TMZ Sports - Page 50

Kobe Bryant "honestly" believes there's a handful of WNBA superstars who could seriously compete with men in an NBA game ... and he's naming names.

"I think there are a couple of players who could play in the NBA right now honestly," Mamba said while talking to CNN about his 13-year-old daughter Gianna's basketball ambitions.

"There's a lot of players with a lot of skill that could do it ... Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Elena Delle Donne."

He continued, "There's a lot of great players out there so they could certainly keep up with them."

Of course, the 3 women Kobe named are some of the best players in WNBA history, with resumes like ...

-- Taurasi -- 4-time WNBA champ, 2-time Finals MVP, regular-season MVP, 9-time All-Star and 5-time scoring champ.

-- Moore -- 4-time WNBA champ, Finals MVP, regular-season MVP, 6-time All-Star

-- Delle Donne -- 2-time regular season MVP, 1-time champ, 6-time All-Star, 4-time All-NBA First team.

Clearly, they're all super talented ... but could they seriously compete on the same court as LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, etc???

Gritty is a straight SAVAGE!!!

The Houston Astros ain't safe from getting totally roasted for their sign-stealing scandal ... not even by NHL mascots!!

The Philadelphia Flyers' beloved freakish-lookin' thing named Gritty took a jab at the 'Stros during the team's 3-0 over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday ... using a trash can with Houston's logo to pump up the crowd.

On top of that, Gritty had a guy stand next to him while holding a sign that read "Gritty learnt this from the Astros."

Boom. ROASTED.

Of course, investigators concluded the Astros banged on a trash can to tip-off batters on which pitches would be coming their way ... ya'know, like cheaters do.

Alex Cora -- who was Houston's bench coach at the time -- stepped down from his gig with the Red Sox, A.J. Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow were fired, and Carlos Beltran stepped down from the Mets' managing job as well.

While there have been major punishments handed down by MLB, it's been open season on the Astros for those using humor to cope with the cheating.

As for Gritty ... the dude has always been ruthless. Remember when he made his shot at P.K. Subban's fiancee, Lindsey Vonn??

The man who allegedly roughed up a moving company driver with Antonio Brown faced a judge in handcuffs Wednesday ... and the guy looked pretty damn sad to be there.

Glenn Holt -- an ex-NFL player who police say is AB's trainer -- was arrested Tuesday after he was accused of attacking a man with Brown at the NFL star's Hollywood, Fla. home.

Holt was hit with one felony count of burglary with assault or battery over his alleged role in the incident ... and he faced a judge in a Broward County courtroom Wednesday morning to hear the allegations against him.

35-year-old Holt didn't say much -- his attorney did most of the speaking for him -- but it was revealed Holt had reached an agreement with prosecutors to set his bond at $20,000.

In exchange, prosecutors said Holt must not have ANY contact with his accuser. They added the alleged victim had "no objection" to the deal. The judge later granted that agreement.

Jail records show Holt -- who played receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2006-2008 -- is still currently in custody with his bond pending.

DeSean Jackson will be honoring his friend and late-legend Nipsey Hussle whenever he's rolling through the streets ... tricking out a Rolls-Royce to pay tribute to the slain rapper.

D-Jax -- who repped the L.A. rapper all season with custom cleats -- is keeping his tribute going on the road ... by pimpin' his 2020 Rolls-Royce Cullinan interior in "Nipsey Blue."

Not only do the seats pay homage to Nip ... custom lighting on the doors projects Nipsey's face and logo on the ground whenever Jackson hops in his ride. It's pretty amazing!

The rims are also blue ... as well as the RR hood ornament, which also has a "One of One" logo for DeSean, with all the work done by Champion Motoring.

Nipsey was shot and killed outside his Marathon Clothing store in South L.A. back in March 2019 ... and DeSean has actively worked to keep his legacy alive ever since.

Jackson -- who also has a Nipsey diamond chain -- spoke out about the loss at the time, saying "Can’t b life !! How they even allow this to happen ?? Bro I remember us being young homies before all the fame and money two young south central kids connecting and making something out of our life’s and giving bac for our ppl & hood !!"

