TMZ Sports - Page 31

Taylor Swift hit the zoo in between her tour dates in Australia Wednesday ... keeping herself preoccupied before she's finally reunited with her boo Travis Kelce.

Check it out ... the singer swapped out her glamorous dinner outfits for a blue tee and denim miniskirt -- a look so casual that if she wasn't one of the most recognizable faces in the world, she could almost go incognito at the Sydney Zoo.

But alas, it's Taylor ... so that's never going to happen, and people definitely noticed her here.

Tay Tay completed her low-key look with white kicks, a tote bag harboring her essentials, and shades to shield herself from those scorchin' rays. If you didn't know ... Australia is currently in its summer season.

With a camera hand, Taylor looked like she was having a great time walking around and getting to know all the exotic Australian wildlife with her Eras bandmates and dancers.

TS's opening act, Sabrina Carpenter, didn't appear to join her for the day at the zoo ... but she did join her for a swanky dinner in the city's Surry Hills neighborhood Tuesday.

Taylor has four  Sydney tour dates with SC before jetting off to Singapore for her next batch of dates ... before she changes her opening act to Paramore for Europe.

Travis hasn't joined her for the international leg of T's tour just yet, but there'll be plenty of sightings of the couple very soon ... 'cause we know the Super Bowl winner is currently on his way to see his lady.

Lionel Messi super fans can add a piece of awesome memorabilia to their collections -- an autographed ticket from Argentina's 2022 World Cup Final victory -- but they're gonna have to compete for it with their wallets on the auction block!!

TMZ Sports is told ... the signed hospitality stub from Messi's iconic showdown with France is part of Goldin's February Elite Auction, and the current bid has already surpassed $2,000.

The item features a Mint 9-graded Hancock in black ink from the G.O.A.T. himself, who led his home country to the thrilling 3-3 (4-2) win in penalty kicks.

We're told the ticket is as rare as it gets ... with just one other copy ever graded by PSA/DNA.

The ticket is something any Messi fan would salivate over ... especially considering the match locked up his first-ever World Cup win.

Messi had two goals in the contest ... which helped him secure Man of the Match honors and the Golden Ball award, presented to the tournament's best player.

Travis Kelce's got a chance to sing where the whiskey drowns and the beer chases ... 'cause Garth Brooks is personally inviting the Kansas City Chiefs superstar and his buddies to perform "Friends in Low Places" at his bar grand opening!!

The country music legend extended the offer on his "Inside Studio G" show Tuesday night ... after he praised the Super Bowl champ's attempt to cover his classic 1990 anthem at last week's festivities in Kansas City.

GB said he thought TK's rendition at the Chiefs' Super Bowl rally was "fantastic" ... adding it blew him away 'cause he was watching the whole moment unfold live.

Brooks was so moved by the gesture, he revealed he wants to send a private plane to Kelce, his brother, Jason, and all his boys to give the song another shot when his new watering hole -- fittingly named Friends in Low Places Bar and Honky Tonk -- officially opens its doors in Nashville in a couple weeks.

"Big man, I'm just telling you this," Garth said on his show. "I will be at grand opening if you're there. I'll send a plane if you want another shot at the title. If you want to come sing that, I'll send a plane."

"So, yes, I'll be happy to send this invite out to you if you want to try a little 'Friends in Low Places' in Friends in Low Places."

The woman who lost her life in the Super Bowl parade shooting last week will be laid to rest in a Harrison Butker jersey that the Chiefs star personally gave to her family himself.

Lisa Lopez-Galvan had considered the kicker her favorite player ... and when she was tragically shot and killed while celebrating his most recent championship at Kansas City's title parade on Feb. 14, she was actually wearing his white No. 7 uniform.

Her family said on social media they wanted to bury her in a new Butker jersey to pay homage to her fandom ... although they were apparently having some trouble finding the item ahead of her funeral services on Feb. 23 and Feb. 24.

Turns out, though, as soon as Butker was made aware of their request ... he jumped into action and got a fresh uniform delivered their way.

In a statement following his kind gesture, he said he was heartbroken over the situation ... and praying for her grieving family.

"Murder is a sin that cries out to God for vengeance and I pray the men involved in this tragedy will be brought to justice," said Butker, who made four key field goals in the Chiefs' Super Bowl win over the 49ers on Feb. 11.

"Hearing that she was a fan of my outspokenness for our shared Catholic Faith makes this even more personal. I am honored to provide a jersey to the family for her to wear. While the family is mourning their loss and grappling with their numerous injuries, I will continue to pray for their healing and the repose of Lisa's soul."

