TMZ Sports - Page 50

No men? No problem ... at least for Vanessa Bryant and La La Anthony ... who took some time away from their famous husbands last night for a basketball wives dinner date in L.A. ... and TMZ has the footage.

The two hit up Madeo in West Hollywood -- without Kobe Bryant or Carmelo Anthony -- and after the meal, they posed up for photogs who snapped away like crazy.

So, are there actual NBA implications from the dinner date? Well, Carmelo becomes a free agent after this upcoming season ... and the Bryants could be trying to woo Carmelo away from NY and sign on with the Lakers.

Sporting his and hers hot pink shirts, golf superstar Rory McIlroy and his tennis superstar girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki hit the streets of NYC together yesterday for a couples shopping spree ... packed with PDA.

They held hands ... they sucked face ... she put his hand on her ass ... it was actually kinda cute.

There's only one problem -- he's got a Nike contract ... and she's an Adidas girl.

Deal breaker?

NFL legend Michael Irvin hit up Craig's in Hollywood last night ... which reminds us ... THE NFL SEASON OFFICIALLY STARTS TONIGHT ... AHHHH!!!!!!!!!

We talked to Irvin about the NFL's new deal with the Uber car service -- in which each NFL player gets a $200 credit in an effort to prevent players from getting DUIs.

It's actually an interesting story ... and Irvin thinks it could actually work ... but THE NFL STARTS TONIGHT!!!!!

RAVENS vs. BRONCOS!!!!!

Lamar Odom has finally checked in to rehab to deal with his raging drug addiction ... this according to a new report.

People.com says Lamar has checked into a rehab facility ... but does not specify when or where he started treatment.

Lamar was seen out in public over the weekend ... so the move to rehab had to be very recent.

As TMZ first reported ... the 32-year-old NBA star has been struggling with drug addiction for years, and most recently he's gotten hooked on crack. Lamar was arrested for DUI last Friday.

We broke the story ... Arenas was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol on June 27 for speeding ... and during the bust, cops say they found more than 100 pounds of fireworks.

Arenas was arrested -- and now, we've learned he's been charged with misdemeanor possession of dangerous fireworks without a permit.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... because he had more than 100 pounds of bang bang, he faces up to 1 year in county jail and up to $10,000 in fines.

TMZ cameras were rolling during the bust -- as the LAPD bomb squad (carefully) removed the explosives from Gilbert's Ford truck.

Arenas is due in court for the matter next month.

Kobe Bryant's famous customized '63 Chevy lowrider -- tricked out by the guys from "Pimp My Ride" -- is back on the auction block ... and it could be yours if you've got an extra $100k laying around.

The car was a gift to Kobe from his wife Vanessa back in 2006 ... but he got rid of it earlier this year ... and the new owner has decided to put it up on eBay with a 6-figure price tag.

It's a pretty sick whip -- we're talkin' 327 V8 engine ... 13-inch wheels ... white leather seats ... pimped out stereo system ... and some serious hydraulics.

The car also comes with Vanessa's old registration card AND Kobe's State Farm insurance card (Like a good neighbor ...).

The celebrity relationship born on Twitter is still going strong for "iCarly" star Jennette McCurdy and Detroit Pistons star Andre Drummond ... 'cause last night the two went out for a romantic dinner in L.A. and TMZ has the footage.

In case you're unaware, 20-year-old Drummond revealed his longtime crush on 21-year-old McCurdy over the past couple of months during "Woman Crush Wednesdays" on Twitter ... posting several pics of the Nickelodeon star.

Once she got word of his interest, she reached out ... and the two hooked up in real life late last week.

Tuesday night ... it appeared their relationship was still going strong -- the two were spotted holding hands on their way out of Madeo in West Hollywood.

FYI -- Drummond ran the whole date in style ... using a driver to chauffeur the couple to and from the restaurant.

#realpimp.

UFC badass Miesha Tate says she won't rest until she BREAKS Ronda Rousey's face ... telling TMZ she doesn't just wanna win when they fight -- she wants to knock Ronda's ass out cold.

Tate -- who's currently a coach on Fox Sports 1's "The Ultimate Fighter 18" -- was out in NYC yesterday when she told us how she plans to defeat Rousey when they face off at UFC 168 in December.

