TMZ Sports - Page 50

Ja Morant is downplaying reports that he and his friends got into an altercation with Indiana Pacers team members after a game last month ... saying the story is basically fake news.

The Memphis Grizzlies star spoke with the media on Tuesday -- the first time since The Athletic released a report claiming Morant's friends confronted "members of the Pacers traveling party" near the team's bus following a matchup at FedEx Forum on Jan. 29.

The report also stated someone in an SUV, which Morant was in, pointed a red laser at them ... and the Pacers team members believe it was attached to a gun.

The 23-year-old denied the allegations when he spoke with reporters at practice ... saying, "All that stuff pretty much false."

"It’s been proven. That’s all I got to say on it."

Morant emphasized how he doesn't care about the rumors going around ... and he won't entertain a report that's fishing for "likes and clicks."

"At this point in my life, I'm protecting my energy," Morant said. "Not responding to nobody else. Not entertaining nobody else."

The reporters attempted to get more from Morant on the situation ... but he refused.

He did provide one update from that game, though ... tweeting on Sunday that his friend, Davonte Pack, has been banned from home games after a verbal altercation with Pacers players.

WWE legend Jerry "The King" Lawler was rushed to the hospital after suffering a medical emergency on Monday, this according to multiple reports.

The 73-year-old had a stroke and underwent surgery at a Florida hospital, Action News 5 reports.

Pro wrestler Ricky Morton seemed to confirm Lawler's status ... tweeting, "I hope my friend is going to be okay. I love you, Jerry."

"Please direct good vibes, thoughts, & prayers to Jerry at this time. Genuinely appreciate it & hope to hear good news in the very near future. ❤️"

Lawler recently appeared at WWE's Royal Rumble Show last month ... where he was a commentator on the hour-long Kickoff Show panel with Booker T and Peter Rosenberg.

Jerry appeared to be fine that night ... but the WWE Hall of Famer has had heart issues in the past, suffering a near-fatal cardiac arrest on a 2012 episode of Monday Night Raw. He also had a stroke in 2018.

Lawler -- inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007 -- is signed to WWE, but has not been a full-time commentator since April 2020.

Lawler last wrestled against Scott Steiner in March 2022 at USA Pro Wrestling's 29th Anniversary Show in Orlando.

IndyCar star Conor Daly will be repping Floyd Mayweather's Money Team Racing when he hits the NASCAR pavement later this month -- joining the boxing legend's squad in hopes of qualifying for the Daytona 500.

TMT Racing announced the big news Tuesday morning ... saying Daly will be behind the wheel for their #50 car when he competes for one of the four open spots in the race.

Floyd spoke about Conor's return to TMT ... saying, "The Money Team Racing shocked the world by making the Daytona 500 last year and I believe in this team and know we will prepare a great car for this year's race."

On top of Daytona, Daly will suit up for TMT in up to six more NASCAR events this year, while competing full-time in the IndyCar series.

"Like a fighter who's always ready to face the best, Conor has the courage to buckle into this beast without any practice and put that car into the field," Floyd continued. "Conor is like a hungry fighter and my kind of guy. I sure wouldn’t bet against him."

An anti-abortion climber scaled a 40-story building in downtown Phoenix on Tuesday without any ropes or any other sort of safety equipment ... leaving Super Bowl week attendees shocked on the ground below.

Maison DesChamps -- a daredevil known as the "Pro-Life Spider-Man" -- performed the stunt to raise money ... beginning his ascent on the Chase Tower at around 9 AM.

DesChamps wedged himself in between a crevasse in the building -- and inched his way up to the top -- as spectators who had flocked to the city for Super Bowl LVII gathered on the streets below to watch.

At one point, DesChamps paused in the middle of his climb -- filming himself and explaining his reasoning for going up the side of the skyscraper.

Eventually, the climber got to the top -- where he was taken into custody.

City officials denounced the move a short time after he reached safety, according to 12 News, saying, "This is not the place or the time to do this. This is extremely dangerous."

Buffalo Bills and Sabres owner Kim Pegula is dealing with both speech and memory issues after suffering cardiac arrest last year ... her daughter, Jessica Pegula, revealed on Tuesday.

The tennis star opened up about her mom's health in an emotional piece for The Players' Tribune -- explaining it's been an uphill battle for Kim after she nearly lost her life following a June 2022 medical emergency.

Jessica said she first learned of the issues involving the 53-year-old a few days after she had returned to the U.S. from the French Open last year.

"I got a call around midnight (on my mom’s birthday) from my sister Kelly who was staying at my parents' house," Jessica said. "Something was wrong with our mom, and she was headed to the hospital in an ambulance."

