TMZ Sports - Page 50

Damian Lillard turned the big 3-0 on Wednesday -- and celebrated with a big party inside the NBA bubble in Orlando!

The video is pretty fun ... a bunch of Dame's Portland Trail Blazers teammates, coaches and staff are crowded into a dining room to sing "Happy Birthday" to the superstar.

There was cake, champagne, balloons ... good times had by all!

Then, when it came time for a speech -- Dame reminded everyone why they're in Orlando ... TO WIN, BABY!

"My only ask as a birthday gift is let's not waste our f**king time out here!"

Dame then blew out the candles -- and we're pretty sure we know what he wished for.

By the way, no masks or PPE in the clip ... likely because the players feel safe due to the protocols in place -- which includes constant testing.

Still, probably not a good idea to blow all over the cake that people are going to eat, right!?

Of course, Portland is currently a 9th seed and 3.5 games out of the playoff hunt ... but they have "regular season" games left in the bubble to claw their way into the post-season.

A lot of people believe they could be EXTREMELY dangerous if they can get into the playoffs ... Dame included.

"What a joke he is."

Bubba Wallace was NOT a happy camper after crashing out of a race Wednesday ... the NASCAR star went OFF on fellow driver Michael McDowell after he says the guy purposely wrecked him.

Here's the deal ... Bubba had been gunning for weeks to get a spot in NASCAR's All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee on Wednesday night.

But, since Bubba hadn't won in 2019 or 2020 ... his only options left for a spot were to win one of the stages in Wednesday afternoon's All-Star Open qualifying race or earn the fan vote.

Bubba, though, was not able to do any of the above ... because the 26-year-old crashed his car into a wall just 17 laps into the Open.

Check out footage of the wreck ... it's clear as day, McDowell pushed his car's nose into Bubba's rear end, causing the guy to spin out and hit the wall.

Afterward, Wallace was FURIOUS ... and blasted McDowell for the move.

"Just disrespect," Bubba said. "When you get hooked right rear into the wall, I don’t even need to see a replay. Look at that sh*t. Yeah, wow."

"People say he’s one of the nicest guys in the garage. I can’t wait for the God-fearing text that he is going to send me about preaching and praise and respect. What a joke he is.”

Bubba's railing against McDowell didn't stop there ... cameras appeared to catch Wallace leaving a piece of his wrecked car near McDowell's garage area as well.

NASCAR says Bubba would have to have won one of the stages of the Open to get locked into the All-Star Race ... the league says Clint Bowyer ended up taking the fan vote despite Wallace leading for several days heading into this week.

ESPN host Rachel Nichols was unknowingly recorded in her hotel room while on a private conversation ... and video was sent to a media outlet in an apparent attempt to damage her career.

Nichols -- host of "The Jump" -- is currently covering the NBA restart at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida ... where she has been shooting segments from her hotel room.

But, Nichols was unaware a video feed was recording her while she was on a recent private phone call in her room -- and the video was later captured on cell phone by someone who had access to it.

Some of the footage -- roughly 4 minutes -- was sent to the website Deadspin, according to the site.

"Nichols is clearly unaware the video feed set up in her room for remote filming of her show is running while she discusses internal ESPN matters," Deadspin reports.

ESPN has already issued a statement supporting Nichols and condemning whoever is leaking the footage.

"We are extremely disappointed about the leak of a private conversation. It’s indefensible and an intrusion on Rachel’s privacy."

The network added, "As for the substance of the conversation, it is not reflective of our decision-making on staffing assignments for the NBA, which has largely been driven by the circumstances of the pandemic."

It's not the first time a high profile ESPN personality has been secretly recorded in their own hotel room.

Back in 2008, Erin Andrews was videotaped nude through the peephole of her hotel room in Nashville.

The man responsible for the video was later sentenced to 2 and a half years in prison.

Kamaru Usman wants a shot at the legend -- telling TMZ Sports he's officially campaigning for a fight with Georges St-Pierre!

"Right now, we're tied for the record -- most consecutive wins in the welterweight division," Usman says ... "[He's] considered one of the best and that's where I aim to be."

Of course, there's just one problem ... 39-year-old GSP retired a few years ago. But, there have been rumblings that he's down for a comeback -- and what better way to return than for a shot at the welterweight champ!

"George can still do it," Usman says ... "He proved it 2 years ago when he came back that he can still do it. I feel that he's still able to do it, I feel like he's still able to come in and be that opponent where people are unsure like, 'You know what, we don't know if Usman's got this one.' And I think Georges St-Pierre can be that guy."

