TMZ Sports - Page 11

Brittany Mahomes hitting it off with Taylor Swift has seemingly rubbed Travis Kelce's ex-girlfriend the wrong way -- Kayla Nicole no longer follows her bestie on Instagram amid the tight end's budding relationship with the singer.

Patrick Mahomes' wife has been spending a lot of time with T-Swift over the past two weeks -- as we previously reported, the two initially connected at Kelce's party after the Chiefs' win over the Bears last week ... and grabbed dinner with Blake Lively and Sophie Turner in NYC days later.

Brittany and Taylor appeared to be thick as thieves as they enjoyed the Chiefs' close win over the Jets from a VIP suite alongside Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman and more Sunday night ... a clear indication that Mahomes approves of Kelce's new love interest.

Kayla -- who remained tight with Brittany long after her relationship with Travis ended in 2022 -- apparently doesn't like the idea of her friend cozying up with Swift ... 'cause the model and influencer recently unfollowed Mahomes on social media.

Of course, Kayla was super close with the Mahomeses for years -- she was even a bridesmaid for their wedding in March 2022.

Now, she's no longer keeping tabs on both Brittany AND Patrick on the platform ... and previous posts have been "un-liked" by Kayla's account.

Yeah, Damian Lillard and Antonio Brown might have some dope music, but Shaq tells TMZ Sports he's the G.O.A.T when it comes to athletes who rap ... and he's been that guy since the 1990s!

For those who don't remember, Shaq made four rap albums during his Hall of Fame NBA career, with the first one, "Shaq Diesel," coming out in 1993.

He hasn't stopped making music in retirement either ... the 51-year-old actually just jumped on a track with L.A.-based group Coyote -- and he tells us he's got much more on the way too.

"I got a couple of freestyles," O'Neal said. "It's all competition for me, so when I hear other people that say, 'I'm a better athlete-rapper than Shaq,' I gotta step up."

"Nothing personal. I just have to let these people know who paved the way."

Some of the athletes makin' waves in the rap game include Lillard, who's been considered by fans to be one of the best, lyrically, in any sport.

There's also Brown, who's made catchy tracks like "Put That Sh** On" ... as well as former NBA star Iman Shumpert.

But, while O'Neal (who we recently talked to about his huge upcoming charity event) was very complimentary of the guys' talents on the mic, he says he's still the greatest of all time.

"I put stuff out, they put stuff out and we let the people decide who the number one is," O'Neal said.

"I know who the number one is. I'ma always say myself is number one, but they got a lot of the guys out there that are coming."

Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, a 2x World Series champion, has died at the age of 57 ... just days after former teammate Curt Schilling revealed the longtime starting pitcher was battling brain cancer.

The Boston Red Sox, Wakefield's team for all but two of his 19 MLB seasons (he spent his early days with the Pirates), announced the devastating news on social media.

"Our hearts are broken with the loss of Tim Wakefield," the BoSox wrote on X.

"Wake embodied true goodness; a devoted husband, father, and teammate, beloved broadcaster, and the ultimate community leader. He gave so much to the game and all of Red Sox Nation."

"Our deepest love and thoughts are with Stacy, Trevor, Brianna, and the Wakefield family."

On the mound, Wakefield could be nearly unhittable … thanks to his knuckleball. TW won 200 games and retired with a 4.41 ERA. Tim struck out over 2,100 batters and earned a trip to the All-Star Game in 2009.

He won two World Series in 2004 and 2007.

Wakefield retired in 2011 ... and was later inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame.

Of course, it wasn't publicly known that the former All-Star was sick until Schilling, on his podcast last week, revealed Tim was battling cancer and fighting for his life, seemingly against the Wakefield family's wishes.

Curt even acknowledged "I don't even know if he wants it shared," but explained he was Christian and remarked ... "I've seen prayer work and so I'm going to talk about it."

Schilling categorized the illness as "a very serious, very aggressive form of brain cancer."

Many were outraged by Schilling's actions ... Jason Varitek's wife, Catherine, blasted the World Series MVP-winning pitcher. The Red Sox also condemned Curt, saying, "Health is a deeply personal matter they intended to keep private as they navigate treatment and work to tackle this disease."

The MLB team added that the Wakefields were asking for "privacy at this time."

Sadly, just three days later, the legendary knuckleballer and father of two, passed away.

Many from the baseball community have begun reacting to the terrible news, with Tim's former teammate, Kevin Youkilis, summing Wakefield up perfectly.

"He was a great teammate and just a great friend."

