TMZ Sports - Page 50

56-year-old Bill Gates and 81-year-old Warren Buffett lost control of their balls yesterday -- getting their asses WHOOPED by a teenage ping pong prodigy in Nebraska ... and the footage is hilarious.

Bill and Warren were in town for some business conference thing in Omaha -- where they faced off against 16-year-old Ariel Hsing ... a current member of the U.S. Olympic table tennis team.

Needless to say, they didn't last very long -- until Buffett whipped out his over-sized secret weapon.

FYI -- it's the second time Ariel has kicked Buffett's ass ... the two previously went head-to-head in 2007 when Ariel was just 11 years old (below).

The term "lottery pick" is synonymous with basketball, but a clothing company claims they have the trademark on it ... and they're going after Nike for using it on a Michael Jordan jacket.

According to a lawsuit filed in Illinois, Urban Motive Sportswear claims they have been selling an energy drink, sportswear apparel and other merchandise for years with the trademark "Lottery Pick" ... which they claim they registered back in 2004.

But Urban claims Nike straight up stole their trademark by selling a jacket called "Jordan LS Lottery Pick Jacket." They say this violation is particularly hurtful to their business because they did a lot of marketing in Chicago -- where Jordan played most of his career -- and claim they even gifted some gear to MJ's sons.

In the docs, Urban says this trademark infringement has "damaged [them] in a manner that cannot be fully measured or compensated in economic terms and for which there is not adequate remedy at law."

They are suing Nike for trademark infringement and seeking unspecified damages. Jordan is not a named defendant.

Last year, they engaged in the best boxer-on-octogenarian fight ever ... but now legendary sportscaster Larry Merchant says he and Floyd Mayweather are "the best friends ever."

You'll remember ... Merchant and Mayweather really got into it during their post-fight interview last September ... when Merchant famously screamed, "I wish I was 50 years younger and I'd kick your a**."

But Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles, Merchant said he and Floyd buried the hatchet over the weekend in Las Vegas and each apologized for what went down.

As for Justin Bieber's appearance at the Mayweather-Cotto fight ... Merchant said he was "trying to get some face time on television. I think he needs it badly."

Justin Bieber's appearance with Floyd Mayweather last night was months in the making -- and sources close to The Biebs tell TMZ ... Justin feels his new "mentor" is really just "misunderstood."

According to our sources, Mayweather asked Bieber four months ago to join him in Las Vegas for the Miguel Cotto fight ... and Bieber, a huge boxing fan, jumped at the opportunity.

We're told Floyd and Justin became friends after Floyd saw Justin's movie, "Never Say Never," and reached out to his camp. According to our sources, Floyd decided he wanted to mentor Justin and the two developed a relationship.

Our sources say Mayweather tried to impart his work ethic on Justin, basically telling him he could develop the same level of "greatness" Floyd achieved ... if he worked as hard as Floyd did.

We're told the two hit it off and Justin tells people he thinks Floyd is just misunderstood ... and that he is a really a "hard-working and clean-cut guy."

Several judges would disagree, but whatever ...

Junior Seau was honored today when more than 1,000 people "paddled out" in the ocean to pay their respects to the NFL legend.

The water-based memorial took place in Oceanside, CA this afternoon -- directly in front of his beachfront home -- and allowed friends, neighbors and locals to mourn the superstar together. Surfers were heard chanting his name and jersey number as they gathered in the ocean.

Seau was known to be an avid surfer.

Seau died Wednesday from a self-inflicted gun shot wound to the chest. He was 43.

Of course Floyd Mayweather took care of business last night against Miguel Cotto -- he had the dreaded masters of intimidation in his corner, like Lil Wayne, 50 Cent and ... Justin Bieber?

Bieber walked out with Mayweather before the fight and was in the ring with him after to celebrate the victory.

It's unclear how the two hooked up, though Bieber did once compare himself to Mayweather in an interview. Earlier in the day, Bieber tweeted, "cinco de mayo.... #MayweatherCotto yeah @FloydMayweather today is a BIG day."

So we have to ask ...

Shaquille O'Neal received his doctoral degree in Education from Barry University yesterday -- and no, it was not honorary ... he earned it!

Shaq -- wearing a custom-made, bright red XXXL-sized gown -- was one 1,100 students honored during the commencement ceremonies at the James L. Knight Center in downtown Miami.

On earning the degree, Shaq said, "Everyone thinks this is honorary. But this is not honorary. I put in four and a half hard years staying up late at night, studying, reading, rewriting papers Dr. Kopp marked up."

Jamal Anderson knows ... the Dirty Bird always gets the worm ... especially when the "worm" is a MILLION DOLLAR tax lien from the IRS.

According to documents obtained by TMZ, the former Atlanta Falcons running back didn't pay his federal income taxes in 2007 and 2008 ... and now Uncle Sam has placed a lien on his property.

