TMZ Sports - Page 50

Kobe Bryant just got rejected at the rim by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences -- which just denied membership to the Mamba ... claiming he doesn't have a good enough body of work.

You know what he does have? AN OSCAR!!!!

Kobe won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short for "Dear Basketball" -- which was based off a retirement letter he published on The Players' Tribune back in 2015.

Kobe is credited as the executive producer and writer of the film.

Worth noting, Oscar winners are automatically considered for membership -- but it's not a shoe-in. The board votes on who gets membership based on a specific criteria.

One of the items on the checklist for producers -- "have the equivalent of 2 producer screen credits and perform the majority of the functions of a producer on theatrical feature films of the caliber which in the opinion of the executive committee reflect the high standards of the Academy."

For the record, Kobe produced the docu-series 'Muse' -- but it doesn't appear that would qualify under the Academy's standards because it was produced for TV.

Still, there are some people who believe the membership denial is due to Kobe's controversial past and the rise of the #MeToo movement.

Despite the fact Kobe was cheered on by the Academy when he won at the Oscars, there has been serious blowback.

Hulk Hogan and his family were "really upset" about the death of ex-WWE star Vader -- with Brooke Hogan and Nick telling us the wrestling star was a big part of their childhood.

"He was always a really nice guy," Nick told us at LAX ... "It sucks. My dad had actually wrestled him a couple of times and they had become friends over the years."

"We got up today and we heard the news and it was kind of somber. Everybody was really upset about it."

Brooke added, "My dad was very sad today."

Vader passed away earlier this week from heart complications after a bout with pneumonia. He was 63.

Seems Kyrie Irving and Chantel Jeffries really are a thing -- 'cause the two were spotted on a movie date together on Monday ... and we're told they looked like a couple.

The NBA star and Justin Bieber's ex-girlfriend took in a flick at the iPic in Westwood, CA -- "Incredibles 2" -- and they held hands on the way out of the place.

By the way, the iPic is a seriously fancy joint -- it's got a full wait staff, bar and kitchen menu and they serve you in your seat while you're watching the movie!

The two were reportedly spotted in New York earlier this month -- but it's unclear if they were together or just hanging out.

Jeffries -- a DJ -- has been linked to a bunch of stars, including The Weeknd and DeSean Jackson. She was also famously in the car when Bieber was arrested for his DUI back in 2014.

Irving dated Kehlani back in the day -- but recently came out and said they're still good friends.

'Sugar' Shane Mosley went in for a quick surgery to fix his elbow pain, but ended up getting cut up and burned ... according to a new suit.

The 4-time world champion boxer claims he was training for a fight in March 2017, when he went to Dr. Gary Brazina about pain and clicking in his right elbow. He says the doc suggested arthroscopic surgery to fix it, and explained it would be relatively quick and painless, with plenty of time to recover for his fight.

According to the docs ... it didn't go as planned at all. Mosley says the surgery took hours longer than he was told, and Brazina revealed he had to "detach some ligaments and reattach them with screws."

Mosley claims he developed a fever and rash the next day, and Brazina failed to tell him he also suffered a severe burn during his surgery ... which became infected.

What's worse -- the boxer claims his doc altered some pre-op paperwork to make it look like Mosley consented to a more invasive surgery than he did.

He's suing Brazina and the hospital where his surgery was performed for damages. We reached out to Dr. Brazina ... so far, no word back.

Anyone waiting for Kyle Kuzma and Lonzo Ball to get into a full-blown beef is about to be disappointed ... because Lakers guard Josh Hart says everything is cool between the two guys.

Lonzo and Kuzma have been taking shots at each other on social media (and on rap songs) so much that the Lakers brass reportedly stepped in and asked them to stop.

So, we got Hart out at The Peppermint Club in L.A. (where he was partying with his teammate, Julius Randle) and asked him if it's getting outta hand ... and he broke it down for us.

U.S. Olympic legend Kayla Harrison -- who won gold in judo in '12 and '16 -- is finally making her MMA debut this week ... and says she's ready to wreck shop.