Jessica revealed Kim had gone into cardiac arrest while asleep -- though, thankfully, Kelly performed CPR on her until medics arrived.

"She saved her life," Jessica said of Kelly.

Jessica said her mom went on to spend a week in the ICU ... but after making small improvements with help from her team of doctors, she was moved into an in-patient care facility, where she began talking a little.

Now, Jessica said her mom is steadily improving ... but "she is dealing with significant expressive aphasia and significant memory issues."

"She can read, write, and understand pretty well," Jessica said, "but she has trouble finding the words to respond."

"It is hard to deal with," she added, "and it takes a lot of patience to communicate with her, but I thank God every day that we can still communicate with her at all."

Jessica says she was in Sydney, Australia last month for a tennis event when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a similar health scare to her mother ... and she said she immediately became sick over it all.

"My stomach sunk because it felt like the exact same thing all over again," Jessica said ... before revealing she told one of her teammates, "I am a little freaked out right now, this is too close to home, and I feel like I am going to have a panic attack."

"Again, I usually don’t get too much anxiety, but the thought of what Damar and his family were about to go through hurt my heart. I knew how important time was. I just kept thinking time, time, time, time. I hope they got him back and quick enough."

Flo Rida just landed a sweet $80 million settlement in his lawsuit against Celsius energy drink, and the "My House" rapper says that means he's about to turn up his charitable efforts in a big way!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught Flo Monday at LAX, fresh off his Grammy weekend where he kept an extra big grin on account of winning his copyright lawsuit against the beverage co. in January.

Flo tells us his musical success allowed for retirement several years ago, but this new influx of cash will enable more philanthropic endeavors ... such as his Big Dreams For Kids charity that powers his own Florida Youth Football league.

Flo says his league is over 10,000 players strong, and he flew several of them out to Cali to train with Snoop Dogg, and his famed football league from the Netflix series.

He's optimistic the players will grow up to be doctors, lawyers or even professional athletes.

In terms of Celsius, Flo says he's still a co-owner, and has no hard feelings in the aftermath of the lawsuit.

Ronnie Rivers almost matched his entire NFL rookie salary in one night ... 'cause the Los Angeles Rams running back won half a million playin' cards at a Vegas casino!!

The 24-year-old was at Caesars Palace in Sin City on Saturday when he got lucky at the Mega Progressive Jackpot table ... and we're talkin' REAL lucky.

Rivers pulled a Royal Flush at the three-card poker table ... the most improbable hand you can hold. The odds of getting a RF are 1 in 649,000.

Rivers and his friends went crazy, and rightfully so ... as they filmed the jackpot sign at the table climb up over $514,000.

"500,000!!!" his friend yelled, "Ronnie!!!"

What makes this reward even better is he won it on a special weekend ... his and his mother's birthday.

In winning, he almost doubled his rookie salary ... the former Fresno State RB, who went undrafted, signed with the Rams practice squad in September 2022 before making it to the active roster a few months later.

He signed a $705K deal last year with ... and will earn a base salary of $870K next season.

Patrick Mahomes is going to enjoy a cold one with a side of foot sweat if the Chiefs win the Super Bowl on Sunday ... 'cause the K.C. star said Monday he'll chug a beer right outta Cooper Manning's boot if they get the dub over the Eagles!!!

The quarterback made the promise to the oldest Manning brother during a fun interview at Super Bowl week's opening night -- after Cooper had asked him a series of questions about cowboy boots.

Eventually, Mahomes said as long as Cooper joined him in the beer guzzling, he'd drink one down out of the footwear -- no problem.

"Post-Super Bowl, if you bring that thing there, and we get the win," Mahomes said, "I'll drink the beer out of the boot with you."

Of course, the 27-year-old signal-caller had a couple caveats. No. 1 -- it's gotta be Coors Light (everyone knows Mahomes loves his Silver Bullets), and No. 2, Cooper has to be hygienic about it all.

"I've got to make sure you wash your socks before we do that," Mahomes said.

While the two were laughing over the bet -- odds are pretty good it'll go down. After all, Mahomes was no stranger to pouring beer down his throat the last time the Chiefs won the Super Bowl in 2020.

Former Premier League star Christian Atsu, who played for Chelsea and Newcastle, is missing after a massive earthquake hit Turkey on Monday ... with multiple outlets reporting he's feared to be trapped underneath rubble.

The 7.8-magnitude quake rocked the country at 4:17 AM -- killing scores of people and leveling buildings ... and according to local reports out of Turkey, Atsu has not been seen or heard from since the shaking began.

Newcastle officials tweeted they're "praying for some positive news." The Ghana Football Association added in a tweet of its own, "Our thoughts and prayers are with Christian Atsu and our brothers and sisters in Turkey and Syria. We remain hopeful for positive news."

