TMZ Sports - Page 50

Imagine seeing the massive fist of a 7-foot-1-inch giant coming at your face ... then imagine having the cojones to throw a punch right back!!

Kobe Bryant gave a blow-by-blow of his very first physical altercation with Shaq on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Thursday night ... revealing the Big Aristotle was the first to throw hands.

Black Mamba says the 2 Laker legends duked it out after trash talking throughout a scrimmage during the 1998 NBA lockout.

"I must've been the craziest 19-year-old in the world to fight this guy ... at that point, you just gotta say look man, you're either gonna beat the hell outta me, but you're gonna know that I'm not gonna back down."

You think the Kardashians would suit up and play softball against normies? Hell no -- the team they faced was Tito Jackson's family!!!!

That's right ... Kim, Kourtney, Kris and the rest of the Calabasas Peaches faced off against "Tito's Team" -- led by team captain Tito Jackson, his sons T.J., Taryll and Taj and the rest of their families.

The best part ... Tito ditched the traditional baseball cap for a bowler hat because #fashion.

So, who won the big game? Our sources tell us the Jackson family emerged victorious ... shocking for a couple of reasons. First, it's the Kardashians' show, and also because the Kardashians reached out to 14-time MLB All-Star Alex Rodriguez for coaching help!

Some good news, bad news for the Kardashian family -- they got Alex Rodriguez to coach their family softball game ... problem is, A-Rod tells us he SUCKS at softball!

J Lo's boyfriend showed up at the field Thursday and suited up for Team Kardashian -- aptly named the Calabasas Peaches -- featuring Kim, Kourtney, Khloe, Kris, Kendall and some other friends including Jonathan Cheban.

They were up against a team in red while cameras rolled for their show. We know Kendall and Kourtney got some practice swings in earlier this week ... we'll have to wait and see if it paid off.

Alex hit up Craig's in West Hollywood after the action where he admitted he's terrible at softball -- but says the game went well.

OKC Thunder star Steven Adams knocked his teammate OUT COLD in a game last night ... but they weren't fighting -- Adams was literally standing still!

The bizarre play went down at the Chesapeake Energy Arena ... when Thunder rookie Terrance Ferguson tried to stay with his man on D.

Unfortunately, standing in his way was 7 feet, 255 pounds of chiseled Jason Momoa-looking muscle (Adams) ... and Ferguson's svelte 6'7'', 184-pound frame couldn't handle the business.

The 2 collided heads -- and DOWN WENT FERGY. Adams was totally fine, BTW.

Steven, being the good dude that he is, quickly got the rook some medical attention ... and it looks like Terrance is gonna be OK outside of a possible concussion.

The Kansas City Royals held a seminar to educate players about the dangers of watching pornography -- and XXX legend Lisa Ann has a SERIOUS problem with it.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore first spoke out against porn last year -- saying it's connected to domestic abuse -- and brought in an org called "Fight the New Drug" to "educate" young players.

But, Lisa Ann -- who's starred in classics like "Who's Nailin' Paylin?" and "Doctor MILF" -- says the workshop is completely misguided and wrong.

O.J. Simpson was still married when he first laid eyes on Nicole Brown Simpson, but that didn't stop him from pursuing her and asking her out.

TMZ has obtained an exclusive clip from O.J.'s upcoming two hour sit-down on FOX where he says he met Nicole while she was working at a restaurant called The Daisy.

The Juice didn't get her digits the first time but, as they say, second time's the charm, and plus he had some help.

O.J. says he had to explain to Nicole he was still technically a married man, although it sounds like he was already separated from first wife, Marguerite Whitley. Their marriage ended in 1979.

The special "O.J. Simpson: The Lost Confession?" airs this Sunday at 8 PM.

TMZ Sports has obtained the harrowing 911 call Christian McCaffrey made to help save a stranger's life ... and it details how serious the accident was.

Christian, a friend, and his brother, Max -- a 49ers WR -- were hiking at Castle Rock, Colorado on March 3 when they spotted a 72-year-old man fall off a cliff ... landing on a rock 12 feet below.

