TMZ Sports - Page 50

A.J. Hoggard's NCAA tournament run didn't get off to the best start -- the dude accidentally played the first few minutes of Michigan State's game Thursday with his shorts on backward!!!

Eagle-eyed fans noticed the wardrobe mishap just seconds into the Spartans' tourney-opening game against Mississippi State ... pointing out that his uniform certainly looked different from his teammates'.

You can see in images from the game's broadcast, while every other MSU player on the floor had a Spartan on the left side of their leg and a design on the right ... but Hoggard's were flipped.

Thankfully, it seems somebody informed the senior of the issue after just a few minutes on the court ... because following a break in the action, the direction of his shorts suddenly changed.

Doesn't seem it had any effect on his game, though ... the point guard balled out in the first half, piling up five points, two rebounds and five assists -- as MSU leads Mississippi St., 31-24, at the break.

L.A. Lakers big man Christian Wood's ex, Yasmine Lopez, is opening up on the wild allegations made against her in court documents ... owning up to keying a car and hopping his fence -- but claiming she's seeking help following the incidents.

TMZ Sports broke the story -- Wood accused Lopez of wreaking havoc on his personal life ... abusing and stalking him, damaging his property (including two luxury vehicles) on multiple occasions, and keeping their child from him.

Lopez weighed in on the recent events during an Instagram livestream ... and she expressed her regret with how their business has been thrown into the spotlight.

The influencer and model seemingly defended her actions while speaking with her followers on Wednesday ... saying, "I wouldn't be hopping nobody's fence for no f***ing reason, but I don't condone violence. I don't."

She also claimed the car she wrecked did not belong to Wood, but rather his new girl's vehicle -- regardless, she did go to jail over the February incident.

Lopez revealed she is taking the proper measures in hopes of preventing issues in the future ... including therapy.

"I'm working on myself to become a better woman, a better mom, just all around," she added. "I don't have time for the bulls***."

"The s*** I tolerated in the past, I'll never tolerate again."

Shakira's all about that single life ... straight-up saying being married weighed her down, and put a damper on her music career.

The Colombian singer was with soccer player Gerard Piqué for 11 years before they separated in 2022 amid infidelity rumors ... and she told Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 that with Gerard outta the picture, she's now got a compulsive urge to work and make music like never before.

Shakira's singledom ain't all sunshine and rainbows though ... she's also keeping it real about the challenges of being a single parent to her sons, 11-year-old Milan and 9-year-old Sasha.

The "Hips Don't Lie" queen, who made the move from Spain to the U.S. post-split, dishes that her 2 kiddos are leaning on her big time ... and with no hubby in the picture, she's holding down the fort all by herself.

This ain't the first time Shakira's gently lashed out about how Gerard negatively impacted her career -- she also told the Sunday Times she sacrificed her music-making journey in the name of love.

But, Shakira's back in action ... after 7 long years, she's dropping her much-awaited studio album, "Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran" (Women Don't Cry Anymore), this Friday!

Fernando Tatis Jr. had some solid pump-up music as he prepared for his game against the Dodgers on Thursday ... casually stretching just feet away from K-pop group (G)I-dle's pregame show!!

The San Diego Padres superstar was spotted limbering up prior to Game 2 of the MLB Seoul Series at Gocheok Sky Dome ... and just like the day prior with aespa, the host city booked a big-name act to get the crowd ready for the contest.

Soyeon, Minnie, Miyeon, Yuqi and Shuhua made their way onto the field to belt out some tunes prior to the Dodgers vs. Padres game ... doing renditions of "Super Lady," "Tomboy" and "Queencard."

Tatis Jr. had the best seat in the house for the 10-minute set ... and he didn't seem to mind one bit that there was a full-blown concert going on right in front of him.

Perhaps the music helped ... 'cause FTJ had a much better outing on Thursday ... going 2-4 with two runs and an RBI.

As for (G)I-dle, it also marked the first time since member Shuhua rejoined the group after a month-long hiatus to focus on her health ... so it was quite the special day for Neverland all around.

Tennis star Aryna Sabalenka is breaking her silence on Konstantin Koltsov's passing ... calling it "an unthinkable tragedy" -- while confirming the two had split prior to his death.

Sabalenka -- who dated the former NHL player from 2021 until recently -- penned a heartfelt message on her Instagram page Wednesday evening ... two days after Koltsov had died in Miami.

"Konstantin's death is an unthinkable tragedy," she wrote, "and while we were no longer together, my heart is broken."

"Please respect my privacy and his family's privacy during this difficult time."

