TMZ Sports - Page 50

Kyrie Irving is no longer a Nike athlete ... a spokesperson for the company announced Monday.

Irving, whose future with the retail giant was in question after they suspended him for tweeting about a controversial, antisemitic film ... has cut ties with the NBA star, according to NBA insider Shams Charania.

As we previously reported, Nike put its relationship with Ky on ice on November 4 ... suspending Irving. Despite satisfying the team and league with his apology, as well as other steps, the Swoosh indicated their relationship with Irving was probably done after the suspension.

In an interview with CNBC, Phil Knight, cofounder and chairman of the manufacturing conglomerate, said Irving's relationship with the company was "likely over."

"Kyrie stepped over the line. It's kind of that simple," Knight said. "He made some statements that we just can't abide by, and that's why we ended the relationship. I was fine with that."

Kyrie joined the Nike family in 2011 ... releasing his signature Kyrie 1 basketball shoe in 2014 as a member of the Cavs in his third NBA season.

The king of eating has lost his crown -- at least when it comes to devouring shrimps -- 'cause Joey Chestnut was defeated at a famous seafood ingesting contest this weekend ... his first L at the event in EIGHT YEARS.

Believe it or not, the 39-year-old actually ended up in fourth place at the world-famous St. Elmo shrimp cocktail eating contest in Indianapolis on Saturday, losing to a dude who consumed 16 pounds and 6 ounces of the dish in 8 minutes.

Chestnut -- best known for his ability to pound hot dogs -- lost by a significant margin ... as he only put away 10 pounds and 9.6 ounces.

Geoffrey Esper -- the runner-up to Chestnut last year -- was the one who ultimately took home the title ... earning the first-place prize of $3,000, and, of course, the bragging rights of beating the Michael Jordan of eating contests.

It was a significantly down performance from Chestnut, who usually blows away the field at the event.

Just last year, he housed 17 pounds and 1.6 ounces of the shrimp cocktail -- and in 2018, he chomped down a record 18 pounds and 9.6 ounces of the stuff.

He did admit to a local station a day before the event that he was not feeling 100 percent, after battling a leg injury this year.

Legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri -- who trained superstars like Serena and Venus Williams, Andre Agassi and Anna Kournikova -- passed away on Sunday. He was 91 years old.

The International Tennis Hall of Famer was a pioneer in the sport ... creating the first year-round, live-in academy in Florida in the '70s, which would eventually become the famous IMG Academy.

Bollettieri coached 10 #1-ranked players over the years ... including Jim Courier, Boris Becker, Maria Sharapova, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Jelena Jankovic, and Marcelo Rios, in addition to the Williams sisters and Agassi.

He also trained Chris Evert, who shared a heartfelt goodbye on Twitter.

"Aside from being the greatest coach ever, you were so kind to me, my parents, and my siblings… that meant more to me than anything, you had a big heart and a zest for living…❤️❤️❤️."

Tommy Haas added ... "Thank you for your time, knowledge, commitment, expertise, the willingness to share your skill, your personal interest in mentoring me, and giving me the best opportunity to follow my dreams."

WWE Hall of Famer Barry Windham, the maternal uncle of WWE star Bray Wyatt and former WWE wrestler Bo Dallas, suffered a heart attack over the weekend and is now in the ICU.

According to a GoFund Me campaign created by Barry's niece, Mika Rotunda, the 62-year-old went into cardiac arrest while traveling through an airport in Atlanta.

Mika says her uncle underwent an emergency procedure to save his life ... adding the wrestling legend's future is uncertain.

Windham, son of Robert Deroy Windham, better known by his ring name Blackjack Mulligan, was a household name in National Wrestling Alliance and WCW.

One of the most memorable moments of Barry's career was when the 4-time NWA/WCW tag team champion turned heel on Lex Luger and joined the Four Horsemen.

The Four Horsemen was a wrestling group originally in NWA and later WCW ... that consisted of Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson, and Tully Blanchard.

