TMZ Sports - Page 50

Bronny James could be one step closer to making his college basketball debut -- the USC guard is slated to have a health checkup later this month ... and if all goes well, he will be cleared to practice with his teammates.

The update came from Bronny's NBA superstar pops, LeBron, on Monday ... who doubled down on the chances his eldest son could see game action for the Trojans this season after suffering cardiac arrest on the court while training in July.

"Things are going in the right direction with Bronny's progress," LeBron told reporters after the Lakers' 108-107 loss to the Miami Heat. "He's doing rehab. Every week, he gets to do more and more."

No. 21-ranked USC kicked off its college season against Kansas State ... and of course, Bronny did not play. He has been with his teammates as he recovers ... even dancing during USC's annual Trojan HoopLA event at the Galen Center last month.

"We have a big moment at the end of this month to see if we can continue to go forward," LeBron continued. "If he's cleared, then we'll not be too long from him getting back on the floor and back with his teammates and practicing with the notion of being back on the floor and playing in a game situation."

"Everything is on the up and up. We're proud of his progress, we're proud of his strength."

As we previously reported, it was determined Bronny had "an anatomically and functionally significant Congenital Heart Defect," which caused his cardiac arrest on July 24.

Kim Kardashian had a busy trip to NYC, also stopping in at Odell Beckham Jr.'s 31st birthday bash ...  after TMZ confirmed they had started "hanging out" thanks to mutual friends.

Making her way to the party following the 2023 CFDA Awards, busy bee Kim stole the spotlight in her black, figure-hugging lace-up gown.

Kim was in good company, with other attendees such as Lil Baby, Saquon Barkley, Saweetie, Stefon Diggs, James Harden, Ashley Graham, Justine Skye and more.

We were previously told Kim and Odell have run in the same circle for years ... but it's only recently that the SKIMS queen fueled romance speculation with the NFL athlete.

It's not clear who KK and OBJ's mutual friends are ... but this isn't the first time she has shown up for Odell's personal extravaganzas. Last November, she rocked up to his milestone 30th at Mother Wolf in L.A., and both attended Michael Rubin's July 4th White Party earlier this year.

Kim has been single since she split from former 'SNL' star Pete Davidson in August 2022 following a whirlwind 9-month romance. Meanwhile, OBJ and his longtime GF, Lauren Wood, split early this year.

Francis Ngannou isn't sending mixed signals ... he wants a rematch with Tyson Fury next, and if that means waiting a few months until The Gypsy King fights Oleksandr Usyk, he tells TMZ Sports that's exactly what he'll do!

The 37-year-old combat sports superstar joined Michael Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" show (airs weeknights on FS1) ... where the guys talked about Francis' future in the ring now that he's the hottest commodity in the sport.

"I would be willing to wait [for Fury to fight Usyk]. I know that they are going to fight, they had a contract already, so they are going to fight sometime in February instead of December 23, which is my fault," Ngannou said smiling ... "I shouldn't have cut him. He would've fought December 23, and maybe we would've run it back early next year."

Of course, Francis is referring to the cut he opened up on Tyson's head ... a big reason he won't be able to turn around and fight in less than 2 months. The cut has to heal.

So, a fight with Fury, barring the Usyk bout completely falling apart, will not happen until, at earliest, mid-2024.

In the meantime, Anthony Joshua, through his promoter Eddie Hearn, has said he's down to fight The Predator in Saudi Arabia on December 28. We asked Ngannou if he was interested.

"First of all, it's too soon. Secondly, my focus, as boxing is concerned, is a rematch with Tyson. That's the most important thing for me right now, everything else for boxing comes after."

In addition to AJ, Deontay Wilder and Joseph Parker are names that have been thrown out as possible future opponents for Ngannou.

All this doesn't necessarily mean Francis won't fight before Fury ... he just won't box. Remember, Ngannou is signed to PFL (as a fighter and Chairman of PFL Africa).

Last week we spoke to PFL CEO Peter Murray ... who previewed some of the promotion's plans for their superstar fighter.

There's also much more with Francis ... from whether he believes Fury trained for him to how his life has changed since the epic performance.

3:20 PM PT -- Rodgers wasn't just walking tall before the game ... he was also back on the field slinging the football around -- which is another great sign for Jets fans.

