TMZ Sports - Page 50

Scottie Pippen just announced he's dropping a new book -- and it seems like there's some shade being thrown at Michael Jordan.

Remember, Pippen said he was "not too pleased" at the way he was portrayed in MJ's acclaimed docuseries "The Last Dance" ... and was so upset, he addressed the issue with Jordan directly.

"I don’t think it was that accurate in terms of really defining what was accomplished in one of the greatest eras of basketball, but also by two of the greatest players – and one could even put that aside and say the greatest team of all time," Pippen told The Guardian.

Fast forward to Wednesday ... Pippen revealed he's dropping an "unflinching memoir" called "Unguarded" reflecting on his life, including his time with the Bulls -- and the official summary on the Simon & Schuster website is teasing some serious tea.

First ... Pippen claims "there's no 'Michael Jordan' as we know him" without him -- adding, "The 1990s Chicago Bulls teams would not exist as we know them."

Next ...

"Pippen details how he cringed at being labeled Jordan’s sidekick, and discusses how he could have (and should have) received more respect from the Bulls’ management and the media."

Interesting ...

But, then a more direct shot -- criticizing MJ's leadership.

"[Pippen] discusses what it was like dealing with Jordan on a day-to-day basis, while serving as the real leader within the Bulls locker room."

So ... shots fired??

Message for all the hopeless romantics out there -- DM YOUR CRUSH RIGHT NOW!!! -- 'cause supermodel Winnie Harlow says that's how Kyle Kuzma tried to get her attention ... and it worked!!

The gorgeous 26-year-old personality joined the "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" this week to discuss her year-long relationship with the Lakers hooper ... admitting their relationship could've started a LOT sooner if it weren't for a social media hiccup.

"I got a DM a year prior from my boyfriend, and I never seen it," Harlow told guest host tWitch. "I don't know what the glitch in the system with Instagram is, but that never came up for me!"

But, Kuz wasn't about to give up on his dream girl that easily ... so he tried one more time to get Winnie to respond.

"A year later, at the top of quarantine, he DMed me again. He posted a picture of me in an outfit and I was like, 'Oh, hi!' ... and he shot his shot. He slid into the DMs."

"That was cute, and I was like, 'Oh hey, how's quarantine been?'"

Harlow says the DMs turned into FaceTimes every day ... which turned into Kuz asking her to quarantine with him in L.A. Of course, she said yes!!

Remember, TMZ Sports posted photos of the couple out in L.A. back in May 2020 ... holding hands and taking their quarantine love public for the first time.

Fast-forward to today, and it's clear they're as strong as ever!!

Ex-NFL star Thomas Davis Sr. claims he has surveillance video showing two men breaking into his home and stealing his expensive McLaren supercar and wrecking it ... and now, he's offering a reward for help IDing the "idiots" involved.

The former Carolina Panthers linebacker claims the security video shows two men inside his garage this week -- sifting through his things ... before getting in his McLaren and taking it for a joy ride.

38-year-old Davis claims the men eventually crashed the car ... and he posted photos to his IG page which appear to show the major damage to his beloved vehicle.

Davis says he's now offering a reward for anyone who can help him find the men.

"If any of you recognize either one of these idiots that decided it was good idea to come into my home and go through all of my cars and even steal and wreck my McLaren. I’m offering a cash reward for anyone that can help identify who these guys are!"

We've reached out to law enforcement to see if they're investigating, but so far, no word back yet.

Davis was a star in the NFL for over a decade -- a 3-time Pro Bowl selection and a 1st-team All-Pro pick in 2015. He retired after the 2020 season.

Davis reportedly made over $70 MILLION in his 15-year NFL career.

One of the best young hitters in the MLB looked more like a Little Leaguer on Tuesday ... 'cause Ke'Bryan Hayes forgot to touch 1st base on a home run -- and the gaffe REALLY cost his team.

The Bad News Bears moment all went down in the bottom of the 1st inning of the Pirates' game against the Dodgers ... when Hayes cracked a shot to the opposite field.

The ball was a bullet that hit the foul pole, giving Hayes a home run ... but there was just one problem -- he never tapped 1st on his way around the diamond!

