TMZ Sports - Page 50

Dez Bryant's callin' his Achilles surgery Tuesday a huge success ... straight from his hospital bed -- while feelin' loopy as hell!!!

The wideout, after just 2 days with the New Orleans Saints, popped his Achilles tendon in practice last week and needed surgery to repair the mess.

That operation just went down ... and, per a completely drugged out Dez, it went well!!

"I just finished surgery. I'm out," Dez says with a laugh. "God is great. Thank everybody for the support."

In case you didn't believe the superstar receiver ... Dez put his doc on the screen to confirm the good news.

"Everything went well. Success! Nothing to worry about."

Forget Tom Brady ... the Harlem Globetrotters gave the New England Patriots cheerleaders something to REALLY get fired up about -- INSANE TRICK SHOTS!!!

Zeus McClurkin and Firefly Fisher hit up Gillette Stadium, and after kickin' it with Pats owner Robert Kraft ... they took to the field with cheerleaders and fired away at some baskets.

They shot it from the scoreboard ... the concourse ... the stands ... and even the nosebleeds -- and yup, bang, bang, bang on all of them.

No, Brady or Bill Belichick weren't in the house for the show ... but, don't worry, the Globetrotters made sure at least ONE goat was there!!

The cheerleaders and even the team's mascot loved it all. Eat your heart out, Julian Edelman.

Le'Veon Bell ain't playing for the Steelers this year ... and maybe never again -- 'cause the All-Pro RB just missed the deadline to report to the team.

Bell -- who's been holding out since the offseason in search of a new mega-deal with Pittsburgh -- had until 1 PM PT to sign his franchise tag.

But ... the deadline came and went with no Bell to be found.

As we previously reported ... Bell's been tearin' it up on jet skis and in nightclubs during his time away from the squad -- but most, including the team's owner, expected him to be back with the team today.

Bell, though, decided against it ... and will now forfeit ALL of the $14.5 MILLION the Steelers were set to pay him this season.

It's not like Pitt's exactly crying over the move ... James Conner's been killin' it in Bell's stead -- and teammates have ripped the RB for his holdout throughout the past few months.

Former NHL star Sheldon Souray's dog allegedly bit a young girl -- injuring her -- and now the stud defenseman is facing a lawsuit.

Souray played 13 seasons in the NHL -- for the Devils, Canadiens, Oilers, Stars and Ducks -- and was known for his ridiculously hard slap shot.

In the civil suit -- filed last week in L.A. County Court -- Souray is accused of failing to control his dog ... and as a result, the animal allegedly bit the kid in the hallway of her Beverly Hills apartment building in October 2017.

According to the lawsuit, Souray should've known about his dog's "unpredictable and violent/dangerous propensities."

Interesting to note ... 2 months after the alleged incident, Souray posted a picture of his dog on Instagram, with the caption ... "Dougie’s been in bad boy school for 6 weeks. Comes home next week. Gonna be a party."

It's unclear if Dougie is the dog involved in the alleged incident ... or if the alleged incident had anything to do with him being sent to "bad boy school."

The alleged victim is asking for over $25k from Souray ... but the exact amount is unclear.

Kevin Durant's mom tells TMZ Sports she loves LeBron James and Magic Johnson, which can only mean one thing ...

Wanda Durant loves LeBron and Magic. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Of course, Lakers fans are gonna love this clip ... K.D. is a free agent this summer and some are hoping he'll end up with the King in L.A.

We asked Wanda if she thought the 2 superstars will link up and wreck the West together ... and SHE DOES NOT SAY NO.

"My son has been in the NBA now for 11 years, so he's wise enough to make the decision that's best for him. I trust that."

There's more Laker love in the clip too ... Wanda gushes about Magic and his wife, Cookie -- which could be a whole lotta nothin' ... but, could also be a whole lotta somethin'.

There you have it. K.D.'s free agency mystery solved. You're welcome.

Kristaps Porzingis can't play basketball right now ... but that doesn't mean he ain't havin' fun -- 'cause the Knicks superstar just hit up an NYC party with Ivan Drago!!!

Dolph Lundgren was out at Mr. Chow Tribeca -- celebrating the upcoming release of "Creed II" -- so the Unicorn put his ACL rehab on hold and popped by to join the party.

Why?? We're told Kristaps -- whose nickname used to be "Young Drago" -- is a HUGE fan of the 'Rocky' villain, and always wanted to meet him.

The first interaction between the two at the Haute Living and Zenith Watches bash was pretty great ... K.P. towered over the 6-foot-5 actor -- and, at one point, Dolph just had to ask, "How tall are you, man?!"

Of course ... Kristaps measures in at 7-foot-3 -- only about a foot and a half taller than Drago's most famous opponent, Sylvester Stallone.

So ... it all begs the question -- WHO YA GOT IN THIS FIGHT?!

11:00 AM PT -- Urban Meyer says Ohio State is looking into legal action following McMurphy's story on Trevon Grimes.