Windham was inducted into WWE's Hall of Fame in 2012 alongside Flair, J.J. Dillon, Arn Anderson, and Blanchard.

The combat sports world welcomed back Cain Velasquez with open arms on Saturday night ... loudly cheering on the ex-UFC star in his first event since his February arrest.

The action all went down in Tempe, AZ ... where a masked Velasquez participated in a three-on-three wrestling match at Lucha Libre AAA -- and won.

The 40-year-old looked sharp -- an impressive feat, considering he was locked behind bars for nearly nine months this year -- throwing around bodies and eventually hitting a crazy finishing move to win it for his team.

Velasquez was exceptionally well received by the audience, getting standing ovations and rounds of applause throughout the night.

The former UFC champ grabbed the mic at one point during the festivities and addressed the crowd ... saying it was "a dream come true" to be back in the squared circle.

"I truly appreciate it all, what you guys have always done, supporting me, my family," he said. "Thank you, guys!"

Velasquez is currently out of jail on $1 million bond. A judge last month allowed him to participate in the weekend event, requiring that he return to California on Sunday.

England soccer star Raheem Sterling has left the World Cup in Qatar ... after learning that intruders had broken into his family home back in the UK.

The burglary, according to Surrey Police, happened in Oxshott on Saturday night -- just hours before England was slated to play Senegal on Sunday in the round of 16 at the famed soccer tournament.

Sterling did not play in the contest, which England won, as he returned home to be with his family.

Cops said in a statement on Monday that occupants at the home had called police after noticing jewelry and watches had been taken from the residence.

"No threat of violence was involved," police said, "as the items were discovered stolen retrospectively. Enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing."

It's unclear if Sterling will return to the World Cup at any point later this month. England is scheduled to play France on Saturday, with a spot in the tourney's Final Four on the line.

"Our thoughts are with him and his family," England captain Harry Kane said over the weekend. "It's a private matter but it's never easy to see one of your teammates and friends deal with something like that."

"We'll have to take it day by day. I'm sure Raheem will speak to the manager and take the best decision for him and his family. That's the most important thing. We send him our best wishes and hope to see him as soon as possible."

Metro Boomin has poignantly tied the theme of his new album to the recent loss of his mother -- inviting dozens of single moms to an NFL game ... with on-field access!!!

The record producer organized an awesome initiative Sunday for the Steelers' game against the Atlanta Falcons, who were hosting at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. MB -- who's originally from the area -- had some guests attend on his behalf ... a lot of them, in fact.

You see ... Metro bought tickets for 26 mothers from around the country as well as their children -- which made for a mini family parade through the tunnel and onto the main stage pre-kickoff.

Not just that, but the group here also got to stand next to the Falcons players for the national anthem ... so, better than a front-row seat. They were the main attraction! Metro himself did not attend -- our sources tell us he wanted the mama bears to have the spotlight.

It was a pretty awesome moment, to say the least ... and the reason Metro did it, we're told, was two-pronged -- one, he wanted to honor his own late mother, who tragically died.

At the same time, Metro wanted to recognize single moms for the heroes they are ... which ties into his latest project, "HEROES & VILLAINS," which is out now.

We're told this effort -- which Metro calls "Single Moms Are Superheroes," in partnership with the Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation -- is a way to help these ladies amid struggles they might face as solo parents. With this nonprofit he's established, they can now get more assistance than they might otherwise receive.

Ex-Lakers champ Devean George wants to clear the dookie-smelling air ... telling TMZ Sports Shaquille O'Neal NEVER took a dump in his shoe -- despite a rumor saying otherwise.

Tyronn Lue initially started the gossip back in June on Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles' "Knuckleheads" podcast ... saying that the incident happened in the early 2000s, when he, George and O'Neal were all L.A. teammates.

According to Lue, Shaq was so pissed that George didn't bring donuts to a meeting ... he grabbed one of the small forward's sneakers, took a crap in it, and then put it back like nothing ever happened.

