TMZ Sports - Page 50

The Las Vegas Aces locker room turned into a twerk fest on Tuesday ... with players droppin' low and shaking it to celebrate moving on to the WNBA Finals!!

Chelsea Gray and the Aces finished off Sue Bird and the Seattle Storm in an emotional 97-92 win to complete the series in four games ... and after punching their ticket to the last round of the playoffs, they celebrated with some epic moves.

Sydney Colson and Aisha Sheppard led the way as their teammates provided backup ... and thankfully, Kelsey Plum got the whole thing captured on her Instagram.

As for the game, Gray had a massive performance ... dropping 31 points and adding 10 assists. A'ja Wilson also had 23 points and 13 rebounds.

The Aces rightfully celebrated their huge win ... but not before paying their respects to Bird, who played her last game in the WNBA.

Vegas will be able to keep the party going for a bit ... as Game 5 between the Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun won't go down until Thursday night.

The Washington Nationals are stepping in to make a girl and her family feel better after a man stole a ball from them at a game last week ... apologizing for it all and sending over a gift.

The incident initially happened during the Nats vs. A's game on Sept. 1 -- which was also Youth Champions Day.

For the occasion, the Nationals invited the Shenandoah Rec League Babe Ruth 10U All-Star Softball team ... and at one point, Washington outfielder Joey Meneses threw a ball to them so they could have a souvenir.

The problem? A man intercepted it -- and didn't give it back.

The 10-year-old girl who was in line to catch the ball was clearly upset by the dude's actions ... and her mother, Regina Hilliard, later pleaded with the Nats to make things right.

Turns out, the team did just that, because Hilliard says they reached out just a couple days later.

"They are sending something our way," Hilliard said, "and hope that this can serve as a symbol of a good experience at the park rather than a bad one!♥⚾"

Bam Margera bounced early from substance abuse treatment and hit up a tavern ... and he's no longer speaking to his parents.

TMZ obtained video showing Bam leaving a bar in Florida with a mystery woman. We're told Bam was at 57 Tavern in Sarasota until about 1 AM Monday, and it looks like he needed help walking out the front door.

Sources close to Bam tell TMZ ... he left treatment Sunday and has been telling friends and family he met a new lawyer friend in rehab who told Bam he could help him get out of his court-ordered rehab by leaving the state.

Our sources say Bam is shacking up at a family friend's house in Florida ... but as of last week, he's no longer speaking to his mother and father. He also has not heard from his estranged wife Nikki or seen his son Phoenix since he returned to rehab at the end of June.

We've seen this pattern before from Bam ... back in June, he fled a Florida rehab center, was reported missing, surfaced at a bar, got tracked down by the cops and was taken back for treatment.

Sue Bird was visibly emotional last night as she played the final game of her legendary WNBA career ... breaking down in tears on the court as fans chanted, "Thank You, Sue!"

Bird was understandably overwhelmed with emotion ... sharing one last moment with her teammates and fans at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle following the Storm's playoff game loss against the Aces.

Sue spoke to reporters after the game ... saying she felt sad about how the season and [playoff] game went, adding that "overall it just feels kind of weird."

"I then think, as the emotions started to come to the surface, that's also what I know deep down in that, that was my last game. So it was a combination of those two things."

Bird -- a four-time champ and future Hall of Fame point guard -- announced in June she was retiring at the end of Seattle's season, capping off a remarkable 19-year career.

Since being selected with the #1 overall pick in 2002 from UCONN, Bird made 12 All-Star teams and holds the WNBA all-time record for assists.

41-year-old Bird admitted she'll miss the game that brought her so many great memories, and reflected on her legacy ... saying she hopes she's made everyone proud.

Steph Curry gave the legend her flowers in honor of her hanging up her sneakers for good in what was Bird's final send-off.

Sue finished with 8 points and 8 assists in 36 minutes of action -- and the Aces defeated the Storm, 97-92, to advance to the WNBA Finals.

Nick Kyrgios lost his U.S. Open match Tuesday night -- and then he lost his mind ... smashing two of his rackets on the court in an epic meltdown at the famous tennis tournament.

