TMZ Sports - Page 50

Grant Hill, Christian Laettner, Kyrie Irving, Jason Williams, Elton Brand ... Zion Williamson could be better than all these guys, because a Duke great says ZW could be the best Duke player EVER.

TMZ Sports spoke to Dahntay Jones, a former Duke All-American, and he says Zion's dominating season-opening performance against Kentucky last night was evidence of greatness to come.

Before we get to Dahntay's words ... DID YOU SEE ZION LAST NIGHT?! Dude was BEASTING, scoring 28 points (on 11-13 shooting) and grabbing 7 rebounds.

Jones says he's never seen anything like it anywhere -- even at Duke -- and, when it's all said and done, he's got everything it takes to jump over those other Blue Devil greats.

"I think he could be because of his natural ability. His ability is unique. It stands out."

So, what does Zion need to do to deliver on this All-World potential? Work, work, work, work, work.

"He just has to have a tremendous work ethic. If he has that, with the energy he brings to the game, he's definitely gonna be the best."

BTW -- if you didn't see the game last night (shame on you) we got Zion highlights below ... told you they were ridiculous.

Elle Macpherson got body checked after taking a nasty tumble getting into her car ... and it appears to be the fault of some pesky footwear.

The iconic Aussie model was leaving a flower shop in Sydney, where she had a bouquet in her arms ... and some fancy high-heeled boots on her feet. She tells the paps who'd gathered around that she was done with photos ... but gravity wasn't done with her.

Check out the clip -- Elle completely collapses trying to enter the vehicle, which spurs her driver into action as he tries getting her up. She appears to be okay, but struggles a bit.

Bet this wouldn't have happened if she was in her natural habitat, just sayin'. #SplishSplash

Florian Munteanu -- the guy who plays Ivan Drago's son in "Creed 2" -- says training for the flick got him in the best shape of his life ... and he's got the abs to prove it.

First off, count the abs ... 8.

Ridiculous.

A few other things -- Florian talks about the movie plot without spoiling it noting there won't be a Vladimir Putin look-alike character in this movie to replace the Mikhail Gorbachev spoof in "Rocky IV."

"We didn't aim for that," Florian said while strolling through Reagan National Airport with the film's director, Steven Caple Jr.

"It's about family and loyalty, a lot of father/son relationships going on on the Creed side ... but no political issues."

28-year-old Florian -- a pro boxer who hails from Romania -- also says he hopes this movie propels him into being a Hollywood star ... but it's up to the audience to decide if he's good enough.

"The audience have to decide if they like my performance or not but I'm pretty happy with it."

The celebration for Mookie Betts might never stop ... 'cause on top of winning the World Series two weeks ago -- the Red Sox superstar just welcomed a baby girl into the world!!

The outfielder posted Tuesday he and his longtime girlfriend, Brianna Hammonds, had their first child together ... and said he couldn't be more pumped about it.

"Never knew what unconditional love meant or how it felt until I met this little princess," Betts wrote.

"Nov 6th 2018 is a day I’ll never forget❤️"

It's been a helluva past few days for Betts ... who won a 'ship on Oct. 28, celebrated like crazy at nightclubs, had an epic parade around Boston -- AND partied with Tom Brady and the Pats last weekend.

Things might still be gettin' better for Mookie too ... he's expected to be named AL MVP next week!!

Neither Drita D'Avanzo nor Nicole "Hoopz" Alexander will get to be in the ring with Farrah Abraham for a celebrity boxing match ... but that didn't stop the duo from laying a serious smackdown on the ex-"Teen Mom" star.

We spoke to Drita ... who says Farrah backed out of a charity boxing match at the last minute because she was straight-up scared. As you know ... Farrah quit claiming she got screwed out of her deal.

Alas, that won't be the case ... and the ex-"Mob Wives" star thinks it was less about her (remember, there's no love lost between them) and more about Hoopz' skills in the ring.

