TMZ Sports - Page 50

LaVar Ball is bringing back the Big Baller Brand in a huge way -- but admits he's still not 100% sure if his NBA-destined son LaMelo will wear BBB shoes when he gets to the pros.

FYI, 18-year-old Melo is definitely a top prospect in the 2020 NBA Draft -- some people think he could go as high as #1. His older brother Lonzo Ball was the #2 pick back in 2017.

And with LaVar relaunching BBB with the promise of new basketball shoes and other items, the guys on "TMZ Live" asked if he'd be signing his youngest son to an endorsement deal.

"Will he be wearing a Big Baller Brand shoe? I don't know," LaVar said ... "You're going to have to stay tuned for that man."

Here's the deal ... we already know multiple top shoe companies have their eyes on LaMelo -- including Nike -- and it's obvious why ... he's got superstar potential.

But at this point, we're told Melo hasn't signed on the dotted line with anyone -- though it's pretty clear his father wants him to stay with the family business.

That said, if a company like Nike or Puma comes to the table with a $50 million shoe deal ... can you really say no?!

And here ... we ... go!!!!

Tom Brady might really be on his way outta Foxborough ... 'cause his agents have been busy meeting with potential suitors while in Indy for the NFL Combine, this according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Talks of TB12 leaving the Patriots intensified on Thursday ... with ESPN's Jeff Darlington going as far as to say he'd be very surprised if the 6-time champ returned to New England.

Now, the NFL Network is naming names ... with Rapoport saying the Colts, Raiders and Chargers have met with Brady's longtime agents, Don Yee and Carter Chow, about their superstar client.

In fact, TMZ Sports spoke with Brady's old teammate, Willie McGinest, who also believed the 42-year-old QB could either retire or end up elsewhere ... so don't be shocked if it actually happens.

As for Brady ... he's probably gonna troll the hell outta everybody until he makes his decision -- whether it be Hulu ads or triggering comments on Keenan Allen's IG posts.

Take a deep breath, Pats fans ... and remember the man brought you 6 rings.

Also, if you think Pats owner Robert Kraft is simply going to let Tom walk out the door without making a solid effort to re-sign him, you clearly didn't watch our shaky, hard-to-hear 12-second BOMBSHELL clip from a few weeks ago.

Originally Published -- 1:12 PM PT

More trouble for NFL player Mark Walton ... the running back was arrested AGAIN Thursday after cops say he was involved in a dispute with the mother of his child.

Police in Opa-Locka, Fla., tell CBS Miami ... they responded to a domestic dispute call around 3:30 AM and found 22-year-old Walton arguing with a woman.

After cops say they found the woman had a protection order against Walton ... they arrested the former Miami Dolphins player -- booking him at Miami-Dade County jail.

You can see in his mug shot, obtained by TMZ Sports, the dude was NOT pleased to be back behind bars.

Of course, this is the FIFTH TIME within the last two years Mark has been arrested ... with his most recent incident going down back in November when he was accused of roughing up his pregnant GF in Davie, Florida.

Walton was cut by the Miami Dolphins immediately after that arrest ... and has yet to catch on with an NFL team.

In another one of Mark's previous arrests ... he was tased while running away from officers -- and video of that incident is WILD.

Undefeated UFC rising star Movsar Evloev has officially pulled out of UFC 248 ... after the fighter says he was hit by a car while riding his motorcycle -- and the injuries are GROSS!!

The 26-year-old Russian was slated to fight Jamall Emmers at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on March 7 -- a big opportunity since that card is loaded with big names like Israel Adesanya, Yoel Romero, Weili Zhang, Joanna Jedrzejczyk and more.

Regarding the crash, the details are unclear -- no word on where it happened or if anyone was arrested. But, it's clear Evloev is lucky to be alive.

Evloev's management team posted a pic of his injuries showing pretty bad road rash all over his left side ... especially to his back, shoulder and arm.

Obviously, Evloev's injuries are too severe to compete in less than two weeks -- so he's off the card. Giga Chikadze will take Evloev's place in the fight against Emmers.

The highly anticipated push-up contest between Dr. Oz and Mark Wahlberg -- all over their breakfast beef -- just went down, and we have a winner ... but it was closer than you think!

After all their trash-talking over whether people should skip breakfast -- the doc thinks you should, Mark says chow down -- they finally met up at an F45 Training gym in L.A. for the showdown.

The gladiators decided on a race to 59 push-ups -- for Dr. Oz's age -- but Wahlberg made it an even 60 ... and won by a few seconds. Pretty close, but take a look -- seems like the buff movie star was toying with the doctor a bit. Looks like Mark edged him out in form too, but keep in mind he IS 11 years younger. If ya need a reminder, check out the abs!

