TMZ Sports - Page 50

Deebo from "Friday" is giving his blessing to "Deebo" from the 49ers -- and TMZ Sports has the video!!

FYI, "Deebo" Samuel -- real name Tyshun -- got the nickname by his father, Galen, when he was kid as a tribute to the movie badass played by Tiny Lister.

The nickname stuck as he became a star WR at South Carolina -- and he REALLY blew up when he was selected by the 49ers in the 2nd round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

So, when we saw Lister out in L.A. the other day, we asked him if he felt the WR was worthy of the "Deebo" name.

"He gets the blessing man," Lister told us ... "He’s one of the starting wide receivers for the San Francisco 49ers. I'm a big fan of what they doing up there man!"

And, get this, Lister says he's been in talks with Ice Cube about a new "Friday" movie -- shooting could start as early as December -- and Lister wants Samuel to get a role!

"Hey, Ice Cube is gonna have to put Lil' Deebo in the movie with Big Deebo, okay?! And, let's rock it!"

Lister even has a message for Samuel -- check out the clip!!!

Phil Mickelson nearly carded the greatest hole in PGA Tour history Friday -- missing a hole in one on a 353-yard Par 4 ... by INCHES!!!!

Lefty was playing in the second round of the CJ Cup in South Korea ... when he stepped up to the tee box on the 14th hole at Nine Bridges -- and nearly did the unthinkable.

With a driver in his hand ... Phil took a violent swing and ripped a golf ball that hit the green on the fly.

It tracked all the way to the hole ... but had just a little too much heat on it -- and instead of falling, it kicked off the pin and settled just inches away from the improbable ace.

Of course, Phil was able to roll in the eagle putt ... but you just know the dude was fuming over missing history!!

There's only been one Par-4 ace EVER on the PGA Tour -- and it was a wacky 332-yarder by Andrew Magee at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona back in 2001.

There's no video of that shot ... which means Phil's swing Friday would have been truly the most legendary one in PGA Tour history!

Wanna know how Jennifer Lopez might look when she walks down the aisle to marry Alex Rodriguez? If her movie wardrobe's any indication ... the answer is stunning.

J Lo was in all her bridal glory Thursday in NYC shooting a movie called, what else ... "Marry Me." She was rocking a lavishly floral patterned wedding dress for the scene ... with all the accessories -- veil, train, jewelry and even a fancy shawl at one point.

As you know ... J Lo and A-Rod got engaged in March, and everyone's been dying to know when and where they plan to tie the knot. Still no word on that, but maybe the movie -- which comes out next year -- is giving Jen some ideas for her real-life gown.

If you're superstitious, chill out ... doesn't look like A-Rod saw her in the gown. He was busy at Yankee Stadium covering the Bronx Bombers' playoff game.

After she wrapped on the set, Jenny from the Block made it up to the game with her hair still curled from the scenes. BTW, she looked great, but her Yankees did NOT. They lost.

Savage burn from NHL superstar Mat Barzal on Thursday night ... 'cause after he took a hockey stick to the face TWICE -- he said his lips looked like Kylie Jenner's now!!!

The New York Islanders center was popped in the mouth a few times by a high stick in his game against the Winnipeg Jets ... and when he was interviewed about his swollen face at intermission, things took a hilarious turn.

"I feel like Kylie Jenner right now," 22-year-old Barzal said with a laugh ... "But, two high sticks there, it's unfortunate. That's hockey."

Of course, Kylie's fake lips are perhaps more famous than the entire league Barzal plays in ... but still -- BUUUURNNN!!!!

In case you care, Mat fought through the pain to dominate the Jets ... scoring two goals in the Islanders' 3-1 win.

As for his face ... we're pretty sure he's going to be just fine -- but he might not look so hot for a few days.

Maybe a KJ Lip Kit can help???

The ousted cofounder of the Big Baller Brand says Lonzo Ball was secretly diagnosed with torn ligaments in his ankle BEFORE he was traded to New Orleans ... but the Pelicans and the Ball family say it's just not true.

In fact, both the Balls and the Pelicans say they have solid medical evidence proving Lonzo's ankle is fine.

The man behind the claim is Alan Foster, who was fired from BBB and later sued by Lonzo. In his suit, Ball claims Alan stole more than $2 million from him.

Foster denies the allegations -- but he's REALLY pissed ... and has launched a new YouTube show promising to "expose" the truth about the Ball family.

