TMZ Sports - Page 50

Former Hawks superstar Josh Smith EVISCERATED Doc Rivers after yet another early playoff exit for the head coach -- railroading the dude in a profane rant on social media.

Smith held no punches back in going after the 76ers head man Sunday night ... clowning his old coach for losing Philly's playoff series to Atlanta in Game 7.

"Don't nobody really like yo cap ass," said Smith, who appeared to spend HOURS online Sunday ripping Rivers and the Sixers for the loss.

"You don't know how to make in-game adjustments. Everybody figured your ass out, man ... Yeah, you losing your power!"

Smith and Doc have had an icy relationship for years ... remember, Josh played for the head coach with the Clippers in the 2015-16 season, but was traded to Houston after only a handful of games.

It's clear the relationship hasn't thawed one bit since ... 'cause Smith unloaded on the 59-year-old, criticizing him for the loss as well as past comments he made about Paul George.

"You talked all that s*** about Paul George and how Tyronn Lue was gonna have the same offense for that n***a," the 35-year-old said.

"Shut yo' bum ass up, man! Your no in-game-adjustment-having ass, man. Start giving n****as they real credit, man. That's why your bitch-ass got that karma on your ass and you can't get past the second round, man! You done did all these real n****s wrong, man."

Smith continued, "Look in the mirror, n***a and confess your motherf***in' truths n***a or you'll never make it out the second round, n***a! Yeah!"

Smith had a chance to walk back his comments Monday morning ... but all he did was double down on them.

Kendall Jenner wants to kill the "Kardashian Curse" narrative once and for all ... saying their exes need to own up to their problems and stop letting the KarJenner family take all the blame.

As legend has it ... anyone who dates a Kardashian/Jenner is overcome with bad luck after getting tangled up in their spotlight -- no matter if it's an athlete or a musician.

Kenny unleashed on the notion Sunday night during a Q&A on the "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" Reunion on E! ... saying the whole idea is bogus.

"What I don't like about this narrative is that the blame is on us," Jenner told Andy Cohen. "I think the men need to take that responsibility."

"I think that we're all extremely giving and caring and loving women. And, when there is a man in our lives we like, give everything to them and as a family, we all love them so much."

"It's almost offensive, personally."

The KarJenners have dated an all-star roster of athletes over the years -- from guys like Reggie Bush to Kris Humphries to Lamar Odom to Tristan Thompson to James Harden to Ben Simmons to Jenner's current boo, Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker.

Kris Jenner defended their family name -- pointing out there's a Super Bowl champ (Bush) and two NBA champions (Lamar and TT) on that list ... and Kanye West and Travis Scott ain't doing too bad for themselves right now, either.

On top of that, Booker is 3 wins from making the NBA Finals this year ... so, yeah, doesn't seem too cursed to us (knock on wood).

"Of course, factually, it doesn't add up," Kendall added.

Speaking of, Jenner finally spoke publicly about her boyfriend for the first time, saying keeping their relationship private is what's best for them ... and she certainly seems happy!!!

And, if that's not enough Kardashian sports news for the day, Kendall also revealed what she would be doing with her life if it weren't for being a massively successful supermodel ... and she believes she would be an Olympic horseback rider!!!

You didn't think Robert Kraft was gonna let that thing sit in the garage, did you?!

Check out the New England Patriots owner rolling through The Hamptons with his girlfriend Dana Blumberg in his brand new drop-top Bentley ... his birthday gift from Jay-Z, Meek Mill and Michael Rubin!

Remember, Kraft lost his mind when Rubin presented the ride to him earlier this month -- with Robert wondering how the hell the guys managed to get it!

"How the fudge did you get it?" Kraft said at the time.

Kraft apparently had been eyeing the Bentley -- but despite his immense power and fortune, the billionaire couldn't get it on his own.

But Jay, Meek and Michael -- who founded the REFORM Alliance with Kraft in 2019 -- clearly have some pull in the rare car world and made it happen!

Fast forward a few weeks ... and Kraft was seen driving it around his exclusive neighborhood with a big 'ol smile on his face!

Haven't seen Kraft this happy since he won the Super Bowl ... for the 6th time!

"If he was in my locker room, I would have knocked his ass out."

WOW.

That's Shaquille O'Neal pulling no punches on his disdain for Ben Simmons on Sunday night after the 76ers got bounced from the playoffs.

