TMZ Sports - Page 50

Magic Johnson choked back tears as he addressed the NBA legends at David Stern's memorial service in NYC on Tuesday ... telling the crowd, "I'm going to miss my angel."

Everyone who's anyone attended the event at Radio City Music Hall ... from Michael Jordan to Bill Russell to Yao Ming and Dirk Nowitzki.

Several NY Knicks players and staffers were there -- same with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and NFL commish Roger Goodell.

"We all know he is the greatest commissioner to ever live," Magic told the crowd ... "But, he’s a man that stood for what is right."

As we previously reported, Stern passed away on Jan. 1 after suffering a brain hemorrhage in December at a New York steakhouse.

The day after Stern's death, Magic posted a tribute -- calling him a "history maker."

"When I announced in 1991 I had HIV, people thought they could get the virus from shaking my hand. When David allowed me to play in the 1992 All Star Game in Orlando and then play for the Olympic Dream Team, we were able to change the world."

Stern -- who served as commissioner from 1984 to 2014 -- has been praised as one of the greatest commissioners in American history. He's been credited with growing the NBA into a multi-billion dollar international powerhouse.

Originally Published -- 9:32 AM PT

Baker Mayfield can finally relax ... Odell Beckham's core muscle injury that kicked off a rift between the Browns QB and the team's training staff has finally been fixed!!!

Remember, Bake went after Cleveland's trainers following a game earlier this season when he said they weren't handling an Odell core muscle injury properly.

"I would say that it was not handled right," Baker said. "He is not able to run as well as he should be able to as well as he knows ... It was not handled the right way in our training room."

Baker later had to apologize for those statements, saying, "My intentions were not to throw our medical staff under the bus. No, I don’t know all the facts about Odell’s injury."

"It was emotionally answered because I can sense his frustration and I care about my team and putting us in the best position to win."

But, good news for all involved ... the Cleveland Browns said in a statement Tuesday the issue has been resolved once and for all!

"Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. underwent successful surgery Tuesday to repair a core muscle injury," the team said in a statement.

"The surgery was performed by Dr. Bill Meyers in Philadelphia, and a full recovery is expected."

LaVar Ball has HUGE plans for BBB in 2020 -- with a new BBB cartoon, new footwear and even a line of custom car rims ... and he's got some powerful supporters behind him.

Ball -- along with Master P and Metta World Peace -- joined the guys from the office for "TMZ Roundtable" ... where they talked about everything from getting their sons to the NBA, to how basketball has helped build their businesses off the court.

Of course, all the guys have kids who are rising hoop stars -- and all 3 men have made radically different decisions on how to get their sons to the pro level.

LaVar says he not only stands by his decisions to take LaMelo Ball out of high school in the United States (he went to Lithuania and Australia) ... but says he's convinced Melo will be the #1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Ball says his dream would be for the NY Knicks to hire Mark Jackson as the next head coach -- who would then take Melo with their first pick.

In fact, Ball says he sees a world in which all 3 of his sons sign with the Knicks and play in Madison Square Garden. He thinks his fam can save the franchise.

Metta World Peace says Ball's youngest son is the real deal -- and thinks he'll be a force to be reckoned with at the top levels.

As for Master P, his 2 sons are rising up the ranks too -- but P says even if his kids don't make it to the NBA, he's setting them up for success in the business world. You gotta hear his plans.

A grown-ass man was arrested Saturday after he attacked his son's high school wrestling opponent during a match ... and footage of the incident is INSANE.

The violence all went down during an event between Southeast Guilford H.S. and Hickory Ridge H.S. in Kannapolis, N.C. ... when a dad was so upset with the way his son's match was going, he bum-rushed the mat.

You can see in video of the incident ... the man charges his son's 17-year-old opponent, hitting him square in the back and knocking him to the floor. It looked like a Goldberg spear straight out of WWE.

A WILD brawl ensued ... with parents rushing to grab the guy -- and, eventually, the man was taken down by police and arrested for simple assault and disorderly conduct.

Cops identified the suspect as 54-year-old Barry lee Jones and processed him at the Carraburrus County Jail. He was later released on $1,000 bond.

Conor McGregor is Team MAGA -- calling Donald Trump a "phenomenal President" ... and shocker, Trump LOVED the compliment!

The Irish superstar sent out a random tweet Monday night raving about POTUS for no apparent reason ... maybe he was just in a super-Trumpy mood following his UFC 246 victory.

"Phenomenal President. Quite possibly the USA [Greatest of All Time]," McGregor wrote.

"Most certainly one of them anyway, as he sits atop the shoulders of many amazing giants that came before him. No easy feet. Early stages of term also. Incredible."

He added, "Congrats and Happy Martin Luther King Jr. day America."

Trump LOVED the shout-out and responded early Tuesday morning -- writing, "Congratulations on your big @UFC WIN!"

We know Trump is a huge MMA fan -- and he personally attended UFC 244 to watch Jorge Masvidal fight Nate Diaz at Madison Square Garden.

But, we didn't know McGregor was a Trump guy. In fact, McGregor ripped Trump back in 2015 when Donald criticized Ronda Rousey for not touching gloves with Holly Holm.

