TMZ Sports - Page 50

Pro Football Hall of Famer Kevin Greene -- one of the most feared pass rushers EVER -- has died, the HOF confirmed Monday afternoon.

He was only 58-years-old.

"The entire Pro Football Hall of Fame family mourns the passing of Kevin Greene," HOF President and CEO David Baker said. "I regarded him as a personal friend and a true Hall of Famer in every sense. He possessed the most incredible can-do attitude of anyone I ever met."

"He was a great player, but more than that, he was a great man. Our thoughts and prayers are with Kevin's wife, Tara, and their entire family. We will forever keep his legacy alive to serve as inspiration for future generations. The Hall of Fame flag will be flown at half-staff in Kevin's memory."

No cause of death was given.

Greene was a monster in the NFL for 14 years from 1985 to 1999 ... piling up 160 total sacks for the Rams, Steelers, Panthers and 49ers.

The Auburn legend -- who was picked in the 5th round by the Rams in the '85 NFL Draft -- earned 5 Pro Bowl honors, 2 All-Pro nods and 1 NFL Defensive MVP award in his career.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside legends like Brett Favre, Orlando Pace and Marvin Harrison in 2016.

KG also gained fame in the wrestling world ... making some notable appearances in the WCW in the late 1990s.

Adam Silver is addressing the NBA's investigation into the L.A. Clippers' recruitment of Kawhi Leonard ... saying as of right now, he has "no reason to believe" any rule-breaking went down.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... a man named Johnny Wilkes filed a lawsuit last week, claiming Jerry West promised him $2.5 million to help bring the Klaw to L.A. in 2019.

While West, the Clippers and Leonard have all denied the allegations, the NBA launched a probe into the claims last Thursday to determine if the team broke league policy.

The NBA commish spoke about the investigation on ESPN's "First Take" Monday ... saying, "I have no reason to believe, based on what's been alleged so far, that there's anything inappropriate that took place."

"All I can say there is everyone's entitled to the presumption of innocent," he said. "Obviously, someone who is not known to me or the league office has made an allegation against the team."

Silver says the league will "look into it" for the sake of all 30 NBA teams ... but it's clear he ain't necessarily expecting to find anything.

Silver and an NBA lawyer also addressed the probe in a conference call with media on Monday ... saying the Clips are fully cooperating with league officials.

As for the lawsuit, Wilkes claims West addressed their relationship in an alleged voicemail from 2019 ... in which a voice sounding like the Clips exec. thanks the man for his efforts and refers to the Los Angeles Lakers as a "sh*t show."

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams says LeBron James can help end the pandemic ... explaining Monday if the NBA superstar takes the COVID vaccine, others will follow suit.

"LeBron James, I know you’ve been a big supporter of masks," Adams said on KTLA. "I want to know when you’re going to take the shot. Not the basketball shot, but the COVID shot."

"Because I did it because I know it’s safe, and we want to make sure people understand this is how we end the pandemic.”

Adams says if LeBron publicly vouches for the vaccine ... he's confident it could send a HUGE message to anti-vaxxers.

"That's how we promote confidence," Adams said. "We want people to lead by example."

Adams says he hasn't been able to personally reach out to LBJ with the request -- but he said if he were able to get a hold of the L.A. Lakers champ, he'd tell him to urge others to donate plasma as well.

Tony La Russa pled guilty to reckless driving Monday -- nearly a full year after he was arrested in February -- and now, the White Sox manager is expressing serious remorse over the incident.

La Russa was busted back on Feb. 24 after cops believed he had been drinking and driving.

In police documents, cops said the 76-year-old had wrecked his car in Phoenix, AZ -- and officers claimed he exhibited all the signs of being impaired when they questioned him.

Cops said La Russa smelled like alcohol, blew a .09 (the legal limit is .08) ... and then became combative.

In the docs, police said La Russa -- who admitted to drinking wine prior to getting behind the wheel -- told officers, "I'm legit. I'm a Hall of Famer, brother. You're trying to embarrass me."

Cops say bloodwork on La Russa ultimately showed he had a BAC of .095 ... and he was eventually hit with two misdemeanor DUI charges.

Courts records, though, show La Russa reached a deal with prosecutors Monday ... in which he agreed to plead guilty to a reduced charge of reckless driving.

In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop the other DUI charge.

