TMZ Sports - Page 50

Sen. Ted Cruz is ready to play some tight D on Jimmy Kimmel in a one-on-one basketball game -- and vows there's no chance the late-night host will throw down a dunk in his face.

The senator and late-night host are squaring up on June 16 for what might be the most random hoops matchup ever -- but Cruz was in trash-talking mode Thursday on Capitol Hill. He says he played ball in high school, admittedly not very well ... but thinks he's got enough skills to take down Jimmy.

We're guessing Cruz is engaging in a psych-out here ... just trying to get in Kimmel's head. He's a politician after all. It's kinda what they do.

From what Cruz told us, sounds like he's already been training. They've got high stakes in the game, and some ridiculous ground rules ... courtesy of Kimmel.

The Washington Capitals didn't have to go far to get the party started Thursday night ... 'cause the Stanley Cup champs turned all the way up in a Vegas nightclub ... and TMZ Sports has the video.

Alex Ovechkin and company hit up Hakkasan at the MGM Grand -- where the entire team, coaching staff, management, owners and fans went berserk to celebrate the victory over the Vegas Knights.

DJ Tiesto was in charge of the music and invited the team over to the VIP area behind the booth to party with the cup.

We're told team management paid the entire bill for all Caps players -- which ended up around $100,000 ... and that covered all of the champagne, beer and liquor the guys poured into the cup.

Early Friday morning, President Trump tweeted at the team -- "Congratulations to the Washington Capitals on their GREAT play and winning the Stanley Cup Championship."

"Alex Ovechkin, the team captain, was spectacular - a true Superstar! D.C. is popping, in many ways. What a time!"

Bad news for Conor McGregor ... Floyd Mayweather's changed his mind about an MMA fight -- telling TMZ Sports he's way too busy to take a fight in the Octagon any time soon.

"I'm not thinking about fighting right now," Floyd told us while shopping with his crew in Beverly Hills.

Remember, Floyd was flirting with the idea of taking an MMA fight in 2018 -- with his eyes on McGregor -- and even reached out to UFC champ Tyron Woodley to set up a training program.

But Floyd says life has gotten in the way ... and he's been spending way too much time focusing on his family and growing his real estate business.

In fact, Floyd says he's a MAJOR investor in One Vanderbilt -- which he says will be the tallest skyscraper in New York.

Floyd says he's got more than $100,000,000 invested in NYC real estate projects -- and that's more important to him right now than learning a new combat sport.

The good news ... Floyd isn't completely closing the door on MMA, and insists he's keeping himself in shape just in case.

Stay tuned ...

UFC superstar Yoel Romero has a big rematch with Robert Whittaker this weekend ... but there's a MUCH bigger opponent he's already got his sights on -- SHAQ!!

TMZ Sports started asking The Cuban Missile about meeting The Big Aristotle at an event in Miami back in May ... and that's when Y.R. revealed he wants to get in the Octagon with the 7'1" giant to give him the whoopin' of a lifetime.

FYI, Yoel is 6'0" and 185 lbs.

Yoel might be teasing about the fight ... but one thing he's NOT joking about is what the outcome would be if he DID end up fighting the NBA legend.

As for Whittaker at UFC 225 ... Romero says he's gonna get his revenge on the loss at 213 and hints he's gonna make sure the outcome is indisputable this time around.

As for Shaq ... dude can fight -- he's been in the ring with both Oscar De La Hoya and Sugar Shane Mosley and held his own!

Klay Thompson is shooting his shot as a designer ... launching a new line of custom backpacks and luggage bags ... and TMZ Sports has the pics!

The Golden State Warriors star hooked up with Prime Society to create the "Championship Collection" -- featuring backpacks, duffle bags, toiletry bags, mini backpacks, wallets, and a cardholder.

The best part ... the company came up with the name of the line as a "reference to the Finals Championship they are about to win!"

No word on what the pricing will be -- but the average Prime Society backpack is around $500.

The gear is first going up for sale at a Nice Kicks pop-up shop in the Bay Area ... some time after Game 4.

CM Punk says he would LOVE to get back in the cage with Mickey Gall ever since he got destroyed in their tilt two years ago ... but Gall says Punk's a liar -- telling TMZ Sports, "HE DON'T WANT THAT!!"

Gall is convinced Punk's been talking about running it back knowin' damn well the UFC won't let the former WWE star back in the Octagon with him and let him get his ass kicked AGAIN.

"I think he's a liar. I think he's a liar. I don't think he actually wants that," Mickey told us.

"I don't think they'll let that happen to him again."

BUT ... Gall says there is a scenario where he WOULD give Punk a rematch -- and it involves CM's bout with Mike Jackson at UFC 225 this weekend.

