TMZ Sports - Page 50

Officials in Atlanta have confirmed the fire that gutted Shaq's iconic Krispy Kreme was caused by an arsonist ... and now, they say they're on the hunt for the suspect.

The famous donut shop -- which is located on Ponce de Leon Ave. and has ties to Martin Luther King Jr. -- was nearly burnt to the ground shortly after midnight on Feb. 10.

Officials say 2 employees who were in the store were able to escape the fire safely ... but the place took SERIOUS damage from the flames.

Now, officials say they believe the blaze was NOT caused by an accident ... but rather, by a person who wanted to see it burn.

Officials say they have surveillance video of the suspect ... and revealed images of the person from the video early Friday morning. Officials added there's now a $10,000 reward for help in identifying the suspect.

"The fire that occurred at @krispykreme Doughnuts (295 Ponce de Leon) on February 10th, 2021 has been determined to be a result of ARSON," officials said. "We are seeking the public’s help in identifying & locating the suspect in these pictures."

Officials say call 1-800-282-5804 if you have any information.

The donut shop, meanwhile, is one of the most famous in the country ... it was bought by Shaq back in 2016 and gained fame in 1968 for donating boxes of treats to mourners who flocked to Atlanta to grieve the death of MLK Jr.

Vanessa Bryant just got the perfect assist from daughter Capri -- who gave a sneak peek of the new Kobe Bryant 6 Protro "All-Star" kicks ... weeks before they're set to drop.

"These shoes are about to be released next," Vanessa said on IG ... "They're Kobe's All Star drop."

The new sneakers are an updated "Protro" version of the Nike Zoom Kobe VI 'All-Star' shoes, which were originally released back in 2011.

Capri was rockin' mommy's size 7 -- just a little too big for the 1-year-old ... but she'll grow into 'em. Even [Uncle] Pau Gasol weighed in on the adorableness -- saying, "So Cute!"

The new Kobes will reportedly come with a $180 price tag and are set to drop on March 8 -- the day after the 2021 NBA All-Star game.

But, you can expect these shoes to sell out QUICKLY and then fetch monster prices on re-sale sites.

As we've reported, the demand for all things Kobe has exploded over the past year -- with collectors paying record prices for everything from autographs to jerseys to basketball cards ... even the car he used to drive around.

Luke Walton melted down on the court during a timeout Thursday night -- karate-chopping a clipboard straight to the ground -- and the whole temper tantrum was caught on video.

The Sacramento Kings coach was furious with his squad in the 4th quarter of their game with the NY Knicks ... and when an assistant tried to hand him a whiteboard, Walton lost it.

The dude reared back with his fist and fired straight down into the board ... causing it to break into pieces.

Walton then appeared to yell at his team ... before the Kings went on to lose 140-121.

Afterward, Luke said the temper tantrum was simply a release of frustration ... with the coach admitting he's straight-up tired of the Kings' recent poor play.

"Look, I'm frustrated. We all should be frustrated," Walton said ... "I was frustrated tonight and I believe in our team and I know when our group is playing well, we are much better than what we showed tonight."

Walton and the Kings have been in a serious slump ... losing 9 straight games and dropping their record to just 12-20 in the process.

Clearly, Walton is hoping for a turnaround ... could a clipboard freakout be the catalyst his team needs?

One day after reigniting the movement to change the NBA's logo to Kobe Bryant ... Kyrie Irving doubled down on the take, explaining, "Kobe Bryant. Logo. Yes. Needs to happen."

"I don't care what anybody says," Irving said Thursday night after the Brooklyn Nets' win over the Orlando Magic. "Black kings built the league."

"It's exactly what I meant and it's exactly where I stand."

Back in February 2020, just a few weeks after Kobe, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others died in a helicopter crash -- there was a large movement to switch the NBA's Jerry West logo to one depicting Kobe.

A change.org petition earned over 3 MILLION signatures in support of the cause ... but the NBA never appeared to take the idea too seriously.