... and Shaq was so disgusted with the way Ben played -- and then explained his terrible performance -- he talked about how HE would've dealt with Ben if Simmons was his teammate.

Shaq's comment drew shock and even some laughs from his "Inside the NBA" co-hosts ... but Shaq replied, "I ain't laughing."

24-year-old Simmons -- the #1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft -- did not play well during the series against the Atlanta Hawks ... especially during that crucial Game 7.

In fact, Ben only scored 5 points -- including 1 point in the 4th quarter -- in a 103 to 96 loss to ATL.

After the game, Simmons told ESPN, "I ain't shoot well from the line this series ... Offensively, I wasn't there. I didn't do enough for my teammates. ... There's a lot of things that I need to work on."

During the post-game show, Shaq was critical of Simmons.

"If I played Game 1 and 2 and I know I’m not helping my teammates, what do you think I’m going to do in Game 3? It don’t take you seven games to realize that, I don’t wanna hear that man."

"It don’t take seven games for you to know that you’re not playing right ... Get right!"

Shaq continued, "He's not getting double-teamed, just be aggressive, that’s all I want. I don’t want to hear all that, stop that, cut it out."

For the very first time, a transgender athlete will compete in the summer Olympics ... and shocker, there's already controversy.

43-year-old Laurel Hubbard -- who transitioned from male to female in 2013 -- has been selected to the New Zealand women's weightlifting team to compete in the women's 87-kilogram division.

The issue?? Hubbard competed in men's weightlifting competitions before she transitioned -- and some critics are already blasting the situation as unfair to other athletes.

But, the International Olympic Committee has specific guidelines for transgender athletes to compete -- testosterone levels must be below a certain level -- and Hubbard has met the criteria since 2015.

In other words, she's good to go!!

The CEO of the New Zealand Olympic Committee, Kereyn Smith, issued a statement Monday supporting Hubbard.

"We acknowledge that gender identity in sport is a highly sensitive and complex issue requiring a balance between human rights and fairness on the field of play," Smith said.

"As the New Zealand Team, we have a strong culture of manaaki and inclusion and respect for all. We are committed to supporting all eligible New Zealand athletes and ensuring their mental and physical wellbeing, along with their high-performance needs, while preparing for and competing at the Olympic Games are met.”

Not everyone feels that way ... back in May, Belgian weightlifter Anna Vanbellinghen reportedly called Hubbard's qualifying situation "unfair" and a "bad joke."

Hubbard, though, wasn't letting the disapproval get in the way of her feat Monday ... saying, "I am grateful and humbled by the kindness and support that has been given to me by so many New Zealanders."

"The last 18 months has shown us all that there is strength in kinship, in community, and in working together towards a common purpose. The mana of the silver fern comes from all of you and I will wear it with pride.”

Added Olympic Weightlifting New Zealand President Richie Patterson, "Laurel is an astute student of the sport and technically very good with the lifts. We look forward to supporting her in her final preparations towards Tokyo."

Fantasy football nerds, listen up ... Mo Alie-Cox is predicting a BIG season with Carson Wentz now on board -- telling TMZ Sports his 2021 season is going to dwarf his 2020 campaign!

Which, of course, is saying a lot ... considering Alie-Cox had a pretty good breakout season with Philip Rivers last year!!!

"I think I'll have a better season," Alie-Cox told us outside of JLT gym in L.A. this week. "Just another year under my belt, more experience, more confidence and just probably more opportunities."

Alie-Cox caught 31 passes for 394 yards and scored 2 TDs last year ... and there were some games where he looked flat-out dominant.

And, with Wentz known to love his tight ends -- Alie-Cox is clearly seeing dollar signs in his future.

As for his relationship with Wentz so far, the tight end says he's loving his new teammate ... telling us Wentz's "arm is great."

"Strong-arm," the 27-year-old added. "He's accurate. It's gonna be fun playing with him."

Usain Bolt is not letting that surname of his go to waste -- especially as it pertains to his kids ... including the two latest additions to his family, who've got names that really lean in.

The Jamaican track star rolled out a bit of a Father's Day surprise Sunday, taking to IG to post a photo of his brood -- including his GF, Kasi Bennett, his daughter, Olympia Lightning ... and newborn twins, who go by Saint Leo Bolt and Thunder Bolt. One big Bolt-y family!

