Streetball Legend Bone Collector Gunning for NBA Deal ... at 37 Years Old!!
Can Bone Collector really ball at the NBA level at 37 years old? He thinks he can ... and tells TMZ Sports he's seriously making a push to get a shot with a pro team.
Bone Collector -- real name Larry Williams -- famously killed EVERYONE on the AND1 mixtapes back in the day -- but says he still balls out all the time with a stable of NBA stars, including Steph Curry.
"I think I'll be a good 6th-man addition to a team," B.C. says ... noting that he looks up to guys like 41-year-old Vince Carter for inspiration.
Watch the video ... dude's still as confident as ever -- telling TMZ Sports he's still breaking ankles in the gym and bragging, "Nobody can guard me."
SOMEBODY MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!
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NBA Legend Bill Russell Rushed to the Hospital
11:00 AM PT -- A rep for Russell tells TMZ ... he was hospitalized for dehydration. He was kept overnight for observation, but they expect him to check out today.
11:15 AM PT -- Russell just responded himself, saying he was taken to the hospital last night for dehydration and joked his wife likes to remind him that he doesn't drink enough. He says he's on his way home.
Bill also playfully denied having any heart issues, saying ... "my friends know I don't have a heart to give me trouble."
NBA Hall of Famer Bill Russell is in the hospital in Washington state dealing with some apparent heart issues ... TMZ has learned.
Law enforcement sources tell us ... an ambulance was called to Russell's home in the Seattle area Friday night, and the 84-year-old Celtics legend was rushed to a nearby hospital.
We're told Bill was having heart trouble and shortness of breath ... and is still hospitalized. We've reached out to get an update on his condition.
The 11-time NBA champion center was also hospitalized in 2014 after collapsing at a speaking gig in Lake Tahoe, but recovered quickly.
Bill's considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and recently attended Game 1 of the Celtics playoff round vs. the 76ers. Obviously, the crowd went wild.
Get well, Bill!
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Lamar Odom Feelin' Himself at the Club ... Bottle in Hand
Lamar Odom looks like he had himself a good time at the club ... tearing it up right by the stage for all to see.
The former NBA star hit up Drai's nightclub at The Cromwell in Vegas Friday night, and fully indulged in the party scene -- bottle and vape pen in hand, dancing with a hot chick ... and more dancing by himself.
Last couple times we've seen Lamar he's told us he's working on 2 different things ... making a basketball comeback, and helping people with ailments get better through his cannabis company.
Clearly he took a break from the hard work to have some fun.
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Caitlyn Jenner Alleged 21-Year-Old GF 'Home Sweet Home' In Cait's Crib
Caitlyn Jenner and her rumored 21-year-old girlfriend appear to have shacked up together ... and the proof is all in Jenner's bed!
Caitlyn and Sophia Hutchins -- who is also transgender -- have reportedly been an item for several months. However, earlier this week Sophia dropped a massive hint as to just how serious things between the two might actually be.
Hutchins posted a photo of herself lying on a bed with the caption, "Home. Sweet. Home." Look closely ... the bed's headboard is the exact same one Caitlyn's posted many times in the past from her Malibu home.
Sources close to the two tell us 68-year-old Jenner and Hutchins are not romantic -- just close friends -- and rumors they're about to tie the knot are total BS ... but Hutchins' pic and caption seemingly seals the deal on the fact they're at least roommates ... at least.
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Johnny Manziel Signs With CFL Team ... I'm Goin' to Canada!
Johnny Manziel has found a new football job with the Canadian Football League.
The Heisman Trophy winner announced his decision to sign with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday ... saying "I believe this is the best opportunity for me moving forward and I'm eager for what the future holds."
Manziel has been out of professional football for 2 years after he was released by the Cleveland Browns back in March 2016 ... and has spent the last year working on his football comeback.
Johnny will be playing with the Ticats on a 2-season contract before exploring his opportunities with the NFL again.
BTW -- just hours before the announcement, Johnny was out celebrating the move at Mastro's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills ... one of the top hot spots in Los Angeles.
Along with the football gig, Johnny revealed a partnership to continue his "Comeback SZN" podcast with Barstool Sports.
Breaking: @JManziel2 Signs with Barstool and the CFL. SUBSCRIBE to Comeback Szn to get the details and follow his journey https://t.co/8vHWNK2ZGE pic.twitter.com/chPOWZDXkp
@stoolpresidente
Famous Brothel To Vegas Golden Knights: Win & You're In ... Us
As if the Vegas Golden Knights needed more motivation to win the Stanley Cup, now a famous Nevada brothel is sweetening the deal ... offering a massive sex victory party if they can seal the deal.
A rep for Sheri's Ranch tells TMZ Sports ... they've noticed an uptick in business during the team's insane run -- and the girls have decided they want to show their appreciation.
Dena -- the madam of the bordello -- says, "If the Golden Knights win, we all win. Offering the team a victory celebration at our adult resort is the least we can do."
