TMZ Sports - Page 50

A disgusting play went down during a girls H.S. basketball game in Ohio over the weekend ... when a player violently grabbed her opponent's hair and dropped her to the ground -- and it was all captured on video.

The incident went down during the first quarter on Saturday night ... when the Bellevue H.S. Lady Red faced off against the Norwalk H.S. Lady Truckers.

In the clip, the Bellevue senior guard -- a Kent State University commit -- is seen attempting a 3-point shot and immediately reaching for her defender's hair and pulling down.

The defender appears to hit her head HARD on the court ... but somehow, the player wasn't called for a foul.

The defender did not return to the game ... and family members tell WTOL 11 she is still recovering from the incident.

A rep for Bellevue released a statement on Sunday, saying, "We are aware of the incident and working to gather all the information before determining how we will proceed."

We've reached out to the player's family and the Ohio High School Athletic Association for comment ... so far, no word back.

Justin Bieber started a trend with some cartoon Kobe Bryant tribute art ... and now Kobe's foundation is reaping a sizable benefit.

Here's the deal ... Justin bought some fresh Kobe-inspired artwork from Idiot Box Art owners Emily Bright and Tamara Martin, and then the artists started making and selling miniature versions for $200 a pop, with 24 percent of the profits going to the MambaOnThree Fund.

The cartoon Kobe art is pretty cool ... it's a teddy bear wearing a Mamba hoodie under Kobe's #8 Lakers jersey, palming a basketball and rocking some of Kobe's signature Nikes.

Justin dropped $1,200 for a bigger piece -- one of only 5 ever made -- and hung it up in his crib next to some skateboard decks.

Lots of folks apparently share Justin's eye for Kobe art ... because Idiot Box ended up selling 260 mini Mamba bears during a 2-day limited sale, which was enough to make a $12,480 donation to Kobe's foundation.

MambaOnThree was created to support the families of the 7 other victims, besides Kobe and Gigi, who died in the crash.

NBA legend Dwyane Wade just revealed his 12-year-old now identifies as female ... saying his child asked him and his wife, Gabrielle Union, to call her Zaya.

"Zion, born as a boy, came home and said, 'Hey, so, I want to talk to you guys. I think going forward I'm ready to live my truth." Wade said on "The Ellen Show."

"And, I want to be referenced as she and her. I would love for you guys to call me Zaya.'"

Wade discussed his support for Zaya and the LGBTQ+ community in a powerful interview with Ellen DeGeneres ... saying he and Gabrielle couldn't be more proud of her.

“We take our roles and responsibilities as parents very seriously. So, when our child comes home with a question ... it’s our job as parents to listen to that to give them the best information that we can, the best feedback that we can, and that doesn’t change now that sexuality [and gender] is involved.”

Wade has been incredibly outspoken about his support for Zaya ... and clapped back at people criticizing her in a family photo back on Thanksgiving.

"Stupidity is a part of this world we live in — so I get it. But, here's the thing — I've been chosen to lead my family, not y'all," Wade said at the time.

"So we will continue to be us and support each other with pride, love & a smile!"

In fact, Union and Zaire Wade took Zaya to the Miami Pride parade back in 2019.

Wade went on to explain, “I looked at her and said you are a leader ... It’s our opportunity to allow you to be a voice. Right now, it’s through us because she’s 12 years old, but eventually, it will be through her.”

Marwin Gonzalez -- a star on the Astros 2017 World Series team -- just apologized for his role in Houston's sign-stealing scandal ... telling reporters Tuesday, "I'm remorseful."

Marwin is believed to be the first Astros position player to say he's sorry for the cheating.

"I'm remorseful for everything that happened in 2017," Gonzalez said.

As we previously reported, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred says the Astros filmed pitchers and catchers during games in '17 and illegally relayed the signs to batters using a banging sound from the dugout.

A BUNCH of MLB stars -- from Cody Bellinger to CC Sabathia -- have been livid over Manfred's findings ... and a former relief pitcher just sued Houston over it all too.

But, prior to Gonzalez's meeting with media at Minnesota Twins camp this week ... it's believed that only Astros pitchers had apologized for their team's actions, NOT the players that actually benefited most from the cheating.

