TMZ Sports - Page 50

Damian Lillard says he wasn't surprised ONE BIT when Carmelo Anthony hit a clutch dagger to seal Portland's win over Houston on Tuesday ... because the dude is a Hall of Famer!

36-year-old Melo came up HUGE for the Trail Blazers in the final 3 minutes of the game -- blocking P.J. Tucker's 3-point shot ... and then nailing a THREE of his own with less than a minute left in the game. Melo's shot put Portland up by 5 and sealed the victory. The Blazers won 110 to 102.

After the victory, Lillard praised the hell out of Melo -- and said he's sick of the disrespect surrounding the future HOF'er.

“He’s a Hall of Famer," Lillard said ... "It’s more disappointing that people are surprised by it."

"We expect him to make those shots … no surprises here."

Lillard continued to the media after the game ...

"When we got him, everybody had something to say about him: what he's going to do defensively, he's getting older, he's done, where's he going to fit in."

"I find it real funny and disrespectful how people speak on him. He's a Hall of Famer."

FYI, Melo finished the night with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 2 steals in 36 minutes.

Dana White says the UFC is going back to Fight Island THIS YEAR -- and the destination is so popular with fighters -- Abu Dhabi will soon be the fight capital of the world!!

Yes, the UFC honcho tells TMZ Sports Fight Island was definitely NOT a 1-time thing ... 'cause he's already in the process of booking fights for the UFC's return to Yas Island in "September, October."

"Everybody wants to go there now. Octagon girls all wanna go there, everybody wants to go! We're working on fights right now for the next run," White tells us.

"Obviously, a lot of the big international stars will fight over there and s**t, I mean, this next trip over there, I'll probably end up being there for 5 weeks."

Of course, Dana put Fight Island together in mere months ... and it was the location for massive fights like Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal and Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway.

But, even though it was a smash hit -- there's a ton of work and cost associated with the F.I. cards -- and fans wondered if the UFC would ever go back.

Not only are they returning ... Dana says Fight Island will soon be the number 1 destination for combat sporting events across the world.

"I'm telling you right now, Abu Dhabi is gonna become the fight capital of the world! Place is gonna end up being the fight capital of the world. The stuff that we're doing over there, the infrastructure that's already been built, the stuff that we're talking about doing, this place is gonna be a destination."

The Rock owns the XFL and former L.A. Wildcats head coach Winston Moss has a message for DJ ... GIVE ME A JOB!!!

Moss lost his head coaching gig when the 2nd iteration of the XFL went under -- largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic -- leaving the former NFL player and coach without a job.

Winston -- who played football at University of Miami a few years before Johnson -- thought his time with the XFL was done ... until The Rock swooped in, threw down $15 mil, and rescued the league.

Now, Moss tells TMZ Sports he BADLY wants another crack coaching in the XFL.

"I was excited to hear the news. I've been on pins and needles ever since we were shut down due to COVID-19 and how can you not be excited about The Rock?!" Moss tells us.

"He's an ex-football player, he's a great entertainer, has a passion for whatever he does, has a passion for football, he seems to love the game. Both of us are University of Miami alumni, so c'mon!"

Moss says working with Johnson would be a huge privilege.

"I think he brings so much to the table that I would be honored, I would be thrilled to work with somebody with that stature."

Now, this obviously ain't the XFL's 1st rodeo ... so Moss has some ideas that he believes will make Johnson's league a hit the 3rd time around.

Bruce Lee might be dead, but his spirit is very much alive in this little boy from Japan ... who knows one of the legend's insane nunchuck movie routines like the back of his hand.

Meet Ryusei -- a legitimate Kung Fu prodigy who's obsessed with all things Bruce ... including his famous fight scene from "Enter the Dragon," where he's swinging around the chucks like the master martial artist he was. Turns out, Ryusei wasn't too far behind him .... at age 5!!!

The clip you see here was shot a while ago, but it shows the kid with his back turned to the movie playing in the background. As Bruce starts chuckin', so does Ryusei ... who's completely in sync with the routine, damn near perfectly. It's pretty wild to see it play out.

Since then, the kid only appears to have gotten better at his craft -- he's got an IG page ... at age 9 now, he looks like he could be just good as Bruce was in his prime. He may be better by that age, in fact ... Ryusei is already sparring with fully-grown adults and holding his own.

His high-level ability -- and the natural comparisons to Bruce -- is definitely something his parents play up. It looks like they post a ton of side-by-side shots of Ryusei with the late legend, and they even went out to Bruce's gravesite in Seattle to pose for a photo-op.

The Navy SEALs will no longer support the National Navy SEALs Museum in Florida ... this, after the organization used a man in a Colin Kaepernick jersey as a target for a dog training demonstration.

The videos went viral over the weekend ... showing the man in pads and a Kap 49ers jersey being attacked by 4 trained dogs during a fundraiser for the museum nearly 2 years ago.

