TMZ Sports - Page 50

Things are getting back to normal -- look no further than celeb hotspot The Nice Guy as Kendall, Kylie, Drake, Justin Bieber and more were all together under the same roof again.

It looked like a scene straight out of 2019, with expensive cars on the curb, flashing camera bulbs and some of the most famous celebs on the planet gathering Thursday in West Hollywood.

Inside, Kendall -- who was joined by her NBA superstar bf Devin Booker -- poured shots of her new 818 tequila from behind the bar ... it appears the A-listers had the whole place rented out for themselves.

Chris Brown, Tyga, MGK, Megan Fox and Drake were there too, in fact, Drake had such a good time, he wanted to take it with him, leaving Nice Guy with a drink in hand.

"I've been waiting on y'all to ask me!!"

Draymond Green COULDN'T WAIT to respond to Team USA soccer star Megan Rapinoe on Thursday -- after she ripped him for his comments about the female pay gap in pro sports.

And, when the Golden State Warriors star began to explain himself ... he tried to make it clear they're both fighting for the same thing!!!

"I think what I've said has been extremely misconstrued," Green told the media ... "because I am on their side."

Green had previously said he was sick and tired of hearing female athletes "complain" about the pay gap instead of taking more effective action to get better contracts.

Rapinoe blasted Green on Wednesday -- saying he showed his "whole ass" with the "unacceptable" remarks.

"It's really unfortunate, in the position [Green's] in," the soccer superstar said, "having all of the resources that he has and the ability to have a much more educated opinion, that he just hasn't."

So, fast forward to Thursday when Green tried to clarify his position.

"At the end of the day, what Megan wants and what I want is the same thing," Green said.

"And, if she believes doing something a certain way gets her to the end goal, I'm all for that. And, if I believe doing something a certain way gets to the end goal, I'm all for that. So, if we can both do something to move the needle to get to the end goal, great."

"I have no complaints with whatever it is she wants to do, or any woman athlete wants to do, or anyone who is trying to help drive their cause and what they want to be done. It doesn't matter to me how we get there. What matters to me is that we get there."

Green had previously said female athletes DESERVE better pay -- but advised they need to change their PR strategy in order to achieve their goal.

On Thursday, he reinforced his point that female athletes need to band together to hold sports leagues, advertisers and other influential organizations responsible ... and push them to do a better job marketing women's sports.

Green specifically called out Nike and Beats By Dre.

"All of these companies [can] tell these stories [about top female athletes] in order to help drive that bottom line."

Antonio Gates believes Deshaun Watson's career will survive the sexual misconduct allegations ... and he WILL set foot on an NFL field again.

Gates didn't make any predictions about how the legal action against Watson will play out ... but when speaking specifically to Watson's football career, he thinks the QB will weather the storm.

"He seems like a good dude," Gates tells TMZ Sports. "Obviously he made some -- I don't even know if he made these mistakes. But, if he did, hopefully he can recover from them. This is the land of the free. You always get second chances."

He continued ... "I do [think he will play again.] He's too good of a player, so I do. Hopefully, when all this unfolds, we'll see how it goes."

Fact is, talent seems to matter most when it comes to NFL teams -- just look at Ben Roethlisberger, who was accused of sexual misconduct on two separate occasions and has continued his NFL career.

Antonio Brown is also currently facing sexual misconduct allegations and is still in the NFL -- he just won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers.

It's important to note while Watson is facing 22 lawsuits in civil court. He has NOT been charged with a crime at the moment ... but the Houston Police Department has opened an investigation.

Lil Nas X's Satan Shoes won't see the light of day, because although Nike settled its lawsuit against the manufacturer of the merch ... the shoe giant really won the battle to block the controversial kicks.

Nike tells TMZ ... it's reached an agreement with MSCHF, the company producing the custom shoes based on Nike's Air Max 97. The so-called Satan Shoes were inspired by Lil Nas' demonic-themed music video for his new song, "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)."

The footwear giant tells us the settlement calls for MSCHF to launch a voluntary recall to buy back all Satan Shoes it's sold for their original retail prices in order to remove them from circulation.

Remember ... MSCHF was hawking the limited-edition kicks for $1,018 a pop, an ode to the bible scripture emblazoned on the side, Luke 10:18, which references Satan's banishment from heaven. Buyers snatched up all 666 pairs within minutes after last month's release. The shoes feature an inverted cross, bronze pentagram and a drop of human blood.

As we reported ... Nike filed suit against MSCHF last week, claiming MSCHF was infringing on its trademarks by selling the altered Air Max 97 without Nike's authorization. A judge had already granted Nike an injunction to block all future sales of the shoes.

