TMZ Sports - Page 50

Seems Lonzo Ball may have had a change of heart about the Big Baller Brand boycott -- because he's rocking his signature ZO2 slides again ... even after covering his BBB tattoo.

The L.A. Lakers star wasn't talking when we spotted him at LAX on Monday -- but he made a pretty big statement with his footwear ... the famous $200 Big Baller Brand slides.

Remember, Lonzo's manager, Darren Moore, called for a boycott of all BBB products -- after learning BBB co-founder Alan Foster allegedly stole $1.5 million from Lonzo.

Moore was upset, he started the hashtag #DumpUrMech -- and filmed himself throwing his ZO2 in the garbage. In the following days, Lonzo covered up the BBB tattoo on his arm.

Lonzo's dad, LaVar Ball, has since stated the brand is not dead -- and claims his family is sticking together through the drama.

As of this post, the BBB website is down -- so, it seems they're no longer selling expensive shoes and slides.

There were rumblings Lonzo is on the hunt for a new shoe endorsement deal -- but now that he's back in BBB's, we're wondering if he's interested in salvaging the family brand.

File Under, "The Most Obvious News Ever" ... Zion Williamson is leaving Duke and declaring for the NBA Draft.

Yeah, no kidding.

Williamson was a monster in high school and became a global sensation during his 1 year at Duke -- where he was widely regarded as the #1 player in the country.

Now, he's projected to be the #1 pick in the NBA Draft, according to anyone who's ever watched basketball.

The 18-year-old made his announcement in a video -- in which he thanked everyone at Duke and coach Mike Krzyzewski for "the best year of my life."

Zion says he learned more about basketball in his 1 year at Duke than he ever thought possible -- but ultimately decided to leave to pursue his dream of becoming an NBA player.

"I don't think I can put it into words how special this year was," Zion said ... shouting out his teammates for the "brotherhood" he experienced.

As for Zion's bank account ... last year's #1 pick DeAndre Ayton signed a 4-year, $40 million contract -- so expect Zion's to be a little bigger than that.

Zion will also sign a MASSIVE shoe deal now that he's going pro -- with Nike brand legend Sonny Vaccaro telling TMZ Sports he wouldn't be shocked if Zion got a $100 MILLION deal.

Ronda Rousey has announced she's on an "impregnation vacation" -- and she'll be stepping away from WWE while she works on getting knocked up and starting her family.

Remember, Ronda had publicly trashed a reporter who published this very information back in January -- when wrestling reporter Dave Meltzer said Ronda could take a break from WWE after WrestleMania.

Ronda came out swinging at the report saying, "I honestly don't know why [anyone] feels [they're] an authority to speak on plans for my uterus" ... adding, "Leave me and my reproductive organs alone."

But now, VINDICATION FOR MELTZER -- because just one week after Mania, Ronda posted the baby-making announcement ... and ESPN is reporting the hiatus is on.

No word on how long Ronda plans on being away from the ring -- but WWE has pointed out she's under contract until April 2021 ... so, it seems a comeback is expected.

Plus, Ronda has talked openly about how much she loves pro wrestling and wants to be a part of the organization.

Soooo ... happy baby making!!!

Well, this is adorable ... in a violent way.

When Dustin Poirier's daughter saw his face after the Max Holloway fight, she was genuinely worried for her daddy ... saying, "Oh no! You have a boo-boo dad!"

The footage is ridiculously cute -- and shows how sweet UFC fighters can be with their families when they're not destroying other people in the Octagon.

Of course, Dustin won a crazy bloody 5-round brawl with Holloway for the UFC interim lightweight title ... a fight where Dustin took some serious damage to the face.

One report says Poirier took 208 total strikes during the UFC 236 co-main event -- which is A LOT.

The good news, Dustin seems to be feeling pretty good, despite the bruising -- and told his daughter he was taking her to the zoo so they could "see the animals!"

After the fight, Dustin and Max couldn't have been more respectful toward each other -- each praising the other fighter for battling their hearts out.

#Respect.

If you loved the "Game of Thrones" premiere, you're definitely not the bookie who got crushed on 'GoT' prop bets -- and all signs point to bettors taking advantage of the episode accidentally leaking early.

