TMZ Sports - Page 50

Meek Mill enjoyed his first post-prison meal after the Philadelphia 76ers' big Game 5 win over the Miami Heat this week -- and it was a full VIP experience.

Sources tell TMZ that Meek celebrated with a group of 76ers -- including co-owner Michael Rubin and star player Joel Embiid -- and chowed down at Philly's high-end restaurant, Buddakan, where we're told Meek ordered the fish.

Interesting choice ... especially since sources present tell us there were lots of options -- from aged beef to peking duck and, of course, lo mein. Sounds like Meek just wanted some tuna, cod or bass ... we're not sure which dish he got ... but the fishy entrees all run from $29 to $37.

As we've reported ... Meek probably hasn't eaten this well since at least November, when his institution served him and the other inmates a proper Thanksgiving meal, including turkey, mashed potatoes and the like.

The great Lithuania experiment is over ... because LaVar Ball is pulling his 2 sons off BC Vytautas after just 3 months.

LaVar told Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas he's bringing both LiAngelo Ball and LaMelo Ball back to Los Angeles.

The move comes after Vyautas announced the Ball bros would not be playing in Wednesday's game.

LiAngelo is currently nursing an ankle injury. LaMelo has been dealing with a back issue.

According to Urbonas, LaVar said his beef is with the coach ... and not Lithuania, the Lithuanian people, or the organization.

"We're not going to waste our time no more," Ball reportedly said ... "Coach ruined everything and he’ll have to pay the price that Melo is not coming back.”

LiAngelo has already declared for the NBA Draft -- but what happens if he doesn't get selected? He could always join LaVar's new semi-pro league.

And what about LaMelo? He could join, too.

Seems Robert Kraft's bromance with Donald Trump is over ... because the Patriots owner reportedly slammed the President during an October meeting with NFL owners, players and league execs.

It all went down at NFL headquarters ... where NFL commish Roger Goodell called the group together to discuss how to handle the fallout from Colin Kaepernick's kneeling demonstration.

After Eagles defensive end Chris Long told the owners Kaep "should be on a roster," Kraft stood up to address the "elephant in the room ... this kneeling."

"The problem we have is, we have a president who will use that as fodder to do his mission that I don’t feel is in the best interests of America," Kraft said according to the NY Times.

"It’s divisive and it’s horrible.”

Surprising words considering Kraft and Trump have been close pals for years.

Dressed up in a suit and tie, ex-NFL player Jonathan Martin appeared in an L.A. courtroom Wednesday to face the judge in his weapons case ... where he allegedly threatened to shoot multiple people.

Martin had been charged with 4 counts of making criminal threats and 1 count of possessing a loaded firearm after posting a cryptic message aimed at former NFL teammates and high school classmates.

The message showed a picture of a gun and bullets and said, "When you're a bully victim & a coward your options are suicide, or revenge."

Cops tracked down Martin hours after the post -- who was allegedly carrying a loaded gun, knife and ax -- and took him into custody. He was then placed into a mental health facility for evaluation.

A judge had previously approved Martin to leave the facility -- but ordered him to wear a GPS device and alcohol monitoring anklet.

Another member of the Philadelphia Eagles' 2017 Super Bowl team says he's not planning on going to Trump's White House with the team ... this time it's linebacker Dannell Ellerbe.

"Me personally, I wouldn't go," Ellerbe says ... noting, "I've already been before."

Ellerbe -- who's now a free agent -- is referring to the Super Bowl ring he won as a member of the 2012 Baltimore Ravens team. That squad visited then-President Barack Obama.

But, several Eagles players have stated they're not feeling the current President and will not attend the ceremony at 1600 Penn ... including Torrey Smith, Chris Long and Malcolm Jenkins.

Plus, it recently came out that Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie had made some anti-Trump comments -- calling his presidency, "disastrous."

Wayne Gretzky REALLY IS the great one ... he just bought back the famous SoCal mansion he once sold to Lenny Dykstra for MILLIONS less than he sold it for!!!!