Hoopz is also trashing Farrah after she threw in the towel ... saying this is typical Farrah crying wolf. Hoopz even has a word to describe her behavior ... making it crystal clear how she feels about Farrah.

With the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft ... the Cleveland Cavaliers select -- LaMelo Ball?!?!

Don't laugh ... Ball's new high school coach tells TMZ Sports that could EASILY happen now that Melo's announced he'll play at Spire Prep Academy this season.

"In my opinion, LaMelo Ball can be the No. 1 pick in a year or two going to the Cleveland Cavaliers," Jermaine Jackson says.

"Ain't no question about it."

Jermaine would know ... dude played several years in the Association from 1999 to 2006 and has been around the game in some capacity ever since -- and he says Melo is just THAT talented.

"He's known as that all over the world" J.J. says ... "He has a talent that, some of it just can't be taught."

Of course ... getting LaMelo to that point means Jermaine will have to navigate around LaVar Ball -- who's been known to meddle in Melo's teams.

But, Jermaine tells us he's off to a great start with the Big Baller ... and says he foresees no issues with the BBB founder.

"If LaVar's meddling in our team, we'll have conversations and we'll talk. And, I'm about what's right. It's not about who's right. It's about what's right."

Jermaine says Melo arrives in Ohio to join the team Friday and could see some run in the team's game in Philadelphia on Saturday.

LL Cool J and Ice Cube are joining forces -- but it ain't about music, it's about sports TV domination.

TMZ Sports has learned LL is now a part of a powerful group looking to bid on 22 regional sports channels -- including the YES Network -- that Disney is being forced to sell off by the Justice Dept.

Long story short ... Disney got the 22 stations as part of its $71 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox. But, officials believe that since Disney is already the majority owner of ESPN, controlling the 22 sports stations would give them too much power in the sports TV landscape.

The 22 stations involved in the deal include everything from Fox Sports San Diego to Fox Sports Arizona, Fox Sports Detroit, Fox Sports Southwest and more.

But, the crown jewel is the YES Network -- based in New York -- they have the rights to broadcast Yankees games. Disney thinks YES alone is worth between $5 and $6 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The deal for all 22 stations is expected to be anywhere from $15 to $25 billion.

Some of the potential bidders that have emerged are real heavy hitters -- from private equity titans like Apollo Global Management and Blackstone Group to the Sinclair Broadcast Group.

But, Ice Cube and LL ain't exactly lightweights either -- and they've got a powerful partner ... billionaire Alex and Ani jewelry founder Carolyn Rafaelian.

Sources tell us the group is also in talks with other sports and cultural icons who are interested in participating in the bid.

Initial bids are due Nov. 8.

Josh Gordon is drippin' in confidence AND diamonds these days -- the Pats wideout just got himself a brand new swagged out "Flash" chain ... and we've got the pics.

Right before Gordon torched the Green Bay Packers for 130 yards and a touchdown, he got a brand new custom piece from Al the Jeweler from Labelle Jewelry in New Jersey.

It's sick as hell ... 600 VS quality diamonds weighing a total of 16 carats spelling out his nickname.

Yeah, no wonder he was extra swaggy on Sunday.

FYI -- Al is the guy behind Stefon Diggs' diamond Starbucks chain ... and has also worked with other huge NFL stars like Jarvis Landry and Robert Griffin III.

Al wouldn't spill on how much Gordon dropped on the piece ... but a chain like this usually runs around $25,000!!

Gordon's not making a ton of cash right now -- only $790k (still not too shabby) -- but if he continues to light up the field this season, he'll get a fat-ass contract in 2019.

What kind of cash are we talking about? Well, Odell Beckham just signed a $95 million contract and Mike Evans has a deal that's worth up to $82.5.

UFC star Israel Adesanya says Floyd Mayweather needs to "grow some f*cking cajones" and make his upcoming fight MMA-style ... otherwise, Israel ain't gonna watch it.

"What's all this, 'Yeah, man, we gonna f*cking fight! What's up! Oh, but, nah, um, you can't touch -- no legs, no knees, no grappling,'" Israel tells TMZ Sports.

