TMZ Sports - Page 50

TMZ Sports has obtained video showing the controversial arrest of New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes ... an incident LAPD is now investigating for possible use of excessive force.

The clip starts with 21-year-old Hayes -- the #8 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft -- tussling on the ground with 3 police officers who are attempting to control and cuff Jaxson. One of the cops presses his taser against the Pelican center's chest and shocks him.

Backup eventually arrives and the video shuts off as the man recording is approached by police.

Hayes was ultimately taken into custody around 3 AM before being treated at a local hospital for minor injuries sustained during the altercation. He was charged with resisting arrest ... and posted a $25K bond.

On Tuesday, Los Angeles PD Chief Michael Moore announced the department launched an investigation into the arrest after Hayes alleged force was applied to his neck -- causing him difficulty breathing.

It's important to note the video we obtained starts with Jaxson on the ground and the taser against his body. TMZ Sports did not edit the starting point of the video.

However, what happened before the video starts rolling is critical ... 'cause cops say Hayes is the one who started and escalated the physical confrontation.

Police claim when they arrived on the scene, Hayes attempted to enter the home -- despite their commands -- before he ultimately shoved an officer, injuring him.

"Body worn video captured Hayes repeatedly attempting to enter the
residence despite officers blocking his path and verbal commands for him to remain outside,'' police said in a statement.

"Officers requested a backup and they attempted to place Hayes' hands behind his back; however, Hayes broke free of the officers' grasp and pushed one of the officers into a wall.''

Simone Biles says the abuse she suffered at the hands of Larry Nassar likely triggered feelings that eventually forced her out of the Olympics.

The 24-year-old gymnast was asked whether her horrific experiences with the Team USA doctor affected her mental health while at the 2020 Tokyo Games, during an interview with the "Today" show.

"Now that I think about it, maybe in the back of my head, probably, yes, because there are certain triggers. You don't even know, and I think it could have."

Remember, Biles backed out of the team competition last week citing issues with her mental health. She eventually returned for the beam event on Tuesday ... winning a bronze medal.

The superstar gymnast is one of more than 150 victims who came forward and accused Nassar of sexual misconduct ... saying back in 2018, "It is not normal to receive any type of treatment from a trusted team physician and refer to it horrifyingly as the 'special' treatment."

Biles said she wanted to compete so the Nassar scandal would not be forgotten.

"I knew that still being the face of gymnastics and the USA and everything we brought, it's not going to be buried under the rug, and it will still be a very big conversation," she said Wednesday.

The scandal has taken a toll on the 4x gold medalist, recently revealing on her "Simone vs Herself" Facebook series that she would constantly stay in bed because "sleeping was better than offing myself."

"It was my way to escape reality. Sleeping was like the closest thing to death for me at that point, so I just slept all the time."

57-year-old Nassar was convicted and sentenced to up to 175 years ... and is currently rotting in a prison cell.

Micah Parsons is quickly checkin' things off his bucket list in 2021 ... first, he got drafted by the Dallas Cowboys -- and now, he's buying his mom a brand new home!!!

The rookie linebacker -- a first-round selection in April's NFL draft -- revealed the huge estate he bought for his mother, Sherese, on Tuesday ... and it looks GORGEOUS!!

Unclear where the property is located -- we're working on it -- but the home is LARGE ... featuring two stories and a ton of big windows.

"One goal after another!!" the 22-year-old said after making the purchase. "Going to be a great year!"

The gesture was so sweet ... Parsons' alma mater, Penn State, gave him an awesome shoutout on Instagram.

"Picture this: You’re 22 years old. You’re a Penn State grad. You were just selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. You finally get the chance to buy your mom a house like you’ve always dreamed to do. Life is good," the school said.

"Proud of you, @_MicahParsons11 👏"

Of course, this was all a big goal of Micah's ... you'll recall, back in the spring, he told BroBible he wanted to buy his mom a new home badly with his first NFL paychecks.

"I moved a lot when I was younger," Parsons said, "and if I could put me and my mother into our own home and have something to call ours, it would be amazing."

L.A. fans trolled the hell out of the Astros during their 1st encounter with Houston at Dodger Stadium since the 'Stros were busted for sign stealing ... with people throwing trash cans, mercilessly booing and even breaking out "cheaters" chants.

It all went down Tuesday night ... when Dodgers fans FINALLY got to see the Astros in person in L.A. after the pandemic had prevented them from hitting the ballpark during their games last season.

And, it didn't take long for Dodgers fans to begin spitting fire ... with "boos" raining down HARD during the broadcast of Houston's starting lineup.

The jeers eventually turned into park-wide "cheaters" chants ... and later in the game, fans threw trash bins on the field too.