"I'm just going to smash her," Tate told us ... "I want her to wake up and see the ceiling and the headlights and me standing over here with the belt on already."

It ain't gonna be easy ... Rousey's undefeated in the world of MMA ... and she's pretty handy with the arm bar.

Still, Tate's confident -- telling us, "I would love nothing more than to break her jaw."

Here's some video of Tate in action -- she's a BEAST!!!

NBA player Royce White -- who famously missed his rookie season with the Houston Rockets due to mental health issues -- is at the center of a criminal investigation in Texas after allegedly beating up his then-girlfriend ... TMZ has learned.

We know ... White's ex-girlfriend Tania Mehra -- a Maxim model -- filed a police report on August 30 to report an incident that went down at Royce's Houston-area home back in June.

According to law enforcement, records show someone called 911 on June 22, 2013 to report a laceration above Tania's right eye. Cops say at the time, Tania claimed she suffered the injury from an "accidental fall."

But Tania changed her tune last week ... and filed an incident report in which she claims she LIED on the night of the incident -- and says in reality, Royce is to blame for her injury.

Cops tell TMZ, "The victim said she had lied earlier because the suspect played for the NBA and did not want the incident to damage his career."

Law enforcement also tells us, "The victim stated that White had assaulted her after she became angered by his advances toward her friend."

Cops say the incident is "under investigation" -- and so far, no charges have been filed against the 22-year-old NBA player.

Sources connected to the investigation tell us ... Tania claims Royce also grabbed a candleholder and threw at at her during the altercation ... but it missed, instead smashing into a mirror and causing it to shatter.

We've reached out to White's reps for comment -- so far, no word back.

FYI -- White was famously profiled on an episode of HBO's "Real Sports" in a segment that chronicled his battles with OCD and anxiety disorder.

NBA star Steve Nash scored a huge legal victory over his ex-wife -- blocking her from moving their kids to L.A. -- and then promptly agreed, for some strange reason, to let the fam come to Cali after all ... TMZ has learned.

As we first reported, the Los Angeles Lakers point guard has been battling his ex, Alejandra Nash, for months over her desire to move their 3 kids from Phoenix to L.A. -- in part because Steve thinks L.A. is a horrible place to raise kids. He even said so in open court.

Steve also believed Alejandra only wanted to be in L.A. because California laws could result in her getting increased child support payments.

Ultimately, the court agreed -- according to documents the judge ruled Alejandra failed to prove the move was "in the children's best interests" -- and her relocation request was "motivated, at least in part, by issues surrounding child support, which is an inappropriate basis for relocation."

Now this is where it gets weird.

Sources connected with the case , tell us Alejandra and the kids are currently living in L.A.! Further, we're told the children have already enrolled in public school in the South Bay section of L.A.

It's a huge mystery -- Nash fought tooth and nail to stop Alejandra, won the case ... and then upped and forfeited the 'W.'

Calls to Nash's attorney haven't been returned.

JOEY CHESTNUT IS BACK!!!

The greatest competitive eater on the face of the planet returned to form this weekend at the rib cook-off in Reno, NV and took FIRST PLACE ... edging out the guy who beat him in the Gyoza championships last month.

Like Magic vs. Bird or Ali vs. Frazier ... Chestnut bellied up to the table next to rival Matt Stonie and put down 13.76 pounds of ribs in 12 minutes at the 8th Annual Nugget World Rib Eating Championship at John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort.

21-year-old Stonie -- who many consider the future of competitive eating -- came in a close 2nd with 11.2 pounds of rib meat.

Both men crushed the previous record of 9.8 pounds ... which was set in 2008 by, you guessed it, Joey Chestnut.

Thanks to our friends at Getaway Reno/Tahoe for the rib footage.

Someone else is finally gonna know what it's like to walk a mile in Warren Sapp's shoes ... 'cause some sneakerhead just bought 213 pairs of Warren's Nikes in a bankruptcy auction, TMZ has learned.

We broke the story ... Warren's shoes were seized by a court-appointed bankruptcy trustee when the NFL Hall of Famer filed for Chapter 7 back in 2012 after claiming he was millions of dollars in debt.

