TMZ Sports - Page 18

Charles Leclerc had a podium finish at F1's Imola Grand Prix on Sunday ... but his weekend was pretty crappy overall -- thanks to his adorable puppy, Leo, handling his business right in the middle of the paddock!!

The Ferrari superstar placed third in his team's home race ... with Red Bull's Max Verstappen and McLaren's Lando Norris taking the top two spots respectively.

Leclerc was more worried about No. 2 following the outing, though ... as Leo dropped a deuce while roaming around the team garages -- and the 26-year-old was NOT prepared.

Simone Biles is tired of hearing the trolls chirp about her husband ... telling Jonathan Owens' critics this weekend to "f*** off."

The gymnastics star took to Instagram to send the message to the haters on Sunday night ... after they had crawled out yet again following the NFL player's appearance at her competition on Saturday in Hartford, Connecticut.

You'll recall, the NFL safety has received heat from fans ever since he referred to himself as "the catch" in the couple's relationship while doing an interview on the "The Pivot" back in December ... and when he was shown on TV as "Simone Biles' Husband" at the event over the weekend, the negative comments cropped up again all over social media.

Former UFC fighter Geane Herrera -- who also competed in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) -- tragically passed away following a fatal motorcycle crash in Florida on Saturday.

He was only 33 and a few days shy of his 34th birthday.

The Florida Dept. of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles told us the incident happened around 10:45 PM at Gandy Bridge in Tampa, FL ... when Herrera crashed into the back of another vehicle at a "very high rate of speed."

Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart showed love to the diehard Knicks fans -- who ride for their squad, win or lose -- after the season-ending game 7 defeat to the Pacers ... showing love to droves of NYK supporters hanging out around the Garden after the game!

Of course, the Knicks and Pacers were tied at 3 games each heading into Sunday's deciding contest. Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton went off, knocking down six threes, and shooting 67% as a team, ending the season for the beaten-up Knicks.

Despite the L in the crucial game, Knicks fans still posted up at The Garden ... and Brunson -- who suffered a fractured left hand during the game -- got out of his car to shake hands with the crowd.

Michael Malone didn't have time for "stupid ass questions" after the Denver Nuggets were booted from the playoffs ... taking his frustrations out on the media following his team's Game 7 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Nikola Jokic and the defending champs were sitting pretty for the majority of Sunday's contest ... but Anthony Edwards and Co. bounced back from down 20 to secure the 98-90 victory and their spot in the Western Conference Finals.

Malone was clearly pissed over how things played out on the court ... 'cause when he took the mic at his postgame presser, it didn't take long for him to tee off on a reporter.

The WNBA is boomin' right now ... and it's all thanks to Caitlin Clark and the league's new crop of rookies, at least that's according to Tina Charles, who's crediting the youngsters for injecting a whole new life into the game.

The Atlanta Dream star didn't mince words when TMZ Sports caught up with her at LAX this week ... saying straight up the WNBA's "new generation" is responsible for all of the new buzz that's now surrounding the league.

"The energy that we're getting, the reception, the eyes that we're getting on us -- this is amazing," the center said.

Turns out Travis Kelce IS with Taylor Swift in Sweden ... symbolically, anyway, because the singer's flaunting what looks a lot like a hickey on her neck. Can they get any more high school?!

Several fans at her shows in Stockholm noticed the love mark while Taylor was seated at the piano and performing her "Evermore" era songs at the Friends Arena.

The big red blotch was pretty obvious as Taylor was wearing a blue dress as she sang, "Champagne Problems." Swifties don't miss a beat, and several posted videos zooming in on their girl's neck.

Travis Kelce looks like he's feeling pretty damn good after his whirlwind trip to Europe with Taylor Swift ... bringing a renewed energy to his music festival this weekend, and letting everyone know just how freakin' happy he is.

The NFL star was all smiles Saturday as he arrived at the Azura Amphitheater in Kansas City for Kelce Jam -- where he casually dressed in a t-shirt, jeans and a bucket hat.

Lil Wayne, Diplo and 2 Chainz served as headliners ... and Patrick Mahomes even showed up, hitting the stage with TK at one point.

Drake's losses are coming at a fast and furious clip -- the embattled rapper/sports gambler put more than half a million down for Tyson Fury to win his boxing match ... and, he did not.

It's debatable who's in more pain this morning ... Drake or Tyson, after the boxer lost to Oleksandr Usyk by a split decision Saturday night in Saudia Arabia. Prior to the bout, Drake posted his $565,000 wager backing Tyson, and IF he'd won ... Drake would've won $1 million.

