TMZ Sports - Page 50

LeBron James is back to doing what Kobe Bryant would probably want him to do -- putting in work at the Lakers practice facility to gear up for his big game on Friday.

Bron and Lakers teammate Anthony Davis were grinding hard outside the team facility in El Segundo, CA on Wednesday ... working on their abs, footwork and even doing some soccer drills.

The Lakers haven't played since Saturday -- and a game scheduled for Tuesday was postponed in the wake of Kobe's death.

But at this point, the Lakers are still scheduled to play on Friday at Staples Center against Carmelo Anthony's Portland Trail Blazers ... in what will certainly be an emotional event for the players and the fans.

We're told the Lakers are planning on paying tribute to Kobe in some way on Friday, but the details are still being worked out. You can expect a moment of silence at the very least.

The last time LeBron took the court, he passed Kobe on the NBA's all-time scoring list ... moving up to #3.

After the game, Kobe tweeted at Bron saying, "Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother."

It was Kobe's final tweet.

Kobe was not only close with LeBron and several other Lakers players, but was super-tight with Carmelo. And he played with Trevor Ariza during TA's time with the Lake Show.

"You got a cast on, bitch -- you lucky!!"

Jorge Masvidal and Kamaru Usman almost got into an all-out brawl on radio row at the Super Bowl in Miami ... and video of their heated confrontation is EPIC!!!

The near-fight all started with some friendly trash talk ... but things got more serious when Usman begged Masvidal -- repeatedly -- to "do something!"

Masvidal seemed to be down for the scrap ... but he told Usman he wasn't going to hit him because of a cast Kamaru apparently had somewhere on his body.

"That's the only reason why nothing's happening to you!" Jorge said.

The two were ultimately separated by their entourages ... but it begs the question, is this the next fight for the two UFC superstars?!?!

Neither has an opponent lined up for their next tilt ... and Dana White himself told us earlier this month that would be "an incredible fight."

After seeing the two in Miami on Wednesday ... we gotta agree. MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!

The comedian who openly celebrated Kobe Bryant's death is triggering a wave of threats aimed at the comedy club where he was supposed to perform ... forcing cancellations.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Ari Shaffir was scheduled to do stand-up at the New York Comedy Club Tuesday night at 9:15 PM, but the club was forced to call cops after getting multiple phoned-in threats.

Our sources say someone called threatening to shoot up the place because a comedian scheduled to perform there made a vile joke about Kobe. We're told the caller didn't mention Shaffir by name, but it's no secret -- he DID stir anger just hours after Kobe's death.

Our law enforcement sources say the shows were canceled by the club due to numerous threatening calls.

The day Kobe died, Shaffir tweeted a selfie video, saying, "Kobe Bryant died 23 years too late today. He got away with rape because all the Hollywood liberals who attack comedy enjoy rooting for the Lakers more than they dislike rape. Big ups to the hero who forgot to gas up his chopper. I hate the Lakers. What a great day!"

Yeah, pretty vile.

Shaffir posted another video later and doubled down, saying Kobe's death was a "good story" because "the guy got away with rape." Shaffir deleted it, but the damage was done.

We're told the club filed a complaint with the NYPD for aggravated harassment 25 minutes before Shaffir's set time. No arrests have been made and the case is still under investigation.

Shaffir, who swiftly got dropped by his talent agency after the Instagram video, later took to Instagram to explain his video in epic failure.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says the league is ready, willing and able to help Antonio Brown get his life back on track ... saying, "We are confident that can happen."

AB's life has been a mess over the past several months -- he's been fired from multiple NFL teams, gone to war with the mother of his children and most recently, he was arrested for allegedly attacking a moving truck driver.

Brown's estranged girlfriend has said publicly that she's concerned about Antonio's mental health -- and it seems like Goodell and the NFL agree that he needs help ASAP.

During a media event in Miami on Wednesday for Super Bowl LIV, Goodell was asked about the league's efforts to help the embattled WR ... and he insisted the NFL is actively involved.

"I think the first thing for all of us is to think about the wellbeing of Antonio. To understand what Antonio's going through," Goodell said.

"We don't talk about the wellness of our players publicly but I would tell you that you can be assured that the NFL and the NFL Players Association have a tremendous amount of resources that are available to all players. They are going to be made available to Antonio."

Goodell continued ... "We want to help get him on the right track and get him in a position where he is in the zone where he thinks he can be successful in life."

"We are confident that can happen. We want to work to do that and for our standpoint, that's the first step ... and the first step is making sure we're doing everything to help Antonio."