But, clearly, Irving has no intentions of stopping the push ... 'cause on Wednesday he brought the movement back on his social media page -- and on Thursday, he explained why he feels the move is necessary.

"As a native Black man and a native Black king, I think it's part of my responsibility to push our culture forward," Irving said, before adding, "I think he deserves it. I think his family deserves it."

"I think we deserve it as seeing greatness personified as Mamba. And anyone that's coming into the league should know that that's the example that was set."

Vanessa Bryant clearly agrees ... she's thrown her support behind the idea since it was first proposed -- even commenting on Irving's social media post this week, writing, "Love this."

Tiger Woods has been transferred to a new hospital to continue his recovery -- and will now be treated at the famous Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A.

Tiger's medical team at UCLA confirmed the move and praised the golfer as he left.

"Mr. Tiger Woods was transferred to Cedars Sinai Medical Center for continuing orthopedic care and recovery," Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Anish Mahajan said.

"On behalf of our staff, it was an honor to provide orthopedic trauma care to one of our generation's greatest athletes."

Tiger was initially transported to Harbor-UCLA in the minutes after his car crash on Feb. 23 in Palos Verdes, CA.

Officials say he was taken to Harbor-UCLA because it was the best equipped, and closest hospital to treat Tiger's injuries.

Tiger suffered major injuries to his right leg in the crash -- including comminuted open fractures ... which means the bones were shattered and breaking through the skin.

Harbor-UCLA doctors used a rod to stabilize Tiger's leg and a combination of pins and screws to repair his badly damaged right ankle and foot.

The criminal case against ex-Team USA Gymnastics coach John Geddert is as good as dead -- because officials know there's no point in prosecuting a deceased person.

Geddert had just been hit with 24 criminal charges -- including 20 counts of human trafficking and 2 counts of sexual assault -- when he took his own life Thursday afternoon. State officials in Michigan say they believe it was a self-inflicted gunshot.

If convicted on all counts, Geddert was facing life in prison.

Prosecutors clearly felt they had enough evidence to get a conviction -- but the case can never get off the ground now that Geddert is dead.

The legal explanation comes down to 2 points. One, you have the right to defend yourself in a criminal trial, which is impossible once you're dead.

Second, most of the goals of punishing people in a criminal case -- to rehabilitate, to deter, etc. -- are pointless once the defendant is dead.

As to the notion that the case should play out so Geddert can go down in history as an officially convicted sexual predator ... most courts don't see it that way because we cherish the principle that people are innocent until PROVEN guilty.

Basically, Geddert robbed his victims of the opportunity to get justice through the criminal court system -- but they may not be out of options.

Victims can still sue Geddert's estate in civil court where the evidentiary bar is lower -- and there's a decent chance they can win a monetary judgment.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic wants LeBron James to stay in his lane when it comes to politics ... saying the L.A. Lakers superstar (and other athletes) should stick to what they're good at, and leave politics to politicians.

The 39-year-old A.C. Milan striker criticized politically outspoken athletes in an interview with UEFA and Discovery+ Sweden ... calling it a "mistake" to get involved.

"I like (LeBron) a lot, and he is phenomenal at what he's doing, but I don't like when people have some kind of status, they go and do politics at the same time what they're doing. Do what you're good at," Zlatan said in the clip.

Of course, LBJ is one of the most socially and politically active athletes today -- he's gotten into public beefs with former President Donald Trump and has continuously used his platform to speak out against injustice and inequality in America.

Zlatan clearly thinks it's best he keeps his opinions to himself.

"Do the category you do," Ibrahimovic continued. "I play football because I'm the best at playing football. I don't do politics. If I would be a political politician, I would do politics."

"That is the big first mistake people do when they become famous and they become in a certain status. Stay out of it. Just do what you do best because it doesn't look good."