As part of La Russa's sentencing, he was ordered to spend one day in jail -- though La Russa will be allowed to serve it via home confinement, according to his attorney, Larry Kazan.

Kazan also said La Russa will pay a $1,300 fine and do 20 hours of community service as part of his sentencing.

"Mr. La Russa knows he made a mistake last February and deeply regrets it," Kazan said in a statement. "He is embarrassed and concerned. He knows what he did was wrong."

Move over, LeBron James ... there's another basketball superstar in the family -- his 6-year-old daughter, Zhuri!!

The King's children took their talents to the driveway for a late-night hoop sesh recently ... and naturally, there were some awesome highlights.

While we've all seen Bronny and Bryce's skills on the court, it's Zhuri who may have gotten her dad's passing abilities ... tossing up a perfect lob for her oldest bro to throw down an alley-oop dunk!!!

Bu,t Z also put her shooting and dribbling on display as well ... draining a close shot and showing off her handles in the short clip.

Of course, 16-year-old Bronny is considered one of the best high school hoopers in his grade ... and 13-year-old Bryce has looked great on the hardwood as well.

The wrestling ring looked more like the set of an action movie Sunday night ... with a WWE superstar being LIT ON FIRE to end a highly-anticipated main event!!

And, just like a movie, the whole thing was not real and scripted ... but it was still insane to watch!!!

Bray Wyatt's "The Fiend" character was squaring off with Randy Orton in a "Firefly Funhouse Inferno" match -- where, in order to win, a wrestler has to set the other on fire.

And, after several minutes of brawling ... Orton did just that to Wyatt!!

Randy took control of the match, pushed Wyatt into some flames, and then did his signature "RKO" finishing move on the superstar to "KO" him.

That's when Randy doused Wyatt in gasoline and dropped a match on him!!!

The visuals were INSANE -- Wyatt's body went up in flames ... and announcers played up the moment by begging Orton to stop!!

"F*ck, Kirk! Come on! Throw the ball!"

Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson UNLOADED on his quarterback, Kirk Cousins, after an errant throw during Sunday's game ... and the wideout's mini-rant was all caught on a hot mic.

Here's the deal ... in the 2nd quarter of Minnesota's 33-27 loss to Chicago -- Jefferson was open in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.

The problem? Cousins was scrambling to his left and couldn't make an accurate throw -- leading to an incompletion.

Justin -- who's absolutely BALLIN' OUT in his first year in the league -- was NOT happy about it ... and screamed at the QB.

The clip went viral ... and after the game, Jefferson wrote on social media the outburst should not cause people to label him a "diva."

"y’all love blowing stuff out off proportion," the 21-year-old said. "And I ain’t no diva don’t get it twisted."

Shaquille O'Neal says everyone needs to chill about his "booty" comment to Megan Thee Stallion -- saying he was just showing love, not trying to smash.

People went crazy recently over a comment Shaq left while watching Megan Thee Stallion twerk it out during an Instagram Live.

The comment? "Watching that booty."

Yeah ... even his son, Shareef, commented ... saying, "I feel you pops."

So, was Shaq shooting his shot? The Diesel says it was just a compliment and nothing more.

"This is what happened America … I was in [the IG Live session]. Somebody said, 'What are you doing in there?' And, I typed what I typed. I wasn’t trying to hit on her."

When asked if Meg responded to Shaq's comment, O'Neal downplayed it ... saying, "I don't know, I didn’t even check."

Mmmmmmmhmmmmm ...

There's more ... Shaq also heaped praise on LaMelo Ball -- saying the #3 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft is straight ballin' right now.

He's right -- did you see that pass Melo hit during a pre-season game the other day? Good lord!

And, to cap it off ... Shaq also tried out a motorized tricycle (also called a standing scooter) -- and props to whoever made it, because it ran with some zip, even with a giant like O'Neal riding on it!

The Tiger Woods like-father-like-son saga continues -- not only does his boy have a natural swing like pops, but he can tap it into the hole like him too ... and their celebrations are almost identical.

Charlie Woods was lining up for a putt Sunday on the last day of the PNC Championship down in Orlando on the 10th hole ... and after hitting it ever so softly, the ball glided across the green and sank right into where it needed to go to get them a stroke under par.