Usman is coming off a dominating victory over Jorge Masvidal -- and before that he beat up Colby Covington and then-UFC champ Tyron Woodley. So, he's looking for another high-profile challenge.

"Where you at Georges? Where you at," Usman joked ... "Haha nah, George knows what he's done with his legacy. He's cemented his legacy."

"I would love to test myself. I'm a martial artist just like he was a martial artist and if he still has some fire burning in that oven, let's test it out!"

There's more ... we also asked Kamaru about that friendly moment with Masvidal after their fight at UFC 251 -- are they friends now?

"I wouldn't say all that. I would say it's a respect."

"He's a martial artist, I'm a martial artist, we respect one another because we share that space with one another. It's pretty difficult not to respect one another after you shared something so intimate with one another. I think that's what it was."

And, while Usman says he's deadly serious about wanting a fight with GSP, he's also serious about fighting ANYONE the UFC puts in front of him.

"I don't discriminate when it comes to an opponent and that's one thing that the company -- you can quote me on that, I don't say NO to anybody."

NFL star Tyrann Mathieu has paid for the funeral costs of a 9-year-old boy who was killed in a horrific shooting in New Orleans, TMZ Sports has learned.

Devante Bryant was shot in the head on July 13th in a mysterious attack on a bunch of kids. Two other teenagers -- 13 and 16 -- were also shot, but they survived.

Cops are investigating but so far, they don't seem to have any idea about why someone would commit this horrible act.

When Tyrann -- who's from Louisiana -- found out about the killing, he wanted to help the family and felt paying for the funeral costs would allow them to focus on grieving for their son.

"Young black children should not be dying from gun violence," the Kansas City Chiefs superstar tells TMZ Sports.

"Devante didn’t even have a chance to live his life before it was tragically taken away from him."

"My goal is to help stop the violence and help my community to show and empower children from my community that there is another way, one child at a time."

"I wanted to help the Bryant family because I am from the 7th Ward and I felt that pain. I have a 7-year-old son that lives in New Orleans and I couldn’t imagine something happening to him at that age. He is only 2 years younger than Devante."

"My heart goes out to the Bryant and Howard Family."

If you have any information about the shooting -- please reach out to the New Orleans PD.

Jrue and Lauren Holiday are making a MAJOR donation with his remaining game checks this season ... with the Pelicans guard contributing up to $5.3 MILLION to social justice causes and Black-owned businesses.

The couple announced the gesture to ESPN on Wednesday ... saying they are starting the Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Justice Impact Fund, which will aid communities in Indianapolis, New Orleans and the L.A. area.

Of course, Lauren -- former US soccer team member -- is from Indianapolis and both of Jrue’s brothers (Aaron and Justin) play for the Indiana Pacers.

Los Angeles was chosen because the Holiday family is from there ... and Jrue and Lauren met in the City of Angels while attending UCLA.

The Holidays say they will be giving the majority of the money to nonprofits, Black-owned businesses and local initiatives with missions dedicated to "equitable outcomes for Black and Brown communities."

Holiday -- who is in the middle of a 5-year, $131,805,000 deal -- is set to make up to $5.3 million through the rest of the 2020 season ... so it's a huge contribution.

Here's the breakdown -- up to $1.5 million will go to Black and Brown communities in NOLA, another $1.5 million to Los Angeles ... and $1 million will go to similar communities in Indianapolis.

The Holidays will also donate another $1 million to Black-owned businesses throughout the country ... and $500k to HBCUs and other educational institutions.

"God has blessed us with so much. We know a couple of things that are important are time and money, and right now, we have both," Holiday told ESPN.

Bad news, Cowboys fans ... Dak Prescott did NOT reach a long-term deal with Dallas at the deadline Wednesday -- reportedly turning down over $100 MILLION guaranteed.

The superstar QB had been in contract talks with Cowboys brass all offseason about getting an extension done ... but the two sides just couldn't meet in the middle.

26-year-old Dak will now play on the franchise tag in 2020 -- which locks him in as Dallas' QB for only this season at $31.4 million.

Dallas' final offer to Dak was set to pay the 2-time Pro Bowler between $33 and $35 million every year, with over $100 million guaranteed ... NFL Network's Jane Slater reported Tuesday.

