TMZ Sports - Page 50

"His ankles is f**ked up and Lucky got his ass!"

That's Glen "Big Baby" Davis doubling down on his attack on Kyrie Irving -- saying Kyrie's ankle injury is "karma" for stepping on the Celtics during the playoffs.

Actually, what Glen specifically said was ... "Karma is a motherf**ker!"

Here's the backstory ... Kyrie made a point to step on Lucky the Leprechaun after the Brooklyn Nets beat Boston in Game 4 of their playoff series.

Kyrie famously played for the Celtics from 2017 to 2019 -- but clearly doesn't feel love for the city.

Big Baby, on the other hand, won a championship with the Celtics in 2008 and LOOOOOVESSSS all things Boston.

So, when Kyrie suffered a sprained ankle Sunday while playing the Milwaukee Bucks, Davis sounded off on social media ... saying the whole thing was "karma."

Davis got some pushback on social media -- but he's not fazed, and made a VIDEO going scorched-earth on Kyrie for the disrespect toward his beloved Celtics.

"Everybody mad at me 'cause Kyrie Irving stepped on Lucky and Lucky got his get back," Davis said ... "Don't get mad at me because Lucky got his get back!"

"Karma is a motherf**ker!!"

"You do right by people, people do right by you and I don't care if it's a logo. I don't even care if it's a logo! It means something to me!"

"Like, you know what I'm saying, for example, countries that have flags! You go and step on a logo flag, what is that?! That's disrespect!"

Davis continued, "I played for the Celtics, I'm a Celtic forever!!! So, it don't matter! It don't f**king matter! Stop getting mad because your man got weak ankles!"

Most impressive fan catch EVER??

A spectator at the Dallas Baptist vs. Virginia game made an insane head's-up play on Monday ... by not only snagging a home run ball -- but recording it on his phone at the same time!!

It all went down in the Columbia Super Regional matchup just minutes ago ... where a trip to the College World Series is on the line.

The game has been filled with highlight plays, but the biggest of all came when Jackson Glenn hit his 2-run dinger to put the Patriots up early in the 3rd inning ... with the fan snagging the ball in the left-field stands!!

Of course, the folks at ESPN tracked the fan down and got the footage he captured ... and it's pretty wild!!

The fan got a ton of praise from the guys in the booth, too ... saying, "That's just pre-determined knowledge of what's about to happen in the game."

"It's a smart baseball fan there!"

The kid's a natural with the glove ... so we gotta assume he's a baseball superstar for his local club.

Bob Baffert is so PISSED over his New York Racing Association ban ... he's now suing the org. and asking the judge to lift his suspension ASAP.

It's all in new court docs obtained by TMZ Sports ... in which Baffert says the NYRA has no basis to suspend him, despite what's been going down with Medina Spirit in Kentucky.

In the lawsuit, Baffert says even though Medina Spirit's primary sample came back with traces of a banned substance after the horse's Kentucky Derby win ... he still believes he should face no punishment until the full investigation into the matter concludes.

Furthermore, Baffert says because he's not facing any accusations of wrongdoing in New York and has never had a history of any sort of misconduct in the state ... he wants his suspension lifted STAT.

In the suit, Baffert says the ban placed on him by the NYRA in mid-May is costing him a fortune in missed racing opportunities ... and, in addition to the injunction, Baffert is also seeking damages.

As we previously reported, Baffert has claimed Medina Spirit's positive test was NOT a result of cheating ... saying he believes it was all possibly due to ointment prescribed to fix a skin issue on the horse.

"While we do not know definitively that this was the source of the alleged 21 picograms founds in Medina Spirit's post-race blood sample," Baffert said shortly after the race, "and our investigation is continuing, I have been told by equine pharmacology experts that this could explain the test results."

Have a bad weekend? There's probably no way it was worse than Beau Burrows' ...

The Detroit Tigers pitcher got so sick on the mound Saturday -- he blew chunks ALL OVER IT -- and then he was promptly sent down to the minors afterward.

