TMZ Sports - Page 50

Le'Veon Bell is spending his time away from Steelers camp in epic fashion ... turning up with his girlfriend and smackin' a whole lotta butts at a strip club -- and it's all on video.

The Pro Bowl running back is staying away from Pittsburgh practices after he didn't get the contract extension he wanted ... and he's livin' it up in Miami with his GF, Marliesia Ortiz, in the meantime.

The two hit up Rockwell in South Beach on Monday ... where we're told gold bottles of Ace of Spades were flowing to his table all night.

The party didn't stop there ... Bell bounced to a strip club after -- where he got pretty hands-on with some booty ... while Marliesia watched!!

FYI ... Steelers coach Mike Tomlin shaded Bell before his big night out Monday, telling CBS Sports he hopes Le'Veon shows up in better condition than he did after returning from his holdout last season.

Floyd Mayweather says the core of his feud with 50 Cent is that the rapper tried to push out the guy who runs his business ... Al Haymon.

FYI, Al is Floyd's longtime manager -- and Floyd has credited him with having a crucial role in building his near-billion-dollar empire.

So, when Floyd appeared on Complex News and was asked about his beef with 50 -- Mayweather suggested it all began years ago when 50 Cent tried to cut Haymon out of Floyd's business and start his own thing with Mayweather.

Floyd also says 50 publicly claimed Mayweather owed him money -- and clearly that stuck in Floyd's craw.

"I don't owe anyone money."

Mayweather has also taken offense to 50's claim that he's a poser who didn't REALLY buy that famous $18 million diamond watch. He busted it out during the interview to prove 50 wrong.

And, while Floyd had SOME nice things to say about the rapper -- he ripped 50's show, "Power" ... saying this season is "sh*t."

John Cena isn't putting on an act -- he was REALLY in love with Nikka Bella and it "sucks" that she kicked him to the curb ... so says ex-WWE superstar JTG.

"I know John Cena was really in love with her. I've never seen him like that," the former Cryme Tyme tag team member told us while sitting in a Lamborghini in Beverly Hills.

JTG says he's known Cena for a long time -- including during his marriage to ex-wife Elizabeth Huberdeau -- but explains, "I've never seen him head over heels for a female like he was with Nikki."

As we previously reported, the couple decided to end their relationship for good after quasi-attempts at a reconciliation.

JTG also had some kind words for Brian Christopher Lawler -- and tells us why Grandmaster Sexay belongs in the WWE Hall of Fame.

He's not closing the book on his NFL career, but Richie Incognito is already planning for life after football -- telling TMZ Sports he wants to be a politician.

The 35-year-old Pro Bowl lineman joined the guys on the "TMZ Sports" TV show -- and spelled out his career plan after he hangs up the pads for good.

"I'm all about the land of opportunity. I'm about enriching everybody in America. And, you know, hopefully one day run for public office," Incognito said.

"I see myself as a public servant now, now that I'm done playing. I love it. I want to be a politician."

So, what experience does he have?

"I think I'm the president of the HOA now," Richie joked ... "I've written some pretty nasty emails for cars parked in the yard."

As for Richie's NFL future -- Incognito says he's gotten calls from several teams ... but he's still weighing his options.

Ever seen a drunk intervention before? Well, that's kinda what happened Monday night ...

Boxing superstars Adrien Broner and Gervonta Davis were leaving Ace of Diamonds in L.A. after balling out in the club ... when AB decided to deliver a message to Floyd Mayweather and 50 Cent.

"Floyd and 50 ... y'all on some bitch ass sh*t," Broner said.

"Y'all some bitch ass n****s. Y'all gotta stop that man. Y'all brothers. I'm mad as f*ck y'all doing that in public."

Broner's friends with both guys and says he's sick of watching them feud over Instagram. Broner also says if he and Davis can bury the hatchet, then 50 and Floyd can make peace too.

Conor McGregor says he's very close to finalizing the deal to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018 -- and he's bragging that he's already in fighting shape.