Gretzky had sold the palatial 6.5-acre estate in Thousand Oaks, CA to Dykstra for $18.5 million back in 2007 -- back when Lenny was still being hailed as a financial guru.

Dykstra was later exposed as a fraud and his kingdom fell apart -- and the bank eventually foreclosed on the property. Dykstra famously trashed the home he left for good.

The home recently went up for sale ... and Gretzky swooped in and picked it up for $13.5 MILLION, according to the L.A. Times.

AMAZING, RIGHT!?

In case you're wondering, the place is BALLER AS HELL ... 12,000 square feet of living space, 6 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, a gym, movie theater, tennis court and TWO guest homes.

Lewis Hamilton is still considering making the jump from Formula One to NASCAR ... telling TMZ Sports he ain't ruling it out.

The 4-time F1 World Champ first expressed interest in NASCAR back in 2015 ... saying he'd like to take a stab at the Daytona 500.

That hasn't happened yet -- but when we saw Hamilton at LAX on Tuesday, he told us he isn't shutting the door on NASCAR.

"Maybe ... maybe one day," Hamilton said.

It was an arms race in Vegas ... with Ronda Rousey and Mark Wahlberg flexin' all over the 2018 CinemaCon ... and left everyone in the crowd feeling weak as hell!

The two were pushing their new movie, "Mile 22," during the event at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace ... the flick in which Mark plays a jacked CIA operative.

Remember, Ronda was shooting scenes for the movie in Colombia a while back -- when she snuck back to the U.S. for the Royal Rumble ... where she announced her WWE contract.

"So fun getting the gang back together again," Ronda posted after the event.

Now, it's back to wrestling ... where Ronda will most likely clash with, and then murder, Mickie James.

Saquon Barkley canceled a bunch of media appearances on Tuesday and now we know why ... HE JUST HAD A BABY!!!

The former Penn State running back revealed his girlfriend, Anna Congdon, gave birth to a bouncing baby girl on April 24 -- Jada Clare Barkley.

"Words can’t even describe how I feel right now," the 21-year-old said on Instagram.

"You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Thank God for blessing me with you in my life and into my arms. I pray that I can be the best father to you and help you grow into an amazing woman. I love you so so so much."

It's a huge week for the Barkley family ... Saquon is expected to be selected in the 1st round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night.

Congrats!!

Did you know ... the Villanova basketball team was SUPPOSED to ring the bell at the 76ers game Tuesday night until they got bumped for Meek Mill?

It's true ... but they seemed VERY cool with the change of plans and kicked it with the freed rapper in the moments before tip off.

The Nova players -- who won the NCAA National Championship this year -- were stoked to see Meek ... and huddled together for a photo right before Meek went out and rang the bell.

Meek Mill just walked on the court at the Wells Fargo Center -- wearing a Joel Embiid jersey -- and the crowd lost their minds!!!

Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin personally escorted the rapper from prison to the arena to be the guest of honor for Game 5 against the Miami Heat ... and he even got to ring the bell before tip-off.

As we expected ... Sixers fans -- including Kevin Hart by his side -- erupted in cheers for several moments for their hometown guy, who many felt was wrongly locked up for the past 5 months.

Before the game, the players took the floor to Meek's "Ima Boss" as he glad-handed fans and supporters courtside. He also got in a post-prison shower in the team locker room.

Congressional Republicans came together this week to play some baseball -- the team's first reunion since a shooting last year that almost left Rep. Steve Scalise dead.

The GOP held its first Congressional Baseball Game practice Tuesday at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in Alexandria, VA, where different members made some opening remarks at a podium ... including lobbyist Matt Mika, who was shot multiple times last summer by James Hodgkinson.

Mika thanked one of the paramedics on the scene who helped save his life, which was followed by a round of applause. We also ran into Senator Jeff Flake, who was reportedly at bat when Hodgkinson opened fire during an early morning practice.