"[I'm remorseful] for everything that we did as a group," Gonzalez said. "And the players that were affected directly by us doing this ... That's why I feel more regret. That's why I'm remorseful."

Gonzalez had his best season EVER in 2017 ... recording a .303 batting average, 23 home runs and 90 RBI. He finished 19th in the MVP vote.

Corey Anderson has zero love for Jon Jones, but he's pumped the UFC star beat Dominick Reyes ... 'cause he tells TMZ Sports now he'll be the first to take down the MMA legend.

Anderson -- the #5 ranked UFC light heavyweight -- is taking on Jan Blachowicz at UFC Fight Night 167 on Saturday ... and if Corey wins, there's a great chance the prize is Jon.

We talked to Anderson about Jones vs. Reyes ... and the LHW title contender says he totally understands why a lot of people think Jon lost, but he's happy as hell he got the W.

"While I was watching I was like, 'Man, I could lose the opportunity to be the one that beats Jon.'"

Anderson continued ... "At the end, I’m happy that Jon got the win because I get to be the one to dethrone him. I knew if Dom would’ve won, they would do the rematch. And I'd have to wait for that."

FYI -- Jon's one and only (controversial) loss came against Matt Hamill in 2009 ... when he was disqualified for throwing illegal elbows. Jones was dominating the fight.

Corey says he believes Dom exposed Jon ... and when he eventually faces the champ, he'll hand him an even more severe beating.

"Like I said when I saw it going on, my mindset was, 'yeah, I knew he was beatable.' I was the one who always said, 'I know I can beat Jon.' I know ways to beat him, I see the holes. I see what you gotta do to beat him, and Dom went out there, did pretty much a lot of it."

JaVale McGee is getting in on the newest Internet craze, the #BroomstickChallenge ... which is dope and all, except for the fact it's all a bunch of hogwash!!

The trend started sweeping (ha) through social media on Monday ... with word spreading that NASA claimed February 10, 2020 was the only day a broom would be able to stand on its own due to some sort of gravitational pull mumbo jumbo.

Despite no real word coming from NASA ... the challenge took a life of its own, with folks like Future and Tory Lanez trying it out with success.

The Lakers stud got in on the action before his game against the Phoenix Suns ... and couldn't believe his eyes!!

"That's crazy," McGee said as he proved the broom wasn't being held up by anything else.

If you don't believe it, JaVale ... give it another try today. Considering the whole thing is a hoax and this can happen 365 days a year.

Most dudes wouldn't be too happy to leave South Beach ... but Justise Winslow tells TMZ Sports that ain't the case -- saying he's elated to join the Memphis Grizzlies!!!

Of course, Winslow played his whole career with the Heat before getting shipped off to Elvis' old stomping grounds as part of the Andre Iguodala deal.

We spoke with the 23-year-old over the weekend about the move ... and he's stoked for the fresh start.

"It's great!," JW tells us. "I love it here! Everybody's been very receiving and excited for me, so I just continue to try and get healthy and make an impact."

It's gonna be a minute before Winslow takes the court for the Grizz -- he's currently recovering from a back injury that's kept him out for a chunk of the season. But it's clear he's excited to join his team on the court when he's ready.

Here's the best shot Bill Murray had at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am this past weekend ...

The "Caddyshack" actor wasn't playing well at all at the famous Northern California tournament ... so when a fan offered him a mid-round shot of tequila -- he downed it, and the video is hilarious!!

You can see in the clip ... Murray was walking up the fairway at one of the holes when a woman leaned over the ropes with a plastic cup full of booze.

"Hey, Bill!" the woman screamed at him. "I got a shot of tequila for you! I know you'll like it!"

Murray walked straight up to her, took the cup, slammed the drink, threw the empty and kept on walking like nothing had happened!!!

Of course, Bill's known to clown around on the golf course -- especially when he ain't striking it well -- and his mid-round shot was hardly his only laugh-out-loud moment from the tourney.

On Sunday, he missed a putt badly ... but instead of letting it settle, he redirected it in and walked straight off the green!!

It's illegal, but funny ... and, let's be honest, that's the way golf SHOULD be played!

