Sports

New York Knicks fans acted like they've never experienced a playoff win on Monday ... and their celebration got so rowdy, ex-NBA star J.R. Smith went crashing to the ground amid all the chaos.

The scene broke out as spectators exited Madison Square Garden following the 137-98 victory ... and among the happy folks was the former Knick.

Naturally, the crowd was happy to see the beloved baller ... and it started off on a good note ... with Smith puffing on something in his mouth and celebrating with his hands in the air.

Could Jake Paul be next for Mike Perry after Nate Diaz?! The MMA turned bareknuckle boxing star says "absolutely!"

"Platinum" Perry, 34, chopped it up with Babcock less than two weeks before his highly anticipated scrap against Diaz, 41, on the Paul-promoted MVP event on May 16 in Los Angeles ... and we asked if a win could set up an MMA fight with Jake, after boxing the Problem Child in 2024.

"Absolutely," Mike said.

The woman accusing Stefon Diggs of assaulting her in December 2025 claims they had a sexual relationship before she became his personal chef.

Jamila Adams took the stand minutes ago in a Massachusetts courtroom ... where she detailed her timeline with the NFL superstar.

Adams stated she first linked up with Diggs via Instagram message four and a half years ago when he asked her to cook for him.

Stefon Diggs has yet to find a new NFL home, but he'll take up temporary residence at a Massachusetts courthouse for the next few days ... with his personal chef assault trial kicking off on Monday.

The 32-year-old free agent showed up in a suit for jury selection ... and kept a blank stare as he made his way up the stairs and inside the building.

The presiding judge gave background info on the allegations ... and a list of potential witnesses was presented.

Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini are a modern-day Jack and Rose love story ... at least they were during ESPN's "Inside the NBA" on Sunday -- when the two were trolled with an edited pic of them doing the iconic "Titanic" pose.

The funny moment went down as the desk reacted to the Boston Celtics getting eliminated in the first round of the playoffs at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers ... when producers put some players and local legends on a boat for their "gone fishing" bit.

But it wasn't just Mark Wahlberg, Bill Simmons, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck getting thrown into it ... check out the front of the boat -- it's none other than the Patriots coach and NFL insider pulling a Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

John Sterling -- the voice of the New York Yankees for more than three decades -- has passed away at 87 years old.

The news came out Monday morning via WFAN Sports Radio in New York ... with the station saying, "We are devastated to hear about the passing of John Sterling, a WFAN and Yankees radio icon whose voice was synonymous with an entire generation of Yankee fandom."

Sterling's voice was the sound of Yankees success ... as his iconic "the-e-e-e-e-e-e Yankees win!!" rang out over the airwaves after every victory.

Luke Rockhold has a face for the camera ... but don't expect him to get in front of one any time soon ... the former UFC star says he HATES the idea of being anyone but himself.

TMZ Sports caught up with Rockhold at Santos Studios in Newport this week ... and asked him all about his life outside of the Octagon ... his last fight was a boxing match against Darren Till in 2025, and his last MMA bout was all the way back in 2022.

Of course, he's not too far removed from the fight game -- he is helping Khamzat Chimaev train for his big fight with Sean Strickland at UFC 328 next weekend -- and LR admitted with the way that's going, he's not unretiring unless he gets an astronomical payday.

So, what does he want to do if not fight?? He explained he's got his hands tied with several business ventures like Santos, Gameday Men's Health and Protein Candy.

Rick Fox is offering an apology ... to absolutely nobody!

The former basketball star -- who is running for political office down in The Bahamas -- spoke at a political rally on Sunday ... and, he seemed to be offering a mea culpa for his role in a physical altercation earlier this week.

He starts out by apologizing to his family ... in case they're only meeting the enforcer -- a role Fox often played on the basketball court -- for the first time.

Kim Kardashian didn't make it to the first night of her daughter North West's pop-up event in Los Angeles ... but, don't think she doesn't care -- she's hitting night #2 instead.

