TMZ Sports - Page 50

Here's Tom Brady getting recruited HARD to sign with the Las Vegas Raiders during a phone call with his good friend and business partner, Dana White ... and the video is epic!!!

White and Brady are pretty good friends -- and Tom is a minority owner of the UFC (which is based in Vegas) -- and when they spoke on the phone Wednesday, Dana livestreamed the whole convo on IG!!

And the hard sell was ON!!!!

"Now listen, the question everybody wants to know," Dana said to Tom ... "I'm a Boston guy through and through, I want you to go with the Patriots. But, let me make my last pitch, Las Vegas would LOVE to have you here with the Raiders!"

"The stadium -- the facility is incredible. The training facility that they have outside of Vegas is unbelievable. It's a 45-minute flight from L.A. Your kids and your family could live there and you could fly back and forth. We want you to come to the Raiders!"

Of course, Brady ain't exactly gone from New England yet -- but White made it clear, he'd love to be neighbors with the guy in Nevada if he is done as a Patriot.

So, did the recruiting efforts work? Tom wouldn't say ... telling White, "I know it's been a lot of patience for me. And, obviously being where I've been for 20 years, it's been an amazing experience and I don't know what the future holds right now."

"I'm just trying to be patient through this process. It's my first time going through it. And, in the meantime, I'm going to spend a lot of time with my family over the next 10-to-12 days and we've got a little vacation planned which I'm looking forward to."

Wonder what Derek Carr is thinking right about now ...

Ex-NFL star Muhammad Wilkerson is in trouble again ... this time, he was arrested for DWI and drug possession.

A New Jersey State Police spokesperson tells TMZ Sports ... the former first-round pick was pulled over on March 2 at 2:45 AM in Paterson, N.J.

The spokesperson says Wilkerson was stopped for a routine traffic violation ... but authorities later arrested the 30-year-old and charged him with DWI, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Cops say the passenger in Wilkerson's car was also arrested and hit with charges of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The two were both released ... but are due in court soon to face the charges.

Of course, this ain't Wilkerson's first run-in with the law ... he was arrested back in June 2019  in New York for DWI as well.

Wilkerson -- who wasn't on an NFL roster last year -- was a star for the Jets after they took him with the 30th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft ... recording 44.5 sacks in 7 seasons.

A famous pro wrestler FLIPPED OFF off a 7-year-old kid at a meet and greet in Chicago this weekend -- devastating the kid -- but it begs the question ... should the dad have known better?

Here's the deal ... Tom Gilmartin brought his son to meet AEW star MJF (AKA Maxwell Jacob Friedman) at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo.

MJF is famous for being a heel (that's wrestling speak for "bad guy") and part of his gimmick is being a jerk to kids. It's no secret. Everyone knows.

So, when Tom and his son came face to face with MJF, the wrestler busted out the single barrel salute right in the little guy's face ... par for the course for MJF.

You can see in the video the kid looks stunned -- and afterward, Tom raised the issue with AEW vice president Cody Rhodes.

"I tried to laugh it off knowing he’s just in character," Tom said ... "but it really upset him. I know that’s his gimmick but he’s only 7 & doesn’t understand."

Tom says his son is now being mocked online -- and wants AEW to keep talent in check when meeting kids at fan events.

Cody responded to Tom -- essentially saying he should have known what he was getting himself into.

"DISCLAIMER: If you have a meet/greet or inquire media wise for MJF, you'll get MJF," Rhodes said on Twitter.

"Talent have freedom of expression so please don't think anybody is going to act any different than they do on TV."

Rhodes then invited Tom to a future event and promised he'd give the family VIP treatment. Great move on Cody's part.

We reached out to MJF for comment and got back this 3-word statement -- "F**k them kids."

WARNING: THIS IS TERRIFYING!!

New York Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk was kicked in the face with a skate Tuesday night ... and the scene was scary as hell.

