TMZ Sports - Page 50

Bug - 1, JaVale McGee - 0

The 7-foot-tall L.A. Lakers center posted hilarious footage of his battle with the flying insect in his driveway on Tuesday ... but he's insisting this wasn't no regular bug. Suuuuure.

"Got in a fight today w the biggest flying insect I’ve ever seen!" JaVale said. "I know you guys are gonna say 'your 7foot! Dont be scared of a bug!'"

He continued ... "Well this wasn’t some ordinary bug! This bug had timberlands on, and two cuban links... he was his own man and probably had a family to feed."

The vid is hilarious ... seriously, the guy BOOKS IT when the flying bug attacks.

UFC legend BJ Penn was involved in another bar fight in Hawaii -- this time, the 40-year-old was sprawled out on top of another man raining down punches, and TMZ Sports has the video.

Penn was at the Lava Shack on the Big Island on Tuesday when he got into it with another dude -- and in classic Penn fashion, the fight ended up on the ground. We have a pic of Penn at the bar earlier in the night. You can see the clothing is the same.

Penn had his opponent mounted -- and his legs were hooked in -- and he threw at least 4 ferocious shots to the other man's head ... and it looks like all of the shots landed pretty clean.

You can see several men in red "Security" shirts move in and try to break the whole thing up.

Unclear what started the fight -- but we're told law enforcement responded to the scene. It does NOT appear Penn was arrested and cops say they have no record so far.

The situation is similar to a fight Penn got into back in June on Oahu -- where he pummeled a man outside of a strip club while a group of people looked on.

Cops were called to that incident as well -- but again, Penn was NOT arrested or charged with a crime.

We reached out to Penn's camp for comment -- so far, no word back.

Penn is slated to fight Nik Lentz in the near future but no date has been set. Dana White has said the fight will be the last of Penn's legendary career.

Penn is a UFC Hall of Famer with victories over legends like Matt Hughes and Matt Serra.

Jessi Combs -- the professional racer known for breaking land-speed records -- died in a car crash while attempting to go nearly 500 mph.

The "Fastest Woman on Four Wheels" died Tuesday in Oregon in a jet-powered car ... according to multiple reports. The Harney County Sheriff's Department was called to the scene of the fatal crash in the Alvord Desert around 4 PM.

Terry Madden, a member of Comb's crew, confirmed her death on Instagram Wednesday morning. He calls Jessi "the most amazing spirit that I have ever or will ever know." He adds that he was the first one on the scene of the "horrific accident" and everything possible was done to save her.

The cause of the crash is under investigation by authorities.

Combs was reportedly trying to break her own land-speed record, which she set in 2016 by driving nearly 478 MPH in the same desert where Tuesday's crash took place. She had tried previously in September of last year.

She earned her nickname in 2013 when she broke a 48-year-old record by reaching 398 miles per hour in her North American Eagle Supersonic Speed Challenger.

Jessi was also known as a TV personality, with notable appearances on "MythBusters" and "Overhaulin'." She was 39.

Rory McIlroy got sick and tired of watching his Pro-Am partner Justin Timberlake getting stuck in the sand ... so he stopped down and gave the pop star one of the coolest personal lessons ever!!!

It all went down this week in Switzerland ... where Rory and JT were teamed up to compete in the Pro-Am event at the Omega European Masters tournament.

Timberlake is a VERY serious golfer (he's a 2 handicap) who has a reputation for being one of the best celebs on the links. So, when Rory decided to give him a little 1-on-1 bunker clinic, you can see Justin was all ears.

And, when it came time for Rory to demonstrate how a bunker shot SHOULD be hit ... man, HE ALMOST HOLED IT!!! Incredible.

Timberlake brought the whole family to Switzerland -- and was seen playing around with his kids on the course ... good times for everyone!!!

Bernie Sanders hit a speed bag. The speed bag hit back!!!

The Presidential candidate hit up the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky this week ... and decided to take a swing at one of the speed bags on display ... fun, right?!

Bernie threw a hard right and connected ... but the 77-year-old didn't realize the bag was going to swing back at his head -- and dude got ROCKED!!!

Sanders went flying backwards and both hands up in the air like Tyson Fury on the receiving end of a Deontay Wilder shot ... it didn't look good for the Senator from Vermont!!!

