TMZ Sports - Page 50

LiAngelo Ball is getting another opportunity to make his NBA dream come true -- the middle Ball bro has joined LaMelo's Charlotte Hornets for the Summer League.

Of course, it's been a tough road for Gelo, who went undrafted in 2018 -- he was picked up as a practice player for the G-League's OKC Blue in late 2019 and signed to the squad in March 2020 ... but the COVID-19 pandemic prevented him from seeing the court.

Ball was given another shot during training camp with the Detroit Pistons in December 2020 ... and was cut prior to the first preseason game.

Now, Gelo has the chance to show what he's got -- with the Hornets announcing he'll be playing for them during Summer League play this offseason.

Ball has shown serious promise when on the court ... averaging 12.6 points in Lithuania.

What's interesting -- Gelo's older bro, Lonzo, is a free agent this summer ... and there are rumblings he could end up being teammates with Melo when it's all said and done.

Clemson football player Fred Davis II was arrested Sunday after cops say he drove 60 MPH over the speed limit and violently crashed into a mail carrier.

Officials say the incident all went down on July 21 in Clemson, SC ... claiming Davis II was going 115 MPH in a 55 MPH zone before he slammed his 2021 Dodge Charger into the rear of a U.S. Mail Carrier truck.

According to officials, the driver of the truck was severely injured in the accident ... and "will require several months or longer for recovery."

The 19-year-old -- who was reportedly somehow not injured in the crash -- was charged with reckless driving and turned himself in to authorities on Sunday.

He was booked into the Clemson City Jail and released after a bond hearing.

A Clemson football spokesperson said in a statement over the weekend the cornerback will remain on the team despite the arrest but "will be subject to internal discipline."

"Grounds for internal discipline for misdemeanor charges like this are covered under the terms of the Clemson Student-Athlete Handbook, which says that the head coach can recommend a course of action, and upon concurrence of the designated CUAD administrator, administer sanctions," the spokesperson added.

Davis was one of the best high school football recruits in the country in the 2020 class ... and played in 11 games for the Tigers as a true freshman last season.

Laurel Hubbard's historic appearance at the Tokyo Olympics did not have a fairytale ending ... the transgender weightlifter did not medal in her event Monday.

Hubbard -- competing for New Zealand -- attempted to snatch more than 250 pounds over her head ... but failed on all three reps.

In her first, a 264-pound lift, she could not stand up the weight, sending the bar behind her back. Her second lift, a 275-pound snatch, was ruled a "no lift" by judges.

Her third and final lift, another attempt at 275 pounds, was unsuccessful as well ... and she was bounced from the event.

Hubbard tapped her chest and made a heart gesture with her hands before leaving the competition floor.

"Thank you so very much for your interest in my humble sporting performance tonight,” Hubbard said afterward. "I know from a sporting perspective I did not live up to the standards I put upon myself."

Still, despite the early exit, Hubbard's performance was groundbreaking ... as the 43-year-old -- who transitioned 8 years ago -- became the first-ever transgender person to compete in the Games.

Of course, Hubbard's inclusion in the event did not come without controversy. As we previously reported, Hubbard had competed in men's weightlifting competitions before she transitioned, and critics called her inclusion unfair to other athletes.

"I know my participation in these games has not been entirely without controversy,” Hubbard said, before adding International Olympic Committee officials have "been extraordinarily supportive and I think that they have reaffirmed the principles of the Olympics that sport is something that all people around the world can do, that it is inclusive and successful."

The Gold Cup is returning to the U.S.A. -- and the champions celebrated with an all-out rager for the ages ... including a makeshift Slip 'N Slide, chugging booze from the trophy and having a T-Pain jam session!!

Sunday night's finals match between the U.S. and Mexico was nothing short of an instant classic ... with Miles Robinson nailing a header 117 minutes into play to put the Red, White and Blue up 1-0, which would be enough to secure the victory.

With a dramatic win like that, the guys had to let loose once the championship was secured ... and they didn't have to go far to get it going -- after all, the game was in Las Vegas!!

But, before the champs could even make it to the strip, they decided to get it poppin' by having a booze fest in the locker room ... with Sebastian Lletget and Paul Arriola diving on the ground and trying to slide as far as they could!!

Eryk Williamson also had a blast -- chugging right from the Gold Cup!!

Eventually, the guys had to take the celly to the Vegas strip, hopping in vans where goalie Matt Turner -- who played out of his mind -- was really feelin' himself to "Buy U A Drank" by T-Pain!!!

The guys finally made it to the Bellagio to continue the rage fest ... and at the time of this post, we're not completely sure if they ever went to bed.

