TMZ Sports - Page 50

For the first time in a YEAR, China's state-owned television network has announced it will resume broadcasting NBA games -- starting with Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

Remember, China Central Television pulled ALL NBA games from its network following Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey's tweet in support for Hong Kong protestors in October 2019.

The simple tweet, "Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong," ignited a massive crap storm between the league and China.

In fact, NBA commish Adam Silver told us at the time he was working hard to try and repair the relationship.

"We do need to reset with the Chinese government and everybody has to establish what the rules of the road are going to be going forward," Silver told us in October 2019.

Apparently, Silver's efforts worked -- because China credited the NBA with helping out big time during the COVID pandemic ... thanking the league for donating $1 million and medical equipment, according to ESPN.

China's CCTV says in a statement the NBA relief effort was one of the main reasons it decided to put the league back on TV.

"During the recent Chinese National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations, the NBA sent their well wishes to fans in China," CCTV says.

"We also took note of the league has been continuously delivering goodwill (to China), particularly making positive contributions to Chinese people's fight against COVID-19 pandemic."

Name the first thing a stripper takes off ...

That was a topic on an NFL players edition of "Family Feud" Thursday night ... and Marcus Peters' answer was so bad -- the Baltimore Ravens star was clowned like hell over it!!!

Here's how it went down ... Peters was facing off with Adrian Peterson when Steve Harvey asked the two, "What's the first thing a stripper takes off?"

Peters -- confident as hell -- buzzed in and blurted out, "Panties!"

PANTIES?!

The answer was immediately hit with a red X ... and when Harvey got over to Peterson's NFL legends team -- they laughed their asses off over it!!

"See, that's the difference between old school and new school," Harvey said. "Panties, right now!"

To his credit, Peters laughed it all off with the rest of the guys ... and, hey, watch the clip -- it wasn't like anyone else's answers were much better!

Wichita State basketball coach Gregg Marshall is the subject of an internal investigation after multiple claims of hostility -- including allegations he punched a player TWICE during a 2015 practice.

The alleged victim is former Shockers forward Shaq Morris -- who claims Marshall socked him in the face for committing a foul on a teammate during a workout.

Morris says he was trying to block a shot by teammate Zach Brown -- and unintentionally knocked Brown to the ground.

"I went over to help [Brown] up, and as I was helping him up to make sure he was okay, bam -- I’m struck on the left side of my face with a punch," Morris told Stadium.

"I turned back with my fists ready to punch or swing. I don’t know who did what and I see Marshall standing there. I turned around and started walking out."

Stadium says 6 players who were on the team at the time have corroborated the incident.

Several teammates, including Fred VanVleet (who's now in the NBA) allegedly refused to practice the next day unless Marshall apologized, which Morris says he did.

"[Marshall] comes down in the film room and says, ‘First off, I just want to apologize to you and he pointed at me. Then he said, “We good? We good? We good? All right, let’s move on."

There's more ... Morris says Marshall also choked assistant coach Kyle Lindsted during a practice in the 2016-17 season.

"I looked over and saw coach Marshall choking him," Morris said. "Then people started de-escalating the situation, trying to calm him down."

Lindsted -- who left Wichita State in 2018 -- declined to comment to Stadium about the allegation.

There are also allegations of racism ... Marshall allegedly verbally abused player Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler, who is of Native American descent.

Marshall allegedly told him to "get back on his horse" and made "Indian howling noises" while in practice during the 2018-19 season.

One former assistant coach described Marshall this way to Stadium -- "He’s smart, a great coach. Just a bad person."

The coach has commented on the investigation -- telling The Athletic, "I'm aware the university conducted interviews and I fully participated in the process."

"I look forward to having it wrapped up as I continue to focus my energy on our team."

Did Tom Brady forget what down it was in a crucial moment during the Bucs game Thursday night???

It certainly seems so ... 'cause cameras caught the QB asking refs what down it was after he had just thrown a game-losing incompletion on 4th down!!

Here's the deal ... after the Chicago Bears kicked a field goal to go up 20-19 on TB12's Bucs late in the 4th quarter -- Brady took the ball with less than 90 seconds left in the game.

Tom looked poised to lead Tampa Bay to its 4th win this season and was driving ... when, suddenly, his offense started to sputter.

