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Ex-UGA star Nakobe Dean doesn't believe the Eagles should be concerned about Jalen Carter one bit despite his troubles leading up to the NFL draft ... telling TMZ Sports his former college teammate is "a great kid."

Dean -- who played with Carter for two seasons at Georgia from 2020 through 2021 -- had nothing but positive things to say about his Bulldog buddy after Philadelphia selected the 22-year-old with the ninth overall pick in the first round Thursday night.

Dean called Carter "the best player in the draft" this year ... and added he has no concerns on or off the field whatsoever about the defensive tackle.

"He's a hard worker," Dean said. "He wants to win. He's going to do whatever it takes to win. He's going to do whatever he needs for the team to win."

Of course, Carter entered this weekend's draft with a whole lot of question marks ... particularly after he was charged with two misdemeanors stemming from his alleged role in a fatal car crash back in January.

Dean, though, believes none of that was indicative of Carter's true character.

"I know him to be a great kid," the linebacker said. "All the critics and everybody in the media try to claim him to be a bad guy. It's crazy to me. But I'm happy for him, and I'm ready for him to get to Philly so we can work."

Later in the first round, Philly also selected another former Bulldog, Nolan Smith, who played with Dean at Georgia. While Dean told us he knew the Eagles were interested in Carter and Smith, he didn't think the front office could snag both guys ... but he's sure as hell happy they did.

The hits keep coming for Crazy Town singer Shifty Shellshock ... because a few days after getting into a fistfight with a bandmate, cops say he was driving drunk.

Shifty was arrested for driving under the influence early Tuesday morning in South Carolina.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, cops in Myrtle Beach say they were told to be on the lookout for a black SUV with California plates swerving in and out of lanes.

Police say they then got a call about a driver falling asleep behind the wheel of a black SUV at a red light. When they found the black SUV, cops say Shifty was driving and showing signs of being impaired.

Once they pulled him over, the officers say he was lethargic, slurred his words and bombed a field sobriety test. Shifty, who's publicly battled addiction for years, was arrested and charged with DUI.

As we reported, Crazy Town was in Myrtle Beach last weekend for a show, but the lowlight turned out to be Shifty and fellow bandmate Bobby Reeves brawling on video.

Nyjah Huston isn't going to let his recent injury scare him into early retirement -- the skateboarding superstar tells TMZ Sports he plans to go all-out until he literally can't anymore ... just like Tony Hawk!!

The 28-year-old busted his ACL, partially tore his meniscus and fractured his tibia off a bad skating accident last year ... which kept him on the sidelines for months.

We spoke with Nyjah -- who's inching back to full recovery -- about how he handled the first major injury of his career ... and he said he couldn't wait to get back on his board again.

"Skateboarding is so much more to me than a job, or than making money, or making a living for myself. It really is my life and is something I plan on doing until I physically can't anymore."

"I wanna do everything I can to make sure I can make that happen and make sure I'm gonna be like, 50, 60 years old still grinding rails out there."

Of course, Hawk is known for crushing it even at 54 years old ... and Nyjah says that's exactly how he's trying to be in a couple decades.

Mike Perry and Luke Rockhold are taking off the gloves ... the MMA stars are fighting bare-knuckled, and Platinum believes the former UFC champion is underestimating him in a big way!

"I do think he is in for a rude awakening because I don't think he thinks I have what it takes [to beat him]. I think he thinks so highly of himself that he's just too big for me," 31-year-old Perry told TMZ Sports this week.

FYI, Luke has a few-inch height advantage, and likely a few pounds on Mike, too.

Perry continued ... "I'm looking to be ferocious and jump all over him quickly. Bareknuckle is not like normal boxing where the fight really starts around the 6th round. These are 5 to 6, 2-minute rounds."

In other words ... except violence as soon as the bell sounds.

"I'm gonna try to cut him up a lot and make him quit," adding ... "I'm gonna try to hurt him badly, quickly."

Platinum, 2-0 in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (one of those wins came against Michael "Venom" Page), also plans to give Luke a new nickname.

"Luke Out-Cold."

And, Perry and Rockhold aren't the only big names on the BKFC 41 card ... 'cause former UFC champions Eddie Alvarez and Chad Mendes are also fighting.

We also talked to Mendes ahead of what is his second bare-knuckle scrap (Chad won a fight last February), but Alvarez is certainly a step up in competition.

This time around, Chad tells us he has a secret weapon to reduce cuts ... a side effect when bare-knuckle boxing.

