TMZ Sports - Page 50

The sports world is freaking out over Meek Mill's release from prison ... with some of the biggest athletes showing support for the rap superstar.

Philadelphia Eagles star Jay Ajayi kicked off the celebration by tweeting "MEEK FREE!!!!! Philly Lit"

Torrey Smith praised Sixers owner Michael Rubin for his contribution and "for simply being a good friend and lending his platform to help others," and adding "Thousands of people are treated unfairly daily by the criminal justice system. I can’t wait to see @MeekMill help lead the way for others that don’t have a voice. Welcome home!"

Karl-Anthony Towns -- who showed support for the rapper with a customized jersey at the Super Bowl this year -- voiced his approval, saying "Welcome home @MeekMill"

Ex-NFLer Freddie Mitchell added "Free at last, Free at last, Thank God almighty we are free at last. Letttttss Goooo" ... and Super Bowl champ Jalen Mills added "MEEK MILL HOLLA AT ME BRO.... That MAN FREE"

L.A. Lakers star Kyle Kuzma had a different take, saying "It took meek mill 5 months to get out of jail but this guy from the Waffle House shooting can potentially be out by next week on BAIL. #OnlyInAmerica"

Jim Brown wants Cleveland to take a RUNNING BACK with the 1st overall pick in the NFL Draft ... and he's crossing his fingers for Saquon Barkley.

The Hall of Famer was out in D.C. on Tuesday -- just days before he flies out to Texas to announce the 2nd round pick for his former team.

So, with the 1st round kicking off on Thursday night ... we had to ask for Brown's wish list.

"I think Mr. Barkley would be a wonderful addition to the Cleveland Browns," Brown tells TMZ Sports ... "I would hope that they pick him number one."

Brown says he doesn't have any inside information on Cleveland's draft plans -- but adds, "I really like him."

As for the unsolvable puzzle in Cleveland ... quarterback ... Jim says there are 4 solid guys, but he doesn't have a clear-cut favorite.

More money problems for Plaxico Burress ... the ex-NFL star's mansion is in foreclosure after he allegedly fell behind on the mortgage, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to court docs filed in New Jersey ... Burress and his wife Tiffany stopped forking over mortgage checks on their 5,500 square foot pad back in July 2017 and the bank is looking to collect.

Property records show Burress and his wife bought the home back in 2005 for $1.5 million.

Now, the bank is demanding Plaxico and his wife pay the full balance on the home -- around $700k -- or they'll seize the property.

Interesting considering Plaxico reportedly made more than $29 MILLION during his NFL career.

Just a few years ago, Plaxico got into some trouble with NJ tax officials after he fell behind to the tune of $48k. He eventually paid that money back and avoided prison time.

11:48 AM PT -- Matt Barnes has weighed in on the engagement ... saying he's happy for EVERYONE involved!

"I have two beautiful boys from my ex we are both focussing on co-parenting & providing the best atmosphere & childhood for them," Barnes said ... "They love him, so I love it."

"Despite not seeing eye to eye initially w Derek he & I are on the same page & communicate weekly about Isaiah and Carter."

"With that being said congrats on the engagement!"

Good news for Derek Fisher ... the ex-NBA star popped the question to his girlfriend, Gloria Govan -- AND SHE SAID, "YES!"

We've learned ... 43-year-old Fisher got down on one knee during a small shindig at their Los Angeles-area home on April 7, surrounded by their kids and Gloria's nephew.

Derek had some of Gloria's friends take her out during the day so he could decorate the house while she was gone ... candles, flower petals ... it was romantic!

And yeah ... the ring's pretty big. We got a photo and you can see the diamond is the size of her knuckle!

Derek and Gloria have been dating since 2015. Both were previously married but have since divorced their significant others.

Of course, Gloria was married to Matt Barnes -- which caused some legendary drama between Derek and his ex-Lakers teammate. But Barnes recently said the beef is over and the two are now cool.

No word on when the two plan on officially tying the knot -- it's still early though.

Josh Rosen says he's been the target of A LOT of anti-Jewish trash talk on the field -- with some opposing players telling him, "Stay the f*ck down, you Jewish bastard."

The former UCLA quarterback opened up about the anti-Semitism in football to NFL.com's Michael Silver ... saying when it comes to trash talk, "I get a lot of Jewish things."

