TMZ Sports - Page 50

Charles Barkley has never been shy sharing his opinions -- especially about LaVar Ball -- and he's blasting the Big Baller dad once again ... claiming he is stealing Lonzo's spotlight.

We got Chuck outside CBS Studios in NYC Friday night ... and he was riding high following his alma mater Auburn's win over North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament.

He was signing autographs (but ONLY one each) and reveling in the victory -- including winning a bet with Stephen Colbert -- when we asked about the Ball family issues with Big Baller Brand.

Barkley tells us ... "[Lonzo's] dad is really unfortunate ... this whole thing has been about him from the beginning. You shouldn't try to piggyback on your kids, man. That ain't cool at all."

Charles adds it's Lonzo's time and LaVar needs to let him shine ... and go out and sign with a much better shoe company.

As we reported ... Lonzo's ditched the BBB, or at least his tattoo promoting it, but his dad claims the brand is still alive -- it just got bit by a snake.

Remember Chris Johnson's EPIC 4.24 40-yard dash at the 2008 NFL Combine???

Yeah, CJ2K tells TMZ Sports he coulda ran it in UNDER 4 seconds!!!

Chris says he came into the annual pre-draft event weighing around 200 pounds ... but says if he had shed 30 or so lbs for the drills -- he would've gotten into the 3s zone on that historic day!!!

"I think [I could have run it]. If I would have went to the combine at 165 ..."

So, why didn't the former NFL superstar do it!?!

"I probably would have dropped," Chris tells us ... "Ain't nobody wanting to draft a first-round running back that weighs 165!"

Yeah, good call.

Chris ended up having a stellar career after his ridiculous 40-yard dash time regardless ... becoming one of only seven players EVER to rush for more than 2,000 yards in one season.

In fact, Johnson tells us he's still got it ... the 33-year-old says if he really trained for it, he could still run a 4.2!!!

Jamaal Charles is thrilled Donald Trump won't let Betsy DeVos cut $18 MILLION from Special Olympics ... telling TMZ Sports competing in them when he was younger changed his life.

The Kansas City Chiefs legend was diagnosed with a learning disability at a young age ... and used track and field at Special Olympics events to help him get through tough times.

In fact, the running back -- who's the all-time NFL leader in yards per carry -- says, "Special Olympics is one of the best things that ever happened to me."

Charles says the events helped him deal with bullying and other issues that came with his disability, and tells us he couldn't be happier the organization's government funding remains intact.

"When you go to some of these games right here, these kids will just put a smile on your face. Winning is really nothing to them. It's just really just having fun."

Charles' message to all the Special Olympians out there? "Don't give up. Believe in yourself."

Forget stats ... DeSean Jackson says he's only about one thing in his return to Philly -- THE SUPER BOWL!!!

"We chasin' some jewelry," the wide receiver tells TMZ Sports at LAX ... "We're tryin' to stack it up on the wall, man!"

Of course, D-Jax just left Tampa Bay to make his triumphant return to Philadelphia -- where his NFL career all began -- and he says this time around it's all about rings.

In fact, the dude seems downright excited to have a shot at getting his first-ever SB trophy ... tellin' us, "They got some good things going on, I'm just happy to be an addition to that."

Jackson's fired up about his quarterback too, saying Carson Wentz is "a baller" and he "can't wait to go put that work in with him and get on that right track and do my thing."

As for the Bucs ... Jackson tells us he's got no hard feelings after moving on from them despite having one year left on his deal there -- saying he's already spoken with Jameis Winston about it all.

"Sh*t, the city's a good place, man. It's just unfortunate -- like I was just talking to Jameis -- it didn't work out or whatever."

Undefeated boxing superstar Terence Crawford has a wish ... and that wish is also undefeated, and also a boxing superstar -- Errol Spence, who Crawford says he wants, no, HAS to fight.

Spence just dispatched Mikey Garcia in a 12-round beatdown that made many believe Errol is the very best fighter in the world at 147 pounds.