Kayla is a beast -- and she tells TMZ Sports it was hard to even lock down an opponent because people are scared to fight her.

The good news ... Brittney Elkin has stepped up and will fight Kayla at the PFL event in Chicago on Thursday, and Kayla tells us she can't wait to scrap.

"I have 500 judo matches under my belt," Kayla said ... "I have some experience -- just not with a locked cage behind me."

So, how will she handle taking a live punch to the face for the first time?

"I'm kind of a bull. It's gonna take a lot more than 1 punch to take me down."

Boris Becker -- the broke ass former tennis star -- claims to have a diplomatic passport from the Central African Republic that gives him immunity in his bankruptcy case in the UK.

There's just one problem -- IT'S FAKE ... at least, according to the C.A.R.

Becker has been flaunting the document ... insisting it's essentially a magic document that protects him from having to pay back the "historic debt" he racked up in Britain.

As we previously reported, a UK court declared Becker bankrupt in 2017 -- and his reps begged the court for mercy claiming he's simply not a "sophisticated individual."

Which brings us to the fake passport ...

Officials say it's not just the serial numbers that gave it away -- it DOESN'T CARRY THE SIGNATURE OR STAMP OF THE FOREIGN MINISTER!!!!!

In fact, the serial numbers match up with a batch of passports that were stolen in 2014.

Bottom line -- Becker's an idiot, he's got a bogus passport and he's still gonna have to pay for that whole bankruptcy thing.

The place where boxing's GOAT Muhammad Ali lived -- and actually boxed -- is up for sale ... and it could be all yours for a cool $2.9 mil.

Ali's widow -- Lonnie -- is selling the Berrien Springs, Michigan farm that Ali bought in 1975, about 10 years before his Parkinson's diagnosis ... and it comes with a legit boxing ring in the gym.

The place is massive -- 81 acres -- and it features two houses, a bunch of garages, a steam room, a massage room and a full-length basketball court ... plus a deck overlooking the pond.

The coolest part? Its actual listing price is $2,895,037 ... 'cause Lonnie wanted to make sure Ali's 37 KOs in his career were included somewhere in the price tag.

Marvin Bagley III should DEFINITELY be the #1 overall pick in the NBA Draft on Thursday ... so says his father, Marvin Bagley II.

"He should [go #1]," Bagley told TMZ Sports out in NYC ... "He's the best player in the draft!"

Marvin's dad says the whole family is excited for the 19-year-old superstar -- saying they're all trying to take it one day at a time.

We also asked if he was concerned about fake friends trying to leech off Marvin after he gets rich -- and Mr. Bagley told us there's a plan for that.

"He's just gotta keep the circle tight!"

Nick Young's thrilled marijuana is becoming legal across the country ... but he's already onto the next issue -- COKE!!!

"I want people to pass cocaine," the NBA star told TMZ Sports outside 1 OAK on Tuesday night ... "Everybody needs to do cocaine!"

For the record, cocaine isn't illegal everywhere -- did you know blow is sorta legal in Colombia where people can possess 1 gram or less? There's similar laws in the Czech Republic and Uruguay.

And, there's been a real argument that legalizing all drugs could actually benefit the society.

Aside from the booger sugar convo, we also spoke with Swaggy about LeBron James, the Warriors and how he's blinging out his brand new NBA Championship ring!

Also ... kids, don't do drugs.

11:30 AM PT -- Swaggy P just issued a statement saying CHILLAX -- he was just kidding around.

Charlize Theron surprised a boxing champ on his birthday -- threw punches at him and then kissed his face ... and we've got footage of the whole thing!

The man on the receiving end is Chris van Heerden -- a former IBO Welterweight champ who's a BIG fan of the actress (they're both from South Africa).

Peter Berg -- the mega-producer who owns the gym -- wanted to surprise Chris on his birthday so he got Charlize to swing by for a sparring session ... and Chris LOVED IT, Peter Kahn, van Heerden's manager tells us.

Charlize not only got in the ring and threw hands -- she jumped on the fighter, wrapped her legs around the guy ... and capped it off with a big, fat kiss on his face.

