TMZ Sports - Page 50

What's the first thing you'd go out and buy if you were the #1 overall pick in the NBA Draft????

That's something Greg Oden knows about -- he was top pick in 2007 -- and admits he blew his first paycheck on a really bad purchase!!

Now, Oden -- who's an athlete advisor for a financial company -- is telling TMZ Sports his story in hopes of helping players in the 2020 NBA Draft class avoid making the same mistakes!

TMZ Sports: "What advice would you give to these guys who are instantly becoming millionaires?"

Greg Oden: "I will say you are instantly in debt right now!"

What Greg means is players don't realize they already have a long list of people they have to pay -- from trainers to agents, rent, car bills and -- most importantly -- taxes ... and he says that can all lead to serious financial trouble for guys who aren't responsible from the get-go.

"What everybody thinks you make is definitely not what you're actually going to make," Oden says.

So, Greg's advice? "Get experts in your corner. Get people that you trust."

Oden says financial advisors, lawyers and CPAs are all great investments that can help players avoid the perils of future money problems.

And, Greg -- who's job at Edyoucore is specifically to help people in the sports and entertainment realm with their cash -- says he's down to assist some of these dudes!

"I wasn't able to do it on the court," Oden says, "but, right now, all the knowledge, all my experiences that I've been through, I'm definitely here to help out a lot of these guys."

By the way, Oden's also doing some other really cool stuff in retirement ... he's participating in a charity event with his wife this weekend to help needy families have a wonderful holiday meal.

Oh, and Greg tells us he's even been getting in a little basketball training too!

Dana White is doubling down on his claim Khabib Nurmagomedov will return to the Octagon -- and he's willing to put his money where his mouth is!

"If I had to make a bet -- and I'm a betting man -- I would bet he does [return]," Dana tells TMZ Sports.

"So, yeah ... I think he will."

Of course, Khabib announced his retirement following his Oct. 24 victory over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 ... explaining he has no desire to fight anymore after the death of his father earlier this year.

But, Dana says Khabib's father is the reason he WILL return -- explaining it was his dad's dream for Khabib to finish with a 30-0 record.

So, who would be the opponent? Dana says he's NOT considering Georges St-Pierre, despite Khabib previously suggesting that's he'd be open to that opportunity.

Instead, Dana pointed to 2 upcoming fights ... Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson.

"We'll see how all these things play out here ... One of those guys would definitely be in for the fight."

There's more ... we also asked Dana about plans for Jon Jones, who appears to be bulking up for a fight at the heavyweight level.

But, White says there's nothing in the plans for a Jon Jones scrap in the near future.

"Jon Jones, I don’t know what Jon Jones is doing," White says.

"When he’s ready, all he's gotta do is let us know … but we have no inclination whatsoever that this guy is coming to fight."

Before this smiley sweetie was feeling the weight of multiple Olympic medals around her neck, she was just another blondie with bangs growing up in Des Moines, Iowa.

Making her Summer Olympic Games debut in Beijing, she was part of the duo of athletes who scored the top two medals -- both the gold and silver -- in the individual all-around portion of the Women's Gymnastics competition. She took home 4 medals total, but only one gold for her skills displayed on the balance beam.

Now, the mother of one daughter, she lives in Nashville with her husband.

Nobody likes to get that dreadful break-up text ... but Chris Bosh says that’s EXACTLY how he found out LeBron James was leaving the Miami Heat in 2014 ... admitting he was initially pissed about the move.

The 2-time champ made the big reveal to Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on the "All The Smoke" podcast Thursday ... when he was asked how King James broke the news he was returning to Cleveland.

"Through a text," Bosh said, laughing. "I thought he was BSing, and then about 10 minutes later it's everywhere."

"At the time, I didn't understand it."

"At the time, in my mind, I was ready to put the team together because we had just lost," Bosh added. "So we wanted to put something together so we could win. And it really didn't go like that."

The 11-time All-Star said it took months to get over James' departure ... but added, "It still worked out for everybody." After all, the Big 3 did win back to back championships in 2012 and 2013.

Of course, LeBron went on to bring Cleveland its first NBA title ... breaking the 52-year title drought in the city.

"He starts beating on my car, beating on my windows right at my dogs."

That's Patrick Mahomes' fiancee, Brittany Matthews, detailing an incident Thursday with a "homeless person" in Kansas City ... saying she was so scared, she ran a red light to escape possible danger.