The quarterback dropped back a few times and let some passes fly ... putting weight on his left leg as he followed through.

It's definitely trending in the right direction for Rodgers!!

Aaron Rodgers is recovering from his torn Achilles at a mind-blowing speed -- the New York Jets QB was spotted walking completely normal ahead of his team's Monday Night Football matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers ... just 56 days after going down with the injury.

AR8 was in great spirits as he made his way through the MetLife Stadium tunnels just minutes ago ... showing no signs of limping or needing to use a cart, as he did for previous games.

Of course, the four-time MVP ruptured his leg tendon just four plays into his first season with the Jets on September 11. Many assumed his season was over, but the 39-year-old vowed to get back on the field ASAP -- even revealing he was going to try to play again during the 2023-24 campaign.

It sounded crazy at the time, but Rodgers might really be onto something -- he also spent some time throwing the pigskin on the field before the Jets game last month.

It's not the first time we've seen Aaron walking without crutches -- he was able to move around slowly just three weeks after the ailment ... but now, it looks like he's walking perfectly.

Rodgers said last week he's crushing rehab and ahead of schedule ... but still has a "long way to go."

So far, so good!!

Heavyweight boxing star Jared "Big Baby" Anderson -- who Tyson Fury calls a future champ -- was arrested Monday in Ohio after cops say he was driving under the influence with a gun in his car.

Oregon (OH) Police Department tells TMZ Sports the arrest occurred a little after 1 AM after an officer allegedly saw Anderson driving his '23 Dodge Charger 55 in a 40 MPH zone, and initially pulled him over for speeding.

During the stop, the cop says he smelled "the faint odor of burnt marijuana," as well as alcohol on Anderson's breath. The officer also allegedly spotted an opened bottle of Don Julio tequila.

OPD says they observed Anderson's eyes, which were allegedly "bloodshot and glassy," so they administered a blood alcohol content test which came up .038, under the legal limit (.08).

As part of the stop, officers also conducted a search of his vehicle ... and located a firearm in the glovebox.

According to Lucas County jail records, the 23-year-old was booked on two charges ... improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle knowingly transporting under the influence, and operating a vehicle under the influence (OVI).

OVI can be used to charge a person operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

The news comes just days after Fury praised the 16-0 (15 KOs) fighter, calling Anderson the next star of the heavyweight division.

"Jared's the man. This is the future champ," Fury said ahead of his bout with Francis Ngannou.

"I said it three years ago. This is the heir to the throne.”

Anderson started boxing as a teenager and has won several championships ... from the Elite National Championships to the National Golden Gloves.

The 49ers had their bye week, but Christian McCaffrey was still making highlight plays -- surprising his fiancée, Olivia Culpo, with an over-the-top fireworks display during her bachelorette party in Cabo!!

31-year-old Culpo has been living it up in the popular resort city in Mexico to celebrate her engagement to the star NFL running back ... and the whole thing has been nothing short of a movie.

The squad -- including her sisters Sophia and Aurora Culpo -- took a private jet to their destination ... and their flight was decked-out with a half-naked male wait staff and cardboard cutouts of her future hubby.

Not only was Christian's face all over the place, the Pro Bowler also made his presence felt when he surprised Culpo with a fireworks display while the ladies sipped wine -- and Olivia's reaction was priceless.

"Still crying," Culpo said in the caption. "Surprise from Christian."

Outside of that, a blowup doll with McCaffrey's face also made an appearance at Culpo's yacht outing and party bus to the club.

McCaffrey -- who's currently one of the best running backs in the league -- started dating the former Miss Universe in 2019 ... and popped the question during their road trip vacation in April.

As we previously reported, the 27-year-old reached out to the jeweler for the massive engagement ring months before his proposal.

Travis Kelce and the Chiefs were playing across the pond, but Taylor Swift and her fellow Kansas City wives and girlfriends still showed support for their men on Sunday ... with a group of ladies making their way to the singer's NYC apartment to tune in to the game!!

Former Chiefs backup quarterback Shane Buechele's wife, Paige, and tight end Blake Bell's partner, Lyndsay, were all smiles after K.C. pulled off the 21-14 win over the Miami Dolphins in Germany ... exiting Taylor's TriBeCa pad following the matchup.

