TMZ Sports - Page 50

Stop riding Kanye West for supporting Donald Trump ... that's the message NBA star Iman Shumpert has for all the haters coming after the rapper this week.

FYI, Shumpert has a Kanye connection -- his wife, Teyana Taylor, is signed to West's G.O.O.D. Music record label and has an album coming out this summer.

So, with the backlash against West in full swing ... we wanted to know where Shumpert stood.

"I'm a Kanye fan," Shumpert said.

"Long before meeting my wife and knowing the relationship to Ye that she has as far as being signed, I have always walked with him throughout the commotion that he makes."

Shumpert says he's cool with Kanye wearing the MAGA hat -- and says it doesn't mean Kanye agrees with EVERYTHING Trump has to say.

He also really liked Kanye's freestyle with Harvey Levin.

There's more ... Shumpert also talked to us about his reality show "Teyana and Iman" (airs Monday night on VH1) and told us why his family has an edge on the Kardashians!

Baker Mayfield knows not everyone is thrilled the Cleveland Browns took him with the #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft -- including Jim Brown -- but he's ready to bust his ass to win 'em all over.

The former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback touched down at LAX -- cowboy hat in tow -- and told TMZ Sports he's not messing around, it's all business from here.

No partying, no giant spending spree ... the 23-year-old Heisman Trophy winner says he's laser focused on training for the 2018 NFL season.

As for Jim Brown and other critics who wanted Cleveland to take Saquon Barkley or any of the other top QBs instead ... Mayfield doesn't seem too bothered -- telling us, "Everybody has their opinions. They're entitled to it."

Dennis Rodman is ecstatic his friends, Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump, are getting along ... especially because he believes he played a big part in bringing the peace.

We spoke with the basketball Hall of Famer about North Korea's newfound friendliness with the U.S. and its historic summit with South Korea ... he tells us it's simply been the result of open communication and good old-fashioned diplomacy.

Rodman also points to his June 2017 visit to N. Korea -- in which he supplied Jong-un with some of Trump's books -- as a catalyst for the dictator's change of heart about the Prez and the American people.

Dennis is clear he doesn't want to take the credit for the good vibes happening right now ... but he can't hide his joy in the role he played.

Jay-Z and Beyonce got super good seats -- imagine that -- as they watched the Golden State Warriors annihilate the New Orleans Pelicans.

Bey and Jay were on the hardwood Saturday at the Western Conference Semifinals in Oakland, CA.  The Warriors dominated the entire game to win the first in the 7 game series by a score of 123 - 101.

BTW ... Steph Curry didn't play because of an injury but he's expected back for game 2 on Tuesday.

LeBron James has two very big wins coming in the near future ... 'cause according to Chris "Kid" Reid, LBJ is going to kill it doing the new 'House Party' movie ... and raise the trophy as an NBA champ.

We got Kid leaving Craig's in L.A. and of course wanted to know what his take on LeBron's production company rebooting Kid 'N Play's classic teen comedy for a brand new audience.

"LeBron and his people are in control, so I trust them."

That's not the only thing Kid trusts LeBron with, because when we asked Chris if he thought Meek Mill's good mojo would lead the 76ers to an NBA title, he said nah 'cause LeBron's got that, too.

"LeBron all day. LeBron knows how to do the Kid 'N Play, so I'm always gonna roll with LeBron."

Kid ain't lying -- LeBron did the dance in a State Farm spot and nailed it.

As for his NBA prediction? Not so sure about that one ...

Takeru Kobayashi -- one of the greatest eaters in the history of man -- can chug.

He's already dominated everything from wieners to cow brains to soba noodles, but when we saw the human garbage disposal in NYC this week, our guy wanted to test his liquid skills!

Chug-off.

Right there. On the spot. In front of everyone.

Warning: Careful with the drinking contests at home. Overhydration can be seriously dangerous. Look it up.

Boxing star Tevin Farmer is getting into another business where people perform shirtless in front of mostly male fans ... by opening up a strip club in his native Philadelphia.

Farmer is one of the most exciting young stars in the sport ... and when he talked to TMZ Sports he said opening the club was just something that kinda fell in his lap (pun intended).

"It's an opportunity that presented itself and I took advantage of it" ... adding, "It's lot of money to be made and I got to go get it."

The club is called Teasers and Tevin says there's definitely a type of lady he wants twerking and working in his establishment -- and a type of woman he definitely DOESN'T want.

"We want classy women. We don't want no ratchets."

Auditions were held this past week and Tevin was so kind as to give us a peek at the festivities.

You're welcome.

Meek Mill and 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin hit the town Friday night in the Big Apple, and he's definitely lookin' like a free man again.

Meek and Michael hit up Zuma restaurant on Madison Avenue and stay till the wee hours. It's his first trip to NYC since being sprung from the slammer this week by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Meek's confined to Philly pending the next court hearing, but he was allowed to travel to NYC for work. This was an approved trip for a business dinner with Roc Nation execs and his managers.

Derek Fisher's making sure Gloria Govan always looks like a million bucks even in sweatpants because that's about how much her knuckle-sized engagement ring's worth ... TMZ has learned.

