TMZ Sports - Page 50

Lance Stephenson says he knows firsthand how hard DeMarcus Cousins was working prior to his devastating ACL injury ... telling TMZ Sports he feels bad for Boogie, but knows he'll be back!!

Cousins injured his knee while playing in Vegas earlier this week after attempting a routine layup. He's expected to miss the entire season.

Lance -- who says he had been working out with DeMarcus this offseason -- says Cousins was in great shape and ready to make a huge impact in his first year with the Lakers.

"I know it's tough on him, that's my brother," Lance says. "I know he worked so hard this summer, I was working out with him in Las Vegas. I know he was very prepared for this season. It's just sad that he got hurt again."

Despite Cousins' 3rd leg injury in 3 years, Lance says he knows Boogie will eventually get back to 100% and do his thing on the court again.

Al Harrington was stopped by cops outside his Viola Brands office in Hollywood, and he claims race is the reason.

TMZ Sports got the whole thing on video ... you can see the former NBA star talking to cops, getting a ticket and returning to his (crazy) vehicle.

Of course we wanted to know what the fuss was all about, and asked Al what he did to make the cops stop him.

"Driving while black."

Get this, the whole thing happened steps away from Harrington's business headquarters. The interaction with the police seemed civil.

Young Thug knows how to kill 2 birds with 1 stone -- throwing a birthday and album release party ... but at least this year it didn't end with him in handcuffs.

Young Thug hosted a bunch of his pals Thursday night at Beauty & Essex in L.A. to celebrate his 28th bday and the release of his new album, "So Much Fun." Meek Mill, NBA star Ben Simmons, Johnny Manziel's ex, Bre Tiesi, and rapper Gunna are just some of the celebs who showed.

Remy Martin also made a splash -- it was the liquor of choice. The guests sipped on 3 special drinks named after YT's tracks, "Slime," "The London" and "So Much Fun."

An awesome time was had by all ... and most notably since Young Thug didn't have to deal with a huge buzz kill like the one he endured after he threw another birthday/album release party last year.

As we reported ... everything went downhill for YT last August after he left his 27th birthday bash and "Slime Language" album release party -- a police cruiser accidentally hit Thug's Rolls-Royce, then cops found a gun in the whip. Thugger ended up getting arrested for carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle.

The D.A. ended up dropping the case, citing insufficient evidence.

Khabib Nurmagomedov tells TMZ Sports Conor McGregor should be arrested and thrown behind bars for socking an elderly man in the face.

You've seen the video by now ... The Notorious uncorked a vicious straight left to the temple of a man in a Dublin pub -- all because the dude rejected a shot of Conor's whiskey.

We talked to Khabib -- who's prepping for his massive UFC 242 fight against Dustin Poirier -- and he went off on his archnemesis.

"These people, they have to go to jail. I told you, this guy have no class. No respect," Nurmagomedov tells us.

"This is very bad for sport. Some things he doing good for sport, but right now he without his mind. He lose his mind. It's crazy."

"Government have to smash him. This is my opinion. 'Cause I'm really, really mad about this video. I don't understand how you can punch old man."

This is just the latest in a string of violent incidents involving McGregor ... and The Eagle wonders what mayhem Conor could cause next.

TMZ Sports has obtained video of DeMarcus Cousins' devastating ACL injury ... showing the NBA superstar screaming and falling to the court after attempting a routine layup.

The 29-year-old L.A. Lakers All-Star was practicing in Las Vegas on Monday ... when his knee gave out while driving to the basket.

Cousins could immediately tell something was wrong ... letting out a scream as he stumbled to the hardwood. The 6'11" center pointed at his right knee as help rushed over.

The other players are visibly upset as well.

It's gotta be frustrating for Cousins ... who tore his Achilles as a New Orleans Pelican in 2018, and tore his quad in the playoffs with the Golden State Warriors this past season.

Shams Charania reports Cousins underwent more testing on Thursday ... and it was confirmed he tore his ACL, which will likely sideline him for the entire season.

We're told Cousins had been balling a lot recently at the IMPACT Basketball training center -- where tons of pros like to go during the offseason.

