Sports

The NBA world is patiently waiting for LeBron James' next move ... but he doesn't seem to have a care in the world -- the King is having a great time on the golf course on the 16th anniversary of his infamous "