"The victory party will involve the full complement of over two dozen gorgeous women and the entire sex menu will be available to any and all players wishing to partake of the brothel’s highly coveted erotic services -- compliments of the house."
Allissa -- one of the prostitutes -- added, "If the Knights go all the way, I’ll go all the way."
Sooo ... go Golden Knights?
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Tito Ortiz Fight w/ Chuck Liddell 'Hugest Fight In MMA History'
05/19/18
Tito Ortiz says he's 100% committed to making Ortiz vs. Chuck Liddell III happen ... and when it does "it's gonna be the hugest fight in MMA history."
TMZ Sports broke the story ... Liddell and Oscar De La Hoya told us they were working on finalizing a deal for the MMA legend to make his return to the cage ... and the desired opponent? Tito.
Ortiz and Liddell have history ... Chuck beat Tito in 2004 and 2006 -- and the guys have been rivals since.
Tito says the match -- "the fight that all the fans want to see" -- is all but set, with a target date of October or November of 2018.
For the people saying 48-year-old Liddell and 43-year-old Tito Ortiz are old and washed up?
"I feel healthy," Ortiz told us, "I'm the million dollar man. Let's make a couple more million kicking Chuck Liddell's ass."
"This is gonna build. It's gonna be the hugest fight in MMA history. Watch and see."
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UFC Star To Colby Covington I Wanna Punch A Hole In Your Head
How freakin' bad does UFC star Kamaru Usman HATE Colby Covington?
"If I see this beady-eyed, snake-head-lookin' dude in any room, my heart rate goes up. I just want to punch a hole through his head."
Yeah, that bad.
We talked to Usman -- the 7th ranked welterweight in the world -- the day before his headlining UFC Fight Night against Demian Maia in Chile.
Kamaru says the whole division knows he's the best fighter -- even champ Tyron Woodley -- but there's only 1 guy who gets his blood boiling.
Covington.
The beef goes back ... Usman once told us C.C. had "p***y-itis," and they almost came to blows before UFC 223.
So, if Usman leaves the Octagon with a W Saturday ... you know who's next up on the wish list -- and if it goes according to plan, there will be blood.
"I just want to punch a hole through his head."
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Rapper Jim Jones NY Giants Signed Lineman From My Arena Team!!
The NY Giants just plucked an offensive lineman from an American Arena League team owned by rap star Jim Jones ... and Capo could not be more proud to let him go.
The "We Fly High" rapper is a joint owner of the AAL's Richmond Roughriders -- which have already racked up a 7-1 record this season with a stacked roster, including Greg Hardy.
But the NY Giants had their eye on the other side of the ball ... because they just signed 26-year-old offensive lineman Malcolm Bunche -- a 6'6", 320-pounder from UCLA.
"This is a great feeling," Jones says ... "I'm smiling, man. I'm smiling! Smiling! Smiling!"
Jones says everyone in the Roughriders organization is pumped for Bunche -- plus, it gives hope for other players trying to get to the NFL.
In fact, Jones says he hopes the AAL can serve as a real feeder league to the pros -- putting a spotlight on players who deserve a shot at the next level.
"This shows that it's very much possible. More than possible."
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Tyron Woodley Rips YouTube's Vitaly: Lucky I Didn't Beat Your Ass!
Tyron Woodley came thiiiiiiis close to beating the dog snot out of YouTube star Vitaly when a stupid prank crossed the line ... and Tyron's still fuming about it.
FYI, Vitaly is famous for screwing with big stars like Kim Kardashian -- but when he tried to punk Tyron with an ass-grabbing stunt in L.A., the UFC star says things got really heated.
"His [stunt] almost got him knocked out," Tyron said on "The Hollywood Beatdown."
"I said, 'Do you know who I am? I will knock your ass out in the middle of the street.'"
Don't worry, Tyron let the dude live ... but it's clear he doesn't like the guy.
So, when Vitaly made a racist joke while weighing in on the upcoming KSI vs. Logan Paul fight, Tyron unleashed some of the fury.
There's more ... Tyron revealed some behind the scenes secrets from the new Stallone flick, 'Escape Plan 2' ... and tells us how he got the producers to hire one of his NFL star friends.
And, if you're sick of the Royal Wedding, you're gonna love watching Tyron go in on the British.
Make sure to check out the 'Beatdown' every Friday on the TMZ Sports YouTube page.
Bob Baffert My New Horse ... 'Superior' To American Pharoah
Legendary trainer Bob Baffert says American Pharoah is old news ... telling TMZ Sports his new horse, Justify, is a "superior" animal to the 2015 Triple Crown winner.
Seriously!!
Justify DOMINATED ... winning the Kentucky Derby, making some people think Pharoah might have company as a TC winner pretty soon.
We got Baffert at LAX earlier this week, and he told our camera guy the Triple Crown winner isn't in Justify's company at all, because Baffert -- who trained both horses -- thinks Justify is better.
