TMZ Sports - Page 50

Daniel Cormier is definitely NOT ashamed of the comments he made about Gina Carano -- in fact, he's glad she's upset ... telling TMZ Sports, "Maybe I'll piss her off enough that she'll fight again!"

The backstory ... Carano was a stud MMA fighter who left the cage for a Hollywood career after losing her last fight to Cris "Cyborg" Justino in 2009.

Carano recently offered up some career advice to Ronda Rousey -- telling her to consider Hollywood so she can "express herself as an artist."

Cormier didn't like that and ripped her on TV ... trashing Carano's acting career and saying she made bad career choices.

Carano fired back saying D.C. should be "ashamed" of his attack.

We spoke with Cormier who's definitely NOT backing down -- in fact, he told TMZ Sports he thinks Gina left fighting because she was damaged by Cyborg ... and should've continued to fight.

Cormier admits Gina has a decent acting career -- but says it would have been WAY bigger if she would have continued kicking ass in the cage.

Matt Barnes will cooperate with the NYPD and turn himself in next week to face misdemeanor assault charges stemming from a nightclub brawl, though he maintains his innocence ... a rep for the NBA star tells TMZ Sports.

We broke the story ... Barnes and his Sacramento Kings teammate, DeMarcus Cousins, were involved in an altercation at Avenue nightclub back in December.

A woman in the club claims Barnes choked her during the melee. Barnes claims he was the REAL victim and he did what he had to do to defend himself.

Now, a rep for Barnes is confirming the NY Daily News report that he'll turn himself in ... but AFTER a 4 game road trip.

Cousins was not charged.

It's the question everyone wants to know -- how the hell did Erin Andrews fly to Wisconsin to WORK just 2 days after cancer surgery???

Hint: STARBUCKS AIN'T NO JOKE!

The "NFL on FOX" star was at LAX when she explained how her support system was key in moving on with her life after being diagnosed with cervical cancer back in September.

Plus, Erin has a message for anyone watching ... GET SCREENED!

Raiders punter Marquette King should suit up for the Magic while he's in Orlando for the Pro Bowl ... 'cause the dude's got range!

Check out this video of King punting a football into a basketball hoop from 20 yards out!!

Here are the bloody photos of Denver Broncos star Aqib Talib ... taken after he shot himself in Dallas back in June.

The Dallas PD just released the images from the case -- along with video of Aqib limping into the hospital. Cops also released a letter from Talib's attorney in which he admits the NFL star shot himself.

The photos show bandages on Talib's right thigh and calf. According to reports, the Broncos star shot himself through the thigh and the bullet struck his calf.

Talib's attorney also told cops Talib initially lied to police while he was at the hospital and denied shooting himself ... because "he was disoriented and was on morphine" and scared about possibly losing his NFL career.

Talib was at a strip club earlier in the evening where shots had been fired. Two other people were hurt in the shooting. But cops could never prove Talib was at the club when the shots were fired.

Drake's Super Bowl weekend will be filled with hot women, scantily dressed and ready to party -- but don't even think about calling them strippers.

Drizzy and Jas Prince -- the Houston native who discovered him -- are hosting a pop-up event called "The Ballet." It kicks off Thursday, February 2nd and runs through Super Bowl Sunday at Mercy Night club in Houston.

The event's headlined by HUGE stars each night -- Migos, Jeezy, Odell Beckham Jr., Gucci Mane, DJ Khaled and Lil Wayne are just a few of them.

But let's be real ... the featured attraction's definitely the girls flying in from all over the country to work the party. We're told the dancers will be dressed provocatively but those skimpy outfits are NOT coming off.

There's a final casting call Tuesday, and they're on the look out for voluptuous candidates. It's just the way Drake likes his strippers dancers.

Normies can get in for $40, but they also have 21 VIP sections ... if you have up to $10k.

Ex-NBA player Charles Shackleford -- who played for the Nets, 76ers and Timberwolves in the '90s -- was found dead in his hometown of Kinston, North Carolina ... police confirm.

Shackleford was 50.

Cops tell TMZ Sports, "We can confirm Charles Shackleford was found deceased in Kinston this morning."

"The cause of death has not been determined. This incident is still under investigation. More information will be released as it becomes available."

Shackleford was a stud in college at N.C. State in the '80s -- but was more infamous for a post-game quote in which he attempted to describe his shooting talents.

"I can shoot with my left hand, I can shoot with my right hand, I'm amphibious."

Shackleford got into a bunch of legal trouble after his NBA career -- and was arrested in 2010 for selling drugs to an undercover police officer.

LeBron James just took a shot at Donald Trump.

The NBA superstar was talking to the media about the NBA All-Star rosters and was asked his thought about some players turning in "goofy" ballots as a joke.

His response ... "There's always goofy votes. Donald Trump is our president."

LeBron James has previously said he's undecided about going to a Trump White House if the Cavs win the NBA title ... saying, "We’ll have to cross that road, I guess. We’ll see. I would love to have to cross that road."

Drake's love for Kentucky basketball runs a LOT deeper than we initially thought ... 'cause the rap superstar says he would've traded his life in 2009 to play for the Wildcats.

6 God called into coach John Calipari's "Cal Cast" podcast to talk about his relationship with with the team and his first visit to Kentucky's campus in 2009 ... calling Cal a father figure and mentor.

