TMZ Sports - Page 50

Well, this is a big deal ... Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says he's on board with the movement to change the NBA logo to Kobe Bryant -- telling TMZ Sports, "I would support it."

Not only have MILLIONS of people signed a petition to have the league swap out the current logo which features an image of Jerry West, but a bunch of NBA stars have backed it as well ... from Paul Pierce to Jamal Crawford and more.

Outside of basketball, stars like Justin Bieber, Julian Edelman, Snoop, Usher, Meek Mill and more have joined the #ChangeTheLogo movement.

As for Cuban, he's already honored Kobe by retiring the #24 jersey in the Mavs organization (despite Kobe never playing for Dallas) ... and now he's down for an even bigger tribute.

"I just think it's so much more than basketball," Cuban told us ... "He brought so many people together."

Unclear exactly what it would take to get the league to make the move, but having one of the league's most influential owners get behind the push seems pretty significant to us.

Antonio Brown is adamant his apology letter to the Hollywood PD was sincere -- part of a larger apology mission -- and he's hoping he can get back in the NFL.

We got Brown at one of the hottest restaurants in Miami, Prime 112, and he told our photog he's had an epiphany and he's trying to make amends with everyone he's hurt recently, including the cops.

The Hollywood Police Dept. recently cut ties with Brown, returning a donation he made to the Dept.'s youth flag football league. As we reported, Brown berated cops who responded to an altercation he was having with his baby mama.

AB wrote an emotional letter to the Hollywood PD for being a massive headache the last few months.

Brown wrote an emotional letter to the police, asking for forgiveness ... "To everyone who I may have offended or Disrespected at the @hollywoodflpd Of the state of Florida, I would like to sincerely give you all my apology from the top and bottom of my heart."\

The P.D. made it clear ... "We will not take money from a donor that we cannot have our youth be proud of or represent the organization."

As for the NFL, Brown suggests there are teams he's targeting who might be interested -- but he stopped short of naming names.

Lady Gaga lit up Miami Saturday night with a spectacular performance.

Gaga hit the stage at the AT&T Super Saturday Night concert on the eve of SB 54. She was slick as hell, glittering up the venue with a bunch of costume changes during her set.

She strummed the guitar with her boot, played piano while standing on a bench ... the works.

Judging by the encore ... Gaga did not disappoint anyone.

Descending from the air, Gaga mimicked the entrance to her Super Bowl halftime performance three years ago.

And, this is pretty hilarious ... she sent a message to J Lo and Shakira -- “I better hear no lip-syncing tomorrow!” But, then she recanted with some love ... "I love you J Lo. I love you Shakira."

She went on ... “I wish so much love and so much luck to everyone that’s doing the halftime show, to both the teams that are playing each other in the Super Bowl,” she said. “They’re all champions.”

Teary-eyed, she thanked the audience for their support and for allowing her to perform at the halftime show in 2017 -- “Thank you so much for believing in me. I remember when I played the halftime show and it was one of the most special, beautiful things that’s ever happened to me. So, thank you,” said Gaga, who also wowed audiences at the 2016 Super Bowl when she sang the national anthem. “And once again, all my love to everyone that’s performing and playing tomorrow. I hope they all feel as lucky as I do right now.”

Gaga performed a 2-hour set, which included “Just Dance,” “Poker Face,” “Born This Way,” “Bad Romance” and “Telephone.”

One fan threw a letter onstage, which Gaga read to the crowd ...  “In 2014 I fought for my life due to mental illness that stemmed from my own insecurities and life experiences. Without your radiant positivity and encouragement, I don’t know if I would have had the strength to continue to fight to recover my life back,”

She invited the fan up on stage and hugged her.

Andy Reid could punch his ticket to Canton this weekend ... so says Brett Favre, who tells TMZ Sports the Chiefs coach is "certainly" a Hall of Famer with an SB win Sunday.

"He's one of the great guys and definitely a Hall of Fame coach," Favre says. "Certainly, if he wins this game."

Of course, Favre's biased ... Reid was Brett's QB coach with the Packers in 1997 and 1998 -- but Favre clearly thinks the guy is a legendary head man regardless.

"Wherever he's gone, he's won," Favre says. "That's hard to do."