The gross scene all went down in the Tigers' game against the White Sox ... when Burrows entered the contest in the 4th inning with Detroit losing 8-2.

The 24-year-old rookie cruised in his first inning on the bump ... but ran into some major issues when he came back out for the fifth inning.

He walked a batter, gave up two straight hits, then walked another batter ... and even though he went on to strike out the next two guys -- something went terribly wrong.

Check out the footage, as Burrows was trying to close out the inning ... he got visibly ill -- and threw up everywhere ... TWICE.

Burrows tried to stay in the game ... but he was pulled after trainers and coaches came out to talk with him.

But, the worst part? The Tigers sent him down to Triple-A after the game ... meaning he's going to have to work his ass off to get back up to The Show anytime soon.

As for his health, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch didn't seem concerned this was a long-term or serious issue ... explaining his pitcher was simply just nauseous.

Hall of Fame hooper and coach Dawn Staley is 100% confident she would THRIVE at the helm of an NBA team ... saying, "I surely can stand in front of men and lead them."

Staley -- one of the greatest WNBA players of all time -- is reportedly one of two female candidates interviewing with the Portland Trail Blazers to replace Terry Stotts ... and if hired, she would become the first woman to be named head coach in the NBA.

While breaking that kind of barrier could come with an insane amount of scrutiny, Staley says "There are a lot of women good enough" for the task.

"I come with a lot of credentials," Staley told the New York Times. "I surely have the confidence. I surely can stand in front of men and lead them. First team All-Stars. MVPs. I’m okay with that."

Of course, Staley's résumé is stacked -- she was a 6-time All-Star in the WNBA and most recently named Coach of the Year with the Gamecocks in 2020 ... but she understands there will be a ton of critics against the hire.

"A lot of people would be out there, just waiting for you to make a mistake, waiting for you to be wrong," Staley added. "There’s a whole dynamic that men, white or Black, just don’t have to think about. It’s a female thing. The expectation will be so much greater than the male coach. So much greater."

Staley -- who led South Carolina to a national title in 2017 -- says she's more than happy with her current position at the college level ... but is adamant she is capable of making the jump.

"I haven’t coached in the league. But you know what? I’m a quick learner."

Staley and San Antonio Spurs assistant Becky Hammon are among the several coaching candidates to interview for the Blazers gig ... proving it's a matter of when, not if, a woman gets that kind of opportunity.

"It would be huge. We just need the right situation."

Matthew Stafford got one of his first tastes of the L.A. nightlife scene this weekend -- and there were paps, autograph seekers ... and even a fun answer about a silly tiff with his old pal, Clayton Kershaw!

It all went down Saturday night at Craig's ... where Matt -- who was just traded from Detroit to L.A. in March -- got in a night out on the town with his wife and friends.

You can see in the clip, the new Rams QB is clearly going to be VERY popular in his new city ... dude didn't even step 3 feet out of the restaurant before people wanted his John Hancock!

Of course, we were also there ... and we had to get his take on his old high school teammate, Kershaw, saying he would NOT wear Stafford's new jersey around L.A.

If you missed it, just a few weeks ago Kershaw went on the 'Dan Patrick Show' and said he's excited for Stafford's L.A. stay, but added he wouldn't be wearing Matt's Rams uni anytime soon.

But, Matt laughed that all off Saturday ... telling us he's got no beef with his friend -- explaining, "That's alright!"

A Pekingese named Wasabi hotdogged his way to Best in Show at the 2021 Westminster Dog Show ... following in the footsteps of his doggone brother!!!

It's a pretty incredible feat, but Wasabi's owner and trainer, David Fitzpatrick, already boasts one Best in Show winner ... his other Pekingese, Malachy, won the event in 2012.

But, Sunday's event was all about 3-year-old Wasabi, who flaunted a "proper Pekingese gait" that looks "like a goldfish moving through the water" ... according to the announcers.

Wasabi beat out 6 other group winners to take the top prize, with Bourbon the whippet coming in second.