George then allegedly stuffed his foot in the shoe -- getting O'Neal's bowel movements all over his foot.

But, when we got the Devean out at LAX last week -- he called BS on all of the allegations ... saying nothing of the sort ever happened.

"Hell no, that's a lie, that's cap," George said, "and I know T-Lue started that."

"That never happened," he continued. "I think he did that to someone in Orlando. I don't remember the dude's name, but he did that in Orlando. But he never took a s*** in my shoes."

George said if it did go down, he and Shaq would have fought.

Instead, George said the two were very good friends -- and ended up winning three NBA titles together.

"He was a great teammate," Devean said. "He's a good guy. I love him."

Deshaun Watson just stepped foot on an NFL field for the first time in 700 days ... and the Houston Texans fans made their displeasure known -- letting the boo birds fly as he made his Cleveland Browns debut.

The 27-year-old quarterback is returning from an 11-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy ... after dozens of massage therapists made sexual misconduct allegations against him.

Watson faced a hostile crowd as he made his Browns debut on Sunday ... with his former team's supporters heckling him as he lined up under center.

As we previously reported, attorney Tony Buzbee -- who repped almost every woman who accused Watson of sexual misconduct -- announced at least 10 of his clients would be in attendance for the game.

Watson's family was also at NRG Stadium to support ... with everyone wearing #4 jerseys in the stands.

Deshaun had a smile on his face prior to the Browns' first offensive drive ... but the television broadcast showed many fans were not happy to see him.

There may be a bit of rust for Watson, who hasn't played since 2020 -- the Browns ended up going 3-and-out in their first possession.

Travis Scott was the show to watch Saturday night during Art Basel weekend.

Travis hit the state at E11EVEN nightclub in Miami. Celebs were out in force watching ... including Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan ... so they're still a thing.

Lots of celebs in town, including Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Serena Williams, who went club hopping Friday. night. Unclear if they hit up the Travis concert, but it's a good bet they did.

Leonardo DiCaprio was in town, cavorting with lots of beautiful women on a superyacht. Miami mogul David Grutman was in the middle of it all ... he owns just about every hot spot in the city.

AEW star Saraya says she always had dreams and aspirations of competing in the ring again after suffering a career-threatening neck injury in 2016 -- but admits she never expected it would happen.

"I wasn't expecting to wrestle at all," Saraya told Mojo during a recent interview on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs daily on FS1).

"That wasn't in the back of my head. I always wanted to go back into wrestling, but with Edge and Stone Cold, they waited years before even trying to think about getting back in the ring."

The 30-year-old former WWE Superstar says she received the green light to compete in the squared circle from a renowned doctor in L.A., paving the way for her to return to in-ring competition after a five-year hiatus.

"Halloween, I went in there, and the doctor was straight-up like, 'Let's get you an X-ray,'" Saraya said. "He checked the X-ray and was like, 'These are pretty good, but you can't trust the X-rays. You have to go in with the MRIs and the CT to triple-check.'"

Saraya says she told AEW exec Tony Khan she was interested in competing during the negotiation process with the promotion ... in addition to being an on-screen personality, which she was relegated to in her waning years with WWE after the injury.

Saraya admits when she first debuted in AEW, she was concerned the fans wouldn't be as receptive to her since they were familiar with her character, Paige, in WWE, but she was pleasantly surprised with how much support she received.

"That was the biggest pop I ever got in my whole career," Saraya said. "I was like, 'Oh, my gosh! And I'm Saraya. And I'm trending for the first time in my career as Saraya,'" she continued.

The World Cup is a HUGE deal -- the most watched event in sports next to the Olympics -- which explains why fans are on pins and needles watching the tournament!!

There have been a mixture of easy wins, upsets and close contests throughout the matches so far ... and understandably, all the backers have let their emotions out while cheering on their beloved teams in the stands.

Japan fans were glued to their seats and TVs as they watched their team pull off a stunning 2-1 upset over World Cup favorite Spain ... cementing their spot in the round of 16.