Afterward, Dr. Oz was feeling pretty good about his performance, and even thinks he might have gotten the better of Mark. Debatable, but he also tells us Wahlberg is trying out intermittent fasting and has come to the #cancelbreakfast table.

So, long story short ... the fitness challenge itself went to Mark, but Oz may win in the long run if Mark changes his daily diet. One thing's clear -- both of these guys really care about staying fit and healthy ... after the challenge they ran through an F45 workout.

Famed tightrope walker Nik Wallenda's not the least bit shaken about his upcoming volcano stunt after another daredevil's recent death -- 'cause he says life or death is just his thing.

We got Nik out Thursday in NYC, and wondered if he's at all concerned about walking over the very active Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua next week. That will come on the heels of daredevil "Mad" Mike Hughes' fatally crashing a rocket in California.

Nik, who last summer tightrope walked 25 stories over Times Square, says there's no doubt he's risking his life but this is the business he was literally born into, and risk is just his reality. That being said, Nik admits he has some logistical concerns ... with the volcano itself.

He says the acidic gases it emits add a layer of stress. Nik, who is training with wind machines and an oxygen-deprivation mask, said the volcanic gases could pose a real threat to the wire. Then there's the heat, but oddly he's less worried about that.

Kobe Bryant's big sister just got a permanent tribute to Kobe and Gianna -- a brand new tattoo with their numbers encircled by a Black Mamba snake.

Sharia Bryant Washington -- the oldest of the Bryant siblings -- hit up tattoo artist Peter Barrios for the work ... and it turned out pretty great.

You can see the numbers 2 and 24 (worn by Gianna and Kobe, respectfully) -- with the Black Mamba snake in the shape of the infinity symbol.

In other words ... Gianna and Kobe forever.

In the past few weeks, a bunch of people who knew Kobe and Gianna have opted for tats -- everyone from LeBron James and Anthony Davis to J.R. Smith and Shareef O'Neal.

Odell Beckham and rapper The Game also got Kobe-inspired body art.

Lamar Odom, who was extremely close with Kobe, told us he's strongly considering a Kobe tat and will likely get one soon.

It's been more than a month since Kobe, Gianna and 7 others passed away in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Ca.

As we previously reported, Kobe's widow, Vanessa Bryant, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company that operated the doomed chopper essentially blaming the pilot for the crash.

Deontay Wilder is NOT firing the design team behind the 45-pound costume he wore at the Tyson Fury fight ... in fact, Wilder has already hit them up to work on his next outfit!!

It's a shocking move considering Wilder blamed the elaborate costume for playing a key role in his loss to Fury -- claiming the battery-powered, jewel-encrusted suit was so heavy, it zapped the energy from his legs before the fight even started!

Here's how Wilder broke it down after the fight ...

"I knew I didn’t have the legs because of my uniform. I was only able to put it on [for the first time] the night before, but I didn’t think it was going to be that heavy. It weighed 40, 40-some pounds with the helmet and all the batteries. I wanted my tribute to be great for Black History Month. I wanted it to be good and I guess I put that before anything."

But, if you expected Wilder to cut ties with the Los Angeles-based company behind the costume -- Cosmo’s Glamsquad -- THAT AIN'T HAPPENING!

Cosmo Lombino and Donato Crowley spoke with CBS42 and claimed it was Deontay who reached out to them after the fight to talk about his NEXT costume!

"Deontay Wilder called me at home last night," Crowley said ... "We had an extensive, honest conversation that put confusion and rumors to rest."

Cosmo said Deontay told him he considers the designers "family" and was "very clear that he looks forward to future collaborations."

And, after they talked things out ... "The subject of the call then turned to ‘Wilder v Fury III."

For the record, Wilder has worked with Cosmo for a BUNCH of his pre-fight costumes and has always been super happy with the results.

Guessing the next design meeting will be focused around style and HOW TO MAKE THE COSTUME WAY LESS HEAVY!!!

Travis Kelce says he CAN'T WAIT to celebrate his Super Bowl victory at the White House -- telling TMZ Sports he WILL join his KC Chiefs teammates when they meet President Trump.

"Oh, yeah! Always, man!" Kelce told us in NYC on Wednesday. "Crazy opportunity!"

Not everyone on the team feels the same way ... Chiefs stud defensive end Frank Clark told the Kansas City Star he's got "mixed emotions" about the White House trip.