There was also another very famous dog owner involved in the competition at the second-oldest continuous sporting event in the U.S. (behind the Kentucky Derby) ... Barry Bonds!!!

MLB's all-time home run leader's miniature schnauzer Rocky was in the mix, and although the good boy didn't win ... Barry was a proud dog dad for sure.

One more historical note -- this year's event was held at the Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, New York, and not Madison Square Garden ... where it has been held every year since 1877. The move was the result of the pandemic.

Just days after he collapsed on the soccer field, Christian Eriksen is speaking out -- vowing to fight in his recovery while doctors continue to hunt for the cause of the medical emergency.

"'Thank you, I won't give up," Eriksen said in a statement issued through his agent to the Italian media outlet, Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I feel better now -- but I want to understand what's happened."

The statement continued, "I want to say thank you all for what you did for me."

As we previously reported, the 29-year-old went into cardiac arrest during Saturday's Denmark vs. Finland game in Copenhagen.

Emergency medial personnel raced onto the field to treat him -- and he was eventually resuscitated with a defibrillator.

Eriksen was transported to a nearby hospital where he continues his recovery. He's currently in stable condition.

The Denmark team doctor, Morten Boesen, spoke with the media on Sunday and addressed the seriousness of Eriksen's situation in the seconds after the soccer star collapsed.

"He was gone," Boesen said ... "And we did cardiac resuscitation. And it was cardiac arrest."

He added, "How close were we? I don’t know. We got him back after one defib. That’s quite fast."

As for what caused the incident, Boesen said specialists are still trying to figure that out.

"I’m not [a] cardiologist, so the details about why it happened and further, I will leave to the experts."

Bottom line ... Eriksen seems to be on the road to recovery, which is a miracle considering how scary things looked on Saturday.

The Phoenix Suns returned home to Arizona late Sunday night to ONE HELL OF A WELCOMING PARTY ... where fans were going crazy after the team's 4-game sweep of the Denver Nuggets!

Check out this crazy footage of Sun Nation showing out to greet stars like Deandre Ayton, Devin Booker, Chris Paul and more ... just losing their minds at the players trying to leave the airport.

The 6'11" Ayton opened up his sunroof and screamed back at the fans -- everyone was hyped! It was awesome!!!

When CP3's car drove up, the fans began the "MVP" chant!

The Suns swept Denver in 4 games -- impressing the NBA world considering they were playing against league MVP Nikola Jokic and stars like Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr.

The Suns are now headed to the NBA Western Conference Finals to face the winner of the L.A. Clippers vs. Utah Jazz series. The Jazz are currently leading 2-1.

Suns fans have been making almost as many headlines lately as the team -- especially after that fight in Denver where a man in a PHX jersey beat up two men in Utah jerseys and then screamed out, "Suns in 4."

Welp, he wasn't wrong.

Le'Veon Bell is apologizing -- sorta -- for unloading on Andy Reid ... saying he's sorry for his heated comment, but adding he still flat-out doesn't like the guy.

The ex-KC Chiefs running back took a massive shot at his former coach on social media Saturday ... saying he'd straight-up rather RETIRE than play for the 63-year-old again.

Bell didn't explain his beef with the ball coach -- but after he was trashed on social media for the opinion ... he ultimately said Sunday he was sorry for airing the dirty laundry.

"I’ll admit that’s somethin I could’ve and should’ve kept to myself & I apologize about that and that only..." Bell said on Twitter. "but I don’t regret what I said, because that’s how I feel..."

He added, "so you can love me or hate me, I’m gonna be fine regardless ... I’m just giving you a small version from my point of view on why I said what I said ..."

29-year-old Bell joined the Chiefs in October after he was cut by the NY Jets ... but he was largely underwhelming in Reid's system, starting just 2 games and rushing for only 254 yards.

Le'Veon insinuated his problems with Reid stemmed from a conversation with the head coach, though he didn't elaborate.