The NBA community flooded social media with support for Cousins ... with players from Karl-Anthony Towns to Isaiah Thomas sending well wishes.

NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. was a passenger on an airplane that caught fire after crashing in Tennessee ... and officials tell TMZ Sports he was transported to a nearby hospital.

The plane -- registered under Earnhardt's JR Motorsports -- crashed at Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Carter County just minutes ago. No word on what caused the crash.

Officials tell us Dale Jr. made it off of the plane alive ... but his current status is still unknown. We're told there were other passengers on the plane, but officials do not have a complete passenger list yet.

Reportedly, Earnhardt's wife, Amy, and 1-year-old daughter, Isla, were both on the plane as well. Officials would not confirm that with us, nor share their health status.

FYI -- the aircraft is a 10-seat, twin-engine Cessna Citation Latitude ... and the pictures show the plane was a fiery wreck at the end of the runway at the small airport.

We've reached out to Dale Jr.'s rep for comment ... and all they would say is “we are aware of the situation, and will put out a statement later.”

Here's the ultimate pot-kettle moment ... Arizona Cardinals' COO Ron Minegar spoke about Darius Philon's "bad decision" arrest -- during his OWN DUI arrest!!!

It's all in police video obtained by TMZ Sports ... where Minegar -- one of the Cardinals' highest-ranking execs -- spoke with officers about his player's gun arrest in Phoenix earlier in the week.

"He pulled a gun on a gal at a strip club," Minegar told Chandler, Arizona cops on Aug. 10. ... "That's not a good thing."

"That sounds like a poor decision," one of the officers responds.

"That's a pretty bad decision, yep," Minegar says.

60-year-old Minegar was pulled over at around midnight on Aug. 10 about 40 miles from the Cardinals' stadium after cops say he was speeding and driving erratically.

You can see in the vid ... Minegar looks pretty wasted when they begin to question him, slurring words and admitting he had been drinking earlier in the evening.

Cops say the guy reeked of alcohol too ... and when they began to talk to him outside of his 2009 Chevrolet -- he became combative, and argued with one officer.

Eventually, Minegar calmed down ... and had a conversation with several officers about Philon -- a defensive lineman the Cardinals had just cut because of an arrest involving a gun incident at a local strip club.

Minegar was eventually field tested for DUI ... and after appearing to bomb all of the cop's tests -- they asked him if he'd take a breathalyzer. When Minegar refused ... cops slapped the cuffs on him and arrested him.

The Cardinals released a statement shortly after the incident, saying, "Ron Minegar's actions last night are inexcusable. He made the decision to drive after drinking alcohol and is fortunate that he was pulled over before injuring anyone or himself."

"According to MADD, drunk driving results in almost 11,000 deaths per year and is the number one cause of fatalities on roadways. We fully recognize the seriousness of these actions and they will have serious consequences."

Conor McGregor uncorked a shot to the head of an elderly man in an Irish bar in a dispute over whiskey -- Conor's whiskey -- and TMZ Sports got this video showing the violence.

The absurd attack went down at The Marble Arch Pub in Dublin on April 6. Conor walked in and lined up cups for bar patrons ... looking to buy a round of his Proper Twelve for everyone. The problems started when the guy opted out. Conor placed a cup in front of him not once, but twice ... and he still refused.

Unclear if words were exchanged between them, but after Conor downed a shot with the other drinkers, he unexpectedly threw his notorious left fist right in the face of the old man who rejected the booze.

Two people immediately grabbed McGregor and pulled him out of the bar. The violence was reported to cops, who announced back in April they'd opened an investigation. It's unclear if that's still active, but there are no reports Conor was ever charged -- even though cops have reportedly seen this video.

Perhaps most odd of all ... the poor, old pub patron who got socked didn't even get knocked off his stool. People are just tougher in Ireland, apparently.

The video is just the latest evidence of McGregor losing his cool and acting like a thug outside the Octagon. He dodged felony charges in New York last year when he smashed a bus window with a dolly, injuring several UFC fighters onboard the vehicle.

And, you'll recall ... one month before this Dublin incident, Conor smashed a phone out of a fan's hand in Miami. He was arrested for robbery and criminal mischief, but the charges were eventually dropped, and he settled a civil suit with the victim.

