TMZ Sports - Page 50

J.R. Smith has no clue why Damian Lillard won't leave the Trail Blazers ... saying this week he believes the NBA superstar should bounce from Portland and chase rings somewhere else.

"Like, I love Dame," Smith said on the upcoming episode of Fubo Sports Network's "No Chill with Gilbert Arenas." "I love his game. I respect him for doing what he's doing. But at the same time, it's like, you just going to rot in Portland, bro?"

Lillard has been a Trail Blazer since the org. took him in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft -- and he's thrived there, making six All-Star games while averaging 24.6 points per game.

But, deep runs in the playoffs have been few and far between -- notably because his supporting cast hasn't been great. And, Smith -- along with Gilbert Arenas -- clearly believes it's time for the 32-year-old to go find a new team that'll give him the proper help he needs to win a Larry O'Brien Trophy.

"I'm trying to win, bro," said Smith, a two-time NBA champ.

Arenas added that he believes a lack of rings will hurt Lillard when it comes to the nation's conversation about his legacy.

"The people you put in front of me are not even close to my stature," Arenas said, "but because they got a ring, they get pushed in front of me."

Lillard, though, doesn't appear to have any desire to bolt from the Pacific Northwest -- he just signed another extension with the Trail Blazers earlier this month, committing to the team through the 2026-27 season.

A cop forcefully grabbed Green Bay Packers star AJ Dillon and shoved him in the back during a soccer game at Lambeau Field this weekend ... and now, police say they've launched an internal review into the matter.

The incident happened on Saturday -- when during a weather delay at the Manchester City vs. FC Bayern match, Dillon hopped down onto the field in order to rile up fans in attendance.

According to Dillon, two security guards gave him permission to be on the field, and even helped him get down from his seat "so I could do a lambeau leap and hype up the crowd."

But, videos show one cop apparently didn't get that message -- and got physical with the tailback as he was preparing to jump over the wall behind one of the end zones.

The cop eventually let go of the 24-year-old -- who later said despite the aggressive nature of the interaction, he wasn't upset about it at all.

"Just miscommunication between parties," Dillon wrote on his Twitter page on Sunday. "The @GBPolice are great people and I’m glad we have them down there for our games to keep us safe. Standing there in the pouring rain with all those people it’s hard to know what’s going on with just one. All good."

A spokesperson for the Green Bay Police Dept. tells TMZ Sports ... "It is clear that there was a miscommunication between the Officer and Mr. Dillon."

"The Green Bay Police Department appreciates the perspective and supportive words from Mr. Dillon. The Green Bay Police Department Professional Standards/Internal Affairs Division has initiated a review of this incident."

Charles Barkley is naming his price in order to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour ... saying he'd hop on board if they offer him a whopping $60 million!!

The NBA legend addressed the org.'s reported interest in bringing him on as a commentator with the "Dan Patrick Show" on Monday ... saying he's more than happy with his current situation with TNT, but a certain number would get him to sign on the dotted line with LIV.

"Well, consider how much money I make now, it would take a really huge number for me to give up my life right now," Barkley told Patrick.

While Barkley didn't want to go into details about his current income, Patrick threw out a number -- $20 milli total between TNT and endorsements -- and Chuck admitted the guess was pretty spot-on.

Dan asked Chuck how he'd respond if LIV decided to triple his income ... and it's safe to say Barkley wouldn't be able to decline such a lucrative offer.

"If they triple it, and next time I'm on your show, the first question better be, 'Charles, where we celebrating at tonight?'" Barkley said.

"That should be your first question, that should be your first question if they triple what I'm making now. Your first question should be, 'Hey, Charles, where's the party tonight?'"

Barkley also said despite all the backlash surrounding the tour, he has no issue with guys like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Brooks Koepka leaving the PGA tour for LIV ... 'cause at the end of the day, money talks.

"150 million dollars to play golf 15 times a year? I have no problem with those guys taking that money."

Former Los Angeles Lakers F Slava Medvedenko is selling his two NBA championship rings from '01 and '02 ... and it's all to raise money for his home country, Ukraine, as the war continues to rage on in the country.

The rings, on the block at SCP Auctions through August 5, are expected to sell for at least $100K total, and 100% of the money from the sale will go to Slava's Fly High Foundation.

The foundation aims to support Ukrainian children by repairing sports in schools in areas that have been hit the hardest by the war, According to the Associated Press.