In a video published Thursday, Foster claims he knows a secret about Lonzo's health -- "Nobody knows that he has torn ligaments."

Foster says Lonzo met with a specialist in Ohio earlier this year (when he was still on the Lakers) and an MRI and X-rays confirmed ligament damage to his ankle.

"A torn ligament at the point of your ankle where your ligament is torn, it's not gonna heal on its own. He's applying too much pressure, he's cutting left and right. This is a very sensitive area that has to be strong," Foster says.

Foster claims Lonzo was all set to undergo surgery, but when the Lakers found out -- they "freaked out" and told him to cancel the procedure. He alleges Lakers honchos sent the team jet to immediately bring him back to L.A.

Foster claims the Lakers believed if Zo went under the knife, it would hurt his trade value -- "No team would have wanted Lonzo with an ankle injury, recovering from surgery."

Lonzo was eventually traded to the Pelicans -- but Foster says the 21-year-old never had the procedure to repair his injury, and is at a huge risk of causing even more damage.

"If Lonzo doesn't get surgery, he's gonna have another season with the New Orleans Pelicans and he's gonna get injured again."

We reached out to the Pelicans and a rep told us, "The team strongly debunks this and was very aware of Lonzo's injury history and status [before we traded for him]."

Ex-Yankees skipper Joe Girardi fought like hell to choke back tears when talking about CC Sabathia ... and if you're a Bronx Bombers fan, or just someone with a heart, cue the waterworks.

Barring a miracle, Sabathia's career ended Thursday night ... when the 39-year-old star pitcher was forced to leave Game 4 of the Yankees-Astros ALCS game when his knee buckled on the mound. The Yanks are 1 game away from elimination ... and CC's retiring after this season.

So, when former longtime manager Joe Girardi -- who managed CC from 2009-2017 -- was asked to talk about the legendary hurler during his MLB Network TV gig, it got emotional.

"That was not the way I wanted to see it end for him."

"CC, you're a Hall of Fame pitcher that was as tough as any man I was ever around, what you went through on a daily basis to just be able to get on the mound."

"You were a great husband. You were a great father. You were probably the greatest teammate I've ever been around because of your ability to pull all 25, sometimes all 50 people together in the clubhouse."

Girardi continued, and this is where it really gets emotional ... "And, you were the guy I always wanted on the mound when we needed a win. And, it was a privilege for me to manage you for 9 years. I love you, man."

WE'RE NOT CRYING, YOU'RE CRYING!!!!

If this is it for the 251-game winning, 6x All-Star and 2007 AL Cy Young winner -- and it certainly looks like it's a wrap -- Sabathia's next stop is likely Cooperstown

Shaquille O'Neal is stepping up and doing an amazing thing for the family of a 12-year-old boy who was paralyzed in a random shooting ... paying for them to live in a handicap accessible home.

12-year-old Isaiah Payton was struck in the spine by a stray bullet when leaving a high school football game in Atlanta on August 17. He was paralyzed from the chest down.

Payton was hospitalized and eventually stabilized -- but doctors would not release him because his family's 1-bedroom apartment was not equipped to handle his special needs.

That's when Shaq stepped in ...

The NBA legend -- along with partners at Papa Johns -- found Payton's family a suitable home in the College Park area and have pledged to take care of the family's finances for a year.

"We’re going to give her some furniture, TVs and pay her rent off for a year and help her get on her feet," Shaq told WXIA-TV.

"I was watching the story and it’s just sad. It could have been any one of us. It could have been my son. It could’ve been your cousin."

Christian McCaffrey and Olivia Culpo's relationship is at "make breakfast for each other" level ... 'cause CMC snapped a pic of the former Miss Universe whippin' up egg sandwiches for him!!!

Things have been heating up between the Carolina Panthers stud and Maxim's "World's Sexiest Woman" lately -- they were pictured holding hands during a romantic trip to Cabo this past offseason.

Although the 27-year-old SI Swimsuit model has been spotted spending a lot of time in Charlotte throughout the season, the couple hasn't come right out and said, "WE'RE DATING."

Now that McCaffrey posted this pic, it seems like they're cool with the world knowing.

"Egg sammie's on a Thursday," the 23-year-old running back captioned the pic of the sandwich with OC in the background ... adding a heart emoji.

Of course, Culpo is coming off a wild breakup with 33-year-old NFL star Danny Amendola. Culpo and the Detroit Lions WR split earlier this year.