Now, as part of the deal Warren struck with his creditors, some of his items were sold at a bankruptcy auction ... including 213 pairs of Nikes, which sold to a guy from Connecticut for a whopping $6,390.

For the record, that breaks down to $30 a pair ... not bad for some pretty sick kicks (some appeared to have never been worn).

Now here's the rub -- Warren initially reported that he owned 240 PAIRS of Nikes ... so, there are 27 pairs of shoes that weren't included in the sale ... and it's possible, the remainders could be so valuable, they'll be auctioned off in a separate sale.

Then again, Warren was also given the opportunity to buy back some of his assets ... so it's possible he managed to hang on to his faves.

Blue II, the biggest celebrity to ever urinate on the hallowed grounds of Butler University's campus in Indianapolis, has died.

The English Bulldog mascot passed away Saturday of congestive heart failure, school officials announced today. “A tough day,” said head coach Brandon Miller.

Blue II was one of the most recognizable of all school mascots ... appearing at every Butler men's basketball game... and traveling like a rock star aboard the team's chartered jet during the Final Four basketball championships in 2010 and 2011.

Blue II retired from his mascot duties in May. He was succeeded by Butler Blue III, AKA "Trip."

Blue II was 9. Or 63 in dog years.

Blue II is survived by 4,700 Butler University students.

Fact: The most notorious Butler alumnus is Peoples Temple cult leader Jim Jones, who orchestrated the murder/suicide of 909 cult members in Jonestown, Guyana in 1978.

Kris Jenner quarterbacked the move to get attorney Robert Shapiro involved in representing Lamar Odom in his DUI case for one big reason ... and it's not about the criminal case.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Kris went to Shapiro because of his personal experience with drug addiction.

Shapiro's 24-year-old son Brent died of a drug overdose in 2005 -- and Shapiro has been involved with drug addiction foundations and charities ever since.

We're told Kris wants Shapiro to not just represent him in the DUI case -- which frankly is a case that will almost certainly end in probation and license suspension -- but she wants him to become a voice, urging Lamar to seek help.

As we previously reported, Khloe and the rest of the Kardashian clan have been unsuccessful in persuading Lamar to go to rehab.

We're told ... although Kris has asked Shapiro to represent Lamar -- and Shapiro has agreed -- Robert told her he would not take the case unless Lamar is open to treatment.

Khloe Kardashian's ultimatum to Lamar Odom -- get into rehab or get out of our home -- hasn't exactly forced him to take action ... in fact, Lamar's gone completely off the grid with his wife ... TMZ has learned.

We broke the story ... Khloe dropped the tough love on Lamar over the weekend. In the wake of his DUI arrest on Friday, sources tell us she made it clear to Lamar ... he needed to get help, or else the marriage is over.

But we're told since they spoke for 4 hours on Saturday ... Khloe's heard absolutely nothing from Lamar.

As one source put it ... right now Khloe is "totally in the dark" about Lamar's comings and goings -- and the prospects of saving their marriage are getting dimmer everyday.

But Khloe is refusing to let the drama with Lamar affect her social life ... and this weekend, she hit up a Labor Day BBQ fiesta at Katy Perry's house.

During the party, Khloe posed for sexy photos with her friends ... and later tweeted one of the shots to her Twitter page.

Just a few days before the party, Khloe tweeted (and later deleted) the words, "Smile and no one will notice” ... and after this weekend, it seems she's following her own advice.

Tommy Morrison -- a former heavyweight boxing champ and star of "Rocky V" -- died in a Nebraska hospital Sunday night ... after a long battle with AIDS.

Morrison's longtime boxing promoter, Tony Holden, confirmed the death. He tells TMZ, Morrison had been in the hospital for several months battling an illness ... he wouldn't specify what. He died peacefully, his wife by his side.

Back in 1996 Morrison tested positive for HIV, thus ending his boxing career. He later denied having the disease or that it even existed.

In 1990 Morrison starred in "Rocky V" with Sylvester Stallone, playing a rookie boxer training under Rocky Balboa. In 1993 he took home a real title, defeating George Foreman for the heavyweight championship.

He was 44.

Tommy in "Rocky V":