Kyrgios battled against Karen Khachanov for nearly four hours with a spot in the tourney's semifinals on the line -- but things started to go awry for the Australian in the fifth set.

Khachanov began taking over, and Kyrgios got frustrated by it -- at one point appearing to yell loudly at people in the stands.

Then, after Khachanov sealed the victory 5-7, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, Kyrgios exploded.

Video shot by spectators in the stands shows he hurled not one but two of his rackets onto the court -- blowing them to smithereens.

Afterward, a downtrodden Kyrgios said he was heartbroken over the L.

"I feel like s***," he said. "I feel like I've let so many people down. I just, I don't know."

"It's just devastating," he added. "Like, it's heartbreaking."

Kyrgios has become infamous for his meltdowns on the court -- in fact, he was just sued by a fan after he screamed about her during the middle of a Wimbledon match in July.

LeBron James' son, Bronny, just added fuel to the speculation about where he'll play college ball -- posting pics in an Ohio State basketball uniform after visiting their campus.

Bronny shared several photos of him wearing OSU's basketball uni, jersey #3, with the word "Buckeyes" stitched across the chest.

"Buckeye nation? #notcommitted" ... Bronny captioned the post.

And, it was a family affair ... 'cause mom and dad came along to support Bronny. LeBron (and Savannah) even threw on an OSU hoops t-shirt

Bronny's post comes just three days after he attended the OSU football game with his dad on Saturday ... where the #2 Buckeyes defeated #5 Notre Dame, 21-10.

Their mere presence at the game was enough to get the Internet buzzin' ... fans immediately began saying Bronny to OSU was a done deal.

The 17-year-old basketball phenom is in his senior year at Sierra Canyon -- and several big-name programs have shown interest in signing The King's son.

Kevin Durant is demanding answers over his NBA 2K23 rating ... saying there's NO WAY he's a 96 overall in the game, and claiming he should be a 99.

KD voiced his displeasure to Ronnie Singh from 2K on Twitter ... saying, "Aye @Ronnie2K I’m gonna need an explanation on why I’m not a 99? This has become laughable."

Singh jokingly fired back at the Slim Reaper -- writing, "I am petitioning for us to remove MJ on the cover and replacing with you the real 99."

Of course, 2K ratings have always been a sensitive subject for NBA superstars ... especially when they feel they've been snubbed or slighted by the video game franchise.

Durant is coming off his best season in a Nets uniform -- the four-time scoring champ put up insane numbers when he was on the court, averaging 29.9 points per game in 55 contests.

But, KD's gaudy stats and marksmanship on the hardwood weren't enough to secure him to the top spot in the rankings -- which went to Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who got a 97.

Giannis and KD have been battling for Eastern Conference supremacy since Durant took his talents to BK -- with the Greek Freak getting the best of Kevin in the 2021 East semifinals.

Durant received a 96 rating alongside LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid -- but it's clear, in KD's mind, he should be at the top of 2K's list.

Britt Reid -- a former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach and the son of Andy Reid -- plans to plead guilty to a felony DWI charge in his car crash case ... his attorney announced Tuesday.

"Mr. Reid is sorry for his actions," said J.R. Hobbs, Britt's lawyer, "and hopes that his plea brings some sense of justice to all those he affected."

According to court records, Britt is slated to make the plea on Sept. 12. He's facing up to seven years in prison.

The plea will come nearly two years after Britt was accused of driving while intoxicated and slamming his pickup truck into the back of a car, causing serious injuries to then-5-year-old Ariel Young.

Officials say Britt had a .113 BAC when measured around 2 hours after the Feb. 4, 2021 crash ... and claim Reid was also going 83.9 MPH in a 65 MPH zone just seconds before the collision.

37-year-old Britt -- who formally departed from the Chiefs days after the accident -- was charged with the felony in April. He initially pleaded not guilty.

"He sincerely regrets his conduct and hopes and prays for the continued recovery for A.Y.," Hobbs said in a statement Tuesday. "Mr. Reid sincerely apologizes to A.Y. and her family, and to his own family. He also extends his deep apologies to the Hunt family, the Chiefs organization and Chiefs kingdom."