Crawford -- who's gearing up to fight Amir Khan on April 20, says that ain't so ... and told us there's only one way to prove he's actually the guy and that's going to make the fight with Spence.

Some boxing experts say Crawford vs. Spence would be the biggest fight in the sport.

"I want the fight. Let me just say that right now," Crawford tells TMZ Sports ... "Just to show the world I'm the best welterweight in the division."

Both men want to lay claim to being the next big money fighter in boxing now that Floyd's out to pasture, but to do that, they gotta go through each other ... which means they gotta make a deal.

Some say Crawford is too small to handle Spence ... and Crawford wants those people to SHUT THEIR LIPS ... saying he's got everything he needs to beat Errol.

"I feel confident matching up with anybody. I can box, I can bang, I can switch, I can punch, I'm not slow."

WWE legend Michelle McCool -- a 2-time WWE Women's champion -- says she's STOKED women are main eventing Wrestlemania ... but she really hopes they're getting paid like the men.

McCool -- who's married to The Undertaker -- was raving about how far WWE has come from the days where women wrestlers had to fight and claw to get ring time.

Now, with stars like Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch main eventing Wrestlemania 35 on April 7 ... McCool says the next big step is making sure they're getting PAID like main eventers.

"I do think the women should get paid, a main event is a main event," McCool says.

"I hope they do and think they should."

McCool says she's grateful for the women who wrestled before her who paved the way -- and she's so proud of the women dominating right now ... who continue to kick down doors for future generations.

McCool retired in 2011 -- but laced up the boots to compete in an all-women's Battle Royale at the WWE Evolution pay-per-view back in October.

There is a serious rupture in one of the most enduring relationships in Hollywood, because Jada Pinkett Smith has made a move signaling what could be the end of her relationship with longtime, close pal Kris Jenner, as well as Kim and Khloe Kardashian ... TMZ has learned.

Jada has JUST unfollowed Kris, Khloe and Kim on Instagram, and our sources say it's all over the fallout involving Jordyn Woods.

As you know, Jada and Will are all but family to Jordyn ... she calls Will her Uncle. Jordyn broke her silence over the Tristan Thompson scandal by appearing on Jada's "Red Table Talk" show, and Jada was sympathetic.

We're told Jada has made it clear to a number of people ... she feels everyone should put it behind them, but clearly, the Kardashians are still angry, as you can see from the promo for the new season of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians." In the promo, you hear Khloe say Jordyn "ruined" their family.

As you know by now, after Jordyn hooked up -- in some form -- with Tristan last month, she became persona non grata with the Kardashian family. Jordyn had been living in Kylie's guest house but was almost immediately declared unwelcome. She hasn't even come back to pick up her stuff.

Jada and Kris have been tight for many, many years ... even vacationing together.

We're told the conflict goes way beyond Instagram ... the relationship itself is severely fractured.

It's interesting ... Khloe initially blamed Jordyn for the hookup, tweeting, "You ARE the reason my family broke up!" But, later she backtracked, saying, "But Jordyn is not to be blamed for the breakup of my family. This was Tristan's fault."

Jada is still following Kylie and Jordyn. We're told Jada is a strong source of support for Jordyn.

Rob Gronkowski isn't just saying goodbye to the Patriots -- he also just bid adieu to his incredible Boston condo ... for $2.3 MILLION!

The retired NFL legend only bought the place a few years ago -- but felt it was time to move, and we're told he made about $400,000 in profit after selling the place with Douglas Elliman agent George Sarkis.

It's got everything a Boston superstar could want -- a 2,100 square foot penthouse with a sick rooftop deck and BBQ area ... and it's in walking distance from bars and restaurants in the Seaport District!

Gronk's decor is pretty sweet, too -- the 29-year-old hung a ton of sports memorabilia on the walls that clearly meant a lot to him ... including the NFL jerseys of his brothers Dan, Chris and Glenn.

There's even a painting that shows Rob and his brothers in their football uniforms.

Don't put a fork in the Big Baller Brand just yet ... LaVar Ball says the brand is NOT folding -- despite the fact Lonzo Ball just covered up his BBB tattoo.