"Guys, I can't even talk about this because I just got so scared out of my mind," Matthews said in a video after the incident.

"Ya know, with homeless people around Kansas City, there's quite a few of them and I always try to give them the benefit of the doubt and be nice to them and wave at them and smile and give stuff if I have it -- but like today, this guy really just messed things up."

Matthews -- who's pregnant -- says she was driving through the plaza with her windows open when a man approached her car.

"He kept coming ... and kept coming ... and so finally he was saying something and I was like 'No thank you.' So, I was like rolling all the windows up and right as I rolled 'em all up he starts beating on my car, beating on my windows right at my dogs and the dogs going ballistic."

"So, I just sped off and ran the red light! I didn't even look to see if anyone was coming or anything but you know what, I made it home and that was scary."

Glad no one was hurt -- but the incident puts a spotlight on a larger issue in K.C. ... homeless shelters and resource centers are struggling to keep up with the need for shelter and aid since the pandemic began.

Former MLB prospect Brandon Martin will spend the rest of his life in a prison cell ... after a judge sentenced him to life without parole for brutally murdering 3 people, including his own father.

27-year-old Martin -- a 1st-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011 -- was convicted of the triple murder earlier this month ... and was facing the death penalty.

Martin was in a Riverside County, CA courtroom on Thursday ... where the same jury that convicted him in only 4 hours decided his punishment.

The jurors spared his life -- electing not to give him the death penalty. Instead, Martin will spend the rest of his life in prison.

The story surrounding the September 2015 murders is disturbing, to say the least.

Martin brutally beat and killed his 64-year-old dad, 58-year-old uncle, and a 62-year-old man the family had hired to install an alarm to protect them from Martin. Officials say Martin used a black baseball bat (with his name inscribed on it) to kill the men.

Mark Sanchez says it may be time for Sam Darnold to pack his bags and leave the dumpster fire that is the New York Jets behind ... suggesting it could be best for both sides to start fresh.

Of course, Sanchez knows a thing or two about the pressure that comes with being under center in the Big Apple -- he suited up for the Jets from 2009-2013.

But, while Sanchez was able to make the playoffs in his first 2 seasons with NY, Darnold's been dealt a bad hand -- resulting in an 11-21 record in 3 seasons.

As the Jets sit at 0-9 in 2020, Sanchez is now floating the idea it may be more beneficial for Darnold to sit out the rest of the season and give it another go somewhere else.

"There’s just so much uncertainty that it’s almost impossible for a quarterback to have success with all those circumstances," Sanchez said on the New York Post's "Gangs All Here" podcast. "I feel for him."

"It’s not like they’re going to turn around and make a playoff run. Now you get into these tough decisions as a competitor thinking, 'Man, maybe my time’s up here and that’s okay. Maybe, it’s best for both sides to move on.'"

But, Sanchez is holding out hope for his fellow USC Trojan ... saying, "In my opinion – and obviously, I’m biased, he’s a USC guy, he’s a SoCal guy – I think he’s a great player. He’s a franchise player. I think he’s somebody you invest in ... He just hasn’t been able to do it there."

Darnold still has one more year left on his rookie contract ... but signs are pointing towards a breakup sooner than later.

If the Darnold experiment really is over, there's a guy from Clemson (cough, Trevor Lawrence) who may be the Jets' savior ... unless, he decides to stay in school another year.

"I’m so over it. I’m so over living in a dictatorship we call Michigan."

That's Kelly Stafford -- wife of Detroit Lions QB Matt Stafford -- railing against the COVID-19 restrictions in the state of Michigan ... claiming another shutdown will make things worse for everybody.

"I understand there’s a pandemic, and I understand it’s very scary. I’m scared of it too. If you are at risk, do not leave your house until there’s a vaccine," Stafford said Thursday.

"But, shutting down all these small businesses, things that people have worked their life for, shutting them down again is not the answer. Because they will not make it."

Stafford continued, "So, once we are able to leave our house, once this dictatorship decides to let us have some freedom, there will be nothing left. I’m just over it. I see all these people and it brings me to tears."

Stafford is referring to new restrictions that Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer announced on Sunday ... detailing a new round of closures and other measures to reduce the spread of the virus.