We're told the ex-NBA star designed the 7.5 carat diamond ring, which he scooped up from L.A.-based jeweler Bony Levy. A rock that size normally goes for just north of $1 mil ... according to our fancy jewelry sources.

We don't know exactly how much D-Fish dropped, 'cause y'know celebs usually get a deal.

The engagement had been a long time coming. The couple had been dating since 2015 until Derek finally popped the question earlier this month at their L.A.-area home.

Tekashi69 just flushed $4.9 million down the toilet because the headphones company he was about to lock a multi-million dollar deal with is bailing on him.

We spoke with a rep at TUNES Audio who told us 6ix9ine being a person of interest in an NYC shooting was enough to make them decide not to close the deal. The rep said they believe "at this time it is in the best interest of our company to move on. We wish him well, he's a great artist."

We broke the story ... under the deal, the NYC rapper was to promote TUNES Audio's red $249 headphones for a $4.9 million check, but that's not gonna happen now that he's a person of interest and barred from Brooklyn's Barclays Center.

"Ezekiel is the best to ever play the game, remember I said that," -- Zeke's dad.

TMZ Sports spoke with Stacy Elliott -- who also runs Fifth Down Enterprises -- who tells us his son has been laser focused this off-season and is ready to wreak havoc all over the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys in 2018.

"He's the G.O.A.T. He's the best to ever play the game," Stacy said.

"This is deeper than Lavar Ball ... this is the actual truth. The truth is in the pudding, or the pudding's in the truth, whatever they say."

Elliott says he's impressed with the new crop of running backs, including Saquon Barkley ... but no one can hold a candle to his son.

He's dominated the NHL for more than a decade, but Sidney Crosby says he'll never surpass Mario Lemieux as the greatest Penguins player of all time!

Crosby is definitely in the conversation ... after racking up 411 goals (3rd all time in Penguins history) and 705 assists (2nd all time in Penguins history) ... and he's still got at least 5 solid years left!

So, when we saw Crosby out in Washington after beating the Caps, we had to ask where he thinks he fits in the G.O.A.T. conversation.

One more topic ... greatest Penguins duo of all time -- Crosby and Evgeni Malkin or Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr?

"Gotta go with Lemieux and Jagr," Crosby said ... "[they] got more points than us by a landslide!"

Crosby's right ... he and Malkin only have 2,046 total points while Jagr and Lemieux have 3,604!

We pointed out that Crosby and Malkin have 3 Stanley Cups -- one more than Mario and Jaromir -- but Sidney said he doesn't really use Cups to measure all time greatness.

Mike Vick is pretty happy for Lamar Jackson -- telling TMZ Sports he's thrilled the QB was selected in the 1st round of the NFL Draft ... and challenged the QB to break his NFL records!!

Of course, Vick holds the NFL records for most career rushing yards by a QB (6,109) and single season rushing yards by a QB (1,039) ... but a lot of people believe Jackson has the potential to do better!

"All records are made to be broken," Vick told us in Dallas.

He also thinks having Jackson and RG3 on the same is a GOOD thing -- and not a problem.

We also asked who's more explosive -- Vick or Jackson?

Tyron Woodley is begging Kanye West to STOP supporting Donald Trump ... saying his pro-POTUS tweets are "a poor way of getting attention."

The UFC champ went off on Ye on "The Hollywood Beatdown" -- suggesting Kanye is diabolically using the controversy to drum up interest in his albums.

Woodley also weighs in on rumors Kanye will run for office one day ... telling the rapper the only way he should be running is if he's on a treadmill!

Woodley also weighs in on Greg Hardy getting a shot in the UFC and talks about Odell Beckham's SUV pulling workout!

Kenny Smith says he's in the "courting stages" for the NY Knicks head coaching job -- and says he believes he's battling 7 other candidates.

Smith met with the Knicks last week and tells TMZ Sports it "went well" -- but he knows he's not the only fish in the sea.

"We're in the courting stages. I know they're courting other people as well."

Smith's competition is reportedly steep -- big names like Mark Jackson, Jerry Stackhouse, David Fizdale and ex-NYK coach Mike Woodson.

Smith makes his case to TMZ Sports ... saying he's got the experience and winning record the Knicks desperately need.

A man who served as an elected L.A. official is being sued by a woman who claims when she was 16 he drugged her and sexually assaulted her.

The lawsuit, filed by Lisa Bloom, only lists the litigants as Jane Doe vs. John Doe. According to the legal docs, obtained by TMZ, John Doe met the girl in 2005 when she was 14. At the time she was a star teenage athlete ... they grew close and he became close with her entire family.

The suit claims in January 2007, when Jane Doe was 16, he invited her to play golf at Hillcrest Country Club. She claims several hours into the game he handed her a cup of ice water. She says, "It tasted distinctly different from both tap and filtered water."

She claims she suddenly collapsed but did not lose consciousness. He drove her to the E.R. and en route she claims he reached his hand inside her shirt, rubbed her breast, and then reached down her shorts and fondled her vagina.

She says she was motionless, speechless and frozen from shock.

She says she never confronted him nor did she report him to police, fearing she wouldn't be believed and that he'd retaliate against her family.