Watch what 11-year-old Charlie does after realizing he made his shot ... he gives a subtle fist pump to show his jubilation -- the same kind of fist pump we've seen Tiger shoot out after an awesome shot, which often meant victory. BTW, both TW and CW were rocking his signature red polo and black slacks together ... just one more mini-me thing on display.

On Saturday, we saw Charlie's fairway swing ... and it too had echoes of Tiger's own. Safe to say, dad's been training his son well in the art of golf -- and it's paying off and then some.

Team Tiger is pretty far behind on the leaderboard as the relative duo tourney starts to wrap up. They're in 8th place as of right now ... behind groups like Team Daly, Team Kuchar, Team Singh and Team Thomas (who's in first place). Granted, a lot of those teams don't have young children as their partner-in-club ... so Tiger and Charlie are doing well all things considered.

Cops in Canada descended on an ice skating rink, arrested a player and threatened to tase him ... and it was all captured on video.

Calgary cops claimed the game defied the law limiting outdoor team sports to 10 participants, with 2 meters separating them. There were 40 people at the game ... thus the violation.

Two of the officers approached one of the players, who ignored their orders to get on the ground. One of the cops knees the player, but he stays upright.

Then one of the cops loses patience and yells, "Get on the ground! Get on the f***ing ground! Get on the ground before I f***ing taser you!"

The player was arrested for resisting arrest and violating the public health restriction.

The PD tells us the man was not arrested for playing hockey ... he was arrested because he refused to follow the officers' orders and wouldn't ID himself so they could issue him a ticket.

Willie Roaf says he ain't surprised Drew Brees is returning so soon from a punctured lung and broken ribs ... telling TMZ Sports the QB is one of the baddest dudes to ever suit up in the NFL!!

"Drew Brees is probably one of the toughest guys mentally you're going to meet to ever play," Roaf says. "He's focused, he's ultra-competitive and it just motivates him."

Brees busted up his core in back-to-back games just a couple weeks ago ... cracking some ribs against the Bucs on Nov. 8 and doing even more damage a week later.

41-year-old Drew took a big hit early in the Saints' win over the 49ers ... and it was later revealed the shot punctured his lung and fractured even MORE ribs.

Most thought the dude would miss around two months ... but Saints coach Sean Payton confirmed Friday that Brees would be under center for the huge New Orleans-Kansas City tilt on Sunday.

And, when we spoke to Roaf about it all ... the legendary offensive lineman told us if the team cleared the QB to play, then people shouldn't worry too much about him.

"If he can deal with the pain and it's not gonna get worse -- he's not going to get injured -- I guess they're saying he's OK to play," Roaf said.

By the way, Roaf played for both the Chiefs and the Saints in his Hall of Fame career ... so, who's he got on Sunday?

Kansas City Chiefs receiver Tajae Sharpe is paying tribute to King Von with his newest cleats ... repping the late rapper with an incredible custom paint job.

As we previously reported, the 26-year-old rising rap star was shot and killed last month outside an Atlanta nightclub ... a tragedy that shook sports stars from LeBron James to Montrezl Harrell, Stephen Jackson and more.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Sharpe wanted to pay homage to one of his favorite rappers  .. and hit up artist Joe Castro from California to bless him with a pair dedicated to Von.

Castro -- who's worked with huge names like Chase Young and DeSean Jackson -- got to work on the special project ... and delivered an awesome product.

Each cleat has an image of Von on each side ... and features phrases that honor the rapper's background -- from the famous Chicago "O Block," which he repped, and his nickname "Grandson," which is also the name of his first mixtape in 2019.

Castro tells us Sharpe picked the perfect portrait of King Von for the cleats ... and the whole project took him 6 hours to complete.

Sharpe just signed with the Chiefs this week ... and you gotta assume he'll be hoping to wear them on the field in Von's honor.

Jake Paul says his $50 MILLION fight offer to Conor McGregor is "real as f*ck" -- and he's got the "proof of funds" email from the bank to prove it.

Paul says he's backed by bona fide commercial real estate billionaires -- and he's got an email from a Senior VP at Signature Bank in NY which shows the benefactors' money is legit and ready to be deployed.

The problem ... Jake says Conor has been radio silent since he made the fight offer.

"We're talking to his team," Paul said ... "[Conor] looked at my DM on Instagram. But, we're talking to his team."

Paul continued, "When we sent them the proof of funds they like put their tail between their ass … they’re like. 'This little crazy kid ain't playing.'"