Get Kevin Holland a new nickname ... 'cause "Big Mouth" won't be running when he fights Saturday night, telling TMZ Sports his sole focus is whooping Marvin Vettori's ass.

28-year-old Holland received an onslaught of criticism -- from fans to Dana White -- for the nonstop crap talk during his unanimous decision loss to Derek Brunson only 19 days ago.

Holland's stepping up on short notice to fight Vettori -- the 27-year old, 6th-ranked UFC middleweight -- and we asked if he was gonna press pause on the trash talk.

"Yeah, I mean ultimately, I go in there and get the job done and then we'll see what happens after that, but it's like a whole lot of talking that night, I don't see that happening. Go in there, get the job done and then we can talk about it after."

It's an interesting dilemma ... MMA fans loved Holland's brashness when he was winning (he fought and won 5 times in 2020!!) -- but turned on him when he talked and lost.

So, moral of the story for Kevin? Win. This. Fight.

"I just got a job to do. The job is to put Vettori away in a nice fashion."

As for any bad blood with White ... Holland says everything's cool with the UFC honcho.

Touching moment in the MLB on Thursday ... Kolten Wong got a standing ovation in his return to St. Louis -- and he was so emotional about it, he had to take his ensuing at-bat in tears.

It all went down in the 1st inning of the Brewers' tilt with the Cards ... when Wong -- who played in STL from 2013 through 2020 -- was set to take his first AB as an opposing player at Busch Stadium.

But, as soon as his name was announced over the PA system ... fans roared so loudly for the Cards' former second baseman, the game was paused for several seconds.

Even Wong's ex-teammates, pitcher Adam Wainwright and catcher Yadier Molina, took a few bows to pay their respects to the 30-year-old.

And, all of love clearly hit Wong HARD ... 'cause he spent his entire ensuing at-bat crying.

Fortunately for Wong, Wainwright didn't throw him a single strike on four pitches ... and he was able to head down to first base pretty quickly to re-collect himself.

Patrick Mahomes and Trevor Lawrence chopped it up at The Masters in Augusta on Thursday ... which begs the question -- what do two superstar QBs talk about?!

Which guy's gonna dominate the AFC?? How to win a Super Bowl?? Will Dustin Johnson bounce back from his +2 start??

The big-time signal-callers hit up Augusta National Golf Club to watch the opening round of the tournament ... and appeared to be having a great time together!!

Lawrence -- who's getting married to his longtime GF Marissa Mowry this weekend -- made one final quick trip with his fiancée before getting hitched ... and the couple spent some solid time with the Super Bowl LIV champ.

Mahomes -- who recently welcomed a daughter with fiancée Brittany Matthews in February -- was at the event with his bestie and teammate Travis Kelce for the ultimate bro sesh.

Nice to see the guys all hanging together ... but the friendliness may come to an end when Lawrence becomes a Jacksonville Jaguar later this month.

The man who slaughtered 5 people Wednesday -- including 2 children -- at a home in South Carolina has been identified as former NFL player Phillip Adams, according to reports.

Officials believe 32-year-old Adams -- a 7th-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft -- stormed a home in Rock Hill, SC on Wednesday afternoon and shot 5 people to death.

The victims have been identified as 70-year-old Dr. Robert Lesslie, his 69-year-old wife, Barbara Lesslie -- and their grandchildren, 9-year-old Adah Lesslie and 5-year-old Noah Lesslie.

A 5th victim, 38-year-old James Lewis, was working at the home when the gunman opened fire, killing him.

A 6th person was shot -- but that person survived and is being treated at a nearby hospital.

A furious manhunt was underway for the gunman.

But, the case took another dark twist on Thursday morning ... when sources say officials found the body of Phillip Adams, who appeared to have taken his own life around midnight Thursday morning, by way of gunshot.

According to the reports, there was a prior connection between Adams and the victims -- the football player's parents live in the area and Phillip had reportedly been previously treated by Dr. Robert Lesslie.

Adams was a star defensive back at South Carolina State in the late 2000s before being drafted by the 49ers in 2010.

He bounced around to the New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders -- playing in 52 NFL games before his NFL career ended following the 2013 season.

Jay Glazer knows a lot about anxiety and depression because he's struggled with both for years ... which is why he's now offering mental health therapy for people working out at his gym.

FOX NFL Sunday's "NFL Insider," has been in therapy for years, so he got his therapist to essentially hang her shingle at his West Hollywood gym, Unbreakable Performance, to help people work on their mental as well as physical health.

Members can get a 50-minute session or shorter, and Jay says it could be a lifesaver. He says a lot of people are ashamed to admit they are struggling, but he wants to destigmatize mental health issues by offering readily available therapy.