Medvedenko says he plans to use the money from the sale of the rings, which he earned playing alongside Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, to repair or rebuild fitness centers destroyed by missiles, bombs, and artillery fired by Vladimir Putin's military.

“We want to restore gyms because the Russian army bombed more than a hundred schools,” Medvedenko told The AP during a phone interview.

“Our country, they need a lot of money to fix the schools. Sports gyms are going to be last in the line to fix it. In Ukraine, we have winter, and kids need to play inside.”

Slava -- who spent 7 seasons in the NBA -- says he felt compelled to help after witnessing firsthand Russian rockets flying through the night sky as the former Laker watched from a Kyiv rooftop.

“In this moment, I just decided, ‘Why do I need these rings if they’re just sitting in my safe?’” Medvedenko said. “I just recognize I can die."

"After that, I just say I have to sell them to show people leadership, to help my Ukrainian people to live better, to help kids."

Despite having no military background, the 43-year-old, 6'10" ex-hooper -- equipped with his binoculars and AK-47 -- has served in Ukraine's territorial defense during the war.

As Medvedenko continues to help Ukraine during the war with Russia, he's already plotting how he can use sports to restore some normalcy and return prosperity to his war-torn country.

Adrian Peterson's big boxing match against Le'Veon Bell is postponed, but the NFL star is clearly keeping focused on the fight by training like crazy in the gym -- and TMZ Sports has the footage.

We broke the story -- AP and Bell's battle of the running backs scheduled for July 30 has been pushed to early September ... after issues with the main event between Austin McBroom and AnEsonGib.

But, AP didn't see the announcement as an opportunity to take a day off -- instead, he hit up his gym in Texas and worked on his game on Friday.

In the video (shot by Fanfield NFT), AP hits the mitts with a trainer and takes a few shots at the bag without gloves during an intense workout ... and the dude looks solid.

The AP vs. Bell fight is one of the more interesting matchups on the Social Gloves card ... as the 30-year-old former Steelers and Jets star has expressed his desire to switch to boxing full-time, and 37-year-old Peterson is still in the NFL.

"Happy Birthday to MY MAN MY MAN MY MAN MY MAN 🖤🖤🖤"

WNBA star Te'a Cooper showered Alvin Kamara with all kinds of sweet compliments for his 27th birthday on Monday ... penning an adorable love note to the New Orleans Saints halfback on her social media page.

The former L.A. Sparks guard shared the message with a bunch of photos of the NFL star -- and included a video of their romance as well.

"@alvinkamara today Is all about you 🥺🖤," Cooper said on Monday.

"What I love most about you is your selfless heart, courageous spirit, & loyalty. I don’t just love you I respect you."

FYI, Cooper -- who previously dated NBA star Dwight Howard -- went IG official with Kamara in 2021 ... and they've been inseparable since, taking a Paris vacation together while also getting in workouts together in the gym.

"Every day we celebrate each other," the 25-year-old hooper said. "BUT TODAY IS THE DAY THE REALEST WAS BORN AND IT IS ALL ABOUT YOU! Alexa play: CATER TO YOU AND DIM THE LIGHTS."

Kamara enjoyed the bday post ... writing in the comment section, "Thank you mama. Love you ♥️"

The couple will only have a few days to celebrate -- Kamara, a five-time Pro Bowler, is heading off to Saints' training camp on July 30.

Chess is supposed to be a non-contact game, but a boy in Russia find out differently when a competing robot crushed his finger during a tournament.

The boy was matched up against a bionic arm in the Moscow Chess Open when he moved one of his pieces, but didn't wait for the robot to respond. As he tried to make another move, the contraption simultaneously reacted and grabbed the boy's finger, squeezing it until the bone shattered.

Surveillance video captured the scary moment as people rushed to the boy's aid, managing to release him from the machine's grip and escorting him away.

Moscow Chess Federation President Sergey Lazarev told Tass media the boy's finger was broken and put in a cast, but he got back in the game the next day!

Lazarev added, “The robot was rented by us, it has been exhibited in many places by specialists for a long time. Apparently, the operators overlooked some flaws."

John Metchie III -- one of the Houston Texans' second-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft -- has been diagnosed with Leukemia ... and will likely miss the entire season while fighting the cancer.

The 22-year-old announced the news on Sunday ... saying doctors have thankfully described it as "the most curable form of Leukemia."

"I am currently receiving great medical care, am in good spirits and I expect to make a recovery at a later point in time," Metchie III added.

