TMZ Sports - Page 50

LeBron James passionately defended Anthony Davis from the critics following the Lakers' win over the Suns on Thursday ... making it clear their locker room doesn't "give a s***" about the outside noise.

The King and Co. squeezed out a 100-95 win over Kevin Durant and Phoenix at Crypto.com Arena ... large in part thanks to AD's 30 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks and three steals.

Of course, Davis received a bunch of negative reviews after disappearing in the second half of the Lake Show's season opener against the Nuggets ... when he went scoreless in the final two periods of the losing effort.

LBJ was asked about the hate directed toward his teammate following Thursday's tilt ... and he didn't hold back in his response.

"We don't give a s*** about criticism about AD," LeBron said. "We don't care. Nothing bothers us. AD doesn't care. I don't know if guys have figured that out. A.D. does not care."

"He's not on social media. So he doesn't see none of the crap. He rarely talks, unless it's us. So, we don't give a s*** about it and he definitely doesn't. He's going to do his job, but we happy to have A.D."

LeBron calmed down a bit after his fiery comments ... approaching Durant's mom, Wanda, and sharing a special moment with her.

The numbers don't lie, men want their SKIMS, and it was proven on launch day ... raking in millions of dollars per minute for Kim Kardashian's latest venture.

The SKIMS MENS line -- featuring underwear and basics -- dropped Thursday with a flurry of support. Sources with direct knowledge tell us it was the biggest day of sales for SKIMS since the day the brand launched.

What's more, we're told the MENS drop broke SKIMS website traffic records, pulling in 25,000 orders within the first 5 minutes of open, translating to millions of dollars in sales in minutes.

The launch numbers are insane ... but remember, the campaign to announce the line also got a TON of attention thanks to steamy and shirtless pics from Nick Bosa, Neymar and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

As we reported ... Nick Bosa started to trend on Twitter immediately after the photos dropped -- hitting #5 overall -- and SKIMS also trended at the #2 spot.

Kim's got the golden touch.

Some NFL fans think Taylor Swift-mania made it all the way to Buffalo on Thursday night ... convinced quarterback Josh Allen used an audible featuring the pop star's name during the Bills vs. Bucs game.

The moment happened just minutes into the first quarter of the big "Thursday Night Football" contest at Orchard Park ... when Allen appeared to try to change a play at the line of scrimmage.

He pulled away from his center and screamed out a name repeatedly. Some heard "Taylor Swift!" -- and went crazy over it ... considering the recent impact she's had on the league thanks to her budding romance with Chiefs star Travis Kelce.

But, others aren't as convinced he actually uttered the "Love Story" singer's name ... instead, they think the signal caller screamed out, "J.R. Smith!"

The folks over at Amazon Prime Video certainly believe it was Swift ... they tweeted out a video of the call with the caption, "'TAYLOR SWIFT, TAYLOR SWIFT.' Josh Allen with a swift audible."

Allen used several more interesting audible calls throughout the night -- at points screaming out "LeBron James," "Jamal Adams" and "Bobby Wagner."

A high school basketball game turned into a violent brawl over the weekend ... when a referee straight-up punched a coach following a verbal altercation -- resulting in his arrest.

TMZ Sports is told ... the incident went down during a fall league contest between Arlington and Oak Hills at Santiago High School in Corona, California on Saturday, Oct. 21.

At some point in the second half, witnesses claim Oak Hills head coach Rob Alexander got upset with referee Brandon Knapper over his officiating ... and an argument ensued.

In a clip we obtained of the game, 26-year-old Knapper -- a former college basketball player at West Virginia, Eastern Kentucky and Cal State San Bernardino -- can be seen approaching Alexander near Oak Hills' bench and briefly talking to him ... before unleashing his fist on the coach's face.

Knapper appeared to land more punches on Alexander as he fell to the court ... before players and others in attendance got involved.

We're told cops responded to the scene ... and Alexander was taken to the hospital. The game did not continue.

Law enforcement tells us Alexander requested prosecution against Knapper, who turned himself in and was charged with battery causing serious bodily injury and assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury -- both felonies.

Knapper was booked in the Riverside County Sheriff's Department jail on Sunday ... and his bail was set at $25,000. He was released on Wednesday.

Oak Hills' Hesperia Unified School District released a statement to TMZ Sports ... condemning Knapper's "senseless and shameful" actions.

"The District is thankful for the swift and decisive action taken by the event promoters and local law enforcement. We are also happy to report that Coach Alexander is in good spirits and looking forward to returning to coaching and teaching as soon as possible."