As Jay says, he lives in "the gray" -- a reference to his struggle with depression and anxiety -- and he says there's no shame in it. He's learned how to handle his issues and wants to help others do the same. As he put it, "It's okay not to be okay."

A tradition unlike any other turned into a pain unlike any other for Rory McIlroy's dad at The Masters on Thursday ... 'cause the dude got drilled in the leg by one of his son's wayward shots!!

The surreal moment all went down on the 7th hole of McIlroy's opening round ... when the golf superstar tried to bend a shot around a tree to hit the green from the rough.

The problem? McIlroy's approach never turned -- and it made a beeline right for his dad!!

Rory tried to give his pops a heads up ... he shouted "Fore right!" as soon as the ball left his clubface -- but it was too late, and just moments later, Gerry McIlroy's poor calf ate the golf ball.

Gerry was seen limping shortly after the strike ... but it seems he's OK -- 'cause he joked with reporters after the direct hit, "I should ask for an autographed glove."

The shot sucks for both McIlroys ... but Rory's currently got some bigger issues on his hands -- he's +3 through 10 so far, and a possible missed cut seems to be on the horizon.

JuJu Smith-Schuster says Antonio Brown is giving him the crazy ex treatment -- claiming AB has BLOCKED him from ALL digital platforms ... leaving him no way to make contact with his old Steelers teammate.

The 2 NFL stars had butted heads after AB was traded to the Raiders in 2019 ... with both sides taking shots over social media.

AB had called JuJu a "bum" and mocked his name -- calling him, "Boo Boo Shoester."

JuJu fired back saying, "Crazy how big that ego got to be to take shots at people who show you love! Smh."

But, now that some time has passed, JuJu says he's thought about reaching out to AB to try and bury the hatchet.

The problem ... JuJu says AB has completely cut him off.

"Honestly bro, if I could reach out I would, but I can’t," Smith-Schuster said on "The Michael Irvin Podcast" on PodcastOne.

"He’s blocked me on all social media from Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter ... my phone number. And we just live our lives."

Remember, JuJu tried to publicly squash the beef with Brown during a conversation with TMZ Sports way back in April 2019 ... denying he was holding any sort of grudge and saying AB was still "my guy."

But, here we are in 2021 ... and JuJu says no real progress has been made on repairing their friendship.

JuJu says he's ready to move on from the drama ... and he's actually HAPPY to see AB win a title with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"I wish nothing but the best for him, you know, for him to go out there and win a Super Bowl, like, congrats to him and, he keeps doing it."

In fact, JuJu ponders what coulda been if AB and Le'Veon Bell didn't leave ... saying, "I think he’s one of the best to ever do it, um and, if he didn’t have the falloff, I think our team would be, you know, ridiculous, amazing."

GREAT NEWS, FIGHT FANS!!!

Jon Jones believes he WILL come to terms with the UFC on a deal to fight heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou ... saying, "I think it's gonna happen."

PLEASE BE RIGHT!

Jones vs. Ngannou would be one of the biggest fights in UFC history -- featuring two incredible champions.

The issue has been money ... Jones has said the UFC needs to write a HUGE CHECK to make it happen. He's already told the fighting org. that $10 million is "way too low."

But, seems there is progress being made ... Jones told FightHype.com he's confident the two sides will come to an agreement to give the fans what they want!

"Hopefully the fight happens. We just gotta stay focused and stay training and see what the UFC is going to do on their part," Jones said between workouts at the Jackson Wink MMA gym in Albuquerque.

Jones added, "I think it's gonna happen ... I think the UFC will eventually do the right thing."

"I think this is one of the greatest fights of our generation and it would be really sad if it weren’t gonna happen. And I believe that it will."

He added, "It’ll happen, all in good time."

In the meantime, Jones says he's training like a maniac -- trying to bulk up so he can match up with the larger Ngannou.

"People want to see two titans. Francis is already a titan and I'm trying to become a titan. I want to look like a titan. I want to be the same size as this guy if not bigger when we get out there."

Jones has fought as a light heavyweight since 2008 -- usually weighing right around 205 pounds.

Ngannou, on the other hand, weighed 263 pounds when he defeated Stipe Miocic for the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 260 back in March.

"I've got a lot of work to do."

Sakura Kokumai was minding her own business while training in a park when she was accosted by a stranger ... in the latest disturbing example of anti-Asian sentiment in America.

The U.S Olympic karate athlete says she was at a park in Orange, CA last week when the angry man began yelling at her out of nowhere ... so she recorded it.

The man makes several threats and hurls insults at Sakura before finally getting in his car to leave, but not before she says she heard him drop some racial slurs as well.

She describes the incident as horrible, adding ... "I don’t know which was worse, a stranger yelling and threatening to hurt me for no reason or people around me who witnessed everything and not doing a thing."

