TMZ Sports - Page 50

LeBron James is paying tribute to Kobe Bryant before Game 4 of the NBA Finals ... entering the arena with a shirt honoring Mamba's life.

Rockin' his Beats By Dre headphones and a BBZ mask (the letters represent the names of his kids Bronny, Bryce, Zhuri) ... Bron made his way to the court in the NBA bubble at Disney World in Orlando with an image of his friend across his chest.

Below Kobe's picture, read the words, "More Than Ever" and "With Love 1978 - 2020."

LeBron has often talked about Kobe's influence on his life and his career -- and it seems pretty obvious he's trying to channel KB's "Mamba Mentality" for an important Game 4 against the Miami Heat.

Following Kobe's tragic death back in January, LeBron and his Lakers teammate Anthony Davis got Kobe-inspired tattoos on their legs to pay tribute to the NBA legend.

The Lakers are currently leading the playoff series 2 to 1 ... but the Heat looked pretty solid during their Game 3 victory over L.A.

Tony Finau -- one of the top golfers in the world -- has pulled out of a PGA Tour tourney this week after testing positive for COVID.

"Earlier today, I received a positive result for Covid-19 under PGA TOUR on-site testing protocols and have begun a period of self-quarantine to protect others around me," the 31-year-old said Tuesday.

"I am feeling well, and am otherwise in good spirits.":

Finau -- ranked #16 in the world -- was supposed to play in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas this week ... but obviously, COVID has derailed those plans.

"I look forward to returning to action as soon as I am able, and I wish everyone at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open a great week ahead," Finau said.

The diagnosis could also prevent Finau from playing in the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas next week, if he had intended on participating.

Finau -- who's 6'4", 200 lbs -- joined the PGA Tour in 2015 and won the Puerto Rico Open in 2016.

Incredible gesture by Houston Rockets superstar Russell Westbrook ... who showed his thanks to the NBA bubble housekeepers by leaving a fat, $8,000 tip!!!

Remember, most players were stuck in the same hotel room on the Disney World campus for MONTHS ... which means a LOT of stinky socks, clothes and shoes.

The 31-year-old gave mad respect to those doing the dirty work before the Rockets left the bubble ... gifting them the massive tip and leaving his room "virtually spotless," according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.

Brodie confirmed the act to Taylor Rooks, saying, "They took great care of us. Took the time & energy to do their job at a high level. That was the right thing."

The NBA players and coaches have reportedly been extremely kind to all Disney staffers with tips and other kind gestures throughout their time in the NBA bubble ... and this is just one of many instances.

"I sometimes laugh when people talk about down years for me because down years for me are career years for most quarterbacks."

AARON RODGERS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!

The Green Bay Packers QB just dropped one of the least humble brags of all time Tuesday on the "Pat McAfee Show" ... and it was awesome!!

McAfee was asking the 36-year-old QB if he paid attention to any of the negative media criticism over the past year -- including claims that he was washed up at the end of 2019.

But, Rodgers (in his 16th season in the NFL) has been KILLING IT in 2020 -- with 13 TDs and ZERO interceptions while leading the Packers to a 4-0 start.

Some are saying he's already the frontrunner for the 2020 MVP.

So, when Aaron had the opportunity to clap back at his critics -- HE DELIVERED!!

McAfee's reaction is also incredible -- he lost this damn mind!!

When Pat finally calmed down, Rodgers smirked and said, "Hey, it's just the facts, bro."

A Colorado golfer nearly died on the 17th hole of a course Saturday ... after an elk rammed the man's cart and gored him straight through his back with its horn.

The story is insane ... Megan Bornhoft says her husband, Zak, was finishing up a round at Evergreen G.C. in Evergreen, Colo. with his buds -- when disaster struck at around 6:30 p.m.

Megan says an elk charged Zak's golf cart ... and speared the man in "the right side of his lower back" with its horn.

Megan says Zak was rushed to the hospital ... and after doctors checked him out -- they found some horrific injuries.

"His kidney was cut into two pieces," Megan said.

To make matters worse ... because of the dirt and bacteria on the elk's horns -- Megan says docs were deeply concerned about possible infection.

Fortunately, Megan claims her hubby -- despite being in a helluva lot of pain -- is expected to make a full recovery.

"The urologist thinks the kidney will be able to repair itself!" Megan said, before adding, "He continues to be in a tremendous amount of pain, but is handling it in true Zak fashion...dry humor!!"