Glen 'Big Baby' Davis finally faced a judge in his felony assault case -- the ex-NBA star appeared in court and pled not guilty to brutalizing a man in a West Hollywood nightclub parking lot.

And when he got out, Davis told us he was REALLY in the mood for a philly cheesesteak.

Davis showed up with his attorney, Chris Darden -- yes, THAT Chris Darden -- and sat in the courtroom as the charges were spelled out for him.

We broke the story ... the 32-year-old was accused of picking up and slamming a man to the ground after he claimed Davis almost hit him with his car outside Factory nightclub back in April.

Our sources tell us the alleged victim was hospitalized for severe injuries including facial fractures, a broken tooth and broken ribs.

Davis was charged with felony assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury on Wednesday ... and, if convicted, he faced up to 7 YEARS in prison.

Dana White says he has nothing but respect for CM Punk for having "the balls" to get back in the Octagon after his first UFC fight ... and can't wait to see what he's got on Saturday night.

Punk will face off against Mike "The Truth" Jackson at UFC 225 -- and White says he's been hearing positive things about Punk from his training camp.

"What comes out of his camp is everyone respects this guy and how hard he works and the commitment he's made to become a mixed martial artist."

White also says Punk's self-described spectacularly bad debut may have been the result of "UFC jitters" and he expects to see a different guy this time around. "

As for Punk's fighting future, White says he won't rule out a 3rd fight ... especially if Punk wins.

We also asked White about a possible Conor McGregor vs. Khabib fight -- and White told us there are still some hurdles Conor has to get through before that fight can be made.

6:50 PM PT -- The Biebs' manager, Scooter Braun, says ... Cannon's claim is "completely false and a fabrication from a man who tried to push for money for the last several years." Braun says he's disgusted Tobias is bringing race into the situation and denies Justin said anything racist.

He adds ... "This is a smear tactic to get money and it’s gross ... and we won't be scared or blackmailed."

11:23 AM PT -- According to the lawsuit -- obtained by TMZ -- Tobias claims he suffered injuries to his head, neck and back ... also saying he lost consciousness during the fight. Cannon accuses Bieber of using "racial epithets" during the fight, but doesn't specifically mention what Bieber said.

Justin Bieber is being sued by the man he got into an all-out street brawl with in Cleveland after Game 3 of the 2016 NBA Finals.

Tobias Cannon just filed the lawsuit in L.A. against the Biebs, detailing the fight and holding the singer accountable for his injuries.

TMZ broke the story ... the Biebs got into the massive scuffle with Tobias -- a MUCH bigger guy -- outside his hotel in downtown Cleveland. You can see in the video Justin gets into what appears to be a heated confrontation before Tobias, rocking a Cavaliers shirt, throws a light blow to Justin's head.

Bieber responded with a right hook and then all hell broke loose.

A female football player got her boob straight-up YANKED in an LFL game ... and was HEATED when she didn't get a penalty called for it.

It all went down last month in a May 11 matchup between the Chicago Bliss and the Los Angeles Temptation -- when Bliss safety Alli Alberts had her boob, um, held while she tried to make a tackle.

Her ensuing gripe with refs was unlike anything you've ever heard on a football field before.

"Hey! Did you not see her grab my tit?! Did you not see her grab my tit?! Did you not see my tit out?!"

The ref tries to explain to her the difficulty of making such a call when she blatantly asks, "Could you see my tit?!"

His reaction is priceless ... but no flag was thrown.

Bryan Colangelo isn't even PRETENDING to defend his wife -- he's dumping ALL of the blame on her ... with no shame.

Colangelo resigned as President of Basketball Operations for the Philadelphia 76ers -- after a private investigation firm found his wife was the person behind several Twitter accounts that published damaging and private info about 76ers players.

Now, Bryan is breaking his silence ... and continuing to dump all blame on his wife, Barbara Bottini.

"While I am grateful that the independent investigation conducted by the 76ers has confirmed that I had no knowledge of or involvement in the Twitter activity conducted by my wife, I vigorously dispute the allegation that my conduct was in any way reckless."

"At no point did I ever purposefully or directly share any sensitive, non-public, club-related information with her."

"Her actions were a seriously misguided effort to publicly defend and support me, and while I recognize how inappropriate these actions were, she acted independently and without my knowledge or consent."

Bryan also says his wife was a bad leaker, at that ...

"Further, the content she shared was filled with inaccuracies and conjecture which in no way represent my own views or opinions. While this was obviously a mistake, we are a family and we will work through this together."

The process is over for Bryan Colangelo ... the Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations has resigned after an investigation revealed his WIFE was behind several Twitter accounts that had trashed 76ers players and leaked private info.

