TMZ Sports - Page 8

Bronny James was teachin' fans how to Dougie at a USC hoops event Thursday night ... dancing his tail off during player introductions -- but he sat out all of the night's competitions, an indication he's still not quite 100 percent after suffering cardiac arrest.

LeBron's oldest son received a super warm welcome at the annual Trojan HoopLA shindig at the Galen Center in downtown Los Angeles ... and he sure seemed to love it all, gyrating to Cali Swag District's "Teach Me How To Dougie" as people in the stands roared.

However, that was about all the physical activity he did during the evening ... electing not to participate in the skills competition, dunk contest and the 3-point contest.

Of course, it's not unexpected at all ... Bronny required surgery just a few weeks ago after he had the issue with his heart back in July -- and everyone involved has been making sure he's been brought along slowly ever since.

It's unclear when he'll be able to officially start putting basketballs in hoops for the Trojans this year ... a timetable has not been given -- but LeBron said just days ago the goal is for his son to make an impact at USC soon.

Meanwhile, there were plenty more highlights from the Trojans event Thursday ... including when freshman forward Brandon Gardner threw down a massive slam over star USC quarterback Caleb Williams during the dunk contest.

Rap stars YG & Saweetie also performed!!

Saints tight end Foster Moreau was emotional after dropping a touchdown pass that could've sent his team into overtime on Thursday night ... admitting the play put him in "a dark place."

The 26-year-old, who beat cancer to return to the field this year, had a chance to help New Orleans tie its "Thursday Night Football" game against the Jaguars with just seconds remaining on the clock ... but the TD pass slipped right through his fingertips -- and the Saints went on to lose, 31-24.

Afterward, Moreau -- seemingly on the verge of tears -- called his effort on the play "unacceptable" and "pathetic."

"It's tough," Moreau said. "In front of every man, woman and child I've ever known. It's a dark place to be."

Moreau's teammates, however, had the guy's back ... with superstar running back Alvin Kamara saying the drop was not the sole reason the Saints lost.

In fact, Kamara was the one who helped get Moreau off the bench after the game ... and in a meeting with reporters inside the locker room following the defeat, he said he told Moreau the moment can't even remotely compare to what he's been through in his fight against Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

"I just told him, man, he's blessed for what he's been through," Kamara said. "That ain't nothing."

Taylor Swift and her girl squad were out in force in the City of Angels ... grabbing sushi with her fellow A-list ladies, Selena Gomez and Zoë Kravitz.

The ladies took to the highly recommended Sushi Park in West Hollywood Thursday night, and apparently, a good time was had by all -- as they were seen laughing and smiling as they left the joint.

As you know, Selena and Taylor have been pals since 2008, when Taylor was dating Joe Jonas and Selena was with Nick Jonas -- so ya, they've been through it together.

Zoë has also worked with Taylor in the past, as one of the songwriters credited on Tay's song, "Lavender Haze" ... part of her 2022 album, "Midnights."

BTW, it looks like Taylor passed up a night with her boo, Travis Kelce, for some time with the girls instead -- but he's got a game coming up in Kansas City this weekend, so there's a good chance he'll be locked in at practice for the next few days.

It's unclear if Taylor will make it back to Missouri for the game this weekend, but if she does, you can be sure both Taylor fans and NFL honchos alike will be happy to have her ... she's definitely brought some new eyes to the game.

We've also learned the Chiefs tight end bought a new pad in Kansas City for just under $6 million -- looking to get a lot more privacy as their relationship really heats up.

There's only one man breathing who has been in an Octagon with Kamaru Usman and Khamzat Chimaev -- Gilbert Burns -- and now "Durinho" is breaking down the highly anticipated UFC 294 co-main event!

37-year-old Burns joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs nightly on FS1) ... and having shared the cage with both title contenders, he told us where each man has the advantage.