Of course, it's not the first time LeBron has been criticized for his involvement in politics -- remember, TV host Laura Ingraham famously told the 4-time champ to "shut up and dribble" after speaking out against Trump.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Malik Beasley has been suspended 12 games by the NBA ... after pleading guilty to a felony threats charge stemming from a scary incident last September where cops say he pointed a handgun at a group of people.

The league just handed down the stiff punishment, saying the 24-year-old hooper "has been suspended 12 games without pay for pleading guilty to a felony charge of threatening to commit a crime of violence for the purpose of terrorizing another person, in violation of the law of the State of Minnesota."

The incident was super bizarre.

Beasley's Plymouth, Minnesota home was featured on a list of impressive mansions for tourists to visit when in the area.

Prosecutors say the extra traffic in front of MB's house pissed him off ... and on September 26, 2020, Beasley had enough.

Officials say Malik grabbed his handgun and pointed it at a family who was in their car, checking out Malik's pad.

Beasley ultimately plead guilty to a felony threats charge and was sentenced to 120 days in jail.

The judge agreed to allow Beasley -- who's averaging almost 21 points a game this year -- to serve the time after the NBA season.

Malik addressed the suspension to Shams Charania, issuing the following statement to the NBA insider.

"I will take this time to reflect on my decisions. I apologize to all the great fans out there who have supported me during this difficult time and I promise I will come back very soon as a better person and player.”

Beasley will begin serving his suspension on Saturday, Feb. 27 when the Timberwolves visit the Washington Wizards.

Bronny James' sophomore basketball season is in jeopardy -- the 16-year-old high school superstar has reportedly gone under the knife to repair a torn meniscus.

LeBron James' son -- a 4-star recruit in the Class of 2023 -- first revealed the injury during a Twitch stream 3 weeks ago ... saying, "Bro, I tore my meniscus."

The Sierra Canyon H.S. guard recently had surgery to fix the issue, according to the Los Angeles Daily News ... and is expected to make a full recovery.

There's one major issue -- Bronny is at risk of missing some serious time and maybe even the entire season ... depending on when the state of California allows indoor sports to resume due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

FYI -- recovery time for a torn meniscus is usually around 3 months, according to WebMD ... so depending on when the season starts, he could miss all of his sophomore campaign.

On the bright side, Bronny has already caught the eyes of Duke, Kentucky, Kansas and more ... and while missing the season would be a huge bummer, he's still LeBron James Jr.

John Geddert -- the coach of the legendary 2012 Team USA gymnastics team -- has been charged with multiple counts of human trafficking and sexual assault and faces up to life in prison.

... and there's a connection to disgraced Team USA doctor and convicted sexual predator Larry Nassar.

63-year-old Geddert was the head man in charge when the Fierce Five squad won gold at the 2012 Games in London. The team was comprised of superstars Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Kyla Ross and Jordyn Wieber.

But, law enforcement officials say Geddert shouldn't be celebrated as some great coach -- claiming he's a scumbag who sexually assaulted an unidentified person in 2012 who was between the age of 13 and 16.

The specifics of the allegations are still unclear -- but the charges he's facing are horrifying.

In total, Geddert is facing 20 counts of human trafficking, 2 counts of sexual assault, 1 count of racketeering and 1 count of lying to a peace officer.

As for the Larry Nassar connection ... Nassar was the team doctor for the 2012 gymnastics team. Nassar also treated gymnasts at the Michigan gym, Twistars, which was owned by Geddert and his wife until they sold it just a few weeks ago.

It's relevant because prosecutors say Geddert lied to investigators in 2016 when they were looking into Nassar's criminal conduct -- and Geddert allegedly said he never heard anyone complain about the doctor.

Geddert probably saw the criminal charges coming ... Michigan State Police raided his home in early 2020.

Team USA suspended Geddert when the Larry Nassar story broke several years back. Geddert told people in 2018 he was retiring from coaching.

Vincent Jackson's closest friends and family members said goodbye to the NFL star at a small private funeral service on Wednesday -- and now his body will be cremated, per his wishes.