A second vid shows the man in the Kap jersey saying, "Oh, man, I will stand," after being bit ... as a joke to the QB's national anthem demonstration.

While the museum is not operated by the military, the Navy quickly launched an investigation into the video ... saying "The inherent message of this video is completely inconsistent with the values and ethos of Naval Special Warfare and the U.S. Navy."

Now, the AP is reporting SEALs commander Rear Admiral Collin Green addressed the topic in an email to his forces ... denouncing the videos and temporarily cutting ties with the org.

“Each and every one of us serves to protect our fellow Americans - ALL Americans," the email said. "Even the perception that our commitment to serving the men and women of this nation is applied unevenly is destructive."

Green added ... "We will revisit our relationship with the Museum when I am convinced that they have made the necessary changes to ensure this type of behavior does not happen again."

"We may not have contributed to the misperception in this case, but we suffer from it and will not allow it to continue."

As if 2020 couldn't get any weirder ... the Minnesota Twins vs. Pittsburgh Pirates game was paused Tuesday afternoon -- and it's all 'cause a drone flew over the field.

The scene was wild ... in the middle of the fifth inning, umpires pulled players off the diamond when they noticed a flying object cruising high above Target Field in Minneapolis.

The drone hovered over the ballpark for several minutes -- causing a lengthy delay in the game.

Of course, drone flying over ballparks during play is illegal even without fans in attendance -- the FAA still prohibits it -- and MLB was obviously worried about player safety.

No one was hurt, however ... and the unmanned aircraft eventually left the scene and play resumed.

There were no NFL players involved in the fatal shooting at a raging house party in a swanky Los Angeles mansion, contrary to reports ... at least according to cops.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... they believe the Mulholland Drive mansion party that ended when shots rang out was a gang-related bash for the 8-Tray Gangster Crips, and they say they don't have any evidence to support an NFL player being there.

The fatal shootout went down early Tuesday morning, ending the wild party and sending three people to the hospital, one of whom is now dead. The other two gunshot victims are in critical condition.

While a man who claimed to be the head of security told CBS L.A. the party was in celebration of a player recently getting drafted by an NFL team, our law enforcement sources say cops believe the NFL player scenario was a cover story if any trouble happened. It's maybe not the brightest excuse -- the NFL Draft was held in April and rookies are already in training camps.

Video shows the moment gunshots ring out on the property, which was crawling with hundreds of people, many of whom were dropped off in buses. The driveway was also packed with luxury cars.

Our sources say the party had cake, balloons, decorations and loads of Crips ... but to their knowledge, no NFL players.

Kristin Cavallari's reunited with Stephen Colletti, her ex-boyfriend from their "Laguna Beach" days, but frenzied fans hoping they're getting back together should know ... there's nothing romantic going on.

Kristin immediately sparked the rumor Tuesday when she shared a photo hugging on Stephen and captioned it, "2004 or 2020?!" For those who don't know ... the 2 were the hot high school couple on the popular MTV reality show, which aired from '04 to '06.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... there's no rekindling of their old relationship -- they've simply remained good friends since their split many years ago.

We're told Kristin was down in Laguna to visit Stephen and Alex Murrel, another star of 'LB: The Real Orange County' ... and that's all there is to it.

This isn't the first time fans of the former flings have gotten their hopes up of a renewed romance. A couple years ago, Kristin -- who went on to star on "The Hills" and her own series, "Very Cavallari" -- shared a video in which she name-dropped him ... and he commented back.

Of course, at that time Kristin was very married to NFL QB Jay Cutler. Now, Kristin and Jay are going through a divorce, so ... let the rain fall down?

Michael Jordan's Air Jordan 1's gave birth to sneaker culture in 1985 ... and now 1 of the first pairs MJ rocked during his rookie year with the Bulls are for sale!!

... And, if ya got around 600 grand, they could be yours.

The game-worn, autographed pair of red, white and black AJ 1's -- donned by Michael during the '84-'85 NBA season -- already has a $122k bid on Goldin Auctions website ... with over 18 days left in the auction.

The already incredibly high value of Jordan memorabilia has skyrocketed since ESPN's "The Last Dance" docuseries aired. In fact, a similar pair of AJ1's recently sold for $560k.

But, there's something special about GA's pair ... 'cause Jordan actually signed the sneakers on-camera during a television interview with a local L.A. sports reporter 7 years after he donned them in an NBA game.

The reporter -- Rick Lozano -- was previously gifted the Jordan's (left shoe size 13.5, right 13) by Michael's former teammate, Bulls player Gene Banks.

36 years ago, Jordan had a spectacular rookie year -- averaging 28 ppg, 6.5 rebounds, 6 assists while easily winning Rookie of the Year -- and now you can own the kicks that started a sneaker revolution.

The auction runs through August 22 ... and we're told the final number could be over $600k!!