For Khamzat, Burns says it's a plus he had a full camp -- even though he was training for a different opponent in Paulo Costa. Still, Usman didn't have any camp ... save for a few days before he left for Abu Dhabi.

When it comes to Kamaru, Gilbert believes his vast array of experience can't be discounted. Usman has been in virtually every situation ... and that can't be said for Chimaev (this will be his 7th UFC fight, and Kamaru's 18th in Dana's promotion).

Two of those fights came against Burns.

Kamaru and Gilbert's scrap was the main event at UFC 258 in February 2021 ... a fight Usman won by 3rd round TKO. The fight was very competitive, especially early, until KU took over, and ended things, retaining his title.

Khamzat and Gilbert fought a year and change later at UFC 273 in April 2022 ... a fight Chimaev won by unanimous decision. Despite the judge's scorecards, many believe Burns actually won the razor-close fight. It was without any doubt the first time Borz was pushed ... and while he certainly bent, he didn't break.

Burns breaks down much more about the looming fight ... touching on everything from speed and punching power to strength and ability on the ground.

Usman, who took the fight on 10 days notice, is a sizeable underdog ... around +250 at most sportsbooks (wager $100 to win $250, whereas you'd risk around $300 to win $100 on Chimaev).

Gilbert didn't exactly pick a winner -- at least not straight up -- but given his expertise, and the odds ... he had this to say.

"I think you should put a lot of money on Kamaru Usman," Burns said.

Jerry Jeudy is now taking the high road in his beef with Steve Smith ... saying Thursday he has "no hate toward" the former All-Pro while adding that if he had acted differently, he thinks none of their drama would have ever gone public.

You'll recall, Smith unloaded on Jeudy prior to the Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs "Thursday Night Football" game last week ... going off after he said the Denver star wouldn't accept his apology for some words he had previously said about the wideout on his podcast.

Smith, while live on-air for the NFL Network, called Jeudy "just a guy" ... adding that he believed Jeudy was "a tier three" player.

The harsh comments quickly went viral -- but when Jeudy was asked to go in-depth about them in front of his locker this week, he didn't throw any barbs back.

Instead, he explained that he didn't initially accept Smith's apology because he didn't realize one was coming.

"One thing I do agree on, I feel like I should have just listened to what he had to say," the 24-year-old former Alabama star said. "But at the same time, I'm going back to my roots, and once someone talks bad about you behind your back, you can't talk to -- don't expect to come to them in person and think everything's going to be OK at the end of the day."

"But, like I said, if I would've known he would've came and apologized and stuff like that, it would have been a whole different story or reaction and he wouldn't have said what he said."

It's been a rough year for Jeudy outside of the Smith drama -- he started the season injured ... and has tallied only 20 receptions since he's returned to the field.

Welp, she didn't come out and fully say it ... but Ali Krieger just gave about as strong an indication as any her wife, Ashlyn Harris, cheated on her with actress Sophia Bush.

The Gotham FC star just took to Instagram, posting a series of shots of herself playing soccer with the caption, "Preparing for playoffs while in my Beyoncé lemonade era."

If you didn't know ... Beyoncé's "Lemonade" album chronicles the singer's relationship with her husband, Jay-Z, after she discovered he cheated on her. So ya, it appears Ali is the Beyoncé of the situation ... accusing Ashlyn of being the Jay-Z.

What's more, Ali's brother, Kyle Krieger, commented on the post with Beyoncé lyrics from the song "Don't Hurt Yourself" off "Lemonade" ... writing, "This is your final warning, you know I give you life. If you try this s*** again, you gone lose your wife." Kyle also wrote, "Love you and so proud of you!! These hoes ain’t loyal!! But me and your fans are!"

As we reported ... Sophia and Ali were spotted posing for pics, laughing and being extra flirty months before either filed for divorce.

The two participated on a panel in Cannes back in June, where Sophia was seen grabbing Ashlyn's arm, and Ashlyn later wrapped her arm around the actress in a photo.

