TMZ Sports - Page 50

SEC men's basketball ... you've officially been put on notice -- 'cause Scottie Pippen says his son is about to be a MONSTER at Vanderbilt!!!

"You know my son's going to bring it," Pippen tells TMZ Sports ... "His eggs don't fall too far from the tree!"

Of course, Scotty Pippen Jr. just signed his National Letter of Intent to play for the Commodores last week ... so when we got his famous pops out at Toca Madera, we had to ask about his son's game.

Ya gotta see Scottie's response ... the Chicago Bulls legend CLEARLY believes his son can be the next big thing at Vandy!!!

If ya haven't seen the kid ... he's a 6-foot-1, 160-pound PG who new Vanderbilt head coach Jerry Stackhouse says, "has the ability and poise to make an immediate impact on our roster."

Scotty's first time in Vandy's black and gold will be sometime in the fall ... until then, enjoy his high school highlights!!!

Vince McMahon, listen up ... Rick Neuheisel is offering advice to the XFL in the wake of the AAF's colossal collapse -- "Start with enough money!!!"

"At the end of the day, you gotta have enough financing," the former Arizona Hotshots' head coach says.

Of course, the AAF just folded a few weeks ago ... and Neuheisel tells us it pretty much boils down to they just didn't have enough cash to keep it going.

So, when we asked for his message to McMahon's XFL -- which is set to kick off in 2020 -- he told us his advice is simple ... be sure to have enough green to start!!!

As for if Neuheisel thinks the league can succeed once it does that -- the ex-UCLA coach says he thinks there's certainly a place for a pro league in the NFL's offseason.

"I think there's room and need for spring football," Rick says ... "There's a gap between college and NFL and it allows players to show they're capable."

If the whole "basketball God" thing never happened for LeBron James, he could've earned his way as a real-deal professional boxer ... and if you don't believe it, just ask Canelo Alvarez!!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the boxing superstar about partnering with King James for a docuseries leading up to his big fight with Daniel Jacobs ... and he says it's an incredible honor to work together.

So, how would Bron have fared if he took his talents to the ring instead of the court?

"He has the height, the body, the physique. But, an athlete of this level -- like ourselves -- I think we can do other sports fairly well."

Just for fun, here's the tale of the tape pitting LeBron James against heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder ...

We also had to flip the question on Canelo to ask what sport he'd like to dominate if he didn't become a boxer ... and you'll want to hear what he says!!!

As for the fight with Jacobs on DAZN this weekend, Canelo says he's feeling good leading up to the huge event on Saturday.

Can you spot the G.O.A.T.?!

He's behind the dude in SWAG pink suit!

Check this out ... a bunch of NFL stars are hanging together in Kentucky right now -- gearing up for the Kentucky Derby.

Baker Mayfield's front and center -- with an incognito Tom Brady blending in behind him.

Indianapolis Colts QB Jacoby Brissett -- Tom's former backup -- is in the bottom left ... standing next to Julian Edelman.

Also in the mix ... ex-Patriots' Lonie Paxton and Dan Koppen.

TB12 is a regular at the Derby -- so is his coach, Bill Belichick. Unclear if Bill has made it to Churchill Downs yet.

We already reported L.A. Rams head coach Sean McVay is in town with his smokin' hot girlfriend.

76ers superstar Ben Simmons hit Kyle Lowry in the nuts ... and it cost him 20 THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!

The NBA just announced Simmons was slapped with a $20K fine and a flagrant foul for "making contact to the groin of Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry" during Thursday night's playoff game in Philly.

The dirty play went down during the 2nd quarter of the 76ers 116-95 blowout win.

Lowry and Simmons were battling for position ... and BS jumped to grab a rebound. He fell to the ground ... and Lowry was standing over him.

That's when Simmons through the fateful elbow -- connecting squarely with KL's junk.

It was an all-around crappy night for Lowry ... aside from the ball shot, his team got blown out and he only scored 7 points.

TMZ Sports has obtained video of ex-Cincinnati Bengals RB Mark Walton's arrest earlier this year ... and it's wild -- showing the NFL player getting tased ... and getting up and running away!!

The former Miami Hurricanes star was arrested last month stemming from a March 12 incident where cops say he led them on a crazy high-speed chase in his rented BMW.

Cops say Walton -- a 4th-round draft pick last year out of the Univ. of Miami -- was speeding and weaving through traffic in the Miami area when he came to an abrupt stop in the front yard of somebody's home.

You can see in the video what happens next ... cops order the running back to the ground -- but he gets up and runs away.

While the officers are chasing him -- they hit him with a taser ... but he pulls out the prongs and keeps going!!!

Walton shockingly loses the cops ... but when the officers search his car ... they say they found weed, a carbine rifle and ammunition.

Walton later surrendered on April 4.

Walton -- who was cut by Cincinnati after the incident -- is now facing a felony and 3 misdemeanor charges ... and could spend at least 5 years behind bars if convicted.