Stafford immediately received backlash for referring to Michigan as a dictatorship ... and issued an apology a short time later, saying, "Should never have used the word 'dictatorship.' I got caught up in the heat of the moment, that is my fault."

"I care about the people who are losing their lives or battling this ... and also the medical staff who care for them. And, it is hard knowing these local business owners and watching them struggle and having to lay off their employees, not knowing how they are gonna make it."

Stafford says she loves Michigan and didn't mean to let her emotions get the best of her.

The Staffords have had a tough time during the pandemic -- Kelly recently revealed their youngest daughter was hospitalized for a concussion after falling out of her high chair.

Andy Dalton's been cleared to play football again after contracting coronavirus ... but he says his nose and mouth still ain't ready to smell or taste things just yet.

The Dallas Cowboys QB -- who was diagnosed with COVID-19 at least 2 weeks ago -- told reporters Thursday despite testing negative now, his sense of smell and taste are still being affected by the virus.

"You can tell things are sweet," the 33-year-old said. "You can tell things are salty. You just don't get the flavor with it."

Dalton, trying to make light of it all, said it's actually helping his diet ... "I can eat really healthy right now, and it doesn't matter because I can't taste it."

Dalton told reporters the whole thing was actually pretty scary ... he says the virus hit him HARD the first day -- AND his wife and kids ended up coming down with it as well.

Andy, though, says everyone is now on the mend.

"Been a crazy three weeks," said Dalton, who had to recover from a concussion at the same time as his COVID diagnosis, "but excited to be on the other side of it."

Reshad Jones -- a former Pro Bowl safety for the Miami Dolphins -- was arrested in Florida on Wednesday after cops say he was illegally carrying a loaded firearm.

According to a police report, obtained by WPLG Local 10, cops made contact with Jones at around 4 a.m. after witnesses say the NFL free agent was walking around Davie, Fla. gas stations carrying a gun.

In the report, officers say when they began questioning the 32-year-old former Miami defensive back ... they noticed the firearm sticking out of his pants.

Cops say Jones told them he did NOT have a concealed weapons permit ... and initially complied with their arrest orders for him to get on the ground.

Officers in the report, though, noted Jones later became combative ... and "appeared to be on the influence of an unknown substance."

Cops in the report also say Jones reeked of booze.

Jones was eventually arrested and booked. Jail records show he's since been released.

Jones had a great career for the Dolphins after being picked by the team in the 5th round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played in Miami for 10 seasons, starting 113 games and recording 21 interceptions.

Jones was released by the 'Fins after the '19 season ... and he's yet to latch on with another team.

NBA superstar Klay Thompson has been diagnosed with a torn right Achilles tendon -- and will miss the entire 2020-21 season.

It's the worst possible news the Golden State Warriors could have received about the Splash Brother after he went down with an injury during a pickup game Wednesday in Downtown L.A. with other NBA players.

The team initially feared the injury could be severe ... a fear that was realized Thursday after the test results came back.

The injury usually takes 9-to-12 months for recovery -- though Kobe Bryant famously returned after 8 months when he suffered the same injury back in 2013.

What's worse for Klay is that he was busting his ass over the past year to return from a torn ACL in his left knee -- an injury he suffered during Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, which required him to miss all of last season.

It's a major blow to the Warriors ... who posted the worst record in the league last season without their 2 biggest stars -- Thompson and Stephen Curry, who was recovering from a broken hand.

Thompson is easily one of the best shooters in the game -- with a career average of 19.5 points on 45% shooting ... including 41% from 3-point range.

The mystery person who snatched up Carson Palmer's insane Del Mar mansion for $18 MIL has been revealed -- and shocker, it's a rich guy!!!!

Earlier this year, the former NFL quarterback sold the incredible 6,580-square-foot mansion he custom-built back in 2015 ... but nobody seemed to know the identity of the buyer, until now.

Enter Bill Maris ... a super successful tech investor who famously founded Google Ventures back in 2009.

Maris now runs his own venture fund in San Diego -- and was clearly looking for a badass place to settle down.

So, when he saw the unreal modern pad that Palmer built ... he pounced (according to Variety) -- and once you look at the pics, it's pretty obvious why he had to have it.

The modern-styled crib is wild -- it's got incredible views of the ocean, outdoor kitchen, infinity pool, spa, rooftop deck ... and even a bocce ball court!!