Sophia didn't file for divorce from her husband, Grant Hughes, until August ... and Ashlyn only filed for divorce from Ali last month. Ashlyn and Ali have two small kids together. Ali posted a pic of herself with the kiddos ... so she hasn't missed a beat in the mom department.

No, Amon-Ra St. Brown isn't quitting football to hide a pot of gold ... he just looked like it on Thursday -- and it's all 'cause he lost a bet to his teammate!

The Detroit Lions star showed up to media availability dressed as if he were a new Lucky Charms spokesperson ... and when reporters asked why he was in the all-green garb, he told them it's because USC fell to Notre Dame in their rivalry game on Saturday.

"We made an agreement," the 23-year-old former Trojans star said of he and his teammate, ex-Notre Dame defensive lineman Julian Okwara. "I called J.O. -- FaceTimed him -- and he said if SC wins, he has to be Tommy Trojan. I said, 'OK.' And he said if Notre Dame wins, I gotta be -- I don't know what this is called."

Of course, the Trojans put up a decent fight for a while against the Irish in South Bend ... but they crumbled late, giving Okwara the win over St. Brown.

What's hilarious ... the Lions star told media members not to call it all a "bet" -- as the NFL has been recently cracking down on gambling inside locker rooms, although we're pretty sure Roger Goodell would've let this one slide.

LeBron James certainly doesn't have writer's block -- the Los Angeles Lakers superstar just announced he's got another children's book on the way ... titled "I Am More Than."

The 4-time NBA champ teamed up with HarperCollins Publishers on the project ... to inspire young readers to understand they are more than just "one label, trait, or interest."

"'I Am More Than' is about believing in yourself and all the amazing things you're capable of, which no one else can define you," James said in a statement.

"I hope everyone that reads it feels inspired to be 'more than' in everything they do."

James is no stranger to the literature game -- his first kids book, "I Promise," became a New York Times best seller.

"It's been incredible to see students, teachers, and families respond to I Promise and its message of encouragement," the 38-year-old said.

"With the next book, we want to continue inspiring kids everywhere to keep dreaming big and not let anything hold them back."

The book -- slated to hit shelves on April 2 -- will feature illustrations from Nina Mata.

The future Hall of Famer also made a middle-grade level book called "We Are Family" this year with journalist and writer Andrea Williams.

Megan Thee Stallion recently told fans her next album will be an indie effort, and that's no cap -- her years-long battle with her record label 1501 Certified, and its boss Carl Crawford, is now over!

Billboard reported on Thursday that both Megan and 1501 will "amicably part ways" ... ending 3 years of back-and-forth swipes on social media.

The two parties started going at it in 2020 ... the "WAP" rapper cited repeated attempts by the Houston-based label blocking her from releasing music and fulfilling her contract.

No word if either party paid out any money to end the deal, but Crawford softened his stance on Meg earlier this year after the Tory Lanez guilty verdict for shooting her.

He debuted his new label president Kai "Verse" Tyler to TMZ Hip Hop back in Feb. ... revealing he was sorry for his part in the Meg wars, which included bad mouthing her Roc Nation boss Jay-Z.

The fanfare didn't last long ... Kai's no longer a part of the machine and 1501's other hitmaker, Erica Banks, recently dropped a diss song aimed at 1501 with the same gripes as Megan -- "Give a f*** about that label they see me/And they owe me some money, they greedy" ... but we're told cooler heads have prevailed.

Carl's a former MLB All-Star, so it's time to draw on that "team-building" expertise.

Ian Kinsler wasn't repping the Rangers or Astros last night, the former MLB star had a bigger cause on his mind than the ALCS ... the 4x All-Star, who is Jewish, threw out the first pitch wearing a Team Israel jersey.

Kinsler is a special assistant to the Rangers general manager ... and the organization invited him to kick off Game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX with the ceremonial first pitch.

