TMZ Sports - Page 50

'Tis the season of giving and Kyle Kuzma is off to an amazing start ... the NBA star donated $60k worth of clothes to female inmates preparing for release from county jail in his hometown of Flint, Michigan!

The Washington Wizards forward also launched an initiative to refurbish housing conditions for the women who are locked up.

The Kyle Kuzma Family Foundation partnered with I.G.N.I.T.E. and R.I.S.E., two jail reform organizations that support incarcerated women as they prepare to re-enter society.

Kuzma revealed the collaboration at the 23rd I.G.N.I.T.E. graduation ceremony at the county jail on Sunday ... by surprising the female inmates, and announcing the big $60k donation.

The 6'9" baller also handed out presents to kids who were there to visit their moms.

That's not all Kyle's doing ... the 28-year-old also launched "Kuz's Corner," which will help refurbish living conditions at the Genesee County Jail.

"Kuz’s Corner provides incarcerated female inmates something to reach towards, and prove to themselves, and others of their worth and value," the foundation said in a press release.

"The females chosen to reside in Kuz’s Corner have set themselves apart as role models in their behavior, mentorship, and strive to return to the community as a better neighbor."

Kuzma -- who's averaging nearly 23 points a game this season -- cares deeply about his foundation which helps single mothers and children in Michigan, the DMV (D.C. Metro area), and Los Angeles ... a cause that hits close to home.

"When I was growing up, she worked two jobs and that hard work and dedication, just to make ends meet, put food on the table," Kuzma said about his mom Karri on GMA.

"That’s been my inspiration my entire life."

UFC star Tony Ferguson has been sentenced to one year of probation in his truck wreck
case, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to court records, Ferguson was tagged with the punishment on Nov. 20, after reaching an agreement with prosecutors.

The records show as part of the deal with officials, Ferguson pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of wet reckless driving upon a highway. In exchange, his DUI charge was dismissed.

As we reported, Ferguson had first been hit with the driving under the influence count in the spring ... after authorities alleged he drunkenly crashed his pickup truck into two parked cars outside of a Hollywood club just before 2 AM on May 7.

The scene was terrifying ... Ferguson's truck had ended up on its side after the alleged crash -- though, somehow, he and nobody else were injured.

Ferguson had initially pleaded not guilty to the charge in June.

T.I. kicked off the Atlanta Falcons' 50th anniversary of Hip Hop celebration Sunday, and almost wound up kicking his son King's ass when a family dispute in the stands got physical.

Following the performance, T.I. and King engaged in what started as a playful back-and-forth but quickly spiraled into a physical altercation inside their suite at Mercedes-Benz stadium.

King began live streaming on IG where he pleaded his case that he knew about hardships like living with roaches while growing up ... to which his famous parents scoffed at his story and claimed he'd run to his grandmother's house to suck the pacifier, because he wasn't allowed to in their mansion!!!

King reached his breaking point and began to scream he's known for standing on business, to which T.I. stepped in and told him he was not only "embarrassing" the family but himself as well!!!

King can then be heard pleading for T.I. to "get off him" and you can see T.I. come into frame in an attempt to subdue his son.

He apparently succeeded ... T.I. secured King in a headlock and told him, "Boy you can't do nothing with me ... ain't shit you can do with me" as multiple people in the background can be heard pleading for King to stop before the camera cuts off.

Afterward, King blew off some steam on his IG stories although many of his followers informed him he was royally tripping and his parents were right.

King was born in 2004 -- T.I. had already released his platinum-selling "Trap Muzik" album and formed his Grand Hustle Records.

David lost his Tepper ... and now Frank Reich is out of a job.

The Panthers head coach, who was just hired by the billionaire hedge fund manager in January, has been relieved of his coaching duties after another loss ... this time to the Titans in Tennessee.

The team, which has lost 4 straight, has the worst record in football at 1-10.

