TMZ Sports - Page 50

For the first time ever, the NCAA women's basketball championship pulled in more viewers than the men's game ... with Kamilla Cardoso and South Carolina's win over Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes beating out UConn vs. Purdue by 4 million!!

The numbers for Monday night's men's contest between the Huskies and Boilermakers were reportedly just released ... and while the game did better than UConn's matchup with San Diego State a year prior, it got blown out of the water by Clark going head-to-head with the undefeated Gamecocks.

The men's game drew in 14.8 million average viewers ... and Sunday's women's game earned 18.8 million, shattering the record for a women's college basketball game.

A lot of folks will chalk it up to the Caitlin Clark effect ... but it's worth noting the women's tournament featured a ton of stars all over the bracket, resulting in historic ratings throughout the tournament.

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley even took a second to thank Clark for bringing more eyeballs to women's hoops after her squad completed the undefeated season ... which she certainly did.

The errors on the Kobe Bryant statue have been fixed ... the Lakers just made the corrections to the Mamba's life-sized tribute earlier Tuesday.

There were several problems on the figurine's base -- where a few names, including Jose Calderon and Von Wafer, were misspelled. The word "decision" in "Coach's Decision" was also wrongfully written twice as "decicion."

On March 11, right around the time the public discovered the problems, the Lakers said in a statement they had been aware of the issues for several weeks ... and had vowed to fix them.

Ja Morant is one step closer to winning a lawsuit against the teenager who he punched during an altercation in a pickup basketball game two years ago ... a judge just ruled the NBA superstar was acting in self-defense when he hit the minor.

Joshua Holloway, who was 17 years old at the time of the incident, sued Morant back in Sept. 2022, alleging the Grizzlies point guard roughed him up while the two were competing on a basketball court at Ja's Eads, Tenn. home.

Holloway claimed that during an in-game argument, he threw a ball at Morant and accidentally hit him in the face. He alleged Morant then became enraged, and socked him with a closed fist.

Julio Urias has been hit with multiple criminal charges over allegations he roughed up his wife during a soccer match last year ... TMZ Sports has learned.

A spokesperson for the L.A. City Attorney's office tells us ... prosecutors formally hit Urias with five misdemeanors on Monday.

The ex-Dodgers star is facing one count of spousal battery, two counts of domestic battery involving dating relationship, one count of false imprisonment and one count of assault. His arraignment is scheduled for early May.

John Calipari says it's time for the Kentucky Wildcats to hit the reset button without him ... the longtime coach confirmed his departure from the program after 15 seasons.

Cal explained his decision to walk away from his "dream job" in a social media video on Tuesday ... wearing a Kentucky blue quarter-zip -- minus the school's logo.

Cal -- who's expected to be announced as Arkansas' next head coach this week -- said he and his wife took some time to reflect after the Wildcats' first-round exit from the NCAA tournament ... and ultimately came to the conclusion his tenure in Lexington ran its course.

"This is a dream job," Cal said. "It was my dream job. Anybody in our profession looks at the University of Kentucky in basketball and says that is the bluest of blue."

"The last few weeks, we've come to realize that this program probably needs to hear another voice, that the university as a whole has to have another voice giving guidance about this program that they hear. And, the fans need to hear another voice."

Calipari made it clear he was thrilled with his time at the helm ... but he's ready for the next challenge.

"There have been opportunities that have been presented to us, so we're discussing them as a family. I love coaching. I love coaching young people. I loved this year's team. I loved every day walking in. They've invigorated me. I love the chase for championships. I love bringing the kids together. It's what I do. It's who I am."

Cal thanked all those he interacted with over his career with the Wildcats ... especially the players and their families for what they accomplished on and off the court, his staff and the fans of Big Blue Nation.

65-year-old Cal finishes his time in Lexington with 32 NCAA tournament wins ... including four Final Four appearances and a championship in 2012.

Despite all the overall success, the Wildcats ran into rough times in the postseason recently ... earning just one tourney win since 2019.

Popular YouTuber Deestroying's football comeback has hit a serious roadblock -- the internet personality just revealed he fractured his neck during a UFL game over the weekend ... and now, his focus is on getting back to 100 percent.

The moment went down during the San Antonio Brahmas' Week 2 matchup against the Memphis Showboats ... when Donald De La Hoye attempted a tackle while defending a kickoff return.

