TMZ Sports - Page 50

12:45 PM PT -- Bird released a statement apologizing for the incident, saying, "I'm taking some time away from the team as I deal with my legal and medical issues. I apologize to my family, the Celtics organization, my teammates, the fans and the NBA for the unnecessary distraction that I have caused."

"The information that has been released does not tell the full story. I do not condone violence against women. I am hopeful that in due time and process, I will be able to regain everyone's trust."

Boston Celtics guard Jabari Bird choked out his girlfriend so badly during a Sept. 7 incident that she lost consciousness ... according to prosecutors.

24-year-old Bird appeared in court in Boston on Thursday where prosecutors laid out the case against him ... and the allegations are horrifying. WBZ-TV's Beth Germano got a photo of Bird in court.

Officials say the alleged victim claims Bird terrorized her for 4 hours at his Brighton apartment -- where she tried to get away from the NBA player by hiding under her bed and locking herself in her bathroom.

During the alleged altercation, the woman claims Bird strangled her at least 12 times.

She claims she tried to escape, but Bird grabbed her by the ankles and dragged her away from the door.

Officials say Bird appeared to be having "seizure-like" symptoms during the end of the attack -- and that's how she was able to leave.

Afterward, she claims Bird texted her that he would kill himself if she didn't return to the apartment.

He was eventually arrested for assault and battery, strangulation and kidnapping.

Bail was set at $50,000 -- and he's been ordered to pay in cash, as that's all the court accepts.

We spoke with the Suffolk D.A., Dan Conley, who tells us, "Anyone living in fear of domestic violence can count on our office for a safe, supportive, victim-centered environment."

"As this case illustrates, a trusted figure in a survivor’s life can make disclosing abuse to law enforcement easier."

It's only been 5 months since a gunman opened fire on Floyd Mayweather's entourage in Atlanta -- wounding his bodyguard -- but cops now tell TMZ Sports the case has essentially gone cold.

No arrests. No suspects. No leads.

As we previously reported, Floyd and his entourage were returning to the Intercontinental hotel in Buckhead around 3 AM on April 9 when someone sprayed at least 12 shots at one of the sprinter vans in the caravan.

Floyd's bodyguard, Greg La Rosa, was shot in the leg and was rushed to the hospital. Miraculously, none of the other 6 people inside the sprinter van were hit.

In the wake of the shooting, cops said it appeared Floyd's crew was specifically targeted -- though it's unclear if the shooter was trying to kill Floyd.

Now, the Atlanta PD tells TMZ Sports ... "Investigators have followed up on all available leads, met with the victim, and attempted to locate video."

"Unfortunately, we have not been able to identify any suspects in this case."

Cops are still encouraging people with information to come forward.

As for Greg, he tells us ... the recovery is going very well and he expects to be 100%.

With a nickname like Brisk, you gotta look the part ... and that's exactly what Chris McCullough did ... droppin' a ton of cash for his new chain -- a Lipton Brisk Iced Tea can!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 2015 1st-round pick wanted something that would symbolize his unique nickname, so he hit up Moses the Jeweler in NYC to hook him up with the one-of-a-kind piece.

We're told the piece -- which is made with 14k white gold and heart and arrow cut diamonds -- took about 6 MONTHS to complete due to all the details.

BTW -- Moses is the same dude who made a $150k gold chain of Larry David's face for producer and manager David Weintraub.

So naturally, his stuff ain't gonna come cheap. We're told Brisk dropped $100k for the piece.

Now, that's icy.

Is it possible for bikini models to get fired for being TOO SEXY?!?!

Apparently, yes -- according to two former Tecate girls who claim they got axed out of working the Canelo vs. GGG rematch because they made a video that was deemed too hot for the beer brand.

Meet Kayla Fitz and Dessie Mitcheson -- two ridiculously attractive models who had worked GGG vs. Canelo events in the past ... and spent time with both fighters.

The women say they teamed up with famed director Chris Applebaum and made a scorching hot mini-movie -- wearing bikinis and drinking Tecate -- but it didn't go over well with their bosses.

"They said it was too sexy," Dessie told TMZ Sports at the Ignite Cannabis Launch Party.

"It looked too much like a commercial. No one was paid for it and we got fired. I actually got physically pulled off the stage during weigh-ins and we got canned."

Jimmy Butler has made more than $60 MILLION in his NBA career -- and will most likely sign another $100 MILLION contract soon.

The guy can clearly afford to drive whatever fancy car he desires -- especially when dining in Beverly Hills.

But, there was no Ferrari. Or Bugatti. Or even a BMW. On Wednesday afternoon, Butler was behind the wheel of a minivan ... and damn proud of it.

The Minnesota Timberwolves star was leaving Il Pastaio -- one of the fanciest restaurants in town -- when he told us he needed to get to his car ... a 2017 Toyota Sienna, which starts at $29k.

It's the perfect car for a family -- or even just a couple big dudes getting lunch ... which seemed to be the case for Butler.