It's the third time the running back has been arrested in the last few months -- he was busted for weed back in January, and was also hit with a battery charge after he allegedly snatched a phone from a neighbor at his condo in February.

CC Sabathia is hands down a slam dunk Hall of Famer, so says a guy who tried to beat him for YEARS ... 'cause Jake Odorizzi tells TMZ Sports the Yankee belongs in Cooperstown.

"He's a surefire Hall of Famer," the Minnesota Twins pitcher says ... "I really enjoyed watching him pitch."

It's a pretty big compliment from Jake ... considering the guy threw against CC PLENTY from 2013 to 2017 when Odorizzi was a Tampa Bay Ray and Sabathia was in NY.

But, game recognizes game ... and Odorizzi says CC is one of the best to ever do it.

And, why? Jake tells us the way Sabathia changed his approach from a flame-throwing lefty to a crafty pitcher is really impressive.

"He's the third lefty that's ever got 3,000 strikeouts," Jake says ... "So, I think that's pretty special."

38-year-old Sabathia has a pretty strong resume -- 6-time All-Star, 2009 World Series champion and he won the Cy Young in 2007.

Plus, he won the MLB in wins in 2009 and 2010.

Here's Sean McVay and his smoking hot girlfriend to get you ready to horse around this weekend!!

The L.A. Rams head coach and Veronika Khomyn (did we mention she's gorgeous?) are in Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday ... and they're already showin' off their derby drip!!

The Derby is one of the biggest events in sports and gives celebs and athletes an opportunity to flex with their outfits and party all weekend ... and this year will be no different.

Veronika (still hot) put on her floral print dress and a big ass hat for the occasion ... and McBae went with a blue plaid suit. V swaggy.

Remember ... Bob Baffert told us MONTHS AGO who he thought was gonna win the big race tomorrow ... and if you haven't placed your bets yet, we don't know what else we could do to help.

If horses aren't your thing, grab a mint julep and scroll through these great pics.

Rick Fox tells TMZ Sports he's not 100% certain about leaving his wildly successful Esports franchise -- saying he'd stick with Team Echo Fox if they sever ties with a racist investor.

Earlier this week, Team Echo Fox confirmed a minority investor in the Esports franchise used racist language both verbally and in emails. Rick Fox claims he was personally subjected to the racist language.

There were reports Fox -- who founded (and is the face of) Team Echo Fox was leaving the franchise because of that investor.

But, when we spoke with Fox in L.A., the ex-NBA star told us his relationship with T.E.F. could be salvaged ... if the franchise 86s the racist investor from the business.

"I am not looking to go anywhere, but I will not stay in business with a racist," Fox says ... "I just won't."

Fox praised his other business partners, investors, sponsors and players -- but he's drawn a clear line in the sand and now it's up to the T.E.F. to decide what to do.

The issue for Echo Fox ... as Rick points out, the racist investor has rights too.

"The unfortunate thing is being a racist in America is not illegal, unfortunately. He has his own economic interests and his own rights. So, no one is going to trample on his rights."

The stakes are high for Fox -- he's spent years and tons of his own money building Echo Fox into a major force in the Esports world. He's not just a name attached to the team, he's been in the trenches from the beginning helping to build T.E.F. from the ground up.

It's GREAT to be Cam Newton these days ... dude just officially opened up his own cigar shop -- AND he's having another baby!!!

Oh, and his hat game is still as strong as ever!!!!

The Carolina Panthers superstar was out in Atlanta on Thursday flaunting how amazing his life is ... posing with his mom and brother for the ribbon-cutting ceremony for "Fellaship"

It's a bar/lounge/club that's supposed to be awesome -- a cool hangout spot for drinks and cigars ... and Cam's been stoked about it for months.

Newton -- as always -- was dressed to the nines, rockin' an awesome hat and a fitted suit for its official opening ... and the place already looks like a hit, receiving tons of great reviews.

It's just the latest cool moment for the QB ... the NFL superstar's girlfriend announced just hours before the ceremony began that the couple is expecting their fourth child.

Cam's shoulder also seems to be doing better after the offseason surgery ... he had no problems moving around the venue with all his friends and fam.

Stephen Jackson is giving some solid advice to D'Angelo Russell following his weed bust earlier this week ... telling the NBA star to keep his head up and be SMARTER with his pot moving forward.

As we previously reported ... DLo was cited for marijuana possession Wednesday at LaGuardia airport after TSA found a fake can of Arizona iced tea in his checked bag ... with green stashed away in a secret compartment.

Stack is now going to bat for Russell ... essentially saying it's NBD because ganja's practically legal everywhere now, but laws are laws and the young hooper can't be getting in trouble.

"Thinking bout @dloading stay strong kid," Jackson says. "They rather u take man made stuff so they can benefit."

Jackson added, "Gotta be smarter DLo but remember it’s a 'PLANT' not a drug. Facts. Do your homework."