"We have the utmost confidence that law enforcement, CIF, and Oak Hills High School, with the support of the District, will investigate the incident thoroughly and handle it appropriately."

Northwestern State University has canceled its football team's season following a player's tragic death.

The school announced the move on Thursday ... just 14 days after junior safety Ronnie Caldwell was shot and killed near NSU's campus in Louisiana.

The university said in a statement "the mental health and wellbeing of its student-athletes" was the "primary reason" for the decision.

"While our instinct was to return to the field of play following [Caldwell's] death," NSU President Dr. Marcus Jones said, "we've since learned that the hurt on our team was too deep. Now it is in the best interest of our players, coaches, and staff to pause and to take this time to mourn, to heal, and to support Ronnie's family."

The team canceled its Oct. 14 game against Nicholls State immediately after Caldwell's death, but it suited up for its game against Southeastern Louisiana a week later. It lost the contest, 37-20, but players and coaches all honored Caldwell during the matchup.

The team had four more games remaining on its schedule before Thursday's decision to forego the rest of the year was made.

Meanwhile, NSU head coach Brad Laird revealed he was resigning from his position after holding it for the past six years ... saying he was heartbroken over Caldwell's passing.

"Due to the loss of Ronnie and the emotional burden it has caused me, I don't feel I can give my all to these players or this program," Laird said. "Any coach will tell you that their players become like family, so the loss of Ronnie was like losing a son. I love this program and this university and I know it will persevere and move forward with the competitive spirit that is at the core of our DNA."

Caldwell had appeared in 11 games last season for NSU, but hadn't suited up this season due to a preseason injury.

Michael Blackson can't wait to get into the ring after inking a deal with Celebrity Boxing ... and, naturally, he's got his eyes on a bout with fellow comedian Kevin Hart.

The actor and comedian just signed his contract with CB founder Damon Feldman, and they're both pumped, and Michael's trash talking is already on point ... as he's calling out other celebs.

Clearly, he wants a piece of Kevin, first and foremost -- they've had beef in the past, which they ultimately squashed a couple years ago, but it sounds like MB may be reversing course.

Other celebs on Michael's radar include DC Young Fly, DeRay Davis and Katt Williams ... and he's got some choice words for all three.

You know Michael's going to promote the hell out of his eventual fight ... and he's already getting his Don King on.

A fitness instructor is being accused of tearing down a poster of kidnapped Israeli kids outside a popular Los Angeles gym  ... and he says he's "proud" to be doing it.

The incident went down Wednesday outside the iconic Gold's Gym in Venice -- the man crumpled up the poster and chucked it in the trash. He's asked about why he ripped it down, telling the man filming he's proud of himself, before adding "Get the f*** away."

The man in question has been identified as model and fitness trainer Zaid Shaat -- his social media profiles say he's a "Lifetime Natural Athlete," and that he loves to "motivate people to live a healthy lifestyle. I am passionate about helping people achieve their goals and dreams."

Worth mentioning that Joe Gold, the founder of Gold's Gym, was Jewish ... and folks online have been letting Shaat have it over what he did outside the L.A. hot spot.

As you know, Hamas first attacked Israel on Oct. 7 killing thousands and taking more than 200 civilians hostage -- all of which sparked war as Israel retaliates.

Logan Paul just proved that he was 100% clean for his fight against Dillon Danis ... but his nemesis still isn't convinced -- calling the WWE Superstar a "juicehead."

Remember, the former Bellator fighter constantly accused Paul of using performance-enhancing drugs ahead of their Oct. 14 bout ... but he's adamantly denied the allegations, insisting it was the result of hard work.

Paul backed his talk with his test results from VADA on Thursday ... which clearly state his sample came back "NEGATIVE."

Paul then went on X to troll Danis ... promoting his Prime drink chain in the process.

"I wanna address the steroid allegations before you see any news," Paul said. "I wanna confess ... I have been taking a lot of PRIME energy and putting it in my mouth and swallowing it."

"Haters, you're gonna have to keep trying."

Danis -- who lost his boxing debut to Paul via disqualification -- said the results are bogus ... and still stands by his accusations.

"The testing was a joke, literally," he said. "Piss test after fight, famously easy to beat. Old man in the room wasn’t even paying attention."

"You're a juicehead, and you proved that with the way the testing was done."

If ya thought these two settled their beef in the ring, think again ... but a rematch to solve this issue won't happen -- Logan said he will not fight Danis in MMA, even though he claims he can beat him again.

Justin Gaethje is manifesting a title shot.