"I mean, what the f*ck are we doing?!"

Of course ... Floyd just announced he's gonna fight 20-year-old kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in Toyko on NYE -- but no word yet on whether it will be boxing rules or a legit MMA bout.

Israel -- fresh off his dominating performance at UFC 230 -- says there better be knees, feet and legs involved ... 'cause he says he's tired of hearing Floyd talk without backing it up with a REAL fight.

As for Floyd's chances in a scrap like that ... Israel says he'd actually give Mayweather a shot -- especially if the legendary boxer was willing to take some time off to train for it.

"Take a chance! He could take a year off and just learn grappling. Learn wrestling ... but f*cking stay in your little bubble then if you want to be that bitch."

As for all the talk about what an MMA loss would do to Floyd's legacy ... Israel says Money needs to read up on James Toney's fight career to see why that's really not an issue.

Jon Gott -- the dude who chugged a full beer in the end zone after a touchdown in a CFL game last Friday -- says he played the rest of the night with a solid buzz ... and loved it!!!

You've seen the clip by now ... the Ottawa Redblacks OL ran straight to his girlfriend after his squad scored a TD late in the 3rd quarter -- and slammed some suds in epic fashion.

Well, Gott tells TMZ Sports all that booze had some consequences ... and he played the rest of the game a little tipsy!!!

"You're playing on an empty stomach and you crush a beer, yeah, I felt it a little," Jon says.

"But, you know what? I just kept going along. It kind of made me feel a little looser on the field!"

Of course ... there were other consequences for the chug -- the CFL didn't fine Gott, but it made a brand-new rule banning the celebration from the game forever.

As for the beer Jon drank ... the 33-year-old tells us the brewers were so excited he chose to slam their product -- they're sending him some goodies!!

But ... don't expect an encore performance from Jon when the playoffs begin later this month -- he says his TD celebrations began and ended with that beer can last weekend.

Luke Walton is in no danger of losing his Lakers job and there shouldn't even be a conversation about it either ... so says Metta World Peace.

The ex-NBA superstar went to bat for the L.A. coach outside of Catch -- telling TMZ Sports Lakers Nation just needs to be patient.

"I think they're fine. I think it's just basketball. Yeah, it's basketball."

Translation ... it's 10 games into the season, give the man some time!!!

As for LeBron James' lukewarm start in Hollywood ... Metta says The King will be a MUCH better player in just a few weeks -- so chill out with all that talk too!

"You got a preseason form, a midseason form, then you have playoff form. And, he's in beginning-of-the-season form. He's about to be in midseason form soon."

LaMelo Ball's professional hoops career is taking a pause ... because the youngest Ball brother is returning to high school basketball, having been accepted at a super exclusive prep school.

Ball just announced he will enroll at Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio, a school that boasts state-of-the-art facilities also used in training the U.S. Olympic team.

We know what you're thinking -- according to Jake Weingarten, Melo was never paid during his time as a pro, so he never lost his eligibility ... apparently, that makes it okay for Ball to suit up starting November 13.

Theoretically, his college eligibility might still be in play as well.

Melo will be teaming up with fellow H.S. hoops sensation 7'7" Robert Bobroczky ... whose highlights have gone viral for obvious reasons.

It was a controversial move for LaVar Ball to ship his kids over to Lithuania to play professional ball earlier this year ... and with Melo going back to high school, that experiment is officially over.

Melo later played in LaVar's Junior Basketball Association league ... and totally dominated the competition.

"I thank my dad for the JBA Experience and playing overseas," LaMelo says of the move. "I’ve been accepted to attend Spire Prep Academy in Geneva, Ohio where i look forward to earning my highschool diploma and winning with my new team!"

LaMelo's dad appears to be cool with the move as well ... saying, "My youngest son Melo has decided to complete his Senior year of highshool at Spire Prep Academy in Geneva Ohio."

"He will earn his highschool diploma, and help lead his new team to W’s!"