As for McCaffrey, he's in the middle of an MVP campaign, posting crazy numbers so far this season. Maybe she's his good luck charm.

And now, after this??? Just give him the trophy already.

Michael Strahan's not holding up his end of the child support deal he struck with his ex-wife, and it's going to take him more than half a mil to square up ... at least according to her.

Jean Muggli Strahan claims in legal docs ... the former NFL superstar's on the hook for some big-time equestrian expenses for their twin teenage daughters -- Sophia and Isabella -- along with owing hundreds of thousands in back child support.

Jean says a huge chunk of what Strahan owes her is to cover their daughters' horseback riding bills ... which she claims amount to $450,802 since 2017. According to the docs, Michael agreed to go halfsies with Jean but hasn't paid up ... so she's seeking more than $225k from him.

In docs he filed, Michael says he never agreed to such an arrangement.

On top of that, Jean claims Michael has underpaid child support since 2010 ... because the monthly amount he pays hasn't been adjusted for cost of living. The docs say she wants $321,654 in back support to make it right.

In his filing, Michael admits part of their agreement does call for cost-of-living adjustments -- but adds, the language about how to come up with that number is "vague and indefinite." Translation: We need to agree on a formula to come up with the correct number.

That being said, by Jean's current calculation ... she's looking to get more than $547k.

We broke the story ... the exes were in a Manhattan court last month to face off over their previous settlement.

Michael and Jean married in 1999 but split in 2006, and the judge eventually awarded Jean $15.3 million in their divorce and ordered him to pay $18k/month in child support.

However, that amount was decreased to just under $13k a month in 2009 ... according to the docs.

Jean claims his monthly income is way more now than it was in '09, due to his gigs on "FOX NFL Sunday" and "Good Morning America," among other projects ... so he can afford to increase his child support again. She wants him to pay $18,378 a month going forward.

Dennis Rodman has been charged with misdemeanor battery in Florida for allegedly slapping a man at his own birthday party back in May -- but The Worm is adamant he's innocent.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... cops say Rodman was at the Buddha Sky Bar in Delray Beach on May 17 when he "unprovokedly turned around and smacked" 30-year-old Jeff Soulouque.

Soulouque claims Rodman immediately began apologizing for the incident and invited him out to dinner the following night in an attempted peace offering.

But, Soulouque told TMZ Sports he was really hurt -- and went to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a left corneal abrasion. He went to cops the day after the incident and filed a report.

Cops launched an investigation and called up a witness named David Lee Roth -- who, shockingly, is NOT the Van Halen singer. Still, cops say DLR corroborated Soulouque's story.

"Roth stated he was about twenty feet away and he saw Rodman turn around and open hand smack Soulouque two times," the report states.

Prosecutors later charged Rodman with misdemeanor battery -- and on Thursday, DR's attorney appeared in court on his behalf and pled not guilty.

It's a big deal for Rodman -- the charge carries a maximum sentence of a year in jail, 12 months probation and a $1,000 fine.

And, with Dennis' criminal history, it's possible a judge could throw the book at the NBA legend if he's convicted.

The estate of Bernie Casey no longer has a legal cloud hanging over its head ... it's settled a lawsuit from a woman alleging he attacked her the week before he died.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the former NFL-star-turned-actor's estate has settled with Cheryl Castillo for a cool $250k. Cheryl had previously claimed she and Bernie were husband and wife but has since filed docs clarifying they were never married and only lived together.

In docs, the estate agrees to pony up the dough once it sells off Bernie's house. The settlement also allows Cheryl to live in the house until it's sold.

TMZ broke the story ... Cheryl sued the "Revenge of the Nerds" star back in June 2018 claiming Bernie violently tackled her to the ground just 1 week before his death in September 2017.

Cheryl alleged she got into an argument with Casey over their cars when he suddenly grabbed her by the arm and tackled her to the ground "as though [she] was a football player."

Casey -- who was U.N. Jefferson, the Tri Lambdas' leader, in 'Nerds' -- was a Pro-Bowl wide receiver for the L.A. Rams in the '60s.

Cam Newton's days as an NFL superstar are NOT over ... so says his Panthers teammate, Greg Olsen, who tells TMZ Sports he's got all the confidence in the world Cam will be back.

"Don't bet against Cam," Olsen says.

Newton has had a rough last few seasons battling injuries and poor play ... and the Panthers have actually been BETTER without him this season, going 3-0 in the games that he's missed.

