -- who hasn't played international hoops since winning gold at the London Games in 2012 -- is actively working to assemble a roster of the league's top American talent, according to Shams Charania ... including guys like Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum, Draymond Green and Anthony Davis.

The news comes on the heels of Team USA's disappointing fourth-place finish at the FIBA World Cup ... but Shams noted James was assembling his team long before America's loss to Canada over the weekend.

Team USA could be stacked from top to bottom ... as Devin Booker, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving and De'Aaron Fox have also reportedly shown interest in donning the Red, White and Blue again.

It's pretty interesting, considering U.S. track star Noah Lyles recently found himself in a beef with NBA players over calling themselves "world champions" ... a stance he later doubled down on in an interview with TMZ Sports.

Lyles believes the NBA Finals winners aren't really "world" champs since they don't compete against other countries ... which got backlash from a ton of the league's biggest stars.

DraftKings issued a mea culpa on Monday morning ... after the gambling site posted a 9/11-themed parlay that many viewed as insensitive.

The bet that fans could place money on was called "Never Forget" ... and it allowed people to wager on if the New York Mets, New York Yankees and New York Jets would all win on Monday -- the 22nd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in NY.

Immediately after it was posted, though, it was ripped by social media users ... who called it tone-deaf and crass.

In wake of the backlash hours later, DraftKings pulled it from its site ... and issued an apology.

"We sincerely apologize for the featured parlay that was shared briefly in commemoration of 9/11," a DK spokesperson said in a statement to the Boston Globe. We respect the significance of this day for our country and especially for the familys of those who were directly affected.”

Cal's loss to Auburn on Saturday stung in more ways than one for Aaron Rodgers ... 'cause it appeared he and his Jets teammate had a wager on the game -- one that resulted in the quarterback having to reluctantly wear some Tigers gear on Sunday.

The Golden Bears -- who Rodgers played for from 2003 to 2004 -- fell to Auburn, 14-10, in Berkeley ... and it seems Rodgers had a bet with C.J. Uzomah over it all ... 'cause roughly 24 hours after the L, the signal-caller was seen in the NY locker room with a whole lot of of orange on.

Uzomah, who played for the Tigers from 2011 to 2014, filmed Rodgers' surprising 'fit ... and his chuckle and comments on the vid indicated he got the best of Rodgers in a gamble on the game.

"Aaron," he said in the clip, "you love it. Say, 'War Eagle.' Just one time."

Rodgers, decked out in an AU cap and a War Eagle shirt, refused to do so ... shaking his head while giving his tight end a thumbs down.

Auburn loved the video so much ... the school even re-shared Uzomah's clip on its IG page.

"The newest fan of Auburn Football 🤣" AU wrote. "Sorry @aaronrodgers12, looks like @cj_uzomah won this one 👀."

Hollywood's heavy hitters descended on New York City for the men's tennis final between Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev at the US Open Sunday ... but there were two locking lips.

The slew of A-listers -- Leonardo DiCaprio, Kylie Jenner, Timothée Chalamet and Nicole Kidman among them -- crammed into their box seats to watch Djokovic beat Medvedev 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 on center court at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens.

Speaking of whom, Kylie and Timothée couldn't keep their hands off each other -- or their lips apart -- as they were photographed kissing throughout the match.

The lovebirds made their romance official at Beyoncé's concert in Los Angeles last week. TMZ obtained video of Kylie and Timothée smooching all night with their arms wrapped around each other.

Coupled with the US Open, their relationship appears to be going full steam ahead.

Other bold-faced names included Nicole's hubby, Keith Urban, Matthew McConaughey, Jake Paul, Eva Longoria, Jon Hamm, Jerry Seinfeld and Martha Stewart -- but Kylie and her new beau, Timothée, grabbed most of the spotlight.

Enjoy, kiddos!!

Do you think Kylie and Timothée are the real deal? Vote below.

Ex-NFL star Adam "Pacman" Jones was arrested for making terroristic threats and alcohol intoxication at an airport near Cincinnati early Monday morning ... after officials say police were called to assist with an "unruly passenger."

TMZ Sports has confirmed the former 6th-overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft was taken into custody around 6 AM ... and was officially booked an hour later.

Jones is facing misdemeanor charges of alcohol intoxication, disorderly conduct and terroristic threatening. While we're working to gather more information, the latter charge is especially of note ... considering Monday is the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Prior to the arrest, Jones posted a video of himself walking through the Northern Kentucky International Airport ... ranting about the Bengals' 24-3 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

This isn't Jones' first run-in with the law ... and isn't his first airport incident, either -- he famously got in a brawl in Atlanta back in 2018, although officials determined he was not the aggressor.

Jones -- who played for the Titans, Cowboys, Bengals and Broncos over the course of his 13-year career -- was most recently arrested in 2021 ... after he got in a violent altercation at a bar in Cincinnati.

A security guard was shot in the head after a high school football game in upstate New York ... and the terrifying moment was captured on video.