After DirecTV leaked the premiere about 4 hours too soon, gamblers apparently caught on to the fact Tyrion Lannister was the first character to speak in season 8 ... and cashed in big time!!!

The cyber-gambling site, SportsBetting.ag, says it lost in the "low five figures" on the prop bet. The book says Tyrion's odds to speak first dropped from 4/1 to 1/1 in the 48 hours leading up to the premiere.

The bookie tells TMZ ... "We assume that someone with inside knowledge was either betting heavily or telling all of their friends to do so. This type of stuff does occur in our industry, and we obviously can't verify if there was a leak, but the betting action pointed to one."

AT&T, which owns DirecTV and HBO, admits a system error gave some DirecTV Now customers early access to the episode by mistake.

Some betting odds for the final season have already changed after the season's first episode.

Jaime Lannister's odds to die first moved from 50/1 to 6/1 ... and the site's no longer taking bets on him killing his sister, Cersei Lannister. Entering the season, Jaime was the favorite to kill the Queen with 3/2 odds.

Jon Snow is now favored to sit on the Iron Throne at season's end with 5/2 odds, while the previously-favored Bran Stark saw his odds double from 2/1 to 4/1.

The Jupiter Police Dept. and Palm Beach prosecutors are being sued by a patron at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa ... claiming the secret videotaping inside the spa is a gross violation of the customer's federal civil rights.

The lawsuit was filed anonymously -- listing the plaintiff as John Doe. Doe was not charged with a criminal offense like Robert Kraft, but he was at the spa during the period where video cameras were rolling in every room. Doe says in the suit he did not engage in any sexual activity in the spa.

The lawsuit describes a crazy way in which the cameras were installed. According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, the Jupiter PD staged a false "suspicious package" warning on January 18 that triggered an evacuation of the spa. While everyone was outside, cops came in and installed secret cameras in the private rooms. Doe went in the next day to receive a massage.

Doe says in the lawsuit, filed by top attorney Joe Tacopina, that the secret recordings violate his civil rights ... especially since everything he did was on the up and up.

Doe claims the risk the videos will become public is high, because of the celebrities who have been snared in the case.

The lawsuit also says the cops were sleazy in the way they investigated ... sometimes following patrons who drove away and stopping them for minor traffic violations and grilling them about what went on inside the spa. The suit claims cops also rifled through trash to find napkins and tissues with semen.

He wants damages and an injunction, ordering authorities to destroy all videotapes.

10:36 AM PT -- Johnson finished the marathon in 3:09:07 ... JUST missing his 3-hour goal.

Still, an AMAZING performance from a guy running his very first 26.2 mile race.

His average time per mile was 7 minutes and 13 seconds. Incredible!

Congrats!!

Jimmie Johnson doesn't need a car to go fast -- the NASCAR driver is running the Boston Marathon and he's CRUSHING IT SO FAR ... on pace to finish right around the 3-hour mark!!

43-year-old Johnson's been training for months with the goal of breaking the 3-hour mark ... and at the time of this post, he's almost at the halfway point -- on pace for a 3:03 final time based on his splits.

What's even more amazing ... Jimmie's never completed a marathon before!

Oh, and on Saturday, he was RACING CARS -- he competed in the Toyota Owners 400, a 300-mile race at the Richmond Raceway in Virginia.

Jimmie is wearing bib #4848 during the marathon, a tribute to his #48 car.

Johnson says he's always wanted to run the marathon but his NASCAR schedule got in the way -- but this year, NASCAR shifted the schedule, which freed him up to run.

During his training, Johnson suffered injuries to his pelvis, left calf and IT band -- but battled through it ... and he's out there running right now!!

If you want to track Jimmie, click here.

GO JIMMIE GO!!!

President Donald Trump was so impressed with Tiger Woods amazing performance at The Masters -- he's giving the golfer the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The Medal is the highest award that can be awarded to a civilian in the United States and has previous recipients include Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Pope John Paul II, Bob Hope and more.

According to the White House, the Medal "recognizes those individuals who have made 'an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.'"

In his announcement (read: tweet), Trump said, "Spoke to @TigerWoods to congratulate him on the great victory he had in yesterday’s @TheMasters, & to inform him that because of his incredible Success & Comeback in Sports (Golf) and, more importantly, LIFE, I will be presenting him with the PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM!"

