TMZ Sports - Page 50

When Michael Jordan took on the original batch of MonStars back in "Space Jam," he did it WITHOUT his running mate, Scottie Pippen ... and now Pip is telling us why he wasn't in the flick. 

Remember, MJ and Bill Murray starred in the movie back in 1996 ... with a core group of NBA stars that included Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson and more. 

When production on the movie began in 1995, Michael Jordan had just come back from retirement ... so he and Pippen were teammates in the Chicago Bulls again -- which had people wondering why didn't #33 have a significant role???

So, when we saw Pip at LAX on Thursday, we needed that explanation!!! 

I think I was injured or recovering from offseason injuries," Pippen said ... "I wasn't able to participate."

If he WAS healthy though, Pippen says he would have agreed to a role in a heartbeat.

Meanwhile, LeBron James is already shooting the sequel -- and some people are wondering why he didn't sign Zion Williamson to take on the MonStars. 

UFC legend Diego Sanchez says he WILL attend a UFC Hall of Fame ceremony just 24 hours before his UFC 239 fight ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks it'll help him build momentum!!!

Sanchez and Clay Guida are being honored for their famous "Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale" fight back in 2009 ... a 3-round war that's being enshrined in the UFC's Hall of Fame fight wing. 

10 years after getting the victory in that fight, Sanchez is still a VERY active UFC fighter -- who's set to take on Michael Chiesa at UFC 239 on July 6. 

Some fighters refuse to do anything the night before a fight -- opting to keep things low-key (meditating, relaxing, etc) as part of their pre-fight routine. 

But not Sanchez!!!

"I think it's a great build up of momentum going into the fight," Sanchez says ... "I'm gonna go up there, put my jacket on, take my little walk!"

"I look at it as positive energy ... it's great. Something that I see as normal."

Sanchez says he doesn't think the honor makes him feel old -- "I feel like I'm a legend continuing to be a legend!"

Sanchez is 29-11 in his pro MMA career -- and he's currently on a 2-fight win streak after beating up Mickey Gall back in March. 

NBA fashion god Kelly Oubre Jr. is turning his swag into a money making machine ... and he tells TMZ Sports one of his dream collabs is none other than Fear of God creator Jerry Lorenzo!!!

Wave Papi has been turning heads with his threads since entering the league in 2015 ... and even took part in his first Paris Fashion Week event over the weekend ... making headlines in the process. 

Now, he's in the process of launching his own line -- Dope Soul -- so, we had to ask who he'd love to work with in the fashion game ... and dude's aiming for the hottest names in the game.

Not only is the 23-year-old baller trying to work with his guy, Lorenzo ... he also name-drops Virgil Abloh of Off-White and Louis Vuitton.

We also asked Oubre about his "shawl" look during the Pigalle Paris event ... and he explains the inspo behind the 'fit.

We are one week away from the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals, but before we can even think about that we've got to show you what some of the true futbol fanatics look like! 

From kooky costumes to outrageous headgear, these dedicated supporters in the stands have been cheering on their teams since the start ... I mean who wouldn't want fans like this? Talk about goals! 

Take a good look at the faces in the crowd by rolling through our gallery of wacky Women's World Cup fans ... see the iconic looks from the folks getting noticed for supporting in style!

Jon Jones has NEVER been beaten (no, the DQ doesn't count) ... but Chris Weidman says he's gonna be the guy to hand Bones his first real "L" in the UFC Octagon!!!

Weidman -- the former middleweight (185lb.) champ who recently jumped to light heavyweight (205lbs.) -- has been Twitter beefin' with Jon ... and both guys seem down to a scrap. 

TMZ Sports talked to Chris at LAX earlier this week ... and the UFC star had a short, but ominous message for Jones.

"See you soon, Jon."

After winning his first 13 pro fights, Weidman's been in a slump ... losing 4 of his last 5 fights -- taking L's from killers like Yoel Romero and Luke Rockhold.

Still, Weidman is the guy who took out Anderson Silva (TWICE) -- and the 35-year-old former champ feels he's got what it takes to stick it to Jones too.  

"I definitely think I have the tools to beat him."

But, Chris knows he won't just be handed the title fight ... "I gotta fight some other guys first, but at some point, [Jon's] the goal."

Chris also tells us who else is on his UFC hit list (hint: he badly wants to avenge a loss) ... and answers an age ol' and fiercely debated question.

Forget Tom Cruise ... Steve-O says HE should be the one to fight Justin Bieber -- telling TMZ Sports that Justin is "picking a fight with the wrong guy!"

We broke the story ... Dana White is hoping to put together a UFC match between the Biebs and Cruise after Justin called out the actor on Twitter.

But, Steve-O says he's personally offended that he wasn't the guy in the initial challenge ... telling us out at LAX, "I'm sick of being overlooked for my potential as a cage fighter!"

