TMZ Sports - Page 50

Think Roger Goodell is going to finally make it through a draft without hearing boos????

THINK AGAIN ... 'cause the commish is actually ENCOURAGING the jeers -- and it's all for COVID-19 charity!!

Here's the deal ... Goodell has been booed at EVERY draft for the last decade or so -- mostly because NFL fans hate the way he runs the league.

But, with the coronavirus pandemic ... it seemed the commish was finally going to get a reprieve from it all as the league's draft Thursday has gone completely virtual.

The NFL, though, partnered with its beer sponsor Monday to make sure the tradition stays alive ... with Bud Light announcing it will donate $1 every time the #BooTheCommish hashtag is used on social media this week!

In fact, the booze company says it'll contribute up to $500,000 total to COVID-19 relief efforts to hear you boo the league's head man.

Tim Hardaway says he's FED up with Bill Laimbeer's disrespect for Michael Jordan ... saying the Pistons legend KNOWS MJ's the G.O.A.T. ... but is too jealous to admit it!!

Of course, Laimbeer spoke his mind on the debate last week ... saying he believed LeBron James deserved the title, and not his archnemesis.

The comments set the NBA community on fire ... so when TMZ Sports spoke with Hardaway recently, we had to ask the guy for his take -- and he didn't hold back.

"Stop being jealous," the 5-time All-Star told us. "He took it to you, Bill. I know you all didn't like it. You probably got dunked on 5, 6, 7, 8 times."

Hardaway even points out Laimbeer's Bad Boy Pistons had to have played a HUGE role in making MJ the killer he is today -- remember the "Jordan Rules" ...?

"That's y'all fault. Don't be mad, don't be upset and don't be jealous."

There's more ... we also spoke with Hardaway about the tough financial times NBA players may face during the coronavirus pandemic ... and he's got solid advice.

It's 4/20 ... and you've NEVER seen Mike Tyson this happy!!

The boxing legend is now a full marijuana advocate and entrepreneur -- and to celebrate the biggest weed holiday of the year, he fired up a joint and explained to TMZ Sports why the day is so important to him.

Of course, 53-year-old Mike launched his "Tyson Ranch" weed biz a while back -- and now swears by THC ... saying he views it as "medicine" and raves that it's changed his life for the better.

Now, he views 4/20 as an important day -- because it symbolizes the beginning of the "revolution" to de-criminalize weed all over the world.

In between tokes, Tyson also revealed his dream celebrity smoking buddy -- explaining why he would have LOVED to spark up with Bob Marley.

"He is such an amazing man, I wish I had the opportunity to meet him."

Obviously, Bob passed away a long time ago -- but Mike says he's friendly with Marley's kids ... and even visited Bob's home in Jamaica!

There's more ... Mike is also honoring the "holiday" by posting some celeb interviews on his YouTube page including Action Bronson, Kenan Thompson and Jadakiss.

Look, some people go all out for Christmas ... other people, 4/20.

How's MLB stud Jedd Gyorko passing the time during quarantine??

INSANE CORNHOLE TRICK SHOTS, BABY!!!

The Milwaukee Brewers infielder has been crushing it with the bags while staying safe at home ... and we gotta say, these are some of the most impressive trick shots we've ever seen.

Check out some of the clips of Gyorko's bag game so far ... there's a double cornhole, a behind-the-backer and even a celebratory beer chug as well!!

But, the best shot Jedd's hit during the MLB's postponed play? That came just a few days ago when the 31-year-old holed a ridiculous shot in his West Virginia living room.

Gyorko, standing by the front door, tossed a bag some 20 feet OVER the mezzanine ... and landed it without even hitting the rim.

Yeah, INSANE, RIGHT?!?!

Of course, some called him out for the clips -- wondering how long it took him to actually hit the shots -- but Jedd proved he was the real deal in a Zoom match with ex-Cardinals teammate Kolten Wong last week.

Gyorko crushed the dude in three games ... hitting insane shots there as well -- and then he bodied his good buddy on social media for good measure afterward.