Dee appeared a bit shaken up by the play ... but managed to get up on his own power and trot back to the sidelines.

The Brahmas announced he was placed on Injured Reserve ... but on Tuesday, Dee revealed the extent of his ailment -- as well as a selfie that showed him in a brace.

"Thank y'all for all the good wishes," Dee said minutes ago. "Turns out on that tackle, due to bad form, I fractured my neck in a couple places."

"Although this sucks, I'm grateful cause it could have been all bad," he added.

Dee hopes his young fans use this as a learning lesson ... calling on them to practice better tackling form to avoid injury.

Of course, Dee lost out on his college football dreams years ago ... when the NCAA put a stop to his career at Central Florida over monetizing off his YouTube channel.

He finally got a shot with The Rock's new league ... and he was taking advantage of it so far, being one of the top-performing kickers in Week 1.

MMA star Rachael Ostovich ain't lettin' a bun in the oven keep her from getting in a violent workout ... hitting the punching bag while in the third trimester of her pregnancy!!

The 1-0 BKFC fighter and former UFC talent posted a clip of her recent gym session on Tuesday ... rocking a one-piece athleisure 'fit as she threw some jabs at a new addition to her fitness setup.

"Third trimester ain’t stopping me," Ostovich said on Instagram. "lol I'm sure Miss. Dovey Girl is having the time of her life in there."

Ostovich -- who announced her pregnancy with a nude photoshoot on February 25 -- even shared some fighting tips ... saying attacking her new water punching bag bare-handed helps build tolerance for when it comes to hitting a real human, which she happens to do a lot with her day job.

Devin Booker's trying to set the record straight about his hair ... after a viral video caused fans to question whether the NBA star was rockin' a wig!

But, Book seems to be saying he's au natural.

The video in question shows a person, purported to be an NBA player, with advanced male pattern baldness, sitting in a barber chair with his face obscured ... as a stylist applies glue, and ultimately a toupee.

Social media detectives began theorizing who the unnamed NBA player could be ... with the top guess being 27-year-old Booker.

The jokes went so far, the Suns star actually took to X to deny it was him.

“Yall got me messed up lol,” DB wrote ... seemingly indicating he is NOT the dude in the vid.

Of course, Booker, who dated Kendall Jenner, is widely regarded as one of the best-looking players in the NBA … so it’s no surprise fans felt betrayed by the prospect of the Suns star deceiving the public with his lack of locks.

It's not the first time an athlete has been trolled for his hairdo ... which LeBron James can testify to. Bron isn't alone ... Carlos Boozer was clowned back in the day for rocking spray-on hair in 2012. There are others ... Jimmy Butler and so on.

Larsa Pippen's clearly handling her split with Marcus Jordan well -- she just revealed she still looks incredible in a bikini ... while teasing that it's only going to get better from here!!

Scottie's ex posted the thirst trap to her Instagram page Tuesday morning ... showing she's been in the gym while getting through her recent breakup.

And, the 49-year-old appeared to promise that she's going to look sexier as the weather heats up ... writing in a caption on the pic, "Gearing up for the summer."

Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson aren't checking into Splitsville Inn -- or so it seems ... 'cause they're looking cozy for spring break, even though she's missing some key hardware.

Just peep the pics she shared Monday ... JS is decked out in an orange bikini straight-up livin' her best life in Cabo, and her hubby's right there too, having a good ol' time with their 3 kiddos, Maxwell, Ace, and Birdie.

Jessica seems about as happy as can be in the family getaway pics ... which also includes an appearance from her mom, Tina. Nice to have a built-in babysitter for the trip!

It's like a scene out of "Groundhog Day" ... 'cause Bill Murray is celebrating UConn winning a national championship once again -- sharing an awesome moment with his assistant coach son right after Monday's big game!!

The legendary comedian's second oldest child, Luke, is quite the basketball guru -- he joined UConn in 2021 ... and was a huge part of the Huskies' offensive success this season.

Bill has always been supportive of his kid at his previous stops like Xavier and Louisville ... and was most recently spotted cheering for UConn during its second-straight title run this season, so it's no surprise he was present for the huge matchup against Purdue.

The "Ghostbusters" star looked like he was part of the team when they partied after the 15-point victory ... even hopping onstage to hoist the new trophy.

Bill was super proud of his son ... shaking him a little bit and sharing a conversation with him on the hardwood after the confetti fell from the rafters.