"Donald can shut his big fat mouth," McGregor said at the time ... "I don't give a f*ck about Donald Trump."

The new Aaron Hernandez documentary is making it near impossible for the family of Odin Lloyd -- the ex-NFL star's murder victim -- to recover because they were blindsided by the film.

Sources close to Lloyd's immediate fam tell TMZ ... they feel like old wounds were reopened this past week when Netflix dropped "Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez" ... which chronicled Aaron's life and murder case, starting in 2013.

We're told they largely tried to move on after Aaron was convicted, but now they feel the doc is dragging them back into a dark place and forcing them to relive painful memories.

Our sources say they didn't sign off on 'Killer Inside' ... nor did they want to be involved in the production. We're told the family gets approached with offers to participate in Hernandez specials all the time -- but they always decline.

That being said, the Netflix doc uses enough old video of Odin's family talking, they think it looks like they actively participated. We're told the popularity of the film has sparked a new round of interest -- meaning, they're constantly getting unwanted attention again.

Even worse, we're told some people have gone to horrific lengths to voice their opinion about Odin's death -- with many messaging the family to defend Aaron, and insult their deceased relative.

LeBron James will never be in the dark again ... 'cause the LA Lakers superstar just copped a SICK new diamond pendant -- and it LIGHTS UP!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... Bron is the proud new owner of a "Lion Gatekeeper" pendant ... complete with 130 grams of 14k gold, encrusted with 35 carats of VS1 diamonds.

We're told LBJ hit up celeb jeweler Iceman Nick when he was in Houston to play the Rockets ... and the dude pulled out all the stops to come up with a pendant fit for a king.

Of course, LeBron's always been a fan of using lions in his brand ... and Nike once even had a "Heart of a Lion" campaign starring James.

Iceman Nick has a huge list of celeb clients -- from Errol Spence to Tyler Herro to Lonzo Ball, just to name a few.

Not only is it iced out, it's also fully functional -- the eyes of the lion light up and the door knocker moves too!!

LeBron's a big fan of jewelry and can always be spotted with some diamonds on him ... but the light-up piece is gonna change the whole game.

Some fan threw trash on Bronny James during his H.S. hoops game on Monday ... and now LeBron is calling out the fan for being a hater.

LBJ was in the stands when Bronny and Sierra Canyon were in the 3rd quarter of their game against Paul VI Catholic (VA) at Springfield College in Massachusetts ... when the person in the stands threw an item at the 15-year-old.

The ref who saw it happen immediately stopped the game and had security eject the fan ... and LeBron (surrounded by around 5 security guards) shook his head as he watched it all go down.

James went to Twitter to call out the fan ... saying, "Hating has no age limit! #JamesGang is build for it and well equipped. As we proceed."

As for the game ... SC lost 70-62, giving the Blazers their 3rd loss of the season. Duke commit Jeremy Roach had 16 points and 7 assists.

2 people were killed and 15 wounded in a shooting Sunday night during a Chiefs-themed party at a Kansas City bar owned by a former NFL player.

Hundreds of people were at 9ine Ultra Lounge -- owned by former Chiefs 5th-round draft pick Alphonso Hodge -- when a 29-year-old gunman opened fire ... killing a 25-year-old woman.

15 others were injured before a security guard shot and killed the alleged shooter, Jahron Swift ... police said at a news conference on Monday.

“Last night was a night a lot of people were dreaming of for 50 years,” Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas said.

“While we won't necessarily say that folks aren't still happy, but this a very disappointing for us.”

We're told no Chiefs players were present at the bar at the time of the shooting.

Kansas City police chief Richard Smith said Hodge was at the club at the time of the shooting and is cooperating with law enforcement.

Hodge spent parts of two seasons with the Chiefs, although he did not appear in any regular-season games.

He also spent time with the New York Jets.

Hodge's club issued a statement on the shooting, saying ... "The 9ine ultra lounge family and organization is deeply saddened by the unsavory tragic act of one individual last night."

"Our deepest sympathies go out to the injured, the deceased and their loved ones. This shameless and senseless act of violence claimed the life of one of our patrons and injured many others and quite frankly, we have little in the way of answers."

As for the shooter, police said they found multiple firearms in his possession.

Aaron Hernandez killed himself largely because he was suffering from CTE -- and NOT because he was agonizing over his sexuality ... so says his famous attorney.

Jose Baez -- who repped Aaron and helped him beat a double murder case -- tells TMZ ... the new documentary about his client implies Aaron was in the closet, and might have even taken his life because of that alleged secret.

That's just not the case, though, according to Baez ... who says Aaron's death was triggered by advanced CTE -- a brain disease the tight end had developed since his youth. Baez insists Aaron's sexual orientation played ZERO part in his fate.

You'll recall ... Baez was intent on getting Aaron's brain studied at Boston University, and even accused the Worcester Medical Examiner of holding onto it illegally. He also downplayed rumors his client had a love affair with a fellow inmate.

UFC fighter Felice Herrig is giving TMZ Sports a blow-by-blow of her bloody Vegas street fight ... and she tells us the whole thing started over a penny.