It's unclear when Sabalenka and Koltsov officially called things off ... but she had just posted a collage of photos and videos of them together for his birthday last April.

Sabalenka is still expected to compete in this weekend's Miami Open in the wake of the tragedy, although she reportedly will not speak to media members throughout the event. She's slated to play her first match at the tournament on Friday.

As we reported, Koltsov -- an ex-Pittsburgh Penguins first-round pick -- was found dead at around 12:39 AM on Monday at the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort. Cops suspect he died by suicide ... saying in a statement that no foul play was apparent.

Shohei Ohtani has a new righthand man in Korea ... the Dodgers have appointed Will Ireton to be his interpreter -- this less than 24 hours after Ippei Mizuhara was canned due to his alleged role in a gambling scandal.

L.A. manager Dave Roberts refused to comment on the entire Mizuhara saga in a pregame meeting with reporters Thursday ... but he did confirm Ireton -- the team's manager of performance operations who previously helped Kenta Maeda with communicating -- will fill in for Ohtani's former translator for the time being.

Roberts also said Ireton would handle interpreting duties for Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

And, it didn't take long for Ireton to make his impact felt during the Dodgers' second game of the season against the Padres in Seoul. As Yamamoto struggled in his debut versus San Diego, it was Ireton who hit the mound to help relay coaches' words.

Ireton was also seen standing close by to Ohtani in the dugout throughout the game.

So far, Ohtani's looked solid despite all of the distractions surrounding him, he's currently 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI -- and he just nearly missed hitting a home run in the seventh inning.

As we previously reported, Mizuhara -- who had just worked as Ohtani's translator during the season-opener against the Pads on Wednesday -- was fired in the hours following Game 1 after Ohtani's attorneys accused him of stealing money from the two-way star in order to place bets with an alleged illegal bookmaker.

Roberts told media members he "can't say anything" regarding the matter ... but he did tell journalists Ohtani was "ready" for game action in spite of the outside noise.

L.A. is currently down 12-9.

Conor McGregor tells TMZ Sports his role in the new "Road House" reboot will be far from his last appearance on the silver screen ... saying this week he's got a whole lot more irons in the cinema fire.

The UFC superstar made no bones about it when we asked him about his acting future while he was out in NYC promoting the new Jake Gyllenhaal flick ... telling us "of course" he's planning to keep pursuing the new career.

It's unclear exactly what's coming next for the 35-year-old fighter ... but when we asked if he had any more roles lined up at the moment -- he said straight up, "For sure, for sure!"

"Oh, yes!" he added.

As for how job No. 1 in the new industry went for The Notorious, so far, it seems so good. Early reviews for the "Road House" reimagining are positive ... and the clips we've gotten to see so far show McGregor certainly knows how to kick ass on command on cam.

Of course, McGregor's still keeping up with his day job despite the foray into Hollywood ... he's been training hard for a future bout with Michael Chandler.

We're almost at the finish line of the week here at TMZ, but we're still chugging along on TV.

Let's start out on "TMZ Live," where Harvey and Charles talked about the latest development in Kate-Gate -- namely, a hospital staffer allegedly trying to access her medical records from when she was being treated at the London Clinic this year ... a major security breach, if true.

Next up, we have "TMZ on TV" ... where the gang discussed Megan Fox's new interview on "Call Her Daddy," with her addressing where things stand with Machine Gun Kelly.

Finally on "TMZ Sports" ... Babcock and Mojo talked about Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan.

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

3/21, 7:10 AM -- Ippei Mizuhara told ESPN that Ohtani knew of his gambling debts and agreed to pay them off in exchange for a promise -- the interpreter would never gamble again.

"Obviously, [Ohtani] wasn't happy about it and said he would help me out to make sure I never do this again," Ippei initially said, adding, "He decided to pay it off for me.

But, Mizuhara then seemingly changed his story, saying, "I want everyone to know Shohei had zero involvement in betting. I want people to know I did not know this was illegal. I learned my lesson the hard way. I will never do sports betting ever again."

Ippei Mizuhara -- the Japanese interpreter who's been Shohei Ohtani's righthand man for nearly a decade -- has been fired by the Dodgers ... after Ohtani's attorneys claim he engaged in a "massive theft" of the two-way star's fortune.

The lawyers -- from the LA-based law firm Berk Brettler -- said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times they uncovered the alleged stealing after Ohtani's name had surfaced in a federal investigation of an alleged illegal bookmaker, Mathew Bowyer.

