TMZ Sports - Page 50

Scot Pollard's having a really good Thursday ... the ex-NBA champ is leaving a hospital just two weeks after undergoing heart transplant surgery -- and to celebrate, he had a little bit of a hallway party at the medical facility!!

Check out footage of the former Kings center as he made his way out of the Nashville building some 13 days after getting a new ticker ... he danced his tail off -- before he rang a victory bell.

Docs and aides were all there to congratulate him on the big moment ... as was his wife, Dawn, who shared video of it all.

"HE MADE IT!!" Dawn wrote on her X page. "13 days post heart transplant and he got to ring the bell."

The scene is obviously an emotional one for the Pollard family ... 'cause a few months ago, many wondered if it would ever happen.

If you weren't familiar, the 49-year-old 7-footer -- who played for five different teams in his NBA career -- revealed earlier this year a genetic issue caused by a flu-like virus affected him to the point where he needed a new heart. But due to his size, the task to get a suitable one was not easy.

In mid-February, though, he found a match ... and docs put it in place ASAP.

Dawn revealed on social media the road to recovery following the operation had its ups and downs -- but Scot remained jovial and positive throughout.

Caitlin Clark -- one of the greatest female college hoopers of all time -- just announced she will be heading to the WNBA Draft following her senior season with the Iowa Hawkeyes.

The superstar point guard broke the news on her Instagram ... saying she'll forego the one year of eligibility she had remaining -- due to Covid -- in order to turn pro.

"While this season is far from over and we have a lot more goals to achieve, it will be my last one at Iowa," the 22-year-old said.

"It is impossible to fully express my gratitude to everyone who has supported during my time at Iowa' my teammates, who the last four years the best; my coaches, trainers, and staff who always let me be me; Hawkeyes fans who filled Carver every night and everyone who came out to support us across the country, especially the young kids."

Clark -- who currently leads women's college basketball in points, assists and 3-pointers -- also thanked her family and friends for sticking by her side through her career.

"Because of all of you, my dreams came true," Clark said.

The news comes less than 24 hours after Clark became the top female scorer in college basketball history following her 33-point game against Minnesota.

Now, she's 17 points away from tying the legendary Pete Maravich's record for most overall points (3,667), which she can do when No. 6 Iowa faces No. 2 Ohio State on Sunday -- which is senior day.

Clark has a load of other impressive accolades ... including AP Player of the Year, John R. Wood Award and Naismith College Player of the Year in 2023.

Ryan Garcia is taking this Devin Haney fight so personally that he can barely put his emotions into words ... finding himself nearly speechless when talking to TMZ Sports about his upcoming megafight!

The star boxer has been trollin' the hell out of Haney as the men promote the April 20 scrap at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Ryan and Devin even got into a scuffle at Super Bowl LVIII.

So, we had to ask Garcia if this was personal or just business ... and Ry's whole demeanor switched up real quick.

"To me, it is personal in a way," Garcia said, "I don't know, something's just in me and just ... I don't even feel like answering these questions bro, I'm sorry."

Not only did that trigger Garcia, but so did the fact that many consider Haney (31-0) as the best boxer in their weight division ... something Ryan clearly doesn't cosign.

"I don't give a f*** about his boxing skills," the 25-year-old said. "I'mma beat his ass, that's it!"

"I'm not a boxing analyst. Forget that dude! He's gonna get it, 4/20, that's it!"

Haney, on the other hand, doesn't care whether Garcia is offended ... nor is he phased by the trash talk, implying Ryan's more bark than bite.

"Blah, blah, blah, we heard this story before," Haney told us.

"We heard this against Tank where he said he was gon' do this, he gon' do that. Then he got stopped and then he made every excuse up in the book."

You gotta fight for your right to party ... and apparently, Rob Gronkowski didn't earn that privilege after getting drafted back in 2010 -- revealing the Patriots were SUPER pissed at him for celebrating on stage during his big night.

The future Hall of Famer detailed the hilarious interaction with his new team just minutes after they took him with the 42nd overall pick ... saying they called him amid his family's passionate huddle and told him to cut it out.

"They said, 'Hey, Rob. You can get off the stage now,'" Gronk said in a clip from the upcoming episode of "The Dynasty: New England Patriots" on Apple TV+. "'Enough is enough.'"

"And I'm sitting there like, 'Wow, I'm already in trouble! It's been five minutes since I've been on the Patriots and I'm already in trouble!'"

Everything ended up working out in the end ... as Gronk and Tom Brady became one of the most successful duos in NFL history -- winning four Super Bowls together (three with the Pats).