MLB star Yadier Molina says he's one of several St. Louis Cardinals dealing with coronavirus ... announcing Tuesday he tested positive even after following all the proper protocols.

The 38-year-old -- who some expect to be a lock for baseball's Hall of Fame -- said in a statement in Spanish on social media he's disappointed to have contracted the virus.

But, the catcher added he's doing everything possible to return to the team ASAP.

"As I recover," Yadi said, "I request that my privacy and that of my family be respected during my absence from the team."

The Cards said in a statement in addition to Yadi ... infielders Paul DeJong, Edmundo Sosa, and Rangel Ravelo, and pitchers Junior Fernández and Kodi Whitley have also agreed to publicly come forward with their positive diagnosis.

As we previously reported, the Cardinals are currently dealing with at least 13 cases of coronavirus on their team ... with GM John Mozeliak saying some have experienced symptoms like "headaches, coughs, sniffles, and low-grade fevers."

The Cards have had several games postponed due to the outbreak ... with their series against the Detroit Tigers this week already being moved.

Derek Brunson says Edmen Shahbazyan's corner absolutely made the correct decision NOT stopping their fight ... even though their fighter was bloodied and beaten.

36-year-old Brunson handed 22-year-old Shahbazyan the first L of his career at UFC Fight Night in Vegas last Saturday via a 3rd-round TKO.

But, many people believe Edmen -- who ate a flurry of heavy punches to end the 2nd-round -- shouldn't have been allowed by his corner, the ref, or the cage side doctor to come out for the 3rd round.

After the fight, even Dana White criticized the doctor for taking too long to make a decision between rounds ... and said the fight "could have been stopped."

There is at least 1 guy who thinks everyone involved made the right decision ... and that's Derek Brunson, who tells TMZ Sports Shahbazyan was still very much in the fight.

"I mean, of course, they have to [let Edmen continue]. They could of thought it was 1 to 1 [on the scorecards]."

Brunson continued ... "I thought I won both rounds but still, it was relatively close so you can't stop a fight there yet. It's one of those things in sports, you gotta suck it up at that point, ya know?"

Ref Herb Dean eventually stopped the fight only 26 seconds into the 3rd round ... giving DB his 3rd straight victory.

So, who does Brunson -- who was the 8th ranked UFC middleweight BEFORE his big win of ES -- want next?

"The best fight for me next is probably Jack Hermansson. Very tough guy, he's riding a hot streak. I seen him trying to pick fights with Darren Till, but that's not the fight. Me vs. Hermansson, that's the fight to make. I need to crack that top 5."

32-year-old Hermansson is coming off a super impressive 1st-round win over Kelvin Gastelum.

And after Hermansson? Brunson has his eyes on Israel Adesanya ... and he says this time will be very different than when they scrapped in 2018.

The San Francisco 49ers will have a super soldier on their roster this season -- 'cause tight end George Kittle just got a HUGE tat of legendary video game character Master Chief!!

The 26-year-old is an avid gamer when he's not catching TDs ... and one of his all-time favorites is the mega-successful "Halo" video game series.

So, Kittle decided to put his love for the game on permanent display -- getting Halo's lead character yatted on his right forearm ... and the finished product is AWESOME!!

Kittle -- sporting a COVID mask for safety! -- hit up Neon Dragon tattoo studio in Iowa ... and got the work done just in time for the season.

"If you ever doubted my love of 🎮 and @Halo you won't do so now," Kittle said.

"I've got Master Chief with me always."

Legendary college football coach Gary Patterson is apologizing for using the n-word ... saying Tuesday his use of the slur was "unacceptable."

TCU's head coach didn't elaborate on when and why he muttered the word ... only adding, "I have always encouraged our players to do better and be better and I must live by the same standards."

Gary was accused on Monday of saying the word during a dispute with a Horned Frogs linebacker at a team workout this past Sunday.

In the accusation, redshirt freshman Dylan Jordan claims he was quarreling with Patterson during practice, when the coach told him, "You're a f**king brat I'll send you back to pitt," referring to DJ's hometown of Pittsburgh, Kansas.

"I said, 'for what I ain't did nothin'," Jordan said. "He followed with 'you've been saying n***as in the meeting room.'"

Jordan said he and other TCU players refused to show up to practice on Monday over the coach's use of the word ... adding, "[Patterson] came to the locker room & said 'I wasn't calling him a n*****."

Jordan continued, "This behavior is not okay now or ever and there needs to be repercussions to these actions."

Another TCU player, senior tight end Artayvious Lynn, said Patterson did, in fact, say the slur ... but added Patterson never directed it at Jordan or anyone else.

"'You n***** or n***a' was never stated to anyone or never said," Lynn said. "Coach P was trying to get Dylan to stop saying the word period."

Patterson said in his statement Tuesday, "I met with our Seniors and Leadership Council last night about how we move forward as team, together."