However, that wasn't the case for fans of Iran ... who were teary-eyed after watching their guys fall to the United States.

South Korea punched its ticket to the knockout stage for the first time since 2010 after defeating Portugal 2-1, and its fans were visibly emotional following the big win.

Officials say there was no funny business involved in the fire that took Earl Thomas' Texas home earlier this year ... telling TMZ Sports they formally ruled the cause of the blaze to be accidental.

Thomas' home in Orange caught fire back in August ... and after firefighters extinguished the flames, the property was deemed a "total loss."

The Texas State Fire Marshal's Office launched an investigation into the fire shortly afterward ... and told us this week they found it was all likely caused by a lightning strike -- and nothing more.

Officials noted at the time of the blaze that it was the largest residential fire in terms of monetary damage in the history of Orange.

As we reported, Thomas and several family members were home at the time of the incident ... but, thankfully, they all got out safely and everyone was left unharmed.

Travis Kelce better prep his monologue ... 'cause "Saturday Night Live" alum Taran Killam tells TMZ Sports the NFL superstar would be the perfect pick to host the comedy sketch show!!

"Travis Kelce is one of the funniest, coolest dudes and a legend," Killam said at LAX.

"It's just not fair to be that strong, fast, good, charismatic, handsome and hilarious. I hate him. He's coming for my job," he joked (or is he?)

Killam knows about both comedy and football -- he actually has an Amazon Prime show, "The NFL Pile On," where he puts a funny twist on the sport's biggest stories of the week.

Killam has spent a ton of time at 30 Rock -- he was on "SNL" from 2010-2016 ... and had several memorable sketches during his stint.

Killam even thinks Kelce could take his talents to acting if he really wanted ... and says if "SNL" were to come calling, he'd thrive as the celebrity host for an episode.

"I'd love to see Travis Kelce host," Killam said, swallowing his pride as a Rams fan. "I think he'd kill it."

Christian Pulisic made his triumphant return to the field Saturday ... this after the U.S. soccer star was seriously injured while scoring the winning goal against Iran in the USMNT's previous World Cup game.

Pulisic didn't seem too hobbled as the U.S. started playing against the Netherlands during its round-of-16 matchup in Qatar. Christian seemed spry and aggressive, but he missed a few opportunities to put some goals on the board. At half, the Netherlands has already taken a 2-0 lead over the U.S. after scoring right before the halftime whistle.

As we reported, Pulisic suffered a pelvic contusion Tuesday after crashing into the goalie as he scored the game-winner against Iran, propelling the U.S. to a 1-0 victory. Initially, the word was he had suffered a groin injury ... but he later clarified, "I didn't get hit in the balls. I'm alright. It was very painful. That bone is there for a reason to protect you and I hit it well. I was sore."

Pulisic -- known as Captain America for his team leadership -- sent Iran home from the tournament by scoring the goal, but he was in too much pain to celebrate in the moment.

He told reporters Thursday ... "I realized the ball went in. I was a bit confused because the guys around me — I think they were just trying to keep a distance and make sure I was OK. But it didn't really feel like a celebration, so I was worried about offsides ... You never know nowadays, so I wasn't sure what was going on. But I mean, I knew it went in."

Christian also posted a Snapchat of himself smiling in a hospital bed after suffering the injury with a caption ... "So f---ing proud of my guys I'll be ready Saturday."

Kim Kardashian is somehow compartmentalizing what has to be an excruciating time for her -- with Kanye's hateful rants -- because she partied Friday night like she didn't have a care in the world.

Kim, Khloe and Serena Williams went club hopping Friday night in Miami for the kickoff of Art Basel weekend.

They hit up a party where Travis Scott and 50 Cent performed. Khloe was having an especially good time ... 50 was singing right at her. Jonathan “Foodgod” Cheban and restaurateur David Grutman also joined in on the fun.

As for Kim, not a stitch of Balenciaga in sight ... she's traded it in for some pretty awesome duds.