TMZ Sports - Page 50

Agent Zero says Russell Westbrook can have #0 in D.C. if he wants it ... 'cause Gilbert Arenas is giving his official blessing to let the new Wizards star wear his old number.

Russ was traded to Washington in a swap with John Wall earlier this week ... and the team introduced Brodie on social media with edited pics of the guard wearing a #4 jersey (the same digit he wore in high school).

So ... why change from the number he had his whole NBA career?? Arenas is easily one of the best players in franchise history ... and no one has donned #0 since he left the team in 2010.

But, that could change this season ... with the 3-time All-NBAer offering up his beloved number to the 2017 MVP on Thursday.

"'0' is all u Brodie 🙏," Arenas said on Instagram. "it will be a honor 💯"

James Harden with the ultimate birthday assist ... because he just hooked up rapper Lil Baby with an insane $300,000 gift bag!!!!

Lil Baby turned 26 this week -- and to celebrate, his good pal, James, turned up with a designer Prada bag loaded with goodies.

"Prada bag 'cause he Prouda' me," Baby said of Harden's gift.

Inside, a bunch of honey bun pastries -- surrounded by a "honey bun," which is slang for $100,000 IN CASH!!!!

(Get it, honey bun -- like a bundle of hundreds?)

There's more ... Baby also pulled out a Richard Mille watch, which appears to come with a $200,000 price tag.

Harden was all smiles as Lil Baby opened up his gifts -- and man, was he stoked!!!

"Don’t Play With Him," Baby posted on IG about Harden ... "How the f*cc I get a bag full of honey buns with a honey bun an a Richard Millie!! Mannn [James Harden] brooooo wtf!! An I’m drunk."

Lil Baby and James Harden have been friends for a while -- most recently vacationing together with some pals on Turks & Caicos.

As for James, he can afford to smother his friends in luxury -- he's reportedly made more than $224 MILLION in his NBA career.

Formula 1 Driver Romain Grosjean is getting brutally honest about the fiery crash he survived at the Bahrain Grand Prix over the weekend -- saying he honestly thought he was going to die.

"For me it wasn’t quite 28 seconds, it felt more like a 1 minute 30," Grosjean said.

In fact, Grosjean says there was a moment when he was stuck in his car where he began to accept his fate.

"All my [muscles] relaxes," Grosjean said in a candid interview with Sky Sports ... "[I'm at] peace with myself thinking, 'I'm dead.'"

"I will die. Which part is gonna burn first? Is it the foot? The hands? Is it going to be painful? Very strange feeling."

As we previously reported, Grosjean lost control and slammed into a barrier -- causing his car to explode into a ball of flames.

During the fiery incident, Grosjean told Sky Sports he began to think about his family -- and that's what ultimately motivated him to escape to safety.

"I thought about my kids and I thought, 'No I cannot die today.'"

Grosjean says he finally found the strength to escape the burning car -- and he was whisked away to safety.

After he was rescued, Grosjean says it was important he showed the world he could walk on his own power.

“It was key that there was some footage of me walking towards the ambulance. Even though I’d walked out of the fire, I needed to send another strong message that I was okay."

After the incident, Grosjean made a video from his hospital bed thanking the responders and medical staffers who saved his life.

"If you want to get some legitimacy in the game, fight somebody with a name!"

That's former boxing superstar Antonio Tarver -- who famously defeated Roy Jones Jr. TWICE -- calling out Jake Paul for a sanctioned fight!

"I want to fight him, because I want to show him there are levels to this," Tarver tells TMZ Sports.

FYI, Tarver is 52 years old and hasn't fought in 5 years. Jake is 23 and coming off a highlight-reel knockout of Nate Robinson.

Antonio -- who famously starred as Mason "The Line" Dixon in "Rocky Balboa" -- says he was VERY impressed with Jake's performance and thinks a fight with Paul would be super entertaining and a lot closer than most people think.

"When you look at Jake Paul's ability, you would be crazy not to believe he's much better than his 2-0 record indicates," Tarver says.

Paul has been calling for fights with guys like Conor McGregor and Dillon Danis ... but Tarver says if he's serious about a career in boxing, he needs to fight a BOXER.

"For whatever reason, God looked down on me and gave me a second shot at this thing. And I made a promise, I'm going to make the most of this opportunity."

Atlanta Falcons tight end Hayden Hurst is opening up on his battles with drugs, alcohol and depression ... calling his 2016 attempted suicide "the best and worst thing that's ever happened in my life."

Hurst first started to acknowledge his mental health issues in 2013 when he was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system.

The 27-year-old says he relied on drugs and alcohol to cope with panic attacks ... and after being unable to control his pitching due to his hand constantly shaking, ended up pursuing a football career at the University of South Carolina.

