Sports

Pedro Martínez doesn't know if Wander Franco will ever play Major League Baseball again, but he hopes society will give the All-Star shortstop a chance to redeem himself.

"I don't really know if he would. I'm hoping that he can actually reestablish himself, not only spiritually, but mentally. As humans, we all deserve an opportunity to redo ourselves," the Red Sox legend told TMZ Sports at the Sports Emmys when we asked him if he believed Franco would again play in the big leagues.

Franco, 25, was found criminally responsible for sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl, but was spared prison after a judge ruled he was also the victim of extortion and blackmail at the hands of the minor's mother.

Adam Sandler's love of the game comes first ... ditching formal wear to show a little team spirit on the red carpet for his wife's new movie.

The actor and comedian posed for pics with his better half, Jackie Sandler, at The Egyptian Theater in Hollywood on Tuesday for the world premiere of Netflix's new rom-com, "Office Romance," starring Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein.

While Jackie -- who plays Caroline in the flick -- dressed to the nines in a casual-chic black ensemble, Adam pulled up in a bright orange Knicks hoodie and blue sweats ... not the average celeb's go-to red carpet look -- but par for the course for the "Happy Gilmore" star.

9:53 AM PT -- Kendrick Perkins hopped on "The Pat McAfee Show" to share more of his story ... claiming one of the kids on his team was "body-slammed" by an alleged "7'0", 400-pound" player after the game -- and he confronted the opposing team's coach over it.

Perk said he was met with disrespect ... and that's when he got pissed.

He said he has to protect every player on his team ... and especially when their parents aren't around, they're his responsibility.

Ultimately, cooler heads prevailed ... and he said both sides dapped it up and apologized to each other.

7:41 AM PT -- Kendrick Perkins went to social media to address the video ... saying, "Damn right and it probably won’t be the last time!"

"I’m going to protect every single kid in my organization like they’re my own."

Ex-NBA player Kendrick Perkins found himself in the middle of the action at his son's AAU game over the weekend ... when he lunged at the opposition in a heated altercation -- but his side says he was simply defending his players.

President Donald Trump's a New Yorker first and foremost ... so of course he's considering playing hooky from the White House to watch his beloved Knicks.

According to the New York Times -- POTUS is seriously considering showing up to Madison Square Garden to cheer on the squad during the NBA finals sometime next week.

The outlet reports President Trump planned to hit up MSG Wednesday for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals if the Cleveland Cavaliers had pulled off a win Monday against New York in Game 4 ... but they fell way short -- losing 130-93.

The most luxurious sport in the world just took it to another level -- Gucci will be the title sponsor for the Alpine F1 team starting in 2027.

The Italian fashion house and racing organization shared details on the partnership on Wednesday ... saying as of next year, it will be known as the "Gucci Racing Alpine Formula One Team."

Gucci Racing says it will be all about "performance, precision, discipline, and excellence at the intersection of luxury and sport."

8:16 AM PT -- Travis Kelce spoke about his new business move on the latest episode of his "New Heights" podcast ... calling it a dream come true to cement himself in Cleveland culture.

But the first order of business?? Making up for the terrible first pitch he threw back in 2023.

Yeah ... we'd do the same.

Travis Kelce has been making huge headlines with his upcoming wedding to Taylor Swift ... but the NFL star is now making an even bigger splash with his wallet, that is ... investing his own money in the Cleveland Guardians, according to a new report.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end told ESPN that he just became a minority investor in the Guardians ownership group, buying a stake in the Major League Baseball team that he used to watch growing up as a child.

Kelce told the network that he has so much love for his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, where he says he learned his values and work ethic. He said spending his formative years in the "diverse and dynamic" city made him the man he is today and fueled his deep appreciation for the place.

Fat Joe was in the building to watch the Knicks sweep the Cavaliers, but he wasn't courtside after the home team put the kabosh on the rapper's plans ... but fresh off the victory, Joe Crack is telling TMZ Sports exactly what went down behind the scenes!

"I bought courtside tickets to Cleveland. We flew in, and they found out it was Fat Joe early afternoon and they were like, 'Yo, you're dead on the tickets,'" Joe told us Tuesday afternoon in New York City.

