TMZ Sports - Page 39

Great sign for Team USA Gymnastics ... Simone Biles just crushed the most difficult vault in existence during Olympic practice on Thursday -- and she made it look easy!!

The four-time gold medalist participated in the Red, White and Blue's practice sesh ahead of the 2024 Paris Games ... and based on the footage of the run-through, the rest of the world is in big trouble.

Biles went through the floor and beam routines ... but when it came to the vault, she did a Yurchenko Double Pike (AKA Biles II) -- which is when someone does a back handspring onto the springboard and follows up with two backflips in a straight-leg pike.

Gilbert Arenas is issuing a direct mea culpa to Luol Deng for his xenophobic comments about South Sudan's men's basketball team ... this after the African former NBA star released a powerful statement addressing the whole ordeal.

As we previously reported, Arenas faced a ton of backlash for going on an offensive rant on Saturday ... shortly after LeBron James and Team USA squeaked by South Sudan prior to the Olympics. Celtics legend Paul Pierce also found himself in hot water for making similar remarks during an appearance on "Undisputed."

The ex-Bulls and Lakers forward -- who serves as the president of the South Sudan Basketball Federation -- broke his silence on both Arenas and Pierce's controversial words directed at his native country's team ... saying he wasn't upset or angry by their words, but more "disappointed" it came from two former colleagues he's always respected.

Hulk Hogan's busy July isn't showing any signs of stopping ... the WWE legend was just spotted out at the Detroit Lions practice -- where he ran wild on a promo with head coach Dan Campbell!!

The Hulkster pulled up to the training camp workout in a Lions-colored bandana ... and after watching Jared Goff and the boys prep for the 2024-25 season -- he got in front of a camera with Campbell, and did his thing.

Hulk delivered a fiery speech ... where he called Campbell his "new tag team partner." He also said he expected a Super Bowl and "nothing but greatness" from Detroit this season. The guys then hugged it out, before Dan got back to his job.

The battle of New York spilled into the stands at a Yankees vs. Mets game earlier this week ... as several of the teams' fans got into a wild brawl at Yankee Stadium -- and the chaos was all caught on video!

The skirmish happened on Tuesday night ... after the Mets beat the Pinstripes in Game One of their two-game Subway Series.

You can see in video filmed by a bystander ... roughly six people were involved in the melee -- including two women.

Caitlin Clark clearly ain't all that upset about missing out on the Paris Olympics ... check out how she looked on Wednesday -- the only thing she was sweatin' was the sweet Mexican sun!

The 22-year-old sharpshooter -- who just missed the cut last month for the Team USA Olympic roster -- headed south this week with a few of her Indiana Fever teammates to get some much-needed R&R as the WNBA put a pause on its season for the Games.

Clark, Lexie Hull and Katie Lou Samuelson all jetted off to Cabo ... and as you can see, it wasn't long before the ladies threw on bikinis and hit the water.

Celine Dion returned to her hotel after a marathon day of Olympic rehearsals in Paris to find a surprise concert of her own -- courtesy of her fans singing and cheering for her one day before her grand stage comeback.

Check out the vid ... the singer had her hand over her heart as she took in the unexpected serenade before heading indoors in the early hours of Thursday.

Celine was rocking a stunning black dress with her hair pulled back in a bun, showing off that big, dazzling smile as she watched the crowd do her thing.

Former Middle Tennessee State punter Kyle Ulbrich is taking a unique approach to making an NFL roster ... he's currently camped outside the Miami Dolphins' practice facility -- hoping to get a tryout with the squad!

TMZ Sports spoke with the NFL hopeful as he sat alongside a highway outside the Fins' headquarters on Wednesday ... and he told us he plans to be out there every day for the entirety of Miami's training camp -- until he gets an official yes or no from the organization.

Ulbrich said he started the journey after one of his friends told him he needed to do something unique to set himself apart from others gunning for the coveted spots on Miami's 2024-25 roster.

The Trump shooter looked up a famous assassination before his would-be attempt, Halle Berry is celebrating her "Catwoman" anniversary, and a couple WNBA rookies are boosting merchandise sales ... all this on today's TMZ TV Hot Takes.

First up on "TMZ Live" Harvey and Charles explain the recent revelation from the FBI director ... who says Thomas Matthew Crooks googled the JFK assassination details before trying to kill Donald Trump.