OSU also released a statement on Tuesday ... saying "The Ohio State University unequivocally and vehemently disputes the unfounded allegations by Brett McMurphy. Any allegations of racism are outrageous and false."

"The university told McMurphy that we have found no evidence to support these allegations."

Ex-Ohio State coach Zach Smith is calling B.S. on reports of a "racially charged" altercation with a receiver at a 2017 practice ... and several players who witnessed the incident have his back.

'Stadium's' Brett McMurphy is reporting the incident between Zach Smith and former Buckeyes receiver Trevon Grimes that went down at a practice in 2017 ... and claims Urban Meyer tried covering it up.

Smith vehemently refuted the report on Tuesday, saying "Hahahaha hahahahaha - you want to talk about reaching!! Now I’m a racist and got into a fight? You really must be bored Brett."

Of course, McMurphy is the reporter who revealed the domestic violence scandal that later led to Smith's firing and Meyer's 3-game suspension.

"Youre about to lose whatever credibility you had left, if any." Smith added.

McMurphy says Ohio State confirmed an "interaction" between Smith and Grimes ... but denied any racial slur.

But, several current players have broken their silence in support of their former coach ... slamming the report and saying it's flat-out untrue.

"I witness the whole altercation and this didn’t happen," senior Johnnie Dixon tweeted. "You think a group of African American young men will sit there and let something like this happen? Say what you want but this isn’t true at all."

Senior Parris Campbell added, "There’s no way that anyone would believe this. NO WAY. This lie is just out of hand. I was present during the entire altercation and what’s said in this article NEVER HAPPENED."

"I can guarantee it. Crazy how social media gives people platforms just to spread nonsense."

Grimes later transferred to Florida.

"We all know why Trevon left OSU.. or that’s what he made it seem like, in all honesty OSU was prolly just to tough for the kid," Austin Mack tweeted.

Sorry, Redskins fans ... Marcellus Wiley ain't giving props to Washington for its 1st place start ... telling TMZ Sports they've only got a 6-3 record 'cause the NFC East sucks!!

"Man, I hate to be that guy," the ex-NFL star says ... "But, it's a suppressed division. We know that."

The Eagles and Cowboys are 4-5 and the Giants are 2-7 ... and Wiley seems to think that's the only reason the 'Skins are looking at a playoff spot right now.

"Dallas is trying to figure out which way is up. Obviously, Philadelphia is having a hangover from last year. And, you look at the Giants, man, Eli at the quarterback position not living up to the standard."

"Yeah, they're taking an advantage of a suppressed division right now."

The good news for Washington? Marcellus ain't giving much of a chance for the rest of the teams in the East to catch the 'Skins -- laughing at the idea that the Giants can run the table down the stretch.

9:30 AM PT -- LeVert reportedly dislocated his right foot and ankle in the incident ... and he can return later this season.

The NBA community is rallying behind Caris LeVert after his sickening leg injury on Monday ... with superstars like LeBron James and Paul George showing support for the Brooklyn Nets player.

LeVert went up for a block toward the end of the 2nd quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves ... and he landed awkwardly on his right leg, which appeared to snap.

If you haven't seen the video already, it should probably stay that way. If you DO want to see it ... we warned you ... it's painfully gruesome.

"Young Fella prayers to you!" LeBron tweeted Monday night. "Speedy recovery and even stronger impact coming soon for sure!"

George added ... "God bless you youngin tough road ahead but we’re here to help lift you @CarisLeVert ! You know how to reach me"

"Prayers for Caris LeVert," Kevin Love tweeted. "Hate to see this. Having a hell of a season. Keep strong"

Gordon Hayward -- who also suffered a nasty injury last season -- offered his assistance in recovery ... saying "Best wishes and prayers to @CarisLeVert on a speedy recovery! The journey back is hard, but you’ll be stronger in the end. Please reach out if you need anything!"

FYI -- 24-year-old LeVert was having his best NBA season by far ... averaging 18 points a game.

LeVert was stretchered off the court and rushed to a Minneapolis hospital for treatment. Players in the game were so shaken up by the injury that some were reportedly crying in the locker room at halftime.

Chris Paul shared his sympathy, saying, "Prayers out to @CarisLeVert!!! Been watchin him play this season and I’ve loved every bit of it! Hate to see him get injured."

11/13 9:30 AM PT -- LeVert reportedly dislocated his right foot and ankle in the incident ... and he can return later this season.

Brooklyn Nets star Caris LeVert suffered a nasty leg injury Monday night that was reminiscent of the injury that sidelined Gordon Hayward for an entire season.

LeVert landed awkwardly after going up to attempt to block the Timberwolves' Josh Okogie and appears to have snapped his ankle. You can see how much pain he's in right away as he covers his face. LeVert had to be taken off the court by stretcher.