The #2 ranked lightweight, despite being ranked a spot below Charles Oliveira, probably has the strongest case for the next crack at the 155 lb. belt ... and the UFC superstar tells us he's preparing to fight Islam Makhachev in early 2024!

"No, I haven't had any conversations yet [with the UFC about fighting Makhachev]," Gaethje told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weeknights on FS1), adding ... "I'm expecting to fight [Islam] February, March of next year, so that's what I'm getting ready for."

34-year-old Gaethje's coming off an impressive KO win over Dustin Poirier at UFC 291 in July 2023. Justin's now ranked 2 at lightweight, while Charles is 1, and Islam's champ.

Oliveira and Makhachev were supposed to fight in the main event at UFC 294 on Saturday, but Charles was forced to withdraw less than 2 weeks before the fight over an injury.

Justin clearly believes Charles, who previously fought and lost to Islam by submission in late 2022, has missed the bus on a title shot ... at least in the immediate future.

"Like I said, Oliveira had his chance and then he had his second chance and backed out," Gaethje said.

It's clear JG believes the fight's his, so we asked him ... how do you match up with the champion?

"With the experience I've had with Khabib, I understand that he's not the same fighter. I wasn't scared of Khabib, but that's an intimidating guy to go up against, and that factor will not be there. I'm more confident," Gaethje said, reflecting on his experience with Nurmagomedov, and how the Makhachev fight would be different.

"I think I'm a great matchup. I think it's a much better match-up for myself than Khabib was, and I think I'll be able to really be effective with my striking and then create some opportunities to maximize the damage that I'm creating."

Talk about a ballsy move ... a college football fan rocked a giant penis costume to the Sam Houston State football game this week, and it was hysterical!

The fan -- clearly in the Halloween spirit -- wore the get-up at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium for the Bearkats vs. UTEP Miners game in Huntsville Texas on Wednesday.

A spectator in the stands captured the person on video, huge pecker and all ... and of course, the package wouldn't be complete without two big balls dragging by the fan's feet.

School officials apparently didn't find the stunt funny ... they dispatched a security guard to lead the penis out of his seat. He probably doesn't get paid enough for this.

Thankfully, the penis didn't totally get the shaft ... we're told by an SHS spokesperson that the fan was given the choice to remove the costume and remain at the game or leave.

"It is our understanding that stadium staff worked with CSC, the contracted security service, to give the individual the option to take the costume off or leave the stadium," the spokesperson said.

The NHL just handed down its first sports betting-related punishment in league history -- suspending Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto 41 games for "activities relating to sports wagering."

It's unclear what exactly Pinto did to draw the ban, but the league stated an investigation determined there was "no evidence" he bet on any NHL games.

Shane addressed the punishment on Thursday ... saying, "I want to apologize to the National Hockey League, the Ottawa Senators, my teammates, the fans and city of Ottawa and most importantly my family."

"I take full responsibility for my actions and look forward to getting back on the ice with my team."

According to the league's collective bargaining agreement, players are prohibited from betting on any NHL games, but are free to throw money on other sports.

22-year-old Pinto -- the 32nd overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft -- had 35 points in 82 games for the Senators last season ... but has not suited up for the squad yet this year.

The Sens also addressed the league's decision ... adding, "Shane is a valued member of our hockey club; an engaging, intelligent young man who made poor decisions that have resulted in a suspension by the National Hockey League. We know he is remorseful for his mistakes."

"The Ottawa Senators fully support the NHL’s rules on gambling. While saddened to learn of this issue, the entire organization remains committed to Shane and will work together to do what is necessary to help provide the support to allow him to address his issues and become a strong contributor to our community."

The NFL has also handed down betting bans recently ... suspending players like Jameson Williams, Calvin Ridley and Isaiah Rodgers.

Ex-NFL linebacker Blake Martinez -- who retired from the sport at 28 to pursue a career in Pokémon card collecting -- is looking to get back on the gridiron ... this after getting caught up in a major scandal.

Martinez made headlines last year for hitting big and selling a rare Illustrator Pikachu card for $672,000 ... and walking away from football just days later to pursue collecting and trading full-time.

The decision worked out for the linebacker -- he claimed to have made $11.5 million in less than a year in the industry ... but then s*** hit the fan.

Martinez was banned from the popular WhatNot card-selling marketplace for "misconduct" in August ... after an investigation into consumers' claims he wasn't acting in good faith.

Now, the former Giants and Packers star is looking to pick back up where he left off in his first career ... working out for the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday.

Martinez  -- who raked in nearly $29 million over seven seasons -- was solid in his initial stint in the league ... earning over 700 tackles and 13 sacks.