On 1st down, Tom missed Mike Evans. On 2nd down, #12 hit his running back for a short gain. On 3rd down, Brady's pass to Rob Gronkowski was broken up. And, on 4th, the QB threw another incompletion.

But, as his whole team was walking off the field -- Brady looked dumbfounded, held up 4 fingers and appeared to ask the ref, "What down?!"

The debacle cost the Buccaneers the game ... 'cause the Bears took a couple knees and ended the contest.

Afterward, Brady was asked about the down-counting disaster -- and he claimed he actually knew it was 4th.

"I knew we had to gain a chunk," Brady said, "so I should have been thinking more 1st down instead of chunk in that situation."

Added his head coach, Bruce Arians, "Yeah, he knew."

Sure, guys. Suuuuuuuuuuuuuure.

Orlando Magic star Mo Bamba says he's all the way down with a new California proposition pushing for 17-year-olds to be allowed vote ... but there's a catch!

It's called Prop. 18 -- and if passed, it would allow 17-year-olds who will be 18 at the time of the next general election to vote in primary elections and special elections.

There are 18 states where this rule is already in place -- but it's now on the ballot in Cali, so when we saw Mo leaving Delilah in L.A. on Thursday, we asked him about it!

22-year-old Bamba told us he'd like to see MORE states adopt the policy -- but warned, "One thing I think they [17-year-olds] need to do is be informed and do their research on who to vote for."

Fair point that should apply to everyone!

Bamba also raved about LeBron's "More Than a Vote" initiative -- saying he thinks "we'll see a very big turnout from the NBA" in the 2020 election.

'Big Brother' alum Paulie Calafiore's looking to go from the reality TV couch to the gold medal stand ... as a member of the U.S. Men's Bobsled Team.

Paulie -- best known as a houseguest on "Big Brother 18" -- got a call from Team USA coaches back in May after his good friend, Lolo Jones, recommended him for the popular winter sport ... according to sources with direct knowledge of the situation.

We're told on Paulie's first call with the coaches, they asked what he knew about bobsledding and he replied ... "I watched 'Cool Runnings' as a kid."

Maybe not the best start, but Lolo also had an unconventional path to the sport coming over as an Olympic hurdler ... so our sources say Paulie's motivated to make it happen.

We're told COVID-19 provided a training challenge for Paulie from the jump, but he whipped together a team consisting of a nutritionist, strength coach and 3 other specialists to prepare the past 5 months.

His everyday training regimen includes 2-3 hours of virtual mobility and flexibility sessions, 2-3 hours of strength training and sprinting sessions, and a strict 5,000 calorie a day diet. He's been training in both Montana where he lives, and South Carolina.

As for Paulie's progress ... our sources say he took a virtual combine to mark his time and weights in September and had incredible stats. He's currently quarantining for 2 weeks at the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center, and after that, he'll hit the bobsled push track for the next phase of training.

If all goes well, Paulie may be on his way to the next Winter Games ... scheduled for February 2022 in Beijing.

As we reported ... Paulie was one of several 'Big Brother' stars who quarantined this summer in anticipation for "Big Brother: All-Stars," but he didn't make the final cast list.

Call this a new kind of love-love for tennis star Genie Bouchard ... TMZ Sports has confirmed she's now dating Pittsburgh Steelers QB Mason Rudolph!!!

A source close to the couple tells us the two began a romantic fling recently ... and have gotten pretty serious.

In fact, 26-year-old Genie was just spotted at a fancy restaurant in Pittsburgh this week ... posting a pic of her at the place with the caption, "Pitt stop."

25-year-old Mason -- who was presumably on the other end of the camera -- dropped a "like" on the photo.

Of course, the new relationship means the end of a possible old one for Rudolph ... as we previously reported, the quarterback had been seen in L.A. in April getting cozy with "Bachelor" star Hannah Ann Sluss.

Unclear how serious the two were ... but Rudolph's clearly moved on either way.

As for Genie, she's been no stranger to famous dates in the past ... remember Super Bowl bet guy?!

But, seems she's finally found her special someone ... which is awesome for her, considering just a few months ago she tweeted that going through quarantine "would be a lot more fun with a boyfriend."

Congrats!!

Before this team player was an actor cast in a maddening sketch comedy show, he was just another sporty star shooting hoops on the basketball squad in Chicago, Illinois.

