TMZ Sports - Page 50

Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic is "opposed to vaccination" -- and says he would have a serious decision to make if he was required to get vaccinated in order to compete again.

"Personally, I am opposed to vaccination and I wouldn't want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel," 32-year-old Djokovic said during a Facebook live chat Sunday with Serbian athletes.

"But, if it becomes compulsory, what will happen? I will have to make a decision."

He continued, "I have my own thoughts about the matter and whether those thoughts will change at some point, I don't know."

"Hypothetically, if the season was to resume in July, August or September, though unlikely, I understand that a vaccine will become a requirement straight after we are out of strict quarantine and there is no vaccine yet."

Obviously, this is a huge deal -- Djokovic is the #1 ranked men's singles player in the world ... with 17 Grand Slam titles on his resume.

Ex-NBAer Aaron Brooks is admitting he was COMPLETELY wrong about his teammate LaMelo Ball ... saying his time with the phenom was nothing but positive.

TMZ Sports spoke with Brooks about playing with the youngest Ball bro on the Australian NBL's Illawarra Hawks ... and the ex-Houston Rockets star says he was against the idea at first.

"For me, when I found out that he was gonna be there, I was like, 'look, I don't wanna go through that,'" Brooks says.

"I come from the old school of being with Dikembe Mutombo, Rafer Alston, Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming ... and now I'm playing with an 18-year-old Kardashian kid."

But, don't get it twisted -- Brooks says his preconceived notions immediately diminished when he actually met Melo ... who quickly won over all his teammates.

"At 18, when I say there's guys who got drafted in Houston and they was rookies and was 21 and had less accolades than him and they were bigger a**holes, for him to be the way he was surprising to me."

Brooks praises Melo's work ethic, saying whenever they needed to put in extra time, he was down without hesitation.

As for Melo's NBA future, Brooks says the young hooper still has a lot to learn ... but there's no doubt in his mind Ball will be great.

BONUS -- we also asked Brooks about the rumors Ball is looking to buy the Hawks ... and he says it's a GREAT idea.

The families of four of the victims who perished in the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, have filed wrongful death lawsuits themselves -- this after Vanessa Bryant has already gone after the chopper company in court.

The surviving members of the Altobelli family and Mauser family -- the remaining two Altobelli children and Christina Mauser's husband, her son and 2 daughters, respectively -- claim the Island Express's negligence was reason for the death of their loved ones.

In both suits -- obtained by TMZ -- the surviving family members claim Island Express negligently and carelessly breached its duty to own, lease, manage, maintain, control, entrust, charter and operate the helicopter in question in a reasonable manner.

They claim as a direct result of this negligent behavior by the company, their loved ones died in the crash -- which has caused an insurmountable amount of anguish on every level -- physical, emotional, mental and otherwise ... for which the families want damages, both over their own turmoil, but also for what their loved ones could have earned themselves if they had survived the crash and continued to work.

As Vanessa Bryant's wrongful death lawsuit ... when we looked into it appeared Island Express might very well go bankrupt because her damages are so enormous. Their insurance policy will only cover so much.

Former San Francisco Giants star Aubrey Huff is basking in the glory he finds from protesters taking to the streets near San Diego -- all of whom are demanding to be set free.

The World Series winner and ex-first baseman posted a rather telling video Sunday showing off a TON of demonstrators in Encinitas, CA -- just a stone's throw away from central SD. They were out there with a ton of signs, all with the same goal ... reopening the area -- specifically, their hiking trails, beaches and whatever else is closed out there.

Aubrey was digging the vibes. He captioned his vid, "This is what freedom looks like. Current situation in Encinitas, CA. But a friendly reminder to my fellow #coronavirus protesters. If you’re gonna demand the beaches opening back up don’t wear a mask."

Other videos captured a bunch of what appeared to be Trump supporters waving the American flag and donning red MAGA hats. Some reports even say people were chanting, "Let us surf!" near the shore. In any case, these San Diego County residents are out in force.

It's just the latest protest staged across the country -- there were several that took place on Saturday alone ... not to mention the ones that swept through the Mid-West earlier in the week ... including a couple in Huntington Beach in Orange County, not far from L.A.

A bench-clearing melee is NOT good social distancing -- but these guys couldn't care less!

Two teams in the Chinese Pro Baseball League (based in Taiwan) nearly came to blows Sunday after a pitcher fired a laser into an opposing player's ass!!

Ex-Houston Astros pitcher Henry Sosa was on the mound for the Fubon Guardians when up came Rakuten Monkeys infielder Kuo Yen-Wen.

Long story short, Sosa has a CANNON for an arm -- and was throwing HARD and inside at Yen-Wen ... almost like he was trying to send a message.

Finally, after 3 VERY close calls, Sosa drilled Yen-Wen right in the ass ... AND THE BENCHES CLEARED!

Of course, Taiwan is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic like everyone else in the world -- they've banned fans from attending the games (cardboard cutouts instead!). And, they've been strongly encouraging social distancing -- but everything went out the window when Yen-Wen got hit.

There was some pushing and shoving (no crazy haymakers) -- but eventually everyone returned to their dugouts without any serious injuries.

Great news for big time gamblers ... YOU CAN STILL BET ON FOOTBALL ... kind of.

With live sports still on hiatus, gamblers need their fix -- and one of the biggest online sports books in the world is turning to VIDEO GAMES!