For his part, AB is still training as if he'll get another shot to play pro football -- though it seems unlikely at this point.

During the media event, Goodell also addressed the investigation into the New England Patriots for illegally videotaping the Cincinnati Bengals during a 2019 regular-season game.

Goodell said, "Our responsibility is to make sure we're being extremely thorough. Our team has been on it. We've been focused on this. We're going to get it right. And when we come to a conclusion we'll certainly make sure that people are aware of it."

NFL D-lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches says his life has been turned upside down over a "completely false" story about him abandoning a dog ... saying he's been forced to move due to serious threats.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers player is accused of leaving his Cane Corso, Jitterbug, on the side of a Florida road last month ... where it was later found tired, hungry and alone.

The Buccaneers have announced they're investigating the incident ... but in a lengthy statement Wednesday, Nunez-Roches says he had nothing to do with the abandonment.

"We would never abandon a dog," Nunez-Roches says. "We were expecting our first baby, so we thought it would be safer to have only smaller dogs in the house."

"Jitterbug is a Cane Corso, which is an Italian Mastiff and not a Pit Bull as was incorrectly reported, and we gave her to a family that wanted one. We have no idea how she ended up in an animal shelter, but we absolutely did not and would never abandon her or any other dog."

Nunez-Roches says the allegations caused him to receive so many violent threats ... he was forced to call the cops and physically change his address.

"We love and have taken care of dogs for years," Nunez-Roches says. "But, because a few overzealous people mistakenly assumed we had abandoned a dog that was no longer ours, we have received threats and had our reputations smeared in the media."

Nunez-Roches says the Tampa Police Department is now handling the case ... and he says he wants retractions from people who made the accusations against him.

"Hopefully the groups who falsely accused us ... realize their mistake and we can all go back to living normal lives and taking care of our dogs and other pets."

As for Jitterbug, the dog was adopted shortly after it was found in Florida ... and we're told it's doing well and is very happy in its new home.

Patrick Mahomes is getting a Super Bowl assist from Brett Favre ... who tells TMZ Sports he's already hooking up the Chiefs superstar QB with Big Game week advice!!!

"I sent Patrick a message last night," Favre says.

So, what's the Packers legend's memo? Brett tells us it's simple -- ENJOY THE WEEK!!!

Favre -- a former SB MVP -- tells us he ain't offering X's and O's advice or anything like that (yet), but he is giving Mahomes some tips on how to forever remember his first title game.

"Enjoy yourself," Favre said he told the KC QB. "Soak it in!"

Favre says while the message might seem cliche and short ... he says it's actually necessary -- telling us a lot of dudes NEVER make it back to the title game and regret not enjoying the week more.

Favre, though, says he's betting Mahomes will have plenty more Super Bowl trips in his future ... telling us the 24-year-old is set to "rewrite" the NFL's record books!

Brett also talked to us about his faith in Jimmy Garoppolo heading into Super Sunday ... and he says a game against the Saints earlier this year showed him everything he needed to see to be a believer in the guy.

Rick Fox says the rumors he had died on the helicopter with Kobe Bryant Sunday "shook" his family ... with Kenny Smith saying he exploded into tears when he found out Fox was alive.

"It was hard to deal with," Fox said on TNT's "Inside the NBA" special Tuesday night. "It shook a lot of people in my life."

Shortly after Kobe's chopper went down in Calabasas this weekend ... reports began to swirl that Fox -- Bryant's ex-teammate -- was on-board with the NBA legend in the fatal crash.

Fox says the rumors turned his family upside-down ... with his best friend, Monmouth men's basketball head coach King Rice, calling him frantically to make sure he was OK.

"I said, 'I'm going to talk to my best friend' and I answered it and I said, 'Hey, man, this is crazy about Kobe,'" Fox said. "And he just was bawling."

"And I started crying. And he was like, 'You're alive!' And I'm thinking, 'Yeah, like, what do you mean?' And it was in that moment that my phone just started going."

Fox said his mom, his brother and his sister all called, adding, "Look, this has been a lot to process for all of us."

Smith said his experience with the rumors were an emotional ride as well ... and he broke down on the set talking about the relief he felt when Fox finally texted him back that he was alive.

"The race to be first and tell a story, you don't know what it does to people," Smith said.

Minnesota Vikings legend and NFL Hall of Famer Chris Doleman has died after a lengthy battle with brain cancer ... the Vikes confirmed late Tuesday night. He was 58 years old.