"I know historically ... that’s something you do as a Super Bowl champion. But we’ll see, man. It’s a lot of mixed emotions about stuff going on there. We’ll see."

Head coach Andy Reid is a firm "yes" -- telling reporters at the Super Bowl, "I mean, I’ll be there. I'll be there. If they’re inviting us, I’ll be there. It’s quite an honor, I think."

Ditto for Tyreek Hill -- who said, "That would be great to go to the White House. I’ve never been to D.C., so that would be great."

Starting CB Bashaud Breeland just told us a few days ago he's pumped for the celebration as well.

As for Trump, earlier this month he told reported he's excited to host the Chiefs -- "Every one of them wants to be here. And the coach loves us. The coach is great. Andy Reid."

There's been a ton of controversy surrounding the White House visits over the past few years -- with several high profile players -- and even full teams -- boycotting the tradition.

The Golden State Warriors famously blew off Trump after winning the NBA title in 2017 and 2018 -- instead opting to celebrate with President Obama.

MLB stars like Mookie Betts and Nationals closer Sean Doolittle have also turned down White House invites.

We asked Kelce how the rest of his teammates are feeling about the visit ... but he told us he hasn't had the chance to speak with them yet.

Chad Johnson is getting a TKO even before his "Battle of the Bachelors" boxing match, because organizers want nothing to do with an alleged domestic violence abuser.

TMZ has learned Chad, the bad boy from JoJo's season of "The Bachelorette," just got axed from next month's fight for charity at SoCal's Commerce Casino. Hearts Entertainment is putting on the event and its CEO, Bruce Thomas, tells us, "In no way shape or form do we condone the type of behavior Chad Johnson's been accused of."

TMZ broke the story ... Chad was busted Monday night following a heated argument with his GF, Annalise Mishler. She alleges things got physical, and responding cops say they found visible red marks on her face.

Johnson was arrested for felony domestic violence and also robbery ... for allegedly snatching Annalise's phone while she called 911.

He's admitted on camera to getting heated, throwing a phone and punching a hole in Annalise's wall -- but he denies getting physical with her.

Just last week Chad was at a boxing gym prepping to be the main event, and talking major smack ... even though he didn't yet have an opponent for the April 23 bout.

We're told the new main event is 'Bachelorette' fan favorites, Robby Hayes and Luke Pell ... who are also alums from JoJo's season.

Even though Johnson's out, we're told proceeds will now be split between Safe Horizon -- a domestic violence victims group -- and the event's original charity, the Grand Bahama Disaster Relief Foundation.

It was a regular Wednesday afternoon in the life of Floyd Mayweather ... which means he hit up a high-end sneaker shop in NYC and dropped an INSANE amount of dough.

The boxing superstar and his entire crew dropped by Flight Club near Union Square Park and you already know TBE didn't leave empty-handed.

Check out the video ... Floyd walks out of the store followed by his bodyguards -- one carrying what appears to be 8 bags.

We're told Mayweather copped several pairs of sneaks -- including multiple pairs of rare Nike Air Force 1's -- coming in at a combined price tag of $11,000.

Obviously, these aren't your normal $90 dollar AF1's ... these are special and hard to get.

So, why the huge haul? We're told Floyd has new TMT sweatsuits that are dropping soon ... and he wanted to get coordinating kicks.

$11k might sound like a lot of money ... and it is. Unless you're Floyd ... who according to Forbes, made almost a billion dollars last decade.

Give me 10 pairsssssssssssss 💸 ... you know you were thinkin' it.

"The halftime show last night was beyond inappropriate. Shakira laying on her side gyrating like sex, Lopez on a stripper pole, Lopez bending over to expose her butt crack, both performers grabbing their vaginas, Shakira grinding her butt against some tinfoil wearing man’s penis. This was incredibly offensive. My children were watching."

That was one of 1,312 super pissed-off people who complained to the FCC after Jennifer Lopez and Shakira's scorching hot Super Bowl halftime performance.

TMZ Sports requested the complaints made to the Federal Communications Commission -- a U.S. government agency which regulates television -- and it's clear while many praised the performance ... others, not so much.

"Completely inappropriate half time-show with simulated orgies, stripping, and borderline pornography. This is a family event during prime time and should never have happened," ... a viewer from Indiana wrote.

"I do not subscribe to The Playboy Channel, we do not buy porn for $20 a flick, we simply wanted to sit down as a family and watch the Super Bowl. God forbid we expected to watch football and a quick concert but instead had our eyes molested," a family from Tennessee wrote.

