TMZ Sports - Page 50

The NY Knicks have determined an idiot fan SPIT on Atlanta Hawks superstar Trae Young during Wednesday night's game at MSG ... and now the mouthy fan has been banned indefinitely.

It all went down with around 8 minutes left in the 4th quarter of the Knicks vs. Hawks playoff game ... when Young was trying to inbound.

Video footage shows someone sitting behind 50 Cent appear to spit at Young -- leading Young to comment after the game, "Damn ... crazy!"

Young also asked 50 Cent if he was "good" following the incident.

The NY Knicks were disturbed by the footage and launched an investigation to see if the fan had spit at Young intentionally -- and now, they have detrained it was, in fact, on purpose.

"We investigated the matter and determined that this patron, who is not a season ticket holder, did indeed spit on Trae Young," the team announced Thursday.

"And for that reason, [the fan] is now banned from The Garden indefinitely."

"We apologize to Trae and the entire Atlanta Hawks organization for this fan's behavior. This was completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our venue."

The team notes cops are now involved saying -- "We have turned the information over to the appropriate authorities."

In theory, the fan could be prosecuted if officials decide to pursue a case against him.

So far, the fan has not been publicly identified.

Story developing ...

Janoris Jenkins claims SOMEONE took his $250,000 Rolls-Royce after he parked it at the airport in Atlanta ... but says no one seems to have any idea where it went.

The Tennessee Titans cornerback claims he parked his luxury vehicle at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on May 5, before he caught a flight to West Palm Beach.

But, when he returned days later, "my vehicle was nowhere to be found."

Jenkins says he immediately complained to management and followed up with various staff members -- along with officials from "City of Atlanta Aviation" ... but no one gave him any answers.

"They gave me the complete run around," Jenkins said ... "I was told they have footage of my vehicle arriving but no footage of it leaving. Nothing makes sense!"

Jenkins says he later went to the ATL Police Dept. -- but still, no leads on his missing Rolls-Royce.

The NFL star is clearly upset about the car -- but seems more frustrated with the way he was treated by airport officials.

"I understand very well that unfortunate events like this do happen but these types of establishments are supposed to provide SAFETY, comfort and most of all a customer service that is unmatched."

"BE aware of this airport, it's distasteful staff, and please think twice before parking your vehicle here! I'm now short a quarter million dollars of an asset that I own with no help from this airport."

We reached out to the airport for comment, but so far no official statement. We’ll update when we hear back.

In the meantime, if you know anything about Jenkins' car -- HIT HIM UP!!

Tiger Woods is keeping it 100% real about his rehab for the injuries he suffered in his car crash -- saying it's the most painful experience of his life.

"This has been an entirely different animal,” Woods told Golf Digest ... "I understand more of the rehab processes because of my past injuries, but this was more painful than anything I have ever experienced."

As we previously reported, Woods suffered major injuries to his right leg in the Feb. 23 crash -- shattering multiple bones which required several complicated surgeries and a metal stabilizing rod.

After nearly a month in the hospital, Woods was eventually allowed to travel back home to Florida to continue his treatment and rehab.

The big question everyone wants to know about the 45-year-old superstar -- will he ever play golf again ... professional or recreationally??

Woods did not give a straight answer to Golf Digest -- fact is, he probably doesn't know yet ... but said he's currently more focused on learning to walk again.

"My physical therapy has been keeping me busy. I do my routines every day and am focused on my No. 1 goal right now: walking on my own. Taking it one step at a time."

Woods also acknowledged the worldwide outpouring of support -- saying it's been "incredible" to get so much love from fans and friends.

"I have had so much support from people both inside and outside of golf which means so much to me and has helped tremendously."

As for the accident, Tiger didn't get into specifics regarding the crash or the police investigation.

Remember, he was driving through Rancho Palos Verdes on his way to an L.A. golf course when he crashed his Genesis GV80 SUV down the side of a hill -- wrecking the car and suffering major injuries.

Investigators determined Tiger was doing driving at speeds between 82 and 87 MPH leading up to the crash -- more than 40 MPH over the 45 MPH speed limit ... and was doing 75 when he collided with a tree.

Russell Westbrook was LIVID after a fan dumped popcorn on his head Wednesday -- calling the person's actions straight-up "bulls***" -- and even LeBron James is pissed over it all now too.