According to The Times, Mizuhara was accused of taking some of Ohtani's funds and using them to place bets with Bowyer. Ohtani's attorneys told the outlet they're now going to cops to have them investigate their findings further.

"In the course of responding to recent media inquiries," the lawyers said, "we discovered that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft and we are turning the matter over to the authorities."

The Dodgers confirmed Wednesday afternoon they let go of Mizuhara following the claims. No further comment from the team was added.

Mizuhara and Ohtani just joined the Dodgers this season ... after the two-time MVP signed with them in free agency on a 10-year, $700 million deal.

Prior to putting on Dodger Blue, the duo worked together throughout Ohtani's six historic seasons as an L.A. Angel.

Story developing ...

Aaron Rodgers almost scored the coveted position of "Jeopardy!" host in the aftermath of Alex Trebek's death ... so says the show's former producer and one-time host.

Mike Richards -- who infamously lost the "Jeopardy!" hosting gig after one day due to old controversial comments he'd made -- told People that the NFL star was a frontrunner for the job after impressing as a guest host on the trivia show.

As Mike puts it ... Aaron was the most prepared guest host -- which is saying something since he guest hosted alongside TV pros like Anderson Cooper, Bill Whitaker, Savannah Guthrie, George Stephanopoulos, LeVar Burton, and Robin Roberts, among other notable names.

But, according to MR, Aaron prepped for the show very intensely and was still lovely to everyone on the staff. So, the professional quarterback was seriously considered to replace Alex -- and he was apparently interested, too.

When asked how he would juggle both hosting duties and football, Aaron supposedly told Mike that the "Jeopardy!" team would figure it out.

Alas, the job ultimately went to Mike ... who was eventually replaced by famed "Jeopardy!" champ Ken Jennings and actress Mayim Bialik after his swift firing. A less surprising contender was Katie Couric, who Mike says brought a different look to the quiz show.

On the issue of his infamous exit from the show ... Mike notes that a lot of half-truths led to his exile from the entertainment industry. For starters, he defends that he did not pick himself for the highly sought-after gig -- a panel selected him for the role in 2021.

The Detroit Pistons will be without Ausar Thompson for the rest of the season ... after it was revealed the rookie guard is receiving treatment for blood clot issues.

The Pistons announced the unfortunate news ahead of their game against the Pacers on Wednesday ... saying Thompson will not play tonight or the last 13 games of the regular season due to the medical situation.

The good news?? The 6'6" athlete is expected to recover and return in time for next season.

Detroit released a statement on Thompson's status ... saying, "Under the guidance of Pistons team physician Dr. Ramsey Shehab of Henry Ford Health, Thompson has been cleared to resume conditioning and will begin non-contact basketball activities at the conclusion of the regular season with a gradual ramp up over the summer months in preparation for a full return next season."

Thompson last played on March 9th ... scoring 4 points in the Pistons' 124-142 loss to the Mavericks.

In 63 games this season, the former No. 5 overall pick averaged 8.8 points and 6.4 rebounds. He also became the youngest player (20) to earn at least 5 blocks in their first NBA game.

The Pistons also announced Isaiah Stewart is also out for the season with a right hamstring strain he suffered during Monday's game.

All the boxing purists crying over the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight need to chill out ... at least that's what Tyson Fury thinks, 'cause the Gypsy King says their upcoming fight is "fantastic" for boxing -- and it's a "pretty even" matchup!!

The heavyweight champ gave his two cents on the huge July 20 event this week ... and while he acknowledged the naysayers' points (Tyson being 57 and Paul's lack of experience), he believes it's a perfect combination for a "good spectacle" that'll attract new eyeballs to the sport.

"You've got a legend in Mike Tyson. You've got a YouTube boxer who has come into the game and blew it up and he's got millions of followers and millions of views and millions of eyes," Fury said. "Good, bad or indifferent. Some people love him, some people hate him."

Fury -- who's named after Iron Mike -- pointed out Paul's rise in boxing after starring on the Disney Channel ... saying he doesn't blame the Problem Child for wanting to fight a legend like Tyson.

As for the fight, Fury says there will be no winners since the boxers will undoubtedly make a ton of money ... but he believes with Tyson's age and Paul only being a few years into the sport, it's actually a fair matchup.

Jonathan Majors isn't sweating Grace Jabbari's lawsuit against him -- but he is working up a sweat ... continuing to train for what sure sounds like a new movie role.

We got the actor out Wednesday in L.A., where he was just leaving a gym session with his trainer -- strength and conditioning guru Jason Best -- and JM was actually willing to chat ... this, of course, while walking out shirtless and looking absolutely ripped.

