TMZ Sports - Page 50

Rafael Nadal just dropped MILLIONS on a ridiculously awesome 79-foot luxury yacht with a fold-out balcony ... and TMZ Sports has the photos.

Nadal -- one of the greatest tennis players of all time -- hit up Sunreef Yachts and ordered a customized 80 Sunreef Power ... a catamaran (a boat with 2 hulls).

SY wouldn't say exactly how much the tennis superstar spent ... but they told us a previous yacht that was used -- and had less customization -- sold for $7 mil.

So, do the math ... Nadal likely plunked down somewhere near $10 MILLION!!!

The boat is 79 feet long, 39 feet wide, and has 4 guest cabins. Nadal's master cabin has a private balcony that folds out.

In total, the yacht has nearly 4,000 square feet of livable space.

So, yeah, Rafa's boat is bigger than most homes.

Sunreef delivered the yacht to Nadal in Mallorca on his 34th birthday.

"Mine was way better. Way vicious. My dude couldn’t get up."

That's Cody Garbrandt spelling out why his violent walk-off knockout of Raphael Assuncao at UFC 250 was better than Sean O'Malley's KO ... and yeah, they take this stuff seriously!

No Love reached back and smacked the daylights out of Assuncao with just seconds left in the 2nd round ... sensationally ending his 3 fight losing streak.

"I knew that as soon as I started that punch, the trajectory of where it was going, the force and the speed, it was going to connect and knock him out," Cody tells TMZ Sports.

"It was a picture-perfect punch and just a nice walk off."

Earlier in the night, O'Malley finished Eddie Wineland with a 1-hitter quitter of his own.

Both Cody and Sean got $50k performance bonus checks from the UFC ... but we had to ask the question -- which KO was more impressive?

Garbrandt's breakdown is pretty great ... explaining that his opponent is "leap years ahead of any adversary [O'Malley] has ever fought."

"Hats off to him. He did good, went out there and performed, got a knockout victory ... but you can’t compare when you’re fighting the Top 5 in the world."

"[O'Malley has] never fought anybody in the Top 15, so that’s a huge difference when you’re able to starch people like that at each level."

We also asked Cody if that punch was hardest he's ever hit anyone -- and got another great answer.

Bubba Wallace -- the only black driver at NASCAR's highest level -- is calling for an official ban on confederate flags at race tracks ... saying there's just no place for them in the sport anymore.

"No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a NASCAR race," Wallace said. "So it starts with confederate flags. Get them out of here."

The 26-year-old told CNN on Monday he's going to have conversations with NASCAR officials soon, to lay down a plan to permanently remove the flags from the sport.

As for why ... while the flag represents southern pride and roots for some -- for others, according to the Anti-Defamation League, it's been used as a symbol of slavery and white supremacy.

Still don't get it?? WWE legend Stone Cold Steve Austin recently spelled it out for someone defending the flag on social media.

"That's nice and all but if I recall, it don't matter what it means to you because to African Americans everywhere it's a symbol of oppression hatred and inequality so your little 'heritage not hate' story don't mean sh*t because your stupid little 'heritage' was built on the backs of slaves and identifying with that kinda sorta definitely makes you trash in the Texas Rattlesnake's eyes. So you can continue to spew your bullish*t but just know that none of us care ya dumb sumbitch and that's the bottom line."

Bubba says he never had an issue with the flags until recently ... but now says after he's done his homework -- it's clear to him NASCAR needs to officially rid itself of the flags.

"Diving more into it and educating myself, people feel uncomfortable with that," Wallace said. "People talk about that. That's the first thing they bring up."

"So there's going to be a lot of angry people that carry those flags proudly, but it's time for change. We have to change that. And I encourage NASCAR -- and we will have those conversations -- to remove those flags."

NASCAR has made efforts to crack down on the flags in the past ... recently they've invoked a trade-in program at tracks, agreeing to swap an American flag for a confederate one.

But, the flags are still prevalent at almost all stops on the race circuit ... and Bubba is clearly ready for that to end.

"There should be no individual that is uncomfortable showing up to our events to have a good time with their family that feels some type of way about something that they have seen -- an object that they have seen flying."

"As a brother with a good heart, I say 'f*** you' if you racist or white staying quiet, you disabling the changes."

NBA superstar Damian Lillard -- AKA Dame DOLLA -- is sending a strong message about police brutality and the recent peaceful protests across the country ... dropping a spoken word track titled "Blacklist," in honor of George Floyd.

Here are some notable lyrics ...

