TMZ Sports - Page 50

Kyler Murray's making the right call picking baseball over football ... so says Dave Winfield, who made the same choice more than 40 years ago and had things work out PRETTY well.

Of course ... D.W. is one of only six dudes to ever be drafted by THREE different pro sports -- but he chose the diamond over them all -- and says he's glad Kyler's doing the same.

"It's pretty intelligent to play baseball," the MLB Hall of Famer tells us ... "You don't get hurt as much."

Murray's a superstar QB at Oklahoma who some think could be the NFL's next Lamar Jackson ... but the kid was also drafted in the first round by the Oakland A's last summer.

Kyler says his plan -- as of now -- is to hang up the football cleats for the baseball diamond ... and Dave says that's a great call.

"Any football players you know play 22 years!?"

LeBron James was in a great mood after his Beverly Hills date night with his wife, Savannah, on Wednesday -- singing a Kendrick Lamar song on his way out of the restaurant.

The NBA superstar hit up Avra -- one of his favorite spots in town -- where the two dined on Greek food and then exited out the back to their waiting 2018 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S650 ... a car with a base price of $240k.

LeBron wasn't in the mood to talk about his Lakers -- or the upcoming Deontay Wilder fight -- but serenaded everyone to Kendrick's "Alright."

And, if you're wondering about Bron's "Me Over We" sweatshirt -- it ain't cheap either ... it's made by Cactus Plant Flea Market and we've seen it being sold for up to $500 online.

James and the Lakers didn't have a game last night -- but they do play on Thursday ... taking on the Indiana Pacers at Staples Center.

As for Bron's love of Avra -- he's taken Savannah to the spot on a previous date night and famously had his "Welcome to Hollywood" dinner there with Leonardo DiCaprio and Al Pacino right after he signed his Lakers contract.

Pro surfing star Bruce Irons was arrested last week for driving under the influence of drugs ... cops say.

The 39-year-old Hawaiian surfer was approached by the Newport Beach Police Dept. on Nov. 22 at 9:23 AM.

Law enforcement tells TMZ Sports Irons was found passed out behind the wheel of a running car at a gas station. Cops responded, found Irons, woke him up and determined he was under the influence of drugs. He was arrested without incident.

According to police records, Irons was booked for DUI Drugs, possession of a controlled substance without prescription and driving without a valid license. Bail was set at $2,500.

Bruce Irons is a legend in the surf world -- he's won several tournaments over the years including the 2008 Rip Curl Pro Search. He also famously beat Kelly Slater at the 2001 Billabong Pipeline Masters.

Bruce is also the younger brother of surf legend Andy Irons -- the 3-time world surfing champion who died in 2010 from a drug overdose at a hotel in Texas.

Both Bruce and Andy struggled with substance abuse -- something Bruce spoke about in the documentary "Andy Irons: Kissed By God."

Here's hoping he can find a way to conquer his demons ...

Jesse Ventura needs a little more time to decide whether he wants to run for President, but one thing's crystal clear -- his main goal is booting Donald Trump the hell out of office.

We got the WWE Hall of Famer and ex-Minnesota Gov leaving the Federal Courthouse in Orange County, and asked how serious he is about a 2020 presidential run. He insists he's always serious about that.

Jesse says he's gonna spend a couple months is Mexico mulling it over, but he's already concerned running as the Green Party candidate could take votes away from a Democrat and help Trump win.

Don't worry, Dems -- he has an unconventional plan to satisfy both sides and he's ready to make a deal.

As we reported, Jesse was at the courthouse Wednesday to testify on behalf of the Mongols Motorcycle Club, which is facing racketeering and murder charges. He's been a member since the early '70s and, even though he's been inactive for decades ... he vouched for the club, and told us he might go active again soon.

George Foreman doesn't know who's gonna win the MASSIVE heavyweight title fight between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury on Saturday, but he does know one thing ...

BOTH men woulda kicked the ass of a young George Foreman.

We talked to George, a two-time heavyweight champ and the oldest man to ever win the crown, and he told us he thinks both Wilder and Fury would have been a little too much for him to handle.

"I don't think I could've been able to get a good shot on Tyson Fury at all. He's too elusive."

Big George saw a whole different set of problems with Wilder.

"With Deontay Wilder, I'd have to protect myself so much I'd been in danger from round 1 to the final round."