The Chiefs said back in Nov. 2021 that they are making sure Young is taken of "for the rest of her life."

Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions played host to a special visitor at practice last week -- Eminem himself -- and Jared Goff completely fanboyed at the sight of the real Slim Shady!

NFL Films captured it all on their "Hard Knocks" cameras ... showing the rapper joking around on the sidelines of the team's workout, all while Detroit's star QB was in awe.

Goff could be heard on the camera's mics saying to his teammates, "You see Slim over there? Shady? He might be on my list of, like, 'Holy s***!'"

Em appeared to be having a great time ... and even sarcastically said one of Goff's deep balls was "almost" as good as his.

At one point, Eminem -- who famously grew up in Detroit -- even said he'd suit up for the Lions if they needed him.

"I’ll lace up whenever," Eminem said. "Like, I’ll go to every game. I’ll stand on the sideline and if you guys need to put me, put me in."

"Any position I’m good. Actually, any position I’m great."

This isn't the first time Em showed the Lions some love and vice versa ... in 2018, Marshall Mathers was named the team's honorary captain and helped with the coin toss on Monday Night Football.

It looks like Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley might actually be able to put their heated rivalry to the side now that they're teammates ... because the two embraced at a Lakers press conference on Tuesday -- and they're both still alive!!

Of course, Pat Bev and Brodie have butted heads for nearly a decade ... with both players trading insults and questionable plays in games over the years.

Once Pat got traded to the Purple and Gold this offseason, a lot were wondering how/if the two would be able to coexist on the same team ... and so far, it looks like they'll be just fine -- either that, or it was all just a publicity stunt.

Westbrook and Beverley dapped each other up and shared a short hug at the latter's introductory presser on Tuesday ... and while it wasn't the warmest embrace, it's certainly a start.

Beverley also talked about playing alongside Westbrook during the presser ... saying he's excited to get to work.

Former Raiders defensive back Damon Arnette -- one of Las Vegas' first-round picks in 2020 -- has just entered a diversion program in an attempt to close out his drug case in Florida, TMZ Sports has learned.

A spokesperson for the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office tells us the 26-year-old will be a part of the program for three to six months.

We're told Arnette must, among other conditions, submit to random drug testing, complete a substance abuse evaluation, report monthly, and pay fees as part of the program.

If he complies with all of the conditions, the spokesperson said prosecutors will revisit his charges.

As we previously reported, Arnette was initially hit with felony cocaine possession and misdemeanor knowingly driving with a suspended license following two incidents with police back in July.

According to police documents, cops pulled over Arnette on July 25 and say he was driving on a suspended license. They issued him a citation and informed him he was not to drive until he gets his license reinstated.

But, just hours later on July 26, cops in the police report say they saw Arnette driving again ... and pulled him over once again and this time arrested him for knowingly driving with a suspended license. Cops say they then searched him and found a baggie containing "white powdery substance consistent with that of cocaine" on his person.

It was the second time in the last year that Arnette had been arrested -- he was previously busted in January in Las Vegas after he was accused of pointing a semi-automatic pistol at a valet demanding the person "give me my motherf***ing keys."

That case was ultimately dropped.

Sorry, drama seekers ... Larsa Pippen is NOT hooking up with the son of her ex-husband's nemesis -- the 'Real Housewives' star and Marcus Jordan are strictly friends, TMZ Sports is told.

As we previously reported, Larsa and Michael Jordan's second oldest son were spotted dining together at Zuma in Miami on Sunday ... with witnesses telling us it looked like a double date with another couple.

Despite what some folks assumed by their public outing, we're told Larsa and Marcus are really just homies and aren't an item.

It would have been a big mess if it were true -- Larsa's ex, Scottie, pretty much hates his old partner in crime ... which dates back to their playing days on the Chicago Bulls and was reignited during the "Last Dance" documentary.

As for why LP and MJ were together, we're told they happen to have a similar social circle ... so it was just a good ole fashioned hangout.

Jon Gruden should NEVER get another gig in the NFL again despite his recent plea for a second chance ... reps for one of the biggest women's organizations in the country tell TMZ Sports.

