TMZ Sports - Page 50

WNBA superstar Brittney Griner says it's "AWESOME" that Lil Nas X has come out as gay -- telling TMZ Sports, "I think it's real big!"

28-year-old Griner is openly gay -- she's engaged to longtime girlfriend Cherelle Watson -- and knows first hand how tough it can be to come out when you're a big star under the microscope. 

But, the 5-time WNBA All-Star says she's especially impressed with the "Old Town Road" artist for not letting homophobes and negative gay stereotypes (especially in the hip-hop world) stop him from going public about his sexuality. 

"I just think it's awesome he did that," Griner says ... "takes a lot of bravery."

Griner says it's 2019 and people should be able to love who they want to love and be who they want to be without fear of a backlash ... and she thinks Lil Nas X is helping to achieve that goal. 

"I think it's real big ... kudos to him."

NBA hooper Evan Turner says he can't wait to get on the court with his new team ... telling TMZ Sports "it's gonna be dope, it's gonna be legit" to play for the Atlanta Hawks.

30-year-old Turner was just traded from the Portland Trail Blazers to ATL last week ... putting the vet on a roster full of young talent like Trae Young, Cam Reddish and DeAndre Hunter.

We spoke with the former #2 overall pick in the 2010 draft about the move ... and he's excited to get started with his new team.

"We're gonna have some fun, man," Turner says ... "I think the whole experience is gonna be legit, it's gonna be fun."

No Klaw? No problem! ... so says Kenny Smith, who says LeBron James and Anthony Davis are destined to lead the Lakers to NBA championships with or without Kawhi Leonard!

But, don't get it twisted -- The Jet says Bron needs to do whatever he can to land a player like the Klaw ... but if Leonard doesn't sign with L.A., Lakers Nation shouldn't freak out.

"You've got LeBron James, you've got Anthony Davis. [Leonard's] just an extra bonus," Smith tells TMZ Sports ...  "You should win the championship with that without question."

We asked Smith if the Purple and Gold are getting too greedy in trying to get Leonard ... Smith had a strong take on that too! 

"What's after 'greedy?' I'm thinking of the word after 'greedy' ... gluttonous! You're getting gluttonous."

No other Warriors player will ever wear #35 again ... so says Golden State co-chairman and CEO Joe Lacob who heaped the ultimate praise on Kevin Durant after the superstar signed with Brooklyn. 

"As long as I am co-chairman of this team, no player will ever wear #35 for the Warriors again," Lacob said in a statement. 

Durant only played for the Warriors for 3 seasons -- but Golden State got to the NBA Finals every time ... and won 2 out of 3 championship titles. Durant was the NBA Finals MVP both times they won. 

Of course, Durant became a free agent at the end of the 2018-19 season and is signing a massive deal to play with Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan on the Brooklyn Nets. 

But, Lacob ain't bitter -- saying, "Three years ago, we were thrilled with the arrival of Kevin Durant, a transformative NBA player and one of the best to ever play the game."

"Today, as he starts a new chapter in his incredible career, we thank KD for all of his contributions, for being an integral part to one of the most prolific runs in NBA history and we wish him well as he continues his Hall of Fame journey."

FYI, the Warriors have only "officially" retired 6 jerseys in team history -- so this ain't something they do often. 

There's more ... TMZ Sports just spoke with Warriors GM Bob Myers who praised Durant for being "awesome" ... and noting, "Appreciate all he did." 

Klay Thompson won't let his new $190 MIL contract keep him from his 2nd job ... 'cause the NBA star hit up the "Space Jam 2" set right after signing that massive 5-year deal with the Warriors. 

Check out Klay lounging on the Los Angeles set of LeBron James' new flick -- taking some time to ice down his left knee ... the same knee he inured in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on June 13. 

Klay tore his ACL -- but despite the injury, he's still been showing up to film the movie. We got him just the other day crutching onto the basketball court where Bron has been shooting some of the action scenes. 

Unclear if Klay's injury will be referenced in the movie or if producers plan on shooting Klay's scenes in a way that would make it seem like he's okay. 

As we previously reported, there are a TON of huge basketball stars in the flick ... from Anthony Davis to Damian Lillard and Draymond Green. 

TMZ Sports has obtained video of NFL star Kareem Hunt talking with several police officers this weekend in Cleveland after a night of partying after an alleged "small argument" with a friend. 

Here's what we know so far ... the Cleveland Browns running back went to the Barley House party spot on Saturday night with a bunch of friends and stayed late into the evening. 

Right after he left, SOMETHING happened -- and several cops went over to speak with the 23-year-old. He wasn't arrested. Wasn't detained. He left without incident. 

But, a witness tells TMZ Sports ... Hunt was involved in a physical altercation with another man before the cops came over. The witness wasn't sure if it was a "real" fight or if he was just horsing around with a buddy. 

At one point, one of the officers can be heard on video telling Kareem, "I saw him push you."

Barley House owner Bobby George told WKYC3 that Hunt was involved in a "small argument with one of his friends ... People blew it out of proportion."

