TMZ Sports - Page 50

Meyers Leonard is continuing his fight against anti-Semitism -- teaming up with a top anti-hate organization to speak at a virtual seminar ... just months after the NBA player dropped a slur while gaming online.

We're told 29-year-old Meyers has joined forces with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) ... and is set to speak at a webinar on August 19 ... with the hopes of stemming the rise in hateful speech.

The class -- which will also feature 2-time WNBA champ and Israel national basketball team member Alysha Clark -- will focus on the importance of education on anti-Semitism.

The speakers will also discuss the Holocaust.

It's just the latest way Leonard -- who is currently an NBA free agent -- is trying to repent ... by spreading awareness about the horrors of hate language.

Back in June, Meyers got emotional when speaking to a group of Jewish kids at a synagogue in Florida ... saying, "I owe everybody, truly, a sincere apology."

Of course, the apology came after Leonard found himself in some scalding-hot water after using an anti-Semitic slur while playing "Call of Duty: Warzone on Twitch back in March.

Meyers was immediately placed on indefinite leave by the Miami Heat and lost out on a ton of business deals -- including his relationship with gaming juggernaut, FaZe Clan.

Ciryl Gane and Francis Ngannou -- interim champ vs. champ -- will unify the UFC's heavyweight title in the near future ... and when the 2 goliaths fight, "Bon Gamin" wants it to go down in France.

Both fighters have a strong connection to the country. 31-year-old Gane was born in La Roche-sur-Yon, France. 34-year-old Ngannou moved to the country as a 22-year-old ... traveling to Paris to start his MMA career.

So, when TMZ Sports talked to Gane -- fresh off his dominating victory over Derrick Lewis at UFC 265 -- we asked him if there's been talk of holding the event in Ciryl's home country.

"Yes, a lot of people talk about [the fight in France]. Yes this is possible, and I hope, hopefully, this is going to be in my country," Gane says.

"I think for the debut of the UFC, probably it will be a great fight for starting this, and it will be a big success for sure. We have a lot of fun and friends, and big potential."

There's a good reason there hasn't been a UFC fight in France ... the sport was illegal in the country until last year. But, now it's not ... and it's clear Gane thinks now is a perfect time to bring the promotion to the country.

We also asked the 10-0 fighter about his newfound fame ... and whether he plans on following fighters like Randy Couture and Michael Bisping into the acting world.

Jake Paul is off the hook with the feds for roaming an Arizona mall as it was being looted by George Floyd protestors -- we're told he will NOT be prosecuted.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona tells TMZ ... prosecutors will not be pursuing federal charges against Jake for his conduct in the Scottsdale shopping center days after Floyd's murder.

As we reported, video shows Jake inside the mall while it was being looted back on May 30, 2020 ... and he was busted for trespass and charged with a criminal misdemeanor. The City Attorney didn’t pursue the case, but kicked it up to the feds, who launched an investigation.

As part of that investigation, federal agents later raided Jake's home in Calabasas and the famous Graffiti Mansion in Las Vegas. We know weapons were confiscated from both homes, but it remains unclear how, or if, they were connected to the Scottsdale incident.

In any event, the feds now say they didn't find enough evidence to charge him for anything.

Rey Maualuga is in trouble with the law again ... the former NFL and college football star was arrested on Wednesday, TMZ Sports has learned.

Jail records show the 34-year-old -- who was a 2nd-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft -- was booked into Kenton County Jail in Kentucky at 8:19 PM.

Details surrounding his arrest are unclear -- we're working on it -- but records show Maualuga was booked on three charges, including DUI, criminal mischief first degree and criminal mischief third degree.

Maualuga -- who was listed at 6-foot-2, 245 pounds on his booking sheet -- was arrested by the Villa Hills Police Dept., the records show. He's due in court later Thursday.

Of course, this is far from Maualuga's first brush with the law ... in fact, he was just arrested by the Villa Hills Police Dept. back in July 2020.

In that case, Maualuga was accused of driving drunk and driving recklessly.

Maualuga was also arrested back in 2010 on suspicion of DUI ... and in 2017, he was arrested for allegedly attacking an employee at a Miami nightclub while he was a member of the Dolphins.

Maualuga is one of the best college football linebackers ever, starring at USC from 2005 through 2008. He went on to play 9 seasons in the NFL, starting 108 total games, before leaving the league after the 2017 season.

Trevor Bauer says his assault accuser appeared to have edited her injury photos to make them seem worse than what they were ... and claims the woman later had hopes of striking a "major cash" settlement with the MLB star.