As for the one criticism of Reid -- aka his lack of a Super Bowl victory -- Favre says that shouldn't weigh in when it comes to people's opinions of him.

And, why? Favre says Reid's like Dan Marino and Jim Kelly -- who are both considered legends, despite never locking up a Super Bowl win.

Regardless, Favre says he'll still go to bat for the coach no matter what happens in Miami.

Miami is overrun with celebs for the Super Bowl ... which means the city's top hotels will be filled to the brim, and we got a peek into how the rich will live it up for the big game.

The Versace Mansion -- now called Casa Casuarina -- is an iconic Miami landmark ... the designer's former home -- where he was murdered back in 1997 -- was converted into a hotel with 12 suites for guests to choose from.

You can hit up the famous restaurant, take a dip in the pool or simply mosey around the grounds. A typical night costs upwards of $1,000 ... but SB weekend runs MUCH higher than that. The hotel staff won't say what they're charging, but it's a pretty penny.

Fontainebleau is the perfect choice for party people. LIV Nightclub -- one of the hottest in the country -- is located inside the hotel. There's also a legendary pool. A basic room will run you around $1,500 a night.

A-listers looking for something a little more chill can check out The Four Seasons Surf Club. The hotel is only steps from the beach, with a beautiful pool and plenty of ways to relax. The stay doesn't come cheap -- secondhand sites are hawking rooms for $2k to $3k a night.

1 Hotel South Beach has become a celeb hot spot too ... located right on the beach with an incredible rooftop pool. The joint will set you back up to $15,000 a night.

NFL star Maurkice Pouncey was one of Aaron Hernandez's closest friends -- and tells TMZ Sports the Netflix documentary about the troubled NFL star is "all bulls**t."

The documentary -- "Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez" -- has made headlines for several claims about Aaron ... from gay sexual relationships to prison fights to alleged gun violence.

Both Maurkice and his NFL star brother Mike Pouncey were super close with Aaron for years -- and even visited him in prison -- and it's clear they don't believe ANY of the claims from the documentary.

When asked specifically about the gay claims, Maurkice echoed the comments from Aaron's fiancee ... who said they NEVER knew about that side of Aaron but would have loved him the same if it was true.

"What I know there ain't no truth to it," Pouncey says ... "We know nothing about that."

There's more in the clip ... including Pouncey's feelings about Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett.

Remember, it was Pouncey who first attacked Garrett after Myles swung a helmet at Pittsburgh Steelers QB Mason Rudolph during a game back in November.

Pouncey was suspended for 2 games and fined for going after Garrett -- while Myles was suspended indefinitely.

L.A. Dodgers superstar Cody Bellinger surprised a bunch of officers at an LAPD station earlier this week ... and he hooked everyone up with merch, autographs and tacos!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 24-year-old slugger hit up the North Hollywood station and dropped in on all the officers on duty to get to know the folks protecting his city.

We're told Belly brought Dodgers hats for everyone, took pics and signed autographs ... and stayed for about 3 hours.

The dude even fed the officers some grub from King Taco ... and later on in the visit, tried out the officer-involved shooting simulator, where Bellinger got to use a gun that didn't use real bullets, but acted as one, to see just how hard it is to make life and death situations.

All in all, it looked like a good time and we're sure Bellinger will be invited back -- as long as he brings more tacos.

Gary Sheffield says it's a downright stupid move for the Red Sox to trade Mookie Betts ... but the MLB legend says if the Dodgers get the OF, it could lock up a World Series title!!

"Mookie is that guy that can be a difference maker," Sheffield tells us.

Of course, Boston is considering moving Betts -- the 2018 AL MVP -- for prospects because of his high salary demands ... and the Dodgers are reportedly more than willing to tango.

Young L.A. stars like Alex Verdugo, Dustin May and even Gavin Lux have been rumored to be in play for the trade ... and Sheffield sure seems to think it'd be worth the price to get Mookie.

"A lot of teams have good offenses," Sheffield says, "But, if you got a certain player in your lineup, he can take you over the top and [Betts] is that guy."

We also talked with Sheffield about the Astros hiring Dusty Baker to be their next manager ... and Gary LOVES the move, saying the 70-year-old will be able to clean up the clubhouse after it was rocked by the cheating scandal.

