TMZ Sports - Page 50

The gang member who murdered Yetunde Price -- the half-sister of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams -- is now a free man after serving 12 years in prison.

Robert Maxfield was convicted of killing Price in 2003 in a drive-by shooting in Compton, and was sentenced to 15 years behind bars for voluntary manslaughter in 2006. According to Daily Mail, he's been released on parole 3 years early for good behavior.

The Williams sisters were close to their older sister, who served as their part-time personal assistant as their careers were taking off.

Yetunde was in the passenger seat of her boyfriend's car when she was hit by a bullet from Maxfield, and she died instantly. Cops said her BF was the intended target.

Steph Curry's 4-week-old baby is already enjoying the finer things in life -- the NBA superstar and his wife, Ayesha, brought the kid to Nobu in Malibu on Monday ... for some of the most expensive food in town!

Baby Canon W. Jack Curry was born on July 2 -- about 4 weeks before his due date -- so to celebrate his (almost) 1-month birthday, the Currys took a family field trip to the best sushi joint on the beach.

Canon is the couple's 3rd kid -- they have two daughters, Riley and Ryan. The girls didn't make the dinner date this time around.

Nastia Liukin didn't seem too upset to hear convicted child molester Larry Nassar was attacked in prison by another inmate ... telling TMZ Sports that was "karma."

The ex-Team USA gymnast -- who's friends with several Nassar victims including McKayla Maroney and Aly Raisman -- found justice in Larry's prison assault ... shrugging her shoulders at the news.

FYI ... HBO just picked up the rights to a Nassar documentary that will unveil what female gymnasts had to endure at the hands of the team doctor ... and Liukin tells us she'll watch to support her friends and former teammates.

Ted Cruz believes the NFL has mishandled the national anthem controversy in a big way -- and tells TMZ Sports it's football fans who are ultimately losing out.

"I will say, I think the NFL did itself a lot of harm last year," the Republican senator from Texas told us at Reagan Airport in D.C.

"An awful lot of their fans, folks who go to games and like to cheer on football, found themselves thrust in the middle of politics."

He added ... "People ought to be able to enjoy football without it being turned into a political statement that many understandably see as a slight to our flag and to the many people who stood up and fought to defend our country."

Cruz has previously supported Colin Kaepernick's right to protest -- but does not support taking a knee during the anthem.

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.