TMZ Sports - Page 50

O.J. Simpson went to prison for robbing a guy at gunpoint -- and in the wake of his death, the victim from that case says he's gonna miss The Juice ... yes, seriously.

Bruce Fromong -- whom O.J. confronted in 2007 with a bunch of goons in tow in an attempt to recover sports memorabilia he believed had been stolen from him -- tells TMZ ... it's a sad time right now for family and friends of O.J.'s, and for those who really knew him.

He tells us O.J. was a good father and a good man, and that he "will be sorely missed by many." Fromong not only forgave O.J. -- he befriended him too.

It's the Ford Bronco behind one of the most jaw-dropping moments in TV history ... transporting O.J. Simpson and his friend Al Cowlings during a wild 90-minute police chase back in '94.

But, the infamous vehicle's no longer in the fast lane, as it's simply on display at the Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee ... where visitors can get a close-up look at the ride that captivated the country.

It's been a bumpy journey, though, going from L.A.'s 405 freeway to its final resting place in Tennessee -- it's a path that was detailed on a 2017 episode of "Pawn Stars."

Believe it or not, there was a point in Tom Brady's life where he wouldn't have minded being more like Tommy Lee ... saying this month his childhood crush was none other than the drummer's ex, Pamela Anderson!

Brady made the revelation while he was getting a haircut from VicBlends ... on the social media star barber's "DeepCut" podcast which is produced by Shadow Lion.

Vic, who fired questions at the future Hall of Famer for around an hour as he trimmed the former quarterback's hair, asked straight up ... who did TB12 fantasize about when he was a youngster??

Brady paused for a brief moment ... before he admitted it was none other than Anderson.

The 25-year-old scissor wizard -- real name Victor Fontanez -- didn't have much of a clue who that was ... which surprised Brady.

He told the young entrepreneur she was the star of "Baywatch" ... adding, "She was nice!"

He then implored Vic's dad to "show your son" what he was missing.

Tom -- who's now 47 years old -- would have been in his mid-to-late teens at arguably the height of Anderson's acting career ... which means there might have been at least some chance the ex-Patriots signal-caller could have had a realistic shot with her at some point.

But Brady, of course, never ended up on Anderson's radar ... he dated Bridget Moynahan in his 20s ... before he ultimately married Gisele Bundchen in his 30s.

Brady, however, is single now ... and 56-year-old Anderson appears to be as well -- so it ain't too late, we suppose!

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are launching 2 new shows for the streaming giant -- this after a lot of questions about their ability to produce.

According to Deadline, the former senior royals are in production for a new cooking/gardening/lifestyle show starring Meghan ... seemingly inspired by the actress' new American Riviera Orchard business, which will dabble in a lot of the same stuff.

Meghan is enlisting the help of foodie pros to launch her new Netflix series ... as the producer of "Selena + Chef" and director of "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" are being brought on to help shepherd the project. Meghan is executive producing this one.

Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara has just been charged with a felony ... after federal prosecutors say they discovered he stole nearly $20 million from the MLB superstar to, in part, pay off his massive gambling debts.

The United States Department of Justice just announced the filing ... saying at a news conference in Los Angeles on Thursday they were formally hitting Mizuhara with one count of bank fraud.

Prosecutors say he faces a maximum of up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

According to the DOJ, an investigation into allegations that Mizuhara had stolen from Ohtani revealed Ippei snatched some of the Dodgers star's funds via an account he had helped the two-way player set up back in 2018.

Authorities say Mizuhara illegally accessed the account after amassing a gambling debt. They said he then wired transfers from it totaling around $16 million to bookmakers. They added that from January 2024 to March 2024, he also used the account to buy roughly $325,000 worth of baseball cards.

The DOJ said during its investigation, they found Ohtani had no knowledge of what was going on.

"In an interview last week with law enforcement," the feds said in a statement, "Ohtani denied authorizing Mizuhara’s wire transfers. Ohtani provided his cellphone to law enforcement, who determined that there was no evidence to suggest that Ohtani was aware of, or involved in, Mizuhara’s illegal gambling activity or payment of those debts."