Anderson -- who retired from the NFL in 2001 -- is on the hook for a total of $1,105,263.51 -- $478,247.57 from 2007 and $627,015.94 from 2008.

So where did Jamal's income come from? According to his official website, Jamal appeared on MTV's "Celebrity Rap Superstar" in 2007 ... and worked as an analyst for ESPN in 2008.

Junior Seau fell victim to a problem encountered by many former pro athletes -- post-career depression -- this according to former pro athlete-turned-actor Rick Fox.

Fox tells TMZ, retiring from a professional sport leads to a massive shift in lifestyle -- from glorified hero to relative anonymity -- and for some players, the change is too tough to handle.

Fox tells us, "At the end of the day [Junior] shot himself in the chest, which is the heart, and a lot of people die of a broken heart when they leave the game."

Junior Seau's family met yesterday to begin planning a public memorial for the football legend ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the Seaus tell TMZ, they want to give grieving fans the opportunity to honor his life and his career in the presence of each other.

We're told the public memorial -- to be held somewhere in California -- will take place separate from the family's private Oceanside memorial, specifically to give fans the opportunity to mourn together.

A date for the public memorial has yet to be set. The private memorial will be held Sunday.

Floyd Mayweather struck a pose with $2 million in CASH before tonight's Miguel Cotto bout -- cementing his title as best pound-for-pound boxer ... with a penchant for acting like a d-bag.

TMZ has obtained a photo of Tiger Woods back in the danger zone -- the Las Vegas pool party scene -- where he was SURROUNDED by hot chicks in bikinis ... and a TON of security.

Woods quietly hit the Liquid pool party at the Aria Hotel on Saturday ... sporting a t-shirt, shades ... and a ringless wedding finger.

Sources at the pool tell us Tiger was flanked by a security team -- like the behemoth on the far right -- while he visited with a couple of friends inside a private cabana.

Of course, Vegas was the epicenter of Tiger's adultery back in the day -- thanks to ladies like Rachel Uchitel and other women of her ilk.

This time, it's unclear if Tiger found a special friend at the pool party ... but he definitely had some options. Check out the pics from the pool that day ... thanks to our pals at SpyOnVegas.com.

TMZ has obtained the horrific 911 call placed by Junior Seau's girlfriend moments after the NFL legend shot himself in the chest Wednesday morning at his Oceanside, CA home.

Junior's GF Megan Noderer (below) is so hysterical during the call she can hardly speak -- claiming she had just returned from the gym (around 10AM) when she discovered Junior's bloody body.

Megan tells the dispatcher, Junior wasn't breathing when she arrived and had appeared to have shot himself "in the heart."

Authorities responded and attempted to revive Seau, but life-saving efforts were unsuccessful. Seau was pronounced dead on the scene soon after. He was 43.

Seau's family claims he exhibited no signs of depression before his death -- but has since donated his brain to be studied for concussion research.

Orlando Magic superstar Dwight Howard tells TMZ ... he's been in constant contact with head coach Stan Van Gundy since his back surgery ... saying they've spoken "a bunch of times" since the playoffs began.

Dwight was on a walk in Beverly Hills today ... when we asked how life has been since he underwent back surgery in L.A. for a herniated disk last month.

"Sad" ... Howard said ... adding, "Just a little sad that I can't be in Orlando with my teammates in the playoffs."

"I went back and forth with the doctor for a couple of days ... and he just said, 'Dwight I need you to stay here, I don't need you to go back home, I don't need you traveling on the plane ... anything.'"

"I feel like I'm in jail," Dwight said ... "I just really wish I could be there for my teammates."

Dwight says he's been watching every game and speaking with teammates since he's been sidelined ... "supporting them, telling them what they need to do."

But then the bombshell -- Dwight says he's been talking with Coach Van Gundy "a bunch of times since the playoffs began" ... shocking since Stan believes Dwight has been trying to get him fired from the head coaching job.

As for rumors that Dwight faked his injury ... Dwight says it's all B.S. -- claiming the fragment that was floating in his back was the largest fragment his world famous surgeon has ever seen.

Kris Humphries is the opposite of upset over his divorce from Kim Kardashian -- he's loving the attention ... so says Kim's lawyer.

Disso-Queen Laura Wasser appeared in court today, saying there has been no progress in settling the spoils over the 72-day marriage. Kind of ridiculous, since there was an iron-clad prenup in which Kris and Kim have all of their assets separated. Kris is challenging the prenup, claiming Kim defrauded him by allegedly tying the knot ONLY for TV ratings -- good luck with that.

Wasser told the judge ... media attention and Kris' personal feelings seem to be keeping the case alive. Translation -- he wants the publicity of a drawn-out divorce.

The judge said depositions are now fair game, which means Kim can now be deposed about her motivations for marrying the b-baller.

Wasser also said Kim will be requesting that Kris pay her attorney's fees if they have to go to trial on Kris' fraud allegations and she wins.