According to officials, Galvan was struck by stray gunfire after a violent argument between several groups of people broke out near where she was celebrating. Prosecutors have charged two adult males with murder in connection with her death.

Rumblings of Travis Kelce in Las Vegas have circulated for the past 24 hours -- and yeah, it looks like the dude was there ... now proven with a photo of him enjoying some R&R.

A bunch of eyewitness sightings claiming to have seen the Chiefs tight end in Sin City early this week ended up being spot on -- 'cause a shot of him on a golf course at the Wynn Golf & County Club popped up on social media Tuesday ... sure enough, there's the homeboy.

A couple good friends of Travis' -- who are constantly posting and hanging around him -- also documented their time in Vegas Monday ... and it appears TK was rolling with his buds.

They hit up this restaurant called Toca Madera -- and the DJ who plays there also name-dropped Trav on his social media ... saying he'd heard the guy was recently in the house.

The DJ, Adam Daudier, wrote ... "apparently Travis Kelce was getting down to my music in the private room last night & management asked me to play a private event for the Kansas City Chiefs this Friday."

He adds, "*brain is still processing, that sentence doesn't even feel real."

Assuming what this guy's saying is accurate ... it appears the Chiefs at large might be coming back to Vegas to enjoy themselves later this week -- which, after everything they've gone through of late, is probably well-deserved. It's been a hectic past several days.

Of course, we're referring to the Kansas City shooting that happened last Wednesday during the Chiefs victory rally ... which left one woman dead and nearly two dozen others injured.

The tragedy rocked the city, and the team as well ... Travis and others have donated a lot of money in the aftermath, and just the other day -- he and his brother, Jason, urged others to chip in even more if they could ... as there's still a lot of victims recovering at this time.

Safe to say, it's a stressful time ... and on its face, Travis was out there in Vegas blowing off some steam -- and presumably trying to keep his mind off the chaos of everything lately.

As for his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, she's now in Sydney to continue on with her 'Eras' tour.

We know she's got her show opener, Sabrina Carpenter, there to keep her company currently -- but yes, the Chiefs are still very much so top of mind for Tay Tay too ... evidenced in the fact she was rockin' their gear the other day as she flew into the next Australian city.

Unclear if Trav is gonna join her out there at some point -- we know he expressed an interest ahead of his Super Bowl ... but at the moment, no sign of any solid travel plans.

Kanye West knows how to get noticed even when he's seemingly trying to stay under the radar, but he really isn't.

Case in point ... Ye popped up at a professional soccer game Tuesday in Milan, Italy -- and he was wearing a black mask over his head, covering every inch of his face. The hood of his dark jacket was also drawn tightly over his skull.

But Ye obviously wasn't hiding from the crowd. Everyone has seen the rapper donning face masks for a while now and it's become a part of his latest style.

Earlier this month, Ye attended his son Saint's basketball game in L.A., while sporting a white mask similar to the one worn by the famous "Friday The 13th" character, Jason Voorhees.

More recently, Ye was spotted at the 2024 Super Bowl wearing an Alexander McQueen mask emblazoned with a white crucifix between his eyes.

At the soccer game in Milan, Ye was joined by his wife, Bianca Censori, who chose to go maskless with her black hair slicked back. The pair appear to be still going strong after taking their relationship public in January 2023.

2/21 -- 5:51 AM PT -- Lyndell Mays was released from the hospital Tuesday evening and taken into custody ... where he took a mug shot. You can see he appeared to still have a large bandage on his face as he went through the booking process.

Police officers in Kansas City claim Lyndell Mays admitted he fired the first shots at the Chiefs' Super Bowl parade last week ... before he allegedly said he "shouldn't have done that."

According to court documents, Mays made the stunning admissions to the Kansas City Police Department on Feb. 16 -- two days after more than 20 people were struck by gunfire while celebrating Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce's latest championship at Union Station.

In the docs, a KCPD detective wrote that Mays was interviewed at a local hospital after suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Initially, the docs state Mays told police he didn't shoot at anyone following a dispute with a group of individuals at the parade -- although when "Mays was confronted that we had surveillance video of the incident, he then changed his story."

Mays, according to cops, said a group he was quarreling with had told him, "I'm going to get you" ... something that Mays apparently believed meant, "I'm going to kill you."

Cops say Mays then told them he shot first -- "maybe two times." However, according to the docs, Mays said he initially hesitated to pull the trigger "because he knew there were kids there." The docs also state Mays wasn't specifically targeting anyone when he ultimately decided to fire, because "they all could have had guns."