His secret ... pickle juice! 🥒

Former NFL safety William Moore is admitting to shooting at a woman's car during an altercation at a Georgia park last weekend ... but he claims he was actually the victim in the case.

The ex-Atlanta Falcons defensive back was arrested on Sunday in Lawrenceville ... after a woman told cops he shot at her car following a playground dispute that her 9-year-old niece had with Moore's young daughter.

According to a police report, the woman alleged Moore got so angry over the situation, he opened fire on her ride while her niece and her son were in the back seat. Moore was ultimately taken into custody ... and booked on several charges, including aggravated assault and criminal damage to property.

But, on Friday, Moore's attorney said in a statement to TMZ Sports the former football player only fired his gun because he was concerned the woman was trying to ram her car into his, potentially causing injury to him and his family.

"William took his two young children and his dog to the park to play," Matthew D. Crosby said. "After watching an older and larger female child assault his daughter, he attempted to speak to the lady that was with the girl to address the child’s behavior."

"William parked his car, got out and approached her driver’s side window to talk. She responded by putting her car in reverse and slamming it into William’s car right where his young son was sitting."

Crosby continued, "It was not until she pulled forward and was preparing to crash into his car again that he produced his gun. William was terrified that his children would be seriously hurt or killed if he did not act immediately. So, he shot at her car’s tire and away from the occupants, attempting to disable her vehicle and prevent further deadly threats to his children."

Crosby went on to say that Moore "adamantly denies the charges and looks forward to his day in court to give his side of the story."

Kanye West says he never screwed his ex-business manager out of a payday in a new countersuit ... firing back with claims their arrangement came about when he was stressed out and in the middle of his divorce.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained docs filed by Kanye and his Yeezy brand ... where he claims the deal he struck with Thomas St. John isn't enforceable because he signed it without help from a lawyer when he was "sleep-deprived, stressed, anxious, and under duress."

According to the lawsuit, Ye says he met St. John around March 2022 -- and they sketched out a deal that would place him on a $300k monthly retainer.

Kanye admits the two met during one of his many social media meltdowns -- and St. John swooped in as a respected biz manager who could steer the ship back on course.

Although Ye admits to signing a document with St. John in May 2022 ... he claims he did so without the presence and counsel of his lawyers, and as his high-profile divorce with Kim Kardashian was taking a serious toll.

Ye also says the increased volume of paparazzi encounters amid the divorce was causing sleep deprivation, stress and anxiousness.

Ye is also complaining about a clause in the "barebones" agreement that prevented St. John from being terminated for at least the first 18 months ... essentially guaranteeing his bank account stayed stacked with Ye's funds.

Jerry Springer and his family chose to keep his cancer battle hidden from the public so his health struggle wouldn't become a burden to many of those who cared so deeply about him ... TMZ has learned.

Jene Galvin, a rep for the Springer family, tells us Jerry was sick for months, running through a series of tests, but only recently found out just how dire his pancreatic cancer diagnosis actually was.

Galvin says Jerry's always been a fairly private person, but he and his family thought it was especially important to keep his cancer private, as they didn't want to worry other people. Instead, Jerry's family shifted their entire focus to aiding with his care, which became extremely time-consuming.

We're told Jerry knew his time was limited -- given the severity and type of cancer -- so he made a point to spend as much time with his loved ones as possible.

Jene says there was only a small circle of people outside of family -- including Jene and Jerry's friend Louis Beck -- who knew about the cancer.

As we first told you, Jerry's longtime friend and partner on TV, Steve Wilkos, told us he and Jerry shared a cigar and some memories about a month ago. Steve says he had no idea Jerry was sick, but looking back on the moment -- he believes it was Jerry's way of saying goodbye.

While Jene tells us Jerry had not designated a specific organization he wanted fans to donate to after his death, he believes a place like The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is doing good work toward finding a cure.

James Harden didn't exactly use at least one of his days off between NBA playoff series for relaxation ... TMZ Sports has learned the 76ers star was involved in a dispute with a man outside of a Las Vegas hotel and casino earlier this week.

According to video we obtained, Harden was at an entrance to the Flamingo on the Strip at around 1:25 AM on Monday -- just two days after Philadelphia won its opening-round playoff series over the Nets in Brooklyn -- when he got into an argument.

The footage shows the Sixers point guard yelled at the man ... before he tapped the guy's chest and smacked his face.

Our sources tell us the man in the video is a member of Harden's crew ... and after the exchange, the two went about their night as if nothing happened.

It's unclear what all kick-started the confrontation -- but witnesses told us once Harden noticed people were watching nearby ... the basketball player and the man he was quarreling with headed inside of the building together.