The violence erupted Saturday afternoon in the parking lot at Thomas R. Proctor High School in Utica following Proctor's 60-30 win over Binghamton HS.

Check out this new footage posted to X, which shows a bunch of brawlers going at it as two security guards try to break up the fight.

After people start to disperse, the crackle of gunfire is heard, and one of the guards is hit in the back of the head. You can see him drop to the ground.

He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was listed in critical, but stable condition.

The Utica Police Department said a 16-year-old boy was identified as the shooter after detectives reviewed several videos filmed at the scene.

Michael Irvin was back analyzing games on the NFL Network on Sunday ... after he settled his $100 million defamation lawsuit against Marriott.

The Dallas Cowboys legend was all smiles on "NFL Gameday Morning" as he was introduced by host Rich Eisen ... saying on the show, "It's good to be here."

The appearance marked the first time Irvin had been on the network since February ... after he had been suspended following allegations that he was inappropriate with a Marriott employee during Super Bowl week in Phoenix.

The worker -- who Irvin ID'ed as Jane Doe in court documents -- alleged that Irvin had stopped her near the hotel's bar, told her she was attractive ... and then asked her "whether she knew anything about having a 'big Black man inside of [her].'"

Irvin was adamant the claims were not true ... and he filed a lawsuit against Marriott a short time later, saying the Hotel giant's "employees and management inaccurately and inflammatorily accused Mr. Irvin of misconduct to the National Football League" -- costing him tens of millions of dollars. Irvin and his attorney, Levi McCathern, released video of the apparent interaction between the two -- and said it showed nothing more than a brief, innocuous conversation.

According to the Dallas Morning News, the parties reached a settlement recently ... which paved the way for Irvin's return to NFL N. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed publicly.

Ricky Williams was one of the best running backs of his era ... but he says he had the potential to dominate in a completely different sport -- the former Miami Dolphins standout tells TMZ Sports he could have been an All-Star if he pursued a career on the baseball diamond!!

Before he made his way to the NFL gridiron, Ricky -- whose legal name is now Errick Miron -- played several seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies' farm system while juggling his time with the Texas Longhorns football team.

Ricky -- an 8th-round pick to the Phils in the '95 MLB Amateur Draft -- was an outfielder for the organization's rookie league and Single-A teams for four years ... and footage of one of his early games actually exists!!

So when we caught up with Ricky last week, we asked if he's ever wondered how things would've panned out had he switched his focus to baseball ... and he believes he had the skills to hang with the big leaguers.

"I wouldn't say I was great, I had a lot of potential," Ricky told us. "I love to get better at things. If I would have devoted my full time to baseball, I would have been an All-Star baseball player."

So, what led him to football instead of baseball?? A pretty understandable reason.

"It's a fantasy, but the reality is I'm kind of the person where 162 games -- that's too much for me.

"Football is intense, but you got a nice offseason. That's more my speed."

Safe to say it all worked out -- Ricky won the Heisman Trophy in 1998 ... and went on to rush for more than 10,000 yards in his career.

Luis Rubiales is stepping down from his post as chief of Spanish soccer -- this after mounting pressure following his kissing scandal during the Women's World Cup.

The President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation -- who's had the job since 2018 -- just publicly announced he was resigning during an interview with Piers Morgan, who was asking if the backlash had grown too large to ignore.

Rubiales acknowledged his defiance was now starting to affect others and the organization at large, and that he was becoming a distraction ... so he's throwing in the towel.

He does maintain his innocence -- as he's done from the start -- but says trying to keep his position was turning out to be more trouble than it's worth. After a clip of the Piers sit-down was posted, he took to Twitter to confirm he'd passed the baton on to the acting Prez.

In his lengthy statement, Rubiales says he plans to defend himself/his honor in the continuing fallout. Of course, that seems to reference the criminal complaint the female soccer player herself, Jennifer Hermoso, filed with the Spanish authorities -- alleging sexual assault.

Spanish prosecutors have already said they're taking him to court to stand trial. If convicted, he faces a fine and/or up to 4 years in prison.

Rubiales apologized for the incident shortly after it happened -- saying he got swept up in the moment ... but later suggesting it was a consensual kiss, despite Hermoso saying otherwise.

He was eventually suspended, and the head coach of the team actually got fired for defending Rubiales -- in which he commended the fact Rubiales refused to quit. It's perhaps not that surprising ... the team had said they wouldn't take the field until he was gone.

Matt Riddle claimed an NYC airport cop sexually assaulted him during a confrontation -- and while he seems to have taken it back, an investigation is now underway ... TMZ has learned.

The WWE wrestling star posted a shocking allegation Sunday, taking to IG to throw up a photo of a Port Authority police officer at JFK ... and attaching a scathing caption. He claims to have been touched inappropriately by this cop but doesn't go into too much detail.

What he does say is that he told this officer "no," but alleges the man proceeded to do something out of bounds to him anyway. FWIW, Riddle has since deleted the IG post.