Prosecutors said they believe Mizuhara never made any bets on baseball.

For Ohtani's part, he's been adamant throughout this entire process that he committed no wrongdoing ... saying in a press conference last month, "I'm very saddened and shocked that someone who I trusted has done this."

Ex-NFL superstar Todd Gurley says the football community lost an all-time great in O.J. Simpson ... praising the former running back for being like family to him.

"RIP To The Legendary O.J. Simpson," the former Rams All-Pro said on Thursday. "Your favorite RB favorite RB ... Appreciate you Uncle O/Juice you'll be missed."

Gurley didn't just acknowledge Simpson's success on the field ... he also made note of his recent endeavors -- including his usual appearances as an analyst on rappers Cam'Ron and Ma$e's "It Is What It Is" podcast.

"Thanks for the past year being on It Is What It Is!!," Gurley added. "Heisman, #1 pick, NFL MVP & the first ever 2000 yard rusher let alone to do it in 14games the list goes on & on!🙏🏾🕊️."

Gurley isn't alone in mourning Simpson's death ... as we previously reported, numerous pros took to social media to share positive messages on the former Bills star -- and retired receiver Torrey Smith called on news outlets to show more respect by avoiding using images from his infamous trial.

Some social media users have taken issue with their support ... after all, despite his acquittal in the criminal case, he was found liable for the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman in the civil case.

Caitlyn Jenner -- who used to be tight with Simpson -- sided with those upset over all the love for O.J. on Wednesday ... saying simply, "Good riddance."

Everyone seems to be reacting to the O.J. Simpson death news -- and the White House was no exception ... but their response to his passing is raising eyebrows, at least to some.

Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed O.J.'s passing Thursday during a press briefing -- but only when she was asked by a reporter ... at which point KJP directly acknowledged it by saying the administration was thinking of the family ... his brood, specifically.

She says, "Our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time. Obviously with his family and loved ones. And I say this, I know that they have asked for some privacy -- and so we're going to respect that."

Ron Goldman's father says he's not focusing on O.J. Simpson today -- instead, he says he's remembering his son, and using today to think about how long he's been gone.

Fred Goldman spoke with People Thursday, hours after news of Simpson's death broke, and he told the outlet he's only thinking about how Ron died nearly 30 years ago ... and, not about how the man acquitted of his murder has finally died.

Goldman says he's focused on all of the pain he's dealt with over the years since his son died ... and, added the only important thing is remembering Ron and Nicole Brown Simpson today.

Sumo wrestling legend Akebono -- who once competed against Big Show at WWE's WrestleMania 21 -- has sadly died at 54 years old.

Akebono's family said in a statement Thursday the former grand champion passed away in Tokyo earlier this month from heart failure. They added he had been receiving care at a local hospital when he died.

Akebono grew up in Hawaii -- but he made a name for himself after moving to Tokyo in the 80s.

O.J. Simpson's death might have shocked the world ... but, it didn't come as a surprise to his close friends -- who TMZ has learned came to Las Vegas to say their final farewells.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... those who remained in O.J.'s inner circle flew into Vegas over the last week to see him before he passed. Unclear exactly how many friends, or who showed up, but we're told a handful of people came to Sin City and got to see O.J.

We're told Simpson was communicating just fine and was able to talk with his pals ... but, our sources say they all knew the end was coming, and that this would be their last chance to get some face time.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame acknowledged O.J. Simpson's passing on Thursday with a lengthy statement ... but in it, the org. notably distanced itself from his actions off the field -- remembering the Bills running back for his play only.

The Canton, Ohio establishment released the eulogy just minutes after Simpson's family revealed the ex-NFL star had died earlier this week following a battle with cancer.

The HOF's statement on Simpson's passing was about 500 words long ... and contained no praise -- just facts about his football career only.

Brittany Mahomes has debuted a fiery new look ... ditching her classic blonde locks for bright red hair, and she honestly looks like a whole other person.