We reached out to the Cleveland PD but despite the video, they have no record of the interaction -- "There wasn't a police report or any calls that we have located."

Either way, it's notable considering Hunt had publicly stated he was seeking help for alcohol and anger management in the wake of TMZ Sports posting video showing him in a 2018 physical altercation with a woman. 

A former assistant coach for the USC Trojans football team is suing the school -- claiming he was fired and humiliated after reporting multiple violations to school officials ... and now he wants at least $2 MIL to make things right. 

The man behind the lawsuit is Rick Courtright -- who was hired as a senior defensive analyst in early 2016, after coaching at various levels (including the NFL) for nearly 33 years. 

During his time with USC, Courtright claims he witnessed some violations and felt obligated to report them to the USC compliance office so they could address the matter in-house. 

Among the allegations, Courtright claims he learned 2 USC graduate assistants working for the football were paying other students to take their classes for them -- with the blessing and funding coming from USC defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast. 

In his lawsuit, Courtright says he also reported safety violations -- including an incident where 2 football players were injured in an unsupervised pre-game warmup, where they were not wearing proper protective gear. Courtright says the players suffered concussions as a result. 

After he blew the whistle, Courtright says people at USC retaliated against him -- from gluing his computer mouse to his desk ... to leaving nasty sticky notes at his work-station calling him a "d*ckhead" and an "a**hole."

He also claims various clothing items were stolen, people stopped talking to him and eventually USC head football coach Clay Helton placed him on administrative leave before forcing him to resign in May 2018. 

Courtright adamantly believes the treatment was a direct result of his whistleblowing -- and he's demanding more than $2 MILLION. 

We reached out to USC -- so far, no official comment. 

NBA baller Jabari Parker wasn't worrying one bit about free agency on Sunday ... he was busy having the time of his life supporting the league's float at the Pride parade in NYC!!

The basketball world blew up over the weekend -- with huge names like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker all deciding to switch things up with new teams.

But, Parker -- who most recently played for the Washington Wizards -- escaped all that chaos ... hanging out with Jason Collins and ex-WNBA hoopers Chamique Holdsclaw and Ashley Battle to support the LGBTQ community in New York.

The 24-year-old was all-in on the fun ... passing out shirts and marching alongside the float.

Parker is extremely vocal about social activism, but this is a cause that hits close to home for him -- he's spoken publicly about having a gay uncle.

The NBA Pride float has been pretty lit over the past few years ... with Commish Adam Silver losing his mind with the crew a few years ago.

Here's one of the coolest stories of the weekend ... the 13-year-old umpire who was caught in a violent youth baseball brawl last month got VIP treatment at the Rockies game Sunday!!

Josh Cordova was the one officiating a game involving 7-year-old kids on June 15 in Lakewood, Colorado ... when parents began hounding him over rules and other parents' actions.

Eventually, a massive fight broke out because of the arguments ... with Cordova calling the whole incident, "scary."

When MLB ump Chris Guccione got word of Cordova's unfortunate involvement in the brawl ... he decided he had to help lift the kid's spirits -- so he invited Josh and his fam to the Rockies game!!

Cordova got the whole VIP experience ... he hung out in the Coors Field locker room and even took part in pre-game lineup talks on the diamond.

In fact, Guccione even gave Cordova his MLB jersey and chest protector ... which Josh says he's going to use right away for his next game!!

"I thought it was a perfect opportunity to reach out to Josh, and not only to him, but his family, and to say to him, 'I'm proud of you, and I'm rooting for you, and what you did is the right thing,'" Guccione told reporters before the game.

"I'm super happy for him, and I wanted to encourage him to keep going forward."

LaVar Ball is going scorched earth on Charles Barkley for calling him an "idiot" ... saying Chuck is jealous of his success ... and Barkley wishes he was his dad.

Remember, just a few days ago Barkley blasted LaVar for the comments he made to ESPN's Molly Qerim ... with Charles saying, "Wherever LaVar Ball is, there's a village missing an idiot ... We should just keep LaVar off television."

LaVar got wind of Chuck's comments ... and he ain't pleased.

"I don't even pertain to Charles because he's so jealous of me," Ball says. "He want to be me so bad. He never had a father. He wish I was his father. That's why he's so animate towards me."

FYI -- Barkley was raised by a single mother and has been very open about his family's struggles growing up. Ball clearly had no issue going after Chuck's personal life, continuing to go in on the Hall of Famer.

"He's just got a little problem right now. He an old guy, he don't know where he's going right now. So, it's okay. But hey, I ain't gonna mess with Charles. He's lost in his mind right now. It's okay, when you get old sometimes that happens."

"I know he's jealous. He wants everything I got. People don't come up to him, kids don't believe in him. Nothing."

Kourtney Kardashian seems willing to make peace with Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's brood after the families went toe-to-toe over the Kardashians' public enemy #1 ... Ms. Jordyn Woods.

