TMZ Sports - Page 50

Aaron Donald doesn't seem convinced Rob Gronkowski's played his last game in the NFL ... 'cause the Rams superstar tells TMZ Sports, "He's retired right now ..."

Of course, the topic has been a huge talking point in NFL circles after the future Hall of Famer abruptly announced he's callin' it a career at just 29 years old.

Count Donald in as one of those who needs to see it to believe it ... but if it is, in fact, true, AD has HUGE respect for the Patriots legend's game, regardless.

"Great player, had a great career. Won a couple of rings -- one of the best to do it."

Donald also handed out some advice at the L.A. Sports Awards to a young fan who wanted some tips on how to make it big -- and, shockingly, Donald says it takes hard work!!!

"My main thing is just hard work. Getting the body working."

If ya need proof Donald practices what he preaches, here ya go. You're welcome.

No "hamberders" or chicken sandwiches were served on silver platters ... but Washington Capitals star Nicklas Backstrom says the team's visit to Trump's White House was still awesome!

Backstrom -- along with several Caps teammates -- hit up 1600 Penn on Monday to celebrate their 2018 Stanley Cup victory. We spotted the guys out near the team practice facility after the visit.

And, since Trump has made it a "thing" to serve his championship guests smorgasbords of fast food ... we asked Backstrom if POTUS rolled out the silver platters for the Caps ... the same way Trump did for the football players at Clemson and North Dakota State.

Remember, the college guys LOVED the food -- with Tigers star QB Trevor Lawrence telling TMZ Sports the meal was a huge hit!

Unfortunately for the hockey players, Trump's tradition ended on Monday -- no chicken, no pizza, no berders -- but Backstrom says it didn't stop the visit from being great!!

"It was nice of him to invite us," the center tells us ... adding "It was just nice to be there. We were happy about it."

We also asked Nik if there was any drama in the locker room with Braden Holtby and other players who decided to skip the trip altogether ... but Backstrom says "everything's good."

Michael Avenatti is not lying low following his release from custody for allegedly extorting Nike -- instead, he's doubling down ... and throwing two huge basketball stars under the bus.

The lawyer just went on a Twitter attack against Nike, claiming the company has not been cooperating with a federal investigation into its Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) for over a year.

Avenatti adds ... "Unless you count lying in response to subpoenas and withholding documents as 'cooperating.' They are trying to divert attention from their own crimes."

The "divert attention" part is interesting -- Avenatti is implying his arrest Monday for allegedly trying to extort $20 million out of Nike in exchange for not announcing harmful allegations against the company is a distraction for its own crimes.

But then -- speaking of diverting attention -- Avenatti dropped a bombshell tweet accusing Nike of paying off 20-year-old PHX Suns star Deandre Ayton and his mom before he made it to the NBA. Ayton played college ball at the University of Arizona and was a highly recruited high school star before that.

Avenatti wrote ... "Ask DeAndre Ayton and Nike about the cash payments to his mother and others. Nike’s attempt at diversion and cover-up will fail miserably once prosecutors realize they have been played by Nike and their lawyers at Boies. This reaches the highest levels of Nike."

And there's more ... he's also calling out star Univ. of Oregon center Bol Bol, saying he and his handlers received large sums of cash from the shoe co.

As we reported ... Avenatti was arrested Monday for an alleged extortion scheme prosecutors in NY say played out over the course of a few days last week. They claim Avenatti demanded payment from Nike to keep him quiet about allegedly paying families of some high school basketball players.

Avenatti is also facing more federal charges for bank and wire fraud in an unrelated case to the Nike one. The U.S. Attorney in the Central District of California claims Avenatti embezzled client money to cover expenses for his coffee corporation.

Kris Humphries is opening up about the most famous 72-day marriage of all time -- saying his relationship with Kim Kardashian was 100% real ... and he was genuinely "embarrassed" when they broke up.

The ex-NBA player spilled his guts about his coupling with Kim K in The Players' Tribune ... saying, "Look, I should have known what I was getting into."

Kris and Kim began dating in 2010 and got engaged in May 2011. They tied the knot August 20, 2011 ... and Kim filed for divorce on Oct. 31.

"I was definitely naive about how much my life was going to change," Kris says ... "But the one thing that really bothers me is whenever people say that my marriage was fake."

"There’s definitely a lot about that world that is not entirely real. But our actual relationship was 100% real."

Kris says "it sucked" when he realized the marriage wasn't working -- "It’s never easy to go through the embarrassment of something like that — with your friends, with your family."

"But when it plays out so publicly, in front of the world, it’s a whole other level. It was brutal."