But, Bernie -- just like Fury -- regained his composure and got back into the fight ... throwing another couple of jabs before the video cuts off.

After the footage went public, his opponents began using it to attack Sanders -- with Donald Trump Jr. saying, "This wouldn’t exactly strike fear in the minds of our adversaries."

He added, "Imagine this guy sitting across the table negotiating with world leaders?"

A romantic rafting trip turned bloody for NBA star Kevin Love and his model girlfriend, Kate Bock -- when the couple fell overboard and she bumped her head ... requiring staples to close to wound!

The two were rafting in Wyoming when things went south ... they were riding in the front of the inflatable raft (without helmets) when they were ejected from the boat.

They were smiling in the water -- but when Kate was pulled back into the boat, it was clear she suffered a head wound ... so they wrapped her in gauze and raced her to a nearby hospital.

Kate -- who's modeled for everyone from Sports Illustrated to Victoria's Secret -- required a few staples to close the wound ... but she's brushing the whole thing off as no big deal.

Despite a bloody hat, Bock and Love were in good enough spirits after the accident to trek out to dinner at a local sushi joint ... and even smiled for a selfie!

BTW -- the rafting company claims it was the first head injury they've witnessed in 34 years. Of course.

Love and Bock have been together for years. They also have the most adorable dog. Shout-out to Vestry.

As for Bock's rafting career ... she says she WILL hit the waters again someday.

We believe in you, Kate!!

Fantasy nerds, listen up ... LaDainian Tomlinson's shelling out advice on how to win your league this year -- TAKE TODD GURLEY!!!!

"He's going to be just fine!" LT says.

Despite being an absolute fantasy monster last season ... people are gun shy on the Rams superstar this year -- and it's all 'cause of his injured knee.

In fact, the guy is going 2nd round in some leagues!!!

But, Tomlinson -- who just might have some insider information working and living in L.A. -- says there should be no worry about taking TG early.

"He's going to play," the Hall of Fame running back says.

Tomlinson says he's got the No. 6 overall pick in his draft, and right now, he's down to David Johnson and Gurley for the pick ... and it sure sounds like he's leaning toward taking Todd.

There's more ... the Chargers legend disagreed with Keenan Allen's take on Carli Lloyd, saying the USWNT star could "absolutely" play in the NFL.

It's like it's 2008 all over again ... 'cause Shaq and Kobe are going at each other's necks ... with O'Neal firing back at Bryant's "lazy ass" comments, saying if Mamba wasn't a ball hog, he'd have more titles!!

"U woulda had twelve [rings] if u passed the ball more especially in the finals against the pistons #facts," Shaq says.

He added, "You don't get statues by not working hard."

Of course, Kobe went in on The Big Aristotle's effort in an interview earlier this month with Patrick Bet-David at the 10th Annual PHP Agency Convention in Las Vegas, saying if Shaq had Bryant's work ethic, "I woulda had f*cking 12 rings!"

"He'd be the greatest of all time," Bryant said ... "He'd be the first to tell you that!"

During the interview, Kobe doubled and tripled down on his comments -- insisting he wasn't saying anything publicly that he hasn't already said to Shaq privately.

But, the Black Mamba kinda backtracked on his words on Wednesday ... saying, "Don’t get it confused. He was still the #MDE" (AKA Most Dominant Ever).

So, water under the bridge ... or are we getting another Shaq vs. Kobe diss track!?

Lenny Dykstra's son says the MLB star has told him personally he wants to murder Bagel Guy in their fight next month ... telling TMZ Sports, "He told me he's not stopping 'til he's dead!"

The former Phillies star is set to square up with Chris Morgan (that dude who went crazy in a bagel shop earlier this year) in a celeb boxing match on Sept. 28 ... and the trash talk has already been intense.

Dykstra clowned Bagel Guy's penis size to TMZ Sports earlier this month ... and even shoved the dude at their promo event in Philadelphia last week.

But, when we got Lenny's son, Luke Dykstra, out at Delilah earlier this week ... he told us Lenny is dead serious about his hatred for Bagel Guy -- saying he wants to kill him!!!

"It's real simple," Luke said ... "This guy called me, right? And, he told me, he's not stopping 'til he's dead!"