"For those who have a PERSONAL PROBLEM with me because of what I SAID, that’s fine...you have your right!" Bell said. "just understand I ALSO have MY RIGHT for how I feel about MY PERSONAL problem with dude because of what HE SAID to me."

Bell added that he had ZERO issues with Kansas City and his teammates, explaining his beef was solely with Andy.

"I loved my time there," Bell said.

The Lakers may need more than LeBron James and Anthony Davis if they're trying to return to the NBA Finals ... so says Lamar Odom, who tells TMZ Sports they're one more star away from dominance.

Of course, the Lake Show was sent home early after losing to the Phoenix Suns in the first round ... and AD's groin injury is believed to have played a major role in their demise.

We asked LO if the Purple and Gold need to make big changes this offseason ... and he says Bron and Davis are usually enough, but their heath issues could spell trouble in the future.

"I was hurt!" Odom tells us. "I was hurt when I watched them. They gotta get another guy who can play right alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis."

LeBron also had to sit out a portion of the season due to a tough ankle injury ... and keeping everyone healthy is a major concern for LO.

"I mean, [James and Davis] probably is enough but we need them healthy but just in case if they're not healthy."

"I think once the Lakers put another piece with those two guys, then they'll be alright because they have enough supporting cast right now but I just think they need one more strong piece."

The guy knows what it takes to win it all -- after all, he won championships alongside Kobe Bryant in 2009 and 2010.

Odom points out the Brooklyn Nets ... saying that squad has 3 legit MVP caliber players on their team ... and L.A. needs that third option to be able to compete.

Speaking of Brooklyn, Odom had strong words for Charles Barkley, who recently said he's rooting against the Nets due to his hatred for "super teams."

"Yeah, nah f*** that. F*** that. GMs, you gotta get better then."

Christian Eriksen -- a Danish soccer player, who's one of the stars on the national team -- just had a frightening emergency during the first round of the UEFA European Championship ... collapsing on the field and requiring immediate medical attention.

The 29-year-old midfielder fell to the ground Saturday during Denmark's Euro 2020 match against Finland, toward the end of the first half. He was jogging back and about to receive a ball being thrown to him from one of his teammates, when all of a sudden ... Eriksen toppled over without provocation -- not being touched by another player or anything.

Everyone around him instantly recognized he was suffering an emergency and called for the ref to stop the game -- while also waving on team doctors and other first-responders on hand. Footage was captured from the terrifying moment ... and it's clear he'd lost consciousness.

Reports say CPR was rendered to Eriksen on the spot before he was carried off a stretcher for further treatment. His team -- including players from the other side -- were notably concerned, with a majority of them taking a knee out of respect ... a tradition in soccer.

His teammates also linked arms around Ericksen and formed a wall of sorts -- seemingly to give him privacy while he was being tended to. No word yet on his status or what might've caused the collapse. Of course, everyone is sending their thoughts and prayers.

Austin McBroom was true to his name ... he cleaned the floor with Bryce Hall Saturday night, but it's unclear if the loser will have to ante up a million bucks.

The event -- YouTubers vs. TikTokers -- is further proof these social media boxing matches are becoming the most popular events in combat sports ... like it or not.

Austin dominated the fight from the get-go ... pummeling the TikToker from one end of the ring to the other. Bryce was beaten to a pulp in round 3 ... at one point the ref stopped the action with an 8 count to see if Bryce could continue, and he did ... for about 10 more seconds before a fierce combination to the body was enough for the ref, who stopped the fight.

So, this was a TKO, not a knockout, and therein lies the problem. The deal was that the loser would pay the winner $1 mil if he got knocked out. TECHNICALLY, Bryce did not, so the money thing is unclear.

Bryce says he pocketed $5 mil for the fight ... unclear what Austin got, but we're assuming it's in that vicinity.

The night was super entertaining ... Check out how TikToker Vinnie Hacker celebrated after his knockout win against Deji.

Most people thought this would be just a social media event with crappy boxing, but the action was actually good and it was really entertaining.

