TMZ Sports - Page 34

The MLB's season opener between the Dodgers and Padres looked more like the Super Bowl ... with K-pop group aespa putting on a halftime show-esque performance right in the outfield before the game!!

The mini concert went down shortly before the first matchup of the 2024 campaign on Wednesday ... as part of the league's Seoul Series in South Korea.

Karina, Giselle, Winter and Ningning made their way to centerfield to dance and belt out couple of their hit songs -- "Drama" and "Next Level" -- to get the spectators hype before first pitch.

The renditions included a drumline, a ton of background dancers and lasers ... and the crowd clearly loved it!!

The ladies waved to the fans as they exited the outfield ... clearly pleased with their effort.

FYI -- aespa has blown up in the music industry since making their debut in 2020 ... quickly becoming one of the most successful girl groups in the genre.

It's not the only K-pop crossover during the Dodgers' time in Seoul -- as we previously reported, Seungmin of the popular boy group Stray Kids threw out the ceremonial toss prior to L.A.'s exhibition against Team Korea on Monday.

Meek Mill and Akademiks' 7-figure deal to squash their beef with body blows is still an option -- but YK Osiris is advising you not to wager on either guy ... and simply bet on him.

Yep, the R&B star took time out of his NYC hustle and bustle to laugh off Meek and Ak's unresolved clash -- telling TMZ Hip Hop he's confident he'll pummel them both in the ring!!! 🥊

YK hits the high notes, but loves his boxing highlights as well ... having sparred with Lil Uzi Vert, Tjay and Blueface in the past.

Damon Feldman, CEO of Official Celebrity Boxing, drummed up and sent out an agreement for both Meek and Ak to sign ... $1M for participating and an additional million for the winner!!!

Quite the payoff for beating up your arch-nemesis but we're told neither Ak or Meek have responded to OCB's request to sign the paperwork.

They may be moving toward a more peaceful solution ... Ak recently offered Meek a million dollars of his own for a year-long podcast deal, which probably won't happen either.

Ak recently scolded Meek for flip-flopping on his stance about street life -- much like Dee-1 did months ago, and the two seem to be in their comfort zone yelling at one another on X.

The "Love & Basketball" story between Angel Reese and Cam'Ron Fletcher is no more ... 'cause the LSU women's hoops star just revealed she's single.

Rumors of the couple calling it quits started to swirl recently ... when fans realized the two college basketball players scrubbed each other from their Instagram profiles.

Reese confirmed the speculation on Tuesday during a Q&A with her 2.7 million fans on Instagram Live ... saying, "Yeah, I'm single."

"I don't got no man. Don't attach me to no man. That's all I'mma say. That's it."

Even though the 21-year-old is on the market, Reese says she's not looking to jump back into a relationship just yet ... claiming her attention and energy is primarily on school, basketball and herself.

"I do what's best for me, that's it," the LSU forward said. "I'm the catch! Let's not get it twisted."

The women's NCAA tournament starts on Friday ... so Reese, who's averaging 19 points and 13.1 rebounds a game this season, can focus on another title run for the LSU Tigers.

Fletcher -- who transferred from Kentucky to FSU in 2021 -- suffered a season-ending injury last December. He averaged 6.7 points and 5.0 rebounds in seven games.

11:31 AM PT -- The Lions just released a statement on the matter ... saying they were made aware of the allegations only on Wednesday morning.

"We will continue to monitor the situation and will not have further comment at this time," the team said.

10:01 AM PT -- The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in an updated statement Wednesday that Cameron Sutton is wanted for Domestic Battery by Strangulation, not Aggravated Battery - Domestic Violence.

Detroit Lions defensive back Cameron Sutton is a wanted man in Florida ... cops say they're looking to arrest him after he was allegedly involved in a violent incident with a woman earlier this month.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, the alleged victim in the case called cops at around 4:52 AM on March 7 claiming she had just been roughed up by Sutton.

During the call, cops say she told dispatch she was in fear for her life.

However, an HCSCO spokesperson tells TMZ Sports ... Sutton was gone by time the officers arrived -- and ever since, they've been having trouble tracking him down.

We're told they've attempted to locate the 29-year-old at his residence in Pinellas County to no avail. Cops say they've also tried to call him, though his phone has apparently been shut off.

HCSO officials put out a "Warrant Wednesday" post on X on Wednesday morning seeking the public's help in finding the NFL player ... writing, "He is wanted for Aggravated Battery - Domestic Violence. He may be driving a Jeep Grand Wagoneer with a plate number of FL-AZ33QB."