"Whoever does not think Derek Jeter is Hall of Fame worthy -- you gotta check yourself because you have a screw loose!"

That's Rich Eisen PERFECTLY explaining the issues he's got with the one HOF voter who snubbed Derek Jeter ... leaving the Yankees legend one vote shy of being a unanimous pick.

"Who the hell is the ONE guy?!" Eisen said ... "I need that guy or lady to present themselves."

Hey, Eisen's not the only person who feels this way -- a LOT of baseball folks believe the anti-Jeter voter is just being a jerkwad for no reason.

After all, Jeter's resume is pretty outstanding ... 14-time All-Star, 5 World Series rings, World Series MVP, 5 Gold Gloves, 5 Silver Sluggers and he's 6th all-time in career hits in MLB history.

Jeter was looking to become the second unanimous HOF entry in history. The only person to get 100% of the vote is Derek's longtime Yankees teammate Mariano Rivera, who did it last year.

SO, WHO ARE YOU, ANGRY HOF VOTER?! SHOW YOURSELF!!!

Ex-Mississippi St. star WR De'Runnya Wilson -- Dak Prescott's top target with the Bulldogs -- was found dead Tuesday ... and cops believe he might have been murdered.

Birmingham Police say 25-year-old Wilson was discovered unresponsive by a relative inside an Alabama home this week ... and once cops arrived, they say they discovered signs of foul play.

"Currently we are in the homicide investigation mode," a Birmingham PD spokesperson said. "And, there are limited details on this investigation."

A cause of death for Wilson has not yet been revealed.

Wilson was a stud at Mississippi State from 2013 to 2015 -- the same years Prescott earned Heisman Trophy candidate recognition -- scoring 22 TDs and piling up 1,936 receiving yards on 132 catches.

He left the Bulldogs early to enter the 2016 NFL Draft ... and after he wasn't picked, he later caught on with the Arena Football League.

Mississippi State said in a statement Tuesday, "Tonight, we mourn the loss of former Bulldog De’Runnya Wilson."

WWE superstar Alexa Bliss has a serious bone to pick with her fans ... who keep showing more social media love to her butt than her adorable pet piggy!

Bliss has more than 4 MILLION followers on Instagram who follow the 5-time WWE champ in and outside of the ring. As Alexa points out, the fans seem to like pics of her physique!

Buttttttt ... Alexa is also a proud pig parent who's obsessed with her porker pet, Larry Steve, (who also has 97,000 followers!) and she's upset that he doesn't get the same amount of "likes" her butt racks up!

In fact, Bliss posted about the situation recently saying, "I’m not really a fan of the fact that a pic of my booty shorts got WAAAAYYY more 'likes' than any pics of my pups or pig."

We saw Bliss at LAX and asked straight-up -- why the beef?

"I think Larry is a lot cuter than my butt!"

The parents of Botham Jean -- the Dallas man murdered by an off-duty police officer -- are opening up about his life to save others, and to drive home a point ... that police shouldn't assume "our black boys" are threats.

Botham's mother, father and sister spoke out for this PSA -- produced by Roc Nation and the NFL -- explaining why the world "lost a great man" the night Amber Guyger walked into his apartment and shot him.

In the video, Bertram and Allison Jean say their son was "destined for greatness," and was everything to them -- but his father adds, "Life is not sweet anymore."

Their heartwrenching story is the latest project from the "Responsibility Program" -- launched by Jay-Z's Roc Nation. It's produced multiple PSAs, highlighting victims of police brutality -- but this is the first one sponsored by the NFL.

As for why Botham's folks are speaking out for the PSA -- his mom says, "What I hope to see happening is that our black boys are not seen as a threat." His sister, Allisa Findley, adds, "The color of my skin can be perceived as a weapon, and it's not."

You'll recall the tearful courtroom scene last October when Guyger was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Botham's brother shockingly said he forgave Guyger, before hugging her.

Botham's parents reference that extraordinary moment, saying there is no need for hatred.