Of course, MLB officials revealed just before the start of the 2020 season that Houston illegally stole signs using an elaborate trash can-banging scheme in 2017 (the year it beat the Dodgers for their first and only World Series title) and in 2018.

And, clearly, L.A. is still furious over it all ... with things getting so crazy on the field Tuesday, Dodgers P.A. announcers had to remind fans to not throw objects into the outfield.

A number of Dodger fans even threw trash at a nearby Astros fan -- wearing a "0 Fuxgivin" jersey -- in the outfield stands ... resulting in a violent scuffle.

Houston, though, got the last laugh ... at least in Game 1 of the teams' 2-game series this week -- 'cause it ended up beating the Dodgers 3-0.

Game 2 kicks off Wednesday night at 6:40 PM PT ... with Max Scherzer set to make his L.A. debut.

NHL star Evander Kane didn't cheat on his now estranged wife with his model ex-girlfriend -- instead, folks close to him claim he only reunited with Mara Teigen after his marriage blew up.

Sources close to Evander and Mara tell TMZ ... Anna Kane has her timeline mixed up, because they insist Evander and Mara weren't seeing each other during his marriage. We're told they definitely rekindled their flame, but only in the wake of Anna's July 16 divorce filing.

We're told the San Jose Sharks star and Mara reconnected on social media after not speaking for more than 6 years ... and their now infamous trip to Europe was completely spontaneous.

Our sources say Mara's denying being a homewrecker, and they also claim Evander did NOT abandon his family, despite what his estranged wife has alleged.

We're told Evander's moved out of the home he shared with Anna, and is telling people around him he's been blocked from seeing his daughter -- presumably by Anna.

As we reported ... Evander also claims his estranged wife was straight-up lying when she accused him of betting on the sport -- which could get him in big trouble with the league -- and he's trying to keep their divorce civil.

Anna also claimed Evander's a deadbeat dad who refuses to provide for their daughter, but our sources say EK definitely wants to see her and loves her very much.

Vikings corner Jeff Gladney -- a star rookie for Minnesota in 2020 -- has just been indicted on a felony domestic violence charge ... and his football future is now very much up in the air.

Gladney was accused of violently beating his girlfriend in the Dallas area back in April ... after cops say the couple got into an argument over the contents of the woman's cell phone.

According to court docs, Gladney's accuser told officials the football player snapped after he found something on her phone ... hitting her, choking her, and dragging her by her hair across the ground.

Gladney was eventually arrested and posed for a mug shot.

It took several months, though, for a grand jury to hear the case ... but on Tuesday, it was revealed they indicted Gladney on a felony charge of third-degree family violence assault.

It's a VERY serious matter for the NFL player -- who's been away from the Vikings since his arrest -- because if convicted, Gladney faces up to 10 years behind bars.

With the case now moving forward -- potentially even resulting in a trial -- Gladney could now be asked to stay away from the Vikings indefinitely ... or even find himself cut from the roster.

Gladney is also facing a civil lawsuit from his accuser, who filed docs in court last month seeking $1 million in damages.

In her suit, the woman says after Gladney was violent with her, he "attempted to bribe, threaten, blackmail, and manipulate" her to keep quiet about it all.

Gladney has not publicly commented on the allegations.

The former TCU star -- a Vikings first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft -- started 15 games for Minnesota last season, recording 81 total tackles and 3 pass breakups.

Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley's knitted jumper is going to good use ... 'cause the uber-famous Instagram dog he made it for will be rocking it at the next fashion week!!

The British diver went viral earlier this week for stitching up the piece right after winning the 10-meter platform event ... saying he was making it for Izzy the Frenchie, a dog that has more than 1 MILLION followers on social media.

TMZ Sports spoke with Izzy about Daley's gift ... and she said, "bark, bark, bark."

Okay, just kidding ... we spoke with Izzy's papa, Rick Hendrix, in Washington D.C. Tuesday about Daley showing some serious love at the world's biggest stage ... and he's got some big plans in mind.

"I think we're gonna include it in her fashion week," Hendrix says. "Maybe walk in New York next time it's all safe and we can get out again!"

BTW -- Izzy is big in the industry ... and has been a guest at fashion weeks in the past.

So, how did the collab come to be? Hendrix said he was talking to Daley about his impressive crochet and knitting skills ... and Tom decided he wanted to make something for Izzy!!

But, Hendrix had no clue the 5-time European champ meant that he was gonna start workin' on it during the most important sporting events of his life!!

"Had no idea he was gonna make it during the Games," Hendrix tells us.