Westbrook was on his way to the locker room after injuring his ankle during the Wizards' playoff loss to the 76ers in Philly ... when a fan poured their bucket all over the NBA star.

You can see in footage of the incident ... Westbrook could not have been more heated as the kernels bounced off his head -- with the D.C. point guard trying HARD to get to the stands to confront the fan.

Russ, though, was eventually calmed down and ushered into the locker room ... but after the game, he said the fan absolutely crossed the line.

"To be blatantly honest, man, this s**t is getting out of hand, especially for me," Westbrook told reporters. "The amount of disrespect, the amount of fans just doing whatever the f**k they want to do, it's just out of pocket, man. It's out of pocket, seriously."

Russ went on to say if the incident had happened in "any other setting," he insinuated he would've fought the person.

"A guy wouldn't come up on the street and pour popcorn on my head because he knows what would happen," Russ said.

Westbrook then pled with the NBA to "start protecting the players" ... adding, "We'll see what the NBA does."

LeBron James rushed in to defend his pal on Twitter shortly after ... saying he wanted the fan ID'ed and punished ASAP.

"WE AS THE PLAYERS wanna see who threw that popcorn on Russ while he was leaving the game tonight with a injury!!" LeBron wrote. "There’s cameras all over arenas so there’s no excuse! Cause if the [shoe] was on the other [foot]. #ProtectOurPlayers"

So far, no punishment from the NBA has been announced yet ... though high-ranking Wells Fargo Center exec Valerie Camillo did call the incident "classless" and "unacceptable" after the game.

It's unclear, meanwhile, if Russ' ankle injury will keep him out of Game 3 ... the series is set to return to Washington on Saturday with the Sixers up 2-0.

Incredible scene during Maple Leafs' workouts Thursday ... John Tavares was back on the ice just 1 week after severely injuring his head -- and he looked GOOD!!!

Tavares took a flying knee to the face last Thursday ... and the damage was so bad, the 30-year-old Toronto captain had to spend the night in the hospital.

But, great news, Tavares is already back on the ice ... reporters shot video of the dude skating around the Toronto rink Thursday morning as if nothing had happened!!

Check out the clip, Tavares appeared to be moving just fine ... ripping slap shots and weaving around the ice no problem.

According to TSN's Kristen Shilton, Tavares' on-ice work lasted about 20 minutes ... before he eventually headed back into the locker room.

It's unclear if this means a return to actual gameplay is nearing for Tavares ... last week, the Leafs said in a statement John would be out "indefinitely."

A naked fan had the time of his life during the Washington Nationals' rain delay Wednesday -- slipping and sliding all over the wet field -- and pics of the guy's joy ride are INCREDIBLE.

The scene all went down in D.C. ... when shortly after MLB officials paused the Nats' game against the Reds and tarped up the field due to heavy rain -- a dude stripped off his clothes and ran all over the place!!!

For several minutes, the fan -- dong out and butt fully exposed -- sprinted across the diamond and slid on the slippery field covering!!

In an amazing twist -- he ended up INSIDE the tarp roller to escape stadium security ... and video fans shot of him getting in the big tube is laugh out loud funny!!!

Eventually, authorities at the ballpark were able to get the streaker out ... but you can see in the photos -- he was happy as a clam while being taken off in handcuffs!!

It's unclear if the guy was hauled off to jail or just punished at the stadium ... we're working on it.

As for the game, the rain never really let up -- so it was suspended and will resume once the rain officially dissipates on Thursday afternoon.

IT AIN'T OVER YET!!

That's Clippers player Ivica Zubac staying positive about his team's chances against the Dallas Mavericks, despite being down 2-0 in their playoff series.

"They gotta beat us 4 times," Zubac told us outside of Avra in Beverly Hills ... "We're gonna fight and we got a chance to win the series. We're not giving up."

Clipper fans have been down in the dumps since the team gave up the first 2 games AT HOME -- and now, they're traveling to Dallas for games 3 and 4 and it ain't lookin' good.

But, Zubac says the Clips are going there to win -- and they're confident they can get it done.

"We're going there to win games, that's it … they gotta win 4."

Dallas will have a packed house full of fans for Games 3 and 4 -- and Zubac says he's fired up about that, too!

