TMZ Sports - Page 50

Kyle Kuzma had the Internet buzzin' once again after the NBA star rocked an ... errr ... unique outfit on the runway at Puma's New York Fashion Week show.

The 6'9" Washington Wizards forward wore all black -- including a black jacket with Puma's signature logo -- which encircled his waist and went down to his feet.

Kuz also had on a black hoodie with a black top that had the word "Puma" ... meanwhile, his GF, model Winnie Harlow, wore a black and white Puma dress.

"Very much a iconic moment for our brand @puma … @juneambrose sis you absolutely did your thing. Oooooooooffff," Kuzma said about Puma's creative director on social media.

Puma posted video of Kuz and Winnie kissing just moments before the hooper hit the stage.

Of course, the Wizards' star -- who returned to past form during his first year in D.C. -- has a passion for fashion ... routinely wearing outfits that cause a stir on social media.

Remember, Kuz wore an oversized pink sweater on gameday back in November ... and was mercilessly trolled by fellow NBA stars Demarcus Cousins, Isaiah Thomas, and J.R. Smith.

The mom who told her daughter to attack her opponent during a youth basketball game last year has been forced to cough up more than $9,000 in restitution to the teen victim ... after agreeing to enter a diversion program, TMZ Sports has learned.

Back in November, Tira Hunt was heard on video telling her daughter -- whose father is ex-NBA player Corey Benjamin -- to go after a rival player following an on-court collision in Garden Grove, CA.

The victim's mother went to cops over the violent incident ... and in December, Hunt was hit with two misdemeanor counts -- contributing to the delinquency of a minor and battery.

Hunt was facing up to one year in jail if convicted ... but on Wednesday, an Orange County Superior Court judge approved a diversion program that has a laundry list of conditions.

Among Hunt's requirements include the $9k payment, written apologies to the victim, her parents and the two basketball teams involved, and anger management classes before returning to basketball games. On top of that, Hunt has been forced to stay away from the victim.

Benjamin apologized for his daughter's actions following the incident ... saying that was not how he raised her.

Brian Robinson is continuing to make incredible strides after being shot twice in the lower body last month -- the Commanders running back was spotted out at practice Wednesday riding a bike and looking good.

Robinson -- who was shot in D.C. on Aug. 28 in what cops believe was an attempted carjacking -- had a wrap around his knee, but appeared to be moving just fine on the stationary cycle.

He reportedly also got in some agility work with trainers on the field following the ride.

The 23-year-old seemed to be in good spirits during it all -- chatting with Washington staffers as he got in the workout.

Of course, it's all a great sign, considering just a few days ago he was on crutches following a surgery.

Robinson, though, has remained positive throughout the recovery process -- even bringing Oreos for his teammates when he made his initial return to the Commanders' practice facility.

Robinson is currently on the Commanders' Non-Football Injury list -- meaning he won't be available to play for the team until Week 5 at the earliest.

Toni Breidinger is ditching the racing jumpsuit for some lingerie -- not only is she a speed freak, she's now a Victoria's Secret model, too!!

The 23-year-old ARCA Series star announced her exciting off-track pursuit on Wednesday ... saying she is officially joining the undie company family.

Breidinger isn't just happy about the new gig, she says it's also a major accomplishment in getting over something she's struggled with since she was a child.

"Little me is crying," Breidinger said on Instagram. "Growing up I struggled a lot with body confidence. this past year I focused on my mental and physical health over appearance."

"I'm honored to be part of @victoriassecret family. Thank you for letting me feel confident in my own skin!🤍"

Two women showed up to the Univ. of Utah football game this past weekend and freed the nipple -- and fans and officials were so upset over it, the school's police dept. says it's now investigating it all.

The women stripped off their tops prior to the Utes' game against Southern Utah University at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday ... ditching their shirts and opting for only body paint instead.

According to the university, a female police officer asked them to put on tops a short time later. The school says the women complied -- but now police say they are looking into the matter to see if the duo should face criminal charges.

Univ. officials said the women will also be referred to the school's Dean of Students for "other potential discipline."

YouTuber Melea Johnson said she attended the game with her family and saw the women without their shirts on -- and was outraged over it all.