The UFC superstar was wrapping up his workout in NYC Monday when he updated Adam Glyn on fight negotiations with Khabib -- a fight expected to go down in October.

Conor raved about how much he loved the city of New York -- in the wake of his plea deal in his bus attack case -- but says the fight will most likely take place in Vegas ... not Madison Square Garden.

There's more ... McGregor also praised his former opponent, José Aldo, for his victory against Jeremy Stephens this weekend. Remeber, McGregor seemed to break Aldo's spirit with that legendary 13-second KO in 2015.

He even says ... "the whole [nation] of Ireland was happy for José Aldo that night."

McGregor hasn't fought in the Octagon since his victory over Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 which, at this point, seems like an eternity ago. Of course, he fought Floyd Mayweather last year.

As for his claim to being in great shape ... just check out his human being squats in the park. Yeah, we believe him.

LeBron James says Donald Trump is using sports to create a racial divide in America ... and he won't sit back quietly anymore.

"What I've noticed over the last few months that he's kinda used sport to kinda divide us, and that's something that I can't relate to," James told CNN's Don Lemon at the opening of his I Promise school in Akron, Ohio.

It seems James is referencing Trump's stance on the national anthem demonstrations in the NFL -- the President has suggested firing any player who takes a knee during "The Star-Spangled Banner."

But, James says sports shouldn't divide people -- it should bring people of all races and backgrounds together.

"Sports was the first time I was ever around someone white. I got an opportunity to see them and learn about them, and they got the opportunity to learn about me and we became very good friends and I was like, ‘Oh wow, this is all because of sports.'”

Of course, LeBron has been very critical of Trump in the past -- even calling him a clown.

No tweet from Trump yet ... but guessing that's just a matter of time.

Conor McGregor took his Monday workout to the next level -- throwing a grown ass man on his back for a set of squats in Central Park ... and TMZ Sports has the footage.

The UFC superstar is still out in NYC after his court hearing last week in which he agreed to a plea deal in his bus attack case that will keep him out of jail.

So, what's Conor doing with his free time? Seems to be prepping for his next fight ... with a grueling workout all over the city.

After the squats, Conor knocked out some ab work before going on a run -- dude looks to be in pretty solid shape.

Dwight Howard was the one player Washington had to have in order to make a serious run in the East ... so says Wizards forward Otto Porter, who tells TMZ Sports, "He's definitely a piece that we need."

We got Otto at Reagan National Airport when he explained to us why D12 is going to help him, John Wall and the rest of the Wizards finally make a deep postseason push this year.

"We need a big, especially the type of style that we play," Porter says. "Going up and down, playing inside out. I think he's going to be definitely key for our success this year."

Otto also tells us LeBron heading to the Lakers won't hurt Washington's odds ... and, in fact, he sounded downright confident about them now that LBJ's in L.A.

Ex-NFL quarterback Christian Ponder and his wife, ESPN host Samantha Ponder, say their newborn is home and recovering after undergoing emergency surgery just days after she was born.

Sam -- who hosts ESPN's "Sunday NFL Countdown" -- said their daughter, Price, "ended up in emergency surgery in the middle of the night" after a series of "terrifying and sudden events."

"We were short on time and frankly, in shock," Ponder wrote on social media.

Ponder didn't specify the details surrounding the medical emergency -- but says the surgery was a success and now Price is at home and recovering.

"Her recovery in the #NICU was nothing short of miraculous for a tiny body that had just undergone such trauma."

Austin Rivers can't imagine how hard it'll be for Bronny James to grow up as LeBron's son ... but he's offering advice, telling TMZ Sports, "Just focus on being the best him he can be."

We got Austin -- who lived in Doc's shadow his whole life -- at LAX, when we had to ask ... how is it really going to be for LBJ Jr. to grow up as a famous NBA son in the basketball world??

Rivers doesn't sugarcoat it ... saying it's going to be brutal.