We tried to ask about his recent interaction with Iggy Azalea -- and if they're actually dating or not -- but he was laser-focused on his minivan.

That Erin Andrews can let the dogs out is a mini-miracle ... and the wizard behind that magic is Cesar Millan.

We got the "NFL on FOX" star reporter Wednesday at LAX and had to ask about calling in the Dog Whisperer of all Dog Whisperers. Seems her pooch, Howard the Golden Retriever, had some issues with leash aggression.

Cesar's been working with Howard for a few weeks now and as Erin tells it ... the good boy's not the only one in need of some dog training.

School's also in session for beloved dog owners ... like her and hubby Jarret Stoll. Check it out ... Erin can't get enough of Cesar ... praising the hell outta the guy.

Oscar De La Hoya just got his first MAJOR political endorsement -- with former Mexico president Vicente Fox telling TMZ Sports, "I'm with you all the way!!!"

"Breaking news! Oscar De La Hoya is running for President of the United States. Bravo Oscar! You will make it," Fox told us.

Technically, Oscar isn't running yet -- but he told TMZ earlier this week he was putting together an exploratory team to see if he could get enough support to make a serious run for the White House in 2020.

Enter Fox -- who was President of Mexico from 2000 to 2006 -- who strongly believes Oscar is the right man for the job.

"You are honored and respected all over the world. You are well known in California, supported by all which you've done. You are a fighter. You are a warrior. You do fight for human rights. You do protect and fight for Hispanics and Mexican Americans rights in the United States ... that's you, Oscar."

"I'm with you all the way. You will make it ... President or 'Future President of the United States.' Fight. Win. That country needs people like you."

Not everyone has been as supportive, with Eric Holder and Jim Gray scoffing at the idea of President De La Hoya.

But, Oscar insists he's serious ... and this might be just the support he needs to get things going.

Good luck!

Ric Flair is now a MARRIED jet-flying, kiss-stealing, wheelin’ 'n’ dealin’ son of a gun!!!!!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

TMZ Sports has learned the wrestling legend tied the knot with longtime fiancee Wendy Barlow on Wednesday at a dope resort in Rosemary Beach, Florida.

We're told it was a low-key deal ... but The Undertaker, Charlotte Flair and Dennis Rodman were there and, for some reason, Dolph Ziggler walked Wendy down the aisle.

The wedding is Ric's fifth -- but he and Barlow have been dating for over six years ... and have known each other since she worked as Fifi the Maid in Flair's WCW days.

Flair credits Barlow with sticking by his side -- and helping save his life -- after nearly dying last August.

Remember, Flair was hospitalized for several weeks after his intestine ruptured ... and had to be placed in a medically induced coma for 11 days. He was in critical condition and on the verge of dying.

A year later ... Flair strolled down the aisle to Migos' "Ric Flair Drip" ... and, in case you were wondering ... we're told The Nature Boy DID rock a custom suit.

Congrats!!

TMZ Sports has obtained Richie Incognito's arrest video -- showing cops running up on the NFL lineman after he allegedly threatened to shoot staffers at an Arizona funeral home in the wake of his dad's death.

It all went down on August 20 -- the footage begins with a staffer telling cops Incognito was bullying people in the mortuary and "threatened one of our funeral directors."

When cops entered the place, Richie was already face down on the floor -- and attempting to cooperate with police. But, things got very weird a short time later.

One cop told Incognito, "Don't do anything stupid, okay? Put your hands behind your back."

Richie was adamant he did nothing wrong and didn't threaten anyone -- but there are super bizarre moments in the full 50-minute footage where Incognito seems totally out of it and contradicts himself several times.

He goes from totally calm and lucid to angry and screaming in a matter of seconds -- before returning back to calm and friendly.

He tells cops he's not on meds -- and then tells them he is. He says he's never been arrested before and then tells cops he's been arrested several times.

Richie also says he didn't cause any trouble but admits he's been emotional over the death of his father.

Scottsdale PD couldn't have been nicer to Richie -- keeping him calm, getting him water and getting a large van to transport him to jail because he wouldn't fit in the standard squad car.

They even said a prayer over him while he was in handcuffs.

Richie told police he had guns in his truck -- which officials later found and confiscated.

Here's Tim Tebow hittin' the Big Apple with a woman whose looks are out of this world ... and she also just happens to be his girlfriend.

The minor league baseball superstar and Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters -- Miss Universe 2017 -- were spotted out in New York on Wednesday ... fresh off the couple officially meeting each others' parents earlier this week.

The big meetup appears to still be going on ... with Tim and Demi-Leigh's parents joining them on their day out in the city.

Tim first acknowledged the relationship with the 23-year-old to ESPN back in July ... saying "She is a really special girl and I am very lucky and blessed for her coming into my life."

Things sure looked pretty G-rated for the couple on Wednesday, though ... no PDA at all.

But, meeting the parents is a big step for the couple ... soooooo, engagement coming soon?