Speaking of Brady, he also unsurprisingly gets some airtime in the latest episodes ... revealing he wanted to continue playing after suffering a season-ending ACL injury in September 2008.

Of course, that didn't happen ... and the Matt Cassel era began, leading New England to an 11-5 record in Brady's absence.

1:47 PM PT -- Shohei Ohtani just revealed more about his wife during a meeting with media members out at spring training on Thursday ... saying the two knew each other around three or four years before tying the knot.

The baseball star also said she had "nothing to do" with his decision to leave the Angels and join the Dodgers this offseason.

Shohei Ohtani is officially off the dating market ... the MLB superstar revealed late Wednesday night he's now married!!!

The Dodgers' designated hitter said in a post on his Instagram page his new spouse is "someone from my Native country of Japan who is very special to me" ... although he did not reveal the person's name.

"I am excited for what is come," he wrote ... before adding, "thank you for your support."

Ohtani included a picture of his adorable dog, Decoy, on the announcement as well.

Of course, it's now the second time in the last three months the 29-year-old has told the world of a life-changing event on IG ... back in December, he shared he was moving on from the Angels to the Dodgers for the foreseeable future.

That announcement got over two million "likes" on the social media app ... and so far, it's appeared to be a great decision for the two-way player.

Ohtani homered in his first spring training game with the team earlier this week, and he looks poised for a huge 2024 -- even if he won't pitch this year while recovering from elbow surgery.

Only about three more weeks until the at-bats actually count for L.A. ... get that popcorn ready!

The Leap Year's like a bonus round of fun that rolls around once every four years, and this squad of celebs are ready to seize the extra day on Feb 29!

First, we have DJ Steve Aoki taking his celebration to a whole new level by getting Pikachu involved in Japan.

Then check out Serena Williams serving us with a serious vacay high jump, while fellow tennis player Maria Sharapova has the perfect approach to her winter wonderland setting.

"Selling Sunset" stars Mary Fitzgerald and Romain Bonnet make the leap for luxury on a Bali beach.

"Pitch Perfect" star Skylar Astin makes a splash ... hurling himself into the crystal-clear waters of Jamaica.

Kimora Lee and Russell Simmons' daughter, Aoki Lee Simmons, rounds things off by soaring to new heights ... all thanks to a trampoline.

Safe to say ... people seem to be happy to jump around on a leap year.

Former Illinois football star Tip Reiman had the most memorable quote of the NFL Combine so far ... telling reporters he believes birds are not what they seem!!

For those who aren't in on the joke ... the "Birds Aren't Real" movement made waves a few years ago, when a guy named Peter McIndoe created a satirical conspiracy that winged animals are actually spy drones for the U.S. Government.

A bunch of people joined in on the troll job ... and now, it's even made its way to professional football.

Reiman -- who had 203 yards and three touchdowns last season -- revealed his allegiance with the movement on Thursday ... hitting reporters with several questions that support his stance.

"Have you ever seen a baby pigeon?" Reiman asked, according to Owen Riese. "How do we know that power lines aren't pigeon recharging stations?"

Some people think Reiman is actually serious ... comparing him to Aaron Rodgers, who's been known to rock a tinfoil hat from time to time.

But Reiman's take wasn't the only bizarre statement out of Indy this week -- Texas Tech standout Tyler Owens also told reporters he doesn't believe other planets exist ... adding some flat-earthers have a strong argument.

Isaiah Stewart just addressed the Drew Eubanks fight for the first time since their Valentine's Day clash ... and while he didn't get into specifics about the incident -- he did apologize to his team.

The 22-year-old power forward spoke on the matter with media members for about a minute on Tuesday at Detroit practice ... starting things off with a mea culpa.

"First and foremost," he said, "I apologize to my teammates -- just the organization. Because I always want to represent the organization in a great fashion."

Stewart then went on to thank the Pistons and their fans for their support in the wake of it all.

"I'm ready to just get back out here," he said, "and compete and win these games."

Stewart initially found himself in hot water back on Feb. 14 ... after cops say witnesses told them he socked Eubanks in the face during a tussle at the Footprint Center just prior Detroit's tilt with the Suns.

Authorities said the incident caused Eubanks a minor injury -- and Stewart was ultimately hit with an assault charge. However, less than two weeks later, prosecutors dropped the case -- stating in court documents Eubanks "no longer desires prosecution in this matter."

Stewart missed the Pistons' tilts against Indiana, Orlando, and New York while serving a three-game ban for the incident ... but he did return on Tuesday night and logged 11 points in 34 minutes.