Humphries -- now 34 years old and out of the NBA -- says he didn't know how to handle the negative attention stemming from his breakup ... admitting, "There was about a year where I was in a dark place."

Kris says he didn't want to leave his house and didn't even want to be known as Kris Humphries. Instead, Kris says he pretended to be Blake Griffin when he was out in public.

He also reflects about how much it sucked to be booed and taunted in the wake of the split -- wondering if fans were after him because they thought he was a wannabe reality star ... or because they thought he disrespected the game of basketball.

Humphries says he's not asking for pity -- and never really wanted to be famous -- claiming he's now trying to stay "under the radar" as he works on the next phase of his life.

So, what is Kris planning to do next? He's already opened up several restaurants -- 10 Five Guys burger joints and with plans to open 7 CRISP & GREEN eateries.

Rob Gronkowski already has enemies in WWE -- with one of the wrestling superstars CALLING OUT the NFL legend as a hot piece of garbage on "Monday Night Raw."

Remember, Gronk is NOT a WWE wrestler -- at least not yet -- though his best friend, Mojo Rawley, is trying to convince the tight end to make the switch from the gridiron to the ring.

Which brings us to 'Raw' where Lio Rush and Bobby Lashley were talking trash to Finn Balor -- when Lio dragged Rob's name into his rant.

"Now you are gonna be forced to leave the game as a beaten, broken, hot piece of garbage like Rob Gronkowski," Lio told Finn.

The crowd in Boston was triggered and BOOED Lio -- who wore a devious smirk on his face ... almost like he knew exactly what he was doing!

Of course, Gronk is a big wrestling fan and even made a cameo at Wrestlemania 33 in 2017 -- and there's a buzz he could make pro wrestling his next full-time gig.

Stop us if you've heard this one before ... Conor McGregor just tweeted that he's retiring from MMA forever.

Yeah, just like he did in 2016.

It happened in the middle of the night ... McGregor tweeted:

"Hey guys quick announcement, I’ve decided to retire from the sport formally known as 'Mixed Martial Art' today. I wish all my old colleagues well going forward in competition. I now join my former partners on this venture, already in retirement. Proper Pina Coladas on me fellas!"

Is he serious? UFC honcho Dana White thinks so ... telling ESPN, "He has the money to retire and his whiskey is KILLIN it. It totally makes sense. If I was him I would retire too."

White added, "He's retiring from fighting. Not from working. The Whiskey will keep him busy and I'm sure he has other things he's working on."

"He has been so fun to watch!!! He has accomplished incredible things in this sport. I am so happy for him and I look forward to seeing him be as successful outside of the octagon as he was in it."

The issue ... McGregor was on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" -- which aired Monday night -- and he told Fallon he was in active negotiations with the UFC to fight in July.

So, what went sideways between the time he taped the show and his retirement tweet??

We're trying to figure it out ...

McGregor has tweeted about retiring before ... back in April 2016, he wrote, "I have decided to retire young. Thanks for the cheese. Catch ya's later."

Of course, he didn't REALLY retire -- he went on to fight Nate Diaz (and won) a few months later.

The difference between now and then -- Proper 12.

Conor's Irish whiskey company is reportedly doing REALLY well. Conor and Dana White have said the UFC star is making a fortune off liquor sales.

Of course, just a few days ago ... McGregor was telling fans how much he LOVES fighting and how he's got big fighting plans in his future ... including rematches with Nate Diaz and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

So, has Conor had a change of heart??? Or, is this all one big joke?

We'll find out ...

Oh, and Khabib -- who beat Conor in October -- has also weighed in with a statement of his own.

"There can be only one king in the jungle," Khabib said ... "Only one."

Major League Baseball has suspended San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer -- without pay -- until July 1, 2019 for stemming from a March 1 incident with his wife, TMZ Sports has learned.

He must also undergo counseling.

MLB commish Rob Manfred says the unpaid suspension will be backdated to March 4, 2019 -- the day Baer took a leave of absence from the team.

"During the period of his suspension, Baer shall have no involvement in the operations of the Giants," Manfred says.

"The Club shall be operated by an interim control person appointed by the ownership group in consultation with the Commissioner. Baer will be required to undergo an evaluation by an expert to determine an appropriate treatment and counseling plan."

Manfred says, "At my direction, the Department of Investigations conducted an investigation into the March 1, 2019 video-recorded incident involving Larry Baer. I also personally met with Mr. Baer."

"Based on my review of the results of the investigation, I have concluded that Mr. Baer’s conduct was unacceptable under MLB policies and warrants discipline."