The receiver -- who played a huge role for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide the past two years -- said he will almost certainly have to sit out his rookie season in order to recover.

"My main focus will be on my health and recovery," he said. "Thank you in advance for your support and well-wishes. I cannot wait to come back stronger than ever. God bless."

Metchie III -- who piled up 2,081 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns the last two years at Alabama -- was expected to be a key contributor for the Texans after being selected with the No. 44 overall pick in April.

Byron Scott believes Shaquille O'Neal's son, Shareef, can still have a future in the NBA despite having a rough go in Summer League ... telling TMZ Sports the talent is there, but the 22-year-old still has little things he needs to work on in his game.

We spoke with the former Lakers head coach out at LAX this week ... and he was very candid about what he saw from Shareef, sharing what he believes is the biggest reason the former UCLA and LSU product has struggled to find success playing pro ball this summer.

"I think he looked a little bit out of place,” Scott said. "He wasn’t ready. I think he still has a little ways to go. I think the talent is there. Obviously, the athleticism is there."

"It’s just some other little things he has to tweak. But Scotty Pippen Jr. looked really good," he continued.

Shareef and Scotty have been linked together all summer -- considering they are both sons of Hall of Famers and were both signed to the Lakers -- but Byron thinks Scotty is ahead in his development, thanks to the time he spent in college.

"Again, it goes back to showing you four years of school compared to a guy that just went a year or whatever the case may be is a big difference," Byron said.

"Scotty is NBA ready."

Byron believes anybody overtly critical of Shareef's performance needs to remember that he's overcoming heart surgery ... and is still trying to find his way back physically.

"You should take that into consideration," Byron said. "The fact that he’s not where everybody thinks he should be at this particular point is because of some of the medical conditions that he’s had to deal with."

"And he’s still young. Give 'em a chance!"

Gregg Popovich gave a speech at Jay-Z's social justice summit this weekend -- once again making his positions on the issue crystal clear in a rousing speech.

The Spurs coach was in NYC Saturday, where Roc Nation was hosting the event and honoring attorney Barry Scheck with an award for his work on the Innocence Project ... which helps exonerate wrongly-convicted people in the country.

Watch Pop's address here ... he sounds as passionate as he usually does when talking about this sort of thing. He talks about what he sees as the state of America and its persistent racism -- something he says he knew always existed, but never to the extent that's been revealed through RN's or Scheck's advocacy.

He goes on to praise the Innocence Project for the number of individuals they've been able to get out of prison -- upwards of 375, he says -- which got a round of applause.

It's an important matter, and it's cool to see GP so fired up about it. You can tell this stuff is top of mind for him these days -- that is, when he's not in the middle of a game.

Malik Monk may no longer be a Laker, but he says his old team will be just fine with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook all returning ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks the big three will work things out this season.

The Lake Show made news this week after reports of a three-way phone call between the superstars ... in which they allegedly expressed their commitment to figuring out how to coexist.

We spoke with Monk -- who recently signed a 2-year, $19-million deal with the Sacramento Kings in the offseason -- out at LAX on Tuesday ... and he says he's confident his old teammates can bounce back and have a better season.

"They grown men," Monk said. "Especially when they have convos like that, it’ll work out for them. They all great."

Of course, the 2021-22 season was a mess for the Lakers -- they missed the playoffs as AD missed a ton of games due to injury ... and Russ' production was a serious issue.

Despite all that, Monk had the best season of his career ... and said the leader of the Lakers deserves some credit for it.

"LeBron had a big part of everything," Monk said when asked how James shaped his career. "He had a big part in me coming to L.A."

"It's Bron, bro. He gon' try to help every teammate he comes in contact with. So, I have nothing bad to say about him."

"You got to play at a level he plays at," Monk added. "If not, you going to get surpassed. That’s why he’s so great."

As for his new team, Monk has a message for NBA fans ...

Mark Wahlberg is still pulling for his guy, Baker Mayfield ... telling TMZ Sports the new Carolina Panthers quarterback has a "bright future ahead of him" -- even if it's not in Foxborough.

Remember, Wahlberg previously told us TWICE he saw #6 as Tom Brady's successor with the New England Patriots ... saying Mayfield was the "heir to the throne."

Of course, that was before a guy named Mac Jones came along ... and while he's "absolutely" still a fan of Bake, Mark is coming to terms with the fact he won't be seeing him in a Patriots uniform anytime soon.