The Big Baller appeared on 98.5 KLUC in Vegas to promote his Big Baller Brand All-American Game, which he says is going on as planned this weekend.

"The game is definitely still happening," LaVar says ... though he wouldn't say if his sons Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo would be on hand for the event.

The issue ... LaVar claims BBB co-founder Alan Foster stole $1.5 million from Lonzo -- and the Lakers star was so pissed, he covered up his BBB tattoo and is rumored to be considering a shoe deal with Nike.

But, LaVar believes the BBB brand is still alive and well -- and vows to fix things after Foster's alleged thievery.

"I'm not gonna let one roodypoo guy come in here and do something bad and then be like the brand's not good," Ball said.

"The brand is good. It's just somebody did something bad to it ... We had a snake up in the thing, but you gotta understand this -- I'm a snake charmer. When you're a snake charmer, you're gonna get bit."

Ball said he treated Foster "like a family member" and feels incredibly betrayed -- saying, "Is it worth $1.5 million to leave a family?"

Von Miller will NOT be punished for illegally catching a hammerhead shark on a 2018 fishing expedition ... but not everyone involved got so lucky.

We broke the story ... the NFL star was investigated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission after Von posted footage showing off a 9-and-a-half foot shark he caught off the coast of Miami.

The incident was escalated when PETA -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals -- publicly vowed to hold Miller and his crew accountable for what they believed was an illegal catch and kill.

For Miller's part, he insisted the shark was thrown back into the water alive.

Now, we've learned the case was transferred from the FFWCC to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration -- a federal organization which reports to the Department of Commerce.

A rep for NOAA tells us the investigation is over and "Miller was not charged."

However, the owner and operator of the fishing vessel WERE charged for fishing for sharks without the proper permit AND failure to release a shark in the manner that will ensure maximum probability of survival.

NOAA issued a $2,000 fine as punishment.

Fishing ... it ain't a joke.

Linda McMahon is stepping down from her position in President Trump's cabinet ... but she won't be far from POTUS for long.

Trump announced the former WWE CEO is resigning as the head of the Small Business Administration at Mar-a-Lago on Friday .... saying "She has been one of our all-time favorites."

"I knew she was good, but I didn't know she was that good."

Although McMahon is stepping down, she's not leavin' Trump -- she's putting her focus on his reelection.

"She'll be leaving, she's going to go and help us with a very, very important year-and-a-half that we have coming up," Trump told reporters.

McMahon is an original member of Trump's cabinet -- she was confirmed back in February 2017.

We spoke with WWE legend Kurt Angle prior to McMahon taking the job ... and he said she's a "genius," adding, "If you doubt Linda McMahon, you'd have to be literally crazy."

No word on who will be Linda's replacement ... but Trump says she'll be part of the process.

Amir Khan says Terence Crawford's record is INSANELY deceiving -- claiming his 34-0 record is littered with tomato cans ... not REAL talented fighters.

In fact, Khan says if he fought the kind of bums Crawford has beaten, he'd be undefeated too!!

Yeah, that's some hot fire from Khan who's set to square off with Crawford April 20 at Madison Square Garden ... a fight where Khan is widely seen as an overwhelming underdog.

Khan says the so-called experts have it all wrong -- because he's faced (and beaten) MUCH better fighters than Crawford.

"Look at my resume, look at the people I’ve beaten. My resume is a lot better than Terence Crawford's. I've fought better opponents, beaten better opponents. Okay fine, he’s unbeaten, but I’m sure I would be unbeaten if I fought all the guys he did."

Khan does have some impressive W's on his resume -- with victories over legit stars like Zab Judah, Marcos Maidana and Paulie Malignaggi.

Amir's losses have mostly come by way of superstars like Canelo Alvarez and Danny Garcia.

"[Crawford has] not fought anyone like me," Khan tells TMZ Sports ... "This is his hardest fight on paper in his boxing professional career. That should say it all."

As for Terence, he has this simple advice for gamblers -- "If you wanna lose some money, bet on [Amir Khan]."

