TMZ Sports - Page 50

Zion Williamson won't be suiting up for the New Orleans Pelicans' matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday ... an announcement that came just a few hours after his pregnant girlfriend posted a picture from a hospital bed.

The 23-year-old former No. 1 overall pick was officially listed as "out" for the road contest for "personal reasons" ... and his partner's recent social media activity might explain what exactly sparked his absence.

Zion and his lady, Ahkeema, announced back in June they were having a baby girl with a lavish gender reveal party ...  and she recently stated she was 38 weeks along in her pregnancy.

So, there's a chance Williamson's first child could be here soon -- if not already -- and naturally, he'd want to be around his girl for the monumental moment in his life.

Of course, Zion was over the moon when he first went public with his upcoming fatherhood ... even sending his future kid a special message.

"My baby, you’re going to see this at some point," Williamson said in a touching vid. "I don’t know what the future holds, but mommy and daddy love you."

"If you don’t know nothin' else in this world, know that mommy and daddy love you -- for life."

Former NFL player Matt Ulrich -- who won a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts in 2006 -- has died, Jim Irsay announced Wednesday. He was 41 years old.

Details surrounding his death have not been revealed at this time.

Irsay shared his condolences on X just minutes ago ... saying even though the offensive guard was with the team for a short time, his presence was felt throughout the organization.

"I am heartbroken to hear of the passing of Matt Ulrich," Irsay said in a heartfelt post. "Matt was with us only two seasons, but left his mark on many."

"Great guy, I hear he was a great dad---and he was a Super Bowl champ.  My prayers to his family. 🙏"

Ulrich was a star athlete at Streamwood High School in Illinois ... receiving high honors in football and shot put before attending Northwestern.

Ulrich -- who went undrafted -- joined Indy in 2005 ... appearing in 10 games in his career, winning it all alongside Peyton Manning and Co. at Super Bowl XLI.

He started a fitness company in retirement ... and also ventured into business.

A fundraiser was set up to support Ulrich's family following the athlete's sudden death ... with nearly $30,000 being raised over the past 18 hours.

Tom McMakin -- the CEO of Profitable Ideas Exchange, where Ulrich worked -- donated $20k for the cause. TMZ Sports spoke with McMakin ... and he said Ulrich had the biggest heart in Montana.

"Matt had love and energy for everyone he met," McMakin said ... adding Ulrich was heavily involved in the community by coaching his kids' football teams and providing speed and strength training for young athletes.

McMakin also praised Ulrich's brain and leadership -- assisting on multiple boards for causes throughout the area and raved about his success in the office.

"An NFL lineman is usually scary ... but Matt immediately put you at ease," McMakin said. "He was a gentle giant."

Tom also commended Ulrich for continuing to focus on his health following his playing days ... pointing out the athlete had lost 40 pounds in recent years and was in "peak condition."

As for why he decided to make the substantial donation, McMakin said, "He helped build our company and he was the heart and soul to the business. It's the least we could do."

Jeezy sat down with Nia Long for an hour-long conversation about several weighty topics -- including his divorce from Jeannie Mai -- but many viewers think he's still speaking in code about the split.

According to Jeezy, he and Jeannie attempted counseling sessions to fix what he deemed was broken in the marriage ... but ultimately he told Nia the damage had been done and being "responsible for himself" was the best course of action.

Jeezy expressed how he was saddened over the situation, but never actually explained exactly why he filed for divorce from Jeannie.

Let's keep it real, that's what fans really wanted to know -- especially after sitting through the entire hour-long chat.

Clearly, Jeezy's not ready to give up those nuggets just yet, which makes sense when you consider the divorce isn't settled yet.

As we reported last week, Jeezy just dropped his 29-track double album, "I Might Forgive ... But I Don't Forget," highlighted by the song "Don't Cheat" ... a theme he kept reiterating throughout the interview.

On the flip side, both Jeezy and Nia unpacked a lot about their traumatic upbringings and failed relationships. Nia's currently battling for custody with her ex, Ime Udoka, after his NBA cheating scandal earlier this year.

Nia also admitted to solely dating drug dealers in high school, which gave her a different perspective on men.

How do you make 6'4" Tom Brady look short? Stand him next to rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama ... who happens to be a full foot taller than the football G.O.A.T.!

The 7x Super Bowl champ shared photos of his meeting with the San Antonio Spurs rookie on Tuesday, alongside billionaire friend Michael Rubin.

Even though Wemby's height is no secret (he's around 7'4"), it's still mind-boggling to see him towering over someone as tall as Brady ... and fans got a kick out of the pics!