This brunette baller is known for his portfolio of celebrity impressions that he showed off over his 5-season run on a hilarious sketch show -- where he shared the screen with comedians Bobby Lee and Jordan Peele.

He has been featured on numerous TV sitcoms but landed a reoccurring role on a comedic doctor series named after an actress who rose to fame for her character on 'The Office.'

WNBA legend Cappie Pondexter has been arrested in Los Angeles and is NOT missing ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The LAPD tells us the 37-year-old was taken into custody Tuesday and booked on a misdemeanor battery charge.

We're told Pondexter refused to ID herself to cops so she was booked as "Jane Doe" ... and was held in jail until she was released earlier Thursday.

Now, multiple law enforcement officials tell us the woman has been identified as Pondexter.

Details of the alleged incident are unclear ... we're working on it.

Pondexter -- a 2-time WNBA champ -- was thought to have been missing ... after those close to her said she hadn't been heard from since Monday.

In fact, the WNBPA released a statement Thursday saying, "We are sharing this out of concern for our fellow WNBPA sister, Cappie Pondexter."

"If you have any information, please contact authorities. Please help us spread the word and ensure that she is safe."

Cappie is a hoops legend ... and played for the Phoenix Mercury, New York Liberty, Chicago Sky, L.A. Sparks, Indiana Fever and several international teams.

Jackie Robinson's daughter says she's straight-up "insulted" her father's image was used in a campaign ad on Donald Trump's official YouTube page ... and she's now demanding the president remove it immediately.

POTUS' team posted a pro-Trump campaign video Tuesday featuring some iconic pictures of legendary Americans ... including Martin Luther King Jr. and Jackie Robinson.

The ad -- titled "Say What You Will About America" -- urged citizens to vote for Trump ... and as of Thursday afternoon, it had over 5 MILLION views.

But, Sharon Robinson says she's LIVID the president would even consider using her dad's image in the video ... explaining there's no way in hell the baseball legend would have supported a re-election for Trump.

"Jackie Robinson’s family strongly objects to the use of Jackie Robinson’s image in a Donald Trump [ad]," she said Thursday.

"The Trump campaign is in opposition to all that Jackie Robinson stood for and believed in. We’re insulted and demand that his image be removed!"

Meanwhile, MLK's daughter, Bernice King, also found Trump's use of her father's image in the ad "beyond insulting" ... and she demanded the president remove the photo as well.

File Under: Perks Of Being Rich and Famous.

Cleveland Browns superstar Odell Beckham's already got his hands on the new Xbox Series X ... which is pretty unfair, considering the damn thing doesn't hit shelves until next month!!!

OBJ showed off his new toy on Thursday ... and while he didn't say how he got it, he got his point across with a few emojis -- "🤐🤫🤯"

The new Xbox will become available to the non-VIP public on November 10 ... but when you're Odell Beckham, you ain't gotta wait like the rest of us normies.

Beckham's not the only one getting special treatment ... Travis Scott made heads explode when he bragged about having a PlayStation 5, which launches on Nov. 12.

No word on Odell's review of the Xbox just yet ... we can only imagine how dope it's gonna be.

It's been a great week for OBJ, who's coming off a MONSTER game against the Dallas Cowboys ... with 2 touchdowns off of insane trick plays.

Horrible moment for rising WWE star Ridge Holland -- who appeared to suffer a very real, very painful injury during a match on live TV.

The 32-year-old ex-rugby player from England had just defeated Danny Burch during an "NXT" match — triggering a post-match brawl between Ridge and Burch’s pal, Oney Lorcan.

While Ridge was outside the ring, Lorcan launched a leaping attack — but Ridge’s left leg appeared to buckle while trying to catch Oney.

Ridge immediately collapsed and one of the refs working the match threw up an "X" arm gesture, typically the signal for a real injury.

The pro wrestler was loaded onto a stretcher and taken away -- but Ridge did give a thumbs up on the way out.

"It's hard to see something like this, it's a scary situation," announcer Vic Joseph said on-air.

Beth Phoenix added, "Terrible to watch the footage back. Always unfortunate when we have to see an injury here. Best of luck to Ridge Holland."

