TMZ Sports - Page 50

Looks like the season has begun for the Washington Redskins cheerleaders ... bikini season!

The toned and tanned "First Ladies" squad are invading Mexico to shoot their 2015-16 calendar ... giving football fans a reason to enjoy the pigskin free summer just a little bit more.

Check out the pics ... even Cowboys fans gotta appreciate this.

B.B. King might be gone, but the Memphis Grizzlies are making sure he's not forgotten ... taking time out to remember the music titan before tonight's HUGE playoff game ... TMZ Sports has learned.

We spoke to the Grizzlies reps who tell us ... before the team takes on Golden State in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals tonight ... they'll honor the hometown hero who passed Thursday at age 89.

The team didn't wanna give away too many specifics about how they're planning to honor King -- but are hoping fans of both basketball and music enjoy the huge surprise they have in store.

R.I.P. B.B.

Former UFC fighter Corey Hill passed away Friday ... after he was hospitalized for a devastating illness, his wife tells TMZ Sports.

Hill had been sick for days ... and family members and close friends were told he passed away on Thursday.

But Lauran Hill says he was still battling ... until Friday afternoon, when he was pronounced dead.

"Corey was a loving husband and devoted father," Hill says ... "He was such a strong role model for our children, and would do anything to keep them safe and happy and healthy."

"[He was] a fighter til the end."

Hill was 36.

Corey made his UFC debut in 2008 after appearing on "The Ultimate Fighter 5" ... and was most notably remembered for snapping his right leg in a gruesome injury suffered during a televised fight.

A really bad May just got worse for Manny Pacquiao ... 'cause the president of his beloved Philippines is telling Pacman he needs to RETIRE ... before he gets SERIOUSLY hurt.

Benigno Aquino III, the top man in Manila, reportedly made the statements to Bombo Radyo in the Philippines ... saying he thinks it's time for the 36-year-old Pacquiao to think of his long term health over ring glory.

According to Filipino reports (translated from Tagalog) ... the Prez didn't stop there, going on to say that Manny need look no further than Muhammad Ali -- who fought until age 39 -- for an example of a fighter who held on too long ... and paid the price for it.

“One of the most tragic examples, perhaps, was when I saw (Ali) lighting the Olympic torch with his hand shaking.”

Aquino also said that the Filipino fans -- who worship Pacman -- should be understanding of the fact that the magic can't last forever ... and allow the superstar to retire in peace.

“If we will push him (and say) that ‘No, there should be a rematch, you have to take a gamble again', I think we will not be showing debt of gratitude to the person.”

It's death for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev ... a jury has ruled.

The convicted murderer/terrorist/scumbag appeared in a Boston courthouse ... where the sentence was read in front of several survivors.

According to witnesses inside the courtroom, Tsarnaev showed no emotion as the sentence was read.

The judge has thanked the jurors for their service.

Dzhokhar and his brother were responsible for the blast on April 15th 2013 ... which killed 3 people and injured several others. A police officer was killed in the hunt for Tsarnaev following the explosion.

It's being hailed as one of the biggest implosions in the history of the NBA playoffs ... but Allen Iverson says the Clippers did NOT choke Thursday night ... they just lost.

The Clips were up 19 points on the Houston Rockets in Game 6 ... only to blow the lead and lose the game by 12 ... a 31 point swing. It was bad.

But when we saw A.I. in NYC a few minutes ago and asked if he's ever seen a worse choke job, he told us the Clips don't need the Heimlich ... 'cause it wasn't a choke job. Sometimes you just lose.

We also joked with A.I. about his legendary "practice" rant ... he laughed. It's funny.

Talkin' 'bout practice.

Aaron Hernandez claims he should NOT have been convicted of 1st degree murder in the death of Odin Lloyd -- claiming the killing was not "cruel" enough to warrant such a harsh charge.

Hernandez's lawyers filed new court docs challenging the verdict in the Lloyd case ... in which they spell out why Aaron should have, at most, been convicted of 2ND degree murder instead.

Here's why ...

Team Hernandez says 1st degree murder requires either premeditation or extreme cruelty. Aaron's lawyers say the ex-NFL star was NOT convicted on premeditation so they're attacking the "cruelty" angle.

In the docs, AH's lawyers state ... since Lloyd was shot 6 times and died "rapidly," there's no evidence of suffering. Furthermore, they say no witnesses heard Lloyd yell or scream.

There's more ... AH's lawyers say to prove cruelty, you must also show the killer "took pleasure" or was indifferent about killing. Team Hernandez says there was no evidence to show Hernandez "took pleasure in any suffering experienced by Lloyd."

Long story short ... AH's team believes Lloyd's murder was a run of the mill gun death -- nothing more or less cruel than any other.

Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson just got their wedding gift from the WNBA -- 7 game suspensions without pay for their domestic violence arrests last month.

