TMZ Sports - Page 50

Zion Williamson better hope New York doesn't end up with the #1 overall pick ... 'cause Jay Williams tells TMZ Sports he's not confident the Knicks owner would know how to handle a player of his caliber.

"I live in New York City, so obviously everybody wants the answer to be New York. But, I don't know if I trust James Dolan enough with that yet."

And why? Jay -- who was outside The Cabin NYC -- doesn't go into detail, but it's pretty clear he's referencing ALL the missteps Dolan's taken recently ... which includes booting fans for telling him to sell the team.

So, where IS the ideal landing spot for the Duke beast? Jay tells us that's with the Hawks.

"It would be kind of dope to see him in ATL with Trae Young," Williams says.

Of course, Zion doesn't have much of a choice -- he's expected to be the top pick in June's NBA Draft either way -- so, better hope the ping pong balls land the right way!!!

D.L. Hughley thinks it's IMPERATIVE for Florida officials to release the Robert Kraft naked spa video ASAP ... to prove the people running the NFL are just a bunch of hypocrites.

"I think the NFL is hypocritical," Hughley tells TMZ Sports ... "I do. I think that they didn't want Colin Kaepernick to have a job in the NFL because he took a knee."

"Robert Kraft was one of the main detractors. He didn't want him to get a job. He got busted in a prostitution ring. So, apparently, to the NFL ... a black man on one knee is too much, but a hooker or two is alright."

"So, the NFL has a problem with the number of knees you take. So I think we should see. And I think they get a chance to see how hypocritical they are."

Hughley's friend Cedric the Entertainer feels differently ... and explained to us why the judge needs to do everything in his power to BLOCK the tape from going public.

Ronda Rousey was sporting a brand new accessory in New York on Wednesday -- a full cast on her right hand ... essentially confirming reports she broke it during Wrestlemania 35.

The former UFC star was trying to cover up the black cast as she walked into a taping of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" ... but you couldn't miss it.

The 32-year-old's hand was "severely broken" in the April 7 match with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair, according to Dave Meltzer ... and there are reports she underwent surgery on Tuesday.

In fact, Ronda posted video of doctors checking out her hand after the match -- she got very emotional when she realized something was wrong (go to 13:00).

Unclear if the alleged injury will delay Ronda's return to the WWE ring -- considering she's taking an indefinite hiatus from the organization to work on starting her family, according to ESPN.

In fact, Rousey posted a photo on Monday with her husband, Travis Browne, saying the two were on an "impregnation vacation."

Seems the "vacation" part is over ...

Ronda has been a SUPERSTAR since joining the WWE back in 2018 -- holding the "Raw" women's championship ... until she lost to Becky Lynch in a Triple Threat match at Wrestlemania.

Scary moment for Green Bay Packers fans ... when Aaron Rodgers almost got TRUCKED Wednesday night at the Milwaukee Bucks playoff game!!

Don't worry ... he's fine. But, good lord.

The Packers QB was sitting courtside with girlfriend Danica Patrick at Fiserv Forum in Wisconsin to watch the Bucks take on the Detroit Pistons in Game 2 of their NBA playoff series.

All of the sudden, Bucks shooting guard Pat Connaughton came charging toward the sideline ... and nearly crashed into Green Bay's $134 MILLION man.

Scary considering Rodgers just revealed he played most of the 2018 season with a broken bone in his leg ... and EVERYONE wants a healthy Rodgers this time around.

... especially Packers legend Brett Favre, who recently told us he thinks Rodgers is the best player in football -- better than Tom Brady -- and he's expecting BIG things from the QB in 2019.

Boxing superstar Claressa Shields -- the undisputed middleweight champ -- says she's 100% confident she could beat male fighters ... and she's calling them out by name.

Shields was a BEAST in her title fight this weekend against then-undefeated Christina Hammer -- dominating every round en route to an obvious unanimous decision. It's clear Shields is on another level.

The 24-year-old sensation is now focused on a superfight with the other reigning undisputed female boxing champ, Cecilia Braekhus ... and hopes to set up a PPV fight in the near future.

The two fight at different weight classes but Shields says she's hoping they can meet at 154 pounds and battle it out to determine the greatest pound-for-pound fighter alive.