The 49ers and Chiefs are facing off in Super Bowl LIV on Sunday ... so naturally, TMZ Sports is here to present the beautiful wives and girlfriends backing their men on the field!

This is not hyperbole -- these gorgeous ladies might be the most impressive batch of WAGs we've seen to date ... with absolute bombshells across the board.

Over on San Francisco's side, ya got Claire Kittle -- George Kittle's wife -- who doesn't need a neon bikini to stand out, but she sure can rock it!!!

To keep it in the TE category, Levine Toilolo's wife, Stephanie, doesn't mind loungin' around in a red-hot 2-piece.

As for the Chiefs ... you're probably well aware of Patrick Mahomes' super-supportive bae, Brittany Matthews, who will most certainly be heard throughout Hard Rock Stadium during the big game ... and Travis Kelce's incredibly smokin' GF Kayla Nicole, who's been one of the biggest highlights of Kansas City's playoff run.

Gervonta Davis got into a physical altercation with a woman at a charity basketball game in Miami ... and it's all on video.

Davis -- one of the hottest rising stars in boxing -- was at a charity basketball game in Miami with a female companion when things started to go awry.

Witnesses tell us the two began yelling at each other and things turned physical -- although it's unclear who put hands on who first. But you can see in the video it's a heated situation -- and the two were both escorted out.

We're told no one has been arrested

But we're told the people behind the event are extremely upset at Davis. We're reaching out to Gervonta's camp for comment ... so far, no word back.

Steve Young sure did score with these good looks!

Here is a 33-year-old version of the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback and 3x Super Bowl Champion who played 15 seasons in the NFL total ... 13 of which were spent with the 49ers. Young was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player twice in his career, one of which was in 1995 after Super Bowl XXIX (left).

And, 25 years later ... the now 58-year-old athlete who now spends his time as an analyst ... was recently showing off his on-camera looks while covering the AFC wild-card playoff game (right).

He just keeps getting Young-er!

The question is ...

Jay-Z is once again explaining why his partnership with the NFL is actually for the same cause Colin Kaepernick fights for ... it's just the approach that's different.

Jigga sat down with the NYT this weekend ahead of Super Bowl LIV and re-defended his collaboration with the league, which many saw as a betrayal of Kap and everything he stood for. Jay also took a lot of heat at first, but he seems okay with it for the bigger picture.

He tells the paper, "As long as real people are being hurt and marginalized and losing family members, then yes, I can take a couple rounds of negative press," going on to insist he is still fighting for people of color -- only now, from a position of strength and influence.

Case in point ... Sunday's broadcast will apparently include a PSA-type video -- one in a series, per NYT -- that aims to tell the stories of black men and boys killed by cops.

It'll probably be similar to the PSA Malcolm Jenkins and Roc Nation teamed up to produce, which was called "Everyone's Child." Unclear if this new vid is part of the same "Responsibility Program," but chances are it falls under the same umbrella.

Getting back to Kaepernick though, Jay kinda sticks to his guns in this new interview as far as addressing the guy's situation ... acknowledging he was done dirty by the league, but also strongly suggesting it's time to move forward and start looking for new solutions.

Jay says, "No one is saying he hasn’t been done wrong. He was done wrong. I would understand if it was three months ago. But it was three years ago and someone needs to say, ‘What do we do now -- because people are still dying?'"

The Big Game means big paydays for celebs ... and Nicki Minaj, DaBaby, Lil Baby and Yo Gotti are among the famous folks cashing in on appearances at Super Bowl parties in Miami.

One of the biggest cash cows for rappers this weekend is Studio 23 in Miami Beach. Sources with knowledge of the deals tell us Nicki's getting $125,000 to host Monday night's finale and Gucci Mane's pocketing $100k to host Saturday night's bash.

Jeezy and Yo Gotti hosted parties Friday night, with Jeezy getting $40,000 from Studio 23 and Mirage Miami shelling out $50k for Yo Gotti's services.

Gunna's hosting at the Mirage Saturday night, and he's getting $60k -- on top of the $60k he got from Studio 23 for Thursday's gig.

Lil Baby and DaBaby are co-hosting the Trap Bowl day party Saturday at Wynwood Factory in Miami's art district, and Lil Baby's earning $70,000, compared to $80k for DaBaby.