"So he just randomly picked one of the individuals to target," cops wrote in the documents.

Cops also noted in the docs that the person Mays ended up shooting at was actually running away from him.

"When asked why Lyndell Mays advanced on them to begin with, he replied, 'Stupid, man,'" cops wrote in the documents. "'Just pulled a gun out and started shooting. I shouldn't have done that. Just being stupid.'"

Prosecutors announced Tuesday that following officers' talks with Mays, they hit him with charges of murder in the second degree, armed criminal action, and unlawful use of a weapon.

Prosecutors also revealed Tuesday a man named Dominic Miller had been hit with the same charges as well.

According to court documents, authorities spoke with Miller over his alleged role in the shooting on Feb. 16 after they say they identified through video and eyewitness statements that he was involved in the argument that preceded the gunfire.

Cops say Miller -- who was also at a local hospital recovering from apparent gunshot wounds -- initially told them he ran after hearing gunshots, and was struck in the abdomen as he was trying to hightail it away from the area. However, the docs state when authorities told them his actions were filmed on video -- he admitted to firing his Taurus G3 9mm handgun during the altercation.

According to the docs, Miller told them that after he heard gunshots, "he observed a black male with dreads armed with a black handgun shooting at him."

"Miller stated he returned fire with his own firearm," cops wrote in the docs. "Miller estimated he fired 4-5 shots and was uncertain if he struck the individual he was shooting at."

According to the docs, a .38 caliber class bullet was recovered from the body of Lisa Lopez-Galvan, who died amid the shooting. Cops say detectives later discovered the bullet was fired from the Taurus G3 9mm gun that Miller had acknowledged that he possessed and shot.

Both Miller and Mays -- who are 23 years old or younger -- are now currently being held on a $1 million bond.

Previously, prosecutors hit two juveniles with charges over their connection to the shooting as well.

Both Kelce and Mahomes, meanwhile, have offered their prayers for the victims of the shooting ... with each donating thousands to help in recovery efforts.

Think your tennis background's going to save you on the pickleball court? Think again ... 'cause Genie Bouchard says the two sports aren't even remotely the same!!

The tennis star explained it all to TMZ Sports while out in Las Vegas for Super Bowl week ... saying straight up her talent with a racket did not instantaneously transfer over when she picked up a pickle paddle.

"People think there's an automatic transition from tennis to pickleball and there's not," she said. "It's a completely different sport."

Genie, of course, knows all about it firsthand... after years of dominating on the tennis courts, she just recently made the move to play on the PPA Tour -- a league for pro pickleballers -- and she's had some growing pains.

Obviously, she's flashed some ridiculous talent ... but she nonetheless fell in her singles debut last month.

"It requires different skills," she said.

Regardless, Bouchard told us she's determined to get better ... explaining she's hoping to dominate a sport "that's just, like, taking over the country."

It's hump day at TMZ -- and while we're only halfway there ... we're full throttle on all our TV shows!

Starting on 'TMZ Live' ... we talked about the legal war brewing between Taylor Swift and her private jet tracker, Jack Sweeney, who just fired the latest arrow across the bow at her.

Taylor's team started this fight by threatening legal action if this young guy kept posting her locations across the world -- but now, his own lawyers are firing back ... saying he ain't doing anything illegal -- and that if they have a bone to pick, they better start getting specific.

Over at 'TMZ on TV,' we dove in on Donnell Rawlings' spat with fellow comedian Corey Holcomb at the Laugh Factory this weekend ... where they got into a huge shouting match.

A lot of insults were hurled back and forth ... and in the end, Donnell held his ground.

Finally on 'TMZ Sports,' we talked about new updates in the Kansas City shooting case.

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

Former Houston Rockets guard Robert Reid, an NBA star who spent 13 years in the league, died earlier this week following a battle with cancer.

Reid was 68 years old ... and had been battling an illness, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The Rockets announced the sad news on Tuesday, writing, "The Fertitta Family and the Houston Rockets are deeply saddened by the passing of former player, Robert Reid, whose contributions were instrumental in guiding the Houston Rockets to their first two NBA Finals appearances in 1980-81 and 1985-86."

Reid, a 6'8" guard/forward who was a second-round draft pick in 1977, averaged 11.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 blocks a game during his NBA career -- 10 seasons of which were spent in Houston, just a few hours from where he grew up in San Antonio, TX.

He also played for the Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Philadelphia 76ers.

Reid, who was teammates with the legendary Moses Malone, scored 10,448 points in 919 NBA games.