Griner plays for the Phoenix Mercury, and Johnson for the Tulsa Shock -- and each will begin their suspensions when the WNBA season begins in June. The season is only 34 games long ... so 7 games is roughly 20% of the season.

You'll recall ... the couple got arrested after brawling with each other in their Phoenix area home. They were engaged at the time, but went through with their wedding 2 weeks later.

The WNBA President Laurel Richie says she consulted with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver -- as well as several abuse counselors and domestic violence groups -- before reaching her decision.

In addition to the suspensions ... Brittney and Glory will have to attend individual counseling sessions.

The WNBA also released more details about the fight ... saying Glory was diagnosed with a concussion following the brawl.

Without Tom Brokaw, Allen Iverson would NOT have become the NBA superstar he turned out to be ... and A.I. knows it.

Iverson appeared on "CBS This Morning" and gave credit to the legendary newsman for helping him out ... when he was facing 15 years in prison for allegedly hitting a white woman at a bowling alley during a brawl.

It all went down in 1993 when Iverson was 18-years-old ... he was actually convicted and served 4 months in prison.

Brokaw featured Iverson's story on the news and pointed out the injustice ... that a teen with no prior criminal record had been hit with SUCH a harsh punishment.

Cristiano Ronaldo's 4-year-old son is already taking after his father ... working on his abs during a father/son training session ... and it's friggin' adorable.

The kid -- Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. -- started off by holding his dad's feet while the soccer star ripped off a set of crunches.

Then the tables turned ... with dad pushing his kid to knock out a solid 10 sit-ups ... which he does without a problem!

Did you know ... "Blackish" star Anthony Anderson is friends with NFL legend Marcus Allen?

It's true ... and yesterday at LAX, the guys had a pretty hilarious explanation for the whole Deflategate situation -- it all comes down to pee!

The whole video is pretty hilarious ... with Anderson crackin' jokes just to get Marcus to laugh.

Larry Bird wasn't just talented when it came to talking crap ... HE'S THE BEST EVER ... so claims Kenny "The Jet" Smith ... who says Bird's trash talk game was even better than Michael Jordan's.

Bird's verbal skills on the court are legendary -- 'cause he wouldn't just insult you, he'd get inside your head and DESTROY YOU.

Smith says the best part was that Bird ALWAYS backed up his smack talk.

But Smith's best single crap talk story doesn't involve Bird ... it came from a fan ... and Thursday in L.A. he recounted the whole thing -- and it's hilarious!!!

The judge in the Aaron Hernandez murder case ... the first one ... has officially thrown out the perjury charge against Aaron's fiancee Shayanna Jenkins after she provided testimony that led to the conviction of the ex-NFL star.

Jenkins had struck a deal with prosecutors before she got on the stand -- she would talk and in exchange they would toss out a previous perjury charge.

The perjury charge stemmed from comments Jenkins made to the grand jury in 2013 regarding a gun in her home ... that may have been the weapon used to murder Odin Lloyd. If convicted, she faced up to 20 years behind bars.

Prosecutors say Jenkins' testimony at the trial -- that she helped Aaron dispose of a mystery box after Odin's death -- helped them win the case.

The operating theory is that the box contained the murder weapon.

**Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking ... we've now reached 10,000 feet ... you're now free to PARTY YOUR FACES OFF!!!!**

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers wasted no time throwing a dance party on the team's private jet Thursday night ... celebrating their blowout win over the Bulls and moving on to the Eastern Conference Finals.

J.R. Smith shot footage of Bron gettin' down to The Dream's "That's My S**t" ... while teammates slugged beers and basked in the win.

Would YOU forgive a teammate who CHEATED and costed you an Olympic medal???

Well, U.S. sprinter Justin Gatlin says he's ready to do just that when it comes to Tyson Gay -- who admitted he doped during the 2012 Olympics ... which resulted in the IOC stripping them over their silver medals in the 4x100.

Gay has admitted to taking banned substances -- but says it wasn't intentional. "I basically put my trust in someone and I was let down."

Now, with the IOC taking the medals back, Gatlin tells TMZ Sports he won't fight the decision.

"The rules are the rules ... and if the committee says we have to return it -- I’m going to follow the rules. I honestly don’t mind giving it back if it wasn't won fairly."

As for his feelings about Gay, Gatlin says ... "He has apologized for his actions and asked for public forgiveness. So now it’s time to move on from that."

Gatlin says he now has his eyes focused on another prize -- GOLD at the 2016 Games.

"I know we have another chance coming up in Rio – and we just started off the season beating the Jamaicans at the world championships."

The wife of former UFC fighter Corey Hill tells TMZ Sports ... her husband is still alive and fighting for his life ... despite statements from family, friends and the UFC saying he passed away this morning.

Hill's close friends and family members had told the media earlier today that Hill died after a bout with pneumonia.

But Lauran Hill says Corey is "resting and still alive" and they're praying he makes a full recovery.

"My husband is a strong fighter. Please everyone pray for him."