"I can't really explain it," Hurst said in a video posted by the Falcons on Thursday. "It's hard to unless you go through it."

"But depression, you feel like nobody's there, despite my family being so close. They're willing to do whatever, but when you're in that head space and you're in that dark spot, you feel alone."

"You feel like nobody's there, nobody cares. So I guess for me, in those years, that's why I turned to drinking."

In January 2016 -- after a night of heavy drinking -- Hurst attempted to take his own life ... and woke up in a hospital the next day.

"It was the best and worst thing that's ever happened in my life," Hurst says. "Because when I made that decision, when I was in that hospital room, kind of reflecting on everything I had done, I made a promise to myself. I was like, I'm not going to do this again."

Hurst immediately gave up drugs and alcohol and became a star for the Gamecocks ... becoming a first-round pick to the Baltimore Ravens in 2018.

Now, Hurst is using his platform to help those going through similar situations ... creating the Hayden Hurst Family Foundation to raise mental health for young people.

Here they are ... the Arizona 49ers!!

Okay, technically they're still the S.F. 49ers -- but they officially practiced in their new "home" stadium in Arizona on Thursday for the first time since they were forced out of the Bay Area over COVID rules.

Just a few days ago, the 49ers were told they would no longer be allowed to practice or play games at their home facility in Santa Clara after county officials placed restrictions on activities to try to limit the spread of coronavirus.

So, the Niners and NFL reps worked with the Arizona Cardinals to practice and play for the foreseeable future in Glendale at State Farm Stadium ... and so far, it seems the team is OK with the new set up.

The 49ers got in some drills and workouts Thursday ... just a couple days before they'll take on the Buffalo Bills on "Monday Night Football" at the stadium next week.

The Niners will stay in Arizona the following week for their Dec. 13 game against Washington Football Team ... before hitting the road to play the Cowboys in Dallas on Dec. 20.

The team will be back in Arizona for a "road" game against the Cardinals on Dec. 26 -- so, yeah, get ready to call Glendale home for the Niners for quite some time!

The Niners are a longshot to make the postseason -- they're 5-6 -- so a home playoff game in Glendale is unlikely.

Pretty good situation for the 49ers all things considered -- especially with the weather ... it's gonna be 70 and sunny this weekend!

Vickie Johnson has reportedly accepted the head coaching job for the Dallas Wings -- ending the WNBA's year-long drought without a Black woman in a head coaching position.

Johnson has head coaching experience -- she led the San Antonio Stars back in 2017, before the team moved to Las Vegas and hired Bill Laimbeer to run the team.

She's served as an assistant coach with the Stars under Laimbeer ever since.

But now, 48-year-old Johnson will take over in Dallas for Brian Agler -- who was fired back in October after the team went 8-14 in 2020, missing the playoffs for the second straight year.

Johnson was a pretty solid player back in the day -- she was the 2nd-round pick in the 1997 WNBA Draft and was a 2-time All-Star before retiring in 2009.

The WNBA did NOT have a single Black woman as a head coach during the 2020 season, which has raised eyebrows considering an overwhelming majority of the players in the league are Black women.

In fact, of the 144 players in the league in 2019, 127 reportedly identified as Black or women of color, according to SB Nation.

Three-time Pro Bowler, Donald Penn, says he ain't callin' his NFL career quits just yet ... the offensive lineman tells TMZ Sports he's ready to play if a playoff team needs him!!

And, with the Rams recently losing left tackle Andrew Whitworth to a knee injury ... the dude says Sean McVay should hit him up!!!

"Why ain't y'all call me yet, man?!" Penn says. "McVay, come on, baby. You my dog! You know what I mean? Hit me up if you need me!"

Penn last played for the Washington Football Team in 2019 -- starting 15 games and performing well.

But, the 37-year-old didn't get the opportunity to latch on with an NFL team this year ... causing some to believe retirement might be on the horizon.

Penn, though, tells us he's still in game shape and ready to help a team make a run at a Super Bowl.

"I mean, it's crazy," Penn tells us. "Sometimes I watch and I'm like man, I look at some of these young cats out here and I'm like, 'Wow, like what are they doing?' I'm like, 'I can do that easily still in my sleep now.'"

Penn says if the opportunity is right -- like playing for a Super Bowl contender like the L.A. Rams -- he'd be down to sign a contract in a heartbeat.

"I'm still staying in shape, ready to go if somebody needs me," Penn says.

There's more ... we also spoke with Penn about his ex-teammates, Derek Carr and Dwayne Haskins -- and he tells us he's sure the two QBs are going to rebound from up-and-down seasons this year.

Odell Beckham is back in the gym and busting his ass just over a month after his devastating ACL injury ... and he's showing off his battle scars.