The National Organization For Women (NOW) said in a statement Tuesday that Gruden's emails -- ones in which he used racist, homophobic and misogynistic language -- were so bad, they're urging Roger Goodell to not allow him to walk another sideline as a head coach again.

"Jon Gruden should not be reinstated by the NFL," NOW officials tell us. "If hired back, this once again proves the NFL values misogyny, homophobia and racism."

Gruden -- who was ousted as Raiders head coach in 2021 after offensive emails from 2011 to 2018 were made public -- has apologized several times for the content of his messages.

In fact, in a meeting with reporters last week, he called them all "shameful."

He then, though, pleaded with NFL teams to give him one more look.

"I've made mistakes," the 59-year-old said, "but I don't think anybody in here hasn't, and I just ask for forgiveness, and hopefully, I get another shot."

One of his former players, Andre Rison, told us following Gruden's latest comments that the ex-Las Vegas coach should get another chance ... explaining he believes, "No one is God."

Olympic sprinter and former Texas A&M star Shavez Hart was tragically shot and killed after allegedly trying to break up a fight outside of a nightclub in the Bahamas on Saturday. He was only 29 years old.

According to the Royal Bahamas Police, the incident happened in Mount Hope, North Abaco (about 120 miles north of Nassau) around 2 AM.

The report states a group of males got into a physical altercation in the parking lot when one male -- who left and returned with a gun -- opened fire, hitting Hart in the chest.

Hart was transported to the Marsh Harbour Clinic where he was pronounced dead ... just days before his 30th birthday.

The Bahamas Olympic Committee released a statement on Shavez's passing ... saying, "The Olympic family is saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Shavez Hart, a proud native of Abaco."

"He was always very humble, yet proud and determined to offer the very best of himself for the sake of country."

Hart was the third fastest Bahamian sprinter of all time in the 100m dash ... and won the silver medal in the 4x400m relay in the 2016 Indoor World Championship.

Before that, Hart was a Texas A&M star ... winning several competitions, including the gold in the 4x400m relay at the 2015 NCAA Indoor Championship and the 100m at the 2015 SEC Outdoor Championship.

"This is so tragic," Aggie track and field head coach Pat Henry said.

"Shavez Hart was of course one of our finest athletes ever, but he was one of the kindest people I have met, and such a soft-spoken man."

RBPF says a suspect has been arrested and the investigation is ongoing.

The action on the field during the Clemson vs. Georgia Tech game on Monday night wasn't the most thrilling ... but that certainly wasn't the case in the stands, 'cause a violent fistfight erupted between two fans, and it was wild!!

It all went down at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta ... when at some point during the Tigers' tilt with the Yellow Jackets, two guys lost their cool and turned the football game into a boxing match.

One bystander caught all of the action on video ... and in the clip, you can see the guy wearing a #16 Clemson jersey throwing a vicious right hook at a man wearing a black hoodie.

Then, all hell broke loose -- as the guys traded blows over and over again for several moments.

Some spectators nearby were encouraging the fight -- but others were shouting and screaming for the two guys to knock it off before someone got seriously hurt.

Eventually, the two were separated ... and the man in the Clemson jersey appeared to be bleeding following the altercation.

No word on if any arrests were made, we've reached out to cops but have yet to hear back.

Austin McBroom is clearly ready for his fight this weekend ... 'cause he flattened one of his sparring partners in a recent training sesh -- and the YouTuber's violent KO punch was all caught on video obtained by TMZ Sports.

McBroom, who's slated to finally box AnEsonGib at the Social Gloves 2 event at Banc of California Stadium on Saturday night, showed off his improving skills in a workout just days ahead of the huge fight night.

In the footage, you can see McBroom probing his opponent -- before dropping him with a vicious right hand to the jaw.

The force of the blow was so heavy, the dude immediately crumpled to the canvas -- and nearly spilled out of the ring in the process.

McBroom has showcased his quick hands before -- pummeling Bryce Hall in their fight back in 2021 -- but he's clearly taken things up a notch.

He and Gib have exchanged trash talk repeatedly over the last few months in the buildup to the fight -- and the guys nearly came to blows in the TMZ office last week. Seems McBroom is more than ready to settle things once and for all this week.