The former NFL star was found dead by a housekeeper at the Homewood Suites hotel in Brandon, Florida on Feb. 15 ... but officials believe he could have been dead for days.

Law enforcement officials say the 38-year-old wide receiver struggled with chronic alcoholism and believe it played a significant role in his death.

Now, Jackson's body will be cremated and the ashes will remain with his family, per Allison Gorrell, the executive director of the Jackson In Action 83 Foundation.

Jackson's brain was donated to the CTE Center at Boston University -- because his family believes the NFL player suffered brain trauma during his long football career.

The CTE Center is considered a global leader in CTE research -- and the family hopes donating Vincent's brain will help doctors and scientists figure out a way to prevent and treat CTE in other athletes.

"Vincent being who he was would have wanted to help as many people as possible,” Gorrell told the New York Times last week.

Russell Wilson has NOT asked for a trade from the Seahawks -- but the QB's agent says if he were to be jettisoned from Seattle, he'd accept a deal to Dallas.

Mark Rodgers -- who reps the NFL superstar -- told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Thursday Wilson wants to play in Seattle, but the Cowboys are one of four teams he would agree to be traded to.

The other three? The Saints, Bears and Raiders.

Of course, the Cowboys are the most interesting of the grouping ... considering everything going down with Dak Prescott.

Dallas brass has insisted it wants to keep the team's star QB on the roster ... this despite not having signed him to a long-term deal yet.

Could a potential swap with the Seahawks change their plans? Perhaps ... Russ, after all, is one of the most elite QBs in the league and he still has 3 years left on his contract after inking a massive $140 million extension in 2019.

As for Wilson's interest in the Saints and Bears ... their quarterback holes are glaring -- Drew Brees is expected to retire this offseason, while Chicago's signal-caller spot is in flux with Mitch Trubisky set for free agency.

The Raiders, meanwhile, make a little less sense ... Derek Carr had a solid year with Jon Gruden in 2020, and there's no reason to believe he won't be back with the team in 2021.

... unless Wilson truly is available for a trade.

Johnny Manziel underwent emergency dental surgery on Wednesday that will keep him out of the FCF's final regular-season game this weekend, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

28-year-old Manziel, the starting QB for the Zappers [0-2], left the Fan Controlled Football league's bubble environment in Atlanta and traveled back home to Scottsdale, AZ for the procedure, a league spokesperson tells us.

No word on Johnny's specific medical condition -- but obviously, his health is the priority and the league is working with Johnny to make sure he gets the care he needs.

We're told Manziel -- who had the surgery yesterday -- is already back in the gym ... and the league expects him to return to the FCF bubble in hopes he'll be ready to go for the team's playoff game on March 6.

A league rep says Manziel will have to meet "health-and-safety protocols and quarantine procedures" before he's allowed back -- but again, no one is anticipating an issue.

In the meantime, we're told Manziel will appear on the Week 3 Twitch broadcast as a "special guest" (along with Joe Montana) -- so Johnny fans can still get their fix of the Heisman winner.

A pro athlete just signed a huge, $10 MILLION contract ... but it wasn't a hooper or a football player -- we're talking DISC GOLF, BABY!!

30-year-old Paul McBeth just became the richest player in the sport's history ... inking the massive endorsement deal with Discraft Disc Sports that will pay him a solid 10 milli over the next 10 years.

McBeth is widely considered one of the best disc golfers on the planet -- he has 130 pro wins, 5 world championships and 2 national titles ... and was ranked #1 in the Professional Disc Golf Association rankings before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

So ... what the heck is disc golf?? It's pretty much like golf, but instead of hitting a ball with a club, you throw a flying disc into a basket made of chains.

It's a sport McBeth has been playing since he was a kid ... and the dude is thrilled to be raking in the dough after decades of hard work.

"It’s mind-blowing to me to think about that 17-year-old me — or even before that, 14-year-old me — made the right move back then to put myself in this position and be able to propel the sport potentially to the next level," McBeth said in a video announcing the deal.