For his part, Zak said of his injuries, "I’m in a little bit of a rough spot, but I’m gonna get through it."

As for the golf course, it issued a statement Monday warning golfers to avoid elk on the course at all costs.

LeBron James is showing love for Bronny from inside the NBA bubble ... wishing his oldest son a happy 16th birthday with a touching shoutout.

Remember, the James Gang children are not in Orlando to watch their papa in the NBA Finals ... with LeBron saying they're "too adventurous" to be in the bubble.

King James did the best he could for his son's big day ... sending his love in an emotional IG post.

"Happy 16 kid!!!!!" LeBron said Tuesday, "1 of a kind and I’ve loved every second of your existence so far in your young promising life!"

The superstar continued ... "You’re SPECIAL kid(always know that)! Continue to grow and continue to lead your generation to heights maybe you didn’t even think was possible because you guys are simply that SPECIAL!!"

Bronny's already become a star in his own right over the years ... he's one of the most popular high school basketball players in the nation -- and he's teamed up with the super famous FaZe Clan.

"Thank you for allowing me to be your inspiration, leader, listener, mediator, as well as many more things but most importantly simply being YOUR DAD!"

"Love you kid until the wheels fall off and when they do we push the car to our destination side by side! Enjoy your day, your existence, your LIFE!! Live.Laugh.Learn.Love! 🙏🏾❤️🤴🏾👑 bronny #YoungSimba🦁"

JOHN DALY'S STILL GOT IT!!!

The 54-year-old golf legend stepped up to a tee box in Virginia on Monday ... and sank a crazy hole-in-one -- and he did it all barefoot!!!

The surreal scene was captured on video ... showing JD acing a par 3 at a charity tournament at The Federal Club in Glen Allen, VA. as if he were chillin' on a range in Hawaii.

Check out the footage ... Daly -- sans kicks -- took a little wedge on the 163-yard hole, and fired the ball straight into the cup!!

Everyone lost their minds over the shot ... slapping hands with the former The Open champ -- and Daly nearly dropped an f-bomb appearing to brag about his career hole-in-1 total afterward!

"That makes 11 of them mother --," he said with a laugh before realizing the camera was rollin'.

EPIC!!!

By the way, it's great to see Daly looking good ... he just revealed last month he had surgery to treat bladder cancer -- and it's clear he ain't letting that stop him from being a golf G.O.A.T.

The insults are flying between Mark Cuban and Ted Cruz (again!) -- complete with cuss words and personal attacks -- and it's all over the NBA Finals ratings.

This time, Cruz -- the republican senator from Texas -- kicked things off by tweeting out a headline from Sean Hannity's website that reads, "NBA Finals Game 3 'Least Watched in Recorded Ratings History.'"

The article says the NBA Finals ratings are down 45% from 2019.

Cruz added a comment ... "Not surprising. Personally speaking, this is the first time in years that I haven’t watched a single game in the NBA Finals. #GoWokeGoBroke."

Enter Cuban -- owner of the Dallas Mavericks -- who clapped right back.

"A US Senator with 3 @NBA teams in his state, employing thousands of people and he is rooting for their businesses to do poorly.  This is who you are @tedcruz. Every minute of your life, this is exactly who you are."

Think Cruz was going to let that lie? NO WAY!

"I love @HoustonRockets & have rooted for them my entire life. I happily cheer for the Spurs & Mavericks against any non-TX team.  But @mcuban the NBA is engaged in a concerted effort to (1) insult their fans & (2) turn every game into a left-wing political lecture. That’s dumb."

Cuban did not take kindly to that ... and shot back with an expletive.

"You are so full of sh*t. You haven't watched a game of the finals, how would you know what is being said or done? Since when is a desire to end racism an insult to anyone or political? And you don't think using #GetWokeGoBroke is a partisan insult?  Again, this is who you are."

The spat continued ... with Cruz criticizing Cuban over the NBA's relationship with China.

"I wish @mcuban loved his fans as much as he loves Chinese money."

Cuban again responded -- "Shame on me for putting American Civil Rights and Justice, creating jobs, growing our economy and healthcare reform over twitter proclamations."

"To lose a coach 4 games into the season doesn’t make a lot of sense to me."