3:39 PM -- TMZ Sports got some more intel on what went down inside the restaurant ... and as it turns out, Travis and Christian never crossed paths.

In fact, we're told McCaffrey had no idea Kelce was also there Wednesday night ... and only found out after the fact.

Travis Kelce and Christian McCaffrey aren't letting the Super Bowl results keep them from bro-ing down in Malibu -- 'cause that's exactly what they were doing on Hump Day.

The two dueling NFL superstars -- who faced off in Vegas a few weeks ago, with TK's team emerging victorious (again) -- were spotted enjoying each other's company at Nobu in Malibu on Wednesday.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end is clearly staying busy while Taylor Swift does her thing in Singapore -- the next stop on her international tour. We're told he showed up at the famous hot spot around 8 PM, right around when CMC and his fiancée, Olivia Culpo, arrived.

It appears McCaffrey and Culpo were there for a Dolce Glow product event ... 'cause a handful of influencers and celebs like Becky G, Chrissy Teigen and Olivia's two sisters were also present. Unclear why Kelce was there ... but in any case, he was rolling with the crew.

We're told the two jocks got in separate cars as they left the restaurant ... but Kelce was trying like hell to avoid the paps on the scene (Taylor's really rubbing off on him, huh?)

In fact, Travis made his way through the kitchen to ultimately make his exit around midnight -- the same time as the engaged couple, who elected the standard route and didn't mind being photographed. For whatever reason, Travis has become camera-shy.

As for Kelce and McCaffrey ... it doesn't seem like they've been tight for very long -- the 49ers running back said back in November he met Travis for the first time during the 2023 offseason. And yet, they're hanging together shortly after the SB.

McCaffrey and Culpo are getting married soon ... so maybe Kelce asked for some pointers on how to pop the question??

The Golden State Warriors are without Andrew Wiggins once again -- the NBA All-Star is taking his second leave of absence in two seasons ... and his return date is up in the air.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr revealed the news surrounding the 29-year-old forward on Wednesday ... saying Wiggins is dealing with a personal matter.

"We're in a position where Wiggs is a private person and he's asked to keep it private and we're gonna honor that," Kerr said on "95.7 The Game."

"So it doesn’t help for me to sit here and try to explain any of that."

Kerr added, "The bottom line is we respect Wiggs, we need him and we fully expect him back, but we just don't know when that will be."

This isn't the first time Wiggins has needed to distance himself from basketball -- right before the All-Star break last year, Andrew stepped away to deal with a family matter.

The Warriors kept quiet about that situation, but Shams Charania of The Athletic reported his father was dealing with a medical emergency.

Juventus star Paul Pogba was banned for four years for doping ... a crushing blow for the international soccer star who says he's innocent and will appeal the decision!

The 30-year-old midfielder -- who has been ineligible to play since a drug test showed elevated testosterone levels last September -- shared news of the ban Thursday with his over 61 million Instagram followers ... after he received word from Italy's anti-doping board.

"I have today been informed of the Tribunale Nazionale Antidoping’s decision and believe that the verdict is incorrect," Pogba wrote.

"I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me."

The decision means Pogba won't be able to play until 2027 ... although he says he's going to appeal the decision.

"When I am free of legal restrictions the full story will become clear," Pogba said, "but I have never knowingly or deliberately taken any supplements that violate anti-doping regulations."

"As a professional athlete, I would never do anything to enhance my performance by using banned substances and have never disrespected or cheated fellow athletes and supporters of any of the teams I have played for, or against."

Pogba's professional soccer career began in 2011 ... and has seen PP suit up for Manchester United and Juventus.

Paul re-signed with Juventus on a four-year deal in July 2022 ... but injured his meniscus weeks later. The injury also forced him to miss the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

YouTube sensation CboysTV is topping their last outrageous stunt with a destructive new video ... and TMZ has an exclusive first look at the upcoming upload.

The Internet group -- a Minnesota-based motorsports collective known for pulling off wild stunts by using outrageous vehicles -- is dropping a new video tonight ... in which a red snowplow is used to help demolish a literal house.

In the new footage above ... the CboysTV crew – which includes Ben Roth, Ryan Iwerks, CJ Lotzer, Micah Sandman, Ken Matthees and Evan Sheff – drives a massive plow into the front of a single-car garage. The infrastructure is no match for the plow ... as it only takes a few collisions to create real damage.

The group -- that boasts 3 million subscribers and 1 billion views -- eventually turns their attention to the nearby house ... which the group owns and was already set to be demolished, for the record. It's not like they were destroying some innocent bystander's home.