Boychuck was skating by his crease in the 3rd period of the Isles' game against the Canadians in Brooklyn ... when Habs winger Artturi Lehkonen lost his balance in front of him and kicked backward.

You can see in video of the incident ... the blade of Lehkonen's skate caught Boychuck flush in the face -- and he immediately crumpled in serious pain.

The cut was so bad ... Boychuk didn't even wait for trainers to get to him on the ice before he bolted off -- and after the game, Islanders coach Barry Trotz sounded VERY concerned for his 36-year-old D-man.

"No update on Johnny Boychuk," Trotz told reporters. "It's pretty scary obviously around the facial/eye area. He's being evaluated."

There is some positive news, however ... Johnny's older brother, David Boychuk, posted on Twitter, "A few extra zips but sounds like he should hire someone else to do his eyebrows from now on."

David added, "Really tough to see a loved one involved in a scary moment like tonight. Thankful for the big guy looking out for JB tonight."

As for the game ... the Islanders lost, 6-2 -- but team captain Anders Lee told reporters all he cared about was Johnny's health.

"I think that’s where all our minds are right now for sure."

Tough scene for a super-rich guy sitting courtside in Boston on Tuesday ... Kemba Walker drilled him in the chest with an errant pass -- SPILLING HIS BEER EVERYWHERE!!

It all started when the Celtics superstar was trying to make a sweet play in the lane against the Brooklyn Nets ... when he fired a bullet to his teammate for an easy layup.

The problem? Romeo Langford couldn't handle the hot potato ... and the ball went crashing right into some dude's beer!

Check out the aftermath of the cold one's explosion ... the suds went all over the man's suit -- and some shrapnel even got on the guy next to him!!

To their credit ... both guys took the spillage in stride, smiling and laughing about it.

Hopefully someone replaced the drink ... 'cause that stuff ain't cheap in the NBA.

As for the game, the Celts ended up losing 129 to 120.

Touching tribute from Devin Booker to Kobe Bryant ... the Phoenix Suns superstar immortalized an autograph he got from the Mamba with a tattoo on his forearm.

Here's the deal ... back in March 2016, Devin -- a rookie at the time who grew up idolizing Kobe -- played Bryant in one of legend's final NBA games.

And afterward, Kobe had a long talk with the budding All-Star ... and gave him a pair of signed shoes with two messages on them.

One read, "To The Young Gun!" The other? "To Book Be Legendary"

Devin took the advice to heart ... and Tuesday, just over a month after Kobe tragically died in a helicopter crash, he got Bryant's "Be Legendary" autograph tatted on his arm.

"Somethin to live by," Booker said of the ink.

A bunch of NBA guys loved the tribute -- which appears to be Devin's first-ever body art -- with Kobe's former teammate, Matt Barnes, writing, "Killer."

Devin was one of the NBA players hit hardest by Bryant's death ... in the Suns' game against the Grizzlies hours after the chopper accident, he had to fight back tears on the court.

NASCAR driver Daniel Suarez felt the best way to honor Kobe Bryant was to give back ... so he's auctioning his personalized Kobe racing gear and donating the money to all the victims of the tragic accident.

"I became a Kobe Bryant fan not for everything he did in the basketball world, but for everything he did on the outside," Suarez tells us.

The 28-year-old says he admired the work Kobe did for the community and other athletes ... so when the tragedy happened on Jan. 26, he decided to honor him the way Mamba would want.

"I really wanted to do something to honor him," Suarez says, "in a way to give back, like how he used to do it."

Suarez hit up artist Salvador Amezcua to make the one-of-a-kind race gear ... and Amezcua tells us it only took 4 1/2 hours to make 'em that AWESOME!

Suarez put the gloves and shoes up for auction after the Auto Club 400 race Sunday in California ... and the bids started rackin' up, with almost $5,000 in 48 hours!!!

"I think the gloves and shoes were the perfect toast to do it and it's really great," Suarez added.

"The auction is still going on, we still have a few more days and it's doing amazing. Way better than what we were expecting!"