Brady had some fun with the caption, and even worked in a shot at former teammate Julian Edelman.

"Usually I’d make some joke here about how I think I could get 10 and 10 against you, but let’s be real… you’d send my jumper into the club level 😂😂😂," Brady wrote on IG.

"PS: @edelman11 This is how you felt all those years???"

Of course, Edelman is 5'10" ... so he's giving up about 6 inches to his quarterback.

Brady's son also got to meet the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft ... and Tom challenged anyone to see the trio in a pickup game.

"3 on 3, who's got next?!" Brady said in his IG story.

A former National Women's Soccer League player flashed a Nazi salute while driving by a pro-Israel rally this month ... and her ex-team is now condemning her actions while distancing itself from her.

Stefany Ferrer Van Ginkel -- who played for Angel City FC in 2022 -- gave the "Sieg Heil" salute from the passenger seat of a car while another pro soccer player, Samim Haydari, drove her through Beverly Hills.

Part of the incident was captured on video ... and in the clip, you can hear demonstrators shouting at the pair of footballers, "Shame on you!"

It's not clear, however, what led up to the interaction.

Angel City FC released a statement shortly after the video was posted on X ... saying, "Stefany Ferrer Van Ginkel (stefvangi21) does not play for Angel City Football Club, nor has she been affiliated with the club since November 2022. We condemn her recent actions and statements."

For their part, Van Ginkel and Haydari reportedly released an on-camera apology on Monday night.

According to KTLA, Haydari said, "I know we have approached the situation with hate and made it worse with our actions" ... before adding, "We acted childish." Van Ginkel, the outlet reported, did not speak in the clip.

8:38 AM PT -- Jake Paul is going off on anyone who is still hating on his boxing career after the big reveal ... telling any naysayers to simply "shut the f*** up."

"Boxer true and true, better record than me, more wins by KO than me, same weight."

Of course, haters gonna hate ... so it sounds like that'll continue no matter what.

Jake Paul is sending a direct response to his haters with his next opponent -- he just announced he's slated to fight pro boxer Andre August next month.

The Problem Child is going up against a 10-1 cruiserweight fighter with five knockouts under his belt ... and he's referring to the matchup as a serious challenge as he continues his quest to become a legitimate world champion.

"Ask and I shall deliver," Jake said Wednesday. "August has more KO’s then me, more wins then me, more experience then me, but I like to gamble."

"The path to world champ starts here. Just straight up boxing."

26-year-old Paul is 7-1 with four KOs in his career ... but many have criticized him for taking on older MMA fighters with little to no boxing experience.

The one boxer he actually has on his record is Tommy Fury -- and that's his only loss.

35-year-old August is by far the smallest name Jake has ever agreed to fight ... but he's exactly the type of opponent the purists would want to see him face off against.

The 5'10", 200-lb. Houston native last fought in August, when he won via unanimous decision. His only loss came in 2018. According to his Instagram page, AA claims to be a Texas state champion.

August addressed the upcoming event in a statement ... saying, "I don't talk very much. I’m all about that action! Jake Paul has the money, the fame, the team and the resources but he doesn’t have my hunger."

"When that bell rings, I am going to go straight to Jake Paul and ring his bell and send him back to YouTube for good."

The bout is slated to go down December 15 at the Caribe Royale in Orlando.

9:39 AM PT -- A source close to Kim Zolciak says the police never spoke to Kim and Kroy Biermann after the report was made, and the reporting person allegedly doesn't even live in the neighborhood.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann are in the doghouse with law enforcement yet again ... after some pissed-off neighbors called the cops after one of the estranged couple's dogs nearly attacked a kid.

Alpharetta, GA cops got a call last week about the Biermann dog from a woman who said it was off its leash ... the woman claimed this wasn't the first problem with the dog.

The caller told dispatch the dog "almost attacked her kids" last month, telling officers the pooch chased them -- but thankfully, no one was injured.

Given what allegedly went down, the caller said seeing the dog roaming without a leash was concerning, telling dispatch the dog is "super aggressive and never confined."

Kim and Kroy's dogs -- Stone and Sinn -- were apparently the topic of discussion in a Facebook group as well -- with a conversation posted on IG account @Thegoodthebadandthefake6 concerned parent saying a dog had tried to "tackle and attack" their kid, who was riding a scooter.

Folks chimed in, pointing the finger at the estranged couple and saying -- "It may be [Kim and Kroy's] dog. He is usually behind the gate in the front yard, but sometimes their driveway gate is open."