"Then all of a sudden he's going online saying, 'Hey, I'm making this for Izzy the Frenchie. Things just blew up, man!"

The 27-year-old has made jumpers for several dogs during his time in Tokyo -- saying, "learning to knit and crochet has helped me so much through these Olympics and we won GOLD yesterday."

Daley also makes them for humans and charity  ... last month, he raised over $8k by auctioning off a knitted sweater for the Brain Tumour Charity.

It's only been 24 days since Conor McGregor shattered his left leg during the Dustin Poirier trilogy fight ... but The Notorious is already standing on the busted limb.

TMZ Sports has obtained a photo of McGregor outside of a Beverly Hills hotel ... rocking a walking boot, standing while chatting with a friend.

We're told shortly after the photo was taken, McGregor sat on his scooter and rode into the hotel gym -- where he put himself through a workout.

It's pretty damn impressive ... considering the injury only happened at UFC 264 on July 10.

Of course, Conor broke his left tibia and fibula ... and required a titanium rod, plate and screws to hold his shattered leg together.

Since the surgery the day after the fight, we've seen Conor do everything from working out to jamming out at a Justin Bieber concert (the 2 men also chilled together poolside).

To compare, Tiger Woods -- who also broke his tibia and fibula (amongst other injuries to the leg) in a February 23 car crash -- was still using crutches 155 days after his accident.

IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING!!!

Carmelo Anthony is teaming up with his bestie, LeBron James -- the 10-time All-Star just signed a 1-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers!!!

Of course, LBJ and Melo have been tight for 20 years ... but aside from Team USA action, the two never suited up for the same NBA team.

UNTIL NOW!!!

Melo's manager, Bay Frazier, made the news official on Tuesday ... but the official terms of the deal have not been announced just yet.

Anthony is 37 years old now, but the guy has proven he can still hoop -- averaging 13 points a game and playing a key role with the Portland Trail Blazers last season.

Anthony is one of the best players of his era -- he's made the All-NBA team 6 times, was the scoring champ in 2013 and is 10th in points in league history.

UFC star Sean O'Malley just brought the meaning of self-love to a whole 'notha level ... by getting a tattoo of himself on his neck!!!

The heavily tatted bantamweight fighter decided to add to his ink collection this week ... hitting up tattoo shop The California Dream in North Hollywood.

Romeo Lacoste -- owner of the shop -- posted photos of himself workin' on the 26-year-old on Instagram ... immortalizing his jump shot celebration after knocking out Thomas Almeida in March at UFC 260.

The piece is as detailed as it gets -- it even includes O'Malley's body art ... which means it's tats on tats!!!

"VICTORY Tattoo!! for @sugaseanmma 💪🏻💪🏻 ", Lacoste said on IG, "Had the pleasure of knocking this piece out (no pun intended) 😂."

"Thanks for coming in and the good time. More to come soon!"

We believe it -- just 2 weeks ago, O'Malley let rapper 6ix9ine tat his '69' logo on his right shoulder -- with the help from Tatu Panda.

Kyrie Irving says he NEVER should've publicly bashed Nike over the "trash" Kyrie 8s ... saying he's working with the Swoosh to fix the problem ASAP.

Of course, Irving blasted the sneaker giant after pics of his next signature shoe leaked on social media ... saying he hated the way they looked and he had nothing to do with their creation.

Now, Irving's clearly had a change of heart ... admitting he should've handled the whole situation differently.

"When you're building something great, there sometimes comes a point when you need to recalibrate and refocus to ensure everyone involved is aligned. This is where the KAI11 brand and Nike are," Irving told Shams Charania.

"It was unfair to put the blame on Nike or any one person. With that being said, we are diligently working, restructuring, and reimagining things together to make sure we get it right."

It's unclear if anything will change on the Kyrie 8 ... or if this will delay the drop.

Joe Judge went absolutely ballistic on his Giants players after they were involved in an all-out brawl Tuesday ... punishing them with cuss words, sprints and push-ups!!

It all went down during the Giants' first day of full pads ... after running back Corey Clement got rocked by Jabrill Peppers at the end of a play.

Giants tight end Evan Engram apparently felt it was a somewhat dirty hit, so he jumped in to defend Clement. That's when cornerback Logan Ryan jumped in to defend Peppers, and then all hell broke loose.

Reporters on the scene say EVERYONE got involved in the melee ... with even quarterback Daniel Jones somehow ending up at the bottom of the dogpile!!

Of course, that set Judge off ... with multiple reporters saying the dude completely lost his mind on his players.

Judge made the team run full, 100-yard wind sprints over and over and over again ... and then forced them to do push-ups.

It was so intense, Giants reporter Pat Leonard said it "would not surprise me if someone starts puking here."