Now, as far as what led up to this and what exactly went down ... we have some answers. Law enforcement sources tell us Port Authority officers got a call for a disorderly person who was deplaning, and they met him in the terminal. As it turns out, that was Riddle.

We're told the cops talked to MR -- as well as other witnesses -- and he seemed apologetic in the moment. No police report was filed, and everyone was free to go without incident.

It's because of this that our sources say the Port Authority was shocked by Riddle's claim ... as, from their view, nothing went down to warrant such an accusation. Still, we're told the department is taking his claim seriously ... and an internal probe has been launched.

Kim Zolciak seems to be in full-blown denial -- or else Kroy has had a radical change of heart -- because she's talking like her marriage is still a work in progress, despite the fact her husband has filed for divorce and wants to sell the family home.

Kim posted, "I'm living here not going anywhere! Been working on our marriage and have been living as husband and wife. The lies daily are too much."

Thing is ... Kroy Biermann has not only filed for divorce ... he wants the kids. He's accused her of sinking the family into a deep financial hole, in part because of her gambling.

Kroy has been trying to get Kim to sign off on selling the family home ... giving they have an IRS debt of more than a mil, and lawsuits totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid personal debts, including a $150,000 SAKS bill.

Kroy's lawyers have told TMZ the divorce is still on, but Kim seems to think it's all salvageable.

Vernon Davis' playing days might not be over after all ... the two-time Pro Bowler tells TMZ Sports he'd consider coming out of retirement if a team made him the right offer.

"Yeah, absolutely," he said this week. "Whoever needs a tight end, I could come in."

Davis hasn't played a down in the league since the 2019 season ... and he's been super busy with a budding Hollywood career and other business endeavors in the last four years.

But, the 39-year-old former first-round pick says when he finds the time to catch some games on TV ... he does get the itch to compete again.

"I want to test my ability against these young guys," he said.

As for the chances of a return actually happening, Davis tells us the team would need to be a contender ... and the money would have to be right -- but if that all fell into place, he's in.

"If it's all connected from a winning standpoint, as well as financially, yeah," he said. "Come on, I'll come off the bench."

"Put me in, Coach. Put me in, Coach!"

For now, though, Davis seems to be content being a fan -- and he tells us from that standpoint, he sees the Ravens being an underrated Super Bowl contender.

Dak Prescott has paid tribute to his late mom once again ... this time, he and his brother got matching tattoos to honor her on what would have been her 62nd birthday.

The Dallas Cowboys superstar and his older bro, Tad, hit up Christina of Inked By Auburn on Monday afternoon to see if she could fit them in that day ... and despite being closed for the holiday, the artist jumped at the chance to help the Prescotts out.

Christina tells TMZ Sports ... Dak and Tad came to her shop late Monday evening, and they both settled on getting Virgo constellations to represent their mom's zodiac sign.

Tad went first, getting the piece done on his hand. Christina also tattooed the dates of Peggy's birthday and the day of her passing below it as well.

Dak then got his on his bicep ... and both were super pleased with the outcome -- happily posing for photos.

It all took about 90 minutes to complete ... and afterward, Christina says Dak sent her a message, thanking her and saying he'd be back for more ink soon.

Noah Lyles ain't backing off his "world champion" stance one bit ... and he's sending some loud-and-clear shade to one of the guys who had the biggest problem with it all -- Drake.

The track star won three golds (100m, 200m, 4x100m relay) at the World Athletic Games in Budapest, Hungary last month ... and following the efforts, he ruffled a ton of feathers when he said NBA players shouldn't get to call themselves champs of the globe like he could.

"World champion of what?" Lyles said, reminding those in attendance that NBA players only perform in the U.S. and Canada. "The United States?!"

His comments were hit with immediate criticism ... with guys like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Draymond Green -- and, yes, even Drake -- firing away at him.

But, when Lyles sat down with TMZ Sports this week ... he made it clear he's not budging from his opinion -- though he did clarify that he loves what the NBA's doing, and he wants track and field to follow their model.

"I do think that the point was lost," he told us. "At the end of the day, it was talking about how I see what we do to our national championships -- I just want the same thing for our world champions. And we're a sport where we're bringing in the most medals every year -- and it's like nobody even knows because they don't pay attention."

As for Drake ... Lyles brushed off the rapper's criticism of him -- saying, "Just go home, buddy. Go home."

Today marks the start of the NFL season, but those pigskins aren't flying quite as high in L.A. because Hollywood has swung right into the Pickleball trend, serving up fashion, wiffle balls and their pretty little paddles!

Big or small, David Dobrik and Taylor Lautner firmly grabbed hold of their paddles, Ellen Degeneres showed off her strongest backhand stance, and fear the paddle no more, because Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush demanded order on the court ... Game on!

Sweat is in the air this Sunday, so bounce into our gallery of athletic stars getting themselves into a pickle!