Simone Biles' Tokyo Olympics run is NOT over yet ... the gymnastics star is coming back to compete in the balance beam final, Team USA announced on Monday.

Biles has been out of competition for the last week ... after she says a mental block had her concerned for her safety.

But, Team USA says Biles is now apparently ready to go ... confirming Monday that the 24-year-old will be back for the beam event Tuesday.

"We are so excited to confirm that you will see two U.S. athletes in the balance beam final tomorrow -- Suni Lee AND Simone Biles!!" USA Gymnastics said in a statement.

"Can’t wait to watch you both!"

It was previously unclear if Biles would ever compete again -- let alone in this summer's Olympics -- after she said last week she was "petrified" of what she was experiencing while trying to do stunts.

Biles said her problems were called the "twisties" -- a mental block that terrifyingly wouldn't allow her to find her bearings while spinning in the air.

"Literally can not tell up from down. It's the craziest feeling ever. Not having an inch of control over your body," Biles said.

"What's even scarier is since I have no idea where I am in the air I also have NO idea how I'm going to land, or what I'm going to land on. head/hands/feet/back...."

Biles said she had found a place in Tokyo to help her try to to get over it all ... and it seems she's comfortable with the results she's seen in those training sessions.

Tom Brady was so ticked off over some poor plays at Bucs practice on Sunday ... he threw a major temper tantrum, cussing, slamming his helmet and even punting a football.

Reporters on the scene in Tampa say it all went down during 11-on-11 drills ... with the G.O.A.T. going off after he took a would-be sack.

Tom grabbed the ball and booted it in frustration ... sending the pigskin over 40 yards.

On the next series, Tom was sacked again and threw a few incompletions ... leading to an even bigger meltdown.

The 43-year-old QB -- who turns 44 on Tuesday -- slammed his helmet into the ground ... and according to the Tampa Bay Times, he dropped an F-bomb on his teammates.

"Gotta make a f***ing play when you’re tired fellas," Brady said, according to Rick Stroud.

Don't worry ... this apparently ain't sort of beginning of a decline for Tom -- by all accounts, he's had an awesome start to training camp, and even his head coach, Bruce Arians, was cool with TB12's attitude during practice.

"Guys have got to make plays," Arians told reporters. "You’re in a critical situation, you can’t fall down. He gives you a chance to win the game. You’ve got to go down and win the game. I don’t care how tired you are."

Warren Moon is hoping to get in touch with Deshaun Watson soon ... telling TMZ Sports he really thinks he can help the Texans quarterback get through his current situation.

Watson is in a very awkward place with Houston at the moment ... he's battling a sexual-misconduct case that could force him to go on paid leave at any time.

He's also trying to be traded away from the Texans -- and Houston is actively shopping him.

But, Deshaun is still showing up for practices (reportedly in order to avoid fines) ... and it's all created a sticky, messy situation for the NFL star.

Moon tells us he believes he can be a good shoulder for Watson to lean on during all of it ... explaining he wants to get in touch with the 25-year-old ASAP.

"I have not communicated with him lately, but I think I need to now that he's in camp," said Moon, a former Oilers star who's still a legend in Houston.

"And hopefully he'll be available to do that because I know he's kind of kept his camp very, very small since this whole thing happened which I don't blame him for."

"But, I'd like to reach out to him and just make sure he's doing OK and how he's getting through this whole thing."

As for the other QB drama in the NFL -- the one involving Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay -- we asked Moon about that situation, and he said he's a bit perplexed as to why the Packers didn't give in to Rodgers' demands far earlier.

Kyle Kuzma's SUV was stolen ... and then taken on a joy ride that led to a high-speed chase, and an eventual crash.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Kuzma's Chevy Tahoe SUV was stolen somewhere in Hollywood and eventually became involved in a police pursuit around 1:30 AM early Sunday morning. The chase, we're told, ended with the suspect hitting a cop car, and sending an officer to the hospital with minor injuries.

The suspect was eventually nabbed, and we're told he'll be booked on a number of charges. Eyewitnesses on the scene tell us the Tahoe came to a halt when it finally crashed into a gate at Belmont High School, just outside of DTLA ... which is a ways from Hollywood proper.

We're told the driver was detained, and taken to a hospital ... as they appeared to have suffered some sort of a leg injury. Some of the aftermath of that wreckage was captured by photogs who showed up on the scene ... and it looks like a lot of police were called in to deal.

It's unclear if the vehicle was stolen from Kyle's house, or just off the streets somewhere.

In any case -- sources familiar with the situation confirm to TMZ that the SUV is, indeed, registered to Kyle ... but we've been assured, he had nothing to do with the incident itself. We're told Kyle's manager drives the car, and is the one who filed the police report. Kyle wasn't even made aware the car was gone until sometime Sunday morning.

