TMZ Sports - Page 50

Lamar Odom is still a Laker at heart -- telling TMZ Sports he REALLY wants to see his old team return to greatness ... and feels Kyrie Irving could be the guy to make it happen.

Odom clearly feels Irving is still a force in the NBA -- despite a poor showing with the Celtics in the playoffs.

On the way out of the Fashion Nova event in Hollywood, LO told us a reunion with LeBron James could be the spark that gets Kyrie going again.

Odom also thinks the Lakers should make a run at Anthony Davis -- but that seems unlikely based on the attempted trade drama that went down during the regular season.

As for Kyrie, the guy is immensely talented -- but seemed off during the Celtics playoff series vs. the Milwaukee Bucks ... he just didn't look like himself.

So, could Odom be right? It's a long offseason and Kyrie is clearly unhappy in Boston.

Remember, Kyrie and LeBron weren't always like peas and carrots either -- they won a title together in Cleveland before Irving made it clear he wanted out.

Irving and LeBron later squashed the beef and seem to be cool now.

The owners of an upscale yoga studio are accusing Dennis Rodman of participating in a brazen daytime clothing heist ... and the whole bizarre thing was captured on video obtained by TMZ Sports.

Here's the deal ... the NBA Hall of Famer entered VIBES Hot Yoga in Newport Beach around 12:45 PM on Tuesday with 3 companions -- 2 women and 1 man.

Almost immediately after they arrived, things got weird -- the owner tells us Dennis began distracting employees while the woman in a long-sleeved green shirt began stuffing clothing into her purse.

At one point, the woman hides behind Rodman while she tucks a shirt away.

Then, things get weirder ...

Rodman's male companion grabs a large $2,500 crystal art piece from the front desk and tries to place it on a steel dolly, insisting he wants to buy it.

But, the guy drops the crystal -- which shatters all over the floor -- and while the staff is distracted, the woman in the green-sleeves grabs another clothing item and again stuffs it into her purse.

Eventually, the entire crew leaves the store with the shattered crystal piece on the dolly. The owner tells us everyone in the group refused to pay. Dennis actually blamed the staff for the broken crystal.

The owner tells us ... the gang left the store with more than $500 in stolen clothing, plus the broken crystal -- so they went to police and filed a theft report.

The owner also says the employees working that day say everyone in Rodman's group reeked of alcohol.

VIBES is a popular spot for the rich and famous in Newport Beach -- everyone from Selena Gomez to Kobe Bryant has been there.

We reached out to the Newport Beach PD -- but they're not commenting.

We also spoke with Rodman's attorney who told us, "We would decline comment. It's premature."

By the way, Rodman is still on probation stemming from a Jan. 2018 drunk driving incident -- so, this could become a VERY big deal for the 57-year-old.

Prince Harry's paternity leave is already over, and he's back on the job ... as a model.

While Master Archie's back at the palace filling diapers, his pops is all smiles in the Netherlands ... happily showing off some baby gifts he'll be bringing home. Harry's back on the road -- just 4 days after Meghan Markle birthed their first child -- to promote his Invictus Games, which will be held in the Netherlands next year.

Harry's Invictus coworkers hooked him up with a onesie for Archie, and they also gave the Prince his own Invictus windbreaker ... complete with highlighted letters spelling out, "I Am Daddy." Just in case he forgets.

No doubt, Master Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor will be lauded with tons of gifts in the coming days. Yeah, he's only 7th in line to the throne -- right behind his dad -- but he's Harry and Meghan's first, and the first American/British royal.

Invictus is an athletic competition for injured soldiers from around the globe which the Duke of Sussex created back in 2014.

Looks like Harry's already settling into juggling work and fatherhood.

Jason Pierre-Paul was behind the wheel of $350,000 Ferrari when he crashed into a concrete barrier on May 2 ... this according to the crash report obtained by TMZ Sports.

The Florida Highway Patrol states JPP was driving a red 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista -- a rocket ship on wheels that tops out at 211 mph. The car goes from 0 to 60 in 2.8 seconds.

Officials say the Tampa Bay Bucs superstar lost control of the car around 2:38 AM and collided with a concrete barrier on I-95 in Fort Lauderdale. There were no skid marks or debris found in the roadway.

Despite the curious time of the accident, officials say the responding officers did NOT suspect JPP was under the influence of alcohol or drugs ... and was NOT tested for either.

Instead, cops say they believe "weather conditions" -- specifically wet road surfaces -- caused the NFL star to lose control.

Good news, bad news for David Beckham ...

The bad news -- the soccer legend just got hit with a 6-month driving ban in London after being caught using his cell phone behind the wheel back in November.

The good news -- the 44-year-old turned the courtroom into a catwalk and strutted into court looking BEAUTIFUL.

Officials say the square-jawed superstar was chatting away on his celly while pushing a $130,000 Bentley in Central London on Nov. 21 -- and just like in Los Angeles, that's a big no-no across the pond these days.

During his appearance at Bromley Magistrates Court, Beckham -- wearing a sharp charcoal suit with a white shirt and black tie -- was ordered to pay a $1,100 fine and had his driving license suspended for 6 months.