Just a few moments ago, Kim posted the promotional pic for the event and announced she's "otw" -- on the way.

This is especially a big deal ... because Kim's beau Lewis Hamilton is competing down in Miami at this year's F1 Miami Grand Prix right now -- and, she's missing the qualifying stage.

The New York Knicks have a real shot at winning it all this season -- even though the Oklahoma City Thunder still exists -- so says Richard Jefferson, who tells TMZ Sports all the pieces are in place ... they just can't shoot themselves in the foot.

We caught up with the NBA analyst fresh off calling the Knickerbockers' BTA performance on the Atlanta Hawks in Game 6 of the first round on Thursday ... and he actually said the losing team shouldn't be embarrassed by the 140-89 result -- it was just the Knicks' night.

With that dominant outing in mind, does he feel like Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson and the rest of the gang can really make some noise ... or will they come up short yet again??

Italian racing star Alex Zanardi, who later became a Paralympic gold medalist after surviving devastating injuries, has died at 59.

His family confirmed the news Saturday morning, revealing he passed away Friday night and saying in a statement, “Alex died peacefully, surrounded by the affection of those closest to him." No cause of death was disclosed at the time.

In 2020, Zanardi suffered severe head and facial injuries when his handbike collided with a truck during a relay event in Tuscany ... leaving him in a medically induced coma.

Khamzat Chimaev has a huge title fight in exactly one week, but the MMA superstar is also interested in taking a detour to the boxing ring ... and he wants to fight Conor McGregor!

TMZ Sports was in SoCal this week for a workout sesh and media event with the 32-year-old middleweight champion ... when Chimaev was asked what currently excited him.

"I don't know, probably it would be Zuffa boxing with Conor. Maybe that. We will just box 12 rounds."

2:15 PM PT -- Metcalf's attorney, Mitch Schuster of Meister Seelig & Schuster, tells TMZ Sports they are thrilled with the decision and all the hard work that went into the thorough investigation.

"We are confident that justice will also prevail in the civil claim involving Mr. Kennedy. As Mr. Metcalf’s counterclaim in the civil case makes clear, Mr. Kennedy’s hate-fueled conduct has no place anywhere, and especially not in professional sports."

DK Metcalf is in the clear following his Dec. 2025 fan altercation -- at least criminally, 'cause officials announced Friday they will not pursue charges.

The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office released a statement to local media explaining the decision ... saying the fan in question did not appear injured, nor did he seek any medical attention after the incident at the Detroit Lions vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game on Dec. 21.

They added the spectator, Ryan Kennedy, left his seat with a Metcalf jersey in hopes of getting an autograph ... and when he leaned over the front railing, he said something to the receiver.

Nikola Jokic isn't sugar coating their season-ending loss Thursday night, flat out saying he believes everyone on the team would be lookin' for a new job if they were in his home country of Serbia.

Of course, the Nuggets lost game 6 to the Minnesota Timberwolves -- a must-win for Denver -- dropping the curtain on the 2026 campaign.

The 3x NBA MVP was great as usual, filling up the stat sheet, scoring 28 points, and dishing out 10 assists, but it wasn't enough.

After the game, Jokic kept it real when asked how close he believes the team is to winning another 'chip.

As if having a front-row seat to his beloved Hawks' ugly loss wasn't enough, Boosie Badazz got rocked on Thursday, too ... when Knicks star Jalen Brunson crashed right into him!!

The moment went down in the second quarter when New York was up 83-34 on Atlanta. That is not a typo.

Despite the commanding lead, Brunson still went all-out when trying to keep a loose ball in play ... and his momentum took him right into Boosie's seat.

Remember when Dianna Russini went into superhero mode and rescued an elderly driver in a car crash fresh off her resignation over the Mike Vrabel scandal??

A new witness claims that's not what happened. Like, at all.

Page Six initially published the NFL insider's Good Samaritan act ... stating Russini, her mom and kids were cruising in Wyckoff, New Jersey when the terrifying accident unfolded right in front of them.