Steve-O says he was so upset about the Bieber snub ... he actually flew to Las Vegas to have a personal convo with Dana White himself about it all!!

"I had a little chat with Dana White," Steve-O says ... "And he agreed that if Tom Cruise doesn't step up, and someone needs to fill the cage with Justin Bieber, then I'm the guy."

"We shook on it, me and Dana White."

Steve-O then issued a call-out of his own to Bieber ... telling the Biebs, "I think you've been picking a fight with the wrong guy. Tom Cruise might be 56, but, hey, I'm 45!"

As for who would win in the Octagon ... all Steve-O would tell us is that Justin has NO chance of ending the fight early -- saying, "I can take a serious beating."

He ain't lyin'!!!

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's son is a newly-minted New York Yankees fan -- all because the team took the time to make him a jersey while playing across the pond.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex crashed the Yankees-Red Sox game Saturday in London, where the two rivals are facing off this weekend for an historic two-game series ... the first to ever be played in Europe. Who better to invite than the Royal couple, right???

The Red Sox gave MM and PH a team onesie, which was cute ... but it didn't really hold a candle to the Yankees' gift -- a custom baby jersey, with Archie's name on the back.

If you watch Meghan's reaction here, there's no comparison ... Yankees took the cake with that thoughtful gesture. The onesie's cool and all, but c'mon ... make a jersey, fellas.

Anyway, Archie wasn't with his mom and dad at the game -- at nearly two months old, the newborn's probably at home soaking up some ZZZs. Not to worry though -- his parents made sure he was well-represented at the MLB event.

James Harden may have been rocketing down a Shanghai street a little too fast, because he was corralled by cops and slapped with a ticket.

Khloe Kardashian's ex was cruising on a scooter Friday when he was pulled over. It's unclear exactly what he did wrong -- allegedly -- but whatever it was caught the eye of police. BTW, Shanghai is crawling with cops.

It looks like he was riding with friends, and they went on their merry without incident.  

The Rockets star has been in China for more than a week doing a promotional tour for Addidas.  He's done a meet and greet with fans at the Beijing University of Technology and led a youth basketball clinic at the Tianhe Sports Center in Guangzhou.  

Here you go Lakers fans ... the first clip of LeBron James and Anthony Davis playing together on the same court since the trade ... and it all went down on the set of "Space Jam 2."

The NBA superstars have been hoopin' together while shooting the flick in Los Angeles. You can see the guys warming up alongside Damian Lillard and a few WNBA stars who are appearing in the movie. 

There's another guy rocking a #2 jersey -- but we couldn't positively identify him. We're told the players in the movie are wearing jerseys reflecting their jersey numbers in the NBA. So, if you recognize him, let us know in the comments!!!

As we previously reported, Klay Thompson has been on the set ... though it's unclear if his knee injury will prevent him from shooting scenes. Draymond Green was also spotted on set working out with the guys. 

By the way, LeBron has been wearing #6 on the set -- and Davis has been wearing #23. Interesting, considering reports that LeBron would be ceding his #23 Lakers jersey to Davis and returning back to #6, the jersey he wore while playing in Miami and also during his Team USA days. 

Bernie Sanders is about to become a superhero in a new comic book chronicling his quest for the White House ... and he kicks his competitions' ass in the wrestling ring. 

TMZ has obtained a couple pages from Josh Blaylock and Devil's Due's new project, "Talk Bernie To Me!: The Bernie Sanders Special and AOC Surprise" which hits the market ahead of Independence Day. 

The graphic novel depicts Bernie as a larger-than-life candidate bruising his way to the Oval Office ... knocking out Beto O'Rourke, Jeb Bush and Elizabeth Warren on his journey to the highest office in the land. 

Check out the panel in the gallery ... the candidates are beating the hell out of each other in a battle royale that looks straight out of the WWE. Beto and Warren team up against Bernie, and they all go toppling over the top rope. 

Bernie manages to hang on to the rope and thrust himself back into the ring as the last man standing ... and he's declared the winner. 

The Vermont Senator isn't the lone focus of the graphic novel ... we also got our hands on another panel, and Joe Biden is getting super touchy-feely with Kamala Harris. 

You may remember a similar comic book with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as a superhero ... and the Bernie version is from the same artist and publisher. It goes on sale July 3, with a portion of profits going to the ACLU and RaicesTexas.Org, a low-cost legal service for immigrants and refugees.

All good things must come to an end ... and Michael Chiesa's signature mullet is no exception ... and the UFC fighter is telling TMZ Sports he chopped off his hair at his girlfriend's request!!!

Chiesa has been rockin' the "business in the front, party in the back" look for years ... but the welterweight cleaned up his look and got rid of the mullet recently ... and now we know why.

"It's just time for me to grow up. I've had a mullet the better half of my whole life. I've always just been this hairy, wild man," Chiesa says.