Atsu, a 31-year-old winger, joined Turkish club Hatayspor back in September ... and had just played in a game for them hours before the earthquake on Sunday night, scoring a goal.

He had previously played for Al-Raed in Saudi Arabia in 2021-22.

According to reports, more than 2,300 people have died due to Monday's earthquake ... with many more missing -- as search and rescue efforts remain ongoing.

"My message to Jake Paul is good luck and I hope you've trained and I hope you got an ambulance on speed dial because you're gonna need it."

That's Tommy Fury with a very ominous warning for The Problem Child ... just 3 weeks before their highly anticipated February 26th boxing match in Saudi Arabia.

Of course, the men have been scheduled to fight two other times (more on that later) ... and the bad blood is so real, 23-year-old Fury says he's never wanted anything as badly as he wants a win over 26-year-old Paul.

"This is all that's been in my mind for the past two and a half, three years because I'm a professional, legitimate fighter, and my name has been lingering with Jake Paul for quite some time now and Jake Paul is not on my level," Tommy told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

"Jake Paul is not even considered a legitimate fighter and to have my name dragged through the mud with his, I want to prove a point."

Fury continued ... "In three weeks, I get my chance. I don't wanna take it both hands, I wanna school this man. I'm gonna take him to the trenches and he will be drowned. There's no way he can last eight rounds in the ring with me."

Tommy says he's going to put Jake down, and he's going to do it early.

"I see me putting him away early, the way I'm punching in the gym, what I'm doing to people in the gym," Fury said, adding, "There's no way. When the shots land, he will be going down. He will not get up."

Babcock asked Tommy what he'd say to all the people who believe he will find a way out of the fight with Jake.

"I say to those people they need to wake up. Don't worry. I'll be in Saudi Arabia ready for February 26th. I'm ready to go now. I can't wait to get on this plane and get over there."

"I'm gonna hurt this man seriously come February 26th and if he banking on me for not showing, well if that's where he getting his confidence from, then he needs to think again 'cause I'll be there and I'll be right in his face come fight night."

We also talked to former UFC star turned BKFC boxer, "Platinum" Mike Perry ... who Paul has tapped as the replacement fighter, should Tommy fail to make it to fight night.

NASCAR star Kyle Busch says he was detained by authorities in Mexico last month ... after he says they found a handgun in his bag at an airport.

Busch said it all happened following the conclusion of his vacation with his wife, Samantha, in late January.

According to the 37-year-old driver, he was going through airport security screening ... when he realized he accidentally brought his firearm in his luggage.

Busch claims he has a valid concealed carry permit for it -- but its discovery still alarmed authorities, who detained him over it all.

"I was not aware of Mexican law and had no intention of bringing a handgun into Mexico," he said in a statement on his social media page Monday.

"When it was discovered, I fully cooperated with the authorities, accepted the penalties, and returned to North Carolina."

Prosecutors in Quintana Roo appeared to address the incident in a statement released over the weekend. Officials said the defendant, ID'ed only as "Kyle Thomas 'B'" from the state of Nevada, was detained following the discovery of a firearm on Jan. 27. They noted that following an investigation, he was sentenced to three and a half years in prison as well as a fine.

Busch made no mention of a prison sentence in his statement Monday.

"I apologize for my mistake and appreciate the respect shown by all parties as we resolved the matter," Busch said. "My family and I consider this issue closed."

Dr. Dre and Interscope Records are marking the 30th anniversary of "The Chronic" by recreating the roller rink hysteria from back in the day when the album first dropped!!!

TMZ Hip Hop got video from the star-studded party at the Hollywood Palladium ... which partnered with Usher to host a pop-up of the world-famous Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace, and the "Confessions" singer proceeded to cut the rink in his custom glow-in-the-dark skates!!!

Not to be outdone, Floyd Mayweather showed how his fancy boxing footwork translates to wheels ... as did Chris Brown, DaniLeigh, Mike Epps, Jermaine Dupri, Teyana Taylor and many more.

We're told Dre didn't skate but chatted it up with execs from Interscope and Power 106 while DJ Battlecat and Bryan-Michael Cox mixed 'Chronic' tracks in their overall sets.

'Chronic' music vids such as "Let Me Ride" and "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang" also played on the monitors while Coi Leray, Lil Tjay, Fivio Foreign, Jim Jones, MGK and Megan Fox, Jason Lee and Drumma Boy filled up the celeb-packed crowd.

This year, however, Dre's not only basking in his old glory ... he's dropping an album titled "Casablanco" with longtime collaborator Marsha Ambriousus and has also been in the studio with Snoop Dogg and Eminem for more musical developments.