"Chris was a great example for players past and present, as he embodied all the best characteristics of a Viking -- resilience, toughness and a competitive spirit," the Vikings said in a statement.

"Chris always carried himself with dignity and class. Vikings fans worldwide will greatly miss him."

Doleman was picked with the Vikes' No. 4 overall selection in the 1985 NFL Draft ... and after he switched to defensive end in the 1987 season, his career took off.

Doleman became one of the league's all-time great pass rushers -- recording double-digit sacks in 8 of his 15 NFL seasons -- finishing with 150.5 total QB takedowns.

But, Chris tragically had brain surgery in January 2018 and was later diagnosed with glioblastoma ... a disease he was forced to battle with until his death Tuesday.

"The entire Pro Football Hall of Fame family mourns the passing of Chris Doleman after a prolonged and courageous battle against cancer," HOF president and CEO David Baker said.

Demand for Kobe Bryant memorabilia is surging like crazy in the wake of his death -- with collectors paying INSANE prices to scoop up valuable items, TMZ Sports has learned.

But, with the high demand comes scam artists looking to push fakes ... and the market is already on high alert.

We spoke with multiple high-end collectible dealers who are all saying the same thing ... people are clamoring for anything Kobe ... and they're paying anywhere from 2x to 20x the price Kobe stuff was fetching before his death.

For example, a game-worn and signed Kobe jersey from the 2004-2005 season was expected to hit $6,000 before his death ... but pre-bidders have already bumped the price to a starting $6,500 and the auction still runs for another month!

Another high-end dealer who didn't want to be mentioned by name says an extremely rare Kobe basketball card (which was originally expected to sell around the $2,500 range) has sold in the private market after Kobe's death for nearly $50,000.

Other dealers have told us straight-up they're pressing pause on selling Kobe items because it doesn't feel right to capitalize on emotional fans.

As for the fakes, multiple dealers have told us it's not uncommon for forgers to push out fake items and fake signatures on eBay and other platforms.

LeBron James' son honored Kobe's legacy in the best possible way Tuesday night ... throwing down an insane dunk and showing big love to his NBA pops afterward.

Bronny James was playing in his first high school game since Bryant tragically passed in a helicopter crash Sunday ... and the scene at Sierra Canyon was emotional.

LeBron was able to attend after the Lakers postponed their game against the Clippers to mourn Kobe's death ... and Bronny and his team honored the legend throughout the night.

Sierra Canyon wore Lakers and Kobe shirts in the pregame warmups ... and the team -- along with its Campbell Hall HS opponents -- took a 24-second shot-clock violation to start the night as a tribute to Bryant.

But, the most amazing ode to Kobe came during the 3rd quarter ... when Bronny took a lob from his teammate and hammered it home so hard, the gym exploded.

It looked awfully familiar ...

Bronny's squad ended up rolling to a victory ... and afterward, LeBron was loving the moment with his fam -- sharing an incredible embrace with LBJ Jr. and his wife, Savannah.

LeBron said earlier this week Bryant's death was SUPER tough on him, writing in an emotional goodbye to the 41-year-old, "I promise you I’ll continue your legacy man!"

Aaron Hernandez's fiancee says she doesn't know if the ex-NFL star was gay -- as suggested in a new Netflix docuseries -- but she wouldn't have cared if he was.

"I wouldn't have loved him any differently," Shayanna Jenkins said on "Good Morning America" ... "I would have understood."

The Netflix series, "Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez" features claims from Aaron's high school teammate, Dennis SanSoucie, who said the two had a sexual relationship before going to college.

Jenkins didn't dispute the claim -- but said it's unfair to discuss someone's sexuality when that person isn't around to have a say.

"Although I had a child with Aaron, I can't tell you how he was feeling inside," Jenkins said.

"If he did feel that way, or if he felt the urge, I wish that I was told. I wish that he would have told me because I wouldn't have loved him any differently. I would have understood. It's not shameful."

She continued, "I think it's a beautiful thing. I just wish I was able to tell him that."

Of course, Hernandez took his own life in his prison cell back in 2017 -- where he was serving time for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd.

"I’m not doing well. I’m sick."

That's Shaquille O'Neal admitting he's really struggling after the death of his "brother" Kobe Bryant -- saying he hasn't eaten or slept since finding out the horrible news.

"It just hurts," Shaq said on his "The Big Podcast with Shaq" show ... noting that he was already in bad shape because his sister, Ayesha, also passed away recently.

"I’m just getting over the death of my sister. You guys told me the other day when I came in, I looked like I needed some rest. And I haven’t been sleeping after Ayesha’s death."