"That's great, we haven’t played in front of that many fans in 2 years … gonna be fun!"

It's not too often you hear Bill Belichick gush about one of his players ... but not all of his players were Adam Vinatieri.

The Patriots head coach raved about the 48-year-old kicker as the G.O.A.T. after he announced his retirement on Wednesday -- and pointed out Vinny's game-winner in the legendary "Tuck Rule" game is the greatest single kick of all time.

"Adam Vinatieri is the greatest kicker of all-time who made the greatest kick of all-time in the 2001 divisional playoffs," Belichick said.

"His consistency, mental toughness and performance under pressure was legendary. I am honored to have coached Adam, going all the way back to his rookie year in 1996 and through some of the most special moments in Patriots and league history."

"Adam is in the rarest echelon of athletes whose career accomplishments may never be matched."

Adam was obviously known for coming through big in clutch moments -- including game-winners in TWO different Super Bowls.

But, the "Tuck Rule" kick was special -- it was Jan. 19, 2002, the Pats were playing the Raiders in heavy snow.

Vinny not only hit a 45-yarder to tie up the game with seconds remaining in the 4th quarter -- but he also hit the 23-yard, game-winner in overtime to seal the victory and send the Pats to Super Bowl XXXVI.

The rest is history ...

Pats owner Robert Kraft also praised Adam in a statement ... saying, "Adam Vinatieri earned the respect of his teammates and Patriots fans everywhere in 1996 when he caught Herschel Walker from behind for a touchdown-saving tackle on a kickoff return."

It's true ... and an AMAZING moment!

"For the next 10 years, that respect and admiration grew with every clutch performance and game-winning kick, especially his iconic 48-yard field goal as time expired in Super Bowl XXXVI."

"For Patriots fans, the feeling of that first Super Bowl championship will never be replicated. As memorable as Adam's Super Bowl performances were, he will always be remembered in New England for the greatest field goal in NFL history – the game-tying 45-yarder in the snow bowl against the Raiders."

Chad Johnson is taking his celeb fight SO seriously, he's getting in the ring with the Charlo twins to prep for the tilt ... and he tells TMZ Sports the guys are whoopin' his ass!!

The ex-NFL superstar -- who's set to square off with MMA fighter Brian Maxwell on the undercard of the Mayweather-Paul fight on June 6 -- broke it all down for us this week ... explaining he's sparring Jermell and Jermall Charlo to get ready for his match.

And, he says he's taking a beating from the boxing stars every time ... telling us of a recent sparring sesh, "I was f***ing swimming."

"Third round," Johnson added, "I was in the middle of the ocean with no life vest and I was f***ing drowning."

Not familiar with the Charlos? They're 2 of the best boxers in the world ... and have a combined 65 professional wins with only 1 (very controversial) loss.

But, the 43-year-old -- who said he's also training with some of the Charlos' sparring partners -- explained he's hopeful it'll all help when the lights come on against Maxwell in Miami next month.

"I've been training with the Charlo twins so I'm here now and it's funny I just finished sparring one of [their] sparring partners and it was fun," Johnson said. "It was a great experience."

"It was an experience where I was taken advantage of and it's a great thing. Obviously going in the ring with someone that does it at the highest level and learning the mistakes. I like it like that."

Johnson continued, "There was no other way to prepare for something of this magnitude. I had to come here. It's just -- there's no other way."

Johnson wouldn't guarantee a knockout over Maxwell -- even despite the training efforts -- but he did tell us it's going to be a show nonetheless.

Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka says she's taking a break from speaking to reporters at the French Open ... saying it's time for the media to focus on the mental well-being of athletes.

The 23-year-old, #2-ranked player in the world penned an emotional letter explaining her decision to go silent on Wednesday ... saying, "I've often felt that people have no regard for athletes' mental health and this rings very true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one."

"We're often sat there and asked multiple times before or asked questions that bring doubt into our minds and I'm just not going to subject myself to people that doubt me."

She added ... "I've watched many clips of athletes breaking down after a loss in the press room and I know you have as well. I believe that whole situation is kicking a person while they're down and I don't understand the reasoning behind it."

Osaka says the decision is nothing against Roland-Garros or the journalists she's gotten to know over the years ... but it's a stance she's willing to take, even if she's punished.