The guy was already making some serious coin via his signature disc line -- he reportedly sold more than 100k of his own discs last year, earning $4 per disc, according to Cypress Point Disc Golf.

McBeth's previous contract with Discraft -- 4 years, $1 million -- was also considered the biggest in the sport at the time ... before he shattered it with the new deal.

McBeth is also married to pro disc golfer in Hannah McBeth, who is a badass in the sport as well with 3 career event wins. The two got married in 2018.

Incredible video shot less than 24 hours after the raid on the U.S. Capitol shows Donald Trump joking around with golf legends Gary Player and Annika Sorenstam ... while the rest of the country was still in shock.

Remember, Player and Sorenstam had each been booked to receive the Presidential Medal of Honor -- the highest civilian award in the country -- from Trump at a White House ceremony set for January 7.

The issue ... the insurrection at the capitol occurred on Jan. 6 -- where 5 people died and many more were injured. Several buildings in the Capitol complex were evacuated and locked down.

Yet, Trump forged ahead with the medal ceremony -- but decided to make it a private affair instead of a big public display.

Footage of the ceremony was captured by reporter Graham Bensinger -- and shows Trump joking around with the golfers as if everything was normal.

"Gary earned the title 'Mr. Fitness,' Trump said ... "He just told me, he said, 'Sir, lose a couple of pounds.' I said, 'Okay, Gary’' ... he said it in front of Annika. That was very rude, don't you think?!! How rude can you be?"

The jokes were met with huge laughs from people in the room -- and both Player and Sorenstam proceeded to praise Trump when they stepped in front if the mic.

"I want to say thank you for all that you've done and the service to our country," Sorenstam said ... "particularly, during the coronavirus crisis. I know it's been very tough and challenging, but many congratulations on the rollout of the vaccine and warp speed."

Player added that Trump's White House has "changed the world for the better."

In the weeks that followed, Trump was impeached -- with officials accusing him of inciting the insurrection.

Bensinger sat down with Sorenstam one month later for his show "In Depth with Graham Bensinger" -- and she admitted she's heard the negative criticism about her decision to accept the award while others like Bill Belichick declined.

"I've received quite a bit of positive feedback from friends and family. But, then there've been some not so positive," Sorenstam said ... "And, I've heard those, and I've listened to those."

Bensinger asked specifically what the negative criticism has been.

"I'm gonna be honest, I haven't been on social media since then. The other things that I've heard, the negativities: not necessarily my achievements, but the timing."

As for Trump, after he was impeached ... the case went to the Senate, where he was ultimately acquitted.

There are a lot of questions surrounding why cops didn't take a sample of Tiger Woods' blood after his rollover crash ... but the fact of the matter is, there was simply no reason for them to do so because there was no evidence Tiger was impaired at the time of the crash.

Law enforcement sources tell us there were no drugs or alcohol inside of Tiger's GV80, nor did he show any signs of impairment when he was pulled out of the wreckage. In fact, cops say he was awake and alert on the ambulance ride over to the hospital ... so the guy wasn't totally out of it by any means.

Beyond that, if cops want to draw blood to see if someone's under the influence -- they need a warrant to do it, and for that ... they need probable cause, none of which existed in Tiger's situation. Again, there was no evidence of impairment.

All evidence indicates Tiger was in a rush, was going too fast on a treacherous road and lost control of his vehicle.

TMZ broke the story, Woods was seen driving very fast out of his hotel just minutes before the accident and almost struck a director's car for the show "Grown-ish" which was shooting at the same hotel Tuesday.

L.A. County Sherriff, Alex Villanueva, came out Wednesday and said there were no criminal charges forthcoming for Tiger -- and he seemed pretty emphatic about it ... almost like he wanted to end any speculation to the contrary.

As we reported, Woods was busted for DUI in 2017, where he clearly appeared impaired after failing a number of field sobriety tests, but that wasn't the case this time.