"My nose, particularly. I get, like, 'Stay the f*ck down, you Jewish bastard … I'm gonna break your f*cking nose, you Jew.'"

Rosen says he's unfazed by the insults -- explaining, "I really like when people try to get in my head."

"I like away games more than home games. I like silencing crowds; that's a big thing. One of my best games was at Arizona my freshman year. It was College GameDay and they had a ton of banners; they had my face on the queen from 'Frozen'. They had, 'Josh Rosen's Bar Mitzvah Wasn't Even Lit.'"

Rob Gronkowski celebrated Avicii's life EXACTLY the way the DJ would've wanted ... so says another world-famous DJ, who tells TMZ Sports Gronk put a little happy into a terribly sad situation.

We got Gianluca Vacchi (yes, he's Italian) -- the dude GQ once called "The Coolest Man On Instagram" -- and asked him what he thought of Gronk turning up to Avicii's song in Austin this weekend.

You can tell Vacchi (who's remixed Avicii's music in the past) was moved by the tribute, telling our camera guy having fun is the whole point of EDM, and the perfect way to honor the late DJ.

Sad story, but you know what's not sad? Vacchi's Instagram. Dude has over 11 million followers and we gotta say his lifestyle makes Gronk look like Peyton Manning.

Most polite war ever!!!

Here's DJ Khaled telling TMZ Sports why the Miami Heat will come back and beat the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA playoffs.

And here's Kevin Hart explaining why Khaled's OUT OF HIS DAMN MIND!!!

The Heat are currently down 3-1 to the 76ers -- and Philly can close it out Tuesday night in the City of Brotherly Love.

But Khaled -- who's a diehard Heat fan -- ain't giving up hope. In fact, he says Miami has that championship pedigree you can't ever count out.

Enter Kevin Hart (or exit Kevin Hart) who says he's getting on a plane and heading to Philly ... and shocker, he's repping hard for his squad.

Mitt Romney ... talking crap?!

Yep -- it all went down at the Jazz game Monday night where a man running for senator in Utah sat on the court to watch his team take on the OKC Thunder in Game 4 of their playoff series.

When Russell Westbrook racked up his 4th foul in the first half ... Romney (wearing his own customized Jazz jersey) started talking smack ... heckling Russ from a really close distance!

Good news for Mitt ... the Jazz were able to close it out and eventually won the game 113-96 ... taking a 3-1 lead in the series.

Game 5 is Wednesday in Oklahoma City ... wonder if Mitt will fuel up the jet and keep the rivalry going?

If Greg Hardy fights his way into a UFC contract, one of the biggest stars in his division wants a piece of the ex-NFL star ... with Derrick Lewis saying, "I like knocking wife beaters out."

Hardy is reportedly getting his shot during the UFC Contender Series -- in which up-and-coming MMA fighters compete for a chance at a UFC contract. It's where UFC star Sean O'Malley got his start.

Hardy (who's 3-0 as an amateur) would obviously compete in the heavyweight division -- where Derrick "The Black Beast" Lewis is ranked #6 in the world.

So, how does Lewis feel about a potential showdown somewhere down the line?

"He's a wife beater ... I'd like to get in there with him."

Lewis is referring to Hardy's domestic violence case -- in which he was initially convicted of attacking his then-girlfriend. The conviction was later thrown out when the alleged victim stopped cooperating with prosecutors.

Still, Lewis ain't letting Hardy off the hook.

"I'll fight Greg Hardy ... It'll be like vice versa him beating on a woman. I'll be beating him like he was a woman."

Why so much animosity?

"I grew up watching my mom and my stepdad fight," Lewis says ... "Fistfighting every day for stupid stuff. I don't tolerate stuff like that at all."

First things first ... Lewis has a brawl with Francis Ngannou lined up at UFC 226 on July 7 ... about a month after Hardy gets his UFC shot.

Stay tuned ...

One of the perks of being a pro athlete ... you look DAMN GOOD in a bikini!

Just ask Lindsey Vonn, Mackenzie Dern, Sydney Leroux, Maria Sharapova and WNBA rookie Lexie Brown-- world class jocks who couldn't wait to show off their physiques when Spring sprung!

We couldn't help but notice some of the biggest female stars in sports are showing off on the Gram -- so, we pulled some of our faves for one amazing gallery.