The NFL got animated this weekend -- the shield teamed up with none other than Disney to broadcast a simultaneous version of a game that saw everybody reimagined as a toy.

Of course, we're referring to the Jags facing off against the Falcons in London ... the kickoff for which was super early. That doesn't mean Disney/ESPN wasn't ready with their big "Toy Story" skin, though -- as soon as the game started, their own cartoon stream was live.

It's exactly how it sounds ... basically, while the real game was playing out on everyone's TV, a different part of the screen was showing Disney's carbon copy universe -- where all the players were turned into toys and their on-field play was translating moment-for-moment.

The "Toy Story" stream wasn't on the main screen the entire time -- it sounds like they cut away to it during different parts of the match ... including replays/highlights, etc.

It was pretty cool to see, and the reactions online certainly reflected that ... as people were somewhat mesmerized by the technology -- not to mention all the other "Toy Story" characters being incorporated into the background and on the sidelines.

With that said, the new feature wasn't without its issues -- there were moments when the "Toy Story" would glitch up and/or not cut back to the main action in time ... and it PO'd some.

Still, it was way more good than bad ... and considering how much the "Toy Story" stuff got talked about, you can almost guarantee the NFL will try doing this again in the near future.

BTW, this isn't the first time the league has done something like this ... they've partnered with Nickelodeon in the past and had AR visuals superimposed over portions of the game -- including "slime" moments after touchdowns.

Kim Kardashian and Tom Brady shared a fun-filled moment while bidding on a very pricey piece of art -- and the two even got a bit flirty!!

According to eyewitnesses... Kim and Tom showed up to bid on a George Condo painting at the Reform Alliance Charity in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Saturday night.

We're told Kim kicked off the bidding at $500K, and then Tom put in a higher bid before they got into a full-on bidding war.

During their back and forth, the celebs giggled and kept looking at each other, and it was all "super fun and flirty," our sources tell us.

When the bid reached $2 million, the event hosts stepped in and decided both would receive their own George Condo painting.

But there was a caveat ... Kim and Tom each had to pay $2 million for their canvases, which for them is just chump change.

Tom Brady gave hundreds of kids a day to remember Saturday, by not only hitting up a sports trading card event but also getting in on the action!

Brady was the surprise guest at the Fanatics and Topps Hobby Rip Night in Linwood, New Jersey.

There were some big stars front and center, including Travis Scott, Kevin Hart, who hosted the event, and Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin.

Fanatics is the biggest sports merchandizer in the game.

The Linwood store has a capacity of 100, but so many people showed hundreds more descended onto the parking lot.

Brady was all in, trading cards with fans and the kids went nuts. Fact is ... Brady owns tons of football cards.

Taylor Swift's gearing up to root on Travis Kelce for the second week in a row, but not before grabbing dinner with some famous gal pals ... stepping out with Sophie Turner, Brittany Mahomes, and Blake Lively.

Taylor and crew hit Italian hotspot Emilio's Ballato in NYC Saturday night -- arriving with Blake and later joined by Sophie and Mahomes ... who she recently got acquainted with last weekend following Kansas City's win at home.

Of course, Taylor's been spending a lot of time with Sophie as of late, noticeably taking her side in a battle with Joe Jonas as they fight for custody and issues surrounding their divorce.

Blake's a longtime friend of Taylor, but Mahomes is certainly a new addition to the girl squad.

TMZ broke the story ... Taylor and Brittany hit it off at Travis Kelce's afterparty in KC last weekend, chatting a bunch and at one time taking a shot together. We were also first to obtain a photo of Taylor and Travis looking rather comfortable at the bash ... as she wrapped her arms around the NFL superstar.

Travis and his Kansas City Chiefs are set to take on The New York Jets Sunday night, and sources tell us Taylor will be in attendance.

Before Dion Lewis was hauled off to jail last week, he allegedly called cops "p***ies" and threatened to spit on an officer -- this according to new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports.

In the docs, Seminole Police Dept. officers say they were called out to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa in Florida at around 2 PM on Sept. 18 after venue security claimed Lewis was being "unruly."

Cops say the former New England Patriots running back was told he had to leave the property ... and was escorted out to valet where authorities said they allowed him to either cab it or Uber it away from the premises without further repercussions.

But, according to the docs, "Lewis became belligerent in front of other casino patrons, calling officers 'p***ies,' and advising he was not leaving property because he did nothing wrong."

He then allegedly said he'd spit in a sergeant's face "if he touched him."

Lewis was taken to a nearby jail a short time later ... and ultimately charged with misdemeanor trespassing.

