TMZ Sports - Page 33

With the 1st pick in the 2040 WNBA Draft, [team name here] selects Kaari Morant! 😊

Ja Morant's 4-year-old daughter showed the apple doesn't fall far from the tree ... the NBA superstar's baby, Kaari, showed off her hoops skills in a 1-on-1 matchup against her mom, Kadre -- and it's adorable!

Kadre shared the video on social media, despite being scored on (sometimes the offense is just that good!), showing Kaari driving to the left, with handles that'd make dad proud, before knocking down the lefty layup, as mom could just stand there and watch.

Kaari was clearly impressed with her work on the court ... and she let everyone know about it, yelling, "You see the guns?! You see the guns?!" as she flexed.

Kadre -- who gave birth to Kaari in 2019 -- captioned the video with a question ... how does her daughter already have A+ trash talk?!

Ja's sister, high school hooper Niya, took the credit, saying her niece got it from her.

"Deflee got it from her tt," Niya said, "but whateva 🙄😂😂😂😂."

It seems hooping runs in the family (and some trash-talking, too) ... and thankfully for NBA fans, Morant is gearing up to return later this month when his 25-game suspension ends.

Ja will be eligible on Dec. 19, and the 5-14 Grizzlies desperately need him.

Trevor Lawrence's wife says dozens of Jaguars fans have reached out to throw their support behind her and her hubby after the star QB was injured Monday night ... flooding her social media inbox with positive messages.

Marissa Lawrence shared a screen recording of some of the DMs she says she received just after Trevor appeared to badly injure his ankle in the fourth quarter of Jacksonville's home tilt against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Almost all of the messages seemed to contain some kind of prayer for Trevor ... something Marissa said she was super grateful for.

"Really overwhelmed by people's kindness and love," she said in the clip of the fans' messages. "Just wanted to share something positive and thank everyone truly for your prayers and support."

Trevor went down in a heap of pain as he was trying to lead the Jaguars to a win ... and on Monday, head coach Doug Pederson said his 24-year-old signal-caller was dealing with a high-ankle sprain.

Seminoles legend Charlie Ward is asking for full access to College Football Playoff committee meetings going forward ... after he believes Florida State got screwed over during Sunday's selection process.

The former Heisman Trophy winner told TMZ Sports he believes full transparency following the committee's controversial pick of 12-1 Alabama over 13-0 FSU would help assuage a lot of the salty opinions that were created by the org.'s decision.

Ward -- who ended up having a successful career in the NBA after college football -- says when he was on the Florida High School Athletic Association, open-door meetings helped squelch outrage ... and now he's asking for similar from the CFP.

"A lot of our meetings are online to where people can weigh in and see what the conversations are," Ward said.

"I would like to see us open up that process so that we can hear these conversations and weigh in on the process."

Ward is not the only one who wants something done ... Florida Senator Rick Scott wrote the committee a letter, demanding the CFP provide answers following its "unprecedented exclusion" of FSU from this year's national championship race.

Someone must've had beans before the Tampa Bay Lightning's shutout win over the Dallas Stars on Monday ... 'cause star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy's postgame interview was interrupted by a big fart!!

The hilarious sequence was captured on video ... when the 29-year-old Russian athlete was asked in the locker room about bouncing back from an 8-1 loss to the same team just two days prior.

Vasilevskiy started to give his earnest response to the inquiry ... but as he paused to collect his thoughts, one of his teammates (we're assuming) squeaked out a toot.

Naturally, Vasilevskiy couldn't help but giggle over the whole thing ... and all the reporters joined in on the laugh.

"Uhh ... what was the question??" Vasilevskiy said with a smirk before trying to get back on track.

Eventually, the keeper returned to the topic at hand ... breaking down his stellar night with 25 saves on 25 shots on goal.

It hasn't been too stinky of a season for the Lightning -- they're currently 11-10-5 on the campaign.

8:32 AM -- Cops say in a police report obtained by TMZ Sports that James Hill Jr. told them the assault was preceded by a series of disputes between him and his brother ... including one that involved the cleaning of Jamahal Hill's freezer.

In the docs, officers say James told them he had picked Jamahal up from a Michigan airport ... but when the two arrived at Jamahal's house a short time later, they realized that because the residence had been left vacant for months, the electricity in the unit had been turned off -- causing "all the food in the house to spoil and rot."

Cops say James told them he and Jamahal had agreed James would clean the house with his wife for $300. James said, according to the docs, "he cleaned out the whole house besides the chest freezer in the garage."

But, cops say in the police report James told them that after he and Jamahal got into an argument over the UFC fighter's alleged treatment of women and their own mother -- he left the home.

James, according to cops, said Jamahal texted him the next day and asked why he didn't clean out the freezer ... allegedly demanding half the money back for the unfinished job.