Patrick and Brittany Mahomes' good pal Miranda Hogue -- whose hubby, Summitt, played alongside the two-time Super Bowl champ at Texas Tech -- was also present for the watch party.

We're told the fun didn't stop after the final whistle ... as Swift, Brittany and the crew took the hang over to Casa Cipriani (one of Taylor's favorite spots), where they celebrated the victory for hours.

Of course, Brittany has been spending a ton of time with Swift recently -- as we previously reported, they all went out in the Big Apple together the night prior ... enlisting Selena Gomez, Sophie Turner, Gigi Hadid and Cara Delevingne for the occasion.

Brittany also spent some time with the WAGs on Saturday ... sharing some snaps from their quick East Coast trip on social media.

Swift has had no issue fitting in with Chiefs Kingdom ... and coincidentally, Kelce plays much better when she's at his games.

Fans are probably hoping she'll return soon, as Kelce only had three receptions for 14 yards in Sunday's win.

Things keep getting worse for the New York Giants ... franchise quarterback Daniel Jones -- who inked a massive contract extension this offseason -- tore his ACL during Sunday's blowout loss and is done for the year.

NYG head coach Brian Daboll revealed the MRI results on Monday, announcing the 26-year-old signal caller will undergo surgery to repair a torn ACL that he suffered against the Raiders in Las Vegas.

Daboll, in his second season as Giants HC, feared the diagnosis was serious after watching Jones' knee buckle in the first half.

"Tough. You never want your guys to go down," Daboll said in Sunday's post-game press conference.

"He's worked really hard to get back and it's unfortunate."

Jones was playing in his first game back since injuring his neck several weeks earlier, forcing him to miss a handful of games.

The devastating injury comes just months after DJ signed a 4-year contract worth $160 million this offseason ... after a career-best 2022 season.

Jones' 2023 campaign, before the ACL tear, had been very different. Daniel threw for just 909 yards and 2 touchdowns, while throwing 6 interceptions. In fairness, he was sacked 30 times.

The injury leaves the Giants with only one QB on the active roster ... backup Tyrod Taylor is on the IR with a rib injury he suffered in Week 8, leaving undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito as the only healthy QB.

DeVito, a New Jersey native, threw for 175 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. He also had two picks.

10:00 AM PT -- Jorge Masvidal spoke outside the courthouse ... just minutes after accepting a plea deal in the Colby Covington battery case. Beef squashed?? Not exactly! 😬

Jorge Masvidal struck a sweet deal with the district attorney prosecuting the Colby Covington case ... the retired UFC superstar pled no contest to misdemeanor battery, and will not serve a minute behind bars, or on probation, TMZ Sports has learned.

As a result of the plea agreement, the two felonies Jorge faced were dropped, aggravated assault and criminal mischief, according to Masvidal's attorney, Bradford Cohen.

We're also told there is no stay-away order in the plea.

According to the DA's office, the case was "adjudicated guilty," though Masvidal never admitted guilt, according to Cohen.

Masvidal had been facing over a decade behind bars.

Of course, the incident happened in March 2022 outside of Papi Steak in Miami Beach ... where Colby was having dinner with the Nelk Boys. When CC left, Masvidal was outside waiting, and the attack was on.

Covington told police Masvidal punched him twice, breaking his tooth, and even causing an alleged brain injury.

The fight outside the steakhouse came just weeks after Colby beat Jorge by unanimous decision at UFC 272 ... pitting the former best friends-turned-enemies against one another.

Colby hasn't fought since UFC 272 ... meanwhile, Jorge retired in April 2023 after fighting Gilbert Burns. Masvidal then launched his own fight promotion, Gamebred.

Jim Irsay channeled his inner Meek Mill after the Indianapolis Colts' win Sunday ... the billionaire busted out his best dance moves to one of the Philadelphia rapper's biggest hits -- and his players lost it!

The 64-year-old Colts CEO and owner was captured celebrating with his players and coaches in the Bank of America Stadium locker room after the Colts' 27-13 win over the Panthers in Charlotte.

Irsay -- who bought his team in 1997 -- rocked a Colts-themed suit, and did his best to dance to Meek's "Dreams and Nightmares" ... while holding head coach Shane Steichen's hand.

Irsay shared the awesome footage on X ... and captioned it, "Hold up, wait a minute, ya’ll thought we were finished. - Meek Mill (and also me)."

