TMZ Sports - Page 50

Draymond Green is facing a ton of backlash for comments he made about Karl-Anthony Towns' absence against the Warriors this week ... after it was revealed the Knicks star was grieving the loss of a family friend.

The four-time NBA champ initially dropped the speculation on his podcast this week ... claiming he "heard" KAT was faking an injury just so he didn't have to go up against his enemy and former teammate Jimmy Butler on Tuesday.

KAT returned to the court in the Knicks' overtime loss to the Lakers on Thursday ... and after the game, he revealed he was away from the team to mourn the loss of Sarah Holtzman, who died of cancer.

Kai Cenat said Kevin Hart's got the height of a leprechaun ... and TMZ Sports got an immediate response from the man himself -- with Hart telling Cenat to go "f*** himself!!"

We caught up with the comedian out on the streets of NYC shortly after Cenat hopped on "First Take" with Stephen A. Smith ... an appearance in which the ESPN talent compared Kai's athletic ability to Hart's.

The streamer did not take the notion too kindly ... saying, "You just compared me to that little leprechaun? Kevin Hart? Are you serious?"

Ben Cleveland's estranged wife has yet to publicly break her silence on her husband's divorce filing ... though a cryptic post she threw up on her Instagram page Thursday sure appeared to do a lot of talking for her.

On her IG stories, Kaitlyn Terrell Cleveland shared some Kelsea Ballerini lyrics that seemed to express she has a lot to say about Ben's Feb. 28 application to separate from her ... but she's been advised to not speak openly.

The lyrics, which come from the beginning of Ballerini's emotional breakup song, "Interlude (Full Length)," stated, "The rumors goin' 'round, but the truth is kinda nuanced. I wanna set it straight, but my lawyer says I shouldn't."

The Cleveland Cavaliers are hoping to make a fan-favorite phrase their own ahead of the NBA playoffs -- the team submitted paperwork to trademark the term "Cavalanche."

According to the USPTO, the filing was made on Wednesday ... the same day the team beat the Miami Heat to became the first in the Association to punch a ticket to the playoffs this season.

The filing stated it would be used for clothing items -- most likely once the NBA postseason kicks off in a few weeks -- but no additional details were provided.

3/6 -- 10:56 AM PT -- Quinton Aaron tells TMZ Sports he was released from the hospital on Wednesday and is now back home resting.

Quinton Aaron -- the actor who played Michael Oher in "The Blind Side" -- has been hospitalized, TMZ Sports has learned, after he woke up last week with a bad illness.

The 40-year-old tells us ... he was rushed to a Southern California medical facility on Feb. 27 -- after coming down with a fever and a blood-soaked cough.

Aaron says doctors administered a bunch of tests ... and the early indications are he's dealing with Type A flu as well as pneumonia.

Here's further proof Fyre Fest 2 is officially on ... Antonio Brown says he's been booked to perform at the event.

The former Pittsburgh Steelers superstar -- who's turned into quite the rapper since he last suited up for an NFL team -- announced Thursday he's signed on to hit the stage at the newest Billy McFarland venture.

Brown, whose song "Put That S*** On" went viral back in 2022, promised in a video obtained by TMZ Sports that he'll entertain the masses at the newest iteration of Fyre Fest in Mexico when it all kicks off on May 30.

Eli Manning ain't just a GOAT killer on the gridiron ... he's apparently one on the hardwood too -- as he just eviscerated Caitlin Clark in a game of mini-hoops.

The New York Giants legend -- who famously beat Tom Brady in two Super Bowls -- took on the WNBA superstar in a game of Pop-A-Shot to kick off his most recent episode of "The Eli Manning Show" ... and check it out, Peyton's little bro dominated.

Eli sank basket after basket -- and ended up winning the contest, 76-51.

Andy Isaac -- a popular Detroit sports fan -- has passed away after a nearly two-decade battle with cancer.