Judge eventually called the team up to berate them some more over the fracas ... before ending the workout.

Afterward, the Giants insisted it was all nothing more than just a heated practice ... with Jones (who wasn't injured in the brawl) explaining, "Guys certainly got the message today."

Caeleb Dressel says he literally talked to Michael Phelps more than his own wife during the Olympics ... telling TMZ Sports the swimming G.O.A.T. helped the 24-year-old win 5 gold medals.

We talked to Dressel in NYC shortly after he returned to the U.S. ... and asked the new face of swimming whether the old face of swimming reached out to congratulate him after his kickass week in Tokyo.

"I actually texted [Michael Phelps] more than [my wife] Meghan during the games. It was nice being able to lean on him. He helped me a lot throughout. I texted him after a couple of events, he was more than welcome to help me figure out some stuff, but he was great."

Pretty cool of Phelps -- a 23x gold medalist -- to help one of the Games' biggest stars AND best performers.

Dressel won 5 medals -- all gold -- in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 4x100m freestyle relay and 4x100m medley relay.

We also asked Caeleb -- who has the Olympic rings tattooed on his upper arm -- whether he planned on getting any fresh ink to commemorate his medals.

Caeleb says no new tats ... but he's got some ideas of how he's gonna celebrate.

But, before that ... Dressel's immediate plans after flying over 12,000 miles and winning 5 gold medals??

"Go home. Go to bed."

Gisele Bündchen is channeling her inner Frankie Valli for Tom Brady's 44th birthday ... penning a mushy love letter to her man -- saying, "You’re just too good to be true."

The international supermodel took to her Instagram on Tuesday to deliver the G.O.A.T. his special birthday greeting ... posting a cute pic of the couple and quoting a Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons classic hit.

"You’re just too good to be true," Gisele wrote. “Can’t take my eyes off of you. You’d be like heaven to touch. I wanna hold you so much. At long last, love has arrived. And I thank God I’m alive. You’re just too good to be true. Can’t take my eyes off of you."

Gisele finished the post with a message in both English and her native language of Portuguese ... adding, "Happy Birthday love of my life! Thank you for sharing your life with me! I love you."

Brady was clearly thrilled with the birthday post. In fact, he even replied by commenting on the pictures in Portuguese! "Te Amo Tanto meu Amo Da minha Vida." Translated to English, he said, "I love you so much, love of my life!"

Of course, Brady's been working on his Portuguese since their relationship began ... and all the lessons are clearly paying off!!

Scary moment at Carolina Panthers practice on Tuesday -- wide receiver Keith Kirkwood took a powerful blow to the head ... and was taken away in an ambulance.

The 27-year-old pro was going across the middle of the field attempting to catch a pass that was thrown high ... when defensive back JT Ibe launched himself into Kirkwood's head area.

Kirkwood immediately went to the ground ... with coaches and players rushing to his side.

Trainers put Kirkwood on a backboard to immobilize him as he was carted off the field and taken away in an ambulance ... but there's good news -- head coach Matt Rhule says the player has movement in his arms and legs and has no pain in his neck.

It appeared coaches were immediately pissed off with Ibe's hit ... and Rhule ejected him from practice.

Kirkwood was an undrafted free agent out of Temple in 2018 ... and signed with the New Orleans Saints before joining the Panthers in 2020.

He has more than 200 yards and 2 touchdowns in his career.

Get well soon, Keith!!

The family of the man who Terry Kennedy allegedly murdered is now suing the skateboarding star for wrongful death, TMZ Sports has learned.

In new court docs, Josiah Kassahun's estate claims Kennedy beat the hell out of Kassahun at a Comfort Suites in Illinois on July 27, and did nothing to help him afterward.

Kassahun's family says Kennedy hit Kassahun, which caused him to fall to the ground and land on his head.

The family goes on to say in the docs that Kennedy kept hitting Kassahun while he was on the ground, and then did not get him medical attention after he had finished the attack.

Kassahun's family says Kassahun later died on July 31 from injuries he suffered in the altercation.

The estate is suing Kennedy and says the damages exceed $50,000, the docs show.

As we previously reported, Kennedy was charged with first-degree murder on Monday over the alleged incident.

In charging docs, prosecutors say Kennedy punched Kassahun in the head, and then kicked him in the torso while he was on the ground. They claim the strikes ultimately led to Kassahun's death.

Kennedy could face up to life behind bars if convicted.

It's still unclear why Kennedy allegedly attacked Kassahun, though social media postings appear to show Kassahun and Kennedy were friends at one time.

Jail records show 36-year-old Kennedy is still behind bars.