BTW, Sinn bit their son, Kash, back in 2017 ... nearly blinding him.

But the dogs are obviously not Kim and Kroy's only problems ... as we reported, local cops have been called a couple of times to their home, and body cam footage from August showed how unpleasant things have gotten in their house recently.

A former MMA fighter used his combat skills to open a can of whoop-ass on a knife-wielding assailant in self-defense... and the dramatic scene was caught on video.

Javier Baez drove back to his Miami apartment complex after a night out on Halloween ... and spotted Omar Marrero screaming and brandishing a knife in the parking lot, according to WPLG News.

After Baez parked his car, Marrero reportedly walked over and started hitting his window with the knife.

Marrero then opened the driver's side door and tried to slash Baez, who got out to dial down the escalating tension.

But it didn't work ... Marrero kept swinging the knife at Baez and retrieved a second blade from his vehicle nearby.

Baez wasn't intimidated, though, reverting back to his days as a mixed martial arts fighter and making quick work of Marrero.

Check out the video ... Holding one of the knives, Marrero charges at Baez, who lifts him up and body slams him to the ground. Baez then disarms Marrero and puts him in a chokehold.

Baez later told a WPLG reporter, "Once I started putting the choke in, he kind of just let it go because no one is worried about anything else but breathing when you’re losing air."

Baez added, "I was able to hold him down with my knee and call the cops, and he woke up, cops came, and it was good, easy peasy!"

TMZ just turned 18, and yes -- we're ready to take you on an eventful stroll down memory lane that hits all the highlights, and the biggest stories we've broken over the years.

It's been quite the journey since we first launched in 2005, and we've changed a helluva lot too -- but the one thing that's remained the same throughout our nearly two decades is that we report big news about Hollywood ... and more often than not, we're first to do it.

Here's a recap of where we've been, the stories we've unearthed and where we go from here.

Mel Gibson's Antisemitic DUI Tirade (2006)

We'd covered some big stories before this, but breaking the Mel Gibson DUI story back in the summer of 2006 undoubtedly put TMZ on the map -- and for good reason ... what our reporting unveiled turned out to be absolutely nuts, not to mention very ugly.

TMZ got a hold of the original report taken by the arresting officer, and it detailed a wild scene when officers pulled Gibson over along the PCH near Malibu ... which erupted into a vulgar and antisemitic rant by the actor that targeted Jewish people over and over again.

Here's just a taste of what law enforcement heard that night ... "F*****g Jews ... The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world." He also asked of one officer, "Are you a Jew?"

The Sheriff's Dept. tried covering up the story, telling us there was no such rant. But then we obtained 4 pages of the arresting deputy's report, in which the rant was described in detail.

Michael Richards Uses the N-Word (2006)

Michael Richards' notorious stand-up set at the Laugh Factory in November 2006 will go down in history for all the wrong reasons ... 'cause he dropped the N-word repeatedly, and TMZ got the first video of this low moment.

The "Seinfeld" star absolutely lost it that evening while performing in front of a moderate-sized crowd -- this after he was heckled by some audience members, which triggered him to launch into a horrifically racist tirade ... screaming obscenities and racial slurs.

He apologized, but the damage was arguably done -- his career was never quite the same.

Britney Spears' Shaved-Head Umbrella Incident (2007)

Britney Spears started to unravel in late 2006, but all that came to a (shaved) head in early 2007 when she took clippers to her noggin and cut off her famous long locks ... going for a bald look. The manic move prompted a lot of concern about her state of mind and well-being.

Of course, everything hit the fan just a few days later when she attacked paparazzi who'd followed her to an L.A. gas station -- getting out of her vehicle and rushing them with an umbrella, all of which was captured on camera.

We were the first outlet to publish the chaotic scene .... and it marked the beginning of a downward spiral for Brit, which culminated with her being thrust into a court-ordered conservatorship about a year later. In 2021, she was finally released from the conservatorship -- cheered on and supported by hordes of her fans in the #FreeBritney movement.

Since then, her erratic behavior has worried people all over again -- but her problems are nowhere near what they were in the mid-2000s ... so for now, relatively speaking, she seems to be doing OK.

Move over Patrick Mahomes -- Joe Burrow is actually the best quarterback in the NFL ... so says Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson, who tells TMZ Sports the Cincinnati Bengals superstar deserves the title when he's 100% healthy.

Joey B has had his fair share of injuries in his short career -- he tore his ACL and MCL in his rookie season, forcing him to miss the final six games ... and, more recently, suffered a calf strain in July that continued to give him trouble early on in his 2023 campaign.