Current Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta also reacted to news of Reid's death, saying ... "It is with great sorrow that my family and I received the news of the passing of Rockets legend, Robert Reid. I have had the privilege of knowing Robert for over 40 years, and his presence always brought joy and positivity to any room he entered."

Reid was 68.

Larsa Pippen might be wearing a rock on a certain finger lately, but hold the wedding bells for now ... 'cause she ain't walking down the aisle just yet with Marcus Jordan.

The on-and-off-again couple has been at the center of speculation for over a week now -- and that was kicked into high gear on Valentine's Day when LP stepped out with Marcus in Miami with a massive diamond ring on her left ring finger.

Indeed ... it was very suspicious, but despite people thinking they might be engaged -- this after patching things up fairly quickly following a little spat -- sources with direct knowledge tell us it just isn't so. Instead, it's only a red herring ... a ring from Larsa's own jewelry line.

Now, even though it isn't an engagement ring -- that's not to say this bling isn't nice ... 'cause it is. We're told this ring features a 5-carat yellow diamond with other diamonds around it.

Anyway, in terms of where things stand between Larsa and Marcus at this point -- who very much so look back together and happy again ... our sources are saying they're continuing to work through their issues -- but they're definitely still in love and committed to being together.

Remember, they hit the town on V-day ... and certainly telegraphed all was well again.

Yes, it kinda feels like we're all getting kinda jerked around by these two -- but hey, that's love, we suppose. And on the issue of a possible engagement down the road ... Marcus and Larsa have already said they're considering it.

2:52 PM PT -- Tom Sandoval just addressed the backlash he's been getting for his remarks about George Floyd and O.J. Simpson ... and he's apologizing, while also clearing the air.

He writes, "My intentions behind the comments I made in New York Times Magazine were to explain the level of national media attention my affair received. The comparison was inappropriate and ignorant. I'm incredibly sorry and embarrassed."

Tom Sandoval apparently thinks his cheating scandal last year was comparable to huge moments in pop culture ... like George Floyd's death, or the O.J. Simpson murder case.

The "Vanderpump Rules" reality star made the stunning comparison in a new New York Times profile -- where he was asked why he thought the so-called Scandoval got as big as it did in 2023 ... when he was revealed to have cheated on his longtime girlfriend, Ariana Madix.

While Scandoval was definitely a major moment ... TS seems to think it transcended things to the point that it elevated to a George Floyd moment, or an O.J. one. Yes, seriously.

Here's what he said ... "I’m not a pop-culture historian really but I witnessed the O.J. Simpson thing and George Floyd and all these big things, which is really weird to compare this to that, I think, but do you think in a weird way it’s a little bit the same?"

The writer of this piece tries to lend him some grace, saying ... "I think I knew what he meant. He was trying to express the oddity of becoming the symbolic center of a nationwide discussion and a major news story; what he communicated instead was something more honest, which is just how much the experience had made him lose perspective."

There was another wild quote in this interview, where he likens himself to a now-disgraced "That 70's Show" star who's in prison. Tom says, "I feel like I got more hate than Danny Masterson, and he’s a convicted rapist."

There's another telling moment in the interview ... where Tom explains his rationale for cheating on Ariana with Rachel Leviss. He's pretty blunt about it and straightforward too.

Tom says, "I did what I did because I was in an unhappy place in my life. I got caught up in my emotions and fully fell in love. Like, for real." Tom apparently got up and went up to his room after this to get ready to go out.

His PR assistant is also quoted as saying ...  "Sometimes he says too much."

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Two adults who've been linked to the Kansas City mass shooting are now facing murder charges and other serious counts ... something just announced by KC prosecutors.

Lyndell Mays and Dominic Miller were both hit with 2nd-degree murder charges Tuesday ... and they're also up against armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon charges on top of that. These guys are different than the two teens who were charged last week.

It's a stunning development, as we're just now learning about the fact that cops even had these two men in their custody. Last we heard ... they only had 3 people detained, including two juveniles.

Now, however ... we know there are at least 4 people total at this point being implicated in this crime. Prosecutors say they're not releasing mug shots yet 'cause these 2 men are still recovering in the hospital.

Prosecutors went on to say that there might be other people arrested and charged in the case -- but for now, they're starting here. They note that the 2 juveniles are being prosecuted by a different court ... and their identities will not be released since they're underage.

It's unclear how old the two adult men are -- and it's also unclear when these two guys came onto the cops' radar. But something interesting officials noted is that these two dueling factions -- remember, they say this all started with an argument -- did not know each other.