Tekashi69's manager is under criminal investigation for two shootings that went down the day of Adrien Broner's fight ... and the moments leading up to the incident were caught on tape.

Law enforcement sources tell us 6ix9ine's manager, Tr3yway, is a person of interest in two separate gun-related incidents over the weekend -- one that occurred during the Broner fight, and another that went down just hours earlier on the streets of Brooklyn.

We're told police believe Tr3yway might be the person who fired a shot inside the Barclays Center after a fight broke out with Casanova's crew, based on surveillance video. They also think he might've been the guy who fired two shots 4 hours beforehand, when he was allegedly captured on video shooting at a car following Tekashi's SUV.

Cops tell us the suspect in the footage from both incidents resembles Tr3yway -- who'd been hanging out with 6ix9ine and Foodgod, Jonathan Cheban, over the weekend ... who was filming his new show.

In the footage from outside the arena, obtained by TMZ, you see what eyewitnesses tell us is Tekashi's SUV presumably heading to Barclays. It stops suddenly, and a guy we're told is Tr3yway hops out and runs in the opposite direction ... at which point he allegedly fired.

Sources say Tekashi got out in the vid, as well, but you can't make out his face -- or hair -- 'cause he's got a hoodie on. Criminal charges have yet to be brought against Tr3yway. Still ... considering Tekashi's crew has been linked to a THIRD shooting this week ... they might wanna lay low.

We already told you Gennady Golovkin's camp was targeting a rematch with Canelo Alvarez for September ... and now Oscar De La Hoya has confirmed that's the plan.

The Golden Boy touched down in NYC where we asked all about his #1 fighter and the alleged tainted Mexican beef that led to a positive PED test, ruining plans for a May 5 rematch with GGG.

"Canelo is getting really the short end of the stick here because obviously he's a popular fighter and a lot of people are gonna hate on him," Oscar says.

"But he's been one of the cleanest fighters I've known. He's passed numerous of tests, and you know ... it was very unfortunate."

Oscar is adamant Canelo is NOT a cheater ... and says there's proof Mexican beef has screwed all sorts of pro athletes in the past.

We also asked Oscar how he felt about GGG's new Jordan Brand ad that mocked Canelo's meat excuse ... and clearly, De La Hoya wasn't laughing!

He made it ... Meek Mill has finally arrived at Wells Fargo Center in Philly in time for the 76ers playoff game -- but first things first, dude needs a shower.

Meek arrived with 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin -- who flew Meek from the prison to the arena on his private helicopter.

Once he landed, Meek and his crew got in a waiting SUV and booked it for the arena.

Meek will hit the showers -- let's face it, gotta wash that prison stench off his body -- and then he'll get his hero's welcome before the 76ers take on the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the playoffs.

"I feel great," Meek said.

Enjoy it!

Meek Mill is out of prison ... and in a helicopter heading for the Philadelphia 76ers playoff game!!!

Sources tell us the chopper belongs to 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin, Meek's close friend who promised to personally pick him up.

Meek has about an hour to get to the arena if he wants to make it for tip off ... and with this kind of air transportation, he'll probably make it!!

Jay-Z just spoke on Meek's release saying, "Today, Meek Mill, a son of Philadelphia, is a free man. He was incarcerated unjustly and caught in a probation trap for years by a broken system. Now we can celebrate his release. We thank every individual that has supported and fought alongside Meek every step of the way."

A statement from Roc Nation adds, "We are pleased with the Supreme Court’s decision to grant Meek Mill bail and allow him to return home to his loved ones."

It continues, "We are grateful for all the support that Meek has received from his fans and public advocates over the past five months and look forward to working alongside Meek to fight for criminal justice reform.”

The prison is about 12 miles from the arena -- where the 76ers will take on the Miami Heat in Game 5 of their NBA playoff series.

The 76ers are up 3 games to 1 and have a chance to close out the series tonight!!!