"If you have any information on the whereabouts of Cameron Sutton, please call 813-247-8200."

Sutton has been playing in the NFL since 2017 ... beginning his career with the Steelers. In 2023, he signed a 3-year, $33 MILLION contract to join Detroit. He started 17 games in his first year with the Lions, recording one interception and 65 total tackles.

The Lions have yet to comment on the situation.

Big win for Michael Jordan -- Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan have officially called it quits after more than a year together ... and we're told all signs are pointing to it being a permanent split this time around.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Scottie Pippen's ex-wife and MJ's son have been broken up for a couple of weeks now ... and unlike the brief "pause" in their relationship back in February, there's no hope of patching things up in the future.

The two had a pretty rocky romance ... and ultimately, they decided it was time to call it a day. With that being said, it's impossible to say for sure we'll never see these two together again ... especially considering their track record of being on and off.

We're told 49-year-old Larsa and Marcus, 33, haven't been on speaking terms since the split ... and they're both focused on doing their own thing.

The signs were there -- Larsa and Marcus unfollowed each other recently ... and the oft-paparazzi'd duo haven't been shot in public together in weeks.

Of course, many considered the coupling to be a bit odd -- Michael and Scottie have had a longstanding feud after winning six NBA championships together with the Chicago Bulls ... and Larsa is a decade and a half older than Marcus.

MJ even voiced his displeasure over the relationship back in July 2023 ... and Marcus insisted his pops was just joking, but a lot of folks didn't believe it.

Larcus (RIP to that nickname) were first spotted together back in September 2022 -- they initially swore up and down they were just friends ... before ultimately caving in and admitting they were, in fact, a couple.

Things eventually got serious between the two ... and Marcus even teased a wedding date was "in the works."

LeBron James and JJ Redick started a basketball podcast together ... and Draymond Green doesn't like it!!!

He's joking, of course (probably 😅).

"I must say I'm a little upset LeBron is like going on a podcast and still hasn't been on the Draymond Green Show," the 34-year-old said, "but when it's your own thing you kinda can't say anything."

The Golden State Warriors star has obviously heard about King James' new pod with Redick, titled "Mind The Game," which will focus on the X's and O's of basketball ... and he ain't happy!

Green -- who is good friends with LBJ -- has his own show, "The Draymond Green Show," on IHeartPodcast and The Volume ... and he's none too pleased that James hasn't appeared on his show, which launched in 2021.

But, Draymond's willing to overlook it for the time being.

"I'll live with it for now. Pick the bone with him that I gotta pick with him later!"

Perhaps until April 9 when the Warriors go to the Crypto for a tilt with the Lakers, their final meeting of the season.

All jokes aside, Green is excited to watch the show!

"I love a great basketball conversation and you don't get to have those often with many people and you definitely don't get to watch them often," Green said.

In their debut episode, James and Redick debated the qualities of a great basketball player, and a bunch more. The ep generated over 1.3 million views, and counting.

Travis Kelce just pulled off a Taylor Swift impression, crooning part of the chorus of one the pop star's biggest hits -- and ... it wasn't awful!!

The Kansas City Chiefs star belted out "Bad Blood" on this week's episode of his "New Heights" podcast ... when he and his big bro, Jason, were talking about the Eagles' recent addition of Kenny Pickett.

Jason told the audience his former team acquired the quarterback in a trade with the Steelers ... before Travis jumped in to explain Pittsburgh simply had to make the move because the former first-round pick was upset over the recent addition of Russell Wilson.

"Kenny and the Steelers," he said, "their relationship ended in a little baaaaaaad bloooood!"

"Because," Travis continued, "Kenny is saying he preferred to move on."

Jason let the tune go without further reaction -- and the two didn't make reference to Travis' girlfriend again during the episode.

Travis, though, did talk about a night out in L.A. that he had sans Swift last week -- raving to Jason about the Justin Timberlake show he attended.

Travis gushed about the "Suit & Tie" singer's concert -- calling it a "fun evening" while urging all of his fans to buy JT's new album.

Ex-NHL player Chris Simon's family is revealing the tragic details surrounding his sudden passing ... confirming the 52-year-old took his own life, and they believe it was the result of CTE.

The former enforcer's loved ones released a statement via his former agent Paul Theofanous on Wednesday ... saying they saw Simon show strong signs of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a brain disease caused from concussions and traumatic head injuries.

"The family strongly believes and witnessed firsthand, that Chris struggled immensely from CTE which unfortunately resulted in his death," the statement read.