Prosecutors note evidence suggests this heated exchange led to a firearm being drawn by Mays ... which then led to others pulling their firearms almost immediately afterward, including one by Miller. After the shots rang out -- prosecutors say Miller's weapon ended up being the one that hit Lisa Lopez-Galvan ... although they're pinning her murder on both guys.

TMZ broke the story ... there were teenagers caught on camera on the scene Wednesday just before shots rang out -- and eyewitnesses tell us they believe they were involved.

While our eyewitnesses say they never saw any of the teens open fire ... they claim the person or persons they were facing off with, off-camera, did unload the first shots.

Kansas City officials say the investigation is still ongoing, and that they intend to hold everyone who participated in the tragedy responsible. At the moment, this is where they're at.

The coin that helped determine the fate of Super Bowl LVIII can now be all yours ... 'cause the NFL has just put the one-of-a-kind piece up for auction!!

There are currently 19 bids for the relic ... with the highest being for $10,000 -- but given how historic the item is, it's expected it will go for far more when the gavel finally comes down in March.

It, of course, was used by Fred Warner and Patrick Mahomes to figure out which team would start overtime with the ball during the 49ers game against the Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium back on Feb. 11.

San Francisco ultimately won the toss with a tails call ... and went on to kick a field goal on the ensuing possession. When the Chiefs got the ball back, they subsequently scored a touchdown -- locking up their third title in the last five years.

The extra period marked the first time the NFL's new postseason overtime rules were put into play ... and also given how controversial it was that Warner and the Niners chose to receive instead of kick, the coin certainly has a ton of value.

It's also got a sleek look to it -- on one side it has the two teams' names and logos ... and on the other, it has the Super Bowl LVIII emblem with Roger Goodell's signature etched into it. The piece is marked "00002."

The league said profits from the auction will go toward Luna Strong's Maui Relief Efforts.

The 21-year-old who lost his leg during a car accident involving Haywood Highsmith earlier this month is now suing the NBA player ... claiming the hooper's careless driving caused the entire tragedy.

Alekxei Pino filed the lawsuit on Friday in Florida ... alleging he was helping assist a stranded motorist on Feb. 6 in Miami when Highsmith barreled into him in his 2021 Audi A5 at a high rate of speed.

Pino claims in the suit Highsmith was going over the roadway's legal speed limit before he hit him ... causing an above-the-knee amputation.

Pino also claims he suffered other significant injuries in the crash ... and has since undergone numerous medical procedures to address the damage.

Pino's attorney, Manuel Dobrinsky, said in a statement this week his client is actually still in the hospital recovering ... "with a very long road of rehabilitation ahead of him."

Pino and his lawyer are asking for unspecified damages but estimate it will be in excess of $50,000.

Pino's family, meanwhile, has also set up a GoFundMe, hoping to raise $100,000 to help him with the recovery process.

As we previously reported, cops said in a police report Highsmith was traveling 45 MPH in a 40 MPH zone before the accident a short time after the Heat beat the Orlando Magic at the nearby Kesaya Center.

Cops stated in the docs they believed drugs and alcohol were not involved ... though they did say Highsmith may have been distracted by unknown circumstances. They ultimately cited him for careless driving.

The Heat said in a statement following the crash that their "hearts go out to those who were injured."

Highsmith sat out of the Heat game the night following the wreck ... although he returned to the floor on Feb. 11 against the Celtics, and played 23 minutes.

Mac McClung is the back-to-back NBA Slam Dunk champion, but even he has his doubts about going at the King ... telling TMZ Sports he'd "probably" lose to LeBron James in a contest!!

The 25-year-old G League star wowed the crowd yet again during All-Star festivities this past weekend ... edging out Celtics star Jaylen Brown to take home the trophy in Indy.

We spoke with the high-flying athlete about what's next following his big victory ... and while he's planning to finish out this season strong before going back to the drawing board for new dunks, there's one thing you can probably take off his "To-Do" list -- a showdown with LeBron.

"[LeBron's] the man, I don't know if I'd want to go up against him," Mac told us during his celebrity shift at Raising Cane's in Orlando. "He'd probably beat me, for sure."

Worth noting -- LeBron famously never did the dunk contest ... something fans practically begged him to do for years, considering he's one of the greatest rim-rattlers in league history.

Despite the lack of experience in the event, Mac thinks the Lakers superstar would be his biggest competition yet ... even at 39 years old.

Mac admitted he's still on the fence about whether he'll go for a three-peat ... but if he does, he's just looking to go up against anyone who actually WANTS to participate.

There's more ... Mac also weighed in on his drive-thru shift at the chicken finger joint ... and he's a natural!!