FYI -- Jackson is a big marijuana advocate ... and has teamed up with fellow ex-NBA great Al Harrington's Viola cannabis company to share the benefits of weed as an alternative to prescription pills for pain relief.

Stack says although it's on its way to being legal everywhere, it's still a crime ... "It’s only a prob having it if u successful and black. It’s dam near legal."

Oscar De La Hoya says there's a new (kinda) young fighter he wants to add to his Golden Boy Promotions stable ... Kevin Hart ... and make no mistake about it, Oscar is being 100% real.

Kevin recently took up boxing, and actually stepped into the ring for a LIVE SPARRING session against pro poker player Antonio Esfandiari and held his own in a close loss.

We talked to Oscar who's promoting the HUGE Canelo Alvarez vs. Danny Jacobs fight going down on DAZN this weekend who says Kevin needs to stop giving his fists away for free.

"If he wants a promoter, Kevin, give me a call. I can put you on the big stage here in Vegas live on DAZN."

If you think Oscar's just playing, you're wrong. His eyes LIT UP at the thought of working with Hart, and he gave us a blueprint to how KH's boxing career would look if he hooked up with Golden Boy.

"I can get him a few fights, 4 rounders, 6 rounders, build him up to the championship level."

Kevin has said he wants a rematch against Esfandiari before he does anything else, and you guessed it, Oscar's down to promote that too.

"I have the perfect location. We can do it at the Staples Center, headlined by Kevin Hart, live on DAZN, make a lot of money. I could make up a championship belt that would fit around his waist. Come on, Kevin, let's do it."

A routine jewelry shopping spree turned into high drama for Floyd Mayweather on Thursday -- when things got heated with a store owner over a VERY expensive stone and cops were called, TMZ Sports has learned.

We're told Floyd was shopping at the Diamond Club fine jewelry shop inside the Seybold Building when Mayweather zeroed in a stone.

Our sources tell us ... a verbal altercation broke out between Mayweather and the shop owner -- and things got so intense, someone inside the shop called police.

By the time cops arrived, we're told Mayweather had already left the shop.

We reached out to Mayweather and the shop owner -- but everyone is being VERY tight-lipped about the situation.

We also contacted Miami PD -- and a rep would only confirm that cops responded to the shop regarding an issue involving a "high profile celebrity" ... but wouldn't get into specifics.

Unclear if cops are investigating or if the matter is considered closed.

Remember, Mayweather spends MILLIONS of dollars at jewelry stores all over the world -- so you'd think Floyd showing up at your shop would be like hitting the lottery.

But, that's clearly not what happened here.

Houston Astros star George Springer has been disciplined by the MLB ... and it's over a homophobic slur he mouthed at an umpire after a strikeout.

The incident went down back on April 23 during the Astros-Twins game -- when Springer was called out on strikes by umpire Angel Hernandez on a pitch GP clearly thought was WAY too low.

As Springer was venting about the call in the dugout ... cameras caught the outfielder mouthing the words to Angel, "f**king c*** sucker!"

Now, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has issued a statement to Outsports ... saying the MLB has internally punished the 'Stros star for the vulgar language.

"This inappropriate behavior was addressed with Mr. Springer and the Houston Astros,” Manfred said ... “and he has been disciplined.”

Unclear what the punishment was for Springer ... but he has NOT been suspended for the altercation.

Neither Springer nor the Astros have yet to comment on the situation.

Sylvester Stallone says Conor McGregor "absolutely" deserves an ownership stake in the UFC -- and he's willing to work with the Irishman to make it happen.

Now, how serious is Stallone? Hard to tell ... but we do know Sly really does care about the guy and thinks he's a special fighter.

We also know Conor is dead serious about his demands for shares in the UFC -- despite Dana White repeatedly saying it ain't gonna happen.

Back in 2016, Mark Wahlberg made a very REAL offer to Conor -- saying he'd sell him some of his ownership ... but Conor needed to "cut the check."

Just this week, Conan O'Brien joked that Conor would need to fight him for his piece of the UFC.

But, Conor ain't kidding around -- making his demands clear back in March.

"Give me my rightful shares in the UFC company," Conor said ... "That’s all I ask."

Lamar Odom says he still battles the addictions that almost took his life, but says he's winning the war, and plans to fight for as long as it takes.

"Getting high is not on my agenda."

We talked to Lamar at LAX Thursday morning, just hours after he officially joined the "Enemies" team in Ice Cube's BIG3 league ... marking his return to pro competition against NBA level opponents.

Odom very candidly and bravely opened up to our guy not only about his new home in the BIG3, but about his state mind ... and most notably, his fight to stay sober.

"When you're an addict, that's something you live with forever, bro. You don't just put that behind you."

As for the BIG3, Lamar says he agrees with Cube -- who said he expects Odom will be the league's comeback player of the year.

"Hopefully I get nominated for an ESPY."

The fact that Odom is alive at all is A MIRACLE, the man survived 12 strokes and 6 heart attacks when he overdosed in 2015, and most doctors thought his chances of a full recovery were slim to none.