Similarly, Michelle Kenney -- whose son, Antwon Rose Jr., was shot by a Pittsburgh police officer -- told TMZ ... she hoped the PSAs would "open eyes and bring them into our world," so America can have "more compassion" when these tragedies happen.

And, Angella and Danroy Henry told us their PSA effectively showed the world who their son, DJ Henry, REALLY was ... beyond the news headlines about the Pace University student-athlete killed in 2010 by a police officer.

We're told the NFL will run a social justice themed PSA -- about ex-WR star Anquan Boldin's murdered cousin -- during halftime of the Super Bowl.

That spot is part of the league's non-profit initiative, Inspire Change.

Netflix's doc about a Texas cheerleading program lacks professional shots of THE big competition, and that's the studio's own damn fault ... so says the gatekeeper to the event.

Varsity Spirit -- which is briefly featured in the docuseries -- tells TMZ ... they did, in fact, shoot down Netflix's request to film the competition with their own cameras, but offered a compromise they insist Netflix wasn't interested in ... event footage from Varsity itself.

ICYMI, the streaming giant's new docuseries, "Cheer," is all the rave ... but at one point -- SPOILERS AHEAD!!! -- producers switched to iPhones to capture the Daytona cheer tournament that their subjects, Navarro College's cheer team, work toward through 6 episodes.

The reason (per Netflix) ... Varsity denied them access to film on the grounds. No official reason was offered, despite Varsity somewhat alluding to it.

They spelled it out for us, however, and basically say they don't allow outside production teams to film during the proceedings, mostly to avoid unnecessary distractions for the athletes. As for why Netflix and co. allegedly turned down Varsity's own footage ... unclear.

There is good news though for fans of the breakout series -- there seem to be signs of future installments. Varsity tells us they've been in talks with Netflix since this little headbutt -- and apparently, the two behemoths have already discussed working together again.

And now, TMZ Sports Presents: Terrible Clip, Great Soundbite ... starring Robert Kraft!!!

Here's the Patriots owner out in NYC on Tuesday ... giving Pats fans hope Tom Brady ain't done in New England yet -- all while piling himself into the back of his chauffeured ride on a busy street!!!

We know, not exactly Zapruder footage -- but the exchange is DEFINITELY gonna make Pats nation happy!!!

TMZ Sports: "Are we going to keep Tom in New England, Bob?!?"

Kraft: "We plan to!"

BOOOOOOOM!!!

Vanessa Hudgens is moving on from Austin Butler by sitting down for dinner with another tall and handsome hunk ... and Kyle Kuzma seems like he's ready to grab a rebound.

Check out these pics of the newly-single actress and the Los Angeles Lakers star forward ... the two were spotted Tuesday night enjoying a fancy Italian dinner at Lilia in Brooklyn.

Vanessa and Kyle look like they're enjoying each other's company ... smiling and laughing over a bottle of red wine. It's a super-intimate setting too, with the small table and all.

Kyle's definitely making the most of his night off in the Big Apple ... the Lakers are in town to play the Knicks Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, fresh off a shellacking at the hands of the rival Celtics Monday night in Boston.

As you know ... Vanessa just broke up with Austin after 9 years of dating, and she's clearly ready for a new slate.

Kuz is a bit of a ladies man himself ... we've seen him grab a handful of cheeks in Miami, and hang on a yacht with Kendall Jenner ... so he's definitely got game off the court.

The real-life stars of Netflix's "Cheer" documentary want to put their newfound fame to good use ... and they've got ideas for potential movie adaptions and pitches for music videos!!!

We got the cheer squad from Navarro Community College in Texas after they touched down at LAX and asked how they're feeling about going Hollywood.

Coach Monica Aldama is hoping their story finds its way into a movie script ... and she wants Sandra Bullock to play her on the big screen!!!

As you know ... everyone is raving about the super fun doc, and the cheerleaders are getting shoutouts from all types of celebs and athletes.

Jerry Harris tells us his favorite famous fan, and his answer might surprise you ... sorry, JJ Watt, being the best defensive player in the NFL just ain't cutting it for Jerry.

Speaking of sports stars ... these cheerleaders say people better recognize -- they are definitely athletes.

