Sports

LaMelo Ball is facing a ton of criticism for tripping and injuring Bam Adebayo in a Play-In Tournament matchup on Tuesday ... but the Charlotte Hornets star claims the incident was the result of getting hit in the head.

The play went down early in the second quarter of the elimination game ... when Heat forward Simone Fontecchio blocked Ball's shot, and Adebayo tried to save it from going out of bounds.

Ball found himself lying out on the hardwood during the sequence ... and he reached out and grabbed Adebayo's leg, forcing him to join him on the ground.

Age ain't nothing but a number as 41-year-old LeBron James enters the playoffs ... so says his former teammate, Channing Frye, who tells TMZ Sports the only thing on the King's mind right now is winning ... not Father Time.

All eyes will be on the four-time champion as L.A. prepares for its date with the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2026 postseason ... even more so now that Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves are out with injuries.

Frye -- who won a title with James on the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers -- explained the superstar's mindset ahead of a showdown with Kevin Durant and Co. ... and he said it really is as simple as scraping together some victories.

Of course, James has had enough success for 10 NBA careers ... but it doesn't mean he's cool with mailing it in at all just 'cause his team's short-handed.

Red card for Lionel Messi ... who is at the center of a bombshell lawsuit in Florida, with a promoter claiming the soccer legend left them bleeding cash on a pair of hyped up friendlies that they claim he blew off.

VID, a Miami-based company that puts on large-scale music and sporting events, according to court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, filed a lawsuit against the 38-year-old footballer and the Argentine Football Association on Tuesday in South Florida, alleging fraud and breach of contract, saying they were burned out of millions of dollars.

In August, VID says they struck a deal and ultimately paid the AFA $7 million for the exclusive rights to two exhibition match-ups scheduled for October -- Argentina vs. Venezuela, and Argentina vs. Puerto Rico.

Dianna Russini -- the reporter spotted getting cozy with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel in Arizona last month -- has resigned from her job with The Athletic.

The NFL insider submitted a letter to her employer on Tuesday ... saying she has handled her responsibilities with "professionalism and dedication" throughout her career ... and she stands by every story featuring her byline.

Russini -- who joined the outlet in 2023 after leaving ESPN -- said she's leaving not because she did anything wrong ... but because of the "self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts."

Sherrone Moore was facing 6 months in jail, but the former Michigan head football coach won't spend another minute behind bars ... he was just sentenced to probation, entirely avoiding jail.

The 40-year-old coach appeared before the honorable J. Cedric Simpson in a Washtenaw County courthouse on Tuesday afternoon, where he was sentenced after pleading no contest to two charges, malicious use of a telecommunication device in a domestic relationship and trespassing.

Ultimately, Moore, 40, will be on probation for 18 months. He was also ordered to pay around $1,000 in fines.

Pacman Jones can breathe a massive sigh of relief ... the former NFL star was sentenced to five years of probation in his officer assault case on Tuesday -- after staring a year and a half in prison right in the eyes.

Jones went before Judge Patricia Summe in Kenton County, Kentucky on Tuesday ... wearing a dark-colored suit for the occasion.

Jones shared a prepared statement in court -- apologizing for his actions in June 2025 and stating he didn't realize he had hit "rock bottom" until after the incident.

Jake Paul done with boxing after Anthony Joshua?! Hell no.

The Problem Child says he's targeting late 2026 or early 2027 for his return to the ring ... as he continues to heal from the brutal jaw injury he suffered against Anthony Joshua.

"I'm finally feeling healthy again," Paul told Babcock this week. "The jaw is definitely recovering."

Jake says he isn't there just yet -- he still has to undergo tests and see doctors before he's cleared -- but he's getting close, and he has a rough return date in mind.

Golf star Sergio Garcia is breaking his silence after smashing his driver at the Masters on Sunday ... saying actions like that have no place in the sport -- especially at Augusta.

Garcia -- who won a green jacket in 2017 -- went to social media to share his regret ... writing, "I want to apologize for my actions on Sunday at The Masters tournament."