Police say James, however, came back on Nov. 25 to clean it all out ... and once he completed the task, he went to talk to Jamahal -- and another dispute broke out.

This time, according to the docs, James and Jamahal got into it over Thanksgiving Day texts. The argument, cops say James told them, then turned physical.

Officers say James told them Jamahal "sucker punched" him with a closed fist -- before hitting him a second time.

According to the docs, James left the home and debated on calling police because "he didn't want to ruin Jamahal's UFC fighting career." Though after Jamahal allegedly wouldn't respond to texts or apologize, he called cops to report the incident.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill allegedly got so violent during an altercation with his brother last month that he knocked a tooth right out of the man's mouth.

The allegations are spelled out in a probable cause affidavit, obtained by TMZ Sports.

In the docs, police say James Hill Jr. told them from a Kentwood-area hospital in Michigan that Jamahal had assaulted him on Nov. 25 after the two had gotten into an argument.

Jamahal, according to the docs, punched his brother once, sending him to the ground. Cops say when James got up, Jamahal punched him again -- hurling him right back to the floor.

According to the docs, James' face and left eye were "very swollen" after the alleged attack ... and officers also say James was "missing a front tooth that he stated got broke when Jamahal assaulted him."

Jamahal was arrested over the allegations on Nov. 27 ... and formally charged with one count of aggravated domestic violence shortly after. He's due in court for a hearing on the matter next month.

In a video Jamahal released on Saturday, the 32-year-old said he's "been advised not to speak on" the arrest ... though he did say, "I just can't wait for the truth to be told in court and I will wait for that day and I look forward to that day."

"The people who know me and know my character and truly, truly rock with me and know who I am, hold on to that and stay true to that and yeah, that's all I'm gonna say on that."

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann are falling deeper into the debt hole -- she just got hit with a new credit card lawsuit ... meanwhile, a different judge just ordered him to pay 5 figures.

The embattled couple had some new legal docs come their way Tuesday -- in Kim's case, she's now being sued by Chase Bank over a balance they claim is way past due ... they're suing her for $4,624.02

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Chase attached a bunch of statements from her account to demonstrate she's been behind on payments dating back to Nov. 2022.

The balance, they allege, has only ballooned ... and now, they say they want their dough. Remember, Kroy also got sued by Chase Bank over another credit card account he had with them ... and in that instance, they alleged he owed quite a bit more -- about $13,000.

Speaking of KB, he got hit with a judgment in a completely separate case -- although, it pertains to the same sort of allegations. Discover is suing him over a balance it says he owed, which had grown to $11,275.45 ... and was past due.

Per new legal docs, Kroy never officially filed a response in that suit -- and now, a judge has signed off on a default judgment saying he's gotta fork over that full amount ... plus $111 of court costs.

As we've reported ... Kim and Kroy have been facing a lot of these types of lawsuits lately -- and it's all part of the mosaic of their financial woes ... which go well beyond the credit cards.

Jay Williams has no issue with Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka going off on LeBron James in the middle of a game ... telling TMZ Sports trash talk is all part of the nature of the sport.

ICYMI, Udoka -- who became Houston's head coach in April -- got into a heated confrontation with James during the Rockets vs. Lakers game on Dec. 2 ... appearing to tell the NBA superstar and his team to "stop crying like bitches."

Udoka was ejected from the game and later criticized for his manner as a coach ... but when we asked Williams about the clash while he was out at LAX this week, he defended the former player.

"Basketball to me is what you see at Rucker Park," Williams said. "Basketball to me is what you see at the Dyckman [Park]. It's what you see on Venice Beach."

"That's the world it comes from, that's where it's rooted from and people get things twisted. Ime Udoka was a player."

Of course, Udoka played for seven seasons in the NBA from 2004-2011 ... meaning he competed in the same era as LeBron.

That's where that aggression toward LBJ came from, Williams believes ... and it also shows why Ime acts differently from other coaches in the NBA.

"For me, I like people that engage and trash talk like that, 'cause it comes from a place -- you can tell there's history there," Williams said.

"I'm sure there'll be some type of fine for crossing the line, but you don't think subtle trash-talking like that exists? What do you think Gary Payton did his entire career? What do you think Draymond Green does?"

Williams added ... "One of the things that makes Ime different is that he's involved in the trenches of the game as a player."

Tragedy has again struck the bodybuilding world ... former Mr. Universe, Shaun 'Dinosaur' Davis, has passed away at the age of 57.

The cause of death is unknown at this time.

Davis's friend, Kuldeep Bhardwaj, confirmed the reports of Davis' death on Facebook, sharing a photo of the British bodybuilder.

"I’m absolutely devastated," Bhardwaj said in the FB post.