A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept. spokesperson tells us officers were not called to the scene ... saying on Wednesday, "We have had no incidents involving James Harden reported to the LVMPD."

Tucker Carlson is out at Fox News, and now another conservative news outlet, Newsmax, wants him to be more than just the face of the network, and it's putting on a full-court press to land him.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the news channel is doing everything it can to sweeten the deal for Tucker to come on board -- including floating the idea of letting him program the whole channel, not just his own show.

That would be a pretty enticing deal point ... in addition to having his own primetime show, Tucker would have a say over what shows lead into and out of his show, which can be key in achieving bigger TV ratings.

While our sources stress Newsmax hasn't formally offered Tucker a job -- he can't have formal discussions due to his current Fox News contract -- we're told the network execs have made it clear to people around him, they would basically give him a big say in rebranding their channel.

Newsmax has some competition for Tucker ... as we first reported, NewsNation is showing early interest as well.

Our sources acknowledge it's too early to know for sure where Tucker will pop up next, and it might not even be at a TV network ... but we're told whatever he does, it's going to be big, disruptive, and will create a seismic shift in the conservative media landscape.

Lamar Odom is reaching out his hand to Bam Margera in the midst of all his substance abuse and legal problems, saying he's more than happy to help, free of charge, if the reality star allows it.

We caught up with the former NBA star in Manhattan Beach, CA and he offered some advice for the former "Jackass" star ... hours after Bam turned himself in to PA cops for allegedly assaulting his brother.

Lamar says, his first piece of advice is for Bam to lean into religion -- if it's something in his life -- to help him during his troubles. LO also personally invited BM to one of the 3 wellness centers he co-owns and operates, called Odom Wellness Treatment Centers, to address substance and drug abuse problems ... reminding us, he's been through it too.

As we reported, Bam surrendered Thursday to face charges in Pennsylvania for allegedly attacking his brother, Jess, last weekend. Cops say he threatened to put a bullet in Jess' head before going on the run. Bam denies that's how the story unfolded.

Regardless, he's been dealing with a ton of issues lately -- most of them seemingly tied to his addiction and mental health issues.

As we reported, the 2-time NBA champ acquired 3 rehab centers in Southern California and is now on a mission to help others in need. You'll recall, LO overdosed at a Nevada brothel in 2015 and suffered kidney failure, heart attacks, and several strokes ... but he's been able to turn his life around.

Lamar says he's welcoming Bam with open arms if, and only if, he wants the help. He left off with a simple message to BM ... "I love him and just stay strong."

Bonnie Chapman, the biological daughter of Dog the Bounty Hunter and the late Beth Chapman, is going through another tragedy ... she just lost her home in a fire.

Bonnie tells TMZ ... she and her boyfriend Ismael were at work Tuesday when they got a call that their rental house in Fishersville, Virginia was burning down.

She says she rushed home, hoping the information was wrong ... but when she got there the house was up in flames.

Bonnie says she lost just about everything in the blaze at the home ... including 3 cats, a dog, a gecko and a pet snake. The animals died from smoke inhalation.

Some possessions were salvaged ... Bonnie says Beth's ashes survived, and that was one thing she was terrified to lose.

As for the cause of the inferno ... the fire department believes an electrical issue ignited the blaze.

Steve Wilkos is opening up about his final time seeing Jerry Springer -- a night they both got very emotional -- but he says his dear friend never let on that he was battling cancer.

Steve, who spent 10 seasons working on "The Jerry Springer Show" from '94 to '07, joined "TMZ Live" Thursday ... after news broke his longtime boss and close pal passed away.

He says he and Jerry just hung out about a month ago, and while Jerry didn't mention his pancreatic cancer diagnosis ... Steve says he might have "been saying goodbye to me." He told us Jerry "hugged me like he never hugged me before," and they reminisced about the good old times ... something they rarely ever did.

As we reported, Jerry died at the age of 79, Thursday at his home in the Chicago area, and will forever be remembered for his bombastic talk show -- which ran for 27 years and eventually helped Steve start his very own show.

Other than his father, Steve says no one had a bigger impact on his life than Jerry. He credits JS for giving him his career ... and even his wife!

Steve was a retired cop when he was hired, in 1994, as a security guard for the 'Springer Show.' His immense popularity there led to him launching "The Steve Wilkos Show" in 2007, and is now in its 16th season.

Through all the ups and downs, Steve says Jerry was always in his corner, and even at their last get together last month ...he believed his good friend would outlive him.