"We in a pandemic, thought getting out I’d be more joyed, then I watched a cop knee to the neck kill George Floyd"

"As a rich black man living in this country, it’s hard being comfy when the hate your people get is coming from the ones amongst me"

"Used to call us 'monkeys' and 'slaves' and we overcame. Still our work is just beginning, protests look like parades."

"The kind of sh*t we experience, how we felt when the country turned on Kaepernick after he knelted."

Lillard also calls out President Donald Trump for saying, "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" ... calling POTUS a "clown" and a "trust fund baby."

Lillard has personally taken the streets of Portland to protest the recent deaths of Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery ... vowing to bring change to the country.

Al Sharpton just unleashed the Holy Spirit on Roger Goodell at George Floyd's funeral in Houston -- blasting the NFL commish for his "empty apology" and demanding the league to get his job back!

A charged-up Sharpton said it's "nice" seeing how people have rallied around and encouraged protests against police brutality and racial injustice ... but he's not impressed with the video Goodell posted on Friday admitting the league bungled the way it handled peaceful protesters like Kap.

"The head of the NFL said, 'Yeah, maybe we were wrong. Football players -- maybe they did have the right to peacefully protest.'"

"Well, don’t apologize -- give Colin Kaepernick his job back!"

Sharpton continued, "Don’t come with some empty apology. Take a man’s livelihood?! Strip a man down of his talents?! Then four years later when the whole world is marching, all of a sudden you go and do a FaceTime talking about you sorry?!"

The Rev. said if Goodell is REALLY sorry, he should "repay the damage you did to the career you stood down ... because when Colin took a knee, he took it for the families in this building."

NFL superstar Von Miller is ready for the league to take the next step in its pledge to support social justice ... urging owners to make a peaceful protest policy and "walk the walk."

Miller made the statement in a powerful and emotional letter for TIME.com on Tuesday ... saying while he appreciated Roger Goodell's video last week, he said there's still more work to be done for the league.

Specifically ... seems Miller wants every NFL player to have the right to kneel during national anthems without the fear of backlash or future blackballing from league ownership.

"While it’s great that the NFL made an official statement in support of Black Lives Matter and the right to peaceful protest," Miller said, "it will ultimately be up to the team owners to put league policy into action and walk the walk."

Von never mentions Colin Kaepernick by name, but it's obvious he's referencing the QB and other players like Antonio Cromartie, who believe teams conspired to blackball them for taking a knee during the national anthem.

Miller seemed hopeful the NFL and the nation as a whole will continue to make the right steps toward social equality ... writing, "This time may be different. I pray that it is different."

"This time, many of the protesters are not black," Miller said. "This time, the entire country is engaged. This time, the entire world has taken notice. We have really begun to talk with each other, not just “at” each other."

NFL superstar J.J. Watt and Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien are among those mourning George Floyd's death on Tuesday ... with several members of the team attending the funeral service in Houston.

The Texans coach spoke at length last week about his frustrations over Floyd's death ... and vowed not to hold any off-season activities so players could attend the service.

Watt -- alongside former teammate D.J. Reader -- paid their respects to Floyd at the Fountain of Praise Church ... as well as Texans chairman Cal McNair and other staffers.

Watt recently spoke out following Floyd's death ... saying, "I've seen the video and I think it's disgusting. I don't understand how that situation can't be remedied in a way that doesn't end in his death."

Rob Gronkowski and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are stepping up BIG for a local high school's football program ... joining forces to replace the team's equipment and storage shed after a tragic fire.

A blaze broke out on Blake High School's campus in Tampa last month ... with an estimated $15k-worth of supplies destroyed, according to tampabay.com.

The team said it would be nearly impossible to replace all the equipment in time to prepare for the 2020 season ... saying it simply isn't in the school's budget.

But, there's GREAT news for the Yellow Jackets -- the 31-year-old tight end and the Bucs are teaming up to get the program back on its feet ... with Gronk announcing their decision to help out in a WWE promo-style video on Instagram.

"Hey everyone, last week we heard about an unfortunate incident in Tampa where a fire burned down a high school storage shed full of their team's football equipment," Gronk says in the vid. "Sadly, they lost it all."

"Well, the Gronk Nation Youth Foundation and my new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, are all about helping youth reach their full potential."

"So, we're gonna do just that. To the Blake High School Yellow Jackets, you're getting a brand new storage unit and new football equipment to replace everything that was lost."

Gronk gives the team a bit of encouragement ... and even hints he may hit up a practice with his Bucs teammates.

The PGA Tour will NOT have 8:46 AM tee times this week ... the golf org just announced it'll hold moments of silence instead -- and it's all to honor George Floyd.