A music video makes perfect sense for the cheer squad ... and while Lexi Brumback wants to collab with someone from the EDM world, her peers are pulling for Drake.

Kyrie Irving SHOULD be comparing himself to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ... so says Common, who tells TMZ Sports the NBA superstar's recent comments were NOT out of line.

Of course, Uncle Drew faced backlash for calling out his team's roster last week ... and later compared the criticism to what MLK had to go through.

“When I was out for those seven weeks and not saying anything and still people are still saying things about me. It’s inevitable," Irving said.

"They crucified Martin Luther King for speaking about peace and social integration. You can go back to historical leaders and great people in society that do great things, and they’re still going to talk s**t about them. It is what it is."

We spoke with the rapper/actor/Oscar winner about Irving comparing himself to MLK ... and he's all for it.

"I love Kyrie," Common says. "He's a really intelligent and brilliant young dude. I love that he speaks his mind."

"Dr. King is Dr. King. I have no problem with us aspiring to be great like that. Sometimes people compare themselves like, I might say in a rhyme, like, I'm the Dr. King of rap."

Common says Irving clearly knows he's not actually MLK ... but that doesn't mean he should stop himself from striving to make an impact.

FYI -- Common was wearing Kyrie's signature kicks while leaving Equinox .. so there may be a little bit of bias. But, clearly, he thinks there was no disrespect.

There are a TON of police officers in front of Antonio Brown's home in Hollywood, Florida, TMZ Sports has confirmed ... and we're being told it's an "active scene."

Unclear exactly what triggered the call but a neighbor told us there are a handful of squad cars in front of AB's home ... and there is someone in the back seat of one of the patrol units.

A police source tells us Antonio is NOT in custody but added, "at this time."

Two independent sources tell us it appears someone has been injured -- though the details are still unclear. We're working on it.

It's not the first time cops have been at AB's home in the past few months -- in fact, they've been there a lot to deal with issues involving child custody issues with Brown's ex, Chelsie Kyriss.

The last time cops were at Brown's home, he not only berated Kyriss in front of their children and threw a bag of gummy penises at her -- but also cussed out the responding police officers.

The Hollywood PD has since issued a statement saying they are ending their relationship with Brown and refunded a donation he made to help fund the Dept's 7-on-7 football league.

L.A. was cheated out of the 2017 and 2018 World Series titles ... so says some of the city's most powerful politicians, who are now OFFICIALLY demanding the MLB give the trophies to the Dodgers!

The L.A. City Council approved a resolution by a unanimous vote Tuesday that called for MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to hand over the rings.

Of course, the resolution has no actual legal authority behind it ... but it shows L.A. is REALLY pissed off after the MLB said the Houston Astros cheated in 2017 -- the same year they beat the Dodgers in 7 games to win the World Series.

"It's significant because we have a culture of cheating in this country," Councilman Paul Koretz said during the session ... "It's time to say, 'No, this not the new norm.'"

Councilman Gil Cedillo added ... "This could send an important message to little boys and girls that you need to play hard by the rules, or you can learn that cheating is the new normal. We want it to be clear that this city spoke up for its team."

As we previously reported, Manfred says manager A.J. Hinch, GM Jeff Luhnow, bench coach Alex Cora (who moved on to become Red Sox manager) and stud outfielder Carlos Beltran (who was named Mets manager in November) were complicit in the Astros' illegal sign-stealing scandal ... and all have since lost their respective jobs.

The MLB fined Houston $5 MILLION after its findings ... and further investigation into the Red Sox is underway after it's alleged Cora brought a similar scheme to the team in 2018 -- the same year they beat the Dodgers in 5 games to win the championship.

But, Manfred announced he was NOT stripping either the Astros or the Red Sox of their titles ... and now, L.A. politicians are demanding he changes that ASAP.

Delonte West looks to be in need of serious help.

Check out these disturbing videos appearing to show the former NBA player getting beaten up in the streets of D.C.

It's super sad ... Delonte is apparently saying someone came at him with a gun while he was walking down the road. He then starts ranting and keeps saying "I don't give a f***" when pressed for more details about what went down.