TMZ Sports - Page 19

After nearly 2 decades ... Kobe Bryant and Nike are breaking up.

Technically, Kobe's estate -- lead by Vanessa Bryant -- has decided not to renew the previous 5-year "post-retirement endorsement extension" Mamba signed in 2016 ... but in layman's terms, Team Kobe is leaving the Swoosh.

"Kobe's Nike contract expired on 4/13/21," Vanessa told ESPN ... "Kobe and Nike have made some of the most beautiful basketball shoes of all time, worn and adored by fans and athletes in all sports across the globe. It seems fitting that more NBA players wear my husband's product than any other signature shoe."

Kobe originally signed with Nike back in 2003 -- and later inked his "post-retirement" deal following his final NBA game on April 13, 2016.

So, why would Vanessa pull Kobe from Nike? It boils down to two main reasons, according to ESPN -- 1, long-term money and 2, Vanessa wasn't happy with Kobe shoe availability, particularly when it came to kids.

Regarding the money ... ESPN says Vanessa was unhappy with the financial aspects of the new deal Nike was offering.

She was hoping for a deal that was more akin to the lucrative "lifetime" deals that Michael Jordan and LeBron James have signed with the company.

As for availability ... Vanessa felt the Nike strategy of limiting the number of Kobe shoes to increase demand and collectability was hurting the ability of the common fan to cop a Kobe sneaker.

In other words, she wanted the shoes to be more widely available -- especially when it came to kids' sizes, according to ESPN, and ultimately she and Nike just weren't on the same page about the distribution strategy.

Vanessa told ESPN, "My hope will always be to allow Kobe's fans to get and wear his products ... I will continue to fight for that. Kobe's products sell out in seconds. That says everything."

"I was hoping to forge a lifelong partnership with Nike that reflects my husband's legacy. We will always do everything we can to honor Kobe and Gigi's legacies. That will never change."

So, what happens now?

Nike will likely stop making Kobe products (unless they come to terms on another deal with the estate) ... and Vanessa will likely look for a new partnership with a different shoe company.

Nike issued a statement on the situation ... saying. "Kobe Bryant was an important part of Nike's deep connection to consumers. He pushed us and made everyone around him better."

How did Jake Paul celebrate his brutal butt whoopin' on Ben Askren??

VERSACE MANSION RAGER FOR THE AGES, BABY!!!

The undefeated YouTuber-turned-boxing superstar hosted his closest friends -- and really anyone else looking to party -- for a big shindig at Gianni Versace's famed former digs in Miami on Sunday night ... and it looked like a damn circus!!

The official afterparty was thrown by Michael Mak -- founder of Celebrity Sports Entertainment -- and there were some big time celebs in the house ... including Cuba Gooding Jr., Logan Paul, Larsa Pippen and Brandon Marshall.

There was a red carpet, an endless supply of booze, music and even the Problem Bot (Jake's robo mascot) made an appearance.

On top of that, there was a boxing ring set up inside the mansion -- we're guessing for party purposes, not fighting.

Jake even hopped on the mic at one point and started rapping along to Drake songs ... before performing one of his originals.

Of course, Jake's been on Cloud 9 since destroying the former MMA champ and Olympic wrestler in the ring at the Triller Fight Club in ATL on Saturday night ... and considering the fight only lasted 2 minutes, he didn't need much time to recover.

The 24-year-old rightfully enjoyed his big win with back-to-back nights of celebrating ... and there's no end in sight.

Houston Rockets player Sterling Brown was the victim of a late night attack on Sunday evening and suffered injuries to his face, the team has announced.

Yeah, this is wild.

26-year-old Brown -- the same guy who was unnecessarily manhandled and tased by Milwaukee PD officers back in 2018 -- says he doesn't not know who ran up on him Sunday evening ... but it sounds terrifying.