The injury is eerily similar to the one Hayward suffered last year during his debut with the Celtics. Hayward also landed awkwardly on his ankle, and had to undergo surgery to recover.

Yair Rodriguez might've handed out the greatest knockout in UFC history ... but he didn't escape unscathed ... 'cause dude's whole body is jacked up -- from head to toe.

Literally.

Rodriguez -- fresh off his INSANE last second KO of the "Korean Zombie" -- joined the guys on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs nightly on FS1) ... and showed off his battle scars.

"My nose is broken, and both my eyes are purple" ... Rodriguez told us.

But, the worst part?

His freakin' feet are ridiculously swollen ... so bad that he can't even move around on his own.

"I cannot walk without crutches, right now."

The fight was unbelievably entertaining ... and fans are already calling for a rematch.

So, is Yair down for another scrap?

"I'm always trying to move forward on my life and my career. I don't know what's coming next. Korean Zombie is a fighter I really respect a lot. I have tons of respect for him, of course."

"If I ever have to fight him again, it'll still be an honor for me to fight him."

Cristiano Ronaldo took his longtime girlfriend and son out to catch a tennis match Monday -- sittin' in plain sight so everybody could see he ain't the evil monster he's been accused of bein'.

CR7, Georgina Rodriguez and Cristiano Jr. hit up the Novak Djokovic-John Isner match at the ATP Finals at O2 Arena in London ... and the soccer superstar made sure he was front and center.

He playfully patted his son's head ... paid attention to his longtime girlfriend -- and looked nothing like a man who's been accused of rape.

Of course ... CR7 is, in fact, facing those allegations -- with a woman suing the soccer legend, saying he sexually assaulted her in his penthouse suite back in 2009.

But, Cristiano's vehemently denied those allegations ... calling them "fake news" and saying, "Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in."

YG is so happy with the way Todd Gurley and the Rams are playing this season ... dude just had to say thanks to the running back -- WITH A DOPE NEW CHAIN!!!

The superstar rapper is a huge L.A. Rams fan -- and with the team off to one of its best starts in franchise history ... YG hit up Jason Of Beverly Hills to get the squad's best player a present.

We're told YG had 4 "4 Hunnid" pendants made ... with nearly 3 carats of flawless white diamond in each -- and gifted one of them to Gurley before L.A.'s win over the Seahawks on Sunday.

Gurley was pretty stoked about the present ... writing on his IG with a pic of the new chain -- "thank you brother."

Unclear how much YG dropped on the gift ... but Jason tells us, "He's a really great friend. I need to have more friends like that."

Alex Rodriguez is shedding one of the last remnants of his bachelor life now that he's shacking up with Jennifer Lopez in NYC.

A-Rod's listed his Hollywood Hills spread for a cool $6.5 million after buying it from Meryl Streep in 2014 for $4.8 mil. It's a beaut too -- the two-story architectural wonder features a floor-to-ceiling fireplace, a chef's kitchen and a courtyard-style backyard with a pool and spa.

The property is known as the Honnold & Rex Research House, as it was built in the '50s as part of an architectural research program that encouraged inventive designs. Translation: It's pretty unique and cool-looking.

Luckily for the ex-MLB star, he's got a sweet new pad with his bae in Manhattan -- a swanky high-rise condo they swooped up earlier this year for a little over $15 mil.

Several Pepperdine men's basketball players tell TMZ Sports they feared for their lives as the wildfires raged near their campus this weekend.

Flames have ravaged Southern California the past few days ... and when they crept up on Pepperdine's Malibu campus Friday ... students were forced to flee to the school's gym before they ultimately evacuated.

Pepperdine guard Jade' Smith says it was one of the most frightening things he's ever experienced.

"It was wild. It was crazy. It was honestly one of the scariest experiences of my life," Smith says.

"There was a point where they started to come around and it felt like they surrounded us almost."

The Waves postponed their game against CSU Northridge on Saturday ... and were thankful just to be safe when we got them ahead of their upcoming road trip at LAX on Monday.

"We were stuck in the gym and we saw the fire coming over the hill to the campus," forward Kessler Edwards says.

"It almost got some of the buildings."

Pepperdine is headed to Colorado for a game Tuesday before it hits the Bahamas for a tourney later this week ... and ya gotta hear how happy forward Kameron Edwards is to be leaving the fires behind.

Jimmy Butler was personally greeted by his new Sixers GM, Elton Brand, and a private jet on his way outta Minnesota on Monday ... and TMZ Sports has the pics!!

The ex-Timberwolves forward was just shipped to Philadelphia in a blockbuster trade that sent Dario Saric and Robert Covington to Minnesota ... and Brand clearly couldn't wait to meet his newest superstar.

The Sixers are in Miami to play the Heat Monday night ... but we're told the guys are going straight to Philly. Butler's expected to suit up for the Sixers on Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.

It's Brand's first huge trade in his new position as general manager after his own 17-year NBA career ... and judging by the pics, he's happy with the results.