The squad loved it ... and so did Meek Mill, who caught the clip of Irsay vibing to his track, saying on X, "Can’t find a better song!"

The Colts fans also thought it was dope ... with one saying, "What the f*** did I just watch? But seriously I loved it."

It's obvious Irsay is proud of his players' performances in Sunday's game, including cornerback Kenny Moore II, whom he gave a shoutout for setting a franchise record with two pick-six interceptions in a single game.

The 4-5 Colts are currently third in the AFC South ... and will play the New England Patriots in Germany next weekend.

Cardi B called BS on Larsa Pippen's lofty sex life claims months ago -- and now, more than half a year later, she's finally weighing in ... and sticking to her bedroom story.

Larsa addressed the skirmish this weekend at BravoCon during a 'Real Housewives of Miami' panel ... where the moderator brought up what Cardi said about her waaaaay back in April. It's super old news, but the dude brought it up anyway ... and LP actually responded.

ICYMI ... Larsa went on Andy Cohen's 'WWHL' and said she and her ex, Scottie Pippen, used to bang 4 times a day -- but noted even that wasn't enough to save their marriage.

Reacting to that ... Cardi went on IG live about a month later and called Larsa out for what she considered clout-chasing, not to mention tall tales of love-making. She said doing it that many times in a day means something's seriously wrong with either the man or woman.

Of course, she also took some vulgar shots ... saying Larsa needed to "stitch your p***y up."

Now, all this time later ... Larsa said this, "I don't know how can someone else comment on how many times I have sex, you guys?" she said, addressing the audience at the event in Las Vegas. "She wasn't in bed with us, so I don't know. I kind of feel like that was comical."

Damar Hamlin made his first return to Paycor Stadium since suffering cardiac arrest back in January ... and the Buffalo Bills safety was visibly emotional as he reflected on his journey in a postgame moment on the field.

25-year-old Hamlin -- a healthy scratch from the Bills' 24-18 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals -- made his way onto the field after Sunday's matchup ... crouching down near the spot he collapsed and needed resuscitating last season.

"Head Clear. Blessed & Highly Favored. Thank You," Hamlin said on social media alongside a short clip of his time on the grass.

It was a special night for Hamlin -- he also embraced several Bengals players before the game ... smiling from ear-to-ear as he dapped them up.

"Tonight was everything for me," Hamlin said on X. "Y'all don’t know the half of it. Trust me."

Hamlin also took his return as an opportunity to do something really special -- announcing scholarships named after the 10 medical professionals who brought him back to life ... and enjoying a dinner with the heroes over the weekend.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard's top priority when she gets out of prison next month is a tall order -- she wants to link up with Taylor Swift, and thinks she knows exactly where to do it.

The felon, who is nearing the end of her 10-year sentence for the second-degree murder of her mother, Dee Dee, is hoping her "Wildest Dreams" come true ... telling TMZ she and her husband Ryan have tickets for the Kansas City Chiefs game on Dec. 31.

Gypsy's scheduled to get out on Dec. 28, and she's counting on running into her idol at Arrowhead Stadium.

Realizing Tay Tay might not be there to watch BF Travis Kelce during that particular game, Gypsy has a backup plan, which is buying tickets for Taylor's October 2024 tour stop in New Orleans.

Clearly, she's determined to meet the singer, who Gypsy adoringly calls the "kick-ass chick" who's taught her the true meaning of girl power.

What's more, Tay's songs have served as massive inspo -- she says "Eyes Open" helped her push through the trauma from her mother's abuse ... which was detailed in the 2017 documentary, "Mommy Dead and Dearest."

Gypsy admits she mainly uses the commissary money her father sends to buy every TS album.

BTW, she's also a football fan, and would be thrilled to meet Travis too.

Of course, this might sound like a little pie in the sky -- Taylor sits in a luxury suite when she's at the stadium, and Travis is a little busy on game days.

Despite losing to Gervonta 'Tank' Davis in front of the world, Ryan Garcia will still become a boxing superstar, according to his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, who knows a thing or two about dominating the sport.

TMZ Sports spoke with the Golden Boy ahead of Garcia's return to the ring against Oscar Duarte on December 2 (streaming on DAZN) ... Ryan's first scrap since the April L to Tank.