McCaffrey sprang into action ... personally calling 911 and pleading for help to arrive ASAP.

The situation was clearly dire with CM telling the operator, "He's breathing barely."

While they waited for help, Christian can be heard telling people at the scene ... "Everybody say a prayer."

A former NFL player -- who's openly gay -- has been in contact with the NFL to educate coaches and staff to combat homophobia in the wake of a same-sex interrogation at the NFL Combine.

You may have heard ... NFL prospect Derrius Guice says a rep from an NFL team asked him if he "likes men" in order to test his reaction to an uncomfortable question.

The incident has drawn sharp criticism from the NFL, gay rights advocates and others who say the question is not only inappropriate, but downright homophobic and offensive.

One of those critics is Wade Davis -- who had stints with the Seahawks, Titans and Redskins. He came out about his sexuality after his NFL career.

Davis is now the Director of Professional Sports Outreach for the You Can Play Project -- an organization committed to ridding homophobia in pro sports ... and he tells TMZ Sports he's already working with the league to curb future incidents.

"I have been in contact with the NFL and I’ll be running a training/clinic in the off-season for coaches and staff to address this issue."

Davis says he wants NFL coaches and staffers to make a real effort to make NFL team offices and locker rooms more inclusive for gay players.

He also wants to focus on explaining why questioning player sexuality at the NFL Combine is so problematic and inappropriate.

"[I want them to] understand the physical, emotional and spiritual cost to creating a hostile environment for gay male athletes."

Welp, that didn't take long -- Conor McGregor just fired back at 50 Cent for claiming black people have "superior genes" ... saying the rap star should pull out his old-man boobs to celebrate women's day.

"Get your tits out for the lads, ladies," McGregor said in a social media rant ... which he attached to a picture of a shirtless 50.

"I am made of granite. You need a bra."

Conor also told 50 to "f**k off" ... 'cause he's a 50-year-old fool (he's actually 42) who needs to stay in his lane.

Surprisingly, Conor also worked in a semi-compliment with his shots -- saying they still bump his old hits in Ireland ... and claiming he rocked out to one before UFC 205.

Since every NFL team is afraid to put him on a roster, Colin Kaepernick used his spare time to take in a movie -- as a VIP guest at a NYC screening of "A Wrinkle in Time."

Kaep -- rockin' his trademark fro and black leather jacket -- and his girlfriend, Nessa, showed up to the Walter Reade Theater for the special Oprah Magazine screening of the flick, which stars Oprah.

The QB chopped it up with Gayle King on the red carpet -- and seemed to be all smiles.

Turns out, Kaep was invited by 'Wrinkle' director Ava DuVernay -- and thanked her with a special Twitter message after the flick.

Don't mock the Timberwolves for signing Derrick Rose -- because the dude still has potential to be a championship caliber player ... so says Roy Hibbert.

Minnesota just locked up the 29-year-old former MVP for the rest of the season, leaving many wondering if they're wasting money and a roster spot considering his failed run with the Cavs.

But not Hibbert (a 2-time All-Star), who tells TMZ Sports he seriously thinks Rose can help elevate the T-Wolves to become a championship team.

"He's talented, very talented," Hibbert says.

New disturbing details in the Jonathan Martin case ... we've learned he was arrested with a cache of weapons including a loaded shotgun, knife and an ax -- and had been threatening classmates for years.

TMZ Sports has obtained court documents filed after Martin was taken into custody on Feb. 23 after posting a cryptic photo on Instagram threatening old high school classmates and former NFL teammates.

Officials say they found Martin after getting a call about a "suicidal male with a gun" at a hospital in Glendale, CA.

He was placed on a 72-hour psychiatric hold because officials believed he was a possible danger to himself and others.

They searched his car and found a loaded 12-gauge shotgun, a large knife, an ax and a cell phone. A second shotgun was found at his parents' home.

Officials spoke with Martin's girlfriend who said he'd been angry and depressed since she met him, but over the past month started making suicidal statements.

The GF says Martin had also been "writing on the walls" of his home.

Investigators spoke with the two former high school classmates Martin tagged in his cryptic IG post who said Martin had been sending them disturbing Facebook messages starting in 2016.