But, Sheilds doesn't just consider herself the best female fighter alive -- she thinks she's better than most MALE fighters too ... and she's willing to back it up.

"I spar with men. I drop men. I bust [men's noses]. I beat men up all the time," Shields says.

That's when Claressa began naming names ... from Keith Thurman to Gennady Golovkin.

"I think I can beat up Keith Thurman ... I really do."

FYI, Thurman is undefeated with a 29-0-1 record. He's held multiple titles.

"They may be stronger than me, but their boxing ability isn't like mine. GGG, he's older now, but I could give GGG a run for his money."

We asked if she could honestly hang with the brute strength and power of a male fighter -- and again, she wasn't worried.

"Power for power isn't a question because what is boxing? Boxing is the sweet science. It's not about strength ... because people were saying Christina Hammer was stronger than me. They were saying all these girls were stronger than me, but did you not see the head movement that I had during the fight? See the defense? The offense? The traps I set!?"

"If I were to get in there with a man, I would do a lot more of that. And, I do have some power. I'm not gonna say I'm stronger than them, but if I set up the right shots with the right timing?!?!"

Shareef O'Neal is making a dramatic return to the basketball court ... stepping back onto the hardwood 4 months after undergoing heart surgery!!!

The UCLA star posted a picture Wednesday evening of him getting some shots up on campus ... and it's great to see him playing the game he loves.

Shareef missed his entire freshman season after going under the knife in December to correct an irregularity with his heart ... and his post-op pictures proved just how serious the procedure was.

Shareef's return is great news for UCLA and new head coach Mick Cronin ... the Bruins struggled to a 17-16 record without the services of the star recruit, missing the NCAA Tournament by a mile.

When we got Shareef out at Staples Center in early March, Shaq's son told us he was about 6 weeks away from returning to the floor ... and it turns out his timetable was spot on.

If this isn't the most Gronk story to date ...

Rob Gronkowski made sure to leave his mark on the Patriots before retiring from the NFL ... putting a HUGE dent in their 6th Lombardi trophy while trying to use it as a baseball bat.

Yes ... Gronk used a freakin' Super Bowl trophy to try to hit a baseball because ... we don't know why he would do this, actually.

It all went down when the Patriots were honored at Fenway Park before a Red Sox game earlier this month ... when players like Gronk and Julian Edelman were having some fun and *pretending* to hit baseballs while using the trophy as a bat.

Gronk must've missed the memo about PRETENDING ... 'cause the dude switched up his batting stance to bunt the ball ... and he made contact.

The bunt resulted in a massive dent in ol' Vinny ... and the Patriots hilariously released a mini-mockumentary to give the play-by-play of the whole thing.

58-year-old Iran Barkley -- Saquon Barkley's famous boxing uncle -- says he ain't done in the ring yet ... 'cause he's telling TMZ Sports he wants one last fight ... WITH DEONTAY WILDER!!

"I want to fight the heavyweight champ of the world," Iran says ... "I'm looking for that."

If you're unfamiliar ... Iran was actually a world champion boxer back in the day -- with 2 victories over Tommy Hearns and a near win over Roberto Duran on his 43-19-1 resume.

But, even though the guy hasn't fought since 1999 ... he says he ain't ready to hang up his gloves yet -- 'cause he wants one last fight with Wilder!!

Oh, and he says he'll win that, too, telling Wilder, "I bet I knock you out!!!"

By the way, Iran is Saquon's great-uncle, and Saquon's credited him in the past as a big reason why he's become one of the NFL's toughest running backs.

Which only means one thing ... better watch out for Saquon's high-school-aged little bro in a couple of years!!!

12:21 PM PT -- Temporary victory for Robert Kraft ...

Florida 15th Judicial Circuit Court Joseph Marx has BLOCKED the release of the Kraft video -- for now -- kicking the matter down the road. A hearing has been set for later this month.

Florida prosecutors say they WILL release pixelated video of Robert Kraft and other men inside the Orchids of Asia Day Spa where they allegedly received illegal sexual services ... but Kraft has filed an emergency motion to block the release.

The Assistant State Attorney in Palm Beach County has filed new court docs saying he is obligated to release the footage shot inside the Day Spa to the media as a matter of law.

The New England Patriots owner has been battling like hell to keep the video under wraps for weeks arguing several angles -- he claims the footage was illegally shot and also says the release will taint a potential jury and prevent him from getting a fair trial.