Pitbull did not disappoint at Shaq's Fun House in Miami Friday night, getting the crowd fired up and then delivering a rousing tribute to Kobe.

Mr. Worldwide sang "Give Me Everything," and then launched into his commentary, saying Kobe's memory will endure. He then went into a diatribe over the cauldron of hate known as social media.

Diddy followed suit, performing "I'll Be Missing You" as images of Kobe filled the venue. He also performed "Mo Money Mo Problems" with his son, Justin.

Shaq, of course, delivered a moving, personal tribute to Kobe. As the crowd chanted Kobe's name -- led by Shaq -- the video chronicled the incredible partnership between the 2 basketball greats who together were an unbeatable duo. BTW, Shaq also showed off his DJ skills, which are considerable.

DaBaby jumped on stage next to Shaq -- who looks massive by comparison -- and performed "Bop." He was in some hot water last month -- he was arrested and charged with battery for allegedly attacking and robbing a club promoter. That case is pending.

The Los Angeles Lakers honored the late Kobe Bryant with a tribute before the first game following his death ... with emotional performances by Usher and cellist Ben Hong ... and a powerful speech by LeBron James.

The Lakers superstar took center court to address the fans in attendance ... and spoke straight from the heart, calling Kobe his brother and the event a celebration of his career.

"I got something written down, they asked me to kinda stay on course, or whatever the case may be," LeBron said. "But Laker Nation, I would be selling y'all short if I read off this sh*t, so I'ma go straight from the heart."

"I look at this as a celebration tonight. This is a celebration of the 20 years of the blood, the sweat, the tears, the broken-down body, the getting up, the sitting down, the everything, the countless hours, the determination to be as great as you could be."

"I wanna continue along with my teammates to continue his legacy. Not only for this year, but as long as we can play the game of basketball that we love, because that's what Kobe Bryant would want."

James finished his speech with the message -- "So in the words of Kobe Bryant, 'Mamba Out' ... but in the words of us, 'Not forgotten.' Live on, brother."

Prior to LBJ's words, Usher performed a strong rendition of "Amazing Grace" while the video board showed a montage of the tributes that have popped up throughout the world, and Hong played while Bryant's on-and-off the court accomplishments flashed on the screen for all the fans to enjoy.

The Lakers then posted the names of all 9 people lost in the tragic helicopter accident and honored them with a 24.2 second moment of silence while the board showed the 2 courtside seats draped with Kobe and Gigi's jerseys.

Boyz II Men performed the National Anthem ... with all 3 members wearing the Kobe shirts handed out to every fan in attendance. Several players -- including LeBron -- broke down in tears during the performance.

The Lakers players honored Kobe by wearing Kobe's #8 and #24 jerseys during warmups ... and each player was announced as Kobe Bryant for the starting lineups.

LeBron wore Kobe's signature shoes, which might be the first time he's worn anything other than his own sneakers in an NBA game.

The Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers followed other teams' lead by opening the game with 24-second shot clock and 8-second violations.

Kobe's #8 and #24 were displayed on the court ... as well as a "KB" badge on the players' jerseys.

The fans were shouting Kobe's name outside Staples before entering the arena ... and we have video of the emotional scene.

Carmelo Anthony -- who was very close with Kobe -- did not make the trip because he's still mourning Kobe's death.

James revealed his permanent tribute to Kobe before the game, a tattoo that reads "Mamba 4 Life."

The memorials outside Staples continued to pour through LA Live on Friday ... and TMZ Sports was able to capture some of them.

Justin Bieber is adding to his growing cartoon art collection ... with a tribute to Kobe Bryant ... complete with imagery of the Black Mamba balling out with the Lakers.

Our sources tell us Justin's team reached out to Idiot Box Art owners Emily Bright and Tamara Martin to purchase their newest original piece honoring Kobe ... and the Biebs snagged one for only $1,200.

The cartoon art -- depicting a teddy bear wearing Kobe's #8 Lakers jersey over a Mamba hoodie and some Nikes -- is made of hand-cut wood covered in acrylic paint and finished with a coat of resin. The piece is one of 5 created, and it's 41.5 inches X 24 inches.

We're told the Kobe art sold out in a few hours ... so the artists are making miniature versions for $200 a pop, and they're going on sale February 6 and 7 with 24 percent of profits going to the MambaOnThree Fund.