Here's the statement from the Rockets:

"Last night, Sterling Brown was the victim of an assault. He has no prior knowledge of or interaction with the assailants. He suffered facial lacerations but will make a full recovery. Sterling is not playing tonight because of his prior knee injury."

The Rockets did not specify where the assault took place -- but the team is currently in Miami to play the Heat on Monday night.

As we previously reported, Brown reached a $750k settlement with the City of Milwaukee for the 2018 tasing incident, which was captured on video.

In addition to the money, the City of Milwaukee agreed to issue a statement admitting they violated Brown's constitutional rights.

Brown signed with the Rockets in November 2020.

Story developing ...

Patrick Mahomes says he's fully vaccinated ... telling reporters Monday he took the shots in the arm to try to help ensure his newborn baby daughter stays healthy.

"To me, it was more of a personal decision with having a baby girl and knowing that I was going to be around people," the NFL superstar said.

"I wanted to make sure I could do whatever I could to help keep her healthy."

Mahomes and his fiancee, Brittany Matthews, welcomed little Sterling Skye Mahomes back in late February ... and Patrick clearly didn't wrestle too much with the decision to get vaccinated as a new dad.

But, Patrick emphasized the choice to get the shots is "a personal decision for everybody."

"Whatever you believe," the 25-year-old said, "I think you can do whatever that is."

As for how fatherhood is going, Patrick said the last two months have been a whirlwind ... explaining, "I've had to learn a lot there, probably more than I've learned in my entire life 'til now of how to take care of a baby and raise a little baby girl."

NFL star Sam Darnold was crushed to learn his former USC teammate Chris Brown died over the weekend ... saying Monday the 24-year-old O-lineman was the "greatest dude EVER."

Brown passed away Sunday, according to Trojans football head coach Clay Helton ... who said he was "heartbroken" to relay the news to the SC community.

Darnold -- who was teammates with Brown for his entire USC career -- spoke out on the tragedy on his social media page Monday ... sharing three photos, and clearly reeling from the news.

"Still can't believe this," Darnold said. "Rest easy brotha."

Brown arrived on SC's campus in 2014, 1 year before Darnold enrolled at the school. The O-lineman went on to block for the star QB for two seasons in 2016 and 2017, before Sam eventually bolted for the NFL.

The two were clearly close, Darnold's pictures showed the guys shared more than a few laughs together.

A cause of death for Brown has not yet been revealed.

Deshaun Watson's girlfriend is making it abundantly clear she's sticking with the quarterback despite the NFL star's massage therapy scandal.

Jilly Anais -- who's been dating the 25-year-old Texans signal-caller for the past couple years -- joined up with Watson and some other close friends on a secluded mountain retreat this weekend.

And, her photos from the trip mark the 1st we've seen Watson since the scandal broke last month.

In one of the pics, Jilly and Deshaun are on a jet ski together, and you can see Jilly is flipping the double bird to the camera -- which could be construed as an "up yours" to Watson's accusers and his haters.

Obviously, the allegations are serious, Deshaun has been accused of sexual misconduct by at least 22 different women, and his attorney, Rusty Hardin, has acknowledged Deshaun did in fact have sexual encounters with some of the women.

Hardin, though, has been adamant everything between Watson and the women was completely consensual.

Look, we don't know if Deshaun and Jilly were together during the alleged encounters with the masseuses, or if the two just have that kind of relationship.

But, what is clear is that she's sticking with the quarterback.

Scottie Pippen has revealed his oldest son Antron Pippen passed away on Sunday. He was only 33.

"I'm heartbroken to share that yesterday, I said goodbye to my firstborn son Antron. The two of us shared a love for basketball and we had countless conversations about the game."

Scottie continued, "Antron suffered from chronic asthma and if he hadn’t had it, I truly believe he would've made it to the NBA. He never let that get him down, though -- Antron stayed positive and worked hard, and I am so proud of the man that he became."

Antron was born in 1987 to Karen McCollum -- who married Scottie in 1988 (they split in 1990).