"I have to commend Ryan for taking this tough challenge after his defeat," ODLH said.

"[Duarte] is coming off 11-straight knockout wins. I mean, that tells you a lot about him, but it also tells you a lot about Ryan's character."

Oscar says a win over OD in December will indicate the 25-year-old boxer is back on track ... and he'll be ready to go toe-to-toe with BK's own, Teofimo Lopez, for a world title.

What happens after that is up to Garcia, according to Oscar ... but the Hall of Famer is optimistic Ryan's headed places.

"I can see Ryan Garcia opening up the Sphere in Las Vegas," ODLH said. "I can see Ryan Garcia being a superstar."

For now, Garcia is focused on showing the world he's still elite  ... and he tells us he's prepared for what 26-1 Duarte will bring to the ring.

"I just gotta watch out for his aggression, his power. He's hungry," Garcia said. "Facing a guy like me, they're always gonna bring their A-game."

1:54 PM PT -- TMZ has obtained some video of Katy Perry's last residency show in Vegas -- and it looks like the stars on hand, including Celine Dion, were busting a move and having a blast.

Check out this footage that shows the celebs who attended boogying down throughout the concert -- you can see Celine Dion bobbing to the music as Katy did her thing ... plus, Cameron Diaz and her husband, Benji Madden, were right behind getting their groove as well. So was Zoe Saldana, BTW -- so yeah, it was a packed house, and star-studded to the max.

As for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry ... we're told they were also seated in the VIP section, but they were in a group of seats that were adjacent to Celine and co., so not really with them.

Their night seemed to be a little more low-key ... with Meghan chatting up a woman she was sitting next to, and PH just kinda sitting there minding his own biz, somewhat aloof. Even when they were seen standing up with the others ... the couple just sorta stood there. 😅

Anyhoo, one other notable sighting ... Katy's fiancé, Orlando Bloom, was obviously in the crowd and he had their daughter perched up on his shoulders and Katy explained how much their child means to her. He also danced with their little girl, Daisy Dove, while mom was onstage.

After the show, Katy and Orlando broke off from everyone else and hit up XS Nightclub at the Wynn and celebrated her last bow with The Chainsmokers. Cool way to go out, no doubt.

Celine Dion is definitely on the comeback trail ... she made her second public appearance in a week at Katy Perry's concert last evening -- and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were also in the crowd!!!

Celine and her twin sons, Eddy and Nelson, dropped in to catch Katy's performance at Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas Saturday night -- and she looked absolutely spectacular.

This is great news given her health struggles. As you know, Celine has long been dealing with a debilitating disease called stiff-person syndrome, which causes painful muscle spasms.

On Monday, the iconic singer was seen out for the first time in 3 ½ years, showing up at the T-Mobile Arena for a hockey game between the Vegas Golden Knights and her hometown Montreal Canadiens.

As for Harry and Meghan, the couple arrived apart from Celine and her sons to Katy's concert Saturday. They quickly became the center of attention as fans shot cell phone videos of them.

At one point, Harry and Meghan were pictured near Celine, but it's not clear if they ever got to talk to one another.

Interesting photo, nonetheless. And, it seems like everyone had a terrific time, including Katy’s fiancée, actor Orlando Bloom, and their daughter Daisy Dove.

Machine Gun Kelly is the latest celeb to be interviewed by Martin Brundle -- and just like most of MOTS stop-and-chats go ... this one was equally awkward, if not more hilarious.

The rocker/rapper was out in Sao Paolo Sunday to take in all the race cars zipping by for the Brazil Grand Prix -- and per usual, Brundle -- the famous driver-turned-broadcaster -- was out there doing his thing for Sky Sports F1 ... walking the grid and looking for stars to talk to.

Eventually, he tracked down MGK and attempted to chat him up impromptu ... and it kinda went the way his other interviews go -- very clunky and a little embarrassing for everybody.

Watch for yourself ... it's clear that Kels and MB weren't really on the same page, as it appears he couldn't quite hear Martin with all the noise going on around him. However, the questions he did hear ... he answered a bit oddly, which made for some great laughs.

This one definitely turns as hostile as some of Martin's other interviews -- sometimes, the dude gets straight-up snubbed by A-listers -- but it's unclear if he got what he wanted out of MGK.