As a matter of fact, Foreman thinks so highly of the two fighters he says their matchup on Saturday is going to be an EPIC brawl for the ages.

"I can say that, when it does take place, it'll be the world's greatest heavyweight matchup. For the world. Not America. A world championship boxing match. And, there's nothing better you can put together. Not today."

So here's the thing ... we love George, and fully admit he's forgotten more about boxing than we'll ever know. But, we're not so sure about this take. Dude was a BEAST, and beat an UNDEFEATED Joe Frazier.

But, honestly ... we're still afraid of him, so we didn't wanna argue.

Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury couldn't wait til Saturday to put hands on each other ... with the two boxers getting in a HEATED scuffle at their press conference -- and it almost came to blows.

The undefeated heavyweight champs were lining up to face-off on Wednesday ... when Deontay started jawing with Fury -- "I’m going to knock your ass out, I promise you that!!"

There's more ... "You talking about how you’re people have been fighting for 200 years, my people have been fighting for 400, and they’re still fighting to today!!"

It's tough to make out what Fury says in response ... but the dude was NOT having it ... and the 2 eventually traded shoves before getting separated.

3:00 PM PT -- We got Jesse as he walked out of the courthouse, surrounded by his Mongol MC "brothers," and he made it clear he never tried to hide his membership in the organization ... even when he was in politics. As he put it, "I don't run from being a Mongol."

1:15 PM PT -- Prosecutors asked Jesse about the Mongols MC allegedly retaliating for the killings of members ... and he said he'd lose respect for them if they didn't. During cross-examination, he conceded every organization has "some bad apples."

On a lighter note, Jesse referred to himself as a "gringo biker" who was never harassed while riding around East L.A. -- noting Mongols membership is about 75% Latino and 25% white.

He's now completed his testimony.

Jesse Ventura has found himself smack-dab in the middle of a real-life "Sons of Anarchy" storyline ... as the feds try to nail a biker gang on racketeering and conspiracy charges.

The legendary pro wrestler and former Minnesota Governor appeared in an Orange County courtroom Wednesday to testify on behalf of the Southern California-based Mongols Motorcycle Club ... of which he's an inactive member.

He was called as an expert witness for gang members who were accused of murder, drug running, robbery, extortion and other crimes. Jesse said under oath when he was a member of the MC he never engaged in criminal activity. He testified he was never asked to commit crimes and never did.

Jesse went on to praise the MC. He stated that joining the Mongols in the '70s helped him transition from the military -- where he was a Navy Seal -- to civilian life, and gave him a "brotherhood to rely on."

Ventura worked his way up to a Sergeant-at-Arms during his short time in the club, before leaving in 1974 to pursue his wrestling career.

It's interesting timing ... we just spoke with Jesse Tuesday, and he told us he's seriously thinking about running for President in 2020 against Trump.

We would say his affiliation with this case might hurt his chances, but controversy and legal trouble didn't deter Trump, so ... let the race begin?

Originally Published -- 10:01 AM PST

Gilbert Arenas wasn't lying when he said he would make his sex tape accuser pay ... he just settled his lawsuit with her -- and claims SHE had to write HIM a check for lying.

As we previously reported, Janelle Reeves got a restraining order against Arenas after telling the court he had been harassing her and threatened to release a sex tape of her to her own minor son.

Arenas claimed the woman was making the whole thing up and sued her for defamation -- demanding $10 MILLION in damages -- insisting he lost his job at Yahoo Sports as a result of the allegations.

The case was dismissed earlier this month, according to court record -- and now Gilbert's attorney, David Bass, tells TMZ Sports ... it's all because Reeves folded like a cheap suit.

"[Reeves] resolved the dispute by paying Mr. Arenas an undisclosed amount for his damages and confirming that the restraining order action of June 2018 was meritless, filed with fabricated documents and, therefore, filed without cause."

Reeves released the following statement to us, saying ... "I am generally a reclusive person, a lover not a fighter. I can't help it. My naivety to a lot of things landed me in situations that are not what I thought they would be."

"I am a person of integrity, honor, and love. And I will continue to be that. I am working through it all and am so glad to have moved on past this never to associate with the individual involved again."

Oscar De La Hoya says Dana White should "shut the f*ck up" and stop worrying about Golden Boy Promotions -- and focus on his own company.