The Tour said in a statement Tuesday the tributes will go down in its return to the national spotlight this weekend at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, Thursday through Sunday.

"As the PGA Tour commits to amplifying the voices and efforts underway to end systemic issues of racial and social injustices impacting our country," Tour officials said, "we have reserved the 8:46 a.m. tee time at the Charles Schwab Challenge to pay our respects to the memory of George Floyd."

"We will pause at 8:46 a.m. during each round for a moment of silence, prayer and reflection."

It's a big honor ... this weekend's tournament -- the first official one since the coronavirus pandemic suspended play back in March -- is expected to draw potentially millions of eyeballs.

Stars like Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka are all listed as participants ... and according to the Tour, they'll all pause at 8:46 AM for the moment silence following three horn blasts from Tour officials.

As we previously reported ... Floyd died on May 25 after police officers knelt on his back and neck for 8:46 seconds.

A bunch of Tigers will be flooding the booths in Baton Rouge this November ... 'cause LSU head coach Ed Orgeron says ALL of his players decided to team up and register to vote.

The leader of the reigning national champs revealed the team's decision on the "Off The Bench" show on ESPN Radio Tuesday morning ... saying he's working alongside his players to come up with ways to fight the issues they face every day.

"We had a great team meeting with our football team and I talked to them about specific stuff that was going on in the world today," Coach O said.

Orgeron added the team's leadership committee -- consisting of 12 players and several coaches -- came up with the idea to make their voices heard by hitting the voting booths.

"One of the solutions that they came up with as a group and to represent the team, that we're gonna register to vote. The guys wanted to take action."

Orgeron spoke out after the killing of George Floyd in an interview with Sports Illustrated last week ... saying, "My players and former players are hurting, and they let me know they’re hurting."

Roger Goodell has been a key figure behind the scenes in helping NFL players in their fight for social justice ... so says former NFL star Anquan Boldin, who's now praising the commish for his efforts.

The ex-Arizona Cardinals receiver broke it all down on 'The Daily Show' with Trevor Noah this week ... explaining Goodell has had his and others' backs when it comes to lobbying for equal rights.

Boldin says Goodell has taken trips with the NFL Players Coalition -- a group established by the league to help address social issues -- to key meetings over the years, and Boldin says he's grateful for it.

"When we're asking for support of the NFL, it's not just monetary," Boldin says. "It's coming to us when we have these meetings with congressmen and senators and those that are in positions of power because then those conversations change because there are a lot of owners in the NFL that can guarantee that some of those people are in the seats that they're in because of their support."

"When we ask the NFL to lend us your platform, it's coming to these meetings with us. It's understanding what exactly it is that we're fighting against."

Boldin added, "I can tip my hat to Roger because he's come along on several of those occasions. He's come along with us when we've spoken to people in position of power. He's come and tried to see, while we were doing court hearings, like what's the process."

Anquan says that's huge ... because having a guy who wields as much power as Goodell in their corner changes perceptions.

"I can give him kudos for trying to understand what exactly it is that we're talking about, trying to step outside of his self and put his self in our shoes and understand the issues that we're screaming about."

As we previously reported ... Goodell said last Friday he'll do even more for NFL players -- admitting to bungling the kneeling protests and vowing to do better going forward.

Fight Island officially opens on July 11 -- and Dana White is telling TMZ Sports who will have the honor of breaking in the new venue!

"The first fight that we're looking at is Alexander Volkanovski vs Max Holloway," White says.

Of course, the two fought back in Dec. 2019 -- with Volkanovski beating Max by unanimous decision.

Now, Max gets a shot at redemption on Fight Island ... which has also been revealed as Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

Other fights taking place ... Petr Yan vs. Jose Aldo and Jessica Andrade vs. Rose Namajunas.

White also says Kamaru Usman will fight Gilbert Burns.

White says the UFC is working on locking in more fights for Fight Island ... including Fabricio Werdum vs. Alexander Gustafsson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Shogun Rua and Robert Whittaker vs. Darren Till.

White says there are more fights in the works.

As for the safety issue re: COVID-19, White says there will be "Lots of testing, lots of quarantining and lots of fighting."

UFC has also "secured" its own airline -- "We're going too be flying guys in from all over the place on our own airline."

There's more ... we also asked about Conor McGregor and if White truly believes the Irishman will stay retired from combat sports,

"I honestly don't know," White said ... ""but that kid's got a ton of money."

White says he found out McGregor is likely making a fortune in his liquor deal with Proper No. 12 -- and adds, "The minute you even start thinking about retiring, you should retire."

White tells us he understands fighters can fall in and out of love with the sport -- and the pandemic isn't helping.