"Thanks @thewongone808 for the entertainment and competition tonight," Gyorko wrote underneath a picture of Wong faceplanting. "I appreciate ya!! Who’s next?"

L.A. Lakers guard Dion Waiters is coming clean about his infamous weed edible panic attack on the Heat team plane in 2019 ... admitting it really happened, but adamantly denying he had a seizure.

Remember, Waiters reportedly took a THC-infused edible and fell asleep on the team's flight from Phoenix to L.A. back in November ... and freaked out when he woke up.

Waiters required medical attention at a hospital once the plane landed in L.A. ... and had to miss the Heat's game against the Lakers later that night.

The 28-year-old expanded on what really went down on that flight in The Players' Tribune Monday ... saying, "It's on me."

"I own that. It was idiotic on my behalf — point-blank, period," Waiters says. "What’s crazy is, my whole life I been a leader. I’m not a follower. Pat (Riley) knows me. He knows I don’t do drugs."

Waiters points out his struggles with depression and anxiety ... and says he wasn't in a good place when the incident went down.

"But sometimes when you’re going through dark times, you can fall trap to things you’d never do in your right mind."

Waiters says the reports got blown way out of proportion ... and is denying he ever had a seizure.

"Ask the doctors. Ask my Heat teammates. They can speak on it. For that b.s. to come out, it ain’t right."

Waiters was suspended 10 games due to the incident ... and was later traded to the Grizzlies. He was released 3 days later and signed with the L.A. Lakers.

Larsa Pippen wants to make it crystal clear -- Scottie Pippen is NOT strapped for cash ... despite that god-awful deal he signed back in the day, which was a major story pointing the new MJ doc.

One of the biggest takeaways from episode 2 of "The Last Dance" was Pippen's incredibly bad 7-year, $18 million deal ... which made him one of the most undervalued players in the league.

Despite being Michael Jordan's wingman, Scottie was widely considered one of the best players in the Association during the '90s ... but couldn't crack the top 100 in earnings while in Chicago.

And, on top of that, there were rumors for YEARS that Scottie was broke as a joke even after his NBA career.

But, Scottie's estranged wife, Larsa, is stepping up to defend the Bulls legend ... clapping back at the haters by pointing to his 17-year career earnings -- $109 MILLION!

"Thx for your concerns Scottie did ok," Larsa wrote.

BTW -- Larsa filed for divorce back in November 2018, but they don't seem to be in a rush to officially cut ties. Court records show the divorce case is still technically active, but no one is really pushing to get it done.

So, could the doc actually bring Scottie and Larsa closer together and SAVE their marriage???

Stranger things have happened ...

As for the deal, Scottie explained he signed it because his family needed the money at the time ... and he was afraid of suffering a career-ending injury that would kill the gravy train altogether.

Bad decision? Of course, but after banking $109 MIL ... seems he's doing okay.

The new Michael Jordan documentary has a funny way of describing kiiinda important people in U.S. history -- like Barack Obama and Bill Clinton -- but hey ... they aren't wrong.

On Sunday, ESPN aired the first two episodes of "The Last Dance" -- and while they were talking about MJ's early years at UNC and eventually with the Bulls ... they brought in former Presidents Obama and Clinton.

Funny enough, the producers didn't seem interested in highlighting either guy's political career ... referring to Bubba as "Bill Clinton, Former Arkansas Governor" and Barry as "Former Chicago Resident." Disrespectful? Eh, maybe. Hilarious??? Abso-freakin'-lutely!

Here's the thing ... the odd title choices aren't incorrect. Yes, Bill was the governor of AR once upon a time before he made a run at the White House in the early '90s -- and he WAS discussing Scottie Pippen's days at the University of Central Arkansas.

And sure, Barack, the former U.S. Senator and Prez WAS talking about what Chi-Town was like when MJ first arrived.

It's been 3 years since convicted murderer Aaron Hernandez killed himself in his prison cell -- but his fiancee is still showing love.

Shayanna Jenkins posted a throwback photo on April 19 -- showing the ex-NFL star holding their then-newborn daughter roughly 8 years ago.

"The love between father and daughter knows no distance," Jenkins wrote ... "We think of you today. May you Rest in Peace and continue to watch over us!"