A police officer was blunt with Vontae Davis during his DUI arrest on Saturday ... telling the ex-NFL star straight up, "You almost killed somebody."

The stern chat with Davis was captured on Florida Highway Patrol dash cam footage, obtained by TMZ Sports, after officers said the two-time pro bowler had crashed his Tesla into another car during a wreck on a highway at around 7:50 AM.

In the video, you can see Davis appeared to be dozing in and out of consciousness as officers attempt to question him about the leadup to the accident.

They asked him where he had been, if he had been drinking, if he was injured, and if he'd submit to field sobriety tests. Davis answered some of the questions -- others not so much. He seemed to be slurring some of his words during his replies.

At one point, the video shows he told a cop he had been to a club and had consumed two "mixed drinks" prior to getting behind the wheel. He said he left the venue at around 2 AM, and had no recollection of a car crash.

Officers eventually told him he was under arrest -- and when Davis asked why, one of the cops didn't mince words.

"Your eyes are bloodshot," he said. "Your speech is slurred. You can barely stay awake. All right? You almost killed somebody."

When Davis said he "didn't almost kill nobody" -- the officer responded, "Yeah, man. They were in a truck on the side of the road. You took them completely out. And there was a father and son there on the shoulder."

Davis, who played 10 seasons in the NFL with the Colts, Dolphins, and Bills, was ultimately arrested and booked for DUI.

Las Vegas Raiders star, Darren Waller pulled up to the 2023 Pro Bowl with some new tats you absolutely could not miss ... because they were both on the sides of his head!!

The NFL tight end got the scalp ink on Saturday while the Pro Bowl games were going down at Allegiant Stadium ... and TMZ Sports has learned he flew out his go-to guy, Kali from Atlanta, to make sure it was all done right.

You can see in one of the pieces, there's an angel playing the trumpet. In the other, there's a falcon taking flight. Both are HUGE -- occupying most of the 30-year-old's cranium.

No word on what the images mean to Waller ... but Kali, who has done basically all of the tats on Waller, tells us the football player didn't complain once while the ink was going into his head.

"Sat like a champ," Kali tells us. "Always does."

Kali said it took a total of three hours to do the overall head piece -- and, when it comes to the healing process, the artist said it'll be just like any other tattoo ... as long as it's kept clean and moisturized.

LeBron James admits he's "disappointed" the Lakers didn't reunite him with his old teammate Kyrie Irving ... saying Monday he thought a trade for the point guard could have given him the chance to win multiple championships in L.A.

LBJ sat down for an interview with ESPN's Michael Wilbon ... and when the topic of Kyrie came up, it wasn't hard to see the King was heartbroken the Lakers got beat out by the Mavericks in a swap for the Nets superstar.

"Definitely disappointed," James said. "I can't sit here and say I'm not disappointed."

James called Irving someone he knows he has great chemistry with -- and someone who "can help you win championships."

The 38-year-old, though, said he's already getting over it ... telling Wilbon, "My focus has shifted back to where it should be, and that's this club now and what we have in the locker room."

As we previously reported, Irving was sent to Dallas on Sunday after he requested a trade last week. As part of the swap, Dallas sent over Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a first-round pick and a handful of second-rounders.

L.A. reportedly tried hard to get into the mix for Irving -- as did the Heat, Suns and Clippers.

James and Irving previously had success in Cleveland, when they went to four consecutive NBA Finals. They won a title in 2016 after overcoming a 3-1 deficit against the Warriors.

After news broke that Irving was on the move from Brooklyn to Dallas, James sent out an eyebrow-raising tweet that said, "Maybe it's me."

It's unclear who or what James was referring to, though the timing was interesting. But, either way, the four-time time NBA champion says he's moving past the disappointment of it all.

Dan Snyder's football team is up for sale -- and now, so is his massive pad in Maryland ... TMZ Sports has confirmed he's listing his huge D.C.-area property on Monday.

Michael Rankin of TTR Sotheby's International Realty tells us the Potomac home will officially go on sale with a price tag of $49 MILLION. It'd be, according to multiple reports, the largest sale of a property ever in the area if it gets the asking price.

The place is amazing ... it features 30,000 square feet, five bedrooms and 13.5 bathrooms. It's also got a basketball court, a theatre, a wine cellar, a library, a spa, and a gym ... and sits just feet away from a river.

The Washington Business Journal reports Snyder originally bought the place in 2000 -- and expanded on it in the ensuing years. According to the outlet, though, he hasn't lived in the home for a while.

The timing of the listing is obviously interesting -- Snyder announced back in November he was exploring a sale of his beloved Commanders team as well ... and both Jeff Bezos and Jay-Z had expressed big interest in putting in a bid for the franchise.