35-year-old Herrig --the #12 ranked strawweight -- was in Sin City for UFC 246 ... when her night out on the town started to resemble her day job.

Herrig was walking with a friend between two casinos when a woman halted foot traffic to retrieve the cent.

“I was just like, ‘Dude it’s just a penny,’” Herrig told us. “And then I thought it was over and I was walking out with my friend, Kim, and she comes up from behind me and she was like, ‘It was on heads!’”

The penny-pincher declined Herrig’s request to get out of her face.

“So, I kind of shoulder bumped her to kind of let her know to go away, and she came at me,” Herrig tells us. “She punched me in the nose. I just remember punching her two times back.”

Herrig wasn't seriously hurt ... but did have her nose busted. Luckily for the woman who allegedly started beef with Felice ... she wasn't badly hurt either.

“I wanted to double-leg her, but I’m still recovering from my ACL injury,” Herrig tells us.

Felice says she doesn’t go out in public looking for fights, but she had a message for anyone else looking to start with her.

NFL great Asante Samuel says Darrelle Revis' critique of Richard Sherman is straight-up stupid ... 'cause the only thing that matters is winning, and the 49ers are headed to the Super Bowl.

The backstory ... 34-year-old Revis -- a 7x Pro Bowler who last played in 2017 -- took a shot at Sherman during the NFC Championship game ... blasting him after he was beaten by Packers star Davante Adams.

After the game, 31-year-old Sherman caught wind of Revis' message and fired back.

So, who's right, who's wrong? We asked another former great defensive back -- 4x Pro Bowler and 2x Super Bowl champ -- Asante Samuel.

"It's really a crazy stupid debate in my opinion. It's like, you're saying you want him to stick the best man on the team, for what? For his own selfish purpose? What are you saying?" ... Samuel tells TMZ Sports.

"They won the game. The game plan is to go out there and win. They shut 'em down. He balled out."

Asante says corners who travel all over the field, following the other team's top receiver means nothing ... 'cause what matters is production -- a.k.a. interceptions.

"Too many can't do what me and Richard Sherman doing. You understand what I'm saying? I got 50 picks in 10 years. Richard Sherman, if he wouldn't have torn his Achilles, he'd probably be right there knocking on the door."

Samuel continued ... and might've thrown a little shade Revis' way.

"If you ain't productive, that's the end of the discussion. You ain't the top if you ain't productive. They can hype you up and say whatever they want, but 20 picks, 30 picks in a career is very average."

FYI, Darrelle finished his career with 29 interceptions.

Atlanta Hawks forward Chandler Parsons suffered several serious and permanent injuries after getting hit by a drunk driver last week ... and now his NBA future is in jeopardy, his attorney claims.

The 31-year-old was on his way home from practice around 2:00 PM on January 15 when a man -- who admitted to drinking and had alcohol in his car -- hit Parsons and caused a 3-car wreck.

Parsons' attorneys, John Morgan and Nick Panagakis, say he may never fully recover from the accident ... claiming he suffered a brain injury, disc herniation and a torn labrum.

The Game went home HAPPY AF Sunday night for 2 reasons --- his beloved 49ers punched their ticket to the Super Bowl ... and he won $10,000 off of a bet!!!

TMZ Sports caught up with The Game after the Niners beat the Green Bay Packers 37 to 20 in the NFC Championship ... and the dude was clearly pumped for his team.

Of course, Game is a die-hard fan (he even has a Niners tat) ... but he was extra stoked to boast about his smart move by putting money on the line via a "hood bet."

For those unaware of what a "hood bet" is, Game describes it as "a bet with a motherf***a from the hood that you know gon' pay the money when you done."

"You can trust him cause he from the hood and if they don't pay., they gotta deal with the street code."

Game even showed us his winnings ... and explains he's gonna put up even more money for the Super Bowl

Pro tip for all future Serena Williams interviewers ... whatever you do, do NOT ask about her friend Meghan Markle ... 'cause you WILL get shut down.

The tennis superstar faced the media after her Australian Open match on Monday ... and the first question wasn't about her win over Anastasia Potapova, it was about Megxit.

“Your good friend, Meghan Markle, who attended your last 2 slams, and Harry, have taken a move, a stance that many people think is extraordinary and historic," the reporter said.

"What are your feelings about that? Have you spoken to her?”

Swae Lee is making his pitch to sing the National Anthem at Super Bowl LV next year ... by showing off his falsetto.

We got one half of the hip-hop duo, Rae Sremmurd, at Beauty and Essex Sunday night and asked him about Demi Lovato singing the "Star-Spangled Banner" at next month's Super Bowl in Miami.

Swae says Demi's gonna slay it in her first live performance since suffering an overdose back in 2018. Then he puts the NFL and Roger Goodell on the clock, telling them he wants the gig come next year!!!

He's definitely got the pipes to kick things off for the biggest sporting event of the year -- ya gotta hear him sing a few bars from Francis Scott Key's banger. No autotune needed!

Seems Swae's been thinking more about the Anthem than the actual game, but we finally coax a Super Bowl pick outta him.