TMZ Sports - Page 50

Nicki Minaj is going up ... as a Global Ambassador -- yes, that's the actual title for the superstar rapper's new gig with MaximBet, the sports betting platform of Maxim.

The Queen Barb announced her new duties Tuesday ... saying the position includes investing, advising and overall, making sports betting lit within the culture. Maxim's also renowned for its huge celeb events for the Super Bowl and Halloween -- which Nicki also made sure to point out with much enthusiasm.

Maxim also cites Nicki's "disruption" of the typically male-dominated hip hop industry as a reason for nabbing the gig.

With over 191 million followers on Instagram -- making her the most followed rapper -- another 25 mill on Twitter and more than 100 million records sold, hiring Nicki for her star power + influence feels like a no-brainer!

The MaximBet gig will also help launch Nicki's upcoming fifth album (coded "NM5") and next tour.

Nicki's MaximBet come-up mirrors Cardi B's latest bag as Playboy's Creative Director -- who was named to that role in December.

The superstars are lining up to work with Kanye West -- TMZ Sports has learned Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown is the first pro athlete to ever sign with Donda Sports.

As we previously reported, future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald became one of the first big names to go public with his decision to partner with Ye for off-field ventures ... saying it was a "no-brainer" to join forces.

But as it turns out, Brown was way ahead of AD ... becoming the first athlete to ever sign with Donda, we're told.

Sources tell us Ye and Brown have been tight for a while now, but things were made official after West attended the Warriors vs. Celtics game in March.

The signs were there -- the two posed together postgame ... and in fact, Brown was spotted wearing a Donda Sports hoodie while hanging with A$AP Ferg afterwards.

So, why 25-year-old Brown?? We're told Donda eyed the Eastern Conference champ because of his intelligence, social activism and charitable work ... as well as his success on the court.

On top of that, the deal was especially important to Ye because Jaylen is a God-fearing man ... and his mother emphasized the importance of education at a young age, just like Donda.

We're told Ye thinks Brown is underappreciated ... and wants to bring him to "superhero" status during his career and long after his playing days.

New NFL star Aidan Hutchinson ain't the only Hutchinson having a helluva 2022 ... his sister, Aria, just took home the "Miss Michigan" crown!!!

The sibling of the Detroit Lions rookie -- who was taken with the #2 overall pick in last month's NFL draft -- officially earned the title at a ceremony in Michigan on Saturday.

She'll now compete for the title of "Miss USA" later this year.

"Years in the making. Years of discovery, evolution, and dreaming of this moment," Aria wrote of the accomplishment on her social media page on Monday.

"Can't begin to convey my gratitude for everyone who's supported me on this journey. I can't wait to use this title for good, helping and inspiring as many people as possible. What a gift this is!"

At the ceremony over the weekend, the 23-year-old was visibly emotional as she received her tiara ... appearing to well up with tears while she was on the stage.

The moment is just the latest great one for Aidan and Aria ... who, after celebrating Aidan's NFL draft, also celebrated their graduation together from the University of Michigan!

Jerry Jeudy is breathing easier today ... TMZ Sports has confirmed prosecutors are dropping the criminal case against the NFL star.

A spokesperson for the Arapahoe County District Attorney's Office tells us officials formally filed a motion to dismiss all of the charges against the Denver Broncos wideout on Tuesday morning.

The filing comes just three weeks after the 23-year-old was arrested following an incident with the mother of his 1-month-old child.

Jeudy had been accused of withholding property from the woman who officers at the time claimed was trying to leave his presence on May 12 in Arapahoe County. He was booked on charges of 2nd-degree criminal tampering w/a domestic violence enhancer.

Throughout the case, though, Jeudy's attorney -- Harvey Steinberg -- had argued the receiver should have never been arrested. On Tuesday, he celebrated the D.A.'s decision in a statement to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson.

"Nothing rose to the level of a crime," Steinberg said. "I like Jerry and he is a good person and this is a minor bump in the road of what I think will be a sterling career."

Simone Johnson, daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, is kickin' ass and takin' names before ever stepping foot in a WWE ring ... hitting back at "fans" criticizing her wrestling name.

On Sunday, the 20-year-old, who signed with WWE in 2020, announced her pro wrestling name would be "Ava Raine" ... which disappointed some fans.

The trolls came out in full force saying "The Pebble" (sigh) would be a more fitting name -- an obvious play on The Rock's on-camera name.