Masai Ujiri ain't in the clear yet from his altercation with a police officer at a 2019 NBA Finals game ... the Toronto Raptors president is now being sued over the incident.

The alleged victim, identified as Oakland police officer Alan Strickland, just filed docs in federal court claiming Ujiri owes him cold-hard cash after he says Ujiri attacked him.

The Sheriff's deputy claims Ujiri shoved him and hit him in the face and chest in the moments after the Raptors won the NBA championship vs. Golden State on June 13, 2019.

The officer at the time claimed he suffered a concussion and a jaw injury in the altercation.

But, Ujiri was able to avoid a criminal case, with the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office announcing in October it would NOT be pursuing charges against the 49-year-old.

"Mr. Ujiri attended a meeting with the District Attorney's Office focused on matters that we believe merited constructive, structured mediation and conflict resolution and were better handled in a setting outside the courtroom," a spokesperson said.

But, clearly, the officer wasn't willing to let Ujiri off that easily ... in the new lawsuit, Strickland says he's seeking damages in excess of $75,000.

Strickland is also going after the Raptors AND the NBA in the suit.

We've reached out to the NBA and Toronto Raptors for comment. A rep for the Raptors ownership group told us they were aware of the lawsuit, but had no comment.

So far, no word back from the league.

Trevor Bauer just EVISCERATED MLB commissioner Rob Manfred over a new rumored playoff format in baseball ... with the star pitcher calling the guy "a joke."

If you missed it ... a report Monday claimed Manfred and other MLB officials were considering changing baseball's postseason.

The report claimed the MLB wants to expand the number of teams in the playoffs from 5 in each league to 7 ... while changing up the way teams are seeded and adding in a first-round bye for top teams as well.

Bauer -- a Cincinnati Reds ace -- saw the reports ... hated them ... and then took aim squarely at Manfred on Twitter.

"No idea who made this new playoff format proposal, but Rob is responsible for releasing it, so I’ll direct this to you, Rob Manfred," Bauer said.

"Your proposal is absurd for too many reasons to type on twitter and proves you have absolutely no clue about baseball. You’re a joke."

It's unclear why exactly Bauer hates the alleged proposal -- he wouldn't elaborate -- but the new rules reportedly wouldn't take place until at least 2022.

And, with approval still being needed from the MLB Player's Association, it's possible it might never happen. Which apparently would make Bauer REALLY happy.

Ed Belfour appeared to be a sloppy mess during his drunk in public arrest last month ... with the NHL legend even admitting to cops, "I was out of control."

It's all in new police video obtained by TMZ Sports, which shows 3 officers confronting Belfour on the second floor of a Bowling Green, Ky. hotel at around 1 AM on Jan. 28 after they had been called to the scene to investigate a "drunk and disorderly subject."

You can see in the footage ... Belfour -- a goalie who won the Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1999 -- was laying on the ground clutching a curtain rod and kicking a spa door when the cops arrived.

They quickly tried to get Belfour to his feet ... but it's clear, 54-year-old Ed was having a tough time gaining his bearings.

The former NHL star crawled around on all fours ... mumbled incoherently and wrestled with officers as they tried to slap the cuffs on his wrists.

Eventually, Belfour was able to speak with the cops ... and he apologized over and over for his actions.

At one point, when an officer asked him what happened earlier in the night ... Belfour said, "I think probably what happened was I was out of control and someone called police."

The officer then said, "Why were you out of control? You been drinking tonight?"

Belfour responded by saying, "Right."

Ed was arrested and booked for criminal mischief and public intoxication. He took a grinning mug shot.

Belfour hasn't let the arrest affect him too badly ... "The Eagle" was spotted with fellow NHL legends speaking at the Saskatoon’s Kinsmen Celebrity Sports Dinner last week.

Three victims in the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash were honored with a special memorial service at Angel Stadium.

John Altobelli, his wife, Keri, and their daughter, Alyssa, were remembered at a public memorial Monday ... just two weeks after Kobe Bryant's helicopter crashed, killing 8 passengers plus the pilot.

The service included speakers close to the Altobellis. There was also a video tribute.