The announcement was made to his X account Thursday morning ... with his loved ones saying, "Andy passed away peacefully this morning beside his loving family. We thank you all for your support and love over the years."

The news comes on the heels of Isaac announcing he was entering hospice care, as his battle with the disease "has finally taken its toll on me, it has finally stripped me of my quality of life."

Jordyn Woods is heartbroken after losing a close friend to cancer ... saying the tragedy is a reminder that "Life isn't always fair."

The model shared the sad news on Thursday with an emotional tribute.

"I had to bury one of the closest people to me yesterday after she lost her battle to breast cancer," Woods said.

"Life isn't always fair."

Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano was so good the first two times, boxing fans demanded the trilogy ... and now they've got it! The boxing stars are set to square off one final time at Madison Square Garden in July!

Netflix dropped the announcement Thursday morning, saying Taylor and Serrano will headline the first-ever all-women's boxing card, put on by Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions, in the Big Apple later this Summer, for the right to call themselves the undisputed super lightweight champion of the world.

Their first bout also took place at The World's Most Famous Arena, where Taylor won via split decision. The two last faced off in November 2024 -- the co-main event on the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson card -- where Taylor took home a controversial unanimous decision win.

The Denver Broncos have parted ways with linebackers coach Michael Wilhoite ... just days after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer.

Head coach Sean Payton announced the move in a statement this week ... saying he met with Wilhoite and informed him the team's distancing itself from him due to his legal trouble.

"We recognize the serious nature of the allegations against him and believe this is the best course of action at this time," Payton said on Wednesday.

Jared Goff and Christen Harper spent one of their final baby-less days taking in some ball -- they hit the Intuit Dome Wednesday night for the Clippers vs. Pistons matchup -- and the former L.A. Rams star made it clear his allegiances are firmly with Detroit.

Goff sported a Tigers ballcap for date night with his pregnant wife ... and even though the two were clearly rooting against the home squad, the Lions quarterback sure felt big love inside Steve Ballmer's new building.

Fans begged him for autographs ... and, at one point, he got to go onto the court to snap some pics with Pistons legends Rip Hamilton and Jalen Rose.

A true piece of basketball history is about to hit the auction block!

Michael Jordan AND Kobe Bryant's first game-worn NBA jerseys will soon be available to bidders at Sotheby's ... with experts estimating the two tops could combined fetch up to $20 million!

TMZ Sports has learned that Jordan's Bulls jersey is from his NBA preseason debut on October 5, 1984 ... where His Airness dropped 16 points at the Peoria Civic Center in Illinois.

Barack Obama took in a Clippers game Wednesday night in Los Angeles, without his better half by his side.

The former prez was seated courtside with L.A. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his spouse, Connie Snyder, but Barack's famous wife -- Michelle -- was nowhere to be found.

Still, Barack had a good ol' time watching the Clippers beat the Detroit Pistons 123-115 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

Talk about havin' a mouthful ... these smiling stars wouldn't be camera-ready without hittin' up the dentist for some toothpics!

Check out the pearly whites on actor-comedian Adam Devine, who shared a silly snap from the hot seat ... and pro dancer Julianne Hough also kept the dentist chair warm with her picture-proof at the dentist!

"The Vampire Diaries" star Nina Dobrev may be walkin' down the aisle soon, so a teeth cleaning was in order ... a fresh smile for Shaun White!

If Gervonta Davis wants to avoid further hair controversies, one co. is urging the star boxer to switch to its products, insisting its stuff will keep him out of more greasy ring drama going forward.

The company, Murray's Pomade, issued the advisory to Davis in a statement to TMZ Sports this week ... just days after Tank claimed some hair oil forced him to take a knee during his scrap with Lamont Roach in New York.

If you missed it, Davis hit the canvas in the ninth round ... before he raced to his corner to demand a towel for his eyes. The bizarre scene sparked a ton of outrage, as many felt he should've been penalized for the act and subsequently lost the fight.