BTW -- Best is the same guy who got him in peak condition for his bodybuilding role in "Magazine Dreams" -- and clearly, they're still working together ... 'cause JM looks great here.

Anyway, we chopped it up with Jon about a number of things going on in his life right now -- including this potential gig we've been hearing he has lined up for a film project ... although, the exact details are still a little murky. Jonathan did confirm to us, though, that he's getting in shape for "work" ... and when we asked if it was for the role, he certainly didn't deny it!

Our photog also talked to Jon about his relationship with Meagan Good -- which is going strong ... as the lovebirds continue to hit public events together ... and pack on PDA.

We asked Jon what makes MG different than other girlfriends he's had ... and he's got a pretty telling response, strongly hinting that Meagan's captured his heart and then some.

Jonathan called Meagan, who stood by him during his highly-publicized trial, his heart and credited their connection for their success as a couple.

Our chat with Jonathan here comes a day after it was revealed that his ex, Grace Jabbari -- who testified against him in December during a criminal trial -- sued him, claiming he assaulted her over the course of their relationship and defamed her as well.

Remember, Jonathan was convicted of misdemeanor assault and harassment in December ... and is currently awaiting sentencing. His legal team has filed to have the conviction tossed out -- and told us that they weren't surprised by Grace's recent filing.

The MLB's season opener between the Dodgers and Padres looked more like the Super Bowl ... with K-pop group aespa putting on a halftime show-esque performance right in the outfield before the game!!

The mini concert went down shortly before the first matchup of the 2024 campaign on Wednesday ... as part of the league's Seoul Series in South Korea.

Karina, Giselle, Winter and Ningning made their way to centerfield to dance and belt out couple of their hit songs -- "Drama" and "Next Level" -- to get the spectators hype before first pitch.

The renditions included a drumline, a ton of background dancers and lasers ... and the crowd clearly loved it!!

The ladies waved to the fans as they exited the outfield ... clearly pleased with their effort.

FYI -- aespa has blown up in the music industry since making their debut in 2020 ... quickly becoming one of the most successful girl groups in the genre.

It's not the only K-pop crossover during the Dodgers' time in Seoul -- as we previously reported, Seungmin of the popular boy group Stray Kids threw out the ceremonial toss prior to L.A.'s exhibition against Team Korea on Monday.

Meek Mill and Akademiks' 7-figure deal to squash their beef with body blows is still an option -- but YK Osiris is advising you not to wager on either guy ... and simply bet on him.

Yep, the R&B star took time out of his NYC hustle and bustle to laugh off Meek and Ak's unresolved clash -- telling TMZ Hip Hop he's confident he'll pummel them both in the ring!!! 🥊

YK hits the high notes, but loves his boxing highlights as well ... having sparred with Lil Uzi Vert, Tjay and Blueface in the past.

Damon Feldman, CEO of Official Celebrity Boxing, drummed up and sent out an agreement for both Meek and Ak to sign ... $1M for participating and an additional million for the winner!!!

Quite the payoff for beating up your arch-nemesis but we're told neither Ak or Meek have responded to OCB's request to sign the paperwork.

They may be moving toward a more peaceful solution ... Ak recently offered Meek a million dollars of his own for a year-long podcast deal, which probably won't happen either.

Ak recently scolded Meek for flip-flopping on his stance about street life -- much like Dee-1 did months ago, and the two seem to be in their comfort zone yelling at one another on X.

The "Love & Basketball" story between Angel Reese and Cam'Ron Fletcher is no more ... 'cause the LSU women's hoops star just revealed she's single.

Rumors of the couple calling it quits started to swirl recently ... when fans realized the two college basketball players scrubbed each other from their Instagram profiles.

Reese confirmed the speculation on Tuesday during a Q&A with her 2.7 million fans on Instagram Live ... saying, "Yeah, I'm single."

"I don't got no man. Don't attach me to no man. That's all I'mma say. That's it."

Even though the 21-year-old is on the market, Reese says she's not looking to jump back into a relationship just yet ... claiming her attention and energy is primarily on school, basketball and herself.

"I do what's best for me, that's it," the LSU forward said. "I'm the catch! Let's not get it twisted."

The women's NCAA tournament starts on Friday ... so Reese, who's averaging 19 points and 13.1 rebounds a game this season, can focus on another title run for the LSU Tigers.

Fletcher -- who transferred from Kentucky to FSU in 2021 -- suffered a season-ending injury last December. He averaged 6.7 points and 5.0 rebounds in seven games.