Oh, and Mark Wahlberg also stopped by. Best birthday ever?!

By the way, Theron's not a regular at the gym ... but she wasn't bad on the mitts for an amateur.

Nate Diaz is a daddy!!!

The 33-year-old UFC superstar and his longtime girlfriend, Misty Brown, welcomed a healthy baby girl at a California hospital on June 6 ... according to public birth records obtained by TMZ Sports.

Nate and Misty -- both from Stockton, CA -- have been together for years. They've been posting photos of each other online ... dating back to 2012.

We're told the baby is happy and healthy, and the families are stoked.

We reached out to Nate's camp for comment -- but a call to the fighter's rep was not returned.

Houston Rockets fans are still so bitter at being knocked out of the playoffs by the Warriors, they've gone to Yelp to take out their frustrations on Ayesha Curry's new Houston restaurant.

Steph Curry's wife is opening International Smoke in Houston in July -- and a bunch of haters have already bombarded the page with anti-Warriors trash talk, as first pointed out by NBA reporter Tomer Azarly.

Some of the highlights ...

-- "Steph is overrated. Klay sucks"

-- "This is absolutely the worst place to go - her husband cheated his way to a championship and now she has the guts to open up a place here??"

-- "Waited 35 mins for water and it tasted like Seth curry tears ! Will never be back ! Can't support this place .. Harden MVP"

-- "Any real rockets fans will NEVER step foot into this place. Disgusting."

-- "Can't believe I logged on here and took time out of my day just to give this 1 star. Go rockets."

As you can imagine, the comments have already been flagged by Yelp -- which is now reviewing the page to take out the fake critics.

Ex-WWE superstar Vader has died ... after a two-year battle with congestive heart failure. He was 63.

Vader's son broke the news on social media, saying, "Around a month ago my father was diagnosed with a severe case of Pneumonia. He fought extremely hard and clinically was making progress. Unfortunately, on Monday night his heart had enough and it was his time."

Vader had undergone open-heart surgery back in March and seemed to be doing well -- but his health took a turn for the worse and he wasn't able to recover.

We spoke with Vader just a few months ago -- right after his surgery -- and he told us he was feeling better and looking forward to getting out of the hospital. He was super nice to us.

Before his wrestling career, Vader -- real name Leon White -- was a football star at the University of Colorado where he was a 2-time All-American offensive lineman.

He was drafted by the Rams in the 3rd round of the 1978 NFL Draft and played in Super Bowl XIV against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

As a pro wrestler, Vader was a huge star globally -- he was a 3-time WCW heavyweight champ. In WWE, he famously battled guys like The Undertaker and Kane.

He also made TV appearances on shows like "Baywatch" and "Boy Meets World."

RIP

Cristiano Ronaldo hasn't officially said he's engaged to baby mama Georgina Rodriguez ... but her diamond ring was doing A LOT of talking at the Portugal game Wednesday in Russia!

There's been a lot of talk CR7 proposed to her back in April -- just months after she gave birth to their daughter, Alana Martina, back in November.

Well, Wednesday at the World Cup ... Georgina flaunted the ring for everyone to see.

Wasn't hard to spot ... the diamond is the size of her knuckle.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo killed it on the pitch ... scoring the only goal to help Portugal defeat Morocco, 1-0.

Talk about a low-key wedding ...

Cleveland Cavs player Larry Nance Jr. got married at an Ohio courthouse Tuesday and the dress code was as casual as it gets -- Yeezy shoes and Lululemon pants!

There's a story here ... the 25-year-old NBA player and his fiancee, Hailey Pince, were celebrating their 4-year anniversary and decided ... why not get married?

So, they hit the courthouse and made it happen!

"No makeup, hair in a quick ugly pony, Larry in some lulu lemon pants and yeezy’s," Hailey said in an IG post.

But this ain't about saving a buck or two ... Hailey says there's a big destination celebration coming down the pike.

"We needed to get the legal marriage done before our destination wedding and today just seemed like the best day to do it! Happy Four Years! Can't wait for our real wedding!"