Bill had a bit of fun during the game, too -- after all, it was a pretty stress-free competition -- the funny guy took advantage of his time on the jumbotron by getting in a flex-off with Purdue alum and former NFL superstar Drew Brees!!

It's safe to say Dan Hurley is comfortable with his gig at UConn -- the head coach got a case of the giggles when asked about job openings after winning his second-straight NCAA title on Monday ... flat-out saying the Huskies fanbase has nothing to worry about.

Hurley and the defending champs easily handled Zach Edey and the Purdue Boilermakers at State Farm Arena ... cruising to a 75-60 win to keep the hardware in Storrs.

Despite being in the middle of a tournament run, Hurley's name has been tossed around as a potential replacement for John Calipari ... who left Kentucky for Arkansas after 15 seasons on Sunday.

Hurley was asked about the coaching carousel in his postgame press conference ... and if we're taking him at his word, he'll be back on the UConn bench next season.

"I don't think that's a concern," Hurley said with a laugh. "You know, my wife, you should have her answer that."

"She'll answer that question better than I can, s***."

Of course, the Hurley fam is royalty on the East Coast -- not only is Dan a back-to-back champion coach, his pops, Bob, led the St. Anthony high school hoops team in NJ to 26 championships ... and his brother, Bobby, won two rings with Duke in 1991 and 1992.

Hurley even later joked that his wife would straight-up divorce him if he considered leaving the New Jersey area ... adding he doesn't have the money to support a split.

UConn says its fans celebrated the Huskies' national championship far more responsibly than they did last year ... telling TMZ Sports only five arrests were made at the Storrs party on Monday night.

Mike Enright, a university spokesperson, said in a statement Tuesday morning thousands filled the streets surrounding Connecticut's campus following the Huskies' 75-60 win over Purdue ... but overall, they were well-behaved.

Enright told us the fans cheered "respectfully, responsibly, and safely." He did add, though, there were a few issues ... namely a couple instances of vandalism.

"But they were limited in number," Enright said. "As of 1:15 AM, UConn Police made five arrests. On the whole, it was a very good night on the Storrs campus and the university looks forward to continuing to celebrate our phenomenal student-athletes, their coaches, and this incredible win."

Of course, it's a stark contrast to last year ... when UConn supporters went overboard celebrating their championship victory over San Diego State.

You'll recall, fires were set, windows were broken, light poles were torn down ... and a total of 15 people were thrown behind bars. An additional 16 needed to be transported to the hospital due to injuries, the school said.

In fact, the party got so wild, UConn made several changes in the leadup to this year's Final Four -- including removing light poles from its campus -- to keep the peace.

The casting director of "Tulsa King" claims she quit after Sylvester Stallone insulted the extras on the set, but the director tells TMZ no such insults were hurled and she quit because she was called out for not doing her job.

Casting Supervisor Rose Locke reportedly claimed Sly and the director called the extras "ugly, "tub of lard" and referred to one actor as a "fat guy with cane." A Facebook page for the Atlanta-based actors claims the man with the cane said the comment "hurt his soul."

According to a Facebook post, Locke also claimed Sly said, "Bring in pretty young girls to be around me."

There might not have been anyone happier to see UConn win on Monday night than Dave Portnoy ... 'cause the Barstool Sports founder made over TWO MILLION DOLLARS betting on the Huskies to take home the national championship.

The 47-year-old put down $600K on Dan Hurley's squad to win the NCAA tourney just before March Madness kicked off last month ... and at the time, he said he was a bit worried -- as Connecticut was nearly everyone's pick to win it all.

But as UConn boat raced Purdue in the title game in Glendale, AZ ... those nerves melted away -- and his wallet got a whole lot fatter.

The vast majority of FCC complaints made during and after Super Bowl LVIII had to do with a pro-Israel ad that ran ... and it appears to have been planned that way.

TMZ has obtained FCC filings -- including all of the complaints made pertaining to the Super Bowl in February -- and there's a recurring theme in just about all of them ... namely, people pissed the State of Israel was allowed to air a commercial in the broadcast.

Per the docs, hundreds complaints were filed ... and a handful of them were about the usual -- indecent exposure, risqué outfits, language, etc. And a fair amount even complained about showing celebs ... including Taylor Swift, Ice Spice, Usher and others who were in the house.