"Honestly, you hate to hear it, but it looks like if he doesn't stop, he's dead."

Seems the dislike for Bagel Guy runs in the Dykstra blood ... 'cause even Luke shaded the dude to our camera guy!!!

Detroit Lions RB C.J. Anderson was investigated by cops this year after he allegedly got violent with a ref at a youth football tournament ... but no charges were filed and the NFL stud is adamant he NEVER put his hands on the guy.

C.J. was coaching a 14-and-under team at a 7-on-7 event in Cypress, Texas back on March 2 when cops say he got into a spat with a referee over an on-field call.

A Harris County Sheriff's Office spokesperson tells TMZ Sports, Anderson allegedly got face-to-face with the 38-year-old official ... and a verbal argument ensued.

We're told 28-year-old Anderson and the ref really went at each other -- complete with chest bumping and mutual contact.

At some point during the heated confrontation, cops say the ref alleged Anderson ripped a whistle out of his mouth and threw it on the ground, causing him to have a sore lip and watery eyes.

We're told the ref refused to continue officiating the tournament until Anderson left ... but after Anderson complied with that demand, the ref still went to cops.

We're told the ref was seeking an assault charge against the 5'8", 225-pound NFL player ... which kicked off a police investigation that lasted 3 months.

According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office spokesperson, several witnesses were interviewed ... but there was no consensus on whether Anderson ripped the whistle from the ref's mouth. Some witnesses said Anderson merely took the whistle from the ref's hand.

We're told the case went in front of a grand jury ... but according to the spokesperson, "The Harris County District Attorney's Office declined charges stating there was insufficient evidence supporting a charge."

We reached out to Anderson for comment on the incident, and he told us, "There were no charges because I never touched the man."

Anderson says it was actually the ref's fault for escalating the situation ... adding the ref was NOT allowed back at the tournament the next day -- while he was.

"It was a typical coach-and-ref interaction," Anderson said. "I was just looking out for my players."

C.J.'s agent, Peter Schaffer, added, "I want people to cherish the fact that this is a professional football player giving back to society. He was helping kids for free. Nothing happened -- this was a disagreement between a referee and a coach. This will not deter C.J. from giving back in the future."

C.J. has been a star in the NFL throughout his 7-year career -- logging 3,454 total rushing yards and 22 rushing TDs.

Justin Bieber has Bieber fever -- Shane Bieber fever, that is.

The most unlikely long-distance friendship is blossoming between the "I Don't Care" singer and the Cleveland Indians ace ... with the Biebs getting his own "Not Shane Bieber" Tribe jersey!!!

Of course ... Shane has worn "Not Justin" on his back for the past 2 MLB Players' Weekends, when the athletes get to wear whatever name they want on their jerseys.

JB is getting in on the fun now ... rockin' his very own Tribe jersey while joyridin' on his motorcycle in Beverly Hills on Tuesday.

The 2 first linked up online on August 4 after Topps accidentally called Shane "Justin" on his baseball card -- and Justin responded on Twitter, saying, "I feel like we have a special connection."

TMZ Sports spoke with Shane in NYC earlier this month and he told us that the interaction was a life milestone reached.

Anthony "Rumble" Johnson's domestic violence case is closed ... the ex-UFC star just cut a deal with prosecutors and won't have to spend more time behind bars.

Johnson was arrested back on May 6 in Palm Beach County, Florida after his girlfriend told cops the former fighter roughed her up during an argument.

In police docs, Johnson said he DID pick the woman up to carry her to a different room because he was tired of arguing ... but he insists he never tried to hurt her.

Johnson was hit with a misdemeanor domestic battery charge ... and faced up to 1 YEAR in jail.

But, Johnson's attorney, Michael Walsh, tells TMZ Sports Johnson reached an agreement with prosecutors this month to enter a pretrial diversion program.

Walsh says Johnson will be required to complete an anger management course ... and once he's done that, the case will be dismissed.

Walsh -- who called the deal a "no-brainer" for Johnson -- says the 35-year-old has until Oct. 21 to complete the course ... although he could request an extension.

Johnson retired from fighting back in 2017 with a 22-6 record as a pro ... with wins over stars like Glover Teixeira, Ryan Bader and Alexander Gustafsson.