But there's a major twist ... investigators say Bryan's wife tried to delete and hide key pieces of info on her phone before turning it over to be examined.

"The Philadelphia 76ers organization has accepted the resignation of President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo, effective immediately," the team said in a statement.

Colangelo has been in hot water ever since The Ringer published a story connecting him to several Twitter accounts that had trashed various 76ers players -- including Joel Embiid, Markelle Fultz and former players Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor.

The 76ers hired the firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP to investigate -- and the results showed Bryan's wife was the culprit.

"We do not believe that Mr. Colangelo established the Twitter accounts or posted content on those accounts," the firm said in a statement.

"The evidence supports the conclusion that Ms. Barbara Bottini, Mr. Colangelo’s wife, established the Twitter accounts and posted content on those accounts. When interviewed, Ms. Bottini admitted establishing and operating the accounts. Forensic evidence corroborates her admissions."

As a result of the investigation, the team said, "It has become clear Bryan’s relationship with our team and his ability to lead the 76ers moving forward has been compromised."

But get this ... investigators say Colangelo's wife IMPEDED the investigation by deleting the contents of her iPhone prior to surrendering the device for forensic review.

Still, Bryan is not blameless, according to investigators ... "Our investigation revealed substantial evidence that Mr. Colangelo was the source of sensitive, non-public, club-related information contained in certain posts to the Twitter accounts."

"We believe that Mr. Colangelo was careless and in some instances reckless in failing to properly safeguard sensitive, non-public, club-related information in communications with individuals outside the 76ers organization."

Shocking statement from Terrell Owens ... who says he has officially TURNED DOWN his invitation to attend his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Owens says he will NOT go to Canton, Ohio for the ceremony in August -- instead, he will "celebrate what will be one of the most memorable days of my life, elsewhere."

T.O. did not explain the reason behind his decision -- he did, however, praise the NFL and the H.O.F.

"While I am incredibly appreciative of this opportunity, I have made the decision to publicly decline my invitation to attend the induction ceremony in Canton."

"I have already shared this information with the Hall. After visiting Canton earlier this year, I came to the realization that I wish to celebrate what will be one of the most memorable days of my life, elsewhere. At a later date, I will announce where and when I will celebrate my induction."

"I would also like to thank the San Francisco 49ers, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys, the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals for the time I was granted with each organization. I am thankful for the relationships forged and the lessons learned while part of each team."

"I wish to congratulate all past, current and future inductees. It is quite an honor to be part of such elite company. This honor is something that I will cherish forever."

Tristan Thompson's Cavs ain't doin' so hot, going down 0-3 to the Warriors Wednesday night ... but his family?? That seems to be doing WAYYY better.

Khloe Kardashian continued to show her support for her baby's daddy by showing up to Game 3 despite TT being a bum off the court ... and kinda one on it too.

Remember, Khloe wasn't so sure about sticking by Tristan after the cheating scandal rocked her right as their baby was being born ... but, so far, she's been ride or die with him -- sportin' the CLE shirt and getting backstage access Wednesday night.

Serena Williams doesn't seem too bummed about pulling out of the French Open this week -- in fact, she's nursing her injury at Disneyland!!!

The tennis superstar rounded up her family -- Mom, hubby Alexis Ohanian and daughter Alexis Olympia -- and went to Disneyland Paris on Thursday ... home of rides like Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril, Les Tapis Volants and Le Carrousel de Lancelot!

The family seemed to be having a blast despite the fact baby Alexis is only 9 months old ... and most people in our office agree it sucks to take a 9-month-old to Disneyland since they can't really do anything or appreciate anything and most likely won't even remember the trip.

Hope Solo says she's still furious after her domestic violence case was dropped -- claiming the whole ordeal damaged her personal life and career ... and she wants someone to pay.

Solo was arrested back in 2014 and charged with 2 counts of assault after allegedly beating up family members at a home in Kirkland, Washington. Cops said Solo appeared wasted and she went on a tirade, cussing out officers.

The case had been dismissed back in 2015 on procedural grounds, but prosecutors appealed and the decision was reversed.

But now, officials say key witnesses stopped cooperating and prosecutors felt Solo was unlikely to attack a family member again ... so they dropped the case.

Solo has now issued a statement saying, "I always knew this day would come but I never imagined it would take nearly four years."

"Any sense of relief and gratification is matched by frustration and disbelief knowing the great lengths the City of Kirkland and all involved went to in order to further their own interests. "

"The harm caused to me, my family and my career has been immeasurable and I intend to explore any and all legal remedies to hold those with no regard for the truth, fully accountable."