"However, if the organizations think that they can just keep saying, 'do press or you're gonna be fined,' and continue to ignore the mental health of the athletes that are the centerpiece of their cooperation then I just gotta laugh."

Osaka says if she IS fined for skipping media availability, she hopes the money will go towards a mental health charity.

The French Open kicks off on Sunday.

WARNING: LOOK AWAY IF YOU'RE SQUEAMISH!!!

Atlanta Braves star Marcell Ozuna JACKED UP his hand sliding into a base during a game Tuesday night ... and there's worry he could now miss significant time over it all.

The gnarly injury all went down in the 3rd inning of the Braves game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park ... when Ozuna was trying to avoid a tag at third base.

In video of the play, you can see as the ATL outfielder went head-first into the bag ... his hand got caught on Red Sox star Rafael Devers' left foot.

Ozuna's fingers were crunched so badly at impact, TWO of them dislocated -- and the digits were apparently so wonky after the collision, players on the field had to look away!

Braves manager Brian Snitker said after the game the ring finger AND the middle finger on Ozuna's left hand were popped out of place ... and he's being sent back to Atlanta for further evaluation.

"I saw him," Snitker said. "He had splints on [the fingers]. He wasn't feeling real bad, but it did them both. So, they're just going to make sure everything's good in there."

Snitker continued, "Hopefully it's just, you know, put them back [in place] and he's a little stiff for a few days."

Ice up, Marcell ... and get better soon!

Ex-New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway -- who has been accused of several instances of sexual harassment over the past 5 years -- has been banned from the league until at least the 2023 season, MLB announced Wednesday.

46-year-old Callaway -- who most recently served as the Los Angeles Angels pitching coach -- has been under league investigation since 5 women came forward in February and alleged several instances of misconduct ... including sending unsolicited shirtless selfies and asking for nude photographs, among other claims.

MLB concluded its investigation and determined Callaway violated league policies. The league says placing Callaway on the Ineligible List is "warranted" through the completion of the 2022 season, when he will be eligible for reinstatement.

Callaway spoke about the punishment in a statement to ESPN minutes ago ... saying, "My family and I fully support MLB’s strong stance against harassment and discrimination and are grateful to the Commissioner and his office for their thorough investigation."

"I apologize to the women who shared with investigators any interaction that made them feel uncomfortable. To be clear, I never intended to make anyone feel this way and didn’t understand that these interactions might do that or violate MLB policies."

"However, those are my own blind spots, and I take responsibility for the consequences."

He added ... "In my 25 years in professional baseball, I have never taken for granted the privilege of being even a small part of this great game of ours."

"To say I regret my past poor choices would be an understatement. I remain hopeful that I can return to baseball when eligible at the conclusion of next season, but for now, I plan to work on my own shortcomings and repairing any damage I have caused with my colleagues and, particularly, my family."

Super Bowl hero Adam Vinatieri -- one of the greatest placekickers EVER -- is finally announcing his retirement ... 25 years after making his NFL debut!

The 48-year-old appeared on the "Pat McAfee Show" on Wednesday when he was asked about his football career, considering he hasn't been on a roster since the 2019 season.

"Should we just make it real?" Adam said ... "Should we just say 'Hey, we're done?' We're riding off into the sunset. You want it to be live on your show that Vinny's officially done? Is that what you want?"

Pat -- who played with Adam on the Indianapolis Colts -- replied, "I don't want that but if it's gonna happen, happy it's happening here! I would like that to be known. Don't feel obligated."

Vinny responded, "Put it this way ... today's Wednesday. By Friday, if paperwork goes in, you heard it here first."

Translation -- it's over.

Adam will go down as an NFL legend -- finishing as the league's all-time leading scorer with 2,673 points!

There's more ... he's a 4-time Super Bowl champion and also made more field goals than anyone in NFL history with 599!

But, he'll be most famously remembered for having ICE IN HIS VEINS IN CLUTCH MOMENTS!

Remember, when he hit the game-winning field goal for the New England Patriots with seconds remaining in Super Bowl XXXVI?!

Vinny sealed the victory for the Pats -- which began the famous Tom Brady, Bill Belichick dynasty.

He also hit the game-winner in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

There's a lot more ... we don't have all day.