We've reached out to McGregor's camp, but so far ... no word back. We also called The Marble Arch Pub and they had no comment.

Conor hasn't fought in the UFC since losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in Las Vegas. But, UFC honcho Dana White told reporters Wednesday he expects talks for McGregor's next fight to begin shortly after Khabib and Dustin Poirier square off in Abu Dhabi next month.

Just a thought, but Dana might wanna sign that old man from the Dublin pub. He can take a punch!!!

How the hell are the New York Yankees killing EVERYBODY this year???

Aaron Judge tells TMZ Sports there are TWO reasons ... and ya gotta hear them from his mouth for yourself!!!

Of course, the Yanks have the most wins in baseball this season -- they're in a tie with the Dodgers with 81 -- and are cruising to an AL East championship.

Of course, they were a playoff team last season ... but they were nowhere near this good -- a lot of people are considering them the World Series favorite now!

It took us a while to notice ... but Paul George is showing pride for his new NBA team ... rockin' Clippers shorts while snorkeling with his smokin' hot baby mama!!

Of course, PG13 just got shipped to L.A. to form a power duo with Kawhi Leonard last month ... and he's already donning the Clipper blue everywhere he goes -- including vacation in Greece!!

George's gorgeous lady, Daniela Rajic, posted vids of the couple enjoying a romantic trip this week ... including snorkeling, fine dining and jumping off the boat and into the water.

The views are incredible ... and yeah, Greece ain't too shabby either.

BTW, PG and Daniela have 2 baby girls -- Olivia and Natasha -- and have been together for years.

It's great to be George right now ... he's in the middle of a 4-year, $137 million deal ... and on top of that, he gets to go back to L.A. instead of OKC when the trip is over.

Jay-Z defended his decision to partner with the NFL by saying he's past the kneeling protest and onto bigger things.

TMZ Sports obtained video of the entire meeting Wednesday between NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Jay-Z and members of the media.

Charlamagne tha God kicked off the meeting with the question on everyone's mind ... how do you partner with the league when Colin Kaepernick is still out of a job?

Jay's response -- the kneeling protest was never about Kaepernick's employment ... it was about police brutality. He went on to say he's past the kneeling protest, saying the options are clear -- "Reaching millions and millions of people or [protesting] Colin not having a job." He says by choosing to partner with the NFL on social justice issues, he's choosing the former.

What's more ... Jay said in response to the question, "Would you kneel or would you stand? ... "I think we're past kneeling."

Jay-Z says the task at hand is using the NFL's resources to change the culture of policing. He says there are 2 parts to protest -- first taking a stand, which Colin did, and then getting the company [the NFL] to say, "I hear you."

Here's the full audio of the meeting.

Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid is blasting Jay-Z for his new partnership with the NFL ... saying it looks like the rap mogul is selling out and helping "bury" Colin Kaepernick's football career.

Kap's longtime friend and former teammate sounded off on social media late Wednesday night ... responding to a quote from Jay that read "... everybody knows I agree with what you're saying [in Kaepernick's underlying message]. So what are we gonna do? ... [Help] millions and millions of people, or we get stuck on Colin not having a job."

"These aren’t mutually exclusive," Reid wrote back ... "They can both happen at the same time! It looks like your goal was to make millions and millions of dollars by assisting the NFL in burying Colin’s career."

Of course, Jay-Z has taken plenty of heat for his partnership with Roger Goodell -- one where Hov will help the league with entertainment and social justice issues -- because some feel it undercuts Kap's cause.

Clearly, Reid is in that corner ... because he also retweeted several tweets that hammered Jay for the move, including one that read, "You don't 'move on' from riding for the people."

For his part, Kaepernick has yet to respond directly to the whole ordeal ... but he did write on social media Wednesday, "Today marks the three year anniversary of the first time I protested systemic oppression. I continue to work and stand with the people in our fight for liberation, despite those who are trying to erase the movement! The movement has always lived with the people!"

What do you get a billionaire like Mark Cuban? A healthy snack, for starters.