"In determining the appropriate level of discipline, I find that Mr. Baer should be held to a higher standard because as a leader he is expected to be a role model for others in his organization and community."

"Based on my conversation with Mr. Baer, it is clear that he regrets what transpired and takes responsibility for his conduct."

TMZ Sports posted video showing Baer in a physical altercation with his wife in a public park -- ultimately knocking her to the ground in a struggle to pry a phone out of her hands. You can hear her screaming, "Oh my god. Help!"

Baer's wife has publicly supported Larry after the incident -- chalking the whole thing up to an ordinary marital spat.

Larry has also issued a statement on the suspension ... saying, "I respect and accept the Commissioner's decision, and I respect and accept the Commissioner's decision, and appreciate the fair and thorough process undertaken by MLB and the Giants."

"I made a serious mistake that I sincerely regret and I am truly sorry for my actions. My unacceptable behavior fell well short of what must be demanded of every person, particularly someone in my position and role in the community."

Nikki Bella is NOT leaving the WWE on bad terms -- it's the opposite -- with sources telling us she still has a GREAT working relationship with the company and is DEFINITELY open to returning to the ring.

35-year-old Bella just announced she's hanging up her wrestling boots after 12 years with Vince McMahon's promotion -- mostly because of the wear and tear on her body ... and also to pursue other business ventures.

But, sources close to Nikki tell us ... she still loves wrestling, still loves the WWE and would be down to make cameos in the future -- as long as the timing is right.

In fact, we're told Nikki will remain a WWE ambassador even though she won't be wrestling full-time. Also, she plans on continuing her reality show, "Total Bellas," which is produced by WWE.

As we previously reported, Nikki made her retirement decision after a recent trip overseas that was particularly rough on her body. She just can't handle the constant punishment a full-time wrestler endures.

Nikki had neck surgery 3 years ago stemming from a wrestling injury, and she's been battling neck pain ever since.

Bella has said she plans to focus on growing her businesses -- which includes a podcast, activewear line, beauty products and even a wine label.

Some good news, bad news ...

The Good News ... Deontay Wilder says he's in talks with Tyson Fury's camp and he's VERY confident the two sides will get a deal done for a rematch.

The Bad News ... it probably ain't happening until 2020.

"I think that's something that is definitely gonna happen, but it's gonna take a little time now," Wilder tells TMZ Sports.

"Fury didn't want the rematch and I don't blame him. To be getting up off your ass like he did and to get a concussion, I wouldn't want to go again either!"

Of course, the two did battle back in December -- and even though Wilder knocked Fury down TWICE, Fury fought like hell and the bout was eventually scored a draw.

The two had initially talked about locking in a rematch right away -- but negotiations hit a wall and they both have since booked fights with other opponents in May and in June.

Wilder -- who was in L.A. to support his fiance Telli Swift's clothing brand Imperium -- is set to take on Dominic Breazeale in New York while Fury will fight Tom Schwarz in Las Vegas.

Wilder says the plan is to make sure Breazeale leaves the ring in a body bag. Yeesh.

As for the rematch, Wilder says ... it will "probably" go down in 2020 -- but it's possible that could be moved up to 2019 if the two sides can reach an agreement.

Wilder says "all parties are in conversation" ... and advises fans, "Good things come to those who wait."

3/26 -- Avenatti tweeted early Tuesday morning thanking his supporters for their kind words. He then claimed that he "never attempted to extort Nike & when the evidence is disclosed, the public will learn the truth about Nike's crime & coverup."

6:13 PM PT -- Avenatti just held a brief press conference, saying, "I have fought against the powerful -- powerful people and powerful corporations -- I will never stop fighting that good fight." He added he's "highly confident" he'll be "fully exonerated."

4:33 PM PT -- Avenatti has just been released on a $300,000 bond. He didn't have to pay that amount, but it had to be co-signed by 2 people who say they're good for it.

While he's out on bond, his travel will be restricted to New York and California ... and all travel plans must be approved by the government. Avenatti is also barred from contacting Mark Geragos.

2:53 PM PT -- Avenatti's indictment will NOT have any major impact on the pending R. Kelly criminal case, in which he reps the family of Azriel Clary ... so says Gerald Griggs, who represents Joycelyn Savage's family. Griggs tells TMZ ...  that while Avenatti's criminal cases present problems for himself personally, Griggs says they'll have "minimal" effect in the R. Kelly matter. He adds, "[T]he ten charges are based on four independent accusers and other information independent of Mr. Avenatti. The Savage family continues to seek reunification with their daughter, and that process of justice continues on course for all the alleged victims of Robert Sylvester Kelly."