That's just part of the fiery statement the boxing legend issued in response to Dana White calling him an irresponsible "cokehead" for allowing Chuck Liddell to fight last weekend.

Remember, White was PISSED -- claiming Oscar cared more about money than Liddell's health and said all sorts of terrible things about De La Hoya.

Now, Oscar has responded ... saying, "Dana is so small and threatened by our success with DAZN and now in MMA that he is bringing up news from a decade ago to try to stay relevant."

"Boxing has entirely rejected him. And, MMA fighters are now realizing they don’t have to risk their lives just so he can get rich."

"Golden Boy and I are moving forward and are bigger than ever. Dana should shut the f*ck up and try to figure out how to save his own company."

The comment about DAZN is in reference to the $365 MILLION deal Oscar put together for Canelo Alvarez as part of a 5-year, 11 fight contract.

These guys clearly hate each other's guts -- and we're guessing this feud is far from over.

Khabib Nurmagomedov was such a VIP at the Paris St-Germaine soccer game in France on Wednesday .... he sat IN FRONT of Leonardo DiCaprio and Mick Jagger!

Check out the pic ... Leo and Mick -- trying to go incognito in baseball hats -- were spotted 1 row behind the UFC star as Neymar and PSG took on Liverpool at Parc des Princes.

Khabib was personally invited to the game by the team owners -- how cool is that?!

The only star who had better seats than Khabib was Didier Deschamps -- who coached Team France to a 2018 World Cup championship.

Khabib has been on a media tear lately -- meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

He also had a massive press conference in Russia this week where he once again called out Floyd Mayweather ... and talked about his MMA future.

Here's Genie Bouchard proving two legs are a helluva lot better than one tail ... 'cause she ditched her mermaid outfit for a tiny black bikini Wednesday -- and we're all grateful for it.

The tennis superstar has been over in Necker Island for the week ... splashin' around in paradise -- mostly in barely-there bathing suits.

But, today ... Genie broke out a mermaid's tail -- and while she looked smokin' hot in it -- when she bailed on the fit ... the pool she was in definitely got a little bit hotter.

Genie's over on Richard Branson’s private island in the British Virgin Islands for a tennis pro-am ... but you'll have to excuse us for not payin' attention to the action on the court.

Seriously ... can you blame us?!?!

Baker Mayfield didn't regret torching Hue Jackson after Sunday's game ... he didn't regret doing it again on Monday ... and he DEFINITELY didn't regret doing it a third time Wednesday.

The QB has been SUPER pissed since his ex-coach bolted for the Bengals -- refusing to hug the guy after their game Sunday and then blasting him as "fake" on social media a day later.

Baker was given a chance to walk back his comments Wednesday ... but dude TRIPLED DOWN on his Hue hate, saying, "I get to have my own opinion on how it transpired and he gets to do what he wants. That's how it is."

"I didn't like the move and people don't have to care. I'm not looking for anybody's approval. I don't regret any of it."

Of course ... Mayfield's issue is that Hue preached team and unity throughout his stay as Browns coach -- but then took the first opening available with the team's division rival just days later.

Some, like Cleveland legend Jim Brown, refuse to blame the guy for making the move ... but Baker's still clearly ticked about it.

And ... if you're upset about Baker's hot take -- the QB had a message for you, too, on Wednesday.

"I'm not a cookie-cutter quarterback. I never have been, I never will be. I speak my mind, that's just how I am."

Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann -- one of the best soccer players in the world -- just turned his Fortnite victory celebration into a fashion item ... with a new $20,000 "Take The L" chain!

Griezmann is obsessed with the video game -- and has been doing the "Take the L" dance after most of the goals he scores in the Champions League.

He even busted out the move while playing for Team France during the 2018 World Cup!

Now, he's taken the celebration to the next level -- hitting up Jason of Beverly Hills to commission a special pendant loaded with black diamonds.

"Antoine is a huge Fortnite fan and reached out to us to create a fun piece that made a statement. We finished it in a couple weeks and flew it out to him" ... Jason tells us.

In fact, we're told the piece has nearly 6.5 carats of black diamonds and .60 carats of green tsavorite.

Griezmann even wore his new piece in Madrid on Wednesday before his game with AS Monaco. And, it seems like a good luck charm, Antoine already scored a goal!

Tim Tebow thinks his NFL career ended prematurely ... 'cause the ex-Heisman Trophy winner says when he watches football now, he still thinks, "I can totally do that!"