IK was born in America but obtained Israeli citizenship (dual citizenship w/ U.S.) a few years back when he wanted to play for Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Ian then went on to serve as the manager for the Israeli team at the World Baseball Classic in 2023.

Since the horrific attack two-and-a-half weeks ago, Kinsler says he's been following the situation on the ground closely.

Kinsler is just one of many star athletes and celebs who have spoken out since October 7 ... 1,400 Israelis have been killed since the incursion began.

Perhaps none have done more than Floyd Mayweather, who sent his plane full of supplies to Tel Aviv over the weekend. He also FaceTimed IDF special forces soldiers and walked in a pro-Israeli march in Los Angeles.

Nate Diaz is letting Jake Paul know his calendar is WIDE OPEN on December 15 ... and what better time for a rematch, according to the MMA superstar from Stockton!

The Problem Child announced he was returning to the ring in mid-December, but didn't name an opponent. 38-year-old Diaz clearly wants the fight ... and even went as far to post a flyer promoting the fight.

"Rematch December," Diaz said in the IG caption. "You ain’t got nobody to fight."

"So I’ll beat your ass Dec 15th."

Of course, the men fought in August ... a fight Nate lost by unanimous decision. Paul knocked Diaz down in the fight, but overall, it was an entertaining fight.

Still, reaction seems mixed over the idea of a second scrap. But, there are some notable MMA fighters who seem eager to watch the guys go at it again, including Anthony Pettis, Roy Nelson, and BJ Penn.

"Easy money 💰!!!!!!," Penn wrote in the comments, "Nate will hurt him when they step in the ring again."

Paul did respond to Diaz's offer on Thursday, instead suggesting he fight Derek from Betr, who has clashed with Nate in the past.

Buns were on the menu at Eric and Jessie James Decker's house on Wednesday ... 'cause the ex-NFL star ditched his clothes and cooked dinner in the buff -- and luckily for us, his wife shared the visuals!!

The 36-year-old former wider receiver proved he's more of a tight end in retirement ... getting completely naked and throwing on an apron to commemorate JJD's new cookbook hitting the shelves earlier this month.

"To celebrate one week of 'Just Eat' being out I know I promised we would do another cheeky Eric cookbook photo 😂," JJD said on Instagram. "So in honor here it is and Eric also made his chicken chili tonight and let me say, yum yum yum!!!"

JJD made sure not to put Eric's whole ass out there for the world to see, though ... censoring his booty with a carefully placed emoji.

As it turns out, Eric has been doing his part to help spread the word about his partner's project -- he also went buck nekkid and posed with her book back in August.

Mark Davis threw on his dancin' shoes at the WNBA Finals on Wednesday night ... hitting some wild moves after his Las Vegas Aces won their second consecutive championship -- and the team loved it!

The Raiders owner -- who bought the Aces in 2021 -- couldn't have been more thrilled to see his team beat the New York Liberty in Game 4 for the title ... storming the court and moving his body in a way we've never seen from the 68-year-old.

Rockin' his trademark white getup, Davis rolled his hands, gyrated his hips and fist pumped ... all while his players cheered him on.

"Go Mark!" the ladies yelled while Davis grinned from ear to ear. "Go Mark!"

He, of course, wasn't the only one who got down in order to celebrate the Aces' second straight title ... a twerkin' sesh also happened when Sydney Colson and Kierstan Bell got after it before the team popped champagne.

The night also featured a special moment between Aces guard Kelsey Plum and her NFL star husband, Darren Waller. Because the game was in New York, the Giants tight end was able to watch his wife -- and when she won it all, he gave her a big smooch.

Candace Parker, meanwhile, was another person who was filled with joy over the Finals win ... she became the first player to win three WNBA titles on three different teams (Sparks in 2016, Sky in 2021, and now the Aces).

The party ain't over either ... the championship parade is scheduled for Monday in Sin City.

