Sports

Cincinnati Bengals legend Willie Anderson just provided a positive update after undergoing a kidney transplant this week ... thanking his fans, friends and loved ones for supporting him through the tough time.

The 50-year-old All-Pro tackle has been battling kidney disease for a decade ... as the pain meds he was taking to combat his numerous career-related injuries caused his organs to deteriorate.

Anderson put his head down and got to work -- losing 60 pounds to get into operation shape.

The controversy swirling around the Atlanta Hawks' Magic City night later this month hasn't cooled ticket sales ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned they're sellin' like hotcakes, making it one of the hottest matchups of the season!

Of course, the Hawks announced they'd be honoring the iconic strip club and the impact it's had on the city during their March 16th home game against the Orlando Magic at State Farm Arena in ATL.

Since then, the Hawks have faced a barrage of criticism, from players to fans ... but ticket sales say the criticism is overblown in a big way.

Patrick Beverley sat in front of a camera and peeled back the curtain on his tumultuous past few months ... calling his arrest one of the worst experiences of his life.

The former NBA player released a 14-minute video on Thursday ... starting it off by making it clear once again he would never hurt his 15-year-old sister after he was no-billed in his assault case last month.

37-year-old Beverley shared clips he recorded to document the days following his arrest ... and right after he paid $40,000 bail and got out of jail, he was aware of the chatter on social media.

Ryan Lochte and his new girlfriend are clapping back at his ex-wife, Kayla Rae Reid, for claiming he cheated ... calling the matter fake news for clicks.

Reid -- a former Playboy Playmate -- vented on this week's "The Comeback Era with Caroline and Kayla" podcast ... stating Lochte and his current partner, Molly Gillihan, became a thing way before they separated.

Lochte is adamant that's not the case ... and his new lady had his back by posting DMsmessages on Instagram to support their side of the story.

The men’s basketball program at California State University, Bakersfield is at the center of a wild scandal ... after a former player-turned-coach was accused of running a multi-state pimping operation while working for the school.

Authorities say Kevin Mays -- an ex-player for the Roadrunners who later joined the staff as a temporary assistant coach -- is facing 11 criminal and misdemeanor charges, including felony pimping, after an investigation triggered by a shocking anonymous email.

According to reports, then-head coach Rod Barnes received a message in August titled “IMPORTANT MESSAGE 911 911” claiming Mays had been “trafficking a girl since May” across several states. The sender warned in all caps, “FIX IT OR THE WHOLE STAFF WILL FALL.”

Myles Garrett's speeding ticket could've been worse -- TMZ Sports has obtained the police bodycam footage from his ninth speeding ticket (at least) in Ohio since 2017 -- with the officer citing him for a lesser speed.

In the video, Garrett is polite with the officer as she takes his information after stopping him in the northbound lane of I-71 in Wayne County. The officer even jokes with him that at one point she thought he was about to take off on her.

"Nah, not on you," Garrett said.

Matthew Tkachuk used a trip to Columbus to share a special moment with Johnny Gaudreau's family ... checking in on the late NHL star's loved ones ahead of a game against the Blue Jackets.

Meredith Gaudreau snapped the heartwarming picture Wednesday night -- the day before the Panthers take the ice against the Jackets, the team Johnny played for prior to his tragic passing at the hands of an alleged drunk driver.

"Dinner and a show, Noa x Uncle Chucky," she wrote.

It's no surprise that Tkachuk took some time out of his schedule to make time for the Gaudreau family. The two were teammates on the Calgary Flames for six seasons before they parted ways in 2022.

Lewis Hamilton is entering his 20th season in Formula One, but he says he's not considering retirement until he accomplishes one more milestone -- competing in Africa.

The 41-year-old Ferrari superstar relayed his wishes ahead of the Australian Grand Prix on Thursday ... when he was asked what city in Africa would be his dream spot to host a race.

Hamilton gave a lengthy response ... explaining how he's been "fighting in the background" for a return to Africa for more than half a decade.

Logan Paul is talking a huge game about the NFL -- and a few players are already stepping up to test him.