We spoke to a rep for BetOnline.ag who tells us they are running simulated NFL games on the "Madden 20" video game.

If you're unfamiliar, there's an option to allow a full computer simulation without any human influence.

In other words, a human can select the 2019 Packers to play the 2019 Chicago Bears ... and A.I. takes over from there, simulating the entire game -- every single play and even the weather conditions.

We're told BetOnline livestreams the games on Twitch -- so gamblers can see the action for themselves in the name of transparency.

There are real gambling lines too -- for example, Texans are 3-point favorites to defeat the Falcons in a simulated matchup this weekend! You can even bet on the over/under.

Crazy, right?!

BetOnline tells us they've been getting a ton of action on the video game sports so far -- "We are getting as much action on them as an average non-nationally televised MLB game, believe it or not. Action keeps getting better daily."

One rep told us, "I strongly believe simulated betting is here to stay, even once the big sports return."

Tua Tagovailoa's best pro comp is ... Michael Vick????

That's what Doug Flutie's telling TMZ Sports ... saying the 'Bama QB has an arm that reminds him of Vick's!!

"He just flicks his wrist and that thing's spinning," Flutie says of Tua. "It reminds me of the way the ball came off Michael Vick's hand because he's a lefty and how hard and far he can actually throw the football."

Don't get it twisted ... Flutie ain't exactly saying Tagovailoa will be rushing for 1,000 yards in the NFL -- he just thinks the dude's arm talent is right on par with MV's.

"He's a difference-maker," Flutie says. "He's one of those guys that might be a question mark at the NFL level because of his pure athleticism, but you look at things like when he came off the bench in the national championship game, his first real playing time, everything was on the line and he performed."

"The big stage never affected him. He went out and balled, just flat-out played and he's got a tremendous arm."

Flutie, though, ain't ready to put Tagovailoa as the No. 1 overall pick ... he tells us that honor should go to LSU superstar Joe Burrow.

Doug says he was actually able to speak with the QB during Heisman weekend in December and says he came away from the conversation thinking the 23-year-old REALLY loved football.

"It was like he was kind of reserved, quiet; and you started taking X's and O's and he got excited about it," Flutie says. "That meant a lot that he seems like a cerebral kid that really is into that."

Green Bay Packers tight end Marcedes Lewis is packing up and moving out of his Hollywood condo ... and it's hitting the market for $1.4 million!!!

Of course, the 35-year-old NFL star played in Jacksonville for 12 seasons before joining the Pack in 2018 ... but has always had a place to hang his hat near his hometown of Long Beach.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Lewis is parting ways with his 2,000 square foot condo at the W Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard ... and it comes with a bunch of great features.

The 2-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom crib comes decked out with a full smart home system, 135" built-in movie screen in the master bedroom, massive custom closets with ceiling-high shoe racks, and a projection screen in the living room entertainment center.

On top of that, the new owner gets all the community perks of living at the W ... like a rooftop pool, fitness center and housekeeping.

If Jake Plummer were on the clock in the NFL draft and needed a QB ... he tells TMZ Sports he'd go with Justin Herbert over Tua Tagovailoa -- and says it's actually an easy choice.

"I would steer away from any damaged goods," the former NFL QB says.

Tua has battled SEVERAL key injuries in his 3-year Bama career ... most notably suffering a dislocated hip last November -- and Plummer says those are just too many red flags for him.

"I would be leery about injuries he's sustained already," Jake says of Tua. "They're not like a broken hand, or a sprained wrist, or something pretty similar. He's working with hips and he's had some problems with his knees, I believe."

Plummer says Herbert, meanwhile, doesn't have nearly the same question marks ... and, in fact, he thinks the Oregon QB might be the better overall prospect regardless.

Jake tells us he's worked out with Herbert in Los Angeles this year ... and has even spent time with him at the College Football Hall of Fame -- and would have no issues drafting the 22-year-old in the top 10.

"He's also a big lump of clay," Plummer says. "And, the right coach, the right system could mold him into what I believe could be almost the future of the QB position."

As for Jake's advice for rookies heading into the NFL after this week's selection process ... he's telling them to enjoy the family time for now -- because the NFL is a straight-up whirlwind.

By the way, Plummer's developed an app with his Ready List Sports company that he believes could help NFL teams develop their rookies MUCH faster than previous years!!

Gianna Bryant and her Mamba Academy teammates will be memorialized in a big way Friday night ... the WNBA is set to make them honorary picks in the org's annual draft, according to Vanessa Bryant.

GiGi, Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester -- who all passed away in a helicopter crash with Kobe Bryant -- will get the honor at some point during the televised selection process.

Of course, it's a huge deal for the trio ... they all had WNBA aspirations before their tragic deaths in January -- and Vanessa praised the tribute on social media Friday.

The league's show -- which is slated to be entirely virtual this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic -- is set to kick off at 4 PM PT on ESPN.

The WNBA becomes the latest in a long line of organizations, celebs and athletes that have paid tribute to the victims following the devastating helicopter wreck.

Remember, the Lakers held an emotional remembrance ceremony before their game against the Trailblazers on Jan. 31 ... while players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis got tribute tattoos.

Meanwhile, UConn -- Gianna's dream school to hoop at -- also paid tribute to Kobe's daughter by laying out a No. 2 jersey before its game in late January.

Others, like NBA stud Lou Williams, had murals of Kobe and GiGi painted to pay respects following the tragedy.