That's Tom Brady going to bat for his old pal, Bill O'Brien, after the Houston Texans fired the guy just 4 weeks into the NFL season -- and it's clear TB12 thinks Bill got a raw deal.

"That was really tough to see. I’ve known Billy for a long time and I think he’s a hell of a coach," Brady told Jim Gray on his Westwood One Sports radio show.

FYI, Tom and Bill worked together for 5 years in New England from 2007 to 2011. O'Brien left to take over the football program at Penn State before accepting the head coaching job with the Texans in 2014.

"I think he does a great job," Brady said of O'Brien.

"Four weeks ago, everyone was so hopeful about what the season could become. You hate to see things transpire as they do and to lose a coach 4 games into the season doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. It’s always tough when you see that happen, especially 4 games into the year."

Brady also said he believes O'Brien was well-liked by his players, despite some reports to the contrary.

"Those guys really seemed to love playing for him."

"I think he has great leadership ability," Brady said. "It’s a very difficult part of the profession and I thought he did a great job in Houston over the years."

Of course, a helluva lot of people in Houston would disagree ... O'Brien (who was also the GM) traded away superstars like DeAndre Hopkins and Jadeveon Clowney -- without much to show for it.

The Kansas City Chiefs say the fan who was ejected by police from Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night was NOT removed due to his anti-Roger Goodell shirt.

You may have seen the footage by now ... several police officers responded to the top of Arrowhead Stadium to remove a fan wearing the famous Barstool Sports "Clown Shirt," created as a shot at the NFL Commish.

Barstool president Dave Portnoy re-posted the video Monday night with the caption, "Goodell is Hitler."

Since the NFL has previously banned certain Barstool employees from NFL events, there was speculation the fan was removed because of his shirt.

But, a spokesperson for the Chiefs tells us that's simply not the case.

"I can confirm, the ejection had nothing to do with the shirt the fan was wearing," the rep told us.

The team wouldn't give us specifics about why the fan was tossed -- only saying he "violated the team's fan code of conduct" and "it had nothing to do with the shirt."

The Clown Shirt has made headlines a lot over the years -- remember New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton rocked it after that infamous blown non-P.I. call in the NFC title game in 2019 that cost N.O. the game.

Positive news from Patriots running back James White ... the New England star says his mom's condition is slowly improving after she was involved in a tragic accident last month.

"That eases my pain a little bit," White said Monday.

Both of White's parents were traveling in a car in Cooper City, Fla., on Sept. 20 when their vehicle was involved in a terrifying wreck at around 1 PM.

Cops say White's father, former Miami-Dade Police Captain Tyrone White, was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers added White's mom, Lisa, was transported to the hospital, reportedly in critical condition.

James had sat out the last two Pats games to mourn the tragedy ... and after his first game back against the Chiefs on Monday, the RB delivered some positive info about his mom.

She's "continuing to improve and progress and get better," James said.

As for how he's handling everything ... the 28-year-old said it all still feels "surreal" -- but added, "I'm just trying to push through, because that's what my dad would want me to do."

James -- a 3-time Super Bowl champ -- played well in his first game since the tragedy ... catching 7 passes and recording 59 total yards from scrimmage in the Pats' 26-10 loss to the Chiefs.

The tailback told reporters afterward that football has helped "ease my mind."

"Dancing with the Stars" is looking more like musical chairs after Tyra Banks almost saved a couple that, based on votes, should've been on the chopping block ... and somewhere Steve Harvey's laughing.

During Monday night's week 4 elimination, the new 'DWTS' host read off 10 names of couples who were safe to move on -- but when it came time to name the bottom 2 pairs, Tyra flubbed it.

It was awkward ... Vernon Davis and Peta Murgatroyd, Anne Heche and Keo Motsepe and a third couple were all on stage as Tyra and co. realized the mistake simultaneously. Two of the couples on stage were actually safe, and they brought back "Cheer" star Monica Aldama and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy to get under the spotlight with Anne and Keo ... as the correct bottom 2 vote-getters.

Confusing? Yeah, just watch, and know Anne and Keo eventually got the boot. The real entertainment came from the blame game -- Tyra at first blamed an error in the control room, but then seemed to take the blame herself, saying she was just reading off her flashcards.

Bad as it was, it wasn't as colossal of a screw-up as when Steve botched the Miss Universe winner, or when the Academy gave Best Picture to the wrong movie in 2017 -- much bigger stages.