His attorney submitted a not guilty plea on the former tailback's behalf earlier this week. He's now due back in court next month.

James Harrison says he's not a Hall of Famer, and Ryan Clark fears the Steelers legend might be right ... but he tells TMZ Sports he's hoping like hell his old teammate ends up being wrong.

Harrison admitted last week he doesn't believe his numbers are good enough to one day get a bust in Canton ... and when we spoke with Clark this week, he said he shares the same concerns as the guy he played with from 2006-2012.

"I would say he's borderline," Clark said of the ex-Pittsburgh pass rusher. "I don't know if he gets in."

Clark tells us ... he's unsure if Harrison sustained a level of excellence for long enough to sway voters -- though he did note the guy's Super Bowl wins and Defensive Player of the Year award might ultimately be enough.

"My bias says he deserves it, but I understand how it works," Clark said ... before adding, "I hope he gets in."

Harrison played in the NFL from 2002 to 2017, but he was only a full-time starter for about seven years. He logged 84.5 sacks in his career ... as well as 811 combined tackles.

The totals were good enough to earn him a place in Pittsburgh's Hall of Honor this season ... and, clearly, Clark is hoping it'll one day get him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame too.

Travis Kelce's looks over the years are (field) GOALS!

Here is a 24-year-old version of the Kansas City Chiefs' stud, sportin' some scruff and lookin' tough (pre-Taylor Swift days), while warming up to take on the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium back in 2014 (left).

And, nearly a decade later the tight end star recently appeared somber after losing to the Detroit Lions at Arrowhead Stadium (right), however he sure is winning in the dating department 😜!

Now that this pretty boy is in his T-Swift era ... fans all over are waiting to see if there's trouble when Taylor walks into tonight's game.

So, we mustache you one important question ...

Grizzlies legend Zach Randolph is confident Ja Morant will bounce back from his off-court issues ... telling TMZ Sports he's been sharing advice with the young NBA star following his 25-game suspension.

Memphis will be without its face of the franchise for the first chunk of the upcoming season as a result of his second gun-related social media post that surfaced back in May ... but Z-Bo says it's just a bump in the road for the two-time All-Star -- revealing what he's been telling Morant in their conversations.

"Man, I just tell him, Ja, you're lil bro," Randolph said at LAX. "We all been through some stuff. If it was social media like it was when I was playing, I'd be in some stuff, too."

"You gon' be all right," he added. "You just go through growing pains, and you be resilient and you bounce back."

"That's what he is. He'll bounce back."

24-year-old Ja initially faced criticism for flashing a gun at a strip club back in March ... resulting in an 8-game ban.

Despite his claims -- and alleged video proof -- that the weapon shown in the second video was actually a lighter, the league elected to hand down his current lengthy punishment.

Amanda Serrano isn't only seeking a win next month, she's also looking to prove women absolutely can box 12 three-minute rounds, telling TMZ Sports the ladies can do it just like the men!

You may not even know ... female boxers don't go three-minute rounds, but rather fight for two minutes.

But, that's about to change when Serrano steps in the ring with Danila Ramos (12-2, 1 KO) on October 27 ... 'cause they're going the full three-minute rounds in Orlando ... the first female fighters to do so in 16 years!

"It's definitely been a long time since it happened," Serrano told us this week. "I'm excited."

"I have an amazing team backing me up that's pushing this fight and it about time we showcase now that I have this platform, now that I have this exposure to showcase that women can and will and capable of going 12, three-minute rounds."

Now, the reason behind WBC's rule is supposedly for the safety of the women, who are said to be at greater risk for head injuries. The Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine once said "female athletes appear to sustain more severe concussions than male athletes, due in part to a lower biomechanical threshold tolerance for head impacts.”

Whether or not it's medically accurate, Serrano (45-2-1, 30 KOs) wants to fight three-minute rounds ... and hopes to show that's how it should always be going forward.

"It's two women going at it but you know I'm hoping to prove come October 27 that we can do it and we're gonna come out well and healthy," Serrano said.

The bottom line ... Amanda says she's going to put on a helluva show in Orlando.

"It's gonna be an amazing night of nonstop action," the 34-year-old said. "You're gonna see me for three minutes, go out there and throw all my punches like I usually do!"

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce seemed primed to run their Kansas City date back for round 2 -- 'cause they're in the same area ahead of a big game ... which she's supposed to attend.

The pop star and NFL'er surfaced separately on the East Coast Saturday -- with TS popping up in the Big Apple alongside Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds ... with the trio walking through the streets of NYC looking stylish.