"I met with Coach Reich this morning and informed him that he will not continue as head coach of the Carolina Panthers. I want to thank Frank for his dedication and service, and we wish him well," a statement released by Tepper said.

Adding to the bleak outlook in Carolina is the quarterback situation. The team selected Bryce Young with the first overall pick in this year's NFL Draft, opting to pass up other signal callers, including C.J. Stroud.

Stroud, who has the Texans in playoff contention, has played out of his mind ... and is even in the MVP conversation.

Meanwhile, Young hasn't been good.

Reich, regarded as a solid coach around the league, was fired mid-season last year by the Colts before being hired by Tepper.

Tom Brady is old news to one of his biggest supporters ... 'cause stunning model Veronika Rajek apparently has her eyes on a new man -- Taylor Swift's boyfriend, Travis Kelce.

Veronika -- who went viral after professing her love for the seven-time Super Bowl champion last season -- was in the crowd to catch the Las Vegas Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs matchup at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday ... and it's safe to say she liked what she saw, specifically one player in particular.

VK shared pics of her visit to Sin City ... showing her ditching her Buccaneers jersey for some custom Raiders threads as she gave a review of the game.

"LV did their best, but the Chiefs played awesomely," Veronika -- who has more than six million followers on Instagram alone -- said after K.C.'s 31-17 win. "I have to admit. Kelce is such a great player and hunk as well. I get you Taylor, 'road less taken.' 😉"

The "road" comment is seemingly a nod to Swift's old song, "The Outside" ... where she sings, "I tried to take the road less traveled by, but nothing seems to work the first few times, am I right?"

While Rajek clearly isn't shy about her feelings toward Kelce, it doesn't seem like she's ready to butt into Taylor's new relationship ... she's just giving the pop superstar props.

Here's a crazy story -- Dominique Wilkins opened a pack of old NBA cards recently ... and as luck would have it, he pulled his own rookie card!!

The whole thing was documented on video ... when the Hawks legend joined OTIA Sports CEO Jason Koonce to break an unopened batch of 1986 Fleer basketball cards in hopes of finding a Michael Jordan rookie in the pack.

FYI -- the '86 Fleer set is filled with a ton of rookie cards of that era ... including MJ, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon and, of course, Dominique Wilkins.

The pull was pretty cool -- the Human Highlight Film reminisced about playing against several players as he revealed the deck ... which featured big names like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Bill Walton.

Once Wilkins came across his own face, the group of guys started freaking out ... with Koonce swearing up and down the card was not planted.

"This was sealed, this was not planned," Koonce said in the video. "That is insane."

"On my kid's life, that was not set up!"

The card could be pretty valuable depending on its condition ... some in great shape are currently listed online for thousands of dollars!!

Ludacris performed at the Atlanta Falcons game this weekend -- and it looks like he took a page out of Lady Gaga's playbook to make an entrance ... descending from the heavens.

The rapper was the hired talent Sunday at Mecedes-Benz Stadium ... but weirdly enough, he didn't put on a halftime performance -- but rather, did a quick set after the third quarter ... which definitely took everyone by surprise.

The reason ... the dude literally rappelled down onto the stage below from way up toward the top of the facility -- and he did it kinda slowly, partially rapping a song in the air.

Looks like he was doing 'Move Bitch' on his way down ... and he was hyping up the crowd too, who ate it up. Unclear if he did a whole set once he touched down or not (there was a game going on, after all), but he got a little shine regardless.

The whole point of this was to celebrate 50 years of hip-hop in the ATL ... of which Luda has been a huge contributor over the years -- not to mention countless other acts from the area.

Tom Brady is on dad time right now -- taking his kids out to sea ... just a few days after their mom, Gisele, flew 'em out to Central America with that jiu-jitsu guy she's always with.

The retired NFL quarterback posted a bunch of photos of him and his little ones Sunday, where they're on a boat and diving into the ocean with snorkeling gear on. He captioned his post, "I did Michigan and Massachusetts winters for a long time. Let me have this."