He's now proving he's back to his usual self after leading the Bengals to four straight wins ... and Ochocinco says this version of Burrow is all the evidence he needs to put him at the top of his QB list.

"A healthy Joe Burrow is the best quarterback in the NFL," 45-year-old Johnson -- who played for the Bengals from 2001 to 2010 -- said this week.

"You can argue Patrick Mahomes, you can argue what other quarterbacks, but he just is."

Burrow has been balling out lately ... with big wins over San Francisco and Buffalo over the past two weeks as the Bengals find themselves in the contender conversation once again.

Since Burrow was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in 2020, he has led the Bengals to five postseason wins and a Super Bowl appearance ... something Johnson said shouldn't be ignored.

"What he's done for that franchise in such a short amount of time, I mean, how can he not be [the best]?"

Speaking of Burrow, he appeared on this week's edition of "Inside the NFL" -- which airs Tuesdays on the CW -- and Johnson said he had a blast interviewing the Ohio product.

"It was a joy for me," Johnson said. "It was really, really dope."

The calls for Brian Cashman's job have never been louder, but the Yankees general manager ain't goin' down without a fight ... the longtime baseball exec got feisty with reporters on Tuesday while defending his team!

"I think we're pretty f***ing good, personally, and I'm proud of our people," Cashman told a horde of reporters at the GM meetings in Scottsdale, AZ.

Today's media sesh with Cash was highly anticipated... it's the first time Brian spoke since the end of an incredibly disappointing season that saw the Bronx Bombers finish in second to last place, just 2 games over .500, despite their near-$279 million payroll.

Cashman also addressed the perception that he's made a bunch of bad trades ... bringing up Sonny Gray and Joey Gallo, two former Yankees who struggled mightily in NYC, but have had success since leaving, with BC saying he "gets a kick out of" people criticizing the moves.

"Since Joey Gallo's left us, who's picked him up? Two playoff teams. Sonny Gray, he's currently in the competition for a Cy Young Award."

Cashman touched on a bunch more ... including the perception that the Yanks are overly dependent on analytics, something Brian says is flat-out untrue.

"No one is doing their deep dives, they're just throwing bulls*** and accusing us of being run analytically. To be said we are guided by analytics as a driver is a lie," Brian said.

Team owner Hal Steinbrenner also talked to the media during a virtual press conference, promising "big changes" to come.

The question is, as another season passes without a World Series win, will any of those changes involve Cash or skipper Aaron Boone losing their jobs as much of the fanbase wants?

Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes' friendship is Instagram official ... 'cause the wife of the Chiefs superstar QB finally shared a personal pic from their weekend in NYC where the singer spent some quality time with a few fellow K.C. WAGS!

Of course, Patrick's partner hit the Big Apple with Swift and her VIP gal pals Selena Gomez, Sophie Turner and Gigi Hadid a few days back ... locking arms with Travis Kelce's new boo outside the Bond Street restaurant.

Judging by Brittany's new social media posts, it looks like Taylor made some time for her new friends on Saturday, too -- Chiefs backup quarterback Shane Buechele's wife, Paige, and tight end Blake Bell's partner, Lyndsay.

As we previously reported, Paige and Lyndsay were spotted leaving Taylor's TriBeCa apartment following the Chiefs' matchup with the Miami Dolphins (which was in Germany) ... with the ladies decked out in gameday gear.

The foursome posed for photos as they enjoyed some champagne (we know Brittany loves her bubbly) ... and it's clear they've already hit it off.

We're guessing not everyone's going to love the photo sesh ... this is presumably why Travis' ex, Kayla Nicole, unfollowed her once-bestie, Brittany, explaining it was necessary in order to protect her mental health.

It was seemingly the last hurrah for the group ... at least for the foreseeable future. Swift's international tour kicks off on Thursday in Argentina.

Terrifying moment for soccer superstar Neymar's family -- three men reportedly broke into his partner Bruna Biancardi's Sao Paulo condo early Tuesday morning in an attempt to target her and their newborn baby.

Neymar and Bruna -- who started dating in 2021 -- weren't home at the time, according to local outlets ... but her parents were present when the intruders allegedly entered the residence.

Reports state two armed men and another suspect tied up Bruna's parents and proceeded to ransack the influencer's place ... taking luxury items like watches, designer purses and jewelry.

According to R7 newspaper, the suspects were allegedly looking for Neymar and Bruna's baby girl Mavie -- who was born in early October. In fact, the Al Hilal striker shared a picture with his child on Monday.