Shaq opened up and talked all about his relationship with Kobe -- the good times and the bad times -- saying despite the way it looked in public, it was all love behind-the-scenes.

"All the stuff that is documented between us .. this is what brothers do."

"I love Kobe Bryant. I'm the first to say ... I've got 4 rings ... I couldn't have gotten 3 without him."

Shaq says he's glad the two became closer in recent years -- but wishes they would have communicated more because he really loved and respected KB.

Shaun Weiss -- famous for playing Goldberg in "The Mighty Ducks" -- was just arrested again ... another chapter in a tragic downward spiral.

Police in Marysville, CA say Weiss was busted for residential burglary and being under the influence of methamphetamine Sunday around 7 AM.

Cops say they responded to a call for a burglary in progress and when they arrived on the scene, found Weiss ransacking a car in the home's garage.

During the arrest, cops say Weiss displayed symptoms of being under the influence of meth and told officers he did not live in the home and the car wasn't his. Weiss was booked into Yuba County Jail, and his bail has been set at $52,500.

You'll recall ... Weiss posed for a sad mug shot back in August 2018 when he was arrested for public intoxication, also in Northern California. He spent a few hours in the drunk tank and was released but not cited.

As we've reported, Weiss has been stuck in a downward spiral in recent years ... he was busted for petty theft in 2017 before being busted for meth possession days after his release from jail. He checked into a rehab facility after his drunken bust, and then was busted in December 2018 for shoplifting.

Patrick Mahomes, Jimmy Garoppolo and all the other players preparing for Super Bowl 54 can stay focused on the game, instead of worrying about home burglaries ... thanks to a live-sex porn site.

Yeah, you read that right. CamSoda is offering free HD webcams to the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers players to set up inside their homes during Super Bowl week. The offer isn't a gateway to porn ... it's a security measure to ward off potential thieves.

CamSoda's thought is once the cams are installed, players can live stream the feed from their homes 24/7 to monitor their property while they're out of town -- or have friends or family monitor the situation.

The company's VP, Darren Parker, says ... "The last thing members of the Chiefs and 49ers should have to worry about while preparing for, and competing in, the Super Bowl is making sure their residences are secure."

Parker cites the break-ins at the homes of Rob Gronkowski -- during the Super Bowl in 2018 -- and Yasiel Puig when the Dodgers were in the 2017 World Series. He says Travis Kelce and George Kittle don't need to worry about falling victim too.

The offer doesn't require accepting players to "perform" on their webcams -- but ya gotta think CamSoda wouldn't turn 'em down if they were interested.

A team of NTSB investigators is painstakingly sifting through the huge debris field where Kobe Bryant's helicopter crashed, and this video shows how difficult the job will be.

The agency released this drone footage over the Calabasas hillside. You can see investigators rummaging through scattered parts of the Sikorsky S-76. Most of the aircraft is in tiny pieces ... although one large chunk of the tail section is almost intact.

In the video, you can see investigators picking up individual pieces of the motor -- and law enforcement sources tell us all of the parts will be shipped to Arizona. The NTSB will reassemble the aircraft there.

As we reported, L.A. County Sheriff's deputies are patrolling the area to protect it from looters.

Kobe Bryant's high school will honor the NBA star with a 33 second moment of silence at Tuesday night's basketball games ... to honor the man who used to wear #33.

A rep for Lower Merion High School in the Philadelphia area tells us the boys and girls varsity teams will take on Upper Darby High at the Kobe Bryant Gymnasium starting at 7 PM.

This is the first home game for the LMHS Aces since Kobe's death -- and school officials plan to address the community before the games tip-off.

"Principal Sean Hughes will read a statement on behalf of the school community. The statement will be followed by 33 seconds of silence, as 33 was the number worn by Mr. Bryant when he was an LM Aces player."

School officials ultimately decided NOT to cancel the games because they believe Kobe would WANT the players to compete.

In fact, head basketball coach Gregg Downer met with the players in private on Monday and said -- "Kobe would want the balls bouncing, the sneakers squeaking and you doing what he loved and what you love."

Kobe played for LMHS from 1992 to 1996 -- where he racked up 2,883 points and led the team to a state championship in 1996.

After his stellar high school career, Kobe went straight to the pros -- drafted 13th overall in the 1996 NBA Draft.

Kobe's #33 high school jersey was retired by Lower Merion in 2002 at a ceremony attended by his parents, teachers and even Shaquille O'Neal.