TMZ Sports - Page 50

Everybody wants to bang a winner ... which is why the price to make a baby with American Pharoah just exploded into the 6-figure range ... so says his legendary trainer Bob Baffert.

With Pharoah's father already getting around $60k-a-pop to procreate ... we had to ask Baffert how much cash Pharoah's swimmers will fetch when he gets put out to stud in February.

Baffert says AP will make a fortune ... but nowhere close to the #1 horse inseminator on the planet, Tapit -- who's pullin' in roughly $300,000 per session.

Dusty Rhodes was laser focused on improving his health when he met with fellow wrestling legend Jerry Brisco last week, and feeling good about his prognosis.

Brisco -- who's known Rhodes for decades -- tells TMZ Sports they hung out in Orlando last Thursday, and Rhodes talked about how he was going to the doctor regularly. He'd been told he needed to bring his blood pressure down, and Brisco says Dusty's weight loss was helping.

Rhodes and Brisco were planning to go to an event Thursday night in Tampa to raise money for a wrestling wall of fame. Jerry says it won't be the same, but he's still going so he can gather with other wrestlers and fans to share Dusty stories.

Despite their epic rivalry, Ric Flair says Dusty Rhodes was one of his greatest friends ... and tells TMZ Sports he was "honored to have shared the ring with him."

We just obtained a statement from Flair, through his agent Melinda Morris Zanoni, who tells us:

"Today I lost one of my greatest opponents and greatest friends. He was the definition of heart and soul and I’m honored to have shared the ring with him countless times.

"He became the 'American Dream' because wrestling needed a hero they could respect, and he was the man for the job. Dusty Rhodes, I will miss you my mentor and friend."

Flair and Rhodes battled in the ring several times ... and their feud was the basis for Dusty's legendary, "Hard Times" speech.

R.I.P.

11:37 AM PT -- Officials tell us ... emergency personnel responded to Dusty's home in Orlando, FL at 5:56 AM Wednesday morning after getting a call reporting a 69-year-old male had taken a fall.

We're told Rhodes was transported to a nearby hospital ... where he eventually passed away Thursday morning.

We're told Dusty's immediate family raced to be by his side as soon as they learned he was in the hospital.

Our sources tell us Dusty suffered "numerous complications" throughout the night ... which ultimately proved fatal.

WWE superstar Dusty Rhodes -- famously known as "The American Dream" -- has died at age 69 ... the WWE confirms.

Rhodes -- real name Virgil Runnels -- passed away Thursday morning.

Rhodes, who famously rocked polka dot tights during his legendary career, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.

Dusty had 4 children -- including two sons who also became wrestling superstars -- Goldust (Dustin Runnels) and Stardust (Cody Runnels).

The WWE issued a statement saying, "WWE extends its sincerest condolences to Runnels’ family, friends and colleagues."

WWE superstar Triple H posted a comment about his friend ... saying, "Saddened to hear the passing of Dusty Rhodes. Legend, teacher, mentor, friend...Love you Dream."

Here's video of San Francisco 49ers WR Anquan Boldin GOING OFF on a ref at a celebrity basketball game ... telling the guy he SUCKS ... despite the fact AQ's team won!!!

It's pretty funny stuff ... Anquan accuses the guy of being on the take -- and making calls for the other team at the David Clowney celeb basketball game to raise money for underprivileged youth.

Florida State football coach Jimbo Fisher is calling it quits with his wife Candi ... with the two officially separating.

Fisher is one of the highest paid college football coaches in the country ... having signed a $21 million contract with FSU back in January.

Jimbo and Candi -- who have 2 kids together -- have already lawyered up and are already hashing out the terms of the divorce ... this according to the Tallahassee Democrat.

Details surrounding the split are unclear -- but the two seemed pretty happy when they were in L.A. back in December at the Rose Bowl.

Story developing ...

So, here's another reason to love/hate Tom Brady ... insane video of his super hot supermodel wife Gisele Bundchen in tiny lingerie ... and it's awesome.

Gisele rocked something called "Butterfly" bra and panties from her Fall collection of Gisele Bundchen Intimates ... showing off her rock hard physique in the process. Good Lord.

Shaquille O'Neal -- one of the most beloved people in all of pro sports -- says he's got a lot in common with Kanye West ... saying they're "underrated" and people think they're both evil.

It's all part of a Happy Birthday rap freestyle Shaq made for Kanye's big birthday bash at Staples Center earlier this week ... the video was played on the big screen since Shaq couldn't be there in person.

One of the more interesting lyrics ...

"Kanye ... me and you the same people ... we underrated, they treat us like we evil."

Check out the clip ... it's fun to watch ... but it's not his best work. His greatest freestyle took place in 2008 ...

Hope Solo has a Hollywood ally ... Charlie Sheen ... who just warned Keith Olbermann to back off the Team USA soccer star ... and then he asked her out.

Olbermann WENT OFF on Solo this week -- saying she should have (at least) been suspended for the way she berated police officers during her 2014 domestic violence arrest.

But last night, Sheen took to her defense ... saying:

"hey Keith 'Older' man
leave my gal alone.
hey Hope (Han) Solo
After you win the gold
letz hav dinner!
Dutch!"