"I respect and value everything that The Masters and Augusta National Golf Club is to Golf. I regret the way I acted and it has no place in our game. It doesn't reflect the respect and appreciation I have for The Masters, the patrons, tournament officials and golf fans around the world."

J. Cole is reflecting on his impressively brief Chinese basketball experience ... explaining his time with the Nanjing Monkey Kings was cut short due to visa issues.

The rapper and part-time hooper played just eight minutes of action in one game for the pro team ... but the initial plan was to make three appearances before the paperwork hiccup got in the way.

Cole said he waited in Hong Kong to get cleared to play in mainland China ... a process he didn't predict would take so long.

Devastating health update from Dick Vitale ... the college hoops legend revealed he's been diagnosed with cancer in his lung and liver cavity -- but Dickie V says he'll again kick the disease's ass!

Vitale, 86, shared the bad news Monday afternoon through ESPN public relations.

"Today, my oncologist, Dr. Brown, informed me that my biopsy results confirmed a diagnosis of melanoma in my lung and liver cavity. I will be starting immunotherapy shortly and I plan on winning this battle."

Dianna Russini might've been sidelined by her bosses, but it's quite literally "business as usual" in Foxborough for Mike Vrabel, according to the Patriots, who say the head coach is hard at work prepping for the NFL Draft.

Pats EVP of Player Personnel, Eliot Wolf, met with the media in New England, and was asked about Vrabel's participation as the scandal involving him and The Athletic reporter continues to be the most talked about story in sports and media.

"[Mike is] very involved. Business as usual," Wolf said. "He's been in there with us probably this round of meetings a little bit more than last year."

Rueben Bain Jr. was the driver in a fatal accident in 2024, according to a new report ... as the University of Miami star prepares for the NFL Draft, where he's a near lock first-round draft pick.

Bain, now 21, was driving a 2021 Land Rover SUV with three other passengers -- Canes teammates Nyjalik Kelly and Wesley Bissainthe, and a 22-year-old woman, Destiny Betts, on March 17, 2024.

Around 4 AM, Rueben rear-ended another vehicle, according to The Read Optional, sending his SUV careening into multiple concrete barriers.

MMA is in its comeback era ... but you can cross Michael Bisping off the list of fighters making huge returns in 2026 ... he tells TMZ Sports, while he can still whoop a ton of ass, he's staying retired.

That is, unless several Brinks trunks back into his driveway.

We caught up with The Count at LAX this week ... and asked with big names like Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano stepping back in the cage, could he be following suit??

Like father, like son could ring extra true in the May family ... 'cause fresh off winning a national championship with Michigan, Charlie tells TMZ Sports he's exploring a career in coaching -- just like his pops/coach Dusty!!

We caught up with the senior guard as he worked a celebratory shift with fellow hooper Nimari Burnett at Raising Cane's in Ann Arbor on Thursday ... and asked him what's next after the Wolverines cut down the nets against UConn earlier this week.

He explained his playing days are over ... and now he's going back to school in more than one way -- he'll be a graduate assistant at Georgia as he doubles up on his degrees.

TNA Rebellion is gonna be Cleveland to the max -- not only is hometown kid Nic Nemeth taking the ring, he's got Browns legend Bernie freakin' Kosar in his corner!!

TMZ Sports spoke with Nemeth -- FKA Dolph Ziggler in WWE -- ahead of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's big Pay-Per-View event in northeast Ohio on April 11 ... and he said it's wild to know one of his childhood heroes will be right by his side for the big night.

Kosar is currently recovering well after undergoing a liver transplant ... and Nemeth said this is a great way to acknowledge the former superstar quarterback coming out on top in his recent health battle.

Dianna Russini has been put on ice ... her employer, The Athletic, is doing a deep dive into the cozy pics of Mike Vrabel and the reporter, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

It's an about-face for the NY Times-owned outlet, which initially vehemently came to the defense of Russini, calling the pics "misleading" and saying they lacked "essential context."

But, sources tell us based on new information, the outlet is conducting a thorough investigation ... and with it, they've decided to shelf Russini as the process plays out.

The situation was described to us like this ... "[Dianna's] coverage is being reviewed. That process is expected to take time. She will not be reporting in the interim."