Thankfully, no one was injured ... and neighbors were quick to notify security during the home invasion.

One of the suspects -- a 20-year-old -- was arrested during the act. It is believed he is Bruna's neighbor and used his access to the neighborhood to allow the other suspects in the gate.

The other two suspects are still on the loose ... but so far, one has been identified.

Kroy Biermann's failure to respond to a repo case filed against him has finally reached its breaking point -- 'cause a judge just ruled he's gotta fork over his Rolls-Royce.

According to new court docs, obtained by TMZ, the former NFLer had a default judgment entered against him over the luxury car ... which he'd been leasing since 2020. BMW alleged he'd recently ghosted them on payments ... and filed a lawsuit so it could repossess the sweet ride.

Now, after months of no reply from Kroy ... a judge has signed off in favor of BMW, ordering Kroy to surrender possession of the Rolls stat.

In the judge's order, KB is instructed to hand over the vehicle to law enforcement in Fulton County where he lives so BMW can reclaim it.

It's unclear what Kroy's gonna do ... considering he hasn't uttered a peep in his defense in this case -- something tells us a tow truck might be pulling up to his crib in the near future ... and haul the car away.

Remember, BMW claimed Kroy had agreed to a 3-year lease with them -- from 2020 to 2023 -- and would pay $5,297.64/month ... for a total of $190k. However, the company alleged he'd stopped paying altogether -- with them saying the last sign of dough arrived in Sept. 2022.

Kroy's attorney spoke to us when this suit was first filed ... and the response was very much, it is what it is. Kroy acknowledges he's in dire financial straits right now amid his ongoing divorce with Kim Zolciak -- and it sounds like he's got bigger fish to fry besides a Rolls.

Their fancy house, for example, comes to mind ... with the bank moving towards foreclosure and Kim/Kroy trying to sell it off first in hopes of recouping some cash to handle the rest of their affairs.

With everything else going on in Kroy's life at the moment, he can afford to lose the Rolls.

Aaron Rodgers' ruptured Achilles is healing at a pace never before seen in an NFL player ... and there's a real chance the future Hall of Famer returns to the field this season ... sources connected to the QB tell TMZ Sports.

We're told 39-year-old Rodgers is in "no man's land" -- uncharted territory -- when it comes to the speed at which he's healing from the serious injury to his left leg. No player previously has come this far, this fast.

Typically, a ruptured Achilles takes 9+ months to recover. Aaron's injury happened on September 11, just 57 days ago. Using that timeline, Rodgers wouldn't be ready to return until training camp next year.

But, Aaron isn't conventional, and the 4x NFL MVP made up his mind shortly after the injury, he was going to do all he could to return this season.

Doctors, however, need to balance Rodger's eagerness with the danger of reinjuring his leg. They'll only allow him to play if they're confident he isn't at high risk of reinjuring the ligament, according to our sources.

What's interesting ... we're told one of the balancing factors is how much the Jets need Rodgers. If he's game critical, it would offset some of the risk. In other words, the more he's needed, the more risk can be tolerated.

As for why a 39-year-old is healing faster than any football player known to medicine, we're told it's a combination of the top doctors using cutting-edge procedures combined with Aaron's unrelenting approach to physical therapy.

All the talk of a comeback could be moot if the 4-4 Jets aren't in playoff contention. There's no point in rushing a return if Gang Green's playing in meaningless games.

Following the Jets Monday Night Football loss to the Chargers, Derwin James asked Rodgers when he was going to return.

Shaquille O'Neal wasn't a sore loser after his alma mater LSU shockingly fell to Colorado on Monday ... 'cause the Big Fella made an awesome gesture by congratulating the Buffaloes in the locker room!!

The No. 20 CU women's hoops team pulled off the major upset over Angel Reese, Hailey Van Lith and the No. 1-ranked Tigers in a 92-78 victory in Las Vegas ... stunning the defending champions in the season opener.

But Shaq -- who dominated in Baton Rouge from 1989-1992 -- wasn't too bummed to be a good sport for the big winners of the night ... sharing a postgame moment with head coach J.R. Payne and the athletes.

"Good game girls," Shaq said as he also shook hands with Payne.

O'Neal wasn't the only big name to show love for the Buffs -- three-time WNBA champ Candace Parker also gave the squad some motivation for the season.

"Hope to see you in the Final Four," she said.

Of course, the LSU women's team skyrocketed in popularity en route to winning it all earlier this year ... with Reese and Flau'jae Johnson becoming big names in the sport.