"I have a girlfriend now, and as she's gotten more comfortable in the relationship, she wants a civilized looking boyfriend ... it's good for me, man."

Maverick -- who is fighting Diego Sanchez at UFC 239 next weekend -- says although he doesn't care what people think about him, it's about time he looked the part of being a professional.

Is it possible the greatest skateboarder of all time doesn't get ENOUGH love??? That's what skate superstar Ryan Sheckler thinks ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks Tony Hawk isn't appreciated enough by the younger generation.

Thursday marked the 20th anniversary of Hawk completing the first ever 900 at the X Games .. so we asked Shecks to weigh in on the impact the accomplishment that had on the skate community.

"That was the big deal ... and it's still a big deal," Sheckler said at his Skate For a Cause event in NYC.

"This generation doesn't give him as much credit as he deserves. Tony's the main reason a lot of us can make money skateboarding. He paved the way."

Sheckler says Hawk's accomplishments gave him a platform to help the community ... his Foundation donated $10k to the Harold Hunter Foundation to help keep kids skating and out of trouble.

"Now, this is the product of what they created."

Legendary WWE referee Charles Robinson -- AKA Little Naitch -- had $55k worth of his prized possessions stolen from his storage unit last month ... and now he's on the hunt for the scumbag who took his stuff.

Robinson is a hardcore collector of Hollywood memorabilia and wrestling collectibles ... he's been socking away some VERY cool movie and TV items for decades. 

Problem is ... when Robinson went to check on his storage unit in Charlotte on May 28 -- he saw someone had broken into the unit and jacked all of his stuff.

Some of the stuff that was taken includes ultra-rare Evel Knievel stunt cycle toys, collectible "Chucky" dolls, "Friday the 13th" action figures, "Planet of the Apes" lunchboxes and WWF keepsakes. 

Robinson went to police and filed a report -- but so far, officials haven't been able to track down the culprit.

The crazy part -- one of Robinson's items -- a "Jaws" statue (valued at $2,400) popped up on eBay on Thursday night ... but the seller's post and username were taken down before he noticed.

As for the storage company ... Robinson tells us security cameras didn't catch the act. Plus, he feels the company doesn't really seem concerned about helping him out. 

G-strings ain't just for chicks ... just ask golf superstar Brooks Koepka! 

The #1 ranked PGA player in the world decided to thong out for a friend's birthday party in Florida on Friday -- and it's clear ... dude ain't shy about it!!!

The 29-year-old butt-flossed up and bared his bod while drinking beer on a PonTiki boat in South Florida ... and tested the thong durability when he jumped off into the water.

The theme of the party seemed to be some sort of redneck vibe -- at one point, Brooks was rockin' a shirt that read, "Save a Horse, Ride a Cousin."

BK's hot girlfriend, Jena Sims, got in on the costume fun -- sporting a bathing suit inspired by that neon green man-thong from "Borat."

Dallas Keuchel has ZERO regrets about signing with the Braves over the Yankees this month ... the star pitcher tells TMZ Sports, "So far, so good!!"

Of course, Keuchel was an ace for the Houston Astros for years ... but remained unsigned throughout the beginning of this season because of his free agency demands.

But at the beginning of the month ... teams ramped up their offers for the former Cy Young winner -- and it reportedly came down to the Braves and Yankees.

But Keuchel -- who ended up choosing Atlanta -- told us out in NYC on Friday he has NO regrets yet about his pick!!!

"So far, so good!" he said.

Keuchel -- who's already started 2 games for the Braves since signing on June 7 -- did say he has been going through a bit of an adjustment period, telling us, "I think we're always adjusting, no matter what time it is."

Nancy Grace thinks O.J. Simpson's apparent attempt to become a pro fantasy football analyst is disgusting -- because throat-slitting maniacs like him don't deserve a second chance. 

With O.J. posting fantasy football advice on Twitter, the guys on "TMZ Live" asked Grace if she thinks he has a real chance at getting an endorsement deal.

"I think it's absolutely a possibility," Grace said ... "I guarantee people will tune in to see O.J. Simpson out of prurient interest knowing that he beat [Nicole Brown] black and blue. Knowing that he sliced her neck so severely, her head was hanging on by the skin, by the back of her spine."

Nancy, whose new show "Injustice with Nancy Grace" debuts July 13 on Oxygen, added this about O.J. possibly getting on the air -- "Yeah, people will tune in and watch that ... [but] it will not be me!"

For his part, Simpson has been getting killed on social media for his fantasy football post ... with people taking ferocious shots at the ex-NFL star -- and there ain't signs of it slowing down. 

@CenterStageDS -- "Baker Mayfield might be risky, but it wouldn’t be the first time you took a stab at a Brown."

@jamfan40 -- "What about Joe Flacco?  Thought you were a fan of white Broncos?"