TMZ Sports - Page 26

Rich Paul wants to clear the air about his recent Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James take ... saying even though he'd want MJ to take a last shot over his bestie/top client ... the King is still 100% his G.O.A.T.

ICYMI, Paul and his "Game Over" podcast co-host Max Kellerman were talking hoop recently ... when the big-time sports agent revealed he chose His Airness to be the guy shooting the ball at the end of a game over Bron or Kobe Bryant -- saying there's "no question about it."

When we caught up with Paul out in Beverly Hills this week ... he said folks made it out to be like he was dissing LBJ in favor of MJ ... which was not the case at all.

Stefon Diggs' former personal chef claims the Patriots star slapped her and tried to choke her out over a salary dispute ... with the bombshell allegations being laid out in a newly released incident report.

According to the narrative, the female employee first went to police on Dec. 16 and stated she was working as a private chef on Dec. 2 when Diggs entered her unlocked bedroom to discuss an ongoing text exchange between the two over money she believed she was owed.

The woman claims during the conversation, Diggs became angry and smacked her across the face. She said she attempted to push him away, but he then "tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck."

She claims Diggs was behind her with his arm wrapped around her ... and she felt like she had trouble breathing and "could have blacked out" -- when she tried to pry herself away, she claims Diggs tightened his grip.

Jalen Green's unfiltered approach to hyping up his teammate during a postgame interview just set him back a chunk of change ... 'cause the NBA just fined him $25k for dropping an F-bomb on TV.

ICYMI, Green crashed Collin Gillespie's Q&A on Monday after scoring 25 points in the Phoenix Suns' 115-101 win over the Washington Wizards at the Capital One Arena.

Green -- sidelined with a hamstring injury -- was clearly proud of his guy ... and apparently couldn't hold back his expletive-filled excitement.

LeBron James just made his 41st trip around the sun ... and the Los Angeles Lakers shared how they celebrated the four-time NBA champion at practice ... with rookie Adou Thiero leading the team in singing "Happy Birthday!"

L.A. shared its post-workout festivities on Tuesday, showing off a cake with the King James logo and a crown on top. But before the team could dive in, Thiero had to serenade the future Hall of Famer.

While the voice probably wouldn't get him far on "American Idol" ... the rook didn't sound too bad. Especially considering he was put on the spot, it gets an A+ for effort in our books!!

9:48 AM PT -- Attorney David Meier released a statement on the Diggs allegations ... saying they "are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, and were never investigated -- because they did not occur."

"The timing and motivation for making the allegations is crystal clear: they are the direct result of an employee-employer financial dispute that was not resolved to the employee's satisfaction."

"Stefon looks forward to establishing the truth in a court of law."

New England Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs has a lot more than the playoffs to worry about -- the NFL star is facing strangulation and assault charges in connection to an alleged incident earlier this month ... but he is denying any wrongdoing.

Diggs has been charged with felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery stemming from an altercation in Dedham, Massachusetts on Dec. 2.

The Patriots beat the New York Giants on "Monday Night Football" a day prior on Dec. 1. Diggs had three catches for 26 yards in the 33-15 win.

Jake Paul might still be in recovery mode after suffering a broken jaw at the hands of Anthony Joshua ... but it doesn't mean he can't find time to celebrate his fiancée, Jutta Leerdam -- 'cause he took to Instagram to wish her a happy 27th birthday!!

Paul shared the post on Tuesday ... including some photos from their engagement in Italy back in March and other cute moments.

"Happy birthday to my baby Jut," Paul wrote. "I love you."

A bad day for the Diggs family just got worse -- not long after news broke Stefon Diggs was hit with strangulation and assault charges in connection to an alleged incident earlier this month ... the Dallas Cowboys have now released his brother, Trevon Diggs, ahead of their regular season finale against the New York Giants.

The team confirmed the news on Tuesday ... which means the former first-team All-Pro will go through the waiver wire and, if he goes unclaimed, will become a free agent for anyone to scoop up.

While it's unclear what exactly led to Diggs being released ... NFL Network reported that it "was the culmination of multiple factors over time, including both performance and other elements."

The FBI has released images of numerous motorcycles seized by Mexican authorities in an operation this month -- the bikes are believed to belong to Olympian-turned-alleged drug lord Ryan Wedding.

The FBI's Los Angeles office posted multiple images of the seized motorcycles on X Monday, declaring the bikes have an estimated value of approximately $40 million altogether.

The motorcycles were seized when authorities carried out multiple search warrants. The seizures were the result of a collaboration between the FBI, Mexican authorities, the LAPD and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Wedding is a Canadian citizen and was believed to be living in Mexico.

Last week, Mexico's Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection announced it had seized 62 motorcycles, as well as drugs, artwork, and two Olympic medals from several properties in Mexico City and elsewhere in the State of Mexico.