#1 Dodgers fan George Lopez might have some regrets today about how his fun-filled Opening Day ended ... due to this drunken run-in with fans, and their convo about President Trump and Jussie Smollett.

Ya gotta see this -- George signed autographs and took pics with a group of fans Thursday afternoon, celebrating the Dodgers' 12-5 victory. Good times all around! And then, our camera guy brought up George's favorite topic ... Trump.

We asked what he thought about POTUS using the Smollett case as a MAGA rally cry, but George --clearly not in the mood for a serious chat -- called in fans for backup, and one guy obliged.

This is where George's boozy fun seemed to cross the line into bad taste. One fan opened up about being the victim of a hate crime, but as he did ... George mockingly humped him, and dropped some offensive language too.

To be fair, the fan didn't appear to be offended ... but certainly could have been. We think George got lucky.

Watch the clip to the end ... 'cause you gotta see how George's pal, Arsenio Hall, popped on the scene to save the day.

Not every WWE superstar is pissed about Gronk potentially joining the organization ... 'cause Bray Wyatt would welcome the newly retired NFLer with open arms!!

Becky Lynch just shaded the hell outta Rob Gronkowski earlier this week ... telling TMZ Sports it's bogus people like him or Ronda Rousey can just stroll into pro wrestling without having to work for their chance.

Wyatt ain't about that talk ... 'cause he says he LOVES the ex-Pats tight end ... and would jump on the opportunity to beat him up in the squared circle.

"I'd love to have Rob here ... he's a cool cat." Wyatt says.

There's also some history between the two ... Wyatt says his dad was roommates with Gronk's dad at Syracuse when they played on the football team, so they're very familiar.

Wyatt was at LAX with JoJo Offerman -- their first public appearance since announcing they're expecting a baby in June -- so we had to ask if baby Knash will follow in their wrestling footsteps.

Nate Diaz's tough guy image is just a front, 'cause he's all bark, no bite ... according to UFC star Justin Gaethje ... who says, "Gangsters fight, gangsters don't run their mouth."

TMZ Sports talked to Gaethje -- who's fighting Edson Barboza (that fight is going to be ridiculous) Saturday on UFC on ESPN 2 -- when JG opened fire on the Stockton fighter.

"The only thing that's been bothering me, Nate Diaz keeps talking so much shit but the dude won't fight," Gaethje tells us ... "It just amazes me how people think he's still a gangster."

"You can't talk and not show up. That's just funny to me."

Nate hasn't fought since losing to Conor McGregor in the rematch of their blockbuster fight ... and that was 951 days ago.

Dana White says he's offered Diaz a bunch of fights ... only to be turned down. Nate did agree to fight Dustin Poirier last year at UFC 230 ... but the fight was scrapped after Poirier got hurt.

Gaethje thinks Diaz has been running his mouth (it's unclear exactly what has Justin pissed off) ... so, we asked the logical question ... do you want to fight Nate?

If JG's right, don't hold your breath ... 'cause Nate ain't interested in anything more than running his mouth.

Heavyweight boxer Kubrat Pulev has been suspended indefinitely by the California State Athletic Commission for kissing a female reporter during a post-fight interview, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

A spokesperson for CSAC tells us Pulev will NOT be licensed to fight in CA until he appears before the Commission to address the incident in person.

We're told the next opportunity for Pulev to face the Commission will be in May -- though it's unclear if the Bulgarian fighter plans to attend.

Of course, Pulev is in very hot water for kissing Vegas Sports Daily reporter Jenny Sushe after knocking out Bogdan Dinu Saturday night in Costa Mesa, CA.

Sushe laughed it off during the incident -- but immediately lawyered up, hiring Gloria Allred and now she's considering taking legal action against the 37-year-old fighter.

As for Pulev, he initially brushed the whole thing off ... saying Jenny is a friend and they laughed the whole thing off together at an afterparty.

Obviously, Jenny doesn't feel the same way -- saying in a statement, "I did not encourage or consent to Mr. Pulev grabbing my face, kissing me, or grabbing my backside."