FYI -- the names of the nine victims were also displayed on his No. 96 Toyota Camry.

After the auction ends on March 6, all the money will go to MambaOnThree -- a fund for all the victims' families.

"[Colby Covington's] a prick. I don't care about this guy. He doesn't know how to act. He's not a real man."

That is UFC star Joanna Jedrzejczyk talking about Colby -- her American Top Team gym mate -- and it's crystal clear she hates his guts.

Earlier this week TMZ Sports talked to 32-year-old Jedrzejczyk -- who's fighting strawweight champ Weili Zhang at UFC 248 this weekend -- and asked about her inter-gym beef with the welterweight star.

"[Colby] was talking s**t about Dustin Poirier, Jorge Masvidal, who he was friends with. You can't do that, ya know?"

Joanna -- who got into an argument with Covington a few months back -- says the managers and coaches who run the ATT gym, and put in a helluva lot of work ... so fighters don't have to be best buds, but they do need to respect each other.

"We have so many athletes from all over the world, different cultures, different experiences. But, we are all working together, supporting each other. Sometimes you like someone more, sometimes less. But, show some respect to your teammate."

"Don't talk bad about your teammates. This is what Colby did and he's paying the price."

Despite the beef, Jedrzejczyk actually says she wishes CC luck ... before doling out this last dig when we asked if Colby needed a reality check.

"No, Usman already did that, and he humbled him. He's better."

Burn🔥

Garrett Whitley -- a former MLB first-round pick and current Rays farmhand-- was forced to go to the hospital Monday after he was terrifyingly struck in the face by a foul ball.

During the Tampa Bay Rays vs. Baltimore Orioles spring training game ... O's third baseman Renato Nunez uncorked a foul ball that beelined straight at Whitley.

The Tampa Bay outfielder -- who was at one time considered one of the game's best prospects -- was unable to move out of the way ... and took the ball right near his eye.

You can see in video of the at-bat ... 22-year-old Whitley immediately crumpled and required medical attention.

After the game, Rays manager said Whitley was diagnosed with a facial injury ... and was forced to go to the hospital to undergo further testing.

"[During initial tests] his eyes were moving fine," Cash told reporters. "He stayed coherent the whole time. That was pretty scary."

Whitley was drafted with the No. 13 overall pick by the Rays in 2015 ... but he's struggled to live up to expectations, batting just .236 in his minor league career.

The Nashville Predators are opening the doors of Bridgestone Arena to those affected by the devastating tornadoes that killed at least 22 people ... and serving pizza for everyone in attendance.

Tornadoes hit the area early Tuesday morning ... destroying part of the city and leaving many without power.

The local NHL team is stepping up to help those impacted by the tragedy ... offering pizza and a place to get away.

"We love you and we want to help," the Preds tweeted.

The Titans have also released a statement, saying, "We extend our deepest sympathies to those families who lost loved ones in the tornadoes last night and are heartbroken to see the damage across Nashville and Tennessee."

"We know the strength of our community and the Volunteer spirit that lives in us all. We will join the efforts to re-build in these areas and know our neighbors will join us."

Tragic news ... a top basketball recruit who was committed to play for Missouri State next season has died in an accidental shooting, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

19-year-old Ashley "A.J." James -- a 3-star prospect who had offers from Fresno State, Murray State and USF, among others -- was killed on Monday night in Chesapeake, Va., according to cops.

A police spokesperson tells us ... officers responded to an apartment just before midnight and found James with a gunshot wound "in the chest area" after he had allegedly been handling a firearm with another man when it accidentally went off.

The spokesperson says the basketball star received emergency medical care ... but later died from his injury. The spokesperson added foul play was NOT suspected.

"crazy really going to be my teammate next year praying for the James family," MSU freshman Isiaih Mosley tweeted Tuesday.

James -- a 6-foot-3, 170-pound shooting guard -- was playing at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia Beach, Va. this season before he was scheduled to join MSU's roster later this year.