The items were said to have been "related to a former Olympic athlete who is among the 10 most wanted fugitives by U.S. authorities."

Wedding represented Canada in the Men's Parallel Giant Slalom event at the 2002 Winter Olympics, where he finished in 24th place.

He was convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine in 2009, and he allegedly founded a trafficking enterprise after his release from prison in 2010. Authorities allege Wedding is responsible for shipping hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into the United States and Canada, CBS News reports.

TMZ Sports is going live from the newsroom to discuss the day's biggest stories ... but we don't just want folks to watch and enjoy the conversation, we want y'all to get involved!!

Hit the comment section as Lucas, Mojo, Luca, and the whole crew break down the most important topics of the day ... and we'll be interacting with viewers throughout the program between 1 and 2 PM PT.

YouTube, X, TikTok ... we're everywhere.

So tune in, make fun of us, share your two cents, sound off about your favorite team ... nothing is out of bounds.

Rachel Uchitel used to make headlines during her affair with Tiger Woods … but now she's catching eyeballs as she gets ready to walk down the aisle with her fiancé Dan Donovan ... and we have pics of the couple on the way to their wedding rehearsal dinner.

Rachel stunned in a bedazzled white lace mini-dress with a pink oversized bow, while Dan wore black slacks, a blue blazer, dark velvet shoes and a pink handkerchief. The two walked hand-in-hand Monday on the way to the dinner in Miami, Florida.

The "Miss Understood with Rachel Uchitel" podcast host first crossed paths with her businessman beau through the dating app Bumble. While they matched years ago, they didn't meet in person until 2024.

The NASCAR family is teaming up to support Denny Hamlin after his father died in a house fire ... with the organization offering support and its condolences to him and his loved ones.

The car racing giant released an emotional statement on Tuesday in reaction to the news that Dennis Hamlin, 75, passed away after suffering injuries from a blaze at a home in Stanley, North Carolina. Denny's mother, Mary Lou, was also critically injured in the tragedy.

"NASCAR extends its deepest condolences to Denny Hamlin and the entire Hamlin family," the organization said.

Cardi B is urging fans to check themselves as they hound her over her relationship with Stefon Diggs -- telling them to quit being "mean" as she navigates parenthood with him and prepares for her upcoming tour.

Check out her lengthy social media video from Monday night -- she lays it out plain and simple for her haters, noting ... "I can’t change sh*t. I can’t go back in time. I already had a baby."

She hilariously continues ... "Y’all want me to put my baby back in my p***y? Huh? I don't know what y'all want me to do. Y'all want me to leave my man and f*** yours?"

When you're Taylor Swift, there's no such thing as fading into the background ... as the singer found out when fans spotted her in the corner of a holiday party pic featuring the wives and girlfriends of some of the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Grammy winner hung back at Chiefs get-together earlier in December ... but she was still easily spotted among the team's women in a photo shared by offensive lineman Creed Humphrey's girlfriend, Ana Demmer.

Taylor's friend Brittany Mahomes can be seen in the opposite end of the pic in a blue dress. Unfortunately, we don't get much of a glimpse at Taylor's 'fit.

The tragic death of Anthony Joshua's trainer, Kevin "Latif" Ayodele, has resulted in an outpouring of support for the boxing star's longtime friend ... with more than $180,000 raised to help build a mosque in his honor after he was killed in a car crash in Nigeria.

The fundraiser was launched on Monday by SPOT Project, just hours after Ayodele and another member of Joshua's team, Sina Ghami, died when the Lexus SUV they were in slammed into a stationary truck on the side of the road. Joshua suffered minor injuries in the accident.

"I’m absolutely shocked that he died today and I want to be part of the people who help keep his legacy alive," the fundraiser’s website said. "This is why we’ve decided that we want to build a masjid and uphold his legacy."

Jimmy Butler was in a trash-talking mood Monday Night in the Big Apple ... seemingly calling Brooklyn Nets forward Danny Wolf "white boy" repeatedly after he was able to draw a foul against the rookie.

It all went down in the third quarter of the Warriors' 120-107 win over Brooklyn. After getting a bucket to fall for a potential three-point play, Butler started shouting what sounds like "white boy" toward his opponent.

The mics picked up Butler's heated moment ... and he seemingly added some more "White boy!" jabs before adding, "Every time!"

Paul Walter Hauser is stepping into the wrestling ring soon ... but this ain't no celebrity cameo appearance -- he's taking this showdown so seriously, he's turning it into a Lumberjack Strap Match!!

That's what the 39-year-old actor said ahead of his February 1, 2026, showdown with "Mad Dog" Connelly for the SuperPower Slam at the Melrose Ballroom in New York City.

In a scathing promo directed at his opponent, Hauser said he's stoked to enter the squared circle ... but was shocked when his family and friends reached out to make sure he knew what he was getting into. He admitted Mad Dog is no walk in the park -- but neither is he.