Antron was a pretty solid basketball player who reportedly spent time hoopin' at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU). Clearly, Scottie believed he had real potential, if not for his medical condition.

Scottie did not reveal Antron's cause of death. However, he's asking fans to pray for his family.

"Please keep his mom, Karen, and all of his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers. A kind heart and beautiful soul gone way too soon. I love you, son, rest easy until we meet again."

Antron also spent time playin ball at South Georgia Technical College -- and moments ago, the school paid tribute to their former player.

Deshaun Watson claims at least 5 of his accusers performed massage therapy on the QB after alleged sexual misconduct incidents ... and the NFL star believes it's proof the women are lying.

Watson just filed new court docs responding to the 22 female massage therapists who have filed lawsuits against him. And, now that he knows the identities of his accusers, he's going after them one by one.

"In the few days since Mr. Watson has learned the identity of his accusers, his legal team has already uncovered evidence that numerous allegations in this onslaught of cases are simply not true or accurate," Watson's attorney, Rusty Hardin, says in the court docs.

Hardin lays out 6 points which he believes will help to prove his client's innocence ...

--"After the massage therapy sessions with Mr. Watson, 8 plaintiffs bragged about, praised, and were excited about massaging Mr. Watson"

--"7 plaintiffs willingly worked or offered to work with Mr. Watson after their alleged incidents"

--"3 plaintiffs lied about the number of sessions they actually had with Mr. Watson"

--"3 plaintiffs lied about their alleged trauma and resulting harm"

--"5 plaintiffs told others they wanted to get money out of Mr. Watson"

--"5 plaintiffs have scrubbed or entirely deleted their social media accounts"

Hardin clearly believes any woman who would work with Watson after suffering such trauma during an alleged sexual misconduct incident is lying.

Hardin claims he has proof that 5 accusers "chose to work with Mr. Watson even after they claim he acted offensively and aggressively in prior sessions."

"This, of course, raises the question of why they would agree to follow-up therapy sessions when they claim their experiences made them feel like they 'wanted to vomit' and caused them to 'no longer accept massage clients, for fear of a repeat of this type of harassment.'”

As for Hardin's claim that some of the accusers are scrubbing their social media accounts, he believes they're doing it to rework their images.

Watson names four accusers and says, "Before their names became public, their accounts contained pictures that are inconsistent with the image they portray through their petitions."

NFL star Alex Smith -- who beat the odds and returned to the field after a catastrophic leg injury in 2018 -- is retiring from football, the QB announced Monday.

36-year-old Smith gave an emotional farewell to the sport just minutes ago ... saying he's ready for a new challenge after making his improbable comeback.

"Two years ago I was stuck in a wheelchair, staring down at my mangled leg, wondering if I'd ever be able to go on a walk with my wife again, or play games with my kids in the yard," the 2020 Comeback Player of the Year said.

Smith credits getting a football back in his hand for his miraculous recovery ... adding, "I don't know what it was but all of a sudden I felt stronger, more driven and what once seemed impossible began to come into focus."

"I want to say thank you for believing in me and thank you for helping me believe in myself and the impossible," he added. "Because even though I have plenty of snaps left in me, after 16 years of giving this game everything I’ve got, I can’t wait to see what else is possible."

Smith says he will now spend time with his wife and kids ... and enjoy making up the time he's missed with them over the past 16 years.

Smith -- a superstar QB out of the University of Utah -- was the #1 overall pick to the San Francisco 49ers in 2005, where he played for 8 seasons.

He was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013 ... earning Pro Bowl honors 3 times in 5 seasons, and posting the league's best passer rating in 2017.

Smith joined the Washington Football Team in 2018 and was having a solid season before suffering a gruesome leg injury against the Houston Texans in Week 10.

After battling a flesh-eating bacteria and 17 operations, Smith worked nonstop to make his return to the field in 2020, appearing in 8 games for Washington.