The Dodgers noticed Hayes' critical error, challenged the play ... and sure enough, Hayes was ruled OUT for the mistake.

Of course, the play was HUGE ... the first 4 innings ended up being played to a 0-0 tie, with the Dodgers only ultimately winning 5-3.

After the game, Hayes' manager said his 24-year-old third baseman needed to be better.

"Obviously, Ke' got caught watching the ball,'' Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said, before adding, "If he even thinks he misses [the bag], he has to go back and touch it."

Don't worry, Pittsburgh should find it easy to forgive Hayes ... he's batting .333 so far this year, and he's got future star written all over him.

PGA champ Angel Cabrera -- who won The Masters in 2009 -- has been extradited back to his home country of Argentina ... where he's set to face charges of attacking 3 different women.

The 51-year-old golf star -- nicknamed "El Pato" -- was arrested in Brazil back in January after officials say he was considered to be a fugitive of justice after bailing on a meeting with prosecutors.

The women accusing Cabrera include 2 ex-girlfriends and his ex-wife.

As we previously reported, one of the women accused the golfer of punching her in the face, making threats and trying to run her over with his car in '16.

Another woman, Cabrera's ex-wife, Silva Rivadero, also reportedly filed two charges against the golfer ... including assault and threats.

Cabrera is already in custody in Argentina -- and his trial is reportedly slated for July.

And, get this ... Cabrera's defense isn't that he didn't attack the women, it's that the incidents weren't really that bad.

SERIOUSLY, THAT'S HIS DEFENSE!

Cabrera's attorney, Carlos Hairabedian, told TN Todo Noticias, "The accusations come from long ago ... and he was not in jail because the facts attributed to him are insignificant. They are light injuries."

WHAT?!?

Cincinnati Reds star Joey Votto had some really kind words for the St. Louis Cardinals fan base on Tuesday ... and by "kind," we mean the exact opposite.

The 37-year-old first baseman kept it a buck when speaking about the Reds' 4-game road sweep of the Cards earlier this week ... saying it felt REALLY good to get revenge after STL swept Cincy earlier this season.

"We had some s***-talking mother f***ers in St. Louis after their first series sweep," Votto said Tuesday. "It’s kinda nice to go on the road at their road ballpark and let ’em have it."

"We had some people sweeping brooms and s*** like that while we were leaving. So, how’d you like that? How’d you like that?"

DAYUM, JOEY!!! Tell us how you REALLY feel!!!

Now, Votto said all this with a smile on his face ... but the hatred between the NL Central rivals is real -- remember, benches cleared when Yadier Molina shoved Nick Castellanos for getting all up in pitcher Jake Woodford's face back in April.

The Reds will host the Cards again next month ... and it's safe to say there will be even more drama.

For the first time in his NFL career, Julio Jones will NOT wear #11 ... A.J. Brown just revealed the newest Tennessee Titan has refused to take the digits.

Brown said Tuesday he tried like hell to give Jones the number -- considering, you know, Brown did recruit the former Falcons star to Tennessee HARD -- but he claims Julio just wouldn't accept it.

"I tried to give it up and he wouldn’t take it," said Brown, who got the Titans' #11 when he joined the team in 2019. "Respect."

Julio was drafted by the Falcons in 2011 and got the #11 shortly after ... but he'll clearly have to find a new number in Nashville now.

As for potential replacements ... Jones did rock #8 during his college career at Alabama -- and while Titans rookie punter James Smith has already been assigned the ocho, something tells us that'll change if Julio wants it bad enough.

After all, the Titans did give up a 2nd-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft AND a 4th-round pick in the 2023 Draft in order to get Julio (and another '23 pick) over the weekend.

Happy new number hunting from here, Julio!

Ever wonder what it'd be like to have a golf simulator AND an insane Kobe Bryant themed-court at home?!?

For billionaire hedge fund exec Jeffrey Feinberg, that just became a reality ... 'cause the dude just bought a $44 million mansion in Los Angeles -- THAT COMES WITH BOTH!!!

Feinberg just purchased the property recently, the house’s developer, Ramtin Ray Nosrati, told The Wall Street Journal -- and it's one of the most ridiculous places you'll see.

There's 7 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, it's 54,885 square feet AND it sits on over 1.2 acres of land.