Speaking about how hard it was to give up his pigskin career on the "Journeys of Faith with Paula Faris" podcast ... Tebow said it's STILL difficult to swallow, 'cause he thinks he can still ball.

"It's still hard sometimes when I watch games and I'm thinking, 'I can totally do that.' Or, 'I can be doing this or playing here or crushing that!'"

Of course ... Tim's tenure in the league officially ended back in 2015 after he completed just 47.9 percent of his career pass attempts.

But -- Tebow ain't bitter about the whole deal ... saying that while "the NFL didn't go at all as planned" -- he thinks it paved the way for his baseball career.

"I think God used the highs and the lows for a purpose and you try to embrace that and say, 'OK, God, what do you want me to do with this?' And he opened up baseball as an avenue."

Tebow seems to be better off ... dude's killin' it in the minor leagues -- and there's some talk the New York Mets could call him up to the Big Show next season.

As for that whole football thing ... most would disagree with Tim's take -- but, then again, have you seen Nathan Peterman throw the football these days?!

David Charvet claims former Team USA soccer star Jermaine Jones has been stalking him and threatening him with a GUN over the FALSE belief that he's having sex with Jermaine's wife ... TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story ... Charvet filed a request for a restraining order against Jones after the soccer star went on a social media tirade last week and publicly accused him of being a homewrecker.

Now, we've learned the request was GRANTED after Charvet painted a very frightening picture of how Jones has been terrorizing him privately.

Charvet claims he met Jones and his wife because their kids played together in L.A.

Charvet claims Jones and his wife, Sarah, have been separated for about 2 months -- and in November, Jones began blaming Charvet for the split ... and began sending him nasty text messages.

"Next time I see you me and you will clear all that sh*t ... Man I f*cking have a problem with you."

Charvet claims Jones later sent him threats stating he would "punch me in the face but for the fact that he would go to jail for that."

During the recent fires in California, Charvet says he evacuated -- but Jones stalked him and threatened to come find him at the place he was staying.

Charvet says Jones also sent him text messages of a recently purchased AR-15 assault rifle with a message to stay away and watch out.

Charvet says Jones' wife Sarah found the AR-15 rifle unlocked in Jermaine's closet -- and when she confronted him about the situation, he made more threatening comments.

Another scary moment went down on Nov. 23, when Jones drove to Charvet's gated community and attempted to get to David's home, according to the documents. Security turned him away but David was so scared he filed a police report.

Charvet says, "I am in tremendous fear for my safety that he will stop at nothing to find me, continue to stalk me and carry through with his combative and threatening behavior."

In his court docs, David falsely claims Jones had contacted TMZ to "pass a story that I was having an affair with his wife." Jermaine NEVER contacted TMZ. We learned of Jermaine's claims through his social media posts.

Charvet wants to make it clear in the court docs he's NOT having a sexual relationship with Sarah Jones -- "We are not romantically or sexually involved in any way whatsoever, we are simply friends."

The judge granted Charvet's request for a restraining order and Jones must stay 100 yards away from the actor at all times.

As we previously reported, Jones -- who was a star for Team USA in the 2014 World Cup -- had posted a picture of Charvet on Instagram with a devil over his face last week ... with messages accusing the actor of ruining his family.

Tenshin Nasukawa -- Floyd Mayweather's opponent in the upcoming Tokyo fight -- just sent a message to the boxing legend with his fists ... saying, "I’m not sure if a 42-year-old can react to these."

20-year-old Tenshin's an up-and-coming star in Japan -- one RIZIN fighter told TMZ Sports he's the Michael Jordan of kickboxing over there -- but Floyd is set to throw down with him anyway next month.

The fight's only supposed to be an exhibition -- per Floyd, "I'm moving around with the guy for 9 minutes" -- but, clearly, Nasukawa ain't takin' the bout lightly.

Tenshin's already thrown out a few impressive highlights in the ring since Floyd announced the tilt was back on ... and now the kickboxer is sending Money a message on social media.

The vid shows Tenshin poppin' off lightning-quick moves ... and some seriously fast jabs -- writing he's not sure how Floyd (who's 41, btw) can keep up.

Per Mayweather, there won't be any kicks involved in the scrap ... but dude's clearly gonna have to contend with some quick hands regardless.