The two new kiddos kinda come as news to many -- as it doesn't appear a whole lot of people knew he and Kasi were expecting. All the same, friends and fans sent him well-wishes in his comments.

Kasi, meanwhile, paid tribute to Usain herself, throwing up another shot from the shoot and adding this caption ... "Happy Father’s Day to my forever love! @usainbolt You are the rock of this family and the greatest daddy to our little ones. We love you world without end!"

It's unclear when exactly Kasi gave birth to the babies -- but it appears to be somewhat recent. It also looks like the couple didn't waste much time getting busy for more children -- Olympia was born just last year ... so she's got her about 365 days on her siblings.

One last thing we should note ... it seems like UB is going to be able to enjoy fatherhood fully at the ripe age of 34. He isn't competing in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics ... as he retired from competing a few years back, this after an incredible run and many, many gold medals.

Matthew McConaughey continues to gain points as a man of the people ... getting in front of and firing up a massive crowd of soccer fans in Austin.

The actor was a special guest at Saturday's contest between FC Austin and the San Jose Earthquakes. McConaughey grabbed a bongo drum and led the crowd of nearly 20,000 in several chants.

Fittingly, dressed in a green suit, one of the chants was "Verde! Listos!"

While it might seem like a PR stunt to grab support for a Texas gubernatorial run, McConaughey actually has legit ties to the org ... he's a minority owner for the franchise.

He's reportedly very involved with the team, dropping in for practices and mixing with fans.

Saturday's match was the first at Q2 Stadium after 8 on the road this season for Austin.

La La and Carmelo Anthony are making one thing clear in the midst of their divorce ... their son remains their top priority.

The two were spotted at 14-year-old Kiyan's basketball game Saturday in Miami. The former couple willingly sat near each other -- a sign that they're truly on good terms -- just a few days after La La filed for divorce from the NBA star after 11 years of marriage.

TMZ broke the story ... La La filed divorce docs Thursday in New York citing irreconcilable differences. While La La was the one who officially submitted the paperwork, our sources said it was a very amicable decision between the former couple to split and Kiyan would always be their main focus.

LeBron James can't put ALL of the blame on the NBA for the rash of injuries this season ... so says Shannon Sharpe, who tells TMZ Sports players deserve some of the finger-pointing too!

Sharpe broke it all down for us at LAX this week -- saying despite Bron's claims ... the players did NOT have to start the 2021 season in December if they truly didn't want to.

"Look, the NBA wanted to recoup some money, they were in a pandemic and lost money," Sharpe says, "but the players wanted to get those paychecks."

"They couldn't play without the NBA and the [NBA Players Association] agreeing. So, everybody's equally culpable because they needed the money and the players wanted the paycheck. It is what it is."

James was furious with the league earlier this week ... melting down on Twitter and insisting injuries to Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving were all caused by the league rushing to return in Dec. despite ending the 2020 season in October.

The league fired back at the Lakers superstar, saying the injury rates are actually the same from previous seasons -- but Sharpe did say it does feel different this year because of the nature of the high-profile injuries.

"The NBA is a superstar-driven league," the Hall of Fame tight end says. "The 5th guy on the bench, the 13th guy on the bench -- nobody cares if he's injured."

"Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Joel Embiid, LeBron James, Anthony Davis -- people care about those guys."

As for LeBron's future, Sharpe called B.S. on any sort of falloff from the King ... saying straight up, "LeBron will be just fine!"

If Chris Johnson weren't CJ2K, he could have been CJ100Meter ... 'cause the Titans legend tells TMZ Sports he would have been an elite track runner if he hadn't focused on football.

The former running back broke it all down for us after praising DK Metcalf's impressive May track run ... saying there's no telling where his speed would have ended up if not for the NFL.

"I would've been very competitive," said Johnson, who added he ran a 10.3 100-meter as a high schooler.

"If I would have kept with that, ain't no telling how fast I would have got."

Johnson says he spent his whole college career trying to bulk up for football ... but he explained to us if he had stayed lean and just run track, he could have been Usain Bolt-like!

"I can just only imagine if I would have stayed 160 pounds and just continue to run track, ain't no telling how fast I would've been."

Of course, Johnson ain't blowing smoke here ... the dude was SERIOUSLY speedy -- remember when he ran that 4.24 40-yard dash at the 2008 NFL Combine?