The pics he threw up are super cute ... but he definitely added one thirst trap, which features him facing the camera and completely shirtless. Yeah, the dude's ripped here.

No sign of his eldest son, Jack ... but we can see his other 2 kids -- whom he shares with Gisele -- front and center and ready to dive. There was another little girl in the mix too, but it's unclear who she is. In any case, if you peep his IG, looks like lobster's for dinner.

Now, what's interesting about this excursion is the fact that Gisele took these same children on a trip just earlier this week. They were photographed down in Costa Rica enjoying a vacation ... with none other than Joaquim Valente tagging along as well.

Gisele and Joaquim have been on a lot of getaways together this year ... and at times, her and Tom's children have joined them. It seems like that's becoming a regular thing now.

Despite the obvious appearance of Gisele and Joaquim being a couple ... she's denied any such thing, saying he's simply a close friend of the family who coaches them all up.

Hard to say if anyone's really buying that ... frankly, nobody tends to jet set with their jiu-jitsu instructor for intimate family outings like this, month in and month out. Whatever though ... right now, it's Tom's time with the kiddos -- and he's making the most out of it.

The squeaky-clean Patrick Mahomes may have finally misstepped ... 'cause according to Henry Winkler, the Chiefs superstar has inexplicably left him hanging on a sweet dinner invitation.

The Fonz relayed the surprising news to TMZ Sports while signing some autographs in Los Angeles this week ... saying despite initially agreeing to come to Winkler's pad for a homemade meal, Mahomes has now ghosted.

"I think he fibbed to me," a defeated Winkler told us.

If you're unfamiliar ... Winkler and Mahomes first made the plans back in 2022, after the guys developed a bromance following an in-person meeting on the sidelines of a Chiefs vs. Chargers game.

Winkler said he was going to make the quarterback his famous chicken stuffed with ricotta -- and it seemed it had all been set to go down in the offseason after Mahomes won Super Bowl LVII.

But apparently, Mahomes has reneged on the deal ... and check out the clip, Winkler couldn't appear to be more sad about it.

Of course, Mahomes was busy this offseason with his newborn son ... so maybe he's waiting for 2024 to break bread with Winkler??

Cleveland Browns legend Josh Cribbs says return men are being straight-up disrespected by the Hall of Fame selection committee ... telling TMZ Sports he and Devin Hester both deserve busts in Canton.

Cribbs and Hester were two of the most exciting players of their era ... with kickers and punters purposely avoiding them out of fear they'd take it to the house every time they got the ball.

Despite racking up All-Pro, Pro Bowl and All-Decade team honors during their careers, both guys are still MIA at the Hall ... and Cribbs tells us it's about damn time they get the call.

"I believe Devin Hester is a Hall of Famer, I believe myself is a Hall of Famer," Cribbs said.

To make his case, Cribbs points out he dominated on both sides of returns ... also excelling as a gunner.

"Who can you say did both, was like the best returner out there as well the best cover guy?" Cribbs said.

As for Hester, Cribbs says his résumé speaks for itself.

"You got guys that are a class of their own right there. We're in a class of our own. When you mention us, our unique talents can't be matched anywhere -- in history and in the future."

Cribbs called out voters for continuing to give the position the cold shoulder ... saying just being nominated for the HOF ain't enough.

"The league is saying that it's not that important, even though it is. We literally changed games. Coaches literally kicked away from us."

FYI -- Cribbs had more than 11,000 kickoff return yards and 8 touchdowns over the course of his 10-year career ... adding 2,300 yards and 3 TDs on punt returns.

Hester had over 3,600 punt return yards and a whopping 14 touchdowns in 11 seasons ... with 7,300 yards and 5 scores off kickoffs.

"We actually deserve our place because of the work we put on the field for over a decade," Cribbs added. "We were both All-Decade return specialists and we deserve our place in history."