Remember, Paul initially called out Conor after knocking out ex-NBA star Nate Robinson on the undercard of the Mike Tyson fight.

Since then, Jake's brother, Logan Paul, has secured an exhibition boxing match with Floyd Mayweather.

Tiger Woods' son, Charlie, truly is a chip off the old block ... 'cause the kid golfs just like his dad -- and by that, we mean he's leaving crowds absolutely stunned by his skill.

Tiger and Charlie are participating in the PNC Championship this weekend down at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando -- where pro golfers are teaming up with their kids for a showdown to see which father-son duo (or another familial duo) is actually the best.

While TW and CW are in 4th place as of right now ... you gotta like their chances after this amazing shot Charlie took on the 3rd hole Saturday, which landed his ball in an incredible position on the green and just a stroke away from sinking an eagle -- which he did.

Like father, like son is the appropriate analogy -- but Charlie might be even more impressive than dad ... 'cause the boy's only 11. Tiger was a child golf prodigy too, but didn't play in his first professional tourney until he was 16. So, Charlie's chugging along nicely.

As we said, Tiger and Charlie are by far the odds on favorites to win it all -- but they're actually trailing behind Matt Kuchar and his son, Cameron, at the moment ... plus a few more. They've got time to catch up and surpass 'em, but it's moments like this that people come to see ... and, boy, are the Woods giving people a show (per usual).

Canelo Alvarez is clearly NOT amused by Jake and Logan Paul -- saying their foray into boxing is all about money, not glory ... and it's disrespecting the sport.

Logan Paul is set to take on Floyd Mayweather -- the only man to have ever defeated Canelo -- in an exhibition match in February.

So, we asked Canelo how he felt about the event -- considering he's been calling for a rematch with Floyd for years.

Shocker, Canelo ain't thrilled about it ...

"Ya know, it’s all about the money," Canelo told us through a translator ... "I don’t think we would agree that people that are basketball players, that are YouTubers get licenses. Ya know, I don’t criticize [the Paul brothers]. This is a very risky sport, and if you go up there, it’s very risky."

With Logan's brother Jake calling out top fighters for a high-profile boxing match -- we asked Canelo if he would be down for a quick payday.

"No," Canelo said matter of factly ... "I truly believe that it’s a lack of respect. It’s all based on money. It’s all for money. I’m focused right now on other projects."

"I have other stuff going on, and I would invite him for a sparring session so that he truly knows what it’s all about."

When asked if he felt the Paul brothers were disrespecting the sport -- Canelo summed up his feelings this way: "For true fighters, I do believe it is a lack of respect."

Canelo has achieved both fortune and fame from boxing -- not only is he one of the highest paid athletes in the world, he's also shared the ring with top level opponents.

There’s at least 1 person who isn't convinced Khamzat Chimaev is a killer in the Octagon ... UFC title contender Stephen Thompson.

TMZ Sports talked to 37-year-old Wonderboy -- who was recently floated as a possible opponent for 26-year-old Chimaev -- and Thompson made it crystal clear Khamzat simply doesn't deserve all the praise ... at least not yet.

"There's a lot of hype around [Khamzat] at this point. He's won three fights, he's had one fight at welterweight, he's ranked #15 right now, he's gonna be fighting a guy who ranked higher than me."

FYI, Chimaev -- who has been hit a grand total of 3 TIMES in his 3 UFC fights -- is fighting #3 ranked Leon Edwards (the fight was scheduled for this weekend, but Edwards got COVID, so it's being rescheduled.)

Thompson -- the #5 ranked welterweight -- continued ... "It's definitely a big jump for him and a test for Khamzat. So, at this point, I'm not really sold yet. I just haven't seen enough and on paper. Leon Edwards wins this all day, so I'm going for my man Edwards."

Edwards is 18-3 and has won 8 fights in a row ... with dubs over guys like Rafael dos Anjos and Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. But Thompson says if Chimaev can take LE out ... then it'll make him a believer.

"[Khamzat] may go out there and prove us all wrong, ya never know. He'll be the real deal. I will say he's the real deal if he goes out there and just does work, but at this point, I haven't seen enough."

Speaking of big time fights, Thompson has a scrap Saturday night in Vegas against 30-year-old striker, Geoff Neal -- aka "Handz of Steel" -- who's 5-0 since signing with the UFC.