"We are grieving with the loss of our son, brother, father, partner, teammate and friend," the family continued. "The entire Wawa community is sharing in our grief. We will not be releasing any further details at this time and ask for privacy during this very difficult time. We appreciate everyone who shares in our tragic loss."

As we previously reported, the hockey community was devastated by the news ... and an outpour of tributes came out in honor of the 15-year NHL vet.

The NHL Alumni Association addressed the loss ... saying, "Chris was never afraid to stand up for his teammates, and played a key role in the dressing room. He was a beloved friend, father, brother, and son."

Chris won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996 ... and played for several other teams, including the Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames and New York Islanders.

Richard Simmons is sparking concern for his well-being once again ... this time announcing he's been diagnosed with cancer.

The fitness guru says he got the skin cancer diagnosis after a recent visit to the dermatologist -- an appointment he made when he noticed a strange bump under his right eye that wouldn't go away.

Richard said Tuesday, in a Facebook post, his doctor removed the blemish, examined it and came back with a basal cell carcinoma diagnosis -- the most common form of skin cancer.

As the 75-year-old detailed it ... he was referred to a specialist, who did a procedure that involved burning his skin twice -- so all the cancer could be removed.

This is the second time Richard has sparked concern for his health this week. Remember, a couple days ago, he announced on Facebook that he was dying.

After countless fans posted messages of love and concern, Richard clarified he wasn't actually dying -- anymore than the rest of us -- and he apologized for causing any confusion.

He explained ... "Sorry many of you have gotten upset about my message today ... I am not dying. It was a message about saying how we should embrace every day that we have."

Richard has been interacting with his fans quite a bit in recent months -- quite a turnaround, considering he completely disappeared from the public back in 2014.

That fueled years of rumors about his well-being ... until 2022, when we dropped "TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons," detailing the real reasons he's pulled back from his adoring fans.

Most recently, he's also been posting a lot about Pauly Shore's planned biopic about his life -- a project Richard's not down with, but Pauly insists he's moving forward.

Jalen Green has been playing at a crazy high level, and the Rockets hooper says there's a reason ... he's motivated by his family, just weeks after announcing GF Draya Michele was pregnant!

The Houston star scored 42 points on Tuesday in a 137-114 win against the Washington Wizards, tying his career-high ... and after the game, he was asked what was responsible for the surge in production.

"My family," the 22-year-old shooting guard said. "My baby, so yeah."

The Rockets are in the midst of a six-game winning streak, and Green's exploits on the court (he's averaging nearly 28 points during the stretch) line up almost exactly with Draya announcing she was expecting a baby.

Fans wondered if Jalen, the former 2nd overall pick who's 17 years younger than Michele, was the father. His comments last night would seem to put that question to bed.

Draya -- creator of the Mint Swim fashion line -- is beyond excited for their bundle of joy, saying, "We are overjoyed to share our love for you, little girl," the 39-year-old said on Instagram.

"I’m am excited to speak words to the daughter I never thought I’d have. We are anxious about your arrival, but take your time — this world can be tough."

"But know you are being brought into a space of love, security, and adornment."

Michele already has two sons ... one child with former Dallas Cowboys CB Orlando Scandrick. This will be Green's first child.

Shohei Ohtani's wife couldn't contain her excitement when the MLB superstar earned the first hit of his Dodger career ... cheering on her man from the stands throughout his big debut!!

Mamiko Tanaka -- who was recently revealed as the Japanese athlete's partner -- was present for L.A.'s season opener against the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea on Wednesday ... and there was plenty to be happy about.

Ohtani logged the first hit of the contest in the third inning ... hitting a line drive to right field for a single.

The broadcast quickly cut to Tanaka -- à la Taylor Swift at a Kansas City Chiefs game -- and she was shouting and clapping with fellow family members and friends as Ohtani reached first base.

The vibes continued in the 8th inning ... when Ohtani's second hit of the night brought home a run.

She was spotted high-fiving with fans decked out in Ohtani merch ... and had a huge smile on her face.

The $700 million man ended up going 2-5 from the plate on the day ... securing an RBI and a stolen base en route to the Dodgers' 5-2 win over the division rival.

As we previously reported, Tanaka is quite the sports star in her own right -- she played several years of professional basketball in Japan.

Shohei Ohtani had a much more stressful leadup to his Dodgers' debut Wednesday than anyone could have imagined -- he was reportedly the target of a pregame bomb threat ... although, thankfully, it all turned out to be fake.