Patchy Mix is Bellator's Bantamweight champion, but the 19-1 fighter has no doubt in his mind that he's the best in the world, regardless of the MMA promotion.

"I believe deep down, full-heartedly, in my heart of hearts, I actually know I am the best bantamweight in the world."

Of course, different promotions have different champions ... the most well-known Bantamweight title holder being MMA star Sean O'Malley, the UFC champion.

TMZ Sports had a conversation with Mix this week after his impressive 2nd round submission win over Sergio Pettis at Bellator 301 ... and we asked him about his standing in the Bantamweight hierarchy.

"100%. 150%. 1,000%. I don't think I just take them, I'd finish them. I'm a finisher. I'm the best finisher at Bantamweight. My record speaks for itself. 19-1. 15 finishes. I think I finished 13 or 14 out of my last 15 wins. It speaks for itself. I can finish anybody in the world."

On a matchup with O'Malley -- who became champ with a TKO win over Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 -- Patchy is very confident in how he'd fare in the hypothetical scrap.

"Different styles, and I can strike too. I'm very good on the feet, as well. I'm just as tall as [O'Malley]. Just as long as him," Patchy said,

Mix continued ... "I just believe I'm better than him. I think I could finish him within 2.5 rounds. I don't think he'd really have much for me."

Now, unless the fighters move promotions, it's a fight that'll likely never happen.

For Mix, it's an interesting time. Bellator was just bought by PFL, and although it sounds like PFL execs plan to keep the promotion running, there's some uncertainty about what the future holds for Bellator.

4:24 PM PT -- Hayley Burley -- the owner/manager of Shorts Bar & Grills -- tells TMZ ... there was one real troublemaker who started this mess, even though it looks like a free-for-all.

She adds, "Holidays are a really crazy busy time of year and we do everything we can to ensure that everyone has a fun and safe holiday. The man involved was taking swings at my customers. Unfortunately the video doesn't really depict my bartender who was trying to help get the situation under control is having his ankle twisted in the and asking for help. We never condone any type of violence and the police were called and responded immediately."

A security staffer who got dragged into a bar fight he was trying to break up just proves the old adage is true ... no good deed goes unpunished, and sometimes you gotta kick ass.

Check out this wild footage, obtained by TMZ, showing an absolute melee going down late Friday night/early Saturday morning at a joint called Shorts Bar & Grill out in Fairport, NY ... where we're told 4 dudes went at it right on the floor as the evening tipped into midnight.

As exciting as that was ... it was nothing compared to when one of the hired "Staff" security guards stepped in. At first, he was pulling people away and separating everyone -- that is, until someone on the outskirts apparently pushed him down to keep the chaos going.

That's certainly what it looks like, anyway ... and that's certainly how the bouncer took it -- 'cause the guy started wailing on the man whom he suspected of shoving/provoking.

Indeed ... the beatdown he dished out to this older fella is pretty brutal -- dropping elbows on him and socking away. Eventually, they let the guy get up and stumble his way out of the scene. He didn't really put up much of a fight, and it's unclear what happened after.

No word on whether cops were called to this brawl or not either ... and what's even weirder is that this seems to have been Buffalo Bills related (if the jersey'd fan is any indication).

We know the Bills Mafia can get rowdy, but weirdly enough ... their team doesn't even play until Monday. Never too early to let the fists fly, we suppose -- happy holidays, everyone!

Former USC Trojans defensive coordinator Alex Grinch is wasting no time getting out of town -- TMZ Sports has learned the coach is parting ways with his $4.45 million Palos Verdes pad just two weeks after getting fired.

Grinch's soon-to-be former home -- located in the Malaga Cove neighborhood -- has four bedrooms and four bathrooms, a gourmet chef's kitchen and a patio with an incredible ocean view.