The YouTuber-turned-WWE Superstar recently threw down a bold challenge … claiming no football player could beat him in a boxing match -- and offering $1 million to anyone willing to try.

“Not a single football player could beat me in a boxing match, that is on God,” Paul said on his "Impaulsive" show. “I would throttle Myles Garrett. … Myles Garrett, Puka Nacua, Tom Brady, Sam Darnold, doesn’t matter. A million dollars, you come to the gym, you put up boxing gloves, we see how it goes. There’s levels to this.”

Well … the message didn’t take long to reach the locker room.

Cardi B's "Little Miss Drama" show in Houston Wednesday night had quite the dramatic guest list -- including Nicki Minaj's younger sister and Stefon Diggs' mom!

That's right ... the mother of Cardi B's baby daddy, Stephanie, was there groovin' to her show despite Cardi and Stefon calling it quits last month. Technically, they're all still family ... 'cause Stephanie is the grandmother of Cardi and Stefon's baby boy they welcomed last November.

Adding to the drama, Nicki's half-sister Ming Luanli seemed to have a blast at the show as well and even defended her appearance on social media, saying she's not picking sides in the Nicki-Cardi beef because none of it will matter in the future.

Before this lil' girlie was flippin' around the balance beam, she was just rockin' her striped tee, dreaming of the Olympics and munchin' on some ice cream ...

You may've seen her on "Dancing With The Stars," but she rose to stardom when she won the all-around gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Can you guess who she is?

A women’s college basketball game turned into absolute chaos Wednesday … after a massive brawl broke out during the Sun Belt conference tournament -- leaving a referee sprawled out on the court and eight players ejected.

The melee erupted with just over five minutes left in South Alabama’s game against Coastal Carolina in Pensacola.

Coastal’s Tracey Hueston and South Alabama’s Cordasia Harris exchanged words under the basket. Seconds later, Hueston started swinging -- letting loose a right hook that narrowly missed Harris’ face -- igniting a full-on scrum as players and coaches rushed the court.

As officials tried to break it up, one referee was knocked down and lay flat on the floor while staff and medical personnel sprinted in to help.

Luke Kornet might wanna peep this -- the folks at Magic City are addressing the backlash surrounding their tribute at an upcoming Atlanta Hawks game ... saying the establishment has so much more to offer than just strippers.

Charles chopped it up with manager JuJu Barney and dancer Yaya on "TMZ Live" Wednesday ... where they laid it out as clear as day about what fans can expect on March 16.

"There will be no nudity whatsoever, at all," Barney said. "There will be no signs of nudity, there will be no nudity at all. It's strictly just wings and music and people having a good time."

Tate McRae’s heating up the romance department ... 'cause she's reportedly gone official with hockey star Jack Hughes!

According to Us Weekly, the pair are now exclusively dating after they started casually seeing each other late last year.

They also report the connection started when Jack slid into her DMs on IG ... and Tate apparently thinks he’s a really cool guy, even hitting up his games to cheer him on. As you know ... Hughes was on the U.S. Olympic hockey team that brought home gold in Milan just two weeks ago ... he plays professionally for the New Jersey Devils.

The woman Sherrone Moore allegedly had an affair with during his time as the head coach of the Michigan football team is no longer with the program ... TMZ Sports has learned.

A spokesman for the university athletic department tells us that Paige Shiver's contract expired and was not renewed.

Moore was fired by the Wolverines for cause in December 2025 after an investigation determined he had an "inappropriate relationship with a staff member." It was later revealed the woman, eventually identified as Shiver, went to school officials with evidence of their relationship after it ended.

Myles Garrett got another speeding ticket last month -- this time, cops say they clocked the Cleveland Browns superstar going 94 in a 70 MPH zone.

TMZ Sports has confirmed the defensive standout's green Porsche was pulled over on the highway on Feb. 21 around 1:35 AM ... hours after he showed face at the Miami (OH) basketball game against Bowling Green.

Although he was busted going 24 over the limit, the cop noted the two-time Defensive Player of the Year was "kind and cooperative" in the remarks section of the ticket.