Patrick Mahomes' wife shared her hair transformation with her followers Wednesday, posting a series of close-up pics to her feed. Brittany was clearly feeling the look -- as she beamed while posing in a black crop top and jeans. She added ... "Feeling spicy."

While it's unclear if BM simply dyed her hair or if she's rocking a wig, -- she credited hairstylist Laura Beth Cabott for the noteworthy new 'do. Laura Beth has worked with Brittany on a number of occasions, including last year's Met Gala and the 2023 ESPYS.

4/11 -- 6:38 AM -- According to the Lake Oswego Police Department, Ben McLemore was accused of committing the sex crimes in October 2021.

Cops say a woman told them McLemore -- who was a Portland Trail Blazer at the time -- sexually assaulted her while at a home in Lake Oswego.

Police added a grand jury formally indicted McLemore in February.

Former Kansas University men's basketball star Ben McLemore was arrested this week and booked on a charge of first-degree rape, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Jail records show the 31-year-old -- who played in the NBA from 2013 through 2021 following his Jayhawks career -- was taken into custody in Multnomah County, Oregon on Tuesday on an outstanding warrant. He was later transferred to Clackamas County Jail on Wednesday.

Records show he remains behind bars there ... as he's facing one count of unlawful sexual penetration and two counts of sexual abuse -- in addition to the rape charge.

Further details on the allegations surrounding McLemore were not made immediately available ... although more is expected to be released later Wednesday -- after the basketball player is arraigned in court.

McLemore was a superstar for KU in his one season in Lawrence -- helping lead the Jayhawks to the Sweet 16 in 2013. He went on to be picked by the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft.

In his career, McLemore logged minutes for Sacramento, Houston, Portland, Memphis and the Los Angeles Lakers. Following his career, he went on to play overseas.

AEW aired footage of the physical altercation that led to CM Punk's firing from the promotion in 2023 on Wednesday ... showing the wrestling superstar shove and seemingly choke Jack Perry after a heated exchange.

The video was part of the AEW Dynamite event this week as part of the Young Bucks' current storyline against tag team FTR ... with YB claiming the incident was possibly orchestrated by their opponents --- blurring the lines between a real backstage incident with their ongoing TV feud.

The clip shows Punk approaching Perry backstage at the All-In event in London back in September ... and the two got on a passionate back-and-forth before things got violent.

Punk pushed Perry away from him ... and then proceeded to wrap his arms around his neck area.

The two needed to be separated by multiple bystanders ... and eventually, Punk stormed away from the scene.

It all stemmed from a previous incident at AEW's show, Collision -- when, according to Punk, Perry was hellbent on using real glass for a spot.

It led to a confrontation between them ... and then Perry went ahead and used real glass in a spot -- and told the camera, "Cry me a river," which Punk took as shade.

Punk -- who is back with WWE following his boot from AEW -- explained his side of the scuffle in an interview last week ... claiming he didn't feel like it was a fireable offense since he didn't punch Perry, just "choked somebody a little bit."

Turning heads at a gathering of the rich and powerful at the White House --- Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos basically said, we got this ... as they arrived for Wednesday night's glitzy state dinner.

The Amazon honcho's fiancée was decked out in a fiery red, corset-style gown -- with a plunging neckline, of course -- as they arrived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for the 200-plus guest event.

Check out this partial list of attendees ... Robert De Niro and Tiffany Chen, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff, Apple CEO Tim Cook, JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Kristi Yamaguchi and Antony Blinken.

Mo Vaughn says don't blame the pitch clock for the recent rash of arm injuries around the MLB -- he says the real culprit is none other than ... computers!!

The former American League MVP made it clear to TMZ Sports this week he thinks it's analytics -- not adjustments to timing pitchers -- that's creating elbow woes.

He explained he thinks the obsession with velocity and spin rates has caused pitchers to stop, you know, pitching ... and focus solely on unloading the gas tank on every throw instead.