Forget nightclubs and fancy restaurants ... Russell Wilson took Ciara to a Waffle House for her birthday -- and she loved it!!!

The NFL star rented out the entire eatery on Wednesday night to celebrate his wife's 38th trip around the sun ... dolling up the chain food place with a red carpet, balloons and much more.

The bash was clearly a surprise for Ciara -- who couldn't believe Wilson put in the extra effort to make her cake day that special.

"Oh, my gosh," she said in a highlight video of the evening. "Babe! This is like next level. This is like top, top!"

"My honey knows how much I love Waffle House!"

The two sat down in a booth for CiCi's bday dinner ... and it seems Ciara's order featured hashbrowns, cheese, a sandwich and some pickles. And, of course, later in the night, it was all washed down with a platter of birthday donuts.

Wilson noted in Ciara's video that he knew she'd be a fan of his big plan ... saying he had an inkling her pregnant belly "wanted some waffles and eggs."

Wilson's perfect birthday for his wife didn't just begin at night, though ... earlier in the day, he penned a mushy note to her on Instagram, writing that she's truly "Heaven sent, the perfect mother to our children, and God’s blessing to me."

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann know they're in a serious hole, and they're asking the court to prevent that hole from getting any deeper ... by stopping the bank's foreclosure auction on their home, to allow them to sell it on their own.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kim and Kroy say if the bank's planned auction on November 7 is allowed to happen they will suffer "irreparable injury to the marital estate depleting it in its entirety."

Kim and Kroy listed their Georgia mansion for $6 million through a realtor while they hammer out the rest of their divorce ... but the foreclosure auction was scheduled before the estranged couple listed it.

The sale of the home is the first thing we've seen Kim and Kroy agree on in a while. They're both currently still living inside the residence, but the court has ordered Kim to live in the basement and nanny suite, while Kroy has exclusive access to the primary bedroom.

As we've reported, their divorce has been full of drama and nasty accusations ... Kroy's accused Kim of being a gambling addict to blame for their money problems and Kim's said she didn't trust Kroy around their kids when he smokes weed.

Luka Dončić dropped a triple-double ... and an F-bomb in the Mavericks season opener last night, and his reaction to the live TV slip-up was priceless!

The NBA superstar went off in the Mavs' first game of the season ... with 33 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists against the Spurs at the Frost Bank Center on Wednesday, spoiling No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama's debut.

But, Dončić had another rookie on his mind after the 126-119 win, new teammate Dereck Lively ... who had 16 points and 10 rebounds in his first ever NBA game.

"He played amazing," the 24-year-old superstar guard said. "He didn't seem to be nervous."

Dončić got so caught up in talking about Lively's performance, he let the F-word slip ... but apologized immediately.

"He played f***in' amazing!" Doncic said. "Oh! Sorry, sorry!"

The reporter was a good sport about it ... after all, it's only game 1.

NBA fans didn't seem too offended by the bad language ... actually, they seemed to like it.

"Aweee Luka cursed on live TV and was so sorry," one fan said on the X app. "What a king though."

BTW, Lively -- the 12th overall pick in the '23 draft -- made Mavs history last night by becoming one of the four rookies in Dallas to ever notch a double-double in their debut.

Dana White just put his haters in a rear naked choke -- the UFC honcho is adamantly denying he's a sellout for getting back in bed with Bud Light following the Dylan Mulvaney controversy ... saying the deal had nothing to do with money.

UFC announced earlier this week that Anheuser-Busch was back as the promotion's official beer sponsor for the first time since 2019 ... which certainly ruffled some feathers with people who boycotted the brewing company over its partnership with the transgender influencer back in April.

Dana was asked about the backlash following "Power Slap 5" on Wednesday ... and he wants to make one thing clear -- he couldn't care less about what people think of the business deal.

Dana started off by slamming the "dummies" who said it was only about money ... pointing out all sponsorships are about stackin' cash.

Dana labeled it "f***ing stupid" to think Bud Light was a last resort ... claiming there were multiple offers on the table, but he chose AB due to its values as a company.

"Everybody on every side of this deal that were involved -- other beer companies and everything else -- absolutely, positively knows that this was not about money for me," Dana told the media. "We were going to end up with money no matter who we ended up with."

In fact, he points out specifically what attracted him to the deal ... saying the company has initiatives to support the military, law enforcement and local farmers -- which separated them from the rest of the pack.

As for those who think Dana is just a puppet reciting lines to look good in the media -- he's got words for you, too.