The place was built in 1961 but was completely remodeled just last year ... with new hardwood floors, Dutch and French doors, a gas fireplace, stainless steel appliances and a custom beverage center.

The backyard is perfect for hosting gatherings ... with a ton of space for outdoor activities.

The pics of the home show some of Grinch's framed jerseys from his former coaching gigs with Washington State and Missouri ... but we take it those ain't coming with the sale.

Worth noting -- the place is just a 5-minute drive from Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley's $17 million mansion ... so that might explain why Grinch is in a rush to move on, considering he's the one who fired him.

Quavo's giving back and making sure it has a deep impact -- he's launched his Huncho Farms initiative this Thanksgiving to give families access to a whole garden and orchard!

The good people of Atlanta got a crash course in good taste this week when the Migos rapper's Quavo Cares org teamed up with Urban Recipe ... a nonprofit food bank based in the city.

Together with Chef Brown Catering, Quavo, his mom and Urban Recipe served more than 300 families from all corners of the ATL, and also created a cookbook derived from recipes used by the Atlanta Food Bank.

The recipes range from full-blown entrees such as brined turkey and chicken to nimble bites like homemade apple crisp. All the ingredients were sourced from Huncho Farms, which aims to boost the nutritional value of the everyday family's diet.

HandsOn Atlanta and Team Huncho Basketball also played a significant role in the Thanksgiving drive ... former NBA Slam Dunk champ and GA native Josh Smith was there loading up fresh food in gift bags.

Quavo's been focused on making a dent in societal issues ... he and the fam ventured to Washington D.C. and politicked with lawmakers about potential gun reform in memory of the late Takeoff.

Demetrius Andrade wants to fight Canelo Alvarez, finally ... after he beats David Benavidez later today ... the boxer says that's if the Mexican superstar stops duckin' him!

The 32-0 (19 KOs) boxer has the biggest fight of his career against Benavidez on Nov 25. ... going down at the Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Considering Andrade is an elite fighter in the eyes of many, it's puzzling that the 35-year-old hasn't gotten high-level fights until now. but DA tells TMZ Sports he understands why ... fighters are afraid of him.

"The point [is] that I can really hurt somebody," Andrade said, "I can hurt careers, too."

And, the boxers Andrade says are avoiding him is a whose who ... we're talking brand name boxers like Jermall Charlo, Gennady Golovkin, and Canelo, who Demetrious ripped for taking on weaker opponents instead of him.

"It's a difficult fight for them. It's business, too," Andrade said. "Those are all three guys that trying to save themselves. Fight the easier fights."

"Canelo can end up picking 'em because they're more beatable than I am."

Andrade believes the winner of the fight with Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) should get Alvarez next ... and of course, he promises that it will be him.

"I'm going to beat his ass!" Andrade said of Benavidez.

"I know that in this fight, there's gonna be a lot of hard punches coming towards his way."

We also spoke with Benavidez about the huge fight ... and he explained to us what a win on Saturday would mean to him.

David also told us how he's planning to hand Andrade his first L ... and he can't wait to knock the guy out.

You may not ever be able to throw like Sandy Koufax, but you can now catch like him -- 'cause one of his game-used gloves has just gone up for sale!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... a mitt the former Dodgers star wore during his second MLB season way back in 1956 hit the Grey Flannel auction block on Monday -- and bidding has already reached over $48,000.

A lofty price tag, for sure ... but the glove is certainly worth it -- as the ultra-rare, 67-year-old piece helped Koufax and the Dodgers win the '56 N.L. pennant.

The Rawlings mitt has some cool markings that show it belonged to the legendary pitcher ... including his No. 32 near the wrist strap -- as well as his nickname, "Koo Foo," written in faded black marker on the glove's pinky.

"This is a rare find indeed, one that stretches back to Sandy's earliest days in Major League Baseball," Grey Flannel exec Michael Russek said. "His career speaks for itself and we're confident this glove will generate plenty of action."