"I was a skinny no-name recruit who wasn't supposed to play in college, let alone go to New York as a Heisman finalist or be the first one to have his name called on draft night," Smith added.

Zamar Kirven -- a former starting LB for the Univ. of Houston football team -- has been accused of murdering his ex-H.S. teammates in a violent shooting Sunday.

The McLennan County Sheriff's Office said Kirven opened fire on 2 men, who may have been asleep at the time, at around 2 A.M. in Mart, Texas.

Officials did NOT release a motive for the alleged attack ... but they did say Kirven grew up with the men and even played high school football with them.

"He gunned those people down in cold blood," Sheriff Parnell McNamara told TMZ Sports of the alleged incident. "There was not a fight."

21-year-old Kirven was arrested and booked on a capital murder charge. Jail records show he's still in custody.

Kirven -- a 6'3", 205-pound athlete -- was a star at Mart H.S. and eventually earned a full-ride scholarship to play for the Cougars after his senior season in 2018.

Kirven played in 9 games in his true freshman season ... and went on to start 5 games in his sophomore season in 2019.

Ex-NBA star Nate Robinson raked in more than $2 MILLION for that horrific boxing performance against Jake Paul back in 2020 ... and there's a chance they could run it back!!

That's all according to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith who says he spoke with a source "close to Nate" about what's going on behind the scenes ... and he dropped a ton of very interesting information.

Smith had mentioned Robinson's ill-fated Nov. 2020 match with Paul on Monday's "First Take" ... and when they came from commercial break, the extremely well-connected Stephen A. read a text message he received from a trusted Nate Robinson source. Here's what it said:

"Nate walked out the arena [on Nov. 28 and] realized he was not trained well. [He] apologized for not listening and collected a little over $2 million for that fiasco. He's fine."

"They are trying to get him to fight in a rematch, if you can believe that. Floyd 'Money' Mayweather wants to train him, if he agrees. Crazy but true."

The source said he advised Nate "not to do it" -- "but if he does, it needs to be for more money and he needs to train with a pro for a very long time."

Stephen A. and his First Take co-host Max Kellerman both strongly urged Nate to NOT take a rematch ... considering the punishment he took in the first fight.

We strongly agree.

A tiger never changes its stripes -- that is, unless you're the Cincinnati Bengals, which just debuted some brand new uniforms ... and they look GOOD!!

It's no secret -- the Bengals have had some of the worst jerseys in the NFL for nearly 2 decades ... with the majority of fans begging for a makeover.

Who Dey Nation's prayers were finally answered on Monday ... with Joe Burrow, Chad Ochocinco and more showing off the beautiful new threads in all their glory.

There are some significant changes to the unis -- most notably, the shoulder stripes are much simpler and easier on the eyes ... and the random white stripe on the side of the black jerseys are gone (a huge victory in itself).

The jerseys also have a different number font, which is meant to resemble the ridges of Paul Brown Stadium and claw marks of a tiger.

Unfortunately, there's still a tiger print down the side of the pants -- which comes in 3 different configurations -- but hey, we won't complain too much.

The big reveal came with a hype video to "Run It" by Ohio native Cal Scruby ... which was a nice touch.

One of Colton Underwood's first orders of business as a new openly gay man was to hit the town and dip his toe into the scene -- but it looks like he got distracted along the way.

The former 'Bachelor' -- who just came out publicly last week -- went to a gay bar in Denver Sunday ... a place called Charlie's, which seems like a pretty happening place complete with a dance floor, private booths and bumpin' music.

All that was in full flex while Colton was there ... but based on these pics and video we got of him there, dude was more interested in his phone, at least for part of the night.

Anyway, eyewitnesses tell us CU was at Charlie's with his friend, and mentor of sorts, Gus Kenworthy. The Olympic skier's kinda showing Colton the ropes in the community ... and will be featured on Colton's Netflix docuseries.

Welcome to the Dozens ... starring Barack Obama?!?