Celine Dion will make a grand return to the Las Vegas scene ... we've learned she's going to launch a new residency.

Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Celine is in the "final stages" of negotiating with Resorts World for a residency that will start either in late 2024 or early 2025. The negotiations have gone on for several months. As one source put it, "It's basically a done deal. She's doing it." We're told AEG will produce the show.

Our sources say this is all Celine's doing. She is determined to get back onstage to do live performances ... something she talked about at length in her documentary, "I Am: Celine Dion." One source tells TMZ, "This is all her No one is pushing her to do it. She has a passion for getting back onstage, and she's gonna do it."

Celine Dion will be teaming up with Lady Gaga to perform Édith Piaf’s classic "La Vie en Rose" at the Olympics' opening ceremony in Paris Friday ... TMZ has confirmed.

Thierry Moreau reported on X Wednesday ... Celine will be decked out in Dior, rocking a pink and black feather cape.

Gaga’s no stranger to "La Vie en Rose," having sung it in her 2018 movie "A Star Is Born."

Rockies pitcher Cal Quantrill got so pissed at Reese McGuire during their game Wednesday, he shaded the Red Sox catcher for his past public masturbation arrest -- and his heated words nearly incited an all-out brawl.

The incident went down after McGuire hit a pop-up in the fourth inning of the two teams' tilt at Coors Field in Denver.

As Cal was walking back toward the Rockies' dugout ... he for some reason decided to go after McGuire -- reminding him colorfully of when he was arrested in 2020 for allegedly pleasuring himself in a car in front of a store in Florida.

2:45 PM PT -- TNT isn't going down without a fight ... saying it will take appropriate action after the league "grossly misinterpreted our contractual rights" regarding their relationship moving forward.

"We have matched the Amazon offer, as we have a contractual right to do so, and do not believe the NBA can reject it," the company said in a statement.

The NBA just announced it has reached a media rights agreement with Amazon Prime Video for 2025 and beyond ... saying Warner Bros. Discovery's bid simply wasn't up to snuff.

The deal means the upcoming 2024-25 season will be the league's last with TNT ... bringing the beloved "Inside the NBA" program to an end.

"Warner Bros. Discovery's most recent proposal did not match the terms of Amazon Prime Video's offer and, therefore, we have entered into a long-term arrangement with Amazon," the league said in a statement.

The grind doesn't stop for Genie Bouchard -- the tennis star made sure to get in a workout while living it up in beautiful Saint-Tropez ... heading to the courts in just a t-shirt and bikini bottoms!!

The 30-year-old athlete has been documenting her luxurious getaway this week ... which has included some fancy food and drinks, shopping and, of course, some training.

Bouchard has been on nothing short of a hot streak in recent months ... enjoying the single life to the fullest -- and donning her entire closet of two-piece swimsuits in the process.

Aaron Rodgers' trip to Egypt this summer ended up costing him more than he expected ... as the quarterback just revealed the Jets fined him for taking the vacation.

The 40-year-old signal-caller ditched a few mandatory practices back in June to fly out of the country for some R and R ... and on Wednesday, he told reporters his bosses docked his pay for missing the workouts.

Rodgers wouldn't say what the fee ultimately was ... but he did note it was "a little more than" $50,000!

Travis Kelce needed to calm down during Chiefs practice Wednesday ... 'cause he shoved one of his teammates during a heated dust-up -- and the whole incident was caught on video.

Taylor Swift's boyfriend got aggressive during an 11-on-11 portion of Kansas City's training camp workout ... after defensive end George Karlaftis decked wideout Kadarius Toney during a play that was clearly not supposed to be a violent one.

Toney first expressed frustration over the hit just after he landed on the turf ... as he hurled a ball at Karlaftis that narrowly missed the 23-year-old's head.

The United States already secured a major victory ahead of the 2024 Olympics -- the International Olympic Committee just announced the Winter Games will be returning to Salt Lake City in 2034!!!

Fresh off approving the first-ever Esport Olympics, the IOC shared even more important news at its yearly get-together on Wednesday ... where it revealed future host cities of the international competition.

Salt Lake City is no stranger to hosting the Winter Olympics -- the city welcomed these same games in 2002, the last time the Olympics were held on U.S. soil.