It's all spelled out in fiery new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, in which Bauer and his attorneys argue his accuser's request for a permanent domestic violence restraining order should be denied.

Of course, the woman claims Bauer gave her black eyes, bruises and other injuries during sex she did not consent to.

In the docs, Bauer's lawyers claim his accuser's text messages and emails to friends and legal team show the woman was not sexually assaulted by Bauer, but rather show she had simply wanted to end the Dodgers pitcher's career.

Bauer's attorneys also claim the woman had hoped to ultimately gain a monetary settlement from Bauer after she had filed for her initial temporary restraining order against him earlier this summer.

In the docs, Bauer's attorneys say the photos that the woman provided in her June TRO request "appear to be edited or filtered in a manner to give a misleading or false impression of her injuries."

They also say messages with her legal team show she had hoped Bauer would "offer me major cash then make me sign an nda" in a settlement.

Bauer's attorneys made it clear in the docs, though, that "no settlements or cash offers have or ever will be made."

Bauer's attorneys reiterated their stance that they believe the two sexual encounters between the baseball player and the woman in April and May were entirely consensual.

"[Bauer's accuser] has taken a proceeding designed to prevent future acts of 'domestic violence,' and turned it into a tool for attracting media attention and attempting to end [Bauer's] baseball career," Bauer's attorneys wrote.

As we previously reported, for weeks, Bauer and his legal team have said the 30-year-old committed no wrongdoing in his encounters with his accuser.

Jake Paul is rolling out the royal red carpet for his fight against Tyron Woodley ... telling TMZ Sports he wants LeBron James front and center for the big night!!

Of course, Paul is slated to duke it out with Woodley on Aug. 29 in Cleveland ... just a stone's throw from where the YouTube superstar (Westlake) and NBA champ (Akron) grew up.

Jake says it's truly a special night for the city and the state ... so he wants the biggest local names to make an appearance and cheer him on.

"I think it’s just really cool that this is sort of an Ohio affair," Paul tells us, "and, not a lot of boxing matches take place in Ohio, let alone Cleveland."

With that being said, Jake is hoping to see the ex-Cavalier come through for his event ... giving a personal invite to the King.

"LeBron, pull up baby!!!" Paul said.

"When I was 12, came and saw your games. I paid good money for some front row seats. I was yelling at you from the crowds."

"And so, I think it’s only right that you pull up and yell, "Jake! Jake! But look, LeBron, this one’s for the city man, pull up!"

JP's also inviting Ohioans who killed it in the Tokyo Olympics -- from Zach Apple to Katie Nageotte (who he just invited on Monday) and more.

"Katie taking gold, Duke Regan boxing coming up a silver. Oshae Jones with the bronze. We got swimmers Zach Apple, Hunter Armstrong both getting gold in swimming."

"Like, the Ohioans were crushing it. So, I was like come on down to the fight and it’s perfect timing. It’s right after the Olympics. They get to chill out, and maybe grab a beer!"

Andre Drummond just saved his son's life ... with the Philadelphia 76ers center springing into action after the child accidentally fell into a pool -- and the footage is terrifying.

The 28-year-old just posted surveillance video of the incident -- with family members hanging together around the pool at his home ... when his 2-year-old son, Deon, tripped into the water.

The 6'10", 280-lb. baller -- completely clothed from head to toe -- dove right into the water without hesitation and scooped Deon out of the water ... with the other family members coming to assist.

Drummond then carries his son (who was born on February 21, 2019) over to another person, who lifts him out of the water to safety.

"NOT ALL HEROS WEAR CAPES 🤦🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️" Drummond said on Thursday. "A parents worst nightmare….. Feat my son & I 😂😂"

Drummond made it clear to note no one was injured in the incident ... but the footage is still just as scary.

The MLB's Field Of Dreams replica officially has Ray Kinsella's stamp of approval ... 'cause Kevin Costner visited it this week and GUSHED over the ballpark, calling it "perfect."

Costner -- who played Kinsella in the 1989 classic baseball movie -- got a tour of the Dyersville, Iowa field just before the Yanks and the White Sox play there Thursday night, and his reaction was awesome.

The 66-year-old walked through the bleachers and stepped on the infield grass ... and was astonished, looking around in bewilderment at how the MLB made the fictional field come to life for an actual game.

"Wow," Costner said. "Feels perfect. Every bit of it."

Of course, the endorsement is big for the MLB ... 'cause if anyone knows what the Field of Dreams is supposed to look like, it's Costner.

The actor absolutely crushed the role as Kinsella more than 3 decades ago ... helping make the movie and the line "If you build it, he will come" a piece of American history.

As for baseball players ... they're loving the idea of the park and the game too -- with Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz fawning over it all on their visit there this week.

Deshaun Watson is clearly fed up with the media frenzy surrounding Houston Texans training camp ... bluntly saying, "Why are y’all always filming me every day?? It’s the same s***."

Of course, reporters have been following the 25-year-old's every move since July 28 ... documenting his reps, presence/absence and everything in between.

While a star QB like Watson would usually garner most of the attention from cameras, he's especially in the spotlight amid sexual misconduct accusations from more than 20 women who claim he crossed the line during massage appointments in the past.

Watson appeared to reach a breaking point as he walked off the field on Thursday ... throwing his hands up and questioning why the media continues to focus on him.

The NFL has not suspended or taken any other action against Watson as the criminal investigations and civil lawsuits continue ... which would explain why reporters are watching his every move.

There have been reports the Texans have tried to end camp early to keep reporters from having access to Watson ... but the plan backfired and the league forced the team to continue training in front of the media.

This is one of the first times Watson has spoken with the media since the allegations came forward ... and it wasn't the best interaction.

Klay Thompson's sweet tooth was working overtime late Wednesday night ... 'cause the Golden State Warriors star couldn't pass up on buying a bunch of candy from kids outside an L.A. hot spot!!

TMZ Sports caught up with the 3-time NBA champ as he was leaving the Highlight Room in Hollywood ... and while the guy seemed to be in great spirits, he was even happier when he saw a basket full of sugary sweets waiting for him.

Naturally, Klay whipped out his wallet and started passing out bills to the young businessmen ... sifting through bags of chocolates and gummies before settling on some Kit Kat bars and Snickers.

No word on the value of the bills Klay gave the kids ... but we're pretty sure the guy overpaid for the treats.

FYI -- Klay has made $182 million in his career so far and is in the middle of a 5-year, $190 million deal ... so yeah, some candy bars are def in the budget.

There's more for Dubs fans to enjoy -- Klay looks completely fine as he walks up to his SUV ... which is great to see as he comes off that devastating Achilles injury.

Dustin Diamond's presence will be felt over and over and over this weekend ... 'cause a NASCAR sponsor's ready to unveil his special stock car honoring the late actor.

Dan Block, the president of Insurance King, has chosen this Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series Verizon 200 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the race where he'll unveil a tribute to his late friend.

The No. 52 car -- driven by Josh Bilicki -- is paying homage to Dustin and his Screech Powers character from "Saved by the Bell." We're told Block's bringing Dustin's best friend and his girlfriend as special guests.

The car itself will be wrapped Thursday and TMZ's obtained a rendering of what the final product will look like during the 82-lap race. Bilicki's race suit will also have Dustin's full name along with the years of his birth and death.

As we reported ... Dustin died in February after battling stage 4 lung cancer. Just days after he had revealed his diagnosis, Block planned to wrap Bilicki's car as a "get well" pick me up for Dustin. That initial rendering has been altered since Dustin passed.

Block and Dustin were very close friends, and Dustin starred in several Insurance King commercials.

In this spot, Dustin speeds past a cop who pulls him over and asks how he can afford car insurance with so many speeding tickets. He hits him with, "C'mon. I'm saved by the king."

Simone Biles is the greatest gymnastic ever ... and NOTHING from the 2020 Olympics changes her G.O.A.T. status, so says gold medalist McKayla Maroney.

TMZ Sports talked to Maroney at Enso Studio art gallery in Malibu ... where we asked about her former teammates' legacy after her polarizing time in Tokyo.

"Honestly, I do [consider Simone the greatest ever]. When I competed with her back in 2013, I just felt like her gymnastics were so much better than mine."

McKayla continued ... "I mean, we competed with each other in the vault,  and I was kind of head-to-head with her on that, but she blows everyone out of the water on every single event."

Of course, Biles pulled out of the gymnastics team competition and several individual events this Olympics after suffering from the "twisties."

Simone ultimately won a bronze (balance beam) and silver medal (team competition) ... bringing her total medal count to 7 ... and there could be more to come.

Maroney says she wouldn't put it past Simone to return next Olympics as a 27-year-old ... an advanced age for a top-level gymnast.

"I'm 25 and I can't see myself getting back in the gym. I did it for the little Geico commercial, but it is really tough," McKayla says.

But, we're talking about the G.O.A.T. ... so don't be surprised to see Biles kick ass in 2024.

Errol Spence Jr. is OUT of his fight against Manny Pacquiao -- the welterweight champ was forced to withdraw from the huge event due to a nasty eye injury.

Of course, the 31-year-old was set to face off with the 42-year-old star on August 21 at T-Mobile Arena in Vegas ... a fight that's been hyped up for months.

But, fans will have to wait to see Spence and Pacquiao duke it out in the ring ... with WBA welterweight champ Yordenis Ugas -- who was already on the card as a co-feature -- stepping in as a replacement.

Spence found out he had a torn retina during a pre-fight medical exam with the Nevada State Athletic Commission ... and flew home to Dallas for surgery.

"I’m very disappointed that I won’t be able to fight Manny Pacquiao on August 21," Spence said Tuesday. "I was excited about the fight and the event."

"Unfortunately, the doctors found a tear in my left eye and said I needed to get surgery on it ASAP and that there was no way I could fight with my eye in that condition. I’d like to apologize to everyone," he continued.

"You know I’ll be back as soon back soon. We’ve come back from worse," he said.

Manny sent his well wishes ... saying, "First and foremost, I ask everyone to join me in praying for a full and complete recovery for Errol Spence Jr."

"Thank God his physical examination discovered his eye condition before he suffered any further damage.  I have agreed to fight Yordenis Ugas on August 21 for the WBA welterweight super championship.  The proper way and the only way to win a world title is inside the ring."

Spence is expected to make a full recovery ... get well soon!!

NY Jets receiver Denzel Mims says he had a MISERABLE offseason ... spending a large portion of it vomiting and losing weight amid a violent battle with food poisoning.

The 23-year-old -- a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft -- explained the struggle to reporters on Wednesday ... saying he believes it all started after he ate some bad salmon.

Mims says once the tainted fish got into his system ... it wreaked havoc on his body -- with the wideout claiming he threw up for two straight weeks.

Mims says things got so bad ... he needed antibiotics -- and ultimately saw his weight drop from 217 pounds to 197 in a matter of days.

"It took a big toll on me," said Mims, who added he plans on never eating salmon again.

But, Mims did say his body is finally starting to come back around ... telling media members he's put back on 11 pounds, and is getting closer and closer to full strength.

"I feel like I'm catching up," Mims said, "and I'm almost there."

NBA guard J.R. Smith is gunning to take his talents to the links -- the hooper has enrolled at an HBCU in hopes of making it on the golf team!!

35-year-old Smith -- who skipped college ball for the NBA Draft in 2004 -- is taking full advantage of his newly acquired free time by becoming a student at North Carolina A&T.

Of course, the 2-time NBA champ has not played in the league since winning a ring with LeBron James and the L.A. Lakers in 2020 ... going all last season without a team.

Now, J.R. is looking to join another team -- A&T's golf team.

"Golf is one of those games that can have you feeling really high or it can bring you down to your knees and humble you," Smith told WFMY.

"To have that feeling and knowing that all of the game is pretty much on my own hands and I don’t have to worry about teammates to pass the ball to, receiving passes and playing defense -- I can just play my game and have fun."

Smith says he learned the game from Hall of Famer Moses Malone ... and is waiting on the NCAA to sort out his eligibility, according to ESPN.

Charlotte Hornets player PJ Washington is breaking his silence on WILD rumors surrounding his split with Brittany Renner and alleged $200k child support payments ... saying, "Stop the cap."

For those who haven't been keeping up with the drama, here's a quick breakdown:

Washington -- the #12 pick in the 2019 Draft -- and Renner first made headlines when the hooper seemingly shot his shot at the Instagram model after she attended his game at Kentucky in 2019.

The couple went official in 2020 ... and in May 2021, Washington confirmed they welcomed a baby boy together.

But, things appeared to go sour just a few months later ... with Washington tweeting -- and later deleting -- a cryptic message about someone "faking it all along."

Fast forward to this week ... when an unconfirmed rumor went viral on social media claiming Washington would have to shell out $200k A MONTH in child support payments following the breakup.

FYI -- Washington is still on his rookie deal ... which means he's reportedly raked in $7.8 million so far as a pro and is slated to make about $14 million over the next two seasons.

Before anyone could actually confirm or deny the child support rumors, Twitter trolls had a field day with the reckless headline ... cracking jokes and sharing condolences to Washington's bank account.

But, Washington appears to finally be addressing all the talk on Wednesday ... tweeting "Stop the cap" ... which, for all you old heads, means QUIT LYING.