Trump and Tiger have been friends for years -- Tiger recently golfed with the President back in February at Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida.

Of course, Tiger's victory wasn't just impressive on its own -- but is being hailed as one of the greatest professional comebacks in all of pro sports considering he hadn't won a Major in over 10 years.

Notre Dame WR Javon McKinley is about to be off the hook in his drunken cop-punching case ... TMZ Sports has learned the Irish stud just struck a deal with prosecutors to have his charges dropped.

We broke the story ... McKinley -- a SUPERSTAR back in his high school days -- allegedly battered 2 officers in a drunken attack near ND's campus last February.

Cops say they were dispatched to help McKinley, who was passed out in the back of an Uber at 3:50 AM ... but he became combative when they tried to give the assist.

Cops say as they were walking McKinley -- who they say reeked of booze -- back to his dorm room, he freaked out, punched a male and a female officer and tried to flee.

When they eventually found the 20-year-old ... they arrested him and hit him with 2 counts of misdemeanor battery and 1 count of misdemeanor underage drinking.

But, prosecutors tell us they agreed to drop the charges on Monday as long as McKinley completes a misdemeanor pretrial diversion program. It's all but a done deal at this point.

We're told Javon must complete a substance abuse evaluation, perform 40 hours of community service, pay fines and fees and keep his nose clean for the next 2 years.

For his part, prosecutors say McKinley was eligible for such a sweet deal because he "sought out and apologized to each person involved in the incident."

Khloe Kardashian understands better than anyone, a daughter needs her father ... so it should come as little surprise Tristan Thompson was front and center for True's 1st birthday party.

Khloe and Tristan reunited over the weekend to celebrate their daughter turning 1 ... and it was truly an epic bash. For starters ... Khloe and little True wore matching blue August Getty Atelier outfits. Kim, Kourtney and their broods were also there ... as was Kylie. Kendall was a no-show ... Coachella calls.

There were TONS of balloons, ponies, a donut wall (!!!) and even a cotton candy vendor. And, how cool is this -- Khloe told attendees no presents for True, but instead asked everyone to bring presents to be donated to Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

Check out the vid ... Tristan couldn't look prouder of True, who sported some nice bling around her neck. And, if you look closely ... there's a quick glimpse of Khloe and Tristan interacting when it appears she's gonna hand off True to him. It's clear ... they've called enough of a truce since their ugly breakup to hang on True's bday.

Not that it's a competition, but cousin Stormi celebrated her 1st birthday in February. So, whose was better?

Call this the Trojan Horse on ice ... a bunch of protesters snuck "Chick-fil-A Is Anti-Gay" signs onto the fast food restaurant's Zamboni at a pro hockey game Saturday -- and the video is hilarious!!!

It all went down at this weekend's Cincinnati Cyclones game ... where fans usually pay a small fee to ride in the Zamboni during intermission with fun signs.

The problem for the Cyclones? They say fans concealed anti-Chick-fil-A messages inside of "Happy Birthday" signs ... and then broke out the protesting ones once they were on the ice.

TROJAN HORSE!!!

The clip is pretty funny ... the Zamboni is decked out in Chick-fil-A swag and the cow mascot is obliviously waving to the crowd -- all while the anti-fast food signs are on full display!!!

Of course, the Cyclones were pretty pissed over the incident ... they booted the protesters from the game and apologized afterward.

"During the first intermission a group of protesters riding the Chick-fil-A Fan Zam displayed unacceptable messaging that was hidden inside of a birthday sign," the team said in a statement.

"The Cincinnati Cyclones & U.S. Bank Arena do not condone this type of behavior or the messaging expressed."

The team added, "These actions do not align with the family-friendly atmosphere that we aim to provide. Chick-fil-A has been a wonderful partner and we are thankful for their on-going support."

One less off-the-field issue for Antonio Brown ... who just struck a settlement with the man claiming Brown nearly killed his child in a crazy furniture-throwing fit.

We broke the story ... Brown was sued by Ophir Sternberg -- who claims his 22-month-old son was walking around the pool at a high-end apartment complex in Florida in April 2018 when suddenly "large objects started to fall from the building many floors above them."