And, hopefully, Maris likes whips, 'cause the place has a 10-car garage!!

The whole mansion -- listed by Rande Turner of Ranch and Coast Real Estate -- is decked out in the latest tech ... with all the lights, sound and security systems controlled with a hand-held device.

Palmer famously moved to Idaho after he retired from the NFL in 2017 -- turning down TV and coaching opportunities to live the quiet life with his family.

Don't worry about Carson's bank account -- the 40-year-old reportedly made more than $174 million in contract money during his 15-year NFL career.

Anderson Silva is retired -- but he's still under contract with the UFC despite reports to the contrary, according to Dana White.

The UFC boss tells TMZ Sports ... the promotion did not and has not agreed to part ways with the 45-year-old after his last fight against Uriah Hall at UFC Fight Night on Oct. 31.

Silva reportedly still has 1 fight left on his UFC deal -- but MMA Fighting reports the two sides agreed to part ways after Anderson's 4th-round loss to Hall.

UFC boss Dana White says that's just not the case -- explaining that Silva remains under contract, so if he wants to fight again, he's bound to the UFC.

But, Dana says Anderson is "retired" -- so, there's not a real expectation that he will fight in the UFC ever again.

Silva (34-11) is considered one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time -- with victories over stars like Forrest Griffin, Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen, Stephan Bonnar, Dan Henderson and more.

He set the record for longest win streak in UFC history with 16 in a row (from 2006 to 2013) and is a lock for the UFC Hall of Fame.

But, he's only won 1 of his last 9 fights and it's become clear his best days are behind him.

There was a buzz Anderson could jump to Bellator -- but CEO Scott Coker recently shot that down saying the promotion was happy with its current roster.

Conor McGregor is officially returning to the Octagon in 2021 -- he and Dustin Poirier have signed their contracts to fight at UFC 257, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The two sides had reached a verbal agreement a while back -- with Dana White saying he was confident the UFC would be able to make a deal. But now, McGregor says the paperwork is done.

The rematch of their 2014 brawl will go down on January 23, possibly at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. Conor says they will fight at lightweight (155 pounds).

McGregor commented about the upcoming fight on social media recently -- saying, "I look forward to the fresh test Dustin will bring since our first bout, while also showcasing my own incredibly deep cache of weaponry."

"Whatever tool is needed on the night will be pulled from the duffel."

McGregor has also pledged to make a donation to Dustin's charity, The Good Fight Foundation, which provides resources to underprivileged youth in Poirier's home state of Louisiana.

Conor and Dustin first clashed at UFC 178 in 2014 -- with McGregor stopping Poirier in the 1st round.

Jay-Z is getting into the fitness equipment game just like his wife ... he's investing in a startup that aims to rival Beyonce's partner, Peloton.

The entertainment mogul is pumping some of his billion-dollar fortune into CLMBR, which is about to launch its 2 flagship products ... a pair of vertical climbing machines.

Jay-Z's not the only celeb who sees an opportunity to make a buck with CLMBR ... Novak Djokovic, the top men's tennis player in the world, is also investing. Jay and Bey's longtime fitness consultant, Marco Borges, is on board too, plus YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley.

CLMBR sounds a lot like Peloton, only instead of riding a bike it simulates vertical climbing. It's supposed to be good for the back, and CLMBR's machines are the first featuring touch displays and on-demand classes with instructors.

At-home fitness equipment is all the rage with most gyms and fitness centers across the globe shuttered due to the pandemic. Bey recently teamed up with Peloton ... which boosted its stock.

WHAT A NIGHT FOR ISAAC OKORO!!!

Not only does he go #5 overall at the NBA Draft, but then he surprises his parents with a new Range Rover -- and the video is amazing!!

The former Auburn star was celebrating at a Draft party with close family and friends Wednesday night -- and after the Cleveland Cavs called his name with the #5 pick, he walked his parents outside to present them with a little gift.

Waiting out front was a brand new Range Rover with a giant red bow -- and 19-year-old Okoro proudly told his dad, "This is for you!"

His parents could hardly believe it -- and they all proceeded to share an emotional embrace as they took in the moment.

Okoro is reportedly expected to sign a 4-year deal with the Cavs worth $29.1 million -- with $13.1 in guaranteed money.

So, yeah ... he can afford it.

Congrats!!!