Of course, Beckham has so much money, he can afford a driver to take him anywhere he wants to go for the next 6 months ... so, no biggie for Becks.

Here's either the friendliest fan in Milwaukee or the bravest ... 'cause this guy bought Danica Patrick a drink Wednesday night -- directly in front of her MVP boyfriend, Aaron Rodgers!!

The mesmerizing scene all went down in the third quarter of the Bucks' playoff game against the Celtics -- when wine was delivered to the court-side area where A-Rodge and Patrick were sitting.

A fan hands off what appears to be a cup of wine to the ex-NASCAR superstar ... but when she tries to throw cash his way for the drink -- he refuses!!!

The scene set social media on fire -- mostly because it raised a BILLION questions ...

1. Was this guy shooting his shot RIGHT in front of the NFL's best QB?!

2. Exactly how much money was Patrick trying to throw the guy's way for the drink?

3. Did Rodgers react appropriately?!?!

Whatever the case was for the situation ... everybody ultimately seemed happy with it in the end.

JUNGLE BOY IS BACK!!!

David Arquette got beat up in public Wednesday night -- and the man who served up the smackdown is Jack Perry, son of Luke Perry.

Jack -- aka Jungle Boy -- had taken a hiatus from pro wrestling after his father passed away in March, but he took over the Bootleg Theater in L.A. Wednesday night where he put on a helluva show at Bar Wrestling's "It's Gonna Be May" event.

There were some high-flying acrobatics -- some brute power moves -- and finally, an athletic pin to seal the victory over Arquette.

After the match, Arquette wasn't bitter about the loss -- in fact, he was RAVING about Jungle Boy ... calling him one of the "greatest wrestlers working right now."

"He's just got so much talent, so much heart," Arquette told us ... "He's incredible. He's super smart."

Here's WWE Hall of Famer Torrie Wilson giving herself a spray tan in the shower in a tiny bikini.

Yeah, you're welcome.

43-year-old Torrie proved once again she's as hot as ever ... 'cause she hopped in the shower for a little tanning sesh Wednesday -- and it's pretty great.

She sprays herself down ... she does some dance moves ... and even hits the robot. It's awesome.

Of course, in addition to being a legendary wrestler ... Torrie was on the cover of Playboy (twice) and is a world class fitness model, so lookin' good in swimwear has never been a problem for her.

4:05 PM PT -- Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein announced late Wednesday the team has identified the fan and banned him from Wrigley Field for life.

"We've made clear how egregious and unacceptable that behavior is, and there's no place for it in our society, in baseball and certainly no place in Wrigley Field," Epstein said.

The Chicago Cubs are trying to find -- and possibly BAN -- a fan who flashed a hand sign sometimes associated with white power, the team announced Wednesday.

During Tuesday night's broadcast of the Cubs-Marlins game ... a fan flashed a hand sign that looks like an upside-down "OK" gesture.

In recent years, the hand sign has been used by white supremacist groups. But, the symbol obviously has another -- non-hateful meaning -- and the Anti-Defamation League warns that people have been falsely branded as racist for using it without racist intent.

This particular incident went down in the bottom of the 3rd inning ... when the telecast cut to commentator Doug Glanville -- and a fan made sure to make the sign viewable for the camera.

The Cubs now say they're investigating the incident ... and are considering removing the guy from Wrigley Field forever.

"An individual seated behind Mr. Glanville used what appears to be an offensive hand gesture that is associated with racism," Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney said.

“Such ignorant and repulsive behavior is not tolerated at Wrigley Field. We are reviewing the incident thoroughly because no one should be subjected to this type of offensive behavior."

"Any derogatory conduct should be reported immediately to our ballpark staff. Any individual behaving in this manner will not only be removed from the ballpark, but will be permanently banned from Wrigley Field."

Dez Bryant STILL has some Pro Bowl seasons left in him -- even after not playing a down of NFL football last year ... so says his trainer, who tells TMZ Sports the receiver's still got it!

"The attitude, the mindset is still there," David Robinson says.

Remember, Dez didn't have a team for most of 2018 after the Dallas Cowboys cut him before the season ... and then he blew out his Achilles when the Saints took a flyer on him late in the year.

But, Bryant finally took the field again for the first time since he suffered the injury in November ... and the guy running his workouts says the receiver still has plenty of gas in the tank.

In fact, Robinson tells us Bryant is so motivated to return to his All-Pro form ... he says the former NFL superstar is as hungry as he's ever seen him.

"He's out to prove a lot of people wrong. He's back in the grind mode of when he was coming out of Lufkin High School!"

Think Robinson's just gassin' up his client? Think again ... 'cause David has helped a few guys -- including Adrian Peterson -- come back from injuries before.

"I definitely can tell, [Dez] is a lot more serious this go around."

LaVar Ball is NOT folding the Big Baller Brand -- in fact, it's the opposite -- he's expanding BBB with plans to make it bigger than ever, TMZ Sports has learned.