New Orleans Saints' P.J. Williams has one less thing to worry about before roster cuts this week ... the DB was able to close out his drunk driving case with a guilty plea to a lesser charge Tuesday.

Williams was pulled over for going 80 MPH in a 50 MPH zone in New Orleans just days after the Saints lost to the Rams in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 20.

During the stop, cops suspected the 26-year-old was drunk ... and when he refused a breathalyzer test, he was arrested.

Williams was hit with a DWI charge as well as speeding, improper lane usage and failure to use a turn signal.

But, a court official tells TMZ Sports Williams cut a deal with prosecutors Tuesday and, in exchange for a guilty plea to a reduced charge of reckless operation of a vehicle -- his case was closed out.

We're told as part of the agreement, Williams -- who had his attorney appear for him in court -- was forced to pay a $340 fine.

Williams has been a solid member of the Saints' defense the past three seasons, logging 15 starts and 3 interceptions.

DeMarcus Cousins allegedly told his ex-girlfriend he'd put a "bullet in [her] f*cking head" if she didn't let their child come to his wedding ... and the woman claims she has the audio to prove it.

TMZ Sports has obtained court docs and a police report filed by DC's ex-girlfriend, Christy West -- claiming the NBA star threatened her on August 23, just one day before Cousins was set to marry his new girlfriend, Morgan Lang, in Atlanta.

In fact, West recorded the alleged threat and claims she played the audio for court officials ... and now we have a copy of that same recording.

West claims she made the recording while at a trampoline park in Alabama with their 7-year-old son ... and she's adamant the voice on the other line is Cousins'.

"I'm gonna ask you this one more time before I take it to another level," the man says ... "Can I have my son here, please?"

Christy responds, "No" -- and that's when the man makes the alleged threat -- "I'm gonna make sure I put a bullet in your f**king head."

That's when the audio cuts off -- but Christy has since filed court docs in Alabama seeking a restraining order against Cousins claiming he ALSO told her that he was going to kill her, "even if he didn't have to get his hands dirty doing it."

In the court docs, Christy also claims Cousins had choked her during a previous incident -- but she didn't provide any specific details.

She wants officials to keep Cousins away from her and their son -- but she notes she's open to allowing Boogie to have supervised visitation.

Christy also went to the the Mobile Police Dept. and filed a report with cops. A police spokesperson tells us they have opened an investigation into the allegations.

As for Boogie's wedding, it went down on Saturday as scheduled in Atlanta -- and while a ton of famous people showed up (from Matt Barnes to Anthony Davis to Draymond Green), his 7-year-old was not in attendance.

We've reached out to Cousins for comment -- so far, no word back.

The breakup between Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger just got a lot nastier ... with AB telling the Steelers QB to "shut up already" ... because they were NEVER friends.

It's no secret the 2 butted heads several times when they were Steelers teammates ... with Brown even tweeting Ben had the "owner mentality" after getting blamed for a late-game interception last season.

Roethlisberger recently talked about how he handled that specific situation in an interview with Michele Tafoya ... saying, "I wish I wouldn't have done it."

"Obviously, we saw what happened and obviously it ruined a friendship," Ben said. "I just got caught up in the emotion of the heat of the battle."

But, AB is havin' NONE of that "friend" talk ... blasting his old QB for trying to make it sound like they were tight.

"Never friends just had to get my ends.......shut up already," AB tweeted on Tuesday.

Tyler Cameron was too busy hooping and showing off his toned bod to hit up the VMAs with Gigi Hadid ... and it looks like he made the right call because he won some hardware!!!

The 'Bachelorette' heartthrob hit the court for some rec league basketball in New York City Monday afternoon ahead of the VMAs across the river in Jersey ... and naturally, Tyler C took his shirt off. It's kinda his thing.

Sure, taking in the VMAs backstage with Gigi sounds appealing, but Tyler's got his priorities ... this was the championship game after all!!! Check out the gallery to see his big shiny trophy -- TC's got game ... on and off the court, apparently.

In the end he enjoyed the best of both worlds -- after showing off his moves and his abs, and balling with his boys, the underwear model met up with Gigi for a VMA after-party!!!

Y'know you're confident when you can put someone as hot as Gigi on the back burner ... while you play a game. Point is ... those first few dates they went on in the Big Apple must've gone REALLY well.