In his suit, Sternberg claims Brown tossed everything from vases to an ottoman and other pieces of furniture ... and they landed mere FEET from the toddler, who was allegedly traumatized by the whole thing.

For his part, Brown denied throwing the items -- claiming the tosser was another person who had access to his apartment that day.

The problem for Brown ... cops actually responded to the apartment that day and say the NFL star was "very agitated" and yelling when they got there. Cops also said the people who were with Brown that day were trying to calm him down.

But, it's all furniture under the bridge now ... sources connected to the case tell us both sides agreed to a settlement and the lawsuit will not be moving forward.

The terms of the settlement are confidential but we're told both sides are happy with the resolution.

The timing couldn't be better for Brown ... who's reporting to Oakland Raiders training camp MONDAY and hopes to start a new chapter in his life.

What's more interesting than watching Tiger Woods lock up a historic win at The Masters??

GOLF WITH THE PRESIDENT ... at least, that was the case for Dallas Cowboys legends Emmitt Smith and Tony Romo, who bailed on watching Tiger to play 18 with Barack Obama!!

It all went down somewhere in Texas this weekend ... when Emmitt, Romo, Barack and former Dallas mayor Ron Kirk hit the links for a round of golf.

Unclear who in the foursome took the win ... but odds favor Tony -- who's so good, he's set to play in next month's AT&T Byron Nelson Tournament with PGA pros.

As for ditching El Tigre ... don't worry -- seems the guys made it back in time to catch his unbelievable Masters victory, with Obama personally congratulating the golf legend.

"To come back and win the Masters after all the highs and lows is a testament to excellence, grit, and determination."

This is pretty cool ... Chris Paul was so proud of his pal, Tiger Woods, for winning the Masters on Sunday, he honored his friend with a pair of custom Tiger-themed kicks!!

Chris and the Houston Rockets took on the Utah Jazz after Tiger's comeback -- so, Paul decided to make a few alterations to his red CP3.12s to pay homage to the golfer.

BTW, Chris and Tiger have been friends for years -- with Chris previously crediting Woods with getting him into golf in the first place.

They've been spotted on various courses together several times in the past.

As for Paul, he won too -- the Rockets smashed the Jazz 122 to 90.

Unclear who actually crafted the custom Tiger shoes. We're looking into it.

While his court battle rages on, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft isn't exactly laying low -- hanging courtside at the Celtics game in Boston last night where he was still treated like a rock star.

The 77-year-old was in a GREAT mood as the Celtics took on the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of their playoff series ... you can see Kraft sitting with Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck (the guy on the left).

By the way, the Celtics WON the game 84-74.

Of course, Kraft has A LOT going on in the other court in his life ... the one in Florida where he's fighting like hell to block the media from getting surveillance footage from inside the Orchids of Asia Day Spa.

As we've previously reported, Kraft believes the footage was obtained illegally -- and also, if released, would destroy all chances of getting a fair trial in his prostitution case.

TMZ Sports has obtained police footage of the moment cops busted U. of Michigan gymnastics coach Scott Vetere for banging one of his gymnasts in public ... AND IT'S SUPER AWKWARD!!!

First off, police HEAVILY pixilated the video before they released it (you watching, Robert Kraft?) ... but you can still make out every bizarre moment ... from the second the cop arrives to the scene.

It all went down in October when someone called the Ann Arbor Police Dept. to report two people having sex in a car in the middle of the day in a public parking lot.

You can hear the cop bang on the car door to announce his arrival -- and he tells the couple, "Well, this is awkward. Clothes please."

The officer proceeds to lecture the 39-year-old coach and the 18-year-old female student -- telling them how dumb their actions were.

"Do we even need to have a talk right now? Everything's crystal clear?" One officer tells Vetere ... "There's a lot I could say right now, and I'm not even sure that there's a point to it."

Both the woman and Vetere -- who was the 2000 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year back in the day --were hit with disorderly conduct charges for the incident.

Vetere later resigned from his coaching position at UM and left the school. He reached an agreement with prosecutors last month ... and got his charge reduced to a civil infraction. He paid off a fine and now the case is closed.

But, the best part of the video might be the end ... when the officer sends Vetere on his way and says, "You know what? Forgive me if we don't shake hands."