But, prosecutors say in Florida ... state law requires disclosure of this type of evidence when requested by the media -- even though it includes explicit sexual images.

As we previously reported, prosecutors say the footage -- shot by a surveillance camera inside a massage room -- shows Kraft receiving sexual services in exchange for money on two separate occasions.

Officials say the cameras were covertly installed as part of a sting operation investigating possible human trafficking at the Day Spa.

Kraft claims the prosecutor had previously assured the court the video would not be released until a judge had an opportunity to analyze the issue ... and now he clearly feels prosecutors have mislead the court about their true intentions.

So, what does it all mean? The case will go in front of a judge TODAY at 11:30 AM PT -- and the judge could rule from the bench immediately.

And, there's more ... one of the patrons of the Day Spa who claims he was unknowingly recorded by the surveillance cams while receiving a legitimate massage has also filed docs seeking to block the release. He claims he had disrobed in the room and fears that private footage will humiliate him.

TMZ Sports spoke with future Hall of Famer Lou Williams on Tuesday night ... and yeah, you read that correctly ... 'cause the L.A. Clippers star says he's deserving of a spot in Springfield!!!

We spoke with the 2-time Sixth Man of the Year award winner at the Ethika pop-up shop in L.A. on Tuesday night ... and asked if he's done enough to join the game's best players in the Hall if he's named the league's best bench player again.

"Yeah, I've seen guys in the Hall of Fame with less. I've put the work in," the 14-year NBA veteran tells us.

As for his career numbers -- he's averaging 14.2 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds a game. And even though he's never made an All-Star team, he's considered one of the greatest 6th men ever.

In fact, dude even got a shout-out in the 2015 Drake song, "6 Man" ... 'memba that:

"Boomin' out in South Gwinnett like Lou Will. 6 Man like Lou Will, 2 girls and they get along like I'm (Lou Will). Like I'm Lou Will, I just got the new deal."

Good times ...

Anyway, Williams says he's still got time to prove his HOF worthiness -- but tells us, "I've put a lot of work in, so it'll be nice to even get that appreciation."

The greatest swimmer of all-time wants Tiger Woods to become the greatest golfer of all-time ... 'cause Michael Phelps tells TMZ Sports he wants TW to catch Jack Nicklaus' majors record!!!

"I hope he gets to 18," Phelps says ... "I'll say that."

Of course, Phelps famously had a front-row seat to watch Tiger's historic 15th major win at the Masters this past weekend -- which left Tiger just 3 short of Nicklaus' 18 mark.

And, after seeing all that up close ... Michael seems to think it's very possible Tiger catches Nicklaus soon -- 'cause he's proclaiming Woods has officially returned to old Tiger form.

"Tiger's back," Phelps said out in New York on Wednesday ... "That's all I gotta say. He's back."

Good news for Phelps and El Tigre? We spoke with golf legend John Daly this week ... and he says he knows for a fact Tiger WILL break Nicklaus' record!!!

Good news, bad news for Dave Bautista ...

Bad News ... someone lost control of their car Tuesday night and smashed through the front gate of Bautista's gym in Florida.

Good News ... miraculously, no one was hurt!!!

It all went down outside of Dave's boutique gym in Tampa -- which looks like a house from the front -- where a black SUV crashed into the outside fence of the property in the middle of the night.

Bautista personally went down to the gym to check out the damage -- and admits he was in a "sh*tty mood" when he saw what happened.

But, the former WWE superstar says, "Thankfully no one was hurt."

Several Tampa Police Dept. officers also responded to the crash scene -- and Bautista says they couldn't have been nicer and more understanding.

So, what did Bautista do next? He took pics with everyone!!!

Patrick Beverley and Kevin Durant only LOOK like they hate each other on the court ... so says Beverley himself, who tells TMZ Sports he has ZERO real beef with the Warriors superstar.

"Hell no!" Pat says ... "I don't got no beef with anybody."

"It's all fun, man. Just two good teams, two good players battling."

Of course ... cameras seem to tell a different story -- 'cause the two have been at each other's throats in the first two Warriors-Clippers playoff games.

In fact, Pat and KD were both ejected in the Warriors' Game 1 win ... and it looked pretty heated.