The continued ... "JLo’s movie Hustlers was rated R so since when is rated R viewing allowed on network TV at 7/8:00pm?"

A person from Michigan even evoked Janet Jackson's infamous wardrobe malfunction ... saying JJ's performance was "by far better," despite showing nudity.

Some people were so pissed, they say they're DONE watching football.

"That was a disgusting display allowed of something that our children can't un see!!!"

"Strip clubs have that crap with sluts performing like this! This is soft porn! Fine the NFL or stop the HALFTIME shows! Beyond INAPPROPRIATE!!! Honoring a dog killer now THIS! BOYCOTTING THE NFL!!!"

Despite all the outrage, the performance has almost 136 MILLION views on YouTube ... so someone's watching!!

Ex-NFL QB Trevone Boykin was just sentenced to 3 years behind bars after he pled guilty to charges stemming from an incident where he roughed up his GF ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Boykin -- a former TCU superstar -- was accused of choking and breaking the jaw of his girlfriend, Shabrika Bailey, during a fight back in 2018.

Trevone was facing DECADES of prison time after he was hit with two felony charges in the case ... and to make matters worse for the 26-year-old, he was also arrested again months later.

In that case, Boykin was accused of stealing money from fans in an elaborate memorabilia scheme ... and was hit with two additional theft charges.

But, the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office officials tell us Boykin reached a plea agreement Wednesday to close out both cases.

According to a DA spokesperson, Boykin pled guilty to felony aggravated assault and felony tampering with a witness ... and he also pled guilty to two misdemeanor charges of theft.

We're told Boykin was sentenced to 3 years in prison for the felonies and 180 days for the misdemeanors ... but the sentences are set to run concurrently.

"Mr. Boykin has failed to take responsibility for any of his assaultive and criminal behavior up until this point," prosecutor Allenna Bangs said in a statement.

"The victim in this case sustained a long-standing relationship of abuse by Mr. Boykin and, along with our office, feels his prison sentence is vindication for what she endured and the consequences he was able to avoid in the past because of his ability on the football field.”

We spoke with one of Boykin's attorneys in the case, Steven G. Gebhardt, who said of Trevone's feelings on the agreement, "I think he's glad to just have it over."

Gebhardt added Boykin is now looking to continue his football career once he's released from prison ... telling us, "We believe that door has not closed."

Boykin had huge potential during his time at TCU -- he was once considered a big-time NFL prospect -- but he couldn't stay out of trouble, most notably getting arrested for fighting an officer just days before TCU's 2015 Alamo Bowl game.

Well, Alex Bregman better get used to this ...

The Houston Astros superstar was just DRILLED for the first time since he was revealed to be a cheater ... and it all begs the question -- HOW MANY MORE TIMES WILL IT HAPPEN THIS YEAR?!

The 3rd baseman stepped up to the plate in the 5th inning of Houston's spring training game against the Cardinals on Wednesday ... and he WORE one right in the back.

Bregman said afterward he didn't think it was intentional -- "It was a splitter. It just got away from him" -- but, COME ON!!!!!!

The HBP sure seemed fishy to us ... you can see the pitch -- on a 3-2 count, nonetheless -- plunked Bregman SQUARELY between the shoulder blades.

And, as you can tell from Bregman's reaction ... it wasn't exactly a lollipop!!

Of course, the 'Stros are likely going to face this all season long after the MLB announced it found they cheated their way to a World Series title in 2017.

In fact, ex-MLB star Aubrey Huff told us just a few days ago he sees this happening REGULARLY to the 'Stros in 2020.

And, according to the unofficial counter on Twitter ... Bregman's hit by pitch marked the SEVENTH time a 'Stros player has been plunked so far this spring.

Ric Flair is all about putting on a show ... but he knows this is an emotional time for the Lakers ... which is why the WWE legend tells TMZ Sports he had to think twice before giving his epic intro for the team Tuesday at Staples Center.

Flair got the entire L.A. crowd pumped before the Lakers took on Zion Williamson's New Orleans Pelicans ... welcoming "the greatest franchise in all of sports" ... and his favorite player, LeBron James.

It. Was. LIT.

Naitch tells us the team asked him to help lift everyone's spirits following a deeply emotional memorial service for Kobe Bryant at Staples Center ... but he was reluctant to accept.

"I felt a little bad that close to the memorial that was so overwhelming on Monday," Flair tells us.

"But, they asked me and I said 'are you guys sure?' and they said 'Yeah, please. The crowd needs to be pumped up a little bit.'"

It was a good thing he accepted ... because the crowd clearly loved the gesture.