Evander Kane is adamant he NEVER gambled on hockey or threw games ... insisting his estranged wife is straight-up lying after she accused the NHL star of betting on the sport.

"I have NEVER gambled/bet on Hockey, NEVER gambled/bet on a Sharks game, NEVER gambled/bet on any of my games and NEVER thrown a hockey game,'' Kane wrote on Twitter.

Evander later continued ... "I love the game of Hockey and would never do any of what was alleged. I look forward to cooperating fully with the league's investigation, having my name cleared and looking forward to this upcoming season."

The messages were in response to Anna Kane's explosive allegations on Saturday, where she accused her soon-to-be-ex-husband of gambling on hockey games -- a cardinal sin in sports.

She wrote ... "How does the NHL let a compulsive gambling addict still play when he's obviously throwing games to win money? Hmm maybe someone needs to address this."

Soon after Anna posted her message, the NHL announced they were investigating the claim.

"The League was made aware this evening of a post on social media alleging that San Jose Sharks Player Evander Kane bet on NHL games. The integrity of our game is paramount and the League takes these allegations very seriously."

"We intend to conduct a full investigation and will have no further comment at this time."

Evander's team, the Sharks, also commented on the allegation, saying they've been in contact with the league and plan to aid the investigation.

For what it's worth, Kane -- who's midway through a 7-year deal worth $49 million -- allegedly had issues with a casino in the past.

Back in 2019, The Cosmopolitan in Vegas sued the hockey star for $500k -- claiming he had unpaid debts.

Cowboys fans, no need to panic ... Jerry Jones says Dak Prescott is "doing fine" -- and could play in a game right now, if it was necessary.

TMZ Sports talked to the Cowboys owner outside of Craigs in West Hollywood (Dallas holds training camp at nearby Oxnard, CA) ... and we asked Jones about his injured quarterback.

"He's doing fine."

Prescott -- who signed a 4-year, $160 million contract extension this off-season -- strained a muscle in his throwing shoulder last week ... forcing him to miss practice.

Of course, Prescott sustained a gruesome, season-ending compound fracture and dislocated ankle injury last year ... so Cowboys fans are justifiably uptight about their signal-callers health.

But, Jerry says if the Cowboys had a game Sunday, Dak could be under center.

"If we were playing a game [today], we could" ... Jones says when discussing Prescott's status.

We also asked Jerry about the Cowboy's COVID-19 vaccination status.

Remember, if 90% of players on a team get the vax, pandemic restrictions are eased -- so hitting that figure is a pretty big deal.

"We're at 90% [vaccination] and going up."

Dak ✅, Vax ✅

Famed skateboarder Terry Kennedy will likely be facing homicide charges now -- the man he allegedly attacked in an Illinois motel has died ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office tells us 23-year-old Josiah Kassahun passed away Saturday. TMZ Sports broke the story ... Kennedy was arrested last week after cops say he attacked Josiah in an Oakbrook Terrace motel, leaving him with a fractured skull and a concussion.

Those injuries have proven fatal, and while Kennedy had initially been booked for the assault ... prosecutors will now have to consider adding a manslaughter or murder charge. We've reached out to the DuPage State's Attorney's Office for clarification.

As we first reported, Kennedy was also booked last week for repeatedly threatening to murder the cops who tracked him down and arrested him for the alleged attack on Josiah.

A police spokesperson says Kennedy told cops, "I will kill one of you police. We kill police where I'm from."

It's still unclear what prompted the alleged motel attack, but based on social media postings ... it appears Kassahun and Kennedy were friends at one time.

Kennedy -- a big-name skater who's ridden with Rob Dyrdek and appeared in several skating video games -- is still behind bars. The 36-year-old's bail had been set at $100,000 during a hearing last week.

It will likely be jacked up much higher, now that Josiah has died as a result of the attack.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver says he's smoothed things over with LeBron James about his hatred for the play-in tournament ... telling TMZ Sports he believes the Lakers superstar now "understands" the purpose for the extra games.

Remember, LeBron went OFF on the idea of the new tourney back in May ... saying, "Whoever came up with that s*** needs to be fired."

But, the Association went forward with the format for the 2022 season ... making things official earlier this week.

So, when we spoke with Commish out in NYC this week ... he told us he personally spoke with King James about the tourney -- and it sounds like things are allllll good.

"We talked about it," Silver told us. "I think at the end of the day, I understand. Especially if you went deep last year and you have that end, you have that many sort of games on your legs."

"You're not looking forward to more games. But, I think he understands the context of the league."

Silver says despite James' initial gripe, it was the NBA Players' Association that ended up voting in favor ... but he's totally down to collab on a common ground to make both sides as happy as possible.