According to the Yonhap News Agency, just prior to L.A.'s season-opening matchup against the San Diego Padres in Seoul, someone had sent a menacing email to local authorities.

The outlet reported that in the note, the person claimed they were going to detonate a bomb at the Gocheok Sky Dome ... specifically looking to harm Ohtani and others.

Fortunately, however, it was deemed to be a non-credible threat.

The MLB said in a statement they were investigating the matter -- calling "the safety and security of our fans and everyone in the ballparks where we play" their top priority -- but continued with the game nonetheless.

So far, there's been no issues whatsoever with the contest -- in the top of the ninth inning, the Dodgers lead, 5-2.

Ohtani, meanwhile, is clearly feeling no effects from the scare ... he's 2-for-5 on the night with an RBI and a stolen base.

The Dodgers arrived in Korea last week and played a couple exhibition games before taking on the Pads in the season opener.

Jake Gyllenhaal was the man of the moment at the NYC premiere of his new movie, "Road House," posing for a slew of photos with his costar – none other than UFC Legend Conor McGregor!

Jake first hit the red carpet with his model girlfriend Jeanne Cadieu at Manhattan's Lincoln Center Tuesday night -- and the two were total knockouts. The actor looked super spiffy in his black suit and tie while Jeanne was the epitome of glamour in her long dark dress.

A bunch of shutterbugs snapped pictures of the smiling couple surrounded by shimmering powder blue neon signs that read, "Road House."

At one point, the couple was joined by Jake's parents, Stephen and Naomi, and all four mugged for the cameras.

But the real treat was when Conor popped up and shared the floor with Jake for their little photo shoot. The costars stood side by side, shaking hands, putting up their dukes and laughing and joking with one another.

Afterward, everyone went inside the theater to enjoy the film, which was a remake of the famous 1989 bar fight drama starring the late Patrick Swayze, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2009.

Jake took on Swayze's iconic role of tough guy protagonist Elwood Dalton while Conor played the villainous hired muscle named Knox. Post Malone also had a cameo as a character called Carter.

Braxton Berrios and Alix Earle don't appear to be close to tying the knot anytime soon ... but the Dolphins wide receiver certainly ain't ruling out the possibility of future nuptials!!

We got the "it couple" out in Los Angeles this week ... and as they looked smitten walking through city streets -- we just had to ask Braxton if an engagement was on the horizon.

The football player laughed -- but when Earle jokingly prodded him to answer the question ... he didn't say no!!

Berrios then added that he and Earle are happy together ... and things are "going well."

Berrios and Earle have only been dating for around a year -- but the two have been inseparable since making things official.

Berrios has been seen in a myriad of her TikToks -- while the social media star has attended a few of his NFL games at Hard Rock Stadium.

In fact, they've grown so close, they each got matching pendants to memorialize their "Panda" nicknames back in February.

It's hump day here at TMZ, but we're still kicking ass on TV ... especially with these topics.

Starting out on 'TMZ Live,' Charles and Harvey talked about Oprah's new TV special that's all weight loss drugs -- like Ozempic -- which she says she's turned to amid her ongoing challenges with weight ... something O says is now under control due to these miracle drugs.

Next up, we got 'TMZ on TV' ... where the gang continued to discuss Kate-Gate -- namely, the ongoing conspiracy theories surrounding Kate Middleton amid the latest sighting.

Finally, we land on 'TMZ Sports' ... where Babcock and Mojo talked Steph Curry for Prez!

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

Longtime NHL player Chris Simon -- known as one of the most ferocious and scary athletes on the ice -- has died at 52.

Simon played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League, including stops with the Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames, and New York Islanders where he was a feared enforcer, racking up over 100 fights and nearly 2k penalty minutes throughout his decade and a half career.

The NHL Alumni Association broke the news of Simon's death on Tuesday, saying ... "Chris was never afraid to stand up for his teammates, and played a key role in the dressing room. He was a beloved friend, father, brother, and son."

Simon's pro hockey career started in 1990 when the Philadelphia Flyers selected the Canadian native with the 25th overall pick in the NHL Draft.

CS won a Stanley Cup title with the Avalanche in 1996.

Chris also played in the Ontario Hockey League and eventually joined the Kontinental Hockey League before retiring in 2013.

Simon was most known for being a dog on the ice ... and having the backs of his teammates. In fact, he was suspended eight times during his NHL career for a total of 65 games.

Unfortunately, Simon's death comes just hours after news of Konstantin Koltsov's passing ... a suspected suicide.

He was 52.