So far, no official word on Ridge's injury -- but WWE tweeted out after the match, "Wishing you a speedy recovery."

Ridge -- real name Luke Menzies -- began his pro wrestling career in 2016 and signed with WWE in 2018.

"I'm honest, I've never voted in my life. This is my first time voting."

That's Shaquille O'Neal dropping a Shaq-sized bombshell -- confessing he's NEVER voted in an election!

... UNTIL NOW!!

"I've never voted before, America," Shaq said this week on Wednesday on The Big Podcast ... "But, now I'm doing all these voting campaigns and ya know one thing I never like to do, is be a hypocrite."

Yep, the 48-year-old NBA legend says he felt weird pushing voting initiatives like his #MyStartingFive challenge -- which helps people register to vote for Election Day 2020 -- while sitting on the sidelines.

So, he decided to actually vote this year -- by absentee ballot!

"In other words America, I voted for the first time and it feels good."

Shaq's co-hosts were in complete shock -- especially after Shaq was virtually sitting next to his buddy President Barack Obama, at Game 1 of the NBA Finals -- who obviously didn't get Shaq's vote back in the day!

Conor McGregor says he's "accepted" a UFC offer to fight Dustin Poirier -- and now it's all about finalizing a date.

The Irishman tweeted out to Poirier Thursday -- saying, "Hello Dustin! I accepted the @UFC offer to fight you, but told them it must happen in 2020."

"I’m ready for Nov 21st, given that cards recent injury issues, as well as any of the December dates, the 12th and the 19th. I’ll also still donate the $500k to The Good Fight Foundation."

Our UFC sources tell us Conor was, in fact, offered the fight -- but it would be scheduled for January.

Obviously, Conor has made it clear he doesn't want to wait that long and he's trying to convince the UFC to fast-track it.

Look, the good news is there seems to be progress -- hopefully, everyone can come to an agreement soon.

Conor has been at the center of a LOT of drama lately -- from an alleged attempted sexual assault in Corsica (which he denies) to beefing with UFC boss Dana White.

McGregor also shaved off his trademark beard recently and has been training like a maniac.

Conor and Dustin have fought before -- they clashed at UFC 178 back in 2014 with McGregor getting the victory with a 1st-round knockout.

Poirier has long wanted a shot at redemption -- and now he could finally get that chance.

Colin Kaepernick is calling for the end of America's current policing system ... saying Wednesday, "In order to eradicate anti-Blackness, we must also abolish the police."

The ex-NFL star spelled out his wishes for the country in a pointed essay ... claiming the current U.S. police system has "roots in white supremacy and anti-Blackness."

Kaepernick says based on his research ... he believes the "central intent" of cops is to "surveil, terrorize, capture, and kill marginalized populations, specifically Black folks."

And, Kaep says the only way to stop that is to tear down the entire system.

The 32-year-old says simpler solutions -- like police reforms -- just flat-out don't work.

"F**k reform," Kapernick said, adding, "reforms have done nothing to stop the actions that force us to #SayTheirNames."

Kaepernick is also urging the end of the country's prison system ... saying it, too, has roots based in racism.

"Abolition is the only way to secure a future beyond anti-Black institutions of social control, violence, and premature death," Kaepernick said.

Colin says once the systems are dismantled ... he wants to see the funding "reinvested directly into communities to address mental health needs, homelessness and houselessness, access to education, and job creation as well as community-based methods of accountability."

LeBron James and the Lakers will honor Kobe Bryant while hoping to bring home the Larry O'Brien trophy on Friday ... with the team pulling out their "Black Mamba" jerseys for Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

The Kobe-inspired threads have been a good luck charm during the Lakers' quest for their 17th championship -- they're currently 4-0 this postseason while donning the black and gold.

While L.A. was initially planning to wear the BM jerseys for Games 2 and 7, Kobe's wife, Vanessa, revealed the Lakers will rep the legend while trying to close out the series.

"Mamba and Mambacita jerseys approved for game 5," Vanessa said on IG. "Let's go @lakers."

The Lakers -- who dedicated the season to Kobe and his daughter, Gianna, after their tragic deaths in January -- are currently up 3-1 on the Miami Heat ... and many believe they can close it out with a gentleman's sweep on Friday.

If L.A. is able to pull it off, it'll be an incredibly emotional moment for the franchise.