"At the end of the day, the Players Association speaks for the players, and they've approved this format for next season," he added.

"So, I think we wanted to get one more season under our belt that wasn't a pandemic season, so we could really get a sense of how it works."

"But, I'm more open to tinkering with it if necessary."

Next time you see Odell Beckham, ask him to smile ... and you'll witness a $1.8 million dollar grin!!!

Sources tell TMZ Sports ... the Cleveland Browns star pretty much has a mansion in his mouth now ... after hitting up celeb dentist Dr. Thomas Connelly to get some natural porcelain veneers done.

But, the 28-year-old didn't ask for your regular pearly whites ... he wanted his on a different level -- framed with a load of diamonds ... and Connelly delivered!

OBJ's new teeth look AMAZING ... with a iced-out cross on his fang and the back of his teeth -- on both sides -- infused with gems.

We're told Connelly -- who's made icy teeth for Post Malone and Chris Brown -- did a 28 unit full mouth reconstruction ... and it carries 13 carat diamonds!!!

The 3-time Pro Bowler dropped $1.8 MILLION on his new teeth ... but it won't hurt his pockets -- he's made over $60M in his NFL career so far.

It'll be nice to see the guy get back on the field after going down with a season-ending injury in November 2020 ... but wear a pair of shades if you stare at his smile ... just in case.

Simone Biles will NOT pay a financial price for pulling out of the Olympics -- she actually might make MORE money -- so says financial guru Daymond John.

The "Shark Tank" star joined Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" ... when DJ was asked about the monetary implications of Biles's decision.

"I think this is great," John tells us ... "Not what she's going through, but a great example of showing she's human."

Daymond says that will likely translate to additional sponsorship dollars.

"I think this makes her extremely relatable, and I think this makes a company look good because they say we don't only care about people when they're on top, we care about people when they're going through struggles, and we're gonna address this cause we're all human."

Of course, 24-year-old Biles pulled out of the team and individual all-around gymnastics competitions in Tokyo after explaining mounting pressure took a toll on her mental.

Simone is already one of the Summer Games' highly endorsed athletes ... working with companies like Visa, Athleta and Uber Eats, amongst others.

And, get this ... Biles won't be the only athlete who benefits from the gymnastics G.O.A.T. pulling out.

DJ says Suni Lee -- the all-around individual gold medalist -- likely will also get the bag!!

"I think the other young lady who stepped up and represented America, and represented everybody so great, with Simone cheering her on, I think she's also gonna get sponsors."

Lee is on her way ... she's already accumulated over 1 million Instagram followers in the days since her clutch performance.

Snoop Dogg can seriously commentate on just about anything and make it entertaining -- something he's proved yet again with some Olympics coverage ... which is rated R.

The rapper joined none other than Kevin Hart Saturday for what appears to be a special from Peacock -- NBC's subscription service -- and the two of them were hired to drop some commentary on random Olympics clips from the ongoing games ... totally out of context.

Sounds like a hoot, and that's exactly what it turned out to be ... especially once SD started getting into his bag of NSFW jokes, which were preceded by some gangster comparisons.

You gotta watch for yourself ... in Snoop's eyes, the horse that's trotting around in the clip they're watching looks an awful lot like what he was doing in the music video for "Drop It Like It's Hot" -- namely, Crip walking. That got a huge laugh out of Kevin ... and seemingly out of the rest of the crew on set.

That's nothing compared to a comment he made later ... when the subject of skeet shooting came up for discussion.

Conor McGregor's healing process just got a lot more fun -- the dude is hobbling his way around Universal Studios while he's on the mend ... and looks to be having a helluva time.

The wounded UFC star was out and about Friday at Universal Studios in L.A., and he wasn't just standing idly by watching his kids and whatnot have a blast -- the guy was straight-up getting on rides as well.

Check out this video we got of CMG at the theme park, where at one point he was boarding "The Secret Life of Pets" ride ... limping his way over with the help of his crutches, and eventually plopping himself down. Not bad for a guy with a broken leg!

This just shows that despite being seriously injured, Conor is still living his best life and isn't letting the rubber bone moment put a damper on his plans outside the Octagon.

Besides this Universal trip, he's been cutting loose -- as much as he can, anyway -- with rehab stints alongside MLB players, poolside bro seshes with pop stars ... all while lugging himself to wherever he needs to go with the help of his trusty crutches.

It looks like he's also gotten some updated footwear too ... rocking a boot at the park instead of just the bandaging he's been wearing of late.

Pretty incredible considering just how gruesome the break was at the time. It speaks to Conor's toughness -- and at this rate, we kind of expect him back sooner rather than later.