The prospect, who was also being recruited heavily by N.C. State and Virginia Tech during his recruiting process, had just committed to Missouri State in December.

"When he get in the NBA, within three years, I guarantee he's the scoring champ. GUARANTEE."

LaVar Ball is back to his old ways ... making a crazy prediction that his son will lead the league in scoring within 3 years ... and he ain't talking about Lonzo or LaMelo -- it's LiAngelo!!!

Papa Ball returned to FS1's "Undisputed" on Tuesday and let the takes fly ... like saying the Pelicans will beat LeBron James' Lakers in a potential playoff matchup.

However, that comment was pretty tame compared to the most scalding-hot take of all ... when LaVar guaranteed his middle son, Gelo, would take over the league if/when he jumps from the G-League to the NBA.

The topic got brought up when Skip Bayless asked if LaVar thought Zion Williamson could ever lead the league in scoring ... and that's when Ball brought up Gelo, who is currently on the OKC Blue practice squad.

"Zion could lead this league in scoring regularly until my other son get there," LaVar said. "When Gelo get here, you can forget it ... it's over."

FYI -- it may not be so far fetched, considering Gelo DID score 72 points in a game while playing pro hoops in Lithuania (although, that's def. not the NBA).

Shannon Sharpe even asked LaVar to clarify if he meant Melo, who's essentially a walking bucket ... but Dad made it clear it's all about GELO.

"Call me on it, baby. I'll be back up here when he does," Ball says ... adding, the plan is to get Melo and Gelo on the same team this summer.

We'll check back with LaVar in 2023.

UFC superstar Henry Cejudo says he wants to pull a Royce Gracie -- and fight TWICE in the same night -- and he's dead serious.

Triple C -- the reigning UFC bantamweight and flyweight champ -- is set to take on Jose Aldo at UFC 250 in May ... but he wants Dana White to add another fight to his workload.

"I would like to get [Deiveson Figueiredo] and Jose Aldo on the same night. Co-main event and main event! Allow me to make history!"

FYI, Figueiredo just defeated Joseph Benavidez at UFC Norfolk -- but since Figueiredo didn't make weight for the fight, he was not awarded the vacant flyweight belt.

And, since the belt didn't change hands ... Cejudo is bragging that he's "the only fighter in human history to defend my belt on the couch!"

Cejudo thinks the whole situation was "unfortunate" since the missed weight kind of throws a wrench in the division ... but Henry says there's one way to fix the problem -- set up a fight!

FYI, way back in the day ... UFC would allow fighters to scrap multiple times on the same night. Royce Gracie famously fought THREE TIMES at UFC 1 back in 1993.

More NY Knicks drama ... this time involving their biggest fan, Spike Lee -- who got into an altercation with security at MSG and told 'em, "You wanna arrest me like Charles Oakley?!"

The whole thing went down at Madison Square Garden right before the Knicks took on the Houston Rockets ... when security reportedly blocked Lee from using a restricted entrance into the building.

During the exchange (captured on video) you can hear Lee saying "no one told me" he wasn't allowed to use that particular entrance ... and he dug in his heels, "I'm staying right here."

A Knicks spokesperson has said the entrance was not designated for fans -- with sources saying it was supposed to be for media and staffers only.

The good news ... Lee met with Knicks' owner, James Dolan, and the two smoothed things over. And, even better for Lee and the Knicks, THEY ACTUALLY WON THE GAME!

The Knicks have been AWFUL this season -- one of the worst records in the NBA -- but they still manage to draw A-List celebs to their games ... including Chris Rock, Pete Davidson, Kenan Thompson and more.

In fact, NY Giants QB Daniel Jones and his RW, Sterling Shepard, were sitting courtside along with fellow NFL stud Jamal Adams.

Guess Michael Rapaport's call for celeb boycott ain't exactly workin' ...

As for the game, Knicks rookie RJ Barrett scored 27 points and Julius Randle had a 16-point, 16-rebound double-double to lead the team to a 125-123 win over Houston.