Well, Simone is already following in her father's footsteps, and was quick with the comebacks, saying, "I beg of you guys to find a new joke. Anything."

She went on ... "I probably sound like a broken record & hopefully this is the last I'll mention this, but I don't understand why people being portrayed as separate individuals from their family name is such a heated topic."

"A name doesn't discredit any prior accomplishments from any family."

It's not easy being the child of a WWE legend such as The Rock -- one of the greatest sports entertainers in the world -- and Simone recognizes she'll be judged harshly no matter what she does.

"I could build my entire career around my father & people would still bash me anyway," Simone tweeted.

Simone is a fourth-generation wrestler. Her grandpa (Rock's dad) was Rocky Johnson, and her great-grandfather, Peter "High Chief" Maivia ... both paved the way for Dwayne.

AEW star Jake Atlas has been hit with a domestic violence charge ... after he allegedly scratched his boyfriend following an argument over a sexual encounter.

According to police documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, Atlas was arrested on May 23 after cops say the 27-year-old wrestler's boyfriend and a witness told them Atlas became very aggressive following a night of drinking.

Police say while Atlas was out at a bar, his boyfriend joined him there ... and say the boyfriend told them the two eventually "went back to a female friend's house to take part in sexual activities."

But, cops say Atlas' boyfriend told them that after he had paid "more attention" to the female than Atlas -- the 5-foot-11, 230-pound athlete became enraged.

In the docs, officers say the boyfriend and a witness told them Atlas started a "huge verbal argument" -- and then tried to attack the boyfriend multiple times.

In his alleged fits of rage, Atlas was accused of scratching his boyfriend and tearing the man's tank top.

Cops say in the docs when they tried to interview Atlas for his side of the story, "he only wished to talk bad about" his boyfriend instead of being cooperative.

Court records show Atlas -- real name Kenny Sanchez Martinez -- was ultimately charged with domestic violence battery, a misdemeanor. The records show he was ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim.

He's due back in court for a hearing in the case in late June.

Atlas -- who is openly gay -- wrestled in the WWE from 2019 to 2021. He went on to wrestle with AEW in late 2021, but suffered a significant knee injury in Jan. 2022 and has not returned to the ring since.

Transgender NCAA swimming champion Lia Thomas is firing back at those claiming her dominance is unfair to biological women ... saying trans athletes will not destroy women's sports.

The University of Penn athlete broke her silence on "Good Morning America" on Tuesday ... saying she knew she'd face backlash once she started competing against women, but no amount of scrutiny would stop her.

"I was prepared for that, but I don't need anyone's permission to be myself and do the sport that I love," she said.

Many have denounced Thomas' participation in women's sports after she finished first in the women's 500-yard freestyle back in March ... with everyone from Caitlyn Jenner to Florida governor Ron DeSantis to Joe Rogan, who called it "an assault on women's sports."

But, Thomas argues that shouldn't be the case ... saying, "Transitioning to get an advantage is not something that ever factors into our decisions."

"Trans women are not a threat to women's sport."

Thomas added, "Trans people don't transition for athletics. We transition to be happy and authentic and our true selves."

Despite the outrage, Thomas -- who started hormone therapy in 2019 -- still plans to compete in the Olympics in the future.

One of the rarest and most coveted Kobe Bryant cards in existence -- the 1997 Skybox Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems #81 -- just hit the auction block ... and could sell for over a million bucks!!

The Bryant card is numbered 60 out of 100 ... making it incredibly rare.

But, what makes this card so special is the fact it's signed by the Black Mamba himself -- likely making it a 1-of-1 -- as no other autographed version has hit the market, as far as we can tell.

Pretty cool to think Kobe held this card and signed it.

The signature was authenticated and graded a Mint 9 by PSA -- one of the premiere graders and authenticators -- before SCP Auctions put it on the block.

The auction believes the card could sell for over $1 million!

It's actually difficult to find PMG cards -- which featured 123 players (all with 100 cards) -- in tip-top shape (let alone ones signed by KB) because of the way they were made. The cards were manufactured using a colored foil that makes them difficult to keep pristine ... as the foil would chip.

The PMGs are incredibly significant among collectors, and look flat-out awesome. And, there are two versions of each card. The first 10 numbered cards are green (Emerald), meanwhile, 11 through 100 are red.

A green Kobe PMG -- not signed -- brought in around $2 million at auction a few months ago, FYI.

The signed card has already been bid on 10 times ... with a high bid of $130K.