The Costa Mesa Fire Department rolled out its fire trucks and hung a massive American flag to honor the victims. There's also a sign in front of Angel Stadium that reads "Celebrating the Lives of John, Keri and Alyssa" with the entire family pictured.

Not far from the main entrance is also a huge collage of the Altobellis.

Altobelli, of course, had deep roots in Orange County. He was entering his 28th season as Orange Coast College's baseball coach. The Pirates were coming off an incredibly successful season ... after capturing their fourth state title.

Alyssa and Gianna Bryant were teammates at the Mamba Sports Academy. She was only 14 and Gianna 13, respectively. You'll recall, Gianna had her No. 2 jersey retirement ceremony at her private school last week.

The Altobellis have 2 surviving children -- a 29-year-old son, and a 16-year-old daughter.

Greek Freak Jr. is here!!!

Giannis Antetokounmpo and his longtime girlfriend, Mariah Riddlesprigger, have welcomed their baby boy ... and his name is Liam Charles Antetokounmpo!!

The Milwaukee Bucks superstar posted the announcement on Twitter Monday afternoon ... saying their baby is "in the house."

The Alphabet also shared a glimpse of his son -- but with a baby emoji covering his face.

Of course, Giannis and Mariah -- a former Rice University volleyball player -- have been together for years ... and this is their first child together.

As for Giannis' on-the-court business ... the dude is crushing it this season after winning the MVP trophy in 2019. He's currently averaging 30 points and 13.5 rebounds a game.

So, yeah ... this year has been good to Giannis.

Spike Lee's instant-classic Oscars suit paying tribute to Kobe Bryant is going to the Hall of Fame ... the Spike Lee Hall, that is.

The famous director was at LAX Monday -- heading back to his beloved NYC, we're presuming -- when we asked him about the night's most talked-about fashion statement.

Spike tells us his purple and gold homage, complete with #24 embroidered across the lapels and on the back, will be framed and hung up at his NY crib. In fact, he says it was shipped back ahead of him ... it's Gucci, after all.

Not a big shocker Spike decided to honor Kobe at the 92nd Academy Awards. The NBA superfan posted several tributes to hoops superstar following the tragic helicopter crash.

Spike and Kobe go way back -- he directed the 2009 documentary "Kobe Doin' Work" -- but it's clear he's not quite ready to talk about making another film about Bryant.

"My brain refuses to accept that both Kobe and Gigi are gone."

Vanessa Bryant just opened up about how she's dealing with the tragic losses of her husband and 13-year-old daughter ... and it's emotional.

"I can’t process both at the same time," Vanessa said. "It's like I'm trying to process Kobe being gone but my body refuses to accept my Gigi will never come back to me."

"It feels wrong," she added. "Why should I be able to wake up another day when my baby girl isn’t being able to have that opportunity?! I’m so mad. She had so much life to live."

Vanessa says one of the things keeping her going so strong throughout this insanely difficult time is the example she feels she needs to set for her three daughters.

"Mad I'm not with Kobe and Gigi but thankful I'm here with Natalia, Bianka and Capri," Vanessa said. "I know what I'm feeling is normal. It's part of the grieving process. I just wanted to share in case there’s anyone out there that’s experienced a loss like this."

"God I wish they were here and this nightmare would be over. Praying for all of the victims of this horrible tragedy. Please continue to pray for all."

As we previously reported, Kobe and Gianna Bryant -- along with seven others -- passed away in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26.

Myles Garrett is one step closer to getting back in the NFL -- the Cleveland Browns superstar met with commissioner Roger Goodell and other execs on Monday to discuss reinstatement.

Garrett was suspended indefinitely back in November after attacking Pittsburgh Steelers QB Mason Rudolph with a helmet. He appealed the decision, but it was eventually upheld.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... the superstar met with the folks at the NFL to discuss his status with the league, but an official decision is still in the works.

According to Ian Rapoport, it's believed Garrett will make it back in time for the Browns' first game of the 2020 season ... as long as he held up his part of the deal and sought counseling.

Garrett has slowly started to return to the spotlight in the meantime ... showing face at a recent Lakers game alongside LeBron James' best friend and super agent, Rich Paul.