But, Prescott reportedly wanted fewer years on the deal ... and the Cowboys wouldn't budge -- so now it'll be back to the negotiating table next offseason.

It ain't all horrible news for either side ... Dak's still getting paid BIG money this season, and Dallas will have another year to decide if it wants to pony up Patrick Mahomes-type money for the quarterback.

And, if things are still undecided by this time in 2021 ... the Cowboys have the option of franchise tagging Prescott again for roughly $37 million.

Legendary trainer Bob Baffert has just been SUSPENDED by the Arkansas Racing Commission ... after 2 of his horses tested positive for a banned substance.

Of course, Baffert is a Hall of Famer in the sport ... and his horses have brought home the Triple Crown in 2015 (American Pharoah) and 2018 (Justify).

The 67-year-old was just hit with a 15-day suspension by the racing org. on Wednesday ... after 2 of his horses tested positive for lidocaine, a banned numbing agent.

Both horses had just won races at Oaklawn Park recently ... and the owners now have to forfeit their prize money.

Charlatan -- which won a division of the Arkansas Derby back in May -- earned $300,000 in prize money ... and Gamine's owner received a $36,000 check after placing 1st in another race earlier that day.

Baffert argued that the banned substance was transferred to the horses by accident ... after an assistant trainer applied a medical patch to his back after breaking his pelvis.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- one of the most diehard Washington NFL fans on Earth -- says he's STOKED the team is changing its name ... calling the old moniker "a dark cloud" over the franchise.

"For me, personally, I’m ready for a new chapter," the NASCAR legend said on his Dale Jr. Download podcast this week.

"I'm ready for this conversation to no longer be part of my experience as a fan of the team, and the debate over this and the frustration over it and how it affects the franchise."

Dale's been ride-or-die with Washington for decades ... he's got all sorts of memorabilia and often publicly comments about the team after wins and losses.

So, when team owner Dan Snyder pulled the plug on the "Redskins" name ... everyone was wondering if Dale approved -- and the 45-year-old said wholeheartedly yes.

"It's a dark cloud over it all the time and it’s not going away," Earnhardt Jr. said of the name. "And, it’s hard to continue to support the franchise when this is part of the conversation."

"So, I'm great to break completely clean and start an entirely new identity and future. I think it will be great for the organization, the people that work in that company, the players that play for that team and anybody that plays for that team in the future. So, I'm good with it."

Dale didn't give any suggestions for a new name ... although he did seem to like the rumored "Red Wolves" option -- saying the fanbase could have fun with that one.

This is NOT good ...

Hundreds of people ignored social distancing guidelines and partied their asses off at Devin White's "Trail Ride" charity event over the weekend ... and video of the scene is alarming.

The Tampa Bay Bucs linebacker -- despite surging COVID-19 cases in Louisiana -- decided to press forward with his 2nd annual "Trail Ride" event in Cotton Valley on Saturday.

The problem? Hundreds -- if not thousands -- of people attended ... and even though White said he'd urge hand-washing, mask-wearing and social distancing, it's clear those precautions weren't followed seriously throughout the evening.

Check out footage from the event ... partygoers can be seen mask-less, dancing amid a sea of people. At one point, you can even see 22-year-old White partying without a mask.

We reached out to Louisiana State Police, as well as the Webster Parish Sheriff's Office, for comment on the event ... but so far no word back yet.

But, reps for both departments had told us last week officers would be at or near the scene of the party to assist in traffic control ... although neither said definitively if they'd help enforce social distancing guidelines.

Meanwhile, the mayor of Cotton Valley, C.C. Cox, told TMZ Sports he was allowing the party to happen because, "That's what he wants to do, he can do it, you know?"

RAW EMOTION FROM HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN!!

It's true, Queen Elizabeth actually *giggled* during a conversation with a military member who moonlights as a member of the Jamaican bobsled team ... and the clip is great!

The monarch was having a video chat with members of the armed services -- including the Royal Army, Navy and Air Force ... when she began to assign questions to Lance Corporal Shanwayne Stephens.

When Her Majesty learned Stephens is the pilot of the bobsled team, she was so impressed, she let out a "Gosh!"

Stephens told her the plan is to compete in the 2022 Olympics -- and of course, the Queen asked how he's staying in shape during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Unorthodox training methods," Stephens said ... "I’ve been pushing a car up and down the street."

THAT'S WHEN THE QUEEN LAUGHED!!!

"Well, I suppose that’s one way to train," she added.