"When I came to Lexington and I met you, I didn’t want to leave. I would’ve probably traded my life at that moment to like play Kentucky basketball and be under you ... It felt like this incredible feeling."

We've seen his jump shot. Thankfully, he stuck to music.

How will you spend your Friday? Conor McGregor spent his in a jewelry store in Ireland buying ROLEXES for his sisters!

The UFC superstar hit up Weir & Sons in Dublin along with his sisters, Aoife and Erin ... and showered them in fancy timepieces ... just because he felt like it.

The L.A. Dodgers' uniforms need a little touch-up, so says Tommy Hilfiger ... who tells TMZ Sports he's just the guy to do it!

Hilfiger says he's a big Dodgers fan ... and he wants to help the team evolve on the fashion front since they've basically rocked the same look since the '50s.

Tommy's even got a plan ... so Dodgers fans can start bleeding a color other than Dodger blue.

MMA legend Gina Carano is firing back at Daniel Cormier after D.C. went on TV and blasted her for giving career advice to Ronda Rousey ... saying the UFC star should be "ashamed."

It all started when Carano -- an MMA superstar who quit fighting to become a movie actress -- was asked about Ronda's career during an interview to Fight Hub TV.

"I think Ronda should do whatever she wants to do. She’s only 29,” Carano said ... "She’s an amazing athlete but she needs to express herself as an artist, too."

Cormier took exception and blasted Carano on FS1's "UFC Tonight" -- saying, "Gina Carano. Who are you to tell Ronda Rousey what to do?"

He continued, "If I’ve got to look back on your career and you choosing to act over fighting and continuing to fight, I don’t feel as though, guys -- and you can disagree if you want -- that the career has not been what it would have been if she stayed fighting."

He proceeded to take shots at Carano's role in the movie, "Haywire" -- where her voice was altered in post-production.

Now, Carano is lashing back at Cormier ... saying, "If you knew me and what I've been through to get to where I am. I genuinely think you'd be ashamed of your words. All the best."

Boom.

By the way, Carano's career is nothing to scoff at -- she's had roles in "Deadpool," "Fast & Furious 6" and the upcoming 'Kickboxer' flick.

Gucci Mane tried to kick a military vet and his mom out of their seats at last Sunday's Falcons-Packers game ... a vet who was there to be honored as Atlanta's "hometown hero."

Charles Harris -- a 16-year Army vet stationed in Fort Benning, GA -- says before kickoff, Gucci and his fiancee, Keyshia Ka'oir, walked up and told him he and his mom were in their seats. Harris tells us Gucci had a special attendant from the stadium who instantly sided with the rapper and forced him and his mom to skedaddle.

Harris says he hunted down a supervisor, showed him the 2 tickets, and they all walked back to the seats and forced Gucci and his girl to leave. He says Gucci was pretty chill but Keyshia got hot.

The vet says he missed the kickoff and a little of the first quarter, but he ended up getting honored so it was a happy day.

Conor McGregor hooked up with badass gold medal winning wrestler Helen Maroulis in Ireland ... and spent hours training with the Olympian.

Maroulis -- the first American female wrestler to take gold in the Olympics -- posted a picture with Conor on Instagram ... leading people to wonder why the wrestler and fighter were together.

Helen gave us the answer ... it was all about working up a lather!

"It was awesome. We rolled around for a good while. Play wrestling, sparring," Maroulis told TMZ Sports. "He kinda showed me the differences when you're wrestling against the cage which is obviously very different than regular wrestling."

Helen says the lessons from Conor didn't end on the mats ... he also schooled her on handling the media.

As for when we'll see her fight, Helen insists she still hasn't made up her mind on the move to MMA ... but all signs seems to be pointing to a foray into the combat sport.

Ron Artest III just totally DUNKED on his dad, Metta World Peace ... saying it doesn't bother him if Metta roots for his competition, because he roots for his dad's old rival ... LEBRON JAMES.

Ron III just got the biggest win of his high school basketball career when his Beverly Hills High team beat Crossroads, a squad led by prep phenom Shareef O'Neal.

TMZ Sports talked to Metta about the big win ... who revealed a shocking fact that he was ACTUALLY ROOTING FOR SHAREEF OVER HIS OWN SON!!!

We brought it up to Ron III when he joined the guys on the "TMZ Sports" TV show Thursday, and his response to his pops couldn't have been more priceless, or more savage.

Rajon Rondo is firing back at Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade over their post-game comments after Wednesday night's loss ... saying their lack of leadership is the reason why the Bulls are losing.

Wade and Butler voiced their frustration to reporters after losing to the Hawks ... calling out the younger players for not caring enough.

Rondo wasn't specifically mentioned ... but clearly took exception, firing back on Instagram by trashing Jimmy & Dwyane as bad leaders when compared to his old Celtics teammates Ray Allen, Paul Pierce & Kevin Garnett.

"My vets would never go to the media. They would come to the team. My vets didn't pick and choose when they wanted to bring it."

"It takes 1-15 to win. When you isolate everyone, you can't win consistently. I may be a lot of things, but I'm not a bad teammate."

"The young guys work. They show up. They don't deserve blame. If anything is questionable, it's the leadership."