Ex-NFL lineman Khalif Barnes -- who had a long stint with the Oakland Raiders -- has been interviewed by police as part of an investigation into the mysterious death of a man in Harris County, Texas.

Here's the backstory ... the body of 29-year-old Jordan Davenport was found in a lake on October 31.

Cops are looking into tips that Davenport was involved in a violent altercation with several men on Oct. 27 -- the last day he was seen alive.

We're told ... cops received a tip that 36-year-old Barnes may have been involved in the altercation, so they tracked him down and spoke with him about the incident.

Our sources say Barnes has NOT been named a suspect -- or even a person of interest -- but noted the investigation is just getting started.

Barnes has now lawyered up.

We're also told the investigation has not been deemed a homicide -- at least, not yet. However, officials are conducting an autopsy and the results could change that.

Cops are attempting to speak with anyone who may have information about the incident while they try to put together a timeline showing the events leading up to Davenport's death.

Multiple attempts to reach Barnes for comment were unsuccessful.

Barnes -- 6'6" and 320 pounds -- was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2nd round of the 2005 NFL Draft after a stellar college career at Washington. He later went on to play for the Raiders from 2009 to 2015.

NY Giants backup QB Kyle Lauletta says he's sorry for his October arrest -- where he allegedly almost ran over a cop -- claiming, "My parents raised me better than that."

Kyle also says he's gotten support from Eli Manning -- who reached out hours after the arrest.

As we previously reported, Lauletta -- who many believe should get a shot to start over Eli Manning -- was pulled over on his way to practice last Tuesday after cops say he was driving like a maniac.

During the attempted stop, officers say the 23-year-old "attempted to evade [the arresting officer], making an illegal turn and continuing towards Route 495, almost striking the officer."

He's facing several charges -- it's a bad look for the guy.

So, Tuesday morning, Lauletta issued a statement ... saying, "First things first I want to apologize to the #NYGiants organization, my teammates, the fans and my family."

"The incident that happened last week is a terrible representation of who I am and what I stand for."

"Right is right and wrong is wrong. My parents raised me better than that. It’s tough, and I have to take it as a lesson and move forward from it."

"I have to deal with the consequences, and that’s that."

He added, "I’m going to do everything I can to be the best teammate I can be, get back to work and try to keep moving forward one day at a time."

Heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder says you're only as good as your last fight ... and that's why Floyd Mayweather could ruin his ENTIRE LEGACY if he gets blasted in his upcoming fight.

Floyd is putting his 50-0 record on the line when he faces off against undefeated 20-year-old kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in Toyko on New Year's Eve in what could be an MMA rules fight (they're still working it out).

Wilder says Mayweather is putting more than his perfect record on the line because if he looks bad, his entire untouchable career could be tainted forever.

"People only remember the last thing you done. Just imagine me, I've knocked out 39 guys this is gonna be my 40th one. Let's just say this is my last fight ever, and I just go the rounds or I lose, they won't fully remember all my knockouts. That's why in boxing we must retire at the right time when we're on top."

It's an interesting point, and while other huge fighters like Muhammad Ali have looked bad in their final fights and it HASN'T affected their legacy ... that was before social media.

Just days after filing for divorce, Larsa Pippen hit the Hollywood scene looking ... GOTTDAMN!!!!!

Decked out in a skintight, short, boob-revealing black dress ... the 44-year-old hit Hailey Baldwin's PrettyLittleThing launch party Monday night at Catch in West Hollywood.

As we previously reported, Larsa has called it quits with her longtime NBA husband, Scottie Pippen, after 21 years of marriage ... but both sides insist it's a peaceful split.

Our sources tell us ... both sides recognized the marriage wasn't working anymore and Larsa felt it was best to divorce so she can be open to meeting new people.

Larsa hasn't exactly been hiding out in her basement since the breakup -- she turnt up at Kendall Jenner's Halloween party last week in a super sexy costume.

The message here is clear ... Larsa's ready for her new chapter -- bombshell bachelorette.