"He's a superior horse," Bob says. "And he's come really quick. He's done it a little bit quicker than Pharoah."
BTW -- Justify is a pretty heavy favorite at tomorrow's Preakness Stakes -- you gotta put $2 down to win $1 -- but if you're listening to Bob -- might be a solid investment!
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Pro Wrestler DJZ I Almost Died From Brutal In-Ring Injury
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EXCLUSIVE
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Impact wrestling star DJZ says he came thiiis close to dying from an injury he suffered during a 2017 wrestling match ... and it's a miracle he was able to recover and wrestle again.
DJZ -- real name Michael Paris -- unknowingly ruptured his colon during a match in Mexico City ... but didn't realize the severity of the injury until after the match.
"I sh*t pure blood," DJZ says ... noting he collapsed at his hotel and had to be rushed to a nearby hospital.
Once he was admitted, doctors told him he was in very bad shape and internally bleeding -- and needed emergency surgery.
Doctors told DJZ there was a 20% chance he could die or become severely disabled from the operation ... but he had no choice.
Fortunately, the wrestler was able to pull through -- and he's got the gnarly scar on his stomach to prove it.
Now, he's not only fully recovered ... but wrestling again -- and on Thursday, he and Andrew Everett won the Impact Tag Team title against Scott Steiner and Eli Drake.
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Chris Paul On TX School Shooting: We Gotta Do Something About It
Chris Paul is speaking out about the Texas school shooting that happened roughly 35 miles from Houston on Friday ... and he's calling for change to prevent similar tragedies from happening again.
“First and foremost, aside from the playoffs going on, which is minor compared to what is taking place down in Santa Fe," Paul said Friday morning at Rockets practice.
"Our prayers going out to the victims and the families having to deal with that situation."
FYI, 10 people were killed and several more injured at Santa Fe HS when a shooter opened fire inside the building.
Chris Paul: "First and foremost aside from the playoffs that's going on which is minor compared to what's taken place down in Santa Fe. Our prayers go out to the victims and the families...It's scary that that's becoming the norm here. We got to do something about it." pic.twitter.com/TjxeUBANC1
@MarkBermanFox26
"We have a lot of fan support there. Those people come out and support us night in, night out. So, this is very minor compared to what those people are dealing with.”
"It's scary that that's becoming a norm here and we gotta do something about it, 'cause yeah, I can't imagine something like that taking place with one of my kids."
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Johnny Manziel Surfaces In Bev Hills ... After Medical Emergency
Johnny Manziel is back in action after being hospitalized in Texas last week ... returning to L.A. for a fancy dinner with his wife, Bre Tiesi.
The QB looked healthy and sober on his way out of Mastro's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills ... where he told photogs he's still working on his NFL comeback.
TMZ Sports broke the story ... Manziel was hospitalized on May 7 in Humble, Texas. Johnny says he had a bad reaction to an increase dosage of medication for his bipolar disorder.
Manziel told us at the time it was a very scary situation for him -- but he's moving forward and still concentrating on trying to play professional football again.
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Lamar Jackson Clubbin' In Hollywood ... With Lil Uzi Vert!!
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Breaking News
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Baltimore Ravens rookie QB Lamar Jackson has touched down in L.A. -- so, of course, he's gotta party with a celebrity!
21-year-old Jackson -- along with fellow 1st round draft pick Calvin Ridley -- hit up Hyde on the Sunset Strip ... where they raged with rap star Lil Uzi Vert!
The funniest part ... Jackson's wardrobe -- dude was allowed inside despite the fact he was rockin' Adidas slides!
Didn't stop him from turning up ... the guys danced away to Lil Dicky's "Freaky Friday."
Jackson and Ridley are both in town for the NFLPA Rookie Premiere event ... which is supposed to educate high profile rookies about business moves off the field.
As for Lil Uzi Vert ... dude just likes to party.
By the way, Hyde is one of the most legendary clubs in L.A. -- back in the day, it was the most exclusive place in town ... where the likes of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Kim Kardashian would party together.
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Bob Kraft Being Deposed In Colin Kaepernick Case
Another major NFL honcho is being deposed in the Colin Kaepernick collusion case -- this time it's New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft ... TMZ Sports has learned.
Kraft follows a long list of powerful NFL people questioned by Kaep's team -- earlier this week, Denver Broncos general manager John Elway answered questions at team headquarters in Colorado.
Colin had personally attended Elway's deposition -- just as he had when Houston Texans owner Bob McNair was deposed in the case back in March.
No word if Kaep is currently present at Kraft's depo ... but it's a pretty safe bet he's there, too.
Other big wigs who have reportedly been deposed include Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider, NFL commish Roger Goodell, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Ravens coach John Harbaugh.
As we previously reported, Kaepernick filed a grievance against the league claiming owners and other high-ranking NFL officials were in cahoots to blackball Colin after his national anthem demonstration.