The Cleveland Browns superstar has been sidelined for the rest of the season after going down in the 1st quarter of the Oct. 25 game against the Cincinnati Bengals ... calling the situation "really f'n tough."

But, OBJ has vowed to bounce back better than ever -- and he's putting his money where his mouth is ... posting footage Thursday from a recent workout.

28-year-old Odell can be seen going through squats and catching drills ... and it's pretty impressive considering the dude had surgery just 3 weeks ago.

"Lord I swear I think I'm healed," Odell said on Wednesday ... as he walked comfortably out of the training facility.

It's been a tough time for Beckham -- who has had his fair share of injuries throughout his career.

The star receiver spoke out about his struggles in an Instagram post this week ... saying, "Ima be honest.... I been thru hell these last couple years n I just keep it pushin... this shxt ain’t for errbody!"

Ex-college football coach Lou Holtz will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Thursday, the White House announced.

The award is recognized as the "Nation's highest civilian honor," according to the White House ... usually given to someone who has "made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public endeavors."

So, why Lou? Here's what Trump's team is saying ...

"America recognizes Lou Holtz as one of the greatest football coaches of all time for his unmatched accomplishments on the gridiron, but he is also a philanthropist, author and true American patriot."

83-year-old Holtz is most well known for leading Notre Dame to a 12-0 record in 1988 -- when the Fighting Irish were crowned national champions.

His career record as a college football coach is 249-132-7 -- with 22 bowl appearances (he won 12 of them).

Outside of football, Holtz has been a staunch Trump supporter who campaigned for POTUS ... and even spoke at the Republican National Convention.

In fact, it was at the RNC when Holtz attacked Trump's opponent Joe Biden over his position on abortion -- saying the former Vice President is a "Catholic in name only."

During his presidency, Trump has given the M.O.F. to several sports legends -- including Tiger Woods, Jerry West and Roger Staubach.

John Wall is pouring his heart out to his fans in Washington D.C. after being traded to Houston ... thanking his supporters for treating him like family over the past 10 years.

The #1 overall pick in 2010 was just shipped to the Rockets in exchange for Russell Westbrook in a blockbuster trade on Wednesday ... officially ending his run in the nation's capital.

Wall -- who was beloved in the city and active in the community since joining the NBA -- was sure to thank his former home in an emotional tribute on Thursday.

"I came to D.C. as a skinny 19-year-old with big dreams and goals," Wall said.

"You embraced me and my family with open arms. You rocked with me from day one until now."

He continued ... "From a young rookie to an All-Star, I did my best to make you proud. Through good times like that Game 6 versus Boston, through injuries & rehab, I always felt the love from you."

"I appreciate you and will ALWAYS have love for D.C."

Remember, Wall continued to give back to the city despite trade rumors just weeks ago ... handing out 1,000 Thanksgiving meals throughout the community.

Wall says he'll always appreciate everyone in D.C. ... no matter what team he's suiting up for.

"I may not wear the jersey anymore but I will never forget what it meant to represent for y'all."

McKenzie Milton -- the QB who almost lost his leg in a horrific '18 injury -- announced he's leaving UCF in hopes of competing for a starting QB job somewhere else.

23-year-old Milton only has 1 year of eligibility left -- and in the 2 years he's spent recovering, his backup Dillon Gabriel has been BALLING OUT for the Knights.

Milton -- who worked his way back to the UCF scout team (incredible considering most people thought his career was over) -- says Gabriel has clearly earned the starting job and he's leaving to avoid any sort of QB controversy.

It's huge news ... Milton was once regarded as one of the top QBs in the country -- leading the Knights to a perfect 12-0 record in 2017. He finished 8th in the Heisman Trophy voting that year.

But then, the injury happened ... Milton took a vicious hit while playing USF in 2018 and suffered catastrophic injuries in his right leg that required emergency surgery to restore blood flow.

Milton was diagnosed with a dislocated right knee as well as ligament, nerve and artery damage -- and his injuries were so bad, doctors considered amputating the lower part of the leg.

After multiple operations and countless hours in rehab and the gym, Milton was cleared to return to the field ... and now, he believes he's healthy and strong enough to play against high-level competition in college and then the NFL.

In an emotional video released by the school, Milton praises UCF for the support they've given him over the years.

"They saved my leg too, man. I wouldn't be able to play football again if it wasn't for UFC ... so, just thank you for everything."

Milton says he approached his head coach Josh Heupel a few weeks ago to explain his decision to leave -- saying, "Coach, I have one shot to go chase a dream ... a lifelong dream to go play in the NFL."

Milton knows he needs to prove to NFL scouts he's back to 100% and the only way to do that is by SHOWING them on game film, which he hopes to accomplish at another university.

UCF has been super supportive of Milton -- with Coach Heupel telling the QB, no matter where he goes next ... "this will always be your home."