Val Chmerkovskiy knows there's a lot going on outside of the crisis in Ukraine ... and he's asking people to do what they can to support his home, while understanding it's not easy.

We got the "Dancing With the Stars" pro at LAX and asked him if he's noticing any Ukraine war fatigue among Americans who raced to help Ukrainians stand up to Vladimir Putin's invasion.

The war's been raging for a few months now, and Val says it's hard for people to stay focused on supporting Ukraine relief efforts ... given all the turmoil and daily struggles that most folks here are dealing with.

Val's got his own foundation building homes for refugees over in Europe ... and he says it's sometimes even hard for him to reach out to his own supporters to rally around Ukraine.

It's an interesting perspective from Val ... he's thankful for all the support so far, and the pledges going forward, but knows lots of folks are struggling to keep their heads above water and understands it's not realistic for everyone to put all their focus on Ukraine.

Chuck Liddell clearly believes Cain Velasquez should be out of jail by now ... telling TMZ Sports a judge needs to give him bond ASAP.

The UFC legend has been locked behind bars since late February -- after he allegedly tried to kill a man who was accused of molesting one of his relatives.

Liddell -- who's been good friends with Velasquez for years -- told us out at LAX this week it's time for that to change ... saying Cain should be let out and able to see his family.

"It's so funny how easy it is to get out -- they're letting all these crazy people out," the Iceman said. "But you have a problem with letting him out? I don't know."

Liddell went on to say, if all of the allegations are true, he doesn't blame Velasquez one bit for it all -- obviously, a big reason why he thinks the 40-year-old should get bond.

"I get it," Chuck said. "In that situation, I get it."

Cain, though, will remain in jail until at least his next hearing on June 10.

Chuck, meanwhile, is pleading with the former fighter to "stay strong" while the case plays out ... saying, "We're here for you. We love you."

A stampede erupted at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn after rumors began to swirl there was an active shooter in the arena.

At least 10 people suffered injuries just after midnight Sunday ... when people began screaming someone was firing shots. It wasn't true, but the crowd didn't know it.

It's unclear how the rumor first started, but it spread like wildfire. A security guard said the rumor was that someone was firing shots outside the arena. That caused people who were leaving the boxing match to make a mad dash back inside, and it became a madhouse.

Naomi Osaka was among those present ... she tweeted, that she heard "shouting and saw people running" and was then told "there was an active shooter and we had to huddle in a room and close the doors," adding, she was "petrified."

Madonna was also there for the championship match between Gervonta Davis and Rolando Romero. It's unclear if she was present during the melee.

One person who was there tweeted, "I watched a person get trampled nearly out cold."

The ten known to be injured were taken to a hospital and according to officials, they suffered only minor injuries.

Kanye West signed one of the greatest football players of all-time, Aaron Donald, to Donda Sports ... and the 7x All-Pro says a cleat collab could be on the way!

The 3x NFL Defensive Player of the Year sat down with Brandon Marshall, Adam "Pacman" Jones and LeSean McCoy for an episode of "I Am Athlete" ... where AD broke the big news he’d inked a deal with Ye’s company.

"It was an opportunity that came to us, me and [my wife], and it made sense. Hearing the whole spectrum of what they were going to be bringing, the whole family atmosphere that they got in Donda Sports. Not just me, but my wife being a part of that. For me it was a no-brainer," Donald told the guys.

"I think it's a helluva opportunity to open up a lot of different doors and a lot of different things outside of football that I wanna be involved in, that I wanna do, that my wife wanna do. So to be a part of that, and be one of the best first athletes to be a part of that, it's pretty dope. We're excited about it, and we're gonna see where this thing goes."

Kanye launched Donda Sports earlier this year.

As for the plan, Brandon asked Aaron if he might release a cleat with Ye.

"Ain't nothing in full circle, but we've been talking. We got a lot of different things that are planned."

But, it's not all business for the men ... Aaron says he hung out with Ye, and West even asked him to be in one of his music videos.

"He cool man. He real cool. A cool dude. Got to talk a little bit. Vibe. Was at one of his video shoots. He actually wanted me to get in one of the videos, but I was like, 'Naw.' I was out my element. But he was cool," Aaron told the guys.

And, Donald made it clear DS isn't a flash in the pan or a fad for West ... it's something Ye is committed to building.

A super-rare item from LeBron James' legendary high school career is about to hit auction -- a basketball signed by the King and his teammates from St. Vincent-St. Mary ... and it could come with a big price tag!!