Paulina Gretzky, Bre Tiesi, Arianny Celeste and Adrienne Bosh ... yeah, they're here too.

Keshia Knight Pulliam is now a single woman ... her divorce was just made final.

Under the terms of the divorce, she gets primary custody of their one-year-old daughter, Ella Grace. Ed Hartwell gets visitation rights. They had a fight over the child's last name -- each wanted theirs. In the end, they compromised on Ella Grace Pulliam-Hartwell.

He also has to pay $3,007 per month in child support.

The divorce was granted on grounds of adultery and cruel treatment. Keshia was represented by Tanya Mitchell Graham.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Hartwell admitted during the trial he lives with his lover, Tonya Carroll, who's pregnant with his child.

Here's a photo of the gunshot wound Floyd Mayweather's bodyguard, Greg La Rosa, sustained during an attack on the boxer's entourage in Atlanta ... and warning -- it's pretty gnarly.

Greg was a passenger in Floyd's 3-vehicle caravan which had left a nightclub on April 9 and was returning back to Floyd's hotel when a gunman opened fire and sprayed 12 shots.

Greg was struck in his lower left leg -- 6 inches above his ankle -- and was immediately rushed to the hospital for treatment. Miraculously, no one else was shot.

We spoke with Greg on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs Monday night on FS1) -- and he walked us through that fateful night and told us about his recovery.

We told him to hit Floyd up for a raise -- ya gotta see his response.

Fortunately, Greg says he'll be okay and hopes to resume his regular gig as the protector of The Money Team as soon as possible.

When it comes to Colin Kaepernick, New Orleans Saints star Cameron Jordan says one thing's for sure -- "There's quarterbacks less talented playing [in the NFL]."

Jordan knows a little something on the topic ... he's made the Pro Bowl 3 times making life a living hell for QBs.

So, when we saw him out in Bev Hills (nice Manchester United jersey, BTW) we had to ask about Kaep's current employment status.

It's pretty clear Jordan supports Colin and thinks he belongs in the league.

Meantime, Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll recently said the team is still considering signing Kaep -- despite 86ing a workout earlier this month because Colin wouldn't commit to ending his kneeling demonstration.

Lookin' for a big ass house with 14 bathrooms? Hit up Chris Paul's realtor ... 'cause the Rockets star just put his Houston mansion up for sale ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Paul bought the ridiculously huge 18,717 square ft. place last October ... a few months after he was traded from the Clippers to the Rockets.

It's unclear why he's selling so quickly ... though the drive from the property to the Toyota Center -- where Houston plays -- is about an hour.

CP3's asking price ... $6,975,000.

Three shocking pieces of information about Pete Rose in new court docs ...

1) He's still technically married to his 2nd wife, Carol, despite filing for divorce in 2011 and gallivanting around for years with a much younger girlfriend.

2) Rose allegedly makes more than $1 MILLION per year in income from autograph signings.

3) He blows most of his cash in high stakes gambling sessions and has significant debts with casinos and the IRS.

The allegations are all part of new divorce docs filed by his estranged wife, Carol Rose, who married Pete back in 1984.

Pete initially filed divorce docs of his own to end the marriage back in '11, but things have dragged and they're still technically married.

Now, Carol claims Pete is jerking her around in the divorce -- and she wants what she believes is her rightful cut of the community property.

Carol claims Pete is making a minimum $100,000 per month -- primarily from daily signing appearances. That's $1.2 mil annually for all you mathematicians out there.

She's asking the judge to order Pete to lay out his financial situation to the court so they can hash out a proper settlement and finally end their marriage once and for all.

With the 76ers up 3 games to 1 ... Joel Embiid is calling in the big guns for help -- making a surprise appearance at a Philly-area church Sunday night in his team warm-up pants.

We spoke with officials from St. Kevin Parish in Springfield, Pennsylvania who tell us Embiid arrived around 5:30 PM for the evening mass and stayed about an hour after the service for some personal prayer time.

But the churchgoers were STOKED to see their hero in the building and several people went up to Joel and asked if it would be cool to take some pics.

We're told Embiid was VERY cool about it -- chatting up and posing for everyone who came up to him.

One church rep tells us, "He was super nice."

Embiid and the 76ers get back on the court to face the Miami Heat on Tuesday. We'll see if Joel's prayers get answered.

#TrustJCsProcess