Univ. of Michigan AD Warde Manuel is teeing off on Kirk Herbstreit ... calling the ESPN college football analyst a "fool" for suggesting UM could use COVID as an excuse to get out of playing Ohio State next week.

"I think it’s ridiculous," Manuel said Wednesday ... "I have to pause because my words, the anger ... I was infuriated by the insinuation that Michigan would do anything other than play a football game."

"To insinuate that, to say something other than that, is a statement by a fool," Manuel continued.

If you missed it ... earlier this week, Herbstreit was breaking down the college football playoff rankings when he insinuated Michigan could, and possibly should, use COVID-19 as an excuse to duck out of its game with the Buckeyes next week.

Herbie said on the show, "I still think Michigan waves the white flag, potentially avoids playing Ohio State next week, and then they’ll potentially get a game on the 19th."

Herbstreit added there would be incentive for the Wolverines to do that ... explaining the team could screw its rivals out of a spot in the Big Ten championship by bailing out of the matchup.

There was immediate backlash from fans over the comments ... and Herbstreit -- who played quarterback for OSU in his college days -- ultimately apologized over it all.

"It was completely unfair to the University of Michigan, to Jim Harbaugh, to his players and coaches," the 51-year-old said.

Warde, though, was having none of Herbstreit's apology ... 'cause on Wednesday, he blasted the college football analyst despite his mea culpa.

Warde added, "It is something that I can't tell you how embarrassed I am for the Big Ten Conference to have one of their representatives, who played this game, to say that about any team in this conference."

"And to say it about college football and these student-athletes around this country, who are trying to play games during a pandemic, is ridiculous and sad.”

Cris Collinsworth says he's "sick" that a comment he made about female NFL fans on-air Wednesday offended so many ... and now, the long-time announcer is apologizing.

During the Steelers vs. Ravens game, Collinsworth was praising Pittsburgh fans ... when he made a remark about some women he had run into during the lead-up to the game.

"They had really specific questions about the game," Collinsworth said of the women. "And I'm like, 'Wow.' You're just blown away about how strong the fans are here in this town."

The comment was immediately met with backlash ... as many perceived it to be sexist -- with Collinsworth implying he was surprised that females had intricate questions about football.

Collinsworth clearly saw the criticism, because not long after the game ended ... he issued a lengthy apology.

"Today on our broadcast I made reference to a couple of women that I met in Pittsburgh who so impressed me with their football knowledge that I wanted to tell their story on the air," Cris said. "I know the way I phrased it insulted many. I'm so sorry."

"What I intended as a compliment to the fans of Pittsburgh, became an insult. I'm sick about insulting any fan, but especially female fans and journalists."

Cris added, "I know first hand how much harder they have to work than any of us in this industry. I was wrong and I deeply apologize."

The 61-year-old -- who played wide receiver in the NFL in the 1980s -- has been announcing and analyzing NFL games for several networks for decades.

Marvin Vettori is straight-up GIDDY to become the first Italian to main event a UFC card -- telling TMZ Sports, "It's f*ckin' massive, man. It's beautiful."

The 27-year-old old middleweight -- born and raised in Trento, Italy -- is set to take on Jack Hermansson at "UFC Fight Night" on Saturday in Las Vegas.

"It's super exciting, man," Vettori tells us ... "I'm proud of this moment. But man, we've gotta make it a memorable f*ckin' day."

Vettori is 15-4-1 as a pro fighter -- but he's on a 3 fight win streak ... and says the goal is to prove he's worthy of a title shot.

FYI, Vettori is currently the #13 ranked UFC middleweight. Hermansson is #4.

The last time Marvin took an "L" was in 2018 to Israel Adesanya -- a split decision loss that Marvin badly wants to run back.

He's even talkin' some trash to the reigning middleweight champ.

But, Vettori says he's focused on the goal at hand ... beating Jack Hermansson.

George Foreman was so impressed with Mike Tyson's performance against Roy Jones Jr. -- he thinks the 54-year-old could still make a serious run at a heavyweight title RIGHT NOW.

Yes, he's dead serious.

"If he gets 3 more exhibitions like that, at that level, I would even back him in challenging any title contender, even a champion," Foreman told TMZ Sports.

"If the right situation arrived, Mike Tyson could be in for a good title shot ... and [with 3 more] of these exhibitions, he can beat some of these guys who can be champion out there."

In fact, Foreman says he'd pick Tyson to beat guys like Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder ... under the right circumstances.

"If you go 8 two-minute rounds, I'd back Tyson," Foreman said ... "10 two-minute rounds, I'd back Tyson!"

Foreman said he didn't expect to feel so charged up about Tyson -- but he says his feelings are genuine, he was extremely impressed.