The "Shark Tank" star and Dallas Mavericks owner hit up The Happiest Place on Earth Wednesday and took a break from milling around with the summertime masses to chow on some popcorn and down some bottled agua.

Mark was there with his wife, Tiffany, and their 3 kids -- Alexis, Alyssa and Jake. The Cuban fam was joined by some friends as they hit up the Indiana Jones Adventure and the all-new Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.

Looks like the billionaire's in fully vacay mode. Just a couple of days ago, he went on a fishing trip with his son.

BTW ... the Cubans looove them some Mickey. They were also at Disneyland and California Adventure Park less than a month ago.

Daymond John is adamant the NFL partnering with Jay-Z helps its brand, but says make no mistake ... Hova's not going to be the league's puppet just to help them save face.

We got the "Shark Tank" star out Wednesday in NYC and got his take on the NFL teaming up with Jay-Z's Roc Nation for a music and social justice campaign. Daymond's all for it, despite some critics feeling Jay abandoned Colin Kaepernick.

Daymond firmly believes Jay did NOT undercut Kap's cause. Daymond says, if anything, there's no one better who can champion Kap ... now that he's working on the inside.

When our guy straight-up asks if this is all an NFL publicity stunt, Daymond scoffs ... saying Jay-Z's too smart, and would walk from the deal if that were the case.

In fact ... Daymond says he saw right through the NFL when he turned down The Shield to perform at the Super Bowl. Now, things are different.

Former MMA star War Machine -- who is serving a life sentence for brutally beating his ex-GF -- got married behind bars ... and these aren't your typical wedding photos by a long stretch.

War Machine tied the knot with his longtime prison pen pal Ashley Farrington at Lovelock Correctional Center in Nevada ... taking a break from lockdown to say, "I do."

The convicted woman-beater slid a gold band on his new wife's finger -- the ring belonged to Ashley's grandmother. Hard to imagine this is what grandma had in mind.

Ashley's son and another family member were on hand for the nuptials ... and War Machine's best man was a guy named Mario Lino.

No wedding cake ... after all, you know what people put in prison cakes, right???

We're told the whole thing lasted 4 hours and was NOT conjugal.

TMZ broke the story ... War Machine proposed to his pen pal in early 2018 by reading her a love poem. He got down on bended knee, asking her to marry him even though he had no ring ... and she said yes.

As we reported ... War Machine was found guilty of sexual assault, battery by strangulation, coercion, kidnapping and several other charges after viciously attacking his ex, porn star, Christy Mack.

War is eligible for parole after 36 years when he's 71 ... so, the honeymoon will have to wait.

Antonio Brown is being sued yet again ... this time a celebrity chef is claiming the NFL superstar stiffed him out of $38,000 at the Pro Bowl in January.

It's all in a new lawsuit obtained by TMZ Sports ... which shows Stefano Tedeschi -- aka the "Sports Chef" -- is claiming AB hired him to cook during the NFL's All-Star week from Jan. 26 to Jan. 28.

In the lawsuit, Tedeschi claims he and Brown entered into a verbal agreement where AB would pay for 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 2 dinners at the receiver's rental property in Osceola County, Florida.

The problem? Tesechi says before he and his crew could feed Brown and his guests their lunch on Jan. 27 (the second day he was hired to cook), AB kicked the chef out of the property.

Tesechi says he wasn't allowed to serve the lunch he had prepared ... and also wasn't able to cook Brown dinner on the 27th or the rest of the meals Brown had agreed to buy on the 28th.

Tesechi claims he was screwed out of a ton of money ... because when Brown kicked him out, he didn't allow the guy to take his culinary gear with him -- and couldn't go serve others during a popular weekend for him.

Tesechi is now suing Brown for $38,521.20 ... claiming that's all the dough the WR owes the celebrity chef for the meals he had planned for the weekend.

For Brown's part, his attorney, Darren Heitner, said in a statement to TMZ Sports, "We expect to be filing a motion to dismiss the complaint and will let the filing speak for itself."

Remember, this is the second time in the last few weeks Brown has been sued ... a famous trainer in California claims the Oakland Raider stiffed him out of $7,194.81 for "unpaid therapy and training services" earlier this year.