"We can’t even go to a family-friendly college football game without our kids & family being exposed to nudity??" Johnson wrote on her Instagram page. "And the stadium and security for the event won’t step in or escort them out because they’re worried they’ll get sued because of discriminatory laws??🤯 👈🏻(that’s what they told me!)"

"Are you kidding me?! This is NOT ok @utahfootball ‼️"

The NAACP is ripping the NBA over the one-year suspension and $10 million fine of Phoenix Suns/Mercury owner Robert Sarver ... calling the punishment a complete joke.

As we previously reported, Sarver was hit with the penalty on Tuesday ... after a lengthy investigation found the 60-year-old used the n-word several times, treated female staff unfairly, sexually harassed women, and used inappropriate physical conduct towards male employees, among other troubling trends.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson is pissed over the NBA's response to the disturbing behavior ... saying "fining a billionaire $10M is nothing but a speeding ticket."

It should be noted ... the $10 million fine is the most allowable under NBA bylaws.

"The NBA's response is shameful. They have failed to adequately address this man's history of racism, sexism, and his years-long nourishment of a toxic culture," Johnson said.

"The fact that the NBA would hand down this so-called 'punishment' in the same year we lost a legend like Bill Russell, who fought racism his entire life, only underscores how prevalent racism still is today."

"The punishment doesn't fit the crime whatsoever, and the NBA must do better than this. This is far from accountability."

The NAACP continued on Wednesday .. retweeting an ESPN segment on the Sarver story ...  questioning how this penalty equals retribution.

"So remind us again why a $10 million fine and a 1-year suspension is really teaching anyone a lesson with as extensive a track record of just not caring what anyone thinks or fearing what the consequences of those actions are?"

"This punishment is a JOKE!"

The Washington Nationals and Joey Meneses have made things right for the little girl who had a ball stolen from her at a game earlier month ... gifting her an autograph and a personalized note.

The incident happened back on Sept. 1 ... when a man was seen on video intercepting a baseball that was intended for the girl who was attending the Nats vs. A's game with her Shenandoah Rec League Babe Ruth 10U All-Star softball team.

According to the girl's mom, Regina Hilliard, the 10-year-old was broken up over it all -- and had hoped the Nats would do something to cheer her up.

Turns out, the team and its star outfielder, Meneses, did just that on Tuesday -- signing a ball for her, and writing her a sweet note.

"I'm sorry you didn't get the ball I threw to you," Meneses said in the card.

"I wanted to make sure you got one, so I hope this signed game ball makes up for it! Hope to see you at a game soon! Your friend, Joey."

Will Zalatoris -- one of golf's hottest young stars -- is begging Tiger Woods to officially apply for a cart exemption on the PGA Tour ... telling the legendary ball-striker to "get in the damn cart!"

Tiger has struggled to get around courses in his return to golf following his near-fatal car crash in 2021 ... and it's bothered him so much, it's affected his scores, and his ability to play tournaments with regularity.

Woods can get permission from Tour officials to remedy the situation by using a cart -- given the severity of the leg injury he suffered in the L.A. accident -- but he's said he'll never do that, telling media members previously, "If I can’t play at that level, I can’t play at that level."

Zalatoris, who's set a goal to play a round with the golf legend at some point in his career, clearly thinks that's a mistake -- believing a cart exemption could extend Woods' reign on courses for several more years.

"The part that amazes me is he has such a hard time walking, but man, he can still play some good golf," Zalatoris told Graham Bensinger on the latest episode of "In Depth With Graham Bensinger."

"Tiger could get a cart if he wants to. But you know he's never going to take it. Because that's who he is. And it's like, selfishly, I'm like, 'Dude, get in the cart. I want to play with you.'"

Zalatoris, who finished in second in both this year's PGA Championship and U.S. Open, added, "I want to see you when you're 50 ... get in the damn cart."

Woods has played competitively with a cart recently -- he used one in his famous return to golf with his son at the PNC Championship in 2021 ... and dominated.

Trevor Bauer is asking a judge to throw out a lawsuit filed by the woman who accused him of sexual assault ... claiming he has video proof, taken from bed after their second sexual encounter, which proves she lied about her injuries.

TMZ Sports obtained a motion filed by 31-year-old Bauer's legal team in southern California, which includes a video that was allegedly recorded by accuser Lindsey Hill after they had sex the night of May 16, 2021.