"Rest in Peace my friend you was a true inspiration right from the day I met you at school, through your amazing bodybuilding years and after. Your smile and laughter will be missed."

Davis, a massive man at 334 lbs., had a great career, winning several competitions including the prestigious Mr. Universe title in 1996.

He also won Mr. UK, Mr. Europe, Mr. Pro Universe and Mr. Britain, among others.

Davis was forced to retire after battling kidney issues ... and even received a transplant in 2009 after three years of dialysis.

Tributes from fans are flooding social media, with fans sharing stories about the larger-than-life man who someone described as a "wonderful, inspirational person."

Sadly, several bodybuilders have passed away this year including pioneer Lisa Lyon, Neil Currey, Gustavo 'The Freakin Rican' Badell, and Bill Graham.

Serena Williams has G.O.A.T. DNA on the court and apparently in her breast milk too ... 'cause the tennis legend says just a couple drops of her boob juice healed her painful sunburns!!

The 42-year-old -- who gave birth to her second daughter in August -- shared the unique remedy with her 1.6 million followers on TikTok ... just after she said an outing in the sun left her under-eye areas in a heap of pain.

Williams explained in a 46-second video that she had been told that putting breast milk on her kids' wounds could help speed up their healing processes ... so she said she figured she'd "try it for like a week" and "see how it goes."

"It works for my kid," she said in the video, before dabbing it on her face.

And, as it turns out -- a few days later, she was pain-free!!

"Ok is this totally weird???" Williams said in a caption on the vid. "I have to say after a week of using MY breast milk under my eye - it worked!"

In even better news for Williams -- she said in her clip she "has a lot of extra" breast milk ready to go ... so it seems any future fights with the sun will be covered from here.

The ManningCast turned into a full-blown concert during "Monday Night Football" ... with Peyton and Eli Manning singing their hearts out -- and Tua Tagovailoa providing the tunes!!

The Miami Dolphins quarterback put his music skills on display as the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars duked it out on national television ... strumming the notes to Eric Clapton's "Tears In Heaven" as the Manning brothers crooned their play-by-play.

"The Bengals juuumped offsides," Peyton hilariously belted as Tua strummed his six-string ... and when Eli tried to join in, the elder bro put an end to it real quick.

"I got this, I got this," Peyton said ... with Eli clapping back, "Please, no. No one wants to hear you sing."

The brothers gave Tua his props ... but while Eli was hoping the former Alabama star was going to show off his own pipes, too, Tagovailoa assured him Peyton had it covered.

A man at Monday night's Sacramento Kings vs. New Orleans Pelicans game tragically lost his life while inside the arena ... after officials say he suffered a medical emergency.

The Kings wrote in a statement that the fan needed medical attention at some point during the first quarter of the NBA contest at the Golden 1 Center in Northern California.

"EMS immediately responded and administered CPR," the team said. "Tragically, these efforts were unsuccessful and the guest passed away."

"The organization offers its deepest condolences to the guest's family and loved ones."

The Sacramento Fire Department told FOX40 following the tragedy that the fan was "a 30's aged male" who they administered CPR to for 20 minutes to no avail.

After the game -- which the Kings lost, 127-117 -- Sacramento forward Keegan Murray told media members the players on the court were not made aware of the incident in the stands during the matchup.

Yo Gotti's entrepreneurial focus is destined to get even sharper ... the CMG rap boss is currently studying business at UCLA's Anderson School of Management, a source close to the rapper tells TMZ Hip Hop.

We're told Gotti is taking a weekly course in person called Corporate Valuation taught by Professor Lori Santikian.

It's safe to say Gotti will be getting an A+ education ... UCLA Anderson School of Management ranked in the top 20 of U.S. News & World Report's best business schools of the 2023-2024 school year.

When it's all said and done, Gotti will be able to speak fancy-schmancy suit talk, such as developing strategies for financial reports, IPOs, mergers, and acquisitions and have the tools for evaluating businesses.

The skills will come in handy -- Gotti arguably has the most stacked roster in rap ... MoneyBagg Yo, GloRilla, 42 Dugg, EST Gee and others have all proved to be headlining acts in their own right.

Gotti's newfound business savvy will also improve his other endeavors ... he's also co-owner of MLS club D.C. United, which he touted at the White House this past summer.

A YouTuber was sentenced Monday to 6 months in federal prison for obstruction of justice after deliberately crashing his single-propeller plane ... to bolster his social media.

Trevor Daniel Jacob, 30, of Lompoc -- a former Olympic snowboarder who was facing a max sentence of 20 years -- was sentenced to just 6 months by United States District Judge John F. Walter ... after pleading guilty to one count of "destruction and concealment with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation" on June 30.

Federal prosecutors say in a recent news release that Jacob confessed to orchestrating the crash on November 24, 2021 ... posting the pre-planned event to YouTube nearly a month later on December 23, titling it, "I Crashed My Airplane."