The eldest Kardashian sister was seen embracing Will and Jada's daughter, Willow, Sunday after they ran into each other in West Hollywood. Kourt and Willow shared what looked like a friendly hug -- this, of course, after there appeared to be bad blood between the fams.

Of course, the hug could be fake Hollywood niceties ... or it could be the first sign all that Jordyn drama is becoming water under a bridge.

You'll recall ... Jada hosted Jordyn on her Facebook show, "Red Table Talk," where she shared her side of the Tristan Thompson cheating scandal. Jordyn denied kissing Tristan back after she says he planted one on her after a night of partying. 

She did admit to sitting on his lap too, but says nothing more came of it. 

Khloe wasn't buying that -- moments after the Jordyn episode aired, she lashed out by calling Jordyn a liar and initially blamed her for the breakup of her family.

Jorydn's been doing just fine after being ousted by the Kardashians -- inking new deals left and right -- and Khloe seems to be doing well too, focusing her time on raising baby True ... making sure Tristan's still in the picture as well despite their differences.

Washington Redskins legend Mark Rypien -- a former Super Bowl MVP -- was arrested for domestic violence in Washington on Sunday after an incident with his wife. 

Cops responded to an intersection in Spokane -- where 56-year-old Rypien and his wife had gotten into an altercation. When cops arrived, the ex-QB was standing by his vehicle. His wife was lying in the grass nearby. 

Officers spoke with both Mark and his wife for about 45 minutes, according to KHQ ... and although his wife was evaluated by paramedics, she did not require further medical attention. 

Rypien -- who played for the Washington Redskins from 1988 to 1993 -- was placed in handcuffs and taken to a nearby station where he was booked for 4th-degree domestic violence. 

He's due in court Monday morning. 

Rypien was the MVP of Super Bowl XXVI -- and played in the league until 2002. 

The Kawhi Leonard to L.A. recruitment is officially underway ... with NBA star Lou Williams giving TMZ Sports his pitch to get the Klaw to the Clippers!!

With stars like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker already choosing their landing spots -- the NBA is eagerly awaiting KL's decision ... and Lou is trying to help get Kawhi to leave the Raptors and come back to his home state. 

"Sun's out, it ain't cold like it is in Toronto. He got his ring ... come holla at us!!" Williams says. 

"Obviously, he's already a California kid, anyway. The love is already there. He's got an opportunity to do something special, he already has a legacy, already a big time baller in his own right."

"So, for him to have an opportunity to do his thing in the state of California should be dope for him."

Leonard is supposed to meet with both the Lakers and the Clippers later this week -- and the rumors are he's leaning heavily toward that Purple and Gold. 

Ezekiel Elliott will come face to face with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday to discuss the physical altercation in Vegas that captured on video, according to ESPN. 

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the 23-year-old Dallas Cowboys running back was detained by police at the EDC music festival on May 19 after knocking down a 19-year-old security guard. 

At the time, the security guard did not wish to press charges -- but has recently said he wants a genuine apology from Elliott or else he will consider his legal options. 

Elliott is no stranger to Goodell -- he was suspended for 6 games in 2017 for violating the league's personal conduct policy stemming from a domestic violence investigation involving an ex-GF. 

Elliott was never charged with a crime in that case -- and maintains his innocence -- but NFL investigators believe his actions constituted a violation of the policy and hit him with the punishment. 

He's still on crutches, but NBA star Pau Gasol is already thinking about a healthy new contract -- telling TMZ Sports resigning with the Milwaukee Bucks seems to "make sense."

The 38-year-old is still recovering from surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left foot from an injury back in May -- but when we saw him out in NYC this weekend, he was out and "feeling better."

But, the big question ... where will Gasol play next season? 

Remember, Gasol signed with the Bucks in March after being released from the San Antonio Spurs -- but only played in a couple of games before the injury forced him to miss the rest of the season. 

Gasol has previously said he thinks Milwaukee -- with Giannis Antetokounmpo -- has a real shot at winning a championship ... and it's clear he still feels that way. 

"I think it would make sense," Gasol told us when we asked about going back to the Bucks ... "I want to help a team win a championship."

UFC champ Amanda Nunes won't have to look far for her bucket list fight -- she can find her opponent in the comfort of her own home ... 'cause she wants to scrap with her FIANCEE!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the MMA power couple leading up to Nunes' fight with Holly Holm at UFC 239 next week ... and her fiancee, Nina Ansaroff, says she's 100% down to fight her boo.

"We already talked about it," Nina says. "After she gets the belt, I'm gonna get my belt at [115 pounds], and then we're gonna do a super-fight at 125 ... we're so down. We really would try to kill each other."

"Why not? Bring the money home in the same household."

Even being in a lighter weight class, the women know each other's weaknesses, considering they've been training together for years.

As for Nunes ...  She's totally on board too, saying "My last fight is gonna be against Nina and then I'm gonna retire."

FYI -- the couple has been together for years and got engaged back in August 2018 ... and Nina says their relationship is rock solid, so there won't be any hard feelings after the fight.

"Afterwards it would be like, 'that was awesome.'"