WWE Superstar-turned-AEW talent scout Mark Henry says we might not have seen the end of Braun Strowman ... telling TMZ Sports he's hoping to bring the former champion to his company!!!

Of course, Strowman was recently let go by Vince McMahon's organization ... after spending the past 8 years as one of wrestling's biggest stars.

Now that Henry is an analyst, coach, scout and mentor with All Elite Wrestling, we had to ask if he's planning to bring his buddy on board.

"Super high on my list," Henry tells us. "It's not an all Mark Henry decision, but there's already interest on both sides."

"Hopefully by the time he's allowed to wrestle in August, I think the middle of August, then we could have a serious conversation about contractual things of that nature but right now there's interest on both sides. I love that dude."

Henry and Strowman -- real name Adam Scherr -- go WAY back to their strongman days ... and Mark played a huge role in getting him into the wrestling game.

Now, there's a good chance at a reunion once Scherr's contract is up.

"I talked to him, I mentored him but I tell him all the time, I can't talk business," Henry added. "When your contract expires, you call and let me know and then we'll have a talk."

If Scherr does make the switch, he'll have to go by a different name ... 'cause WWE holds the rights to the "Braun Strowman" -- but it's a small sacrifice for fans who wanna see him back out there.

There's even more awesome news ... we had to ask if we could see 50-year-old Henry enter the squared circle with AEW ... and he's hoping to make it happen!

"I got a lot left in the tank," he says. "I said this before, man. Once I turn 50 ... I said I wanna wrestle again so I can say I wrestled in 4 decades."

"Not many wrestlers get to that, not many. Especially at a high level. I wanna be able to get there and hopefully by October I'll be at 100%."

Henry says he has a bit of work to do to get back into fighting shape ... but it's clear he's spent a lot of time pondering the idea.

"I want it to be very skillful and I want it to be well thought out."

Doesn't seem Tommy Tuberville will be backing any sort of legislation that requires the NCAA to pay athletes anytime soon ...

Here's the U.S. Senator and former Auburn football head coach telling TMZ Sports he firmly believes college sports are NOT a "farm" system ... insinuating scholarships and per diems are currently enough payment for athletes.

"Players are already getting paid," Tuberville said this week out at Reagan National Airport. "You've got to remember that. They’re getting their scholarship."

"Plus," Tuberville continued, "most of them are getting $600, $700, $800 cash a month for what we call cost of attendance. And, so, nobody’s going hungry as a college athlete. Men and women."

Paying players has ALWAYS been a hot-button issue in college athletics -- even back when Tuberville was coaching -- but it's been kicked up a notch this summer.

Several states are slated to make it illegal for the NCAA to punish athletes for making money off their own likeness ... and Congress is now being looked at to potentially step in and finally make a blanket ruling on it all.

Tuberville, though, doesn't seem like the kind of guy who will press for large reform ... telling us, "It should always be about education. If we get away from that, we're going to lose it."

"This is not a minor league farm system."

Tuberville added, "This is not farm minor league sports. It is education ... at the end of the day, it should be about education."

There's more ... we also spoke with Tuberville about Alabama locking Nick Saban into another lengthy contract extension, and Tommy said while it's great for college football, it's certainly bad news for the rest of the SEC!

LeBron James and the Lakers would still be playing right now if it weren't for Anthony Davis' brutal injury ... so says Ben McLemore, who tells TMZ Sports "everybody knows" things would've been a LOT different if AD stayed healthy.

Remember, AD went down with a groin injury in Game 4 of the first-round series against Phoenix ... and the Lakers ended up getting eliminated in 6 games.

We spoke with McLemore about the impact the injury had on the series ... and it's safe to say he thinks the Lakers would've extended their run had the whole team been healthy.

"I think everybody know that," McLemore told us out on Rodeo Drive this week. "Great superstar. Everybody knows that."

AD was a beast for the Lakers before the injury -- posting back-to-back 34-point performances in games 2 and 3 -- but Devin Booker and Chris Paul proved to be too much for the shorthanded Purple and Gold (they also dealt with injuries to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso).