TMZ Sports - Page 2

Alexander Ovechkin has proven he's "The Greatest One" ... at least at goal scoring that is -- 'cause he just passed Wayne Gretzky for the most goals scored in NHL history.

The Washington Capitals star broke the record mere moments ago in Long Island, New York ... scoring a second period goal against the Islanders.

Check out the clip ... Ovi slaps the puck right by All-Star goalie Ilya Sorokin for number 895 -- and the crowd goes wild jumping and screaming while Ovechkin slides on his belly across the ice like a penguin in celebration.

There will be no Jump Men or Swooshes in Alijah Arenas' future ... Gilbert Arenas' high school basketball star son tells TMZ Sports he's signing a contract with Adidas!!

The McDonald's All-American said out at LAX this week he's planning to follow in his dad's footsteps and ink an endorsement deal with the three stripes.

No word yet on what the monetary numbers on the pact will be ... but Adidas has given Gilbert millions over the years for the rights to his signature shoe -- so we're sure Alijah's pockets will be plenty deep as he gets set to start his college hoops career.

Former Minnesota Vikings star Anthony Barr -- who some believe actually came up with the "Tush Push" concept -- says the NFL should absolutely not ban the controversial quarterback sneak play.

The ex-linebacker -- who was once captured on a hot mic suggesting teams implement the Brotherly Shove years before the Philadelphia Eagles made it famous -- told TMZ Sports out at LAX this week that if Roger Goodell and Co. bar it from games ... it could lead to some dire consequences for the league.

"It's a slippery slope," he told us. "You ban one play, then what's next?"

Novak Djokovic and the people of Australia ain't exactly on the best terms since the pandemic ... and Aussie wheelchair tennis legend Dylan Alcott says many fans have been unfair to the 24x Grand Slam winner!

Things began to go south in 2022, when Novak, a skeptic of the COVID-19 vaccine, was banned from playing in the Australian Open (a 10x A.O. champ) and deported from the country because he didn't get the jab.

Fast forward to 2025 ... Novak pulled out of the Australian Open in the semifinals due to a muscle tear in his leg. The tennis great was heavily criticized in the country.

Bri Stern -- Andrew Tate's ex-girlfriend who is suing him for allegedly attacking her during sex -- is now speaking out against the self-proclaimed misogynist ... saying while their relationship was initially loving, it took a dark turn.

Stern sat down for a full interview with the Daily Mail, published Friday ... and, she opened up about the early days of their relationship, noting everything was wonderful early on.

Stern says a mutual friend hooked her up with Tate ... describing him as a "big teddy bear" -- claiming she knew nothing about his controversial internet comments before meeting him and his brother Tristan in Romania.

7:25 AM PT -- Joseph McBride, lawyer for the Tate brothers, is blasting the investigation ... telling TMZ it's a "pathetic delay tactics by a group of weak lawyers running from a fight in the Florida Defamation Case, because they know the evidence is overwhelmingly on our side."

He adds ... "The SDNY is subject to Washington. Washington is not involved. We are not worried. Nothing changes. Our march to victory continues."

The Tate brothers' legal issues in the U.S. are piling up -- federal prosecutors are now investigating them ... according to an attorney involved in a civil suit with them.

UFC's Henry Cejudo is a great fighter ... and he is also a great neighbor 'cause he recently helped stop a hit-and-run suspect in his hood.

Here's the deal ... a speeding car crashed into the house right next door to Henry's in Phoenix last night -- and the visuals are wild!

The UFC star gave an interview shortly afterward ... and he said the driver of the car was going to book it after the crash and his neighbor tried to stop him, which is when the dude punched the neighbor.

If Larry Johnson were in Cooper Flagg's giant Blue Devil sneakers, he tells TMZ Sports he'd forgo the NBA for one more year ... and stay put in Durham.

Flagg, of course, is the prohibitive favorite to go at the top of this year's draft ... but Johnson made it clear to us he'd like to see the 18-year-old hang around Duke a bit longer.

The College Basketball Hall of Famer said the extra year of ACC ball would help Flagg tremendously in the long run ... even though he knows it'd be difficult for the teenager to postpone his pro career another 12 or so months.

Chris Webber has some sound advice for all the young athletes suiting up for the Final Four ... telling TMZ Sports one mistake -- like, say, calling a timeout when your team doesn't have one -- won't ruin their lives!!

We ran into the former NBA star and Michigan Wolverine before Houston, Duke, Florida and Auburn take the court during the NCAA tournament's semifinals this weekend ... and he reflected on his own career before dishing out some words of wisdom.

"I wouldn't trade one moment that I had at the Final Four," Webber said. "I wouldn't trade any of the stats. I wouldn't take the timeout."

Raul Rosas Jr. has experienced a lot of success early into his UFC career ... but he's now ready for the next step -- telling TMZ Sports he wants a top-15 opponent!!

We caught up with the 20-year-old bantamweight following his unanimous decision win in Mexico City last Saturday ... a performance he graded quite highly for himself.

"Good control, good everything and especially I push myself to keep staying in the fight," he said. "I'll give it an A because I would like to finish. I'm always looking for the finish, so next time, I'll fix these mistakes to be able to go out there and get the finish next time."

A soccer coach who a California family says was the last person who had contact with their dead son is a person of interest in the boy's disappearance and was arrested on an unrelated sexual assault case ... TMZ has confirmed.

Missing 13-year-old boy Oscar Omar Hernandez was found dead in a ditch earlier this week in Oxnard and his family says he was last seen with his soccer coach, 43-year-old Mario Edgardo Garcia Aquino.

Our law enforcement sources tell us ... Aquino was questioned by cops and was arrested ... but not for Oscar's death or disappearance.

Ja Morant might not care if he gets punished for his gun-themed celebrations ... but one former NBA great is pleading with the Memphis Grizzlies star to leave the safety on his controversial gesture -- telling TMZ Sports he's "ruining his career."

We spoke with Spencer Haywood out at LAX shortly after 25-year-old Morant was fined for his on-court antics ... and he had a strong message for the two-time All-Star and his inner circle.

"The people that are around him are not advising him right," Haywood said. "He's ruining his career, he's ruining his family's life, and his team most importantly, he's letting them all down. So, I'm just disappointed in Ja."

Former NFL linebacker Dean Wells has passed away at 54 years old following a two-year battle with cancer.

One of his former teams, the Carolina Panthers, confirmed the reports of his death on Friday. He was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2023 ... and underwent a bone marrow transplant in May 2024.

He spoke to KSR about his fight against the disease ... saying while he was able to handle the variables on the football field, this was something he had no control over.

If Caitlin Clark really wants to play flag football at the 2028 Olympics, she won't be getting any superstar treatment to get a spot on the team -- so say the organization's CEO!!

The WNBA superstar recently mentioned at the NFL Annual League Meeting she always dreamed of playing football as a kid ... and even tossed out the idea of suiting up for the Red, White and Blue on the gridiron when the Games come around in a few years.

"Maybe LA 2028, maybe I'll do two sports," Clark said at the meeting. "Or if basketball doesn't work out, I'll head over to flag football."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn't wanna go toe to toe with Lamar Jackson over a trademark for the number eight ... with the racing superstar announcing he's making changes to his brand to appease the NFL MVP.

Dale Jr. attempted to file papers for a stylized version of the digit he used for the majority of his on-track career recently ... which was later protested by Jackson's legal team, as the Baltimore Ravens quarterback owns several trademarks related to the number.

Jackson's crew claimed granting Dale Jr. the trademark could hurt his business ... as his fans might mistakenly buy the NASCAR Hall of Famer's merch instead of his if approved.

Two boaters got into a heated altercation while out on Florida waters earlier this week ... and the confrontation got so intense, cops say they're now investigating the matter.

The incident happened on Tuesday ... when Gage Towles, a fisherman, was approached by Brock Horner, a clearly ticked-off, self-proclaimed charter captain.

In video Towles shared on his YouTube page, you can see Horner appeared upset with Towles over the way he and a few others had interacted with him as he passed underneath the bridge a few days prior.