Adam left the Pats after the 2005 season and went on to play in Indy from 2006 to 2019.

Next stop, Canton!

Congrats!!!

So much for home-field advantage.

A massive crowd of Dodgers fans flocked to Minute Maid Park in Houston to watch L.A. take on the Astros on Tuesday ... and trolled the living hell outta the home team over the infamous cheating scandal!!

It was the first time fans were in attendance for a Dodgers vs. Astros game in Houston since the 2017 World Series -- which, of course, many believe was tainted due to the 'Stros' elaborate electronic sign-stealing operation.

"Cheaters!" chants? Check. Mean signs? Check. Blowup trash cans? Check. Dominant win for the Dodgers? Big ass check.

The scene was insanity as Clayton Kershaw led L.A. to an easy 9-2 win ... and you gotta think the Dodger fans taking over the stadium had to play a part in it.

Of course, Dodgers players and fans have refused to forgive the Astros for robbing them of a title in '17 ... and let their hatred ring from start to finish.

The signs were aplenty -- with fans saying things like "Read this sign ... you cheated!" and making references to the trash can that was used in the operation as the real MVP of the series.

Dodgers star Justin Turner was a huge fan of the support ... saying, "It was awesome. Some of the guys said tonight it finally felt like we were playing real baseball again."

"We knew it was going to be loud. We knew there was going to be energy in the building tonight. Our Dodger fans obviously traveled really well."

But, bad news for the 'Stros ... Pantone 294 -- the group that organized the takeover -- is teasing it's only gonna get worse for Houston on Wednesday night.

Tim Tebow's got plenty of doubters these days ... but Trevor Lawrence ain't one of them -- the new Jaguars superstar QB just raved over TT, saying the dude looks "great!"

Lawrence was asked this week about the 33-year-old who's trying to earn a spot on Jacksonville's roster after nearly a decade away from the game, and Trevor admitted he's impressed with what he's seen from Tebow so far.

"He looks good -- he looks great," Lawrence told the AP Pro Football Podcast.

"You can tell, he's just a guy that you want to be around. Character is awesome. Just had a few conversations with him and I can already tell. And, then just a hard worker. No one is going to work harder than him."

Lawrence continued, "Those are the kind of guys you want in your locker room and that you want to be around every day. And then I'm excited to see what he can do on the field as well. We got in a few days and he looks great. He's in awesome shape."

Jacksonville just inked Tim to a 1-year contract earlier this month ... and, with the former Heisman Trophy winner not having played a meaningful down since the 2012 season, many are skeptical this will all work out.

In fact, Charles Barkley said earlier this week he thinks it'll be "impossible" for Tim to transition from quarterback to tight end after so many years away from the game.

Lawrence, though, is clearly a believer ... adding on the podcast, "I was excited to meet him."

"When it was official, I saw him in the locker room and had a few good conversations and I really like him."

Aaron Rodgers won't have to wait long to avenge his playoff loss to Tom Brady ... the two QBs are set to face off on the golf course in July -- with Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau tagging along too!!

The PGA Tour just confirmed Rodgers and DeChambeau will go head-to-head against Brady and Mickelson in the next iteration of The Match -- and it'll all go down on July 6.

According to the Tour, the round will take place at Moonlight Basin in Big Sky, Montana ... and it's must-see TV.

The storylines are endless -- will Tom finally break out his driver? Will DeChambeau hit a 400-yard tee shot? How much smack will Phil talk?

And, of course, will Rodgers -- who famously lost to Brady in the NFC Championship Game last January -- still be a Green Bay Packer by tee time?!?!

If you're unfamiliar, The Match has been going on for the past few years ... with athletes and pro golfers teaming up to provide amazing TV all while benefitting charities.

The past couple rounds have been great watches ... especially in 2020, when Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning beat Brady and Mickelson.

In that round, Brady refused to take out a driver off the tee ... but Mickelson is already vowing to change all of that and bring home the W this summer.

"Tom and I have some unfinished business," Mickelson said Wednesday. "Unfortunately it will be at Bryson and Aaron’s expense."

Even Tom's already talking trash, firing away at Rodgers on Twitter ... "[DeChambeau] better get used to laying up because we know @AaronRodgers12 isn’t going for it."