Kendall Jenner and Devin Booker are still going strong -- hitting up the most expensive sushi spot in town Monday ... just weeks before Devin has to get back to work!

The two rolled through Nobu in Malibu and left in the same SUV -- roughly one month after they were spotted on a road trip together in Arizona.

They both looked really good. In fact, Kendall walked out of the restaurant like she was strutting down a fashion runway.

But, here's the twist ... with the NBA announcing its plan to resume the 2019-20 season at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida starting on July 31, it seems they'll have a forced separation.

Devin's Phoenix Suns will be included in the NBA's 22-team plan -- in which players and staff will essentially live in a bubble environment as they play out the rest of the season and playoffs.

Teams are expected to arrive in mid-July.

Only essential people will be allowed in the bubble -- players, staff, coaches and family members. Everyone will be required to undergo thorough COVID-19 testing.

Since Kendall isn't family, it's likely she won't be allowed inside ... and if the Suns catch fire, they could be in the bubble until mid-October!

The good news for Kendall ... there's a very low chance they'll even make the playoff portion of the bubble much less the Finals.

The Houston Astros paid their respects to George Floyd in a touching way Monday night ... lighting up their stadium's scoreboard with his picture and the words, "Rest In Power."

The scene was striking ... the 'Stros opened up their stadium so the photo was visible for miles -- and at the bottom of the pic, they typed out "Black Lives Matter."

The team also laid down flowers, a photograph and a candle for Floyd on the Minute Maid Park grass as well.

The Houston Texans also honored the 46-year-old the night before he was set to be laid to rest in his Texas hometown ... lighting up their stadium in his former high school's color scheme.

As we previously reported, Floyd tragically died late last month after a Minnesota cop knelt on his back and neck for over eight minutes during an arrest attempt.

The aftermath of his death sparked national outrage ... with protestors calling for real change in America.

A memorial service was held for Floyd on Monday in Houston ... where family members and victims of other police brutality incidents gave emotional and powerful speeches.

Steve Kerr's Chicago Bulls shorts -- rocked by the sharpshooter when he knocked down one of the most historic shots in NBA history -- just hit the auction block.

The white Champion brand shorts are from Game 6 of the 1997 NBA Finals ... where Michael Jordan's Bulls squad took on Karl Malone, John Stockton and the Utah Jazz.

The Bulls led the series, 3-2 ... heading in to Game 6 at the United Center on June 13, 1997. It was a super tight game that went down to the wire.

With 5 seconds left in the game -- and the Bulls trailing by 1 point -- the Jazz defense expected Jordan to attempt the game-winning shot.

However, Jordan kicked it out to a wide-open Kerr -- who nailed a 17-foot dagger of a jump shot -- securing the Bulls 5th NBA Championship.

FYI -- Kerr scored 9 points. Jordan dropped 39.

The shorts -- photomatched to ensure authenticity -- are on the auction block at Lelands Auctions.

Kerr -- who autographed the shorts -- has called the shot the most memorable moment of his 15 season NBA playing career.

The auction is currently underway ... and there have been multiple bids around $1,500.

DeAndre Hopkins is putting serious pressure on his alma mater -- demanding Clemson remove the name of an infamous pro-slavery politician from its honors college ... RIGHT NOW!!!

The NFL star -- who played at Clemson from 2010 to 2012 -- says it's always made him sick to his stomach that his University still honors John C. Calhoun.

FYI, Calhoun was the Vice President of the United States from 1825 to 1832 under both John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson ... and STRONGLY advocated for slavery.

In fact, Calhoun often described slavery as a "positive good" that helped improve the black race.

Clemson University was built on Calhoun's Fort Hill Plantation -- where the University says he had 70 to 80 slaves.

Well, Hopkins is no fan ... and has joined a movement to wipe Calhoun's name from existence at Clemson.

"Clemson University still honors the name of well known slave owner and pro-slavery politician John C. Calhoun on its buildings, signs, and in the name of its honors program," Hopkins says.

"I felt this oppressive figure during my time at Clemson and purposely do not mention the University’s name before NFL games because of it."

Hopkins is directing people to sign a petition to rename the Calhoun Honors College.

"I urge all Clemson students, football players, and alumni to join us, so the next generation of young Black leaders can be proud of the institution they graduate from."

Clemson’s Honors College was founded in 1962 -- but according to the people behind the petition, Calhoun’s name was not added until 1981.

"To change the name of the college, therefore, is not to 'erase history;' rather, it is to acknowledge that our understanding of history has evolved."

"We demand a more just Clemson. Change the name. Do it now."