But, the best part of it? It's got a custom Kobe court that would make NBA arenas jealous.

Check out pics of the place ... it's got Kobe's signature, his jersey numbers and his famous Mamba logo emblazoned on it.

There's also pictures of NBA legends like Michael Jordan and LeBron James surrounding it -- and Feinberg, a huge basketball fan, actually told the WSJ it was a key reason he bought the place.

As for the rest of the crib ... it's got it all -- a room devoted to a golf simulator, an indoor pool and spa, a bar and so much more.

Dana White told TMZ Sports Kim Kardashian vs. Amanda Nunes would be the biggest event in the history of MMA ... leading Nunes to ask Kim K -- WANNA FIGHT?!

Clearly, Amanda is just joking around ... as she would clearly murder any non-fighter -- male or female -- who stepped foot in the Octagon against her.

But, that didn't stop Nunes from hitting Kim on social media ... and c'mon, you'd pay good money to watch that fight!

Nunes is one of the greatest combat sports athletes of all time -- and is currently on a 12-fight win streak with victories over killers like Ronda Rousey, Valentina Shevchenko and Cris Cyborg.

Amanda hasn't lost since 2014.

Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson is throwing on the Purple and Gold one more time to channel his inner Black Mamba ... by rocking a Kobe Bryant jersey before Game 1 against the Clippers!!

Of course, Clarkson and Bryant grew close as teammates on the Lakers for two seasons ... and JC has consistently paid tribute to the late NBA legend following his tragic death in January 2020.

While it's usually weird to see a player rep a different team before a game, players across the league have made an exception when honoring Kobe.

Clarkson is making it known he's got Kobe's signature "Mamba Mentality" leading up to the Jazz vs. Clippers matchup in the Western Conference semis on Tuesday ... wearing the classic #8 Bryant wore for 10 seasons while meeting with media.

BTW -- Clarkson has had by far the best year of his career in 2021 ... averaging 18.4 points a game and winning the Sixth Man of the Year honors.

We must add ... there could also be another reason behind the Kobe jersey -- trolling -- after all, the Clippers have always HATED the Lakers.

LeBron James will be rockin' some brand new kicks when the Tune Squad and Goon Squad face off in "Space Jam: A New Legacy" ... and he's finally revealing the special sneaks to the public!

King James and Nike shared the first images of the "LeBron 19" sneaker on Tuesday ... and the folks at the Swoosh say the design is inspired by the new flick starring the hooper and Bugs Bunny.

The shoes have an eye-popping colorway, which matches the orangish-yellow-blue scheme of the new Tune Squad jerseys ... with an Air Max heel and Zoom Air forefoot.

Designer Jason Petrie spoke about the look ... saying, "In designing the LeBron 19, we were definitely guided by what was happening in the film."

"We wanted to give LeBron a brand-new feeling that was synonymous with an otherworldly, space-age kind of look."

In addition to the sneaks, Nike is also releasing a bunch of merch, game jerseys and Looney Tune-inspired LeBron 18s ... with color schemes inspired by the classic cartoon showdowns between Bugs and Marvin the Martian, Tweety Bird and Sylvester and Road Runner and Wile. E. Coyote.

The shoes and other SJ items are set to drop next month -- right around the July 16 debut of the flick.

Ex-NBA star Rip Hamilton says Chauncey Billups is gunning to be the next head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers ... telling TMZ Sports his good friend really wants the gig.

44-year-old Billups -- an assistant coach with the L.A. Clippers -- has been mentioned as a top candidate for teams in need of a new head coach this offseason ... including the Blazers and Boston Celtics.

Superstar Damian Lillard even listed Billups on his short wish list to replace Terry Stotts ... and Rip says the feeling's mutual.

"Me and Chauncey was actually just talking," Hamilton said on Rodeo Drive on Monday.

We asked if his old teammate told him he wants to coach the Blazers ... and Rip responded, "Yeah!"

"Chauncey wants to coach right now. Hopefully, he gets his opportunity."

Of course, the Blazers won't be able to reach out to the 2004 NBA Finals MVP until after the Clippers' season is over ... but The Athletic reports Billups is the "likely" choice to end up in Portland.