The video sees Jacob flying a single-engine plane from Lompoc City Airport to Mammoth Lakes ... before claiming the plane's engine had failed 30 minutes in.

The footage captures Jacob opening the side door and leaping out to deploy a parachute just as the plane hurtles downward into a crash below.

Prosecutors say he purposely waited two days to report the pre-planned crash to the National Transportation Safety Board, who advised him to preserve the wreckage --- though he stalled the investigation, telling them he didn't know where the plane went down.

Instead, he used a helicopter to lift the wreckage out of the Los Padres National Forest on December 10, 2021 ... before dismantling and disposing of it.

During his sentencing Monday, Judge Walter ordered him to surrender to the authorities by Jan. 29 ... with Jacobs saying in a statement conveyed by his lawyer: "This experience has been so humbling."

Kelly Oubre Jr. is finally speaking out about the hit-and-run accident that left him with serious injuries last month ... speaking with media in Philly ahead of his return to the basketball court on Wednesday.

Remember, the Philadelphia 76ers forward hasn't played any basketball since he suffered a broken rib, in addition to hip and leg injuries, after he was struck by a vehicle on November 11.

The 27-year-old has kept quiet about the incident ... until now, as he's been cleared to play and is expected to be available against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.

"First and foremost before anything, I just want to say thank you to my family and my friends, the 76ers organization, especially coach [Nick] Nurse, for the utmost support throughout this whole process," Oubre said to the media on Monday.

"I’ve spoken to the police about this situation and they have an ongoing investigation. So I’ve spoken to who I need to speak to about it and I keep that where that is. I won’t be speaking on any details about that because they’re looking into it."

Even with all the injuries, Oubre says he does not have any ill will towards the driver, saying he's always about "love and peace".

Kelly also addressed rumors he made up the incident.

"I'm just really blessed that it wasn't worse than what it is and that I'm able to come back to work and smile, walk, talk, and breathe," Oubre said. "So yeah, that's what I have to say about the conspiracy theorists."

Remember, TMZ Sports posted video, with permission, showing Oubre returning home after the accident, clearly in a great deal of pain. His wife immediately called 911, and Oubre was rushed to the hospital.

Oubre -- who signed a 1-year, $2.9 million deal with the 76ers in September -- was averaging 16.3 points and 5 rebounds a game before the incident.

Former Florida State star Peter Boulware tells TMZ Sports he was floored when his Seminoles didn't make the final cut for the College Football Playoff ... and now, he's hoping for an implementation of some kind of appeal process.

Boulware didn't mince words when talking with us about the snub some 24 hours after the CFP committee chose Michigan, Washington, Texas and Alabama over FSU ... saying he was "heartbroken" and "shocked" by the decision.

"A Power 5 school that's undefeated never gets left out," the ex-Noles linebacker said, before adding, "It broke our hearts. And we were just -- we were truly devastated."

Boulware says he has no clue why the CFP committee opted to leave out his 13-0 Noles ... and he tells us that's "one of the most frustrating things about it."

However, Boulware -- who played at FSU from 1993 through 1996 -- suspects it all had something to do with the injuries that the Seminoles' top two quarterbacks, Jordan Travis and Tate Rodemaker, suffered just before their ACC title win over the weekend.

Boulware is now hoping somehow an appeals process will be put in place so further similar issues don't arise ... although he knows that's definitely a longshot at the moment.

"I wish there something out there that they could go back and make this right," Boulware said.

2:35 PM PT -- Nick Piazza -- the NFL official who went down with an injury following the collision with Alvin Kamara -- suffered a dislocated knee as well as a fractured fibula.

But, thankfully, his blood vessels remained intact, according to New Orleans Saints writer John DeShazier.

DeShazier added that surgery for Piazza is likely to happen next week.

An NFL official had to be taken off the field on Sunday on a stretcher ... after he suffered a gruesome leg injury following a sideline collision with Alvin Kamara.

The play happened in the second quarter of the Saints' matchup with the Lions in New Orleans ... when Kamara took a pitch from Derek Carr and accelerated toward the first-down marker.

On his way, though, a Detroit defender shoved him out of bounds ... and when he went crashing toward the turf, his momentum carried him right into the knee of a game official.

The sideline worker crumpled in pain as soon as Kamara hit him ... and broadcast cameras showed his leg had bent awkwardly inward as a result of the hit.

Trainers eventually raced to his aid ... and strapped him to a backboard -- before carting him away from the field for further treatment.

The NFL has not yet released an update on his condition as of Monday morning.

Kamara and the Saints, meanwhile, were able to try to mount a comeback despite the gruesome scene at the Superdome ... but they ultimately lost to Detroit, 33-28.