"She appears to be willingly in bed with a sleeping Mr. Bauer, and is smirking and uninjured," the Cy Young award winner's attorney wrote in the filing.

The clip, which we've seen, is less than 10 seconds long and doesn't contain audio.

Bauer's team believes the video -- which they say they recently received from the Pasadena police department -- proves Hill didn't actually sustain injuries to her face, torpedoing her case.

Hill previously claimed Bauer gave her two black eyes.

Bauer's accuser filed a lawsuit for battery against the pitcher in August 2022, claiming ... "Last year, disgraced Major League Baseball player Trevor Bauer violently and sadistically abused Hill in the most appalling manner imaginable, sexually battering and battering a defenseless woman."

Hill did not specify how much money she's seeking.

At the time, Trevor's team responded to the suit, saying ... "Lindsey Hill’s claims were judicially disproven last August following a hearing regarding a DVRO petition filed in bad faith."

In August 2021, a court denied Hill's request for a permanent restraining order against Bauer ... saying Hill hadn't set clear lines before they had sex. However, the judge described the injuries in photos presented as evidence as "terrible."

Despite the court's ruling, Major League Baseball hit the former Dodgers pitcher with a two-year suspension without pay.

Trevor is appealing MLB's decision.

Best rotation ever??

Mike Tyson and Ric Flair were on cloud nine Tuesday night ... 'cause the two sports legends smoked doinks together after attending a cannabis conference in Chicago -- and judging by the vid, it was some GOOD stuff!!

The Nature Boy posted a clip alongside Iron Mike ... lighting up blunts on camera, smoking and giggling together out in the streets.

"Smokin' That Ric Flair Drip All Night Long With @miketyson! WOOOOO!" Flair captioned the video.

Tyson and Flair became partners in Mike's "Tyson 2.0" business earlier in the year -- and the two collaborated on Naitch's "Ric Flair Drip" cannabis line, according to Benzinga.

Flair and Tyson smoked multiple blunts on stage at the conference, according to Benzinga ... where Mike and Ric touted the benefits of smoking marijuana over using drugs like Xanax for pain relief.

Flair said during the event that smoking pot was a much better way to manage the pain he was experiencing due to the stress the wrestling industry put on his body.

This isn't the first time the two legends blew down ... Mike and Ric smoked with Rick Ross at a Benzinga Cannabis event in April -- after the boxer famously beat up a man on an airplane.

LeBron James is gushing over his beautiful wife, Savannah, on their 9th anniversary ... penning a steamy message in her honor, calling her "so damn sexy."

The Lakers superstar shared a snap from the James gang's recent Vanity Fair photo shoot to send his romantic note ... showing the two dressed to the nines and standing in front of a Porsche 918 Spyder.

The 37-year-old used a "Happy Anniversary" gif on the flick and said, "P.S. you so damn sexy!! WOW 🤤🤤🤤😍😍😍"

Savannah -- who just celebrated her 36th birthday last month -- also penned her hubby a note in an IG post.

"9 years down (21), forever to go!!" Savannah said.

"Cheers to us my love!!🥂Happy Anniversary!!💕 #JamesGang"

LeBron and Savannah more than likely celebrated while they were in Italy ... where the couple was spotted enjoying a romantic vacation -- and LBJ even got a workout in while on a yacht.

The power couple has been together since high school, and they have three kids together -- high school ballers Bronny Jr., Bryce and their daughter, Zhuri.

Daniel Rodriguez has a message for the fans and "experts" (and even Dana White) who've said Li Jingliang was robbed at UFC 279 ... I won the fight!!

"It was a close fight," 35-year-old D-Rod told TMZ Sports just two days after securing the dub, adding ... "At the end of the day, I give Li the first round, and I took the 2nd and 3rd [round], in my opinion. I landed more strikes, I pushed the pace the whole fight."

Of course, Rodriguez, the #14 ranked UFC welterweight, fought Li following a last-minute opponent change (he was originally supposed to fight Kevin Holland) ... and the scrap was super close.

D-Rod -- who hasn't lost since 2020, and is 7-1 in the UFC -- was awarded the split decision win.

During his post-event presser, White told the media he believed Jingliang was the rightful winner.