FYI, Stephens later revealed the car he uses during his street training is his fiancee's Mini Cooper.

The Queen also wished the entire group the best of luck and said she enjoyed the conversation.

"We need to play. This state needs it. This country needs it."

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron is making it crystal clear he wants the football season to happen despite the global pandemic ... telling Vice President Mike Pence he's ready to kick things off in the fall.

Coach O spoke out on his stance in a round table conversation with the VP at Tiger Stadium on Tuesday ... saying he believes they can "handle" the coronavirus while going through with the season.

"I don't think we can take this away from our players, take this away from our state and our country," Coach O added.

"We need football. Football is the lifeblood of our country."

Of course, the 2020 season is up in the air due to the pandemic ... and SEC commish Greg Sankey has expressed concern with the status of the season.

While a decision won't be made until later this month ... O made it clear ... his Tigers will be prepared to defend the title.

Houston Texans star Kenny Stills was one of nearly 100 people arrested during a protest in Louisville on Tuesday ... and the WR took his mug shot in a Breonna Taylor shirt.

The 28-year-old NFL player joined 86 others in a massive protest outside the home of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron to seek justice for Taylor.

As part of the demonstration, the group of people -- which included "Real Housewives Of Atlanta" star Porsha Williams -- sat on Cameron's lawn and chanted ... urging him to levy charges against the cops involved in Taylor's tragic death.

A Lousiville Metro Police Dept. spokesperson says officers eventually told the group to leave ... but when they refused, all 87 were put in cuffs and hauled off to jail.

We're told Stills and the others were booked on 3 charges, including felony "intimidating a participant in a legal process."

As you can see in his mug shot, Stills was clearly NOT happy to be at the station ... and his shirt read, "Breonna Taylors Killers Are Still Police."

The LMPD spokesperson added of the incident, "The protestors chose to occupy the front yard of a home owned by the Kentucky Attorney General and continuously chant towards he and his neighbors."

"At his request, they were trespassed from the property. All were given the opportunity to leave, were told that remaining on the property would be unlawful, and chose not to leave."

Stills has consistently been one of the most vocal NFL players over the years when it comes to the search for social justice ... he's taken knees during the national anthem and has even tatted "Black Lives Matter" on his leg.

According to jail records, Stills was still in custody as of Wednesday morning.

HOW COOL IS THIS?!?!

Tyreek Hill says he ain't embarrassed one bit about being put on a poster by a 15-year-old at his camp last weekend ... in fact, he's praising the kid -- and telling TMZ Sports he's hoping for a rematch one day in the NFL!!!

"Shouts out to that kid, man," the Chiefs superstar says. "Keep that same energy. I'm proud of him."

If you missed it ... rising H.S. sophomore Tyreeq-Styles Obichere made the catch of a lifetime against Hill during a rep at the NFL receiver's youth camp in Texas last Saturday.

The play was INSANE ... Tyreeq jumped OVER Tyreek and hauled in the pass with ONE HAND!!!

Hill tells us he was shocked by the rep ... and called it, "Odell Beckham 2.0. It was great."

And, when we told the NFL All-Pro that Obichere is gunning to do it again against him in the NFL in about a decade ... Hill was all for it!!!

"Hopefully I'll still be playing," Hill said, before firing off a warning ... "And if I do, if I do, and if I am still playing, I'll still be the fastest."

Hill says his advice for Obichere going forward is simple, "Don't let one moment define you."

By the way, if you think Tyreek's conifdence is shaken by the play ... it's DEFINITELY not -- he told us, "Look, guess what, on Sunday night, on Sundays and Mondays and Thursdays, I know what I do!"

Pray for whoever is staying under Jimmy Butler's hotel room in the NBA bubble ... 'cause the Miami Heat star got busted by security for making too much noise ... and it was all because of a hardcore workout sesh.

Of course, players and staffers who entered the Orlando bubble are forced to quarantine in their rooms for 48 hours before being allowed to roam the campus ... and Butler decided to use it as an opportunity to hone his ball-handling skills.

The 30-year-old -- who is known to take his practice VERY seriously -- was dribbling throughout his room last week ... which led to someone snitching to security about a loud bumping noise.

According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports, security had to go check on Butler ... who was decked out in practice gear and drenched in sweat when he opened the door.

"He was dribbling a basketball throughout his room the whole time," Haynes said.

Now that the quarantine period is over, Butler can practice the old-fashioned way ... and whoever is staying under him can finally get some rest.