There's new images raising eyebrows surrounding the timeline of Sophia Bush and soccer star Ashlyn Harris' relationship ... posing for flirty photos, and laughing together months before either had filed for divorce.

For starters, Sophia and Ashlyn attended Cannes back in June, both participating in a panel about uplifting women in sports ... and sitting right next to each other. Sophia posted 4 images from the event, two of which included Ashlyn.

However, in one of those images, Sophia and Ashlyn are both smiling and laughing while Sophia reaches over and grabs Ashlyn's arm.

There's also a pic Ashlyn posted of her and Sophia from the June Cannes trip where she's got her arm wrapped around Ashlyn as they pose for a selfie ... definite signs the two were very comfortable with each other.

Sophia and Ashlyn posed together in July as well ... snapping a pic at the La Copa Mundial Femenina watch party in Los Angeles.

As we reported ... Sophia and Ashlyn are currently going strong. Sophia filed for divorce August 4 and Ashlyn Harris filed for divorce from her fellow soccer star wife, Ali Krieger, on September 19. Ashlyn and Ali have two young kids together.

Shockingly enough, a report from DailyMail claims Ashlyn told Ali their relationship was over only days after returning from Cannes.

Ali has not yet spoken publicly about the split, but Sophia's estranged husband, Grant Hughes, issued a statement of support, telling us, "Grant will always want the best for Sophia, and is supportive of all that makes her happy and fulfilled."

Former NFL running back Rashad Jennings fumbled away the chance at some easy cash during a "Wheel of Fortune" game Wednesday night ... blowing an easy puzzle so badly, it surely had "Kill Bill" fans screaming at their TVs.

The ex-New York Giants tailback was on the show competing for charity alongside former NFL stars Jared Allen and Marcellus Wiley ... when he couldn't solve a riddle that almost every pop culture fan could.

The "Rhyme Time" board looked like this ... "DRIVING TO RENO WITH _UENTIN TARANTINO" ... obviously only missing a "Q" in Quentin Tarantino's name.

But, somehow, Jennings didn't know that ... and when he made his guess for the final letter of the expression, he said, "P" -- losing his turn.

Wiley then cleaned up Jennings' mess ... correctly guessing the "Pulp Fiction" director's name -- much to the delight of Tarantino supporters everywhere.

No one quite knows if the blunder ultimately cost Jennings his chance at making it to the final round of the game show ... but, of course, it certainly didn't help.

The 38-year-old, though, had to take some solace knowing Wiley wasn't able to finish the night off with a win -- he couldn't solve a fairly easy puzzle where the answer was "THAT WAS OBVIOUS."

Travis Kelce is leveling up his living situation big time -- and part of the reason has to do with Taylor Swift ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the situation tell us the Chiefs tight end just bought a new home in Kansas City, with the sale closing Tuesday. We're told he snapped it up for just under $6 million ... and, yes, for that kinda dough in KC, he's getting a place that's way bigger and more secluded than his old house.

Our sources say this pad is in a gated community, and it's a straight-up mansion ... 6 bedrooms, 6 baths and over 16,000 square feet of living space!!!

It also screams luxury ... we're told there's a pool with a waterfall attached -- plus, a tennis and pickleball court, not to mention a mini golf course. Now, as far as why he upgraded ... our sources say there were a few things nagging him, including needing more privacy.

We're told at Travis's old house, it was simply far too accessible, and was starting to become a tourist attraction ... with people swinging by and staking out the place -- Travis was getting uncomfortable with the situation.

That actually proved to be an issue as recently as this past weekend ... when TayTay came to visit Trav in Kansas City, only to have paparazzi park outside waiting for any shots of the couple.

Bottom line, he wanted to be in a more secure spot -- and yes, our sources say him dating Taylor right now certainly factored into his decision.

And, we know what some Swifties might be thinking, but, no ... we're told he bought it with his own cash, and it's his alone.