In two different shots ... the plow is backed up into the home -- with one member declaring, "That scared me." We on the other hand ... couldn't help but cheer along with the CboysTV crew.

Of course ... this is only a taste of the destruction to come -- with the full upload dropping on CboysTV's YouTube channel tonight at 6 PM PST.

Father Time is still clearly losing his battle with Tom Brady ... 'cause the NFL legend just revealed he's actually faster now at 46 years old than when he was at 22!!

The former quarterback decided to re-run a 40-yard dash following a shoot with his new "NoBull" company recently ... just to see if after all these years, he could move a bit quicker than when he was trying to get noticed by NFL teams at the 2000 Combine.

Brady wasn't sure if he could beat his now-infamous mark of 5.28 seconds ... saying prior to the run to his buds, "Let's see if we can level up."

Turns out, though, he does, indeed, have better wheels these days!

Check out the footage of the sprint ... the two who timed Brady's jaunt had him at 5.18 seconds and 5.12 -- both clear improvements from when he was a little-known signal-caller who had just wrapped up his Michigan career.

Brady's "NoBull" business partner, Mike Repole, could hardly believe the times ... joking with TB12, "If you do that 25 years ago, you get drafted in the third round!"

Of course, being better with age is nothing new for Brady. Four of his seven Super Bowl wins came AFTER he turned 37 years old -- with his final title coming following his 43rd birthday.

File this under ... ONLY IN FLORIDA!

A couple cruising in a golf cart was nearly bitten by an angry alligator earlier this month ... when the fearsome reptile charged them, and it was all captured on video.

The 'hell naw' moment occurred on February 16 in Ave Maria, FL ... about 35 miles northeast of Naples.

A woman named Denise Prues was hangin' around her pool when she spotted a gator slowly walking between her and her neighbor's property, toward a pond ... which was separated by an active golf cart path.

While the camera was rolling, a cart came by without issue. Then, a second came rolling through ... and the gator charged, attempting to take a bite out of the driver, who was clearly startled, as Prues freaked out.

"Oh my god!" she yelled.

FYI, it goes without saying, you don't want to get bitten by an alligator ... no matter how small. They can apply upwards of 2,000 PSI when they bite. Compare that to a lion ... with 600 lbs. of bite force. Humans output a measly 120-ish lbs.

Luckily, everybody, gator included, was okay.

Rajon Rondo is hoping he won't have to fight a criminal gun charge much longer ... TMZ Sports has learned he's just asked a judge to throw out the count he's facing.

Court documents we obtained show the former NBA star's lawyer filed a motion on Tuesday to dismiss the unlawful carrying of a handgun charge prosecutors hit Rondo with following his arrest late last month.

In the documents, Rondo's attorney argues the charge is unconstitutional ... saying the ex-Boston Celtics point guard is protected by the Second Amendment right to bear arms that gave him the right to have the handgun cops say they found on him during a Jan. 28 traffic stop in Indiana.

"The statute under which Rondo is charged fails to be consistent with the Nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation," the docs state.

A judge has not yet made a ruling on the motion ... but there is a hearing on the docket scheduled for late March.

Rondo was first booked on the gun charge following allegations that a loaded, black, 9MM, Sig Sauer P365 was discovered under the cupholder of his car after cops pulled him over for not having plates on the back of his Tesla.

Cops said due to a previous case against Rondo, he was not allowed to have the firearm. In fact, in police documents, one officer wrote, "I asked Rondo Sr. if he was allowed to have a gun and Rondo Sr. said he was not allowed."

In addition to the gun charge, Rondo is also facing one count of possession of marijuana and one count of possession of paraphernalia in the case ... after cops said they found weed, THC gummies and a pipe with marijuana residue in his Tesla during the stop as well.

We're almost at the finish line at TMZ, but we're still at it on the topics for our TV shows!

Starting off on 'TMZ Live,' Harvey and Charles discussed this massive crack in the hillside that's formed right underneath Travis Scott's mansion in Brentwood, CA -- which is now starting to affect not only him ... but other neighbors and residents in the area.

Pretty scary stuff, obviously ... but for now, officials are shrugging their shoulders on this.

Heading on over to 'TMZ on TV,' the gang talked about a battle for the ages -- namely, one between the clothed and the unclothed ... like the one that went down at Venice Beach.

Some medieval weapons seem to have been used ... this is one to remember for sure.

Finally on 'TMZ Sports,' Babcock and Mojo talked Kirk Cousins and his new shiny teeth!

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!