1:15 PM PT -- The Nike indictment says Avenatti had an unnamed co-conspirator, and we've confirmed reports it is famed attorney Mark Geragos.

12:08 PM PT -- Nike just broke its silence following the news conferences ... saying it "will not be extorted or hide information that is relevant to a government investigation. Nike has been cooperating with the government's investigation into NCAA basketball for over a year."

The shoe giant goes on to say, "When Nike became aware of this matter, Nike immediately reported it to federal prosecutors. When Mr. Avenatti attempted to extort Nike over this matter, Nike with the assistance of outside counsel at Boies Schiller Flexner, aided the investigation."

"Nike firmly believes in ethical and fair play, both in business and sports, and will continue to assist the prosecutors."

If you recognize the law firm -- Boies Schiller Flexner -- the "Boies" is David Boies, the famous high-powered lawyer who's represented everyone from Al Gore to Harvey Weinstein.

In fact, Boies was also heavily involved with Theranos -- the blood testing company -- and was featured in the HBO documentary "The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley."

11:55 AM PT -- The NY Presser just finished up, and prosecutors there had quite a bit to say about Avenatti's alleged extortion efforts toward Nike.

Prosecutors in NY say the alleged Nike scheme played out over the course of a few days last week. Avenatti repped an AAU coach whose team had just lost a Nike sponsorship worth $72k a year. The coach claimed that Nike made payments to families of some high school basketball players, and Avenatti demanded payment from Nike to keep him quiet.

He was arrested Monday at the location where he was supposed to meet with Nike brass, presumably to strike a deal or keep the convo going.

For the record .. the only thing that was coordinated between NY and California was how the bust would go down. That said ... these are two separate federal cases.

11:33 AM PT -- The L.A. Presser just wrapped, and investigators didn't pull any punches in condemning Avenatti's alleged criminal behavior ... calling him a "corrupt lawyer" who was only out for his own personal gain.

Among the most damning allegations in Avenatti's financial case ... Avenatti allegedly siphoned off a $1.6 million settlement he scored for a client in 2017 and hid it in a personal bank account that he controlled ... but never told his client a thing about it. The U.S. Attorney alleges Avenatti used that money to fund his lavish lifestyle and to help pay for his coffee business in California and Washington State. All the while, the client never received a penny.

What's more ... the U.S. Attorney and the IRS also claim Avenatti defrauded a bank for millions of dollars worth of loans by submitting fake tax returns between 2011 and 2013, in which he claimed to have earned around $4-$5 million a year each year and supposedly paid $2.8 million in taxes. The government says all of that was a lie ... he didn't file taxes those years at all.

What's cooler than having the BEST knockdown of the week??

How about getting props from Odell Beckham after the fight?

That's what happened to Lorenzo "Truck" Simpson -- who floored his opponent with a crushing left hook during his nationally televised fight on FS1 this weekend ... making just about every single highlight reel.

Simpson -- one of Floyd Mayweather's prodigies -- was fighting Jaime Meza on Sunday ... and when Mezza threw a stupid, wild spinning punch, Truck timed it perfectly and smashed the dude's face in.

"I caught him real good," Simpson told TMZ Sports with a victorious grin on his face ... "I knew I caught him with a nice shot."

After the fight, Simpson got all sorts of love from big stars including boxing champ Caleb Plant, Gervonta Davis and NFL superstar Odell Beckham Jr. ... who's also a big fight fan.

"It's going nuts right now," Simpson said.

Keep your eye on this dude -- Simpson is 3-0 as a pro ... but he's got BIG power and is on track to be a future superstar in the sport.

No, this is not the new Republican party intern photo ... it's the NFL's annual head coaches pic -- and as you can tell, it's overflowing with diversity.

IMPORTANT FACT -- Mike Tomlin is missing from the photo ... but so are 5 other white coaches.

As you can probably tell, there is DEFINITELY not enough black representation in the head coaching ranks ... something the NFL has acknowledged.

The league has the Rooney Rule -- which requires NFL teams to interview minority candidates for every available head coaching job ... but as you can see, it ain't always effective.

The good news ... there seems to be a crop of talented, young black assistant coaches who are all making compelling cases for a head coaching gig in the near future, including guys like Kris Richard, Eric Bieniemy and Teryl Austin.

Rob Gronkowski is no longer "shackled" by the NFL and the New England Patriots -- and that means we could see him RUN WILD in the WWE very soon ... so says his good friend, Mojo Rawley.