Of course, James was one of the biggest hoops stars as a high schooler ... and his accolades tell it all -- 2-time Mr. Basketball USA, 2-time Gatorade National Player of the Year, 3-time Ohio Mr. Basketball, McDonald's National Player of the Year and a 2003 national title to top it all off.

Before all that, the squad from LBJ's 2000 season all teamed up and scribbled their Hancocks on a ball ... and anyone who followed LBJ since day one will recognize some names.

Besides LBJ's autograph -- which received an 8/10 grade -- you can see his teammates Dru Joyce, Sian Cotton and others inscribed on the ball.

In fact, right next to James' signature is Maverick Carter ... who is currently business partners with the Lakers superstar and one of the founders of LRMR Ventures.

The ball -- that hits Heritage Auctions on June 4 -- has 11 overall signatures and is expected to sell for over $5k!!

TikTok star, Bryce Hall, will NEVER be friends with Tayler Holder ... so says Bryce, who believes Tayler is guilty of some serious allegations.

We caught Bryce leaving Bradley Martyn's Zoo Culture Gym in Woodland Hills, Tuesday night, and he went off on Tayler Holder and their never-ending beef.

Bryce says Tayler's interview with TMZ was absolute BS, especially when he claimed he didn't know Bryce. He adds, Tayler was actually the undercard for his Professional boxing event and they've collaborated, despite not being friends.

Going forward though ... Bryce makes it clear he would NEVER be friends with Tayler, "after the s*** he's done," referencing rumors about sexual allegations against Holder. He says Tay should worry about the "lawsuits on his name," instead of contacting the media and promoting his music -- which he gave a pretty damning review.

ICYMI, Tayler sat down on "TMZ Verified Podcast" and denied any, and all, sexual assault allegation rumors against him. During the interview, he also claimed he didn't know Bryce.

Camila Cabello put on a great performance before the UEFA Champions League Final this weekend -- pristine in presentation ... but exactly the opposite of what was unfolding outside.

The singer was tapped for the opening ceremony show at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis just north of Paris -- where Real Madrid was facing off against Liverpool in a huge showdown between Europe's best soccer teams ... a must-see match fans were dying to see.

That might even be literal, because tons of prospective gamers were outside the stadium shortly before kickoff -- while Camila was doing her gig -- and desperately trying to get in by any means necessary ... with several of them hopping gates and having run-ins with security.

Some of these videos are absolutely insane -- people are climbing over each other and risking it all just for a chance to get inside. Unclear if these are people who purchased tickets and were turned away, or if they're simply hooligans trying to take it in for free.

At any rate, the cops and security officers on hand weren't having any of it ... pepper spraying people who were trying to rush the gates and who wouldn't back down. There are some reports (and videos) of minors getting tear gassed as well.

Even the cops themselves were trying to wipe the residue from their eyes ... that's how much they fired off, it seems.

As for Camila ... it appears she was completely oblivious to the pandemonium happening just a couple hundred feet from her on the pitch -- and paid it no mind, doing what she was there to do ... sing. Even if she knew what was going on, it's not really her problem.

BTW, she killed it during the show ... performing for a packed stadium and putting on an elaborate spectacle with backup dancers and a grand entrance to set everything off.

While no one is faulting her for continuing on with the ceremony, some are pointing out it's funny that the contrast here is so stark -- and frankly, it is. A lesson learned ... get to your seats early and often. Also, Euro soccer fans are low-key bonkers for the beautiful game.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Tommy Pham has been suspended 3 games for SLAPPING San Francisco Giants slugger Joc Pederson over an alleged fantasy football beef.

Pham, who admitted to reporters in an interview on Saturday he purposely went after Pederson, received the three-game ban for "inappropriate conduct" and was hit with an undisclosed fine.

The incident went down on Friday as the Reds and Giants were preparing to start their series -- Pham approached and slapped Pederson over a dispute stemming from a fantasy football league.

In the video of the alleged incident circulating on social media, Pham appears to walk up to Joc and slap him in the face.

The Giants outfielder spoke candidly about the encounter with Pham after the Reds' 5-1 victory over his club ... saying the whole thing stemmed from Pham accusing him of cheating in the fantasy league they're in together (you can't make this stuff up).

Pederson said the dustup was the first time Pham ran into him ... and claims there was no argument between the two before the slap occurred.

Giants skipper Gabe Kapler -- who announced Friday his decision to skip the national anthem moving forward due to the current state of the country -- refused to comment on the situation between Pham and Pederson.