Sakura says toward the end of his rant, a woman finally did ask if she was okay.

The Olympic athlete says she decided to share her experience as a reminder this is happening all over the country ... and we need to take better care of each other.

She also told reporters ... "I was aware about the anti-Asian hate that was going on. You see it almost every day on the news. But, I didn’t think it would happen to me at a park I usually go to train."

Deshaun Watson's attorney, Rusty Hardin, is going on the attack again on behalf of his client ... saying the NFL star never forced anyone to engage in an act against their will.

"Deshaun did not force, coerce or intimidate anyone to do anything against their will," Hardin said Thursday in a new statement.

Hardin once again went after attorney Tony Buzbee -- who's representing all 22 women who have filed lawsuits against Watson.

All of the women filed their suits using the pseudonym "Jane Doe," and only two of the women have come out and since identified themselves publicly. Hardin says that's not good enough.

"Mr. Buzbee’s use of anonymous lawsuits violates Texas law and the basic concept of fairness," Hardin said.

"It is clear that, for Mr. Buzbee, this case has never been about seeking justice in a courtroom, but destroying Deshaun’s reputation to enhance his own public profile and enrich himself."

Hardin continued, "While I understand that anonymity often is used as a shield for victims, Mr. Buzbee is using it as a sword. While shielding his clients from public scrutiny, Mr. Buzbee continues to use their anonymous allegations to destroy Mr. Watson."

"This is simply not right. And we look forward to resolving these matters in court."

Watson and his camp have repeatedly denied the allegations in the lawsuits -- insisting the women are lying in an attempt to force a payout.

If Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson does indeed run for U.S. President as he's hinted he might, he nearly has all the votes needed to win already ... at least based on a new poll.

The former WWE superstar turned Hollywood A-lister has the support of 46 percent of adult Americans if he were to make a Presidential run in 2024 ... according to a recent online poll of 30,138 potential voters between April 2 and April 4.

The same poll found 29 percent would support dual campaigns by The Rock for POTUS and Matthew McConaughey for Texas Governor ... something the actor's also suggested he's considering.

Other notable poll results include 30% support for Angelina Jolie for Prez, 27% for Oprah ... and a shockingly low 22% for Tom Hanks.

Overall though, nearly 2 out of 3 adults polled said they believe celebs make good politicians if they have a good team and possess "political aptitude."

As ridiculous as that may seem to some, it also makes sense. Ex-Prez Donald Trump still has major support in the Republican party, and several other past Hollywood stars went on to make big political splashes ... Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura, Al Franken and Ronald Reagan, just to name a few.

As for the Rock ... he's been floating the idea of a White House run since 2016, and added fuel to the fire on 'Ellen' in 2017 and 'The Late Show' in 2018 by continuing to say he's seriously considering it.

"Listen, Conor McGregor is the biggest piece of s**t scumbag in the sport."

That's Kamaru Usman's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, going off about Conor McGregor after the UFC superstar accused Usman of stealing his signature catchphrases.

Here's the quick backstory ... Usman (the reigning UFC welterweight champ) is promoting his big UFC 261 fight with Jorge Masvidal and told ESPN, "It’s green panty night when you fight me."

It's a nod to Conor's famous "red panty night" comment he made at a press conference back in 2015 -- a line that's become one of Conor's most famous moments.

“I can make you rich,” McGregor told Rafael dos Anjos at the UFC 197 news conference -- explaining, "I change your bum life; you fight, it’s a celebration. When you sign to fight me, it’s a celebration. You ring back home, you ring your wife, ‘Baby, we’ve done it. We’re rich, baby. Conor McGregor made us rich, break out the red panties. We’re rich, baby.'"

So, when Conor saw Usman using a similar line (replacing red with green because of the color of the Nigerian flag), McGregor called him out on social media.

"Am I tripping or is this jackass always at this? Everything I say," Conor tweeted.

Well, Usman's manager saw the tweet and decided to respond -- aggressively.

"Kamaru Usman is a great father, great husband, he's not a jackass. If you have a problem with him, fight the man. But we know Conor doesn’t have the balls."

"He's not enough of a man to fight anything like Kamaru . He’s not enough of a man to even look him in his face."

Ali added, "The Internet creates a lot of heroes. Everybody can talk s**t. But realistically, if you put these two guys in a cage, in a street fight, in the trunk of a car, in a jail cell ,... you know who’s gonna be whose daddy."

"Kamaru Usman will be Conor's daddy every day of the week."

Abdelaziz also broke down why he's 100% convinced Usman will DESTROY Masvidal when they step into the octagon on April 24 in Jacksonville, Florida.