Tyra took to IG after the show to further explain, saying there was a technical difficulty and that the names on the cards she was reading were actually the wrong ones ... so not really her problem after all. She was graceful about it, though, adding they got past it as a team.

Bill Belichick removed BOTH of his masks from his face Monday to scream at officials after a bad call ... and it seems obvious a huge fine is coming his way.

The New England Patriots head coach arrived at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City wearing TWO masks ... seemingly trying to send a message that he's taking the NFL's COVID rules seriously.

But, when the Patriots appeared to force a HUGE turnover late in the 2nd quarter -- only to have the play waved off by officials -- Belichick lost his damn mind.

Long story short ... Pats defensive end Chase Winovich appeared to strip Mahomes of the ball during a big 3rd down play -- with another Pats player catching the ball before it hit the ground.

It seemed like a solid turnover that would give the Pats the ball deep in Chiefs territory ... a potential game-changer!

But, the refs ruled that Mahomes was "in the grasp" and blew the whistle dead BEFORE the turnover -- meaning Chiefs kept possession.

Belichick went NUCLEAR -- ripping down his two masks and unloading at the refs ... breaking COVID protocol.

The NFL has been fining coaches for removing masks to yell -- Raiders coach Jon Gruden was hit with a $100,000 fine for similar antics during Week 2.

Belichick is rich and can afford it -- but the NFL is trying to send a message ... STOP TEARING OFF YOUR MASKS!!!!

Green Bay Packers star Za'Darius Smith paid tribute to Breonna Taylor mid-game Monday night ... lifting his jersey after a huge play to reveal a "Rest In Heaven" message.

The honor all went down at the end of the first half of the Pack's "Monday Night Football" 30-16 win over the Atlanta Falcons ... when Smith sacked Matt Ryan.

As Za'Darius got up to celebrate at the fan-less Lambeau Field, he ran toward the endzone and pulled out the bottom of his undershirt that read, "Rest In Heaven Breonna Taylor."

Smith then raised his fist, pumped his arm and headed back with his team to the locker room as the tackle ended the half.

Smith -- who finished the night with 3 sacks -- was asked about the message after the game ... and he said he's planning similar honors the rest of the way this season.

"It's going to be something every week for me," said Za'Darius, who also promised to "do something special for someone" on Tuesday.

It seems like Smith is taking a page from tennis superstar Naomi Osaka, who wore a mask honoring different victims of racial injustice or police violence during every round of the U.S. Open.

As we previously reported, Breonna was killed by gunfire on March 13 after Louisville police officers forced entry into her home while executing a search warrant.

Cassie Randolph's war with Colton Underwood is now in the hands of law enforcement ... TMZ's learned she filed a report claiming he put a tracking device on her car.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Cassie went to the L.A. County Sheriff's Department Wednesday night to file a complaint about the allegation she first made against the 'Bachelor' star in her request for a restraining order against him.

Cassie's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, tells TMZ ... "It was her intention to first, try and work through this process privately in a manner that gives both her and Colton safety, security and respect. We are confident this is possible."

TMZ broke the story ... Cassie alleged Colton planted a tracking device, and that her brother found it taped to the bottom of her car's back bumper. She claimed he was trying to track her whereabouts long after they had broken up.

She made other claims about him showing up uninvited to her L.A. apartment and her parents' house in Huntington Beach. The judge signed off on Cassie's restraining order, and Colton's been ordered to stay away.

Connor McDavid -- arguably the best player in the NHL -- has tested positive for COVID-19, his team announced.

The Edmonton Oilers issued a statement Thursday evening confirming the 23-year-old tested positive on Monday.

"Since that time, he has been in voluntary self-quarantine at his home," the Oilers said. McDavid is quarantining in the Toronto area, where he lives in the offseason.

"He will continue to be monitored and will follow all associated health protocols."

The good news ... McDavid is currently "feeling well" -- though he is experiencing mild symptoms.

The NHL season just wrapped up last week -- with the Tampa Bay Lightning winning the Stanley Cup after the league played the remainder of the season in "hub cities" to reduce COVID exposure.

The league had zero positive COVID tests while doing the “hub city” thing. Though McDavid wasn’t in the NHL bubble very long since Edmonton lost in the qualifying round of the playoffs.

McDavid -- the #1 overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft -- has led the league in scoring twice and was named the league's most outstanding player in 2017.