Just over the bridge ... Travis and some other Chiefs players, including Patrick Mahomes, were checking into their hotel in New Jersey -- which is where they'll play Sunday's game.

As we reported ... Taylor is expected to show up to MetLife Stadium to once again watch TK's big match against the Jets -- a game that'll be televised on NBC during Sunday Night Football, and which will undoubtedly garner more eyeballs than last week did.

Considering she's in town ... it's all but guaranteed we'll be watching her root from the sidelines. The question now is -- will Taylor's in-game visits become a regular thing???

We know she and Trav hit the town in KC last week ... and their gallivanting caused quite a stir in the city. In this neck of the woods, though -- that'll be amplified by at least 10 ... with tons of paparazzi crawling all over the place, not to mention adoring fans left and right.

If this does, in fact, become a tradition as these 2 explore their relationship ... you also gotta wonder if we'll see added PDA as time goes on. We already saw them cozying up during an after-party -- and now that the cat's outta the bag, perhaps more is on the horizon.

There's been some speculation this all might be a PR stunt -- but now ... it feels real.

Remember, we were told Taylor's team is still working out security logistics for MetLife ... meaning, she won't be able to just slip in all casual-like the way she did last week.

With all this in mind, it probably goes without saying -- if we happen see Taylor and Travis out and about at all this weekend ... it'll undoubtedly be another frenzy and then some.

Ex-WWE Superstar Matt Riddle seemingly had a few too many drinks during a plane delay earlier this month ... grabbing a microphone and shouting at fellow passengers -- and TMZ Sports has the video.

The incident went down at JFK Airport on September 9 ... the same day the two-time Raw Tag Team Champion accused a Port Authority police officer of sexual assault, which led to an investigation.

Our video shows what went down prior to the allegations.

A witness tells us their flight to Orlando was postponed multiple times, so Riddle and his friend waited it out by enjoying drinks at a nearby restaurant.

The witness says Riddle was becoming "incredibly obnoxious" throughout the delay ... being "extremely loud and rude."

Once it was almost time to board, the witness noticed Riddle walking around, yelling and asking when the plane would take off -- before going up to the gate's front desk and grabbing the mic.

In the video, Riddle -- who's holding a drink -- is heard asking fellow passengers if they're capable of flying the plane. It's all in a playful manner, but staffers were quick to put an end to it.

The passengers eventually got on the plane ... except Riddle, who was denied entry due to his state.

Our witness tells us he grew upset, asking "So are you telling me I'm not going home today?"

As we previously reported, cops responded to a "disorderly person" -- AKA Riddle -- but when they met with him at the terminal, he apologized for his behavior. Cops did not file a police report ... and Riddle was free to go.

Of course, Riddle then went to Instagram to accuse an officer of sexual assault and harassment ... but the post was later deleted. The investigation into his claims remains ongoing.

Brittany Renner's sexual partner tally of 35 people is of little consequence to Maino -- he says the slut-shaming needs to stop, and while defending Brittany decided ... why not shoot his shot.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the "Way Up With Angela Yee" correspondent amid NYC's torrential downpour, and got his thoughts on the "Basketball Wives" star's recent confession.

Brittany's 35 trysts were too much for Shannon Sharpe to swallow, but Maino didn't flinch ... telling us he's down for the long haul with BR. He says he'd be happy to fill her next few slots.

Neither the rain, nor his faulty umbrella, stopped Maino's defense of Brittany ... as he told us the men criticizing Brittany are insecure about their sexuality, and added marriage and sexual relations fall under different categories ... in his book, anyway.

We're not sure people wearing wedding rings will agree, but he's adamant.

Isaiah Thomas is hell-bent on continuing his career in the NBA ... telling TMZ Sports his No. 1 -- and only -- plan right now is getting back into the Association.

"My only option is the league," Thomas said while out at LAX this month. "For sure."

The former Boston Celtics star, though, said right now there hasn't been much movement on his quest to land on a team. But, he told us he is staying patient.

"Just waiting it out," said the 34-year-old, who last played for the Charlotte Hornets in the 2021-22 season. "Staying ready to be on an NBA roster."

Of course, there are other pro leagues outside the NBA that Thomas could thrive in -- including the EuroLeague, the Australian National Basketball League and the Chinese Basketball Association ... but the two-time All-Star made it clear he wants to see NBA hardwoods only.

We also talked to Thomas about his former teammate, LeBron James, recruiting players for the 2024 Olympics following the country's loss in this year's FIBA World Cup semifinals ... and he told us if LBJ gets the guys he wants, it should be an easy win for Team USA.