LaVar has had some big problems with BBB recently -- claiming cofounder Alan Foster stole a FORTUNE from the company and his son, Lonzo Ball.

Lonzo was so pissed he sued Foster for more than $2 mil and later covered up the BBB tattoo on his arm ... which many people considered a death blow to the brand. In the wake of the chaos, the BBB website was also taken down.

But now, we've learned LaVar is in the process of building a new BBB team with plans to get back into the sportswear game and expand into other markets as well. He's already made some key hires.

Our sources tell us LaVar and his team are currently working on a battle plan and hope to get everything up and running again very soon.

LaVar launched Big Baller Brand back in 2017 -- selling ZO2 sneakers for a whopping $495 per pair. A bunch of influential celebs snatched up the shoes including Jay-Z who bought 3 pair.

A driver was nearly imprinted into the back of Jameis Winston's head this week ... 'cause the Tampa Bay Bucs star QB let a guy hit a golf ball off the top of his dome!!!

It all went down earlier this week at Derrick Brooks' annual celebrity golf tournament in Florida ... when Jameis decided to be a prop for trick shot artist Trevor Consavage.

Jameis strapped on a helmet ... put a ball and a tee on his head -- and let Trevor take a huge wack!!!

Luckily for Bruce Arians and the entire city of Tampa ... the trick went off without a flaw -- apparently, Consavage CRUSHED the shot!!!

But, seems not everyone's entertained ... Jameis -- who's found himself in trouble often over the last few years -- has said repeatedly this offseason he's going to work on making smarter decisions.

Sean McVay is finally coming clean on why the Rams were so bad against the Patriots in the Super Bowl last February ... saying he straight-up "over-prepared" for the big game.

Remember, Los Angeles came into SB LIII as one of the most potent offenses EVER ... but threw up just 3 points against Bill Belichick's boys in an epic loss.

Now, after reflecting on the sorry performance for 3 months ... McVay told Sports Illustrated he finally has the answer as to why it happened ...

"You have so much time that you can over-prepare and get away from some of the things that helped you get there."

McVay says he poured over ALL of New England's 18 games in the 2018-19 season ... and even went back to look at how the Pats played in their Super Bowls against the Eagles and Falcons.

Sean says doing all that extra work killed the Rams, saying, "You can watch so much film that you lose perspective."

The good news for L.A.? Per Sports Illustrated, McVay seemed disgusted that he let his team down -- and seems he learned his lesson.

Ezekiel Elliott is covering funeral expenses for an 8th grade football star who was shot and killed by a stray bullet last weekend while leaving a party in St. Louis, sources confirm to TMZ Sports.

14-year-old Jaylon McKenzie was at a house party following a school dance late Saturday night when a fight broke out involving other people.

As McKenzie and others walked outside to leave the home, he was struck by a stray bullet and died at a nearby hospital a short time later, according to the Illinois State Police.

McKenzie was a rising star on the field, dominating as a running back, WR and defensive back. He reportedly had scholarship offers from the University of Missouri and University of Illinois.

He was also spotlighted by Sports Illustrated when he was 13 as a teen athlete to watch.

So, when Ezekiel Elliott -- who grew up in St. Louis -- heard about his passing, we're told the NFL star felt compelled to help McKenzie's family by paying for the funeral costs.

McKenzie's mother, Sukeena Gunner, spoke with the Belleville News-Democrat about Zeke helping out.

"For him to reach out to me was unbelievable," Gunner said ... "Jaylon loved Ezekiel Elliott. He talked about him all the time."

"Just for him to reach out to me and help me in this difficult time leaves me speechless."

Ex-NBA star Shawn Kemp ain't playin' around -- he REALLY wants to sell his humongous Seattle-area mansion ... so he slashed the asking price by more than a MILLION bucks!

The 49-year-old former Seattle SuperSonics star owns a 13,000-square-foot pad in Maple Valley, Washington ... complete with a basketball court, tennis court, pool, putting green and spa.

The property sits on 5 acres of land. Massive.

Kemp originally listed the place for $3.7 mil back in 2018 -- but now, he's pricing it to move fast ... cutting the number down to $2.5 mil with listing agent Robert Potashnick of Coldwell Banker Bain.

The dunk specialist originally purchased the place back in 2003 for $2.4 million -- the same year he played his last game in the NBA.

Kemp reportedly made more than $90 MILLION during his NBA career -- so it doesn't seem like he's hurting for cash.

How did one of the world's best soccer players react to meeting the Fresh Prince of Bel Air???

HE LOST HIS FREAKIN' MIND!!!!

Neymar and Will Smith connected for the first time ever Wednesday ... and the Brazilian star's reaction to seeing the "Aladdin" actor was priceless.

The unsuspecting footballer was on the phone when Big Willy walked in ... and as soon as Smith got his attention -- Neymar dropped the call and went wild.

They shook hands ... Neymar couldn't believe it ... Smith was laughing ... and good times were had by all.

"One of the Best days of my life!!!" Neymar said.

Unclear why the two linked up -- but it appears it was for an event put on by Otro, a news app that promises fans a deep look into the life of soccer's biggest stars.