Stay tuned ...

He's the fastest man on Earth ... but how would Usain Bolt do in space!??

You're about to find out ...

The Olympic legend boarded a special Airbus Zero G plane, which simulates what it's like to be in zero gravity ... and challenged 2 of his fellow passengers to a foot race.

The challengers? French astronaut Jean-Francois Clervoy (in the blue flight suit) and CEO of Novespace and French Interior designer Octave de Gaulle (in the black).

The guys definitely gave Bolt a run for his money in the first leg of the race, but Usain turned up the heat and crushed 'em when it counted.

And, how'd he celebrate? Usain didn't bust out his signature "Bolt" gesture -- instead, he popped some fancy Mumm Grand Cordon Stellar (fun fact: de Gaulle designed the fancy bottle).

The bottle was reportedly designed for use by future space tourists -- apparently, it's easier to chug from this bottle in zero gravity.

So, if you save up ... a lot ... you can (maybe) test it out one day.

Good luck.

Don Cheadle isn't buying the Herald Sun's explanation for its Serena Williams cartoon one bit ... telling TMZ Sports the newspaper DEFINITELY knows the drawing is racist as hell.

"I don't believe them," the 'Avengers' actor says.

"They have their own history of racism -- they know what that cartoon means."

The paper doubled down on Mark Knight's drawing -- the one depicting Serena with exaggerated lips, hair and nose after her U.S. Open outburst -- reprinting the piece Wednesday and claiming the world is too sensitive.

Cheadle couldn't believe it when we got him out at LAX ... saying he sees no humor or satire in the "art" at all.

"It's incredibly tone deaf," he says.

Rev. Jesse Jackson has a message for all the Colin Kaepernick haters -- Tim Tebow took a knee too ... and nobody had a problem with that!

We got Jesse leaving Reagan International Airport this week when he used the ex-Heisman Trophy winner to explain what he believes is the hypocrisy surrounding the outrage directed at Kaepernick.

"It's interesting that when Tim Tebow took a knee, it was accepted," Jesse tells TMZ Sports.

"Kaepernick takes a knee and he's rejected. Both of them took a knee in protest of what they believed in. One was religion. One was for justice. Okay."

Remember ... Tim used to take knees prior to every game -- albeit not DURING the national anthem -- and it was so widely praised, a social media meme came of it.

The Colin Kaepernick haters will have to address him as a Hall of Famer now ... 'cause the ex-NFL superstar is going into his old high school's HOF in November!!

Pitman High School -- the Turlock, Calif. program Colin beasted for in football, basketball and baseball -- announced it's giving Kaep its highest honor on Nov. 3.

“Colin was chosen, like all the others, for their contribution to the history of athletes here at Pitman,” the school's A.D., Dave Wells, tells KCRA.

“Of course, he was an outstanding athlete and a three-sport star.”

It's sure to ruffle some feathers -- given anything involving Kaep since he knelt during the national anthem does -- but a former Turlock mayor says none of that minimizes what he did for the H.S.

"Colin Kaepernick still has much respect,” says John Lazar, who also once gave Kaep a key to the city of Turlock.

“Although citizens differ on his approach, he is still a proud son of Turlock.”

FYI ... Colin led his high school to its first-ever playoff win as a senior -- AND was nominated as an All-State player in hoops, football and baseball that same year.

Check out some of his high school highlights -- dude was HUGE!!

Oscar De La Hoya has zero intentions to run for president and is only claiming he's serious about a campaign to try to drum up interest in his GGG-Canelo fight ... so says Jim Gray.

We broke the story ... ODLH told us he's really exploring the idea of becoming president one day because he wants to have a bigger platform to use his voice.

When we got Gray -- a Showtime boxing host -- out at LAX and asked about Oscar's potential candidacy ... Gray was hardly buying it.

"Really? Come on," Gray tells us.

"I think he's trying to promote his fight. I think his fight may not be doing as well as he's hoping. So, he's trying to bring attention. So, what better way to get attention than to say, 'I want to run for president?'"

You be the judge ... does this sound like a man who's lying?!

To the left, to the left ... there's Jerry Jones sitting in a box to the left -- OF DEZ BRYANT!!!!

No, this isn't some old pic taken during happier times -- this was shot at the Beyonce concert at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on TUESDAY NIGHT!!!

Dez and the Cowboys owner were sitting in the same VIP box at AT&T Stadium (aka Jerry World) and the two looked to be on good terms.

Interesting, considering the Cowboys released Dez back in April and there's definitely been some animosity between the WR and the organization ever since.

So, we reached out to Dez to find out if he's squashed the beef with his former boss and he told us, "Me and Jerry was never on bad terms."

We also asked if there was a chance that he could sign a new contract with the Cowboys and return to his old squad ... but that's when Dez went radio silent on us.

Of course, the Cowboys could use a playmaker right now -- the offense looked pretty bad over the weekend.

Is this the first step toward a reunion? Stay tuned ...