AEW star Max Caster ain't a one-hit wonder ... 'cause the pro wrestler just dropped another insane TMZ Sports-inspired rap verse -- and it's pretty damn good!!

In case you missed the biggest stories of the week, Platinum Max has got you covered -- from the "Suns In 4" guy to Chris Paul getting COVID-19 to the sticky situation going on in the MLB.

Caster -- half of AEW's "The Acclaimed" tag team -- goes on for a minute straight ... even throwing in a line about the Carmelo Anthony and La La divorce.

Anderson Silva is taking his talents to the boxing ring ... and the ex-UFC champ says after his fight with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. this weekend -- he's totally open to fighting the Paul bros!!

TMZ Sports talked to the 46-year-old MMA G.O.A.T. just days before he fights former middleweight champion, 35-year-old Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in the squared circle.

FYI, Chavez Jr. -- the son of legendary Mexican fighter, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. -- has a professional boxing record of 52-5-1 with 1 no contest. He's shared the ring with Canelo Alvarez and Danny Jacobs.

But, if you thought this was a 1-and-done event, you're wrong ... 'cause Spider says he's down to take on all comers -- INCLUDING the Paul bros.

"In the future, everything's possible. The Paul brothers, I respect both. There are good boys," Silva says.

Of course, there are fight game purists who hate the idea of a legit legend like Anderson fighting a YouTuber ... but Silva says things have changed.

"Everything's changing in the world. People like to see the big shows, entertaining shows."

Daredevil Alex Harvill -- a famous motorcycle stuntman -- died Thursday after crashing during a world-record jump attempt.

He was just 28 years old.

The scene was absolutely horrifying ... Harvill was trying to launch his bike off a ramp 351 feet at the Moses Lake Airshow in Washington -- when he came up short and crash-landed into a dirt mound.

Harvill was thrown over his handlebars, and tumbled dozens of feet before he finally came to a stop.

According to the Grant County Sheriff's Office, Harvill later died from the injuries he suffered during the accident.

The Sheriff's office added Harvill's family has been notified ... and said an autopsy will be conducted on Friday to determine the cause and manner of his death.

"Our deepest sympathies go out to Alex’s family, friends and loved ones," the Sheriff's office said.

The Airshow, meanwhile, had vowed to donate all of the proceeds from Harvill's jump Thursday to help pay his medical bills.

Harvill -- who just welcomed his second baby into the world last month -- was a very experienced stuntman ... he had previously set a world record in 2013 when he jumped from one dirt ramp to another 297 feet away.

RIP

Colts star tight end Mo Alie-Cox says the blueprint for Tim Tebow's success at his new position is simple ... telling TMZ Sports all the new Jaguar has to do is just be open to learning.

"The tight end position, you have to learn how to block," Alie-Cox said.

"You have to catch passes. The protection -- the little things like that. So, it's a lot that goes into it. It's a lot of mental."

Alie-Cox, though, says he's pretty sure Tim's going to be just fine ... despite never playing the position and despite being out of the NFL for nearly a decade.

"He hasn't played the position but I mean, he's a hard worker," Alie-Cox said. "You can't put anything past Tim Tebow."

Alie-Cox added, "I think he's got it."

Reports out of Jaguars practices so far seem to indicate Tim's doing well in the transition ... but when we asked Alie-Cox if there was any shot Tebow ends the season with more catches than him, Mo said no way.

Have you ever seen an angel tattoo with LaMelo Ball's hairdo???

Well, the NBA's Rookie of the Year just got it done on his right forearm -- and it's pretty awesome!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the Charlotte Hornets star wanted to get a tat of himself as a cherub, so he hit up his ink master, Herchell L. Carrasco.

We're told the two met up at Carrasco's shop, Pachuco Tattoo, in Orange, Calif. over a week ago ... and after 6 hours of work, the final results were in!

The piece came out dope ... there's a dramatic red and black "RARE" wording above a Melo-like angel -- plus his logo at the base with a red halo!

We're told the hairdo idea was done at the last minute -- and Carrasco did it free-handed!!!

The new ink complements Melo's existing piece, also done by Carrasco, on his other forearm.

That artwork features a lion looking into water -- which Carrasco calls an "evolution tattoo" -- since Melo got it done right before the 2020 NBA Draft.