Everyone knows Gronk LOVES pro wrestling -- remember he made a cameo with Mojo at Wrestlemania 33 in 2017 -- and people are speculating he could become a WWE superstar now that his NFL career is over.

We spoke with Mojo, who says he wouldn't be shocked if Gronk turned his focus to the ring ... and predicts it's only a matter of time.

The best part of this clip ... Mojo strongly suggests the NFL and the Patriots pressured Rob into toning down his public persona to make sure he stayed out of trouble.

But now, "without the shackles" ... Gronk is a "whole 'nother beast" and Mojo says he can't wait to see Rob UNLEASHED!!

"Yo, let's go, baby," Mojo says in a video message for his pal ... "It's time to turn up! The handcuffs are off!"

"You don't have the Patriots and the NFL locking you down anymore! If you thought Gronk was wild before, I'm telling you, wait 'til you see him without the shackles on!!!"

There are rumors Gronk could crash 'Raw' tonight -- which happens to be in Boston.

Your next Peloton ride could be really quiet -- it's recalling any classes featuring the songs the company's accused of using without permission.

John Foley -- Peloton's founder and CEO -- sent a letter to his more than 600k subscribers Monday, letting them know the company is yanking any classes that use the songs ID'd in that lawsuit a handful of music publishing companies filed.

TMZ broke the story ... the publishers claim Peloton was using a bunch of hit songs from big-time artists without permission -- upwards of at least a thousand tracks, apparently -- ranging from Rihanna's "Umbrella" to Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot."

Those companies are suing for major damages ... up to $150 million.

In his letter, Foley says the fitness company is only doing this as a precaution ... and assures users that their cycling experience will not be affected by the change. He says Peloton has deals in place with lots of other music publishers and labels that give them access to a "broad catalog" of music that he suggests will be able to replace the temporarily silenced tunes.

On the lawsuit itself, Foley says it's unfortunate that it had to be filed ... since he claims Peloton was in talks with at least a few of the publishers before they pulled the trigger.

1:12 PM PT -- Adam tells TMZ walking 17.2 miles at the L.A. Marathon was the greatest weekend of his life. He says he's still beat up from the experience but clearly it was worth it. Check out the vid ... he tells us exactly how a paralyzed person can walk with help from the ReWalk Exoskeleton.

Adam Gorlitsky -- who is paralyzed from the waist down -- provided one of the most uplifting stories from the Los Angeles Marathon ... walking a stunning 17.2 miles.

As we first reported ... Adam walked with help from the $95k ReWalk Exoskeleton. His journey began Friday at midnight at Dodger Stadium, and by 7 PM ... Adam had made it to mile marker 11 at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood, walking for a whopping 19 hours straight.

The hills at Chavez Ravine and managing traffic before the race course was completely set up proved to be big obstacles for Adam. Exhaustion and pain on his wrists also forced him to take a breather.

He returned Sunday at 7 AM in Westwood at the brand new start line for the "ReEnabled Division" at mile marker 20. The new start line's something Adam and the foundation, I GOT LEGS, helped create for others like him who want to take part in the elite marathon with a little help from the course.

Adam walked the remaining 6.2 miles and crossed the finish line at around 4 PM. He started the race with a support group that included friends traveling from other states to walk with him. Adam finished with a bigger group as others inspired by his story decided to walk the final stretch with him.

While Adam didn't walk the entire 26.2-mile course ... he vows to keep trying until he becomes the first paralyzed person in history to complete a full marathon on U.S. soil. When you see his determination in this video, it's hard to doubt he'll do it.

Lonzo Ball's manager wants everyone to take their $500 Big Baller Brand shoes and THROW THEM IN THE TRASH.

Yeah, seems the Big Baller era is officially over.

The guy dumping his ZO2s is Darren "DMo" Moore -- Lonzo's longtime friend and manager.

Moore posted video of the shoe-trashing on social media -- along with the hashtag, "DumpUrMerch."

So, why is Zo's camp turning on Big Baller Brand?

It's obviously connected to reports that BBB co-founder Alan Foster allegedly stole $1.5 MILLION from Lonzo's personal and business accounts.

Ball has lawyered up and says he plans to go after Foster.

In a statement, Lonzo says he still has love and respect for Foster -- but it seems his manager DMo doesn't feel the same way.

Important to point out that Lonzo isn't calling for people to trash his shoes -- he's still a majority owner in the company -- but it's not a good sign that his manager is calling for a worldwide BBB dump.

There are also reports the Ball family is considering folding the BBB brand altogether.