But Pat told us at Lou Williams' Ethika pop-up shop in L.A. on Tuesday night they've got no bad blood ... and they're both just out there competing for a championship.

As for if their contentious on-the-court games will affect whether or not K.D. would consider joining the Clippers in free agency this offseason ... ya gotta hear Pat's answer.

An ex-NFL running back is facing murder and child abuse charges in the death of a 5-year-old girl -- after officials say he killed her through rigorous exercise used to punish her.

28-year-old Cierre Wood -- a former star running back at Notre Dame -- appeared in a Las Vegas courtroom Tuesday in the death of his girlfriend's daughter, La'Rayah Davis.

Davis died on April 9 -- and prosecutors say it's because Wood forced her to complete a hellacious workout routine unsuited for a 5-year-old.

Officials say Wood claimed Davis had behavior issues -- he also described her as "chunky" -- so to punish her, Wood would force her to run wind sprints and do sit-ups and wall squats inside their apartment.

Officials say Wood admitted Davis couldn't complete a second round of sit-ups on April 9 -- and flailed backward, smacking the back of her head against the floor.

She then got up and swayed -- and then collapsed. She was pronounced dead a short time later.

Officials say Wood had a slogan for the punishment -- calling it, "Learning through fun."

The girl's mother, Amy Taylor, has also been charged with murder -- and officials say she also abused the child before her death.

Prosecutors say Taylor admits the 5-year-old was complaining of chest pains in the days before her death -- after her mother had sat on her chest and stomach to punish her for misbehaving.

Officials say Taylor also admitted to having "popped" her daughter on the day she died.

During Tuesday's hearing, the judge says photos of Davis' body show severe injuries -- and told the court, "Once you’ve seen them, you can’t ever unsee them."

The case is due back in court soon.

As for Wood, he was a stud running back in college -- rushing for 1,102 yards as a junior in 2011. He was suspended in 2012 for 2 games for violating team rules.

Wood signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2013 but never panned out.

Not many people know what it's like to balance parenthood with global mega-fame -- but Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake do ... and JT says it's brought them closer together.

In fact, Timberlake just wrote about his friendship with Tiger for Time Magazine -- explaining how the two got to spend some time together last year and really bonded by "talking about being fathers."

Tiger has two kids -- 10 and 11 -- and JT has a 4-year-old son.

"We bonded over the fact that we wanted our children to watch us at our best," Timberlake wrote ... noting that his 4-year-old has just "started to realize what I do."

The coolest part of Justin's story -- Timberlake says in 2018 Tiger told him one of his biggest life goals was to win a major in front of his kids.

Fast forward to April 14 in Augusta ... Tiger wins The Masters and his kids are RIGHT THERE to give him a big 'ol hug.

Timberlake says he couldn't have been happier for his friend -- "What a dream come true."

"All the work he did when people weren't watching allowed him to hug his children on that same hallowed ground he hugged his father 22 years ago, amid all the adulation, a Masters champion once again."

Justin and Tiger have known each other for years and have golfed together a bunch of times.

Tiger has gone on the record praising JT's golf game -- saying the guy has a "beautiful swing" ... but needs to work on his short game if he REALLY wants to get to the next level.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft isn't buying what prosecutors are selling when it comes to the video police secretly recorded inside the Orchids of Asia Day Spa -- and ultimately it could determine if the video is ever released to the public.

Kraft filed a request for prosecutors to hand over all evidence about the "number of individuals who were recorded on video in the massage rooms while receiving lawful massages or were not charged."

Translation: How many innocents were caught in the crossfire during the 5 days cops continuously recorded video inside all the rooms at the spa?

Well, in docs obtained by TMZ, the prosecutors say Jupiter PD recorded 2 men and 2 women on January 20 and 21 who received "lawful massages."

TMZ broke the story ... prosecutors and Jupiter PD are now being sued by one man who says he was recorded in the spa, but did not engage in any sexual activity while there. He believes his civil rights were violated, and his attorney, Joe Tacopina, tells us his client isn't the only one. Tacopina says he's spoken to 17 people who went to the spa on the up and up during the time cops were recording.

Kraft's legal team also seems to think prosecutors are lowballing the number of people recorded getting legit massages. They're now demanding the state reveal how many people were recorded but "were not charged."