One message said, "Thank you for being such an asshole to me when I was a kid and didn't fit in ... being dicks to me when I was a kid has made me, quite literally, insane."

"And I blame you above all. You'll get yours, eventually -- I have already paid my price for being a bad person. I wish you nothing but the worst. Best, Jonathan Martin."

He sent a second message to the same classmate that said, "You're a bad person. You irreparably damaged people's lives. And you will be exposed publicly. If there is anything else I accomplish in life, it will be making sure you are outed and shamed for who you are."

Martin followed up with a 3rd message that had similar language.

The classmate says Martin apologized in August 2016 and it sounded like everything was cool. Clearly, it was not.

Aly Raisman is steppin' up for causes that hit close to home on women's day -- and she's lookin' damn good doin' it.

The Team USA star -- who took Larry Nassar to task at his sexual assault trial -- just debuted a "survivor" swimsuit by Aerie ... a women's clothing brand dedicated to body positivity.

But Aly says the super-scoop 1-piece was designed with an even greater purpose in mind -- to raise awareness for all the kids victimized by sexual abuse ... just like her and the hundreds of gymnasts who Nassar targeted.

100% of the cash spent on the suits is going to Darkness to Light ... an organization "empowering adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child's sexual abuse."

FYI, Raisman sued the U.S. Olympic Committee last week over the "serial molestation, sexual abuse and harassment" she suffered at the hands of Nassar ... and she's been actively campaigning to make sure an atrocity like the Nassar scandal never happens again.

Respect.

O.J. Simpson's sociopathic personality came out in full bloom during his interview for the upcoming FOX special as he described how he just kinda calmly tapped Nicole Brown Simpson's car with a baseball bat.

It's pretty incredible ... during Simpson's interview with Judith Regan, he describes a 1985 incident that was discussed during the 1995 murder trial, where Simpson took a bat to Nicole's car and smashed her windshield. Police were called, and as Nicole cried hysterically, the cop asked if she was Ok and O.J. jumped in, "She's my wife. She's Ok ... I broke the windshield. It's mine. There's no trouble here."

Watch the video. Simpson makes it sound like he was just calmly fiddling with the bat when it accidentally touched the rim of her car, and when Nicole protested, he hit "the front" of the car and said the ride was his 'cause he paid for it.

Simpson doesn't give a hint of the rage he was feeling as he exploded with the bat on her windshield. And just like the car, it's pretty clear from the trial he also felt he owned Nicole.

BTW ... the cop who responded to the incident ... Mark Fuhrman.

Ex-NBA star Steve Francis says he's sick of people claiming he was on crack -- saying he's NEVER done that drug in his life ... but admits he battled alcohol abuse.

Francis opened up in The Players' Tribune in an article in which he details his tough journey to the NBA -- and the struggles he's had after his playing career ended.

"I had some dark days, no question," Francis admits ... "And I know people were asking, 'What the hell happened to Steve Francis?' But the hardest part was reading some bulls**t on the Internet saying that I was on crack."

"When I thought about my grandmother reading that, or my kids reading that … that broke my heart. Listen, I sold crack when I was growing up. I’ll own up to that. But never in my life did I ever do crack."

So, what happened to Steve after his NBA glory days?

"I was drinking heavily, is what happened. And that can be just as bad. In the span of a few years I lost basketball, I lost my whole identity, and I lost my stepfather, who committed suicide."

The dark days Francis is referring to likely includes March 2015 -- when an out-of-it Francis had a chain snatched off his neck at a Houston rap show.

He was also arrested for drunk driving in 2016 -- and during the incident, he cussed out police calling them "groupie motherf**kers."

He also yelled at the cops for checking out his gold chain and screamed, "Now you playing with fire, homie."

What would it take to get Tom Brady to shave his glorious hair? How about $7.5 MILLION for cancer research!?

That's how it went down in Massachusetts on Thursday -- where the QB took an electric razor to the dome at an event benefiting the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute ... this according to a rep for the Patriots.

Brady teamed up with Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker for the event -- and yeah, Baker shaved his head, too!