"It's a very stacked field at the quarterback position," Wahlberg said in New York this week. "It also has to do with the coach and the team, but he's got a big, bright future ahead of him."

Mayfield was recently traded to the Panthers after a bad falling out with Cleveland ... which was sparked by the Browns' pursuit of Deshaun Watson.

Baker says he felt disrespected by the Browns' handling of the situation ... but says he's moved on and is excited for a fresh start in Charlotte.

Dikembe Mutombo's hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has treated more than 1 million people over the years ... and while the ex-NBA star is "blessed" to do his part for the community, he says his work is not done.

The Hall of Famer opened the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in honor of his mother back in 2007 after making a $15 million donation ... in an effort to provide healthcare to those in need -- regardless of financial situation.

With the hospital's 15th anniversary approaching, we spoke with Mutombo about helping so many people ... and he says he's simply "doing God's work."

"I feel blessed to be in the shoes that I’m in, that I can serve the humanity."

Mutombo started his own foundation in 1997 -- the year his mother passed away -- which has focused on providing health care, research and education for the people of the Congo.

Mutombo says he's looking forward to give back even more ... and plans to do whatever he can to help out.

"Our work is not done," he added. "We’re going to try to do more, it’s just a question of time. It’s not easy."

More NBA players have gotten involved in charitable work over the years ... and Mutombo praises the current stars for helping the community.

WWE Superstar Liv Morgan had some nice things to say about Ronda Rousey ahead of their big match at SummerSlam ... but although she respects her opponent, there's no way in hell she's giving up her belt!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the current SmackDown champ as she prepares to fight Ronda at WWE's summer classic ... and her message to the former UFC star-turned-wrestler was extremely clear.

"Ronda, I respect you," Morgan started. "You’ve done so much for women in sports and women in WWE. But I love this [belt] more than you, bitch. So this title is coming home with me."

Earlier this month, Liv won the "Money in the Bank" ladder match -- where she competed against 6 other worthy opponents ... which guaranteed her a title opportunity on her terms.

That same night, she turned in her "Money in the Bank" briefcase and challenged Rousey -- who had just defeated Natalya in a grueling match -- for her title.

Liv made quick work of Rousey ... pinning the self-proclaimed "baddest woman on the planet," which set the stage for their rematch, where Ronda will look to exact revenge on 28-year-old Morgan.

As for how Liv's been adjusting to life since being crowned champ at MITB ... she admits she feels an onus to represent WWE in the best possible light in and out of the ring.

"I feel more of a responsibility now," Morgan said. "I feel like I’ve always worked hard. I’ve always been willing to put in the extra work. So that aspect doesn’t feel any different."

"But just more of a, I guess, responsibility to represent the company," she continued.

Paddy "The Baddy" Pimblett gave a powerful speech about mental health after his big win at UFC Fight Night in London ... revealing he found out on Friday his friend took his own life.

Pimblett won a hard-fought battle against Jordan Leavitt via submission in the second round ... and after briefly celebrating the victory, his demeanor quickly changed while speaking to Michael Bisping in the post-fight interview.

"I woke up on Friday morning at 4 AM to a message that one of my friends back home had killed themselves," Paddy said. "This is 5 hours before my weigh-in. So Ricky lad, that’s for you."

"There’s a stigma in this world that men can’t talk," he added. "Listen, if you’re a man, and you’ve got weight on your shoulders, and if you think the only way you can solve it is by killing yourself, please speak to someone. Speak to anyone."

"People would rather, I know I rather they cry on my shoulder than go to his funeral next week. Men start talking."

Paddy -- who was clearly overcome with emotion -- then collapsed to the canvas and broke down in tears ... finally allowing himself to grieve over the loss of his friend.

Pimblett -- who also dedicated his fight to 4-year-old Baby Lee Hodgson, who tragically passed away from cancer last month -- was in tears as he left the arena ... with the crowd cheering in support.

Pimblett improved to 19-3 with the win ... and says he will return to the Octagon before the end of the year.

Legendary actor James Caan died from a combination of serious heart problems ... according to his death certificate.

The document, obtained by TMZ, says James died from a heart attack and coronary artery disease -- the most common heart disease in the U.S.

The certificate says James also suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD, and congestive heart failure.

As we reported ... James died July 6 at 82 years old, but details were scarce aside from a family statement.

The death certificate says James died at 9:02 PM at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. He's since been buried at Eden Memorial Park, the final resting place for many celebs.