So, when we saw Greg out in NYC this week ... we had to ask, is it over for the Carolina QB???

That's when Olsen told us no way, saying, "Don't bet against Cam. Once he gets himself right, he'll be ready to go."

As for the foot injury that's sidelined Newton for the past month ... Olsen says from everything he's seen, Cam is progressing just fine.

"I think he's feeling good," Olsen says. "I think he's feeling better."

Michael Bisping was already up and throwing knee strikes just hours after his replacement surgery on Thursday ... testing out the new merchandise in his hospital gown!!!

The UFC superstar got the work done after he had been dealing with intense pain in his knee since he tore his PCL in 2005, with the discomfort getting unbearable over the past 6 months.

Now, the Count has a brand-spankin' new knee after a 3.5-hour procedure at St. Joseph Hospital of Orange ... and by the looks of it, Bisping isn't gonna miss a step!!!

The 40-year-old Hall of Famer hopped off his hospital bed and started showin' off his jab and knee strikes ... and almost exposed his whole ass in the process.

"Here’s to a new chapter in life. New Knee, New Me!!!!!," Bisping said. "Still got it!"

BTW -- if you REALLLLLLY wanna see what Bisping's knee looked like, he gave us the pleasure of posting the absolutely disgusting images on his Instagram.

Swipe at your own risk.

Sacramento Kings star Harrison Barnes has stepped up and will pay for the funeral of Atatiana Jefferson, the woman who was shot and killed by a police officer while she was in her own home.

Jefferson's story has made national news -- a neighbor had called police early Saturday morning to check on Jefferson after he saw a door was open at her home in Fort Worth, Texas.

When the officer, Aaron Dean, arrived at the home ... he saw a person inside, and before ever announcing he was a police officer, he opened fire and shot Jefferson, killing the 28-year-old.

Dean has been charged with murder. He's currently out on $200,000 bail.

Jefferson had been peacefully, innocently watching her 8-year-old nephew at the home.

Now, Barnes -- who played for the Dallas Mavericks for 3 years before being traded to the Kings -- has offered to help out the family and foot the bill for the funeral, which is scheduled for Saturday in Dallas.

Barnes has made a lot of money in his NBA career -- he recently signed a 4-year, $85 million extension. He has earned a reputation for being extremely generous with his money and often giving back to the community.

Boxing? Check. WWE? Check. MMA?!? Tyson Fury says HELL YEAH ... 'cause he's telling TMZ Sports he wants to dominate ALL combat sports!!!

The Gypsy King -- who's taking on WWE Superstar Braun Strowman in Saudi Arabia in a few weeks -- was out at Pier 17 in New York on Thursday ... when we had to ask what his next move is.

Of course, the 6'9", 260-pounder knows his way around the squared circle -- he's also prepping for his highly anticipated rematch with Deontay Wilder -- and how he's looking for another challenge.

"I'm taking over all combat sports," Fury tells us. "So, whatever combat sport you're in, BEWARE. 'Cause the Gypsy King is coming!"

"I'm coming to your sport, whatever sport it is. I'll be there. MMA takeover!!!"

Not sure if Fury was just talkin' to talk or if he REALLY wants to get in the cage. But, if he's serious, his pals at WWE definitely know how to get in touch with Dana White!!!

Fury's definitely tough enough for MMA ... remember he battled through that insane GASH over his eye when fighting Otto Wallin last month.

And, good news, Fury says the wound is healing nicely and should be ready for action by the time he fights Deontay Wilder in February!!!

Ex-NFL head coach Dick Vermeil has seen some cracks in Patrick Mahomes' game recently ... and he's sending the QB a message -- keep that ego in check -- OR ELSE!!!

"I do think quarterbacks can become too confident, I really do," Vermeil says. "Sometimes they have to be humbled."

Mahomes hasn't been nearly as electric the last couple weeks as he's been for the majority of his career ... and Vermeil tells TMZ Sports he thinks the Chiefs star might be feeling himself a little too much.

"Right now he's the No. 1 quarterback in the NFL," Vermeil says ... "My only worry about him is he gets overconfident and takes for granted some of those guys on defense."

Vermeil says Patrick's main problem is his O-line isn't holding up very well ... but he thinks Mahomes also might be trying to do a little too much with the football because of what he's been able to do in the past.

Vermeil tells us he's seen it before with supreme talents like Patrick ... and says sometimes a really rough game can be the wakeup call guys need.