Of course, not everyone remembers Aaron as a loving family man -- in fact, many know him as a bloodthirsty, unstable maniac.

Remember, Hernandez was convicted in the 2013 shooting death of Odin Lloyd -- and Aaron was also accused of murdering two other people in Boston in 2012.

In fact, it was April 19, 2017 -- only 5 days after he had been acquitted in the double-murder case -- that he hanged himself in his prison cell at the Souza Baranowski Correctional Center in Mass. Hernandez was 27-years-old.

Some people think Hernandez took his own life to exploit a loophole in the legal system which would require officials to throw out the Odin Lloyd murder conviction, forcing the Patriots to pay out the remaining cash on his contract to Jenkins.

In fact, Hernandez left a suicide note for Jenkins saying, "You're rich!"

OKC Thunder player Terrance Ferguson will NOT face rape charges after prosecutors say they simply can't prove the 21-year-old committed a crime.

Ferguson was investigated by the Oklahoma City Police Dept. after a woman reportedly claimed he raped her at a house party in 2018.

Officials say the woman didn't file a police report until Feb. 2020.

Details surrounding the case have been thin, to say the least -- but the Oklahoman reports the accuser acknowledged she knew Ferguson before the alleged rape.

Now, Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater says the probe is complete ... and his office will NOT be charging Ferguson with any crimes.

"Evidence to support the reporting person's allegations that the sexual conduct was not consensual was absent,” Prater told The Oklahoman over the weekend.

In other words, cops seem to be acknowledging that a sexual incident took place -- but can't seem to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that was rape.

Ferguson's attorney, Billy Bock, issued a statement saying -- "Terrance Ferguson is a very respectful young man who has recently had to defend himself regarding some false allegations."

"He cooperated fully with the investigation and appreciates the professionalism of the investigators with the Oklahoma City Police Department and Mr. Prater's office, which has declined to file charges."

"He continues to deny any wrongdoing and is looking forward to having this experience behind him."

Ferguson has started 123 games for the Thunder since it picked him with the 21st overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He's logged 4.9 points per game for the team in his 3-year career.

Were Michael Jordan's rookie teammates part of a "Traveling Cocaine Circus"???

The NBA's G.O.A.T. didn't exactly deny that ... confirming during his 1984-85 rookie year -- he caught his Chicago teammates having a party with blow, weed and women out in Peoria, Ill.

"I walk in, and practically the whole team is in there," Jordan said as part of one of his sit-down interviews for ESPN's "The Last Dance" documentary.

"It was things I had never seen in my life as a young kid. You got your lines over here, you got your weed smokers over here, you got your women over here.”

Jordan -- who had spent the previous three years at the University of North Carolina -- says the incident caused him to be an immediate loner on his new team.

"The first thing I said is, 'I'm out,'" Jordan said. "Because all I can think about is if they come raid this place right now, I am just as guilty as everyone else in this room. From that point on, I was more or less on my own."

Jordan's teammate at the time, Rod Higgins, confirmed MJ never partook in the partying that year ... saying the guy didn't even drink with his new NBA squadmates.

"Whatever somebody else might have been doing off the court, if it was partying or whatever, that wasn’t part of what he wanted to do,” Higgins said. "Orange juice and 7-Up was his go-to."

Turned out to be a pretty good move for Jordan ... he went on to change the culture of the Bulls and win SIX championships.

See, kids? Don't do drugs.

Yo, THIS IS INSANE!!!

Team Russia swimmer Yuliya Efimova can't get to a pool due to COVID-19 -- so she went "swimming" on her kitchen counter.

DO YOUR ABS HURT FROM WATCHING THIS YET?!

The 28-year-old used a mat to cushion her thighs -- and then engaged her core in a big way to bust out an imaginary swim workout while her quarantine partner held her feet.

That's super impressive!

There is some controversy here -- Yuliya (who also goes by Julia Evimova) -- has a history of testing positive for banned substances.

In fact, she was banned from competing at the 2016 Olympic Games due to the Russian doping scandal -- but the ban was overturned.

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.