But -- A.R.'s got a blueprint for Bronny to follow.

"Don't focus on trying to be LeBron James," Rivers says. "I didn't focus on trying to be Doc. I just tried to be myself."

Austin seems to think Bronny's got a huge future regardless ... dishing out praise for what he's seen from the King's kid so far -- including giving a high grade for his first-ever dunk.

Ex-Seattle Seahawks star Brandon Browner hit an L.A. courtroom on Monday in a different uniform than he's used to wearing -- an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs ... and TMZ Sports has the video.

Browner was in court to be arraigned on an attempted murder charge stemming from a July 8 incident in which he allegedly dragged and smothered his ex-GF in front of her 2 children.

The 6'4", 220 pound Super Bowl champ was walked into the courtroom in handcuffs -- and didn't say much during the hearing. He did plead not guilty to the attempted murder charge.

If convicted, the 33-year-old cornerback faces up to life in prison.

Nikki Bella and John Cena are officially donzo, and that's not based on her reality show ... that's what they're telling friends in real life.

Sources close to the former couple tell TMZ ... the exes are telling friends their on-again-off-again relationship has finally gone kaput because they've grown apart ... figuratively and quite literally.

Remember, while Nikki was filming "Total Bellas," John was tied up in China ... and that distance further fractured their already-teetering relationship.

Our Nikki sources say she also realized while watching Sunday's finale of 'TB' how unhappy she was and hated the feeling of being confused and living in a gray area. Watching that high level of uncertainty reminded her why she ultimately chose not to walk down the aisle with John, despite his pleas.

We're told Nikki doesn't regret her decision, but dating someone new is the LAST thing on her mind. She's now focusing on her career. We broke the story ... Nikki's moving out of John's place and finding her own spot.

Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury heard all the unkind things Baker Mayfield said about him on his new docuseries -- and now, he's got some quotes of his own for his former QB.

As we previously reported, Mayfield said Kingsbury treated him GREAT at TT during his freshman year ... only to kick him to the curb when he suffered a knee injury during a game against Kansas.

Both Baker and his father went in on Kingsbury during the FOX Sports series 'All The Way Up' -- and said the final straw was when TT refused to offer him a scholarship, despite racking up 5 wins as a walk-on.

We reached out to Kingsbury for comment and he told us:

"I’ve always been a huge fan of Baker and loved working with him. He had an incredible career at Oklahoma, and I wish him nothing but continued success as he begins his NFL career."

Trae Young bought a new car ... and as the NBA's newest star -- he spared no expense on the whip -- dropping over $138k on it!!

The Atlanta Hawks' top draft pick showed off the ride -- an Audi R8 -- over the weekend ... as it arrived to pick him up from the airport with his folks.

"My First Purchased Car for myself is here!!!" Trae wrote on social media. "My parents Surprised me with it. #Blessed!!"

It's matte black ... and with all the bells and whistles on it -- it could have cost him over $200,000.

Not that the price tag worries the 19-year-old ... the #5 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft just signed a contract with the Hawks that guarantees $11.6 MILLION over the first 2 years.

"As one of the most famous athletes in the country, Mr. Beckham presents an enticing target for shakedown artists."

That's how Odell Beckham has opened his new lawsuit against a man allegedly trying to extort the NFL star for $1 MILLION.

Beckham is suing Ishmael Temple -- who claims Odell is responsible for a brutal 2017 attack at Beckham's Beverly Hills home that left him with serious injuries to his face. Temple says the men who beat him up were working for Odell at the time and the NFL star did nothing to stop it.

But, Odell claims Temple is full of crap -- and, in new court docs, claims Temple and his attorney were only after a huge payday ... and threatened to ruin Odell's reputation by leaking salacious allegations about him to the media if he didn't pony up.

Beckham claims Temple initially demanded a $999,999 settlement -- but then lowered the asking price to $225k.

"Suffice it to say, Mr. Beckham refused to be extorted," the lawsuit claims.