The Game must really have fists like Mike Tyson, because the guy suing him over that punch he threw in a basketball game ... wants more than $12 million for his troubles.

In new court docs, Onyebuchi Awaji -- the off-duty cop Game decked -- says he's suffered a ton of physical, emotional, and financial pain due to the incident:

Pain and suffering: $1,000,000
Emotional distress: $1,000,000
Medical expenses (to date): $50,000
Medical expenses (future): $100,000
Punitive damages: TEN MILLION DOLLARS

In the docs, Awaji says Game has yet to respond to the lawsuit, which was filed in April.

Don't let the video fool ya -- suddenly, there's nothing cheap about this shot.

9:00 AM PT -- The case against Anthony was officially dismissed Thursday morning.

Greg Anthony's prostitution problems are about to be over ... and it's all because the ex-NBA player (turned NCAA analyst) put in some serious work washing dishes ... TMZ Sports has learned.

As we previously reported, Anthony was arrested for soliciting a hooker at a D.C. hotel back in January ... but struck a plea deal with prosecutors to keep his ass out of jail.

Part of the agreement was that Greg had to serve 32 hours of community service -- which, according to new court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, he completed with a church in Florida.

In fact, the church says Anthony's duties included ...
-- Preparing and serving meals to the homeless
-- Custodial activities in the kitchen and dining room areas (washing dishes)
-- Talking to adults and kids about education and pro sports

Sometimes you win ... sometimes you lose ... and sometimes your girlfriend is so hot that it doesn't matter.

Extreme sports star Ryan Sheckler definitely falls into the third category ... 'cause while he came in 3rd at the X Games, TMZ Sports has photographic proof that he's dating a gold medal hottie.

Here's Sheckler showing off his bronze hardware from the Street Skate competition -- posing next to smokin' hot model Mia Bonde.

The two have been all over each others Instagrams lately ... posting not only pictures together but special cutesy messages to one another to let the world know they are officially an item.

Check out Mia below ... and regret the fact you never picked up a skateboard.

He's pushin' 50 ... but Tim Hardaway says there's no way in hell his 23-year-old NBA son could cross him over -- telling TMZ Sports he still dominates his kid when it comes to handlin' the rock.

In fact, Hardaway says he's still the GREATEST OF ALL TIME when it comes to pulling off the move that he basically invented during his NBA career.

Oh, and since Tim Sr.'s also a coach with the Pistons ... and his son plays for the Knicks ... we had to ask if he roots AGAINST his own flesh and blood when they face off on the court.

But the big question ... who wins when Tim Sr. takes on Tim Jr. in a Hardaway family 1-on-1 session? Check out the clip.

The crush between Jahlil Okafor and Los Angeles is a full on love affair now ... 'cause sources within the Lakers organization tell TMZ Sports Jahlil MURDERED his private workout with the team today.

We spoke with a high ranking source in the Lakers organization who tells us the team put Jahlil through an up close and personal workout this morning -- just like they did with Kobe back in '96 -- and the 19-year-old was nothing short of spectacular.

"Just off what we saw out of today’s workouts, Jahlil has the potential to not just be one of the best big men in the league but one of the best to put on a Lakers jersey."

In fact ... we're told that the team is so enamored with Okafor that they plan to have reps spend the entire day with him ... culminating with a wine and dine sesh at a fancy L.A. restaurant later tonight.

$10,000 per month is WAYYY TOO LOW for child support when it comes to Dwight Howard ... this according to one of his baby mamas who says Dwight has been screwing her out of serious dough and now she wants to collect.

The Houston Rockets star is being sued in Florida ... by a woman who claims she and Dwight struck a private deal back in 2013 that required him to fork over $10k per month in child support.

But according to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, the woman (Tiffany) says Howard hasn't lived up to his end of the bargain ... and since January, has only paid her HALF of what he owes.

Tiffany says the financial slight has forced her to reconsider their arrangement ... and since he makes more than $27 MILLION per year in salary and endorsements, she wants a bigger slice of the pie.

The kid is currently 4 years old ... and Tiffany says she needs the cash to put the child in expensive private schools, pay for extracurricular activities and fund social activities like birthday parties and sleepovers that will help the kid make friends.

Tiffany also says ... since the child has a famous father, she'll need extra cash for therapy to "deal with the unique issues involved in being the child of a celebrity."

Floyd Mayweather has done it again ... sitting on the very top of Forbes' 2015 highest paid athletes in the world list ... a list that contains ZERO players from the NFL.

Mayweather made roughly $300 MILLION in 2015 ... almost doubling the #2 guy Manny Pacquiao ($160 million) and #3 Cristiano Ronaldo ($79.6).

They're followed by Lionel Messi ($73.8), Roger Federer ($67), LeBron ($64.8), Kevin Durant ($54.1), Phil Mickelson ($50.8), Tiger Woods ($50.6) and Kobe Bryant ($49.5).

The list is essentially comprised of the same names as last year with one noticeable difference ... the one NFL guy from '14, Matt Ryan, has dropped off.