But, Rodriguez disagrees ... and wholeheartedly feels if the decision went the other way, there would've been outrage from the people.

"If they would've gave the fight to Li, there would've been even more people saying I got robbed, or s*** like that," D-Rod says.

Despite earning the victory and now being a top 15 fighter who's becoming more popular in the sport by the day, Daniel believes he didn't fight his best fight.

Serena Williams' tennis career might not be over just yet ... she's now saying there's at least some chance she unretires -- just like Tom Brady!

"I mean, you never know," Williams said on "Good Morning America" on Wednesday. "I've just been saying that I think Tom Brady started a really cool trend. You know?"

Serena was laughing when she made the comment -- but there appeared to be at least a grain of seriousness in her tone while she was discussing her future with the show's hosts.

"And the way he did it," she continued on with the Brady bit. "A few weeks, you know? So ..."

Of course, Serena called it a career just two weeks ago -- when she retired following a solid run at the U.S. Open.

She seemed at the time to be at peace with hanging up the racket -- but on Wednesday, she sure sounded like there might be some more tennis itches that need to be scratched going forward.

"I do know that I love the sport so much," Williams said. "I love the game. I love everything about it. It's just been such a light in my life that I definitely want to keep some sort, something involved in there."

Williams, though, didn't specify if that meant actually returning to play -- or being involved in the game in some other way.

"I feel like tennis has given me so much, and I feel like there's no way I don't want to be involved in tennis somehow in the future," Williams said. "I don't know what that involvement is yet."

Here's the reaction to the Robert Sarver punishment you didn't know you needed ... courtesy of City Girls rapper JT, who hilariously gave her two cents on the Phoenix Suns owner to an Arizona news outlet on Tuesday.

As we previously reported, Sarver was suspended one year and fined $10 million after an investigation into workplace misconduct accusations ... with the league finding the owner said the N-word several times, among other inappropriate actions.

KTVK 3TV in Phoenix hit the streets to ask Suns fans for their thoughts on the penalty ... and one oblivious reporter just so happened to run into one-half of the popular rap duo without knowing who she is.

"I think that he should be suspended forever," JT said in the clip. "You don't do that. Like -- one year is like, so short."

You gotta give JT props for playing the role of concerned local resident really well ... even though she's from Florida and was only in town for a concert.

As it turns out, the 29-year-old said on Twitter it was always a dream of hers to "rant" on local news ... so check that one off the bucket list!!

JT also explained her passion behind her soundbite ... saying it was in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Former G.O.O.D. Music artist Desiigner isn't denying his doppelgänger like most folks do ... he's embracing the fact he's got a brother from another in NBA star Iman Shumpert.

The "Panda" rapper spoke to VladTV about the nature of their friendship ... which dates back some years when Pusha T hilariously put them on social media -- just to confirm they weren't the same person.

Desiigner says the first time they met, he felt like he was seeing a long-lost brother.

He says he even had to Facetime his dad during the encounter -- potentially for paternity answers? 😬

Although they're not actually related, they do have more similarities than just facial features. Iman, who is married to R&B star Teyana Taylor, released his "This Car Ain't Stolen" hip hop album last month ... and loves to be just as fashionable as his "little brother."

The wife of Cleveland Cavaliers legend Zydrunas Ilgauskas has sadly died, a funeral home in Ohio confirmed this week. She was just 50 years old.

Jennifer Ilgauskas, according to an obituary from the Zeis-McGreevey Funeral Home, passed away on Sunday. A cause of death was not revealed.

Zydrunas and Jennifer had been married for almost two decades -- the couple reportedly tied the knot way back in 2004, when Big Z was starring for the Cavs.

She had worked in the medical industry while Zydrunas was playing in NBA arenas ... and according to her obit, "She always had ideas for growth and the never-ending desire to achieve more."

"She truly enjoyed working and being a leader who led by example," her family and friends wrote in the obituary. "She cared deeply about everyone she employed, and her door was always open to those who needed to talk. She was generous with her time, finances and counsel."

Jennifer and Zydrunas had two sons. Her funeral is scheduled for Sept. 17.

The former basketball player -- whose jersey was retired by the Cavaliers in 2014 -- has yet to publicly comment on the loss.

RIP.