Shoulda woulda coulda ... the massive financial blow has fans buzzing about the ol' "Drake curse" in the sports world.

If Paige Spiranac wants to prove to the world once and for all she does, indeed, have nipples ... TMZ Sports has learned one adult website is willing to shell out a small fortune for her to do it on camera.

Reps for Camsoda tell us ... they officially extended the offer to the Sports Illustrated model and golf influencer on Friday, after learning there were actually people on the internet who wondered if her now-famous boobs have nipples attached to them.

Paige, of course, debunked the theory with her words in an Instagram post earlier this week ... but Camsoda officials say they can fork over $250,000 for her to prove it for good on video.

Forget the first inning, Jimmy Rollins says Shohei Ohtani should focus on the ninth innings when he fully recovers from Tommy John surgery ... telling TMZ Sports he believes the Dodgers star's future on the mound is as a closer.

The 29-year-old, of course, has been a starter and a designated hitter throughout the majority of his historic, two-way career ... but after having his second major elbow procedure this past offseason, Rollins told us he thinks Ohtani should have a very limited pitching future going forward.

Specifically, the former Philadelphia Phillies shortstop says he would like to see Ohtani bat at the dish and then be used out of the bullpen once healthy ... in an effort to preserve his golden arm.

The jersey worn during one of the most memorable no-hitters in Major League Baseball is hitting the auction block -- Yankees pitcher Jim Abbott's game-used AND autographed threads from his iconic 1993 outing.

Abbott -- who was born without a right hand -- threw the five-walk no-no in a home contest against Cleveland on September 4, 1993 ... leading New York to a 4-0 victory and solidifying his place in the history books and inspiring millions in the process.

31 years later, the top Abbott donned for the game is up for grabs via Grey Flannel Auctions ... with a starting bid of $5,000.

Ready for another week to begin? Enjoy some clips from TMZ's recent shows to get off to the right start.

On "TMZ Live," Babcock and Charles discuss Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck reuniting in public, despite still living apart.

Scottie Scheffler makes fast friends ... he wasn't in very long, but the world's number one golfer was a hit with fellow inmates -- and even law enforcement -- while behind bars!

TMZ Sports spoke to a man who was locked up with 27-year-old Scheffler Friday morning in Louisville ... and he told us the 2x Masters winner couldn't have been cooler during his couple-hours stay in lockup.

In fact, our witness didn't even know Scheffler was a star athlete, at the center of the biggest sports story in the world, until a police officer gave him the 411 ... saying, "You know you're talking to the number one golfer in the world, right?"

We asked Scheffler's fellow inmate about the golfer's demeanor while in custody.

"He kept saying it was bulls*** that he was there."

Scottie was seemingly popular among law enforcement behind bars, too. We're told he was drawing a crowd, with several jail staff and corrections officials popping out to take a peek at Scheffler.

Our witness even says he heard staff wondering how long Scottie would be held before being released.

Turns out his stay was rather fast. Scheffler, arrested during the 6 o'clock hour, somehow made his 10:08 AM tee time ... where the best player in the world proceeded to birdie the first hole (of course), and shoot a 5-under, 66 2nd round at the PGA Championship.

In fact, Scheffler's fast release (8:40 AM) has been the source of some controversy in Lousiville ... with some questioning how he was sprung so fast despite being arrested on 4 charges, including felony assault, for allegedly injuring (wrist and knee) an LMPD detective.

After he was released, Scottie addressed the incident, calling it a "misunderstanding."

"This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers. It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do. I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I'm hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today."

The woman who made headlines for photobombing Stephen Curry at an NBA game is making a no-brainer business move -- she's joining OnlyFans.

As TMZ Sports previously reported ... Katherine Taylor went viral back in March when she was spotted cheering on the action in a low-cut top at the Warriors' home contest against the Milwaukee Bucks -- and a ton of horny hoop fans rushed to social media to track down her identity, which didn't take long.

The admiration got to the point where Taylor's "luxury girlfriend" service was bombarded with so many requests, she had to increase her rate to $1,500 an hour (a $600 increase).

Gayle King is dishing on how she got cover ready for her photo shoot with Sports Illustrated ... giving cred to the very company her pal Oprah Winfrey just ditched, at least professionally.

We caught up with Gayle in NYC, where the CBS News anchor shared she never dreamed of being an S.I. Swimsuit cover model ... but hinted she really doesn't hate all the attention that comes with it.

She kinda said it all when she admitted, "I am still floating."