A pair of boxing gloves worn by Michael B. Jordan in his latest blockbuster, "Creed III," is up for auction ... and can be yours for the right price!!

SCP Auctions is offering a pair of cream-colored Grant boxing gloves worn by MBJ, who stars in the film as Adonis "Donnie" Creed, son of Apollo Creed, to the highest bidder.

The gloves show visible signs Jordan wore them while filming the latest installment in the Rocky-adjacent series ... which had huge success across the world. In fact, the movie grossed almost $156 million domestically and $116 million internationally, for a total of $272.1 million worldwide, according to box office figures.

Creed III tells the story of Adonis' childhood friend and former boxing prodigy Damian "Diamond Dame" Anderson, played by Jonathan Majors, resurfacing to fight Creed, according to IMDB.com.

Speaking of the embattled Majors ... a pair of boxing gloves he wore while filming Creed III is also up for auction with SCP.

The 10 oz. XL Grant gloves are black with gold and bronze accents, and their condition indicates they were used by Majors, whose character was the main antagonist in the film.

MBJ directed, produced, and starred in "Creed III" -- and if you didn't know already judging by the success of the movie, Creed IV's on the way!

The "f***ing c***" barb that ex-ESPN reporter Marly Rivera hurled at a female journalist earlier this month was captured on video ... and in the footage, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see it all went down right in front of Aaron Judge.

The incident -- which resulted in ESPN firing Rivera from her role as a national baseball reporter earlier this week -- happened on April 18 at Yankee Stadium ... just before New York took on the Los Angeles Angels in the Bronx.

According to the New York Post, Rivera had set up an interview with Judge ... but grew frustrated when freelance reporter Ivón Gaete showed up at the same time looking to speak with the Yankees superstar as well.

The video shows Rivera got so livid with Gaete -- who the Post reported had been at the stadium to cover Angels star Shohei Ohtani for Tokyo Broadcasting -- she began to raise her voice at the woman in Spanish ... as Judge signed autographs and posed for pics with fans just feet away.

At one point, Rivera rolled her eyes and called Gaete a "f***ing c***."

Gaete was clearly taken aback by the remark -- and asked a nearby camera person if they had caught it on video.

The two reporters then lingered around Judge for several moments. When he finally left the area, it seemed Rivera wanted to apologize ... but it didn't appear Gaete was willing to accept it.

ESPN said on Wednesday it had parted ways with Rivera following the encounter. Rivera, meanwhile, told the Post she fully accepted responsibility for her actions.

"There were extenuating circumstances but that in no way is an excuse for my actions," Rivera said. "I am a professional with a sterling reputation across baseball and I do believe that I am being singled out by a group of individuals with whom I have a long history of professional disagreements."

Rivera has since deleted her social media pages.

Paris Hilton is checking a HUGE honor off her bucket list, she'll be attending the Met Gala for the first time in her life ... TMZ has learned.

Here's the deal, sources connected tell TMZ ... Paris got the invite from Vogue and the designer of her upcoming look and luckily, she was available to go. Unclear who she'll be working with for the outfit, but a big accomplishment like this must warrant a big designer.

We're told this year's theme is in honor of her late friend and iconic designer, called "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty." You'll recall, the 2 had a great relationship together -- some might even remember she went with Kim Kardashian to a collab he did with Dom Perignon back in 2006.

Paris will be flying to the Gala -- which goes down on May 1 -- from Washington, D.C. ... where she'll be holding a conference about the new Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act prior to the fashion event.

Nate Diaz is now in custody in New Orleans ... jail records, obtained by TMZ Sports, show the ex-UFC star turned himself in early Thursday morning after an arrest warrant was issued for him earlier this week.

According to the records, Diaz was booked at 7:40 AM on a charge of second-degree battery.

No further details surrounding the turn-in were made immediately available.

As we reported, the New Orleans Police Dept. initially issued the arrest warrant for the 38-year-old fighter on Monday ... two days after he was seen on video choking out a man during a large altercation on Bourbon Street.

In the footage, you can see Diaz -- who was in Louisiana to watch the Misfits Boxing 6 event  -- got a guy in a headlock ... and choked him unconscious before he laid the dude down in the street. Cops said the man suffered a head wound in the altercation.

After the arrest warrant was issued, Diaz's rep, Zach Rosenfield, said Diaz was innocent ... and "acted entirely in self-defense."

Diaz is slated to fight Jake Paul in a boxing match later this summer. It's unclear if Wednesday's arrest will alter any plans for the much-anticipated fight.