Max Kellerman -- one of the leading experts in boxing -- says he's genuinely intrigued by the Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley fight.

... and if Jake can knock out the former UFC star, he'll be legitimately impressed.

"That's an interesting fight. It's an interesting event," the ESPN star told us out in NYC.

24-year-old Jake and 39-year-old Woodley are set to throw down in August -- in what will undoubtedly be the biggest challenge of Paul's short career.

So far, Paul has knocked out two pro athletes -- Nate Robinson and Ben Askren -- but hasn't faced an opponent known for being a true striker.

... until now.

Woodley fought his way to the top of the UFC's welterweight division in 2016 -- knocking out Robbie Lawler to win the belt.

But, he's lost his last 4 fights -- leading some to believe he's washed.

"I don't care how faded Woodley is … if Jake Paul knocks out Tyron Woodley, he did something," Kellerman explained.

"Woodley can strike. So, we're not gonna confuse it with a title fight in boxing ... but okay, I'll be impressed."

Jake has promised to KO Woodley in 2 rounds. Woodley's response? "HAHAHHAHA."

We'll see who's right ...

Jim Fassel -- the former NFL head coach who led the NY Giants to Super Bowl XXXV -- has died ... and his ex-star player, Michael Strahan, is heartbroken.

Fassel passed away Monday in Las Vegas after suffering a heart attack following chest pains, his son, John, told the L.A. Times.

And, when Strahan was asked about his former coach on "Good Morning America" on Tuesday ... the ex-pass rusher explained he was crushed to learn of the passing.

"Just a great man, great coach," Strahan said of Fassel. "And, he will be missed. But, I was definitely shocked this morning to find out this news and I just wanted to send my love and condolences to his family."

Strahan continued, "Great man. I enjoyed every minute with him as my coach and after my career when we continued to stay in touch and talk."

Fassel joined the Giants as an assistant coach in 1991 and later became the head coach in 1997, when he won NFL Coach of the Year honors.

Fassel eventually took Strahan and the G-Men to Super Bowl XXXV in the 2000 season ... where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens.

Fassel was fired in 2003 after piling up a career 58-53-1 record ... but he still went on to be an offensive coordinator for the Ravens before wrapping up his coaching career as the head man for the United Football League's Las Vegas Locomotives.

He was 71 years old.

Dana White tells TMZ Sports ... he hopes Floyd Mayweather finally hangs up the gloves after his exhibition with Logan Paul.

... but as for Logan Paul fighting in the UFC one day, Dana ain't exactly saying no!

INTERESTING!!!

First, Floyd ...

"I would love to see Floyd retire," White tells us ... "He's had an incredible career and to do these type of fights, it's silly."

Now, to Logan ... who has repeatedly said he would kill for a shot to fight in the UFC since he has a legitimate wrestling background and feels he could actually compete in the Octagon.

So, Dana ... would you ever sign Logan Paul to a UFC deal?

"I don't know man ... I don't know."

"Here's the thing, not to say that I haven't taken a guy in that's been 0-0 into the UFC and done those types of fights before ... I don't know."

White is obviously referencing CM Punk, the former WWE superstar who got 2 fights in the UFC despite no prior professional MMA experience. Punk lost both of his fights in a lopsided fashion.

But, White respects Logan's work ethic and athletic ability -- as well as his marketing power ... and says there will always be a market for famous people to get in the ring.

"Imagine if Kim Kardashian wanted to fight Amanda Nunes ... how big do you think that fight would be?!"

"What do you think Kim Kardashian would make if she fought Amanda Nunes ... probably more than anybody's ever made, ever!"

There's more ... we also talked about that STACKED card for UFC 263 this weekend featuring the Israel Adesanya vs. Marvin Vettori and the return of Nate Diaz!

Before this tiny tot was known for being a professional basketball player, he was just another cute kid up next at bat on his little league team.

This famous sporty stayed focused on his basketball career and went from a college athlete to an NBA player in 2009, when he joined the Los Angeles Clippers. He was named rookie of the year following his start in the NBA.

Even though the name of this tiny tot's tee-ball team is a mystery ... we do know that he's been on some big-named NBA teams including the Detroit Pistons and also the Brooklyn Nets!