He then turned to buddy off camera and asked ... "I wonder, did we even get the money back from the tickets? We might've gotten robbed for the money."

Bob Horner, a legendary baseball player with the Atlanta Braves and the first overall pick in the 1978 MLB draft, is dead.

The Braves announced Bob's death Tuesday in a social media post. The cause and manner of death are unclear.

Bob was the first Braves player to go straight from the amateur ranks to the Major Leagues without ever playing a Minor League game ... and he played for the Braves from 1978 to 1986 ... earning one All-Star Selection.

Three people accused of being involved in burglarizing the homes of superstar athletes -- including Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes in 2024 -- were arrested over the weekend, authorities announced.

Local officials say two alleged culprits were taken into custody in Argentina after breaking into the house of former tennis star Juan Martín del Potro last week ... and the development helped them track down a third member of the criminal gang.

The trio of alleged burglars will now face justice in either the United States or in Argentina. Right now, they are in Chile awaiting their fate.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's star power couldn't save the Cavs from getting demolished in the playoffs ... and they weren't immune from getting trolled once the Knicks put the final nail into Cleveland's coffin on Monday, either.

The power couple did their best to provide a spark at Rocket Arena for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals over the weekend ... but even a beer chug from the Kansas City Chiefs tight end wasn't enough to change the inevitable -- with New York ultimately sweeping its way to the NBA Finals.

Naturally, when it came time for "Inside the NBA" to commemorate the Cavs' elimination with its iconic "Gone Fishin'" segment, the graphics team made sure to include the engaged pair in the tribute.

Manny Fernandez, a star player with the Miami Dolphins when they won two Super Bowls, has died.

The NFL team announced his passing Tuesday morning ... saying in part, "His consistent and selfless contributions on the field were instrumental to the Dolphins' success."

In addition to his two Super Bowl rings ... the defensive lineman was part of the legendary 1972 perfect team -- as well as a member of the Ring of Honor.

Amar'e Stoudemire's reaction to learning he was going into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame?? "What?!?!"

TMZ Sports talked to the former NBA superstar prior to his induction into the HOF ... where the retired hooper walked us through finding out he was about to join the world's most exclusive group of hoopers.

"Man, I was ecstatic. I was ecstatic. I was caught by surprise. I got a call saying, 'Hey Amar'e, we got some good news for you.' I said, 'Ok, alright, hit me with it.' He's like, 'You are now gonna be enshrined into the 2026 Basketball Hall of Fame," Stoudemire recounted.

"I was like, 'What?!' I was ecstatic about it."

Aaron Rodgers proved he's still got it in 2025, but one former Steeler is expecting the superstar quarterback to be even better in his final NFL season ... thanks to his new (and former) head coach.

Rodgers is running it back with Mike McCarthy in 2026 ... a guy he won a Super Bowl with 15 years ago when they were both on the Green Bay Packers.

We caught up with Charlie Batch shortly after it was confirmed Rodgers was re-joining the squad ... and he said the sky's the limit as he gets thrown back into an offense he knows all too well.

Sophie Rain says a basketball star offered her a bag to take her virginity ... but, she's not outing the dude by name.

We caught up with the popular OnlyFans creator outside Gravitas -- a members-only club in Beverly Hills -- on Friday ... and we had to ask her about which baller made the offer.

If you haven't seen it ... Rain shared an alleged message she received from an athlete making the offer -- but she says she turned him down.

Tiger Woods' plane is back in Switzerland where he recently attended a rehab program ... TMZ has confirmed.

The golfer's private jet left Florida Saturday night and landed in the European country Sunday.

We don't know why Woods' plane landed in the country ... and we've reached out to his team for more information -- but it's an interesting place to go given he just recently checked himself into rehab there.

Kyle Busch received a tribute in the middle of the Indy 500 Sunday ... with the crowd falling silent out of respect for him during lap 18 -- a nod to his former number.

Check out the clip ... racers turn out of corner 4 on Lap 17 -- and, as they pass the scoring pylon, a picture of Kyle Busch "1985-2026" flashes on a screen at the venue.

The Indy 500 crowd -- usually a raucous bunch -- falls into a subdued silence ... while pit crew members can be seen standing at attention.