He's got jokes! Fat jokes. Gambling jokes. Shaq jokes!! Plus, actual information about the COVID vaccine (no joke!)!!

Obama sat down virtually with Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal as part of ATTN:'s "Roll Up Your Sleeves" special on NBC ... where the goal was to educate the public about some of the misconceptions about the vaccine.

But, before he got down to business ... Obama had a little fun at Shaq and Barkley's expense!

Obama razzed Chuck for his famous gambling habit and joked with Shaq about how the Big Man endorses every business on the planet!

And then came the fat joke ...

Obama congratulated Barkley on his daughter's recent wedding -- and brought up how Charles mentioned how he wanted to slim down for the event.

"You also felt like you need to get in shape because The Hora (the traditional Jewish dance) ... when you're lifting the chair, nobody could do that at your current weight!"

Don't freak out, it was all in good fun -- and Barkley laughed it off.

"I survived the Hora! No one got hurt -- it was the best day of my life!"

As for the vaccine ... here's the gist of what Obama had to say.

-- "A lot of the underlying conditions, things like diabetes, folks who have preexisting conditions ... there is more of that in communities of color than there is generally, which means we're more vulnerable."

-- "A lot of young people think ... 'Even if I get COVID, it's like a bad cold.' But part of what we're seeing now is there is a different strain of the virus that's come over. That's not the dominant variant and it's actually hitting young people harder than the original version."

-- "We don't know the kinds of long terms effects that were having. There's some folks who get it and 6 months later and they're still not feeling quite right."

Obama also brought up how measles used to "kill people all the time" before vaccines.

He also mentioned the Tuskegee experiments and how it has become a reference point for Black people who don't trust the government when it comes to health care.

"The irony is when you know about the Tuskegee experiment, what's going on there is the government withheld treatment that was available for Black men for Syphilis. They didn't give them medicine they needed."

"So, here's a situation where if the medicine is available, we need to take it."

The G.O.A.T.’s knee is continuing to mend ... Tom Brady says his injured leg is feeling “pretty good” a couple months after surgery, though he added he’s not quite close to 100% yet.

The 7-time Super Bowl champ broke it down for reporters at Bruce Arians’ charity event Sunday, explaining rehab on his injured knee is going well, but he likely wouldn’t be able to practice for Tampa if official workouts began this week.

"I feel pretty good, and I push myself pretty hard," The 43-year-old said. "I feel pretty good. I don't know if I could go this week, but we'll see how things play out.”

It’s unclear when Brady initially injured his knee, but multiple reports have indicated he dealt with the ailment through the Bucs’ run to the Super Bowl in 2020.

Brady had surgery to repair the issue just days after the title game victory over the Chiefs ... and, despite clearly not being full-go yet, he seemed confident Sunday it'd be healthy by the start of the 2021 season.

"It's a long time between now and the beginning of the season,” Brady said, "and just be smart about all these different things that we have to do and fulfill; but we all take a lot of pride in being ready to go, and I'm sure we will be."

Metta World Peace is genuinely impressed with Jake Paul's boxing career -- telling TMZ Sports the guy is "legit" and loves the fact he's chasing his dream.

The former NBA star -- who's a big boxing fan -- loved watching Paul knock out Ben Askren over the weekend ... and explained why it's the latest in an "incredible" journey for the 24-year-old YouTube star.

"I like Jake Paul, because I think anybody who has a dream should go after that dream," Metta told us outside of Toast in L.A.

"I think what's incredible about it is he's doing it! That's what's incredible about it, action!"

Metta says he had dreams of becoming a boxer when he was younger -- but never followed up.

So, the fact Jake is putting in the work and seeing results is very impressive to him.

And get this ... Metta tells TMZ Sports he's been getting calls from networks looking to book him in a major celebrity boxing event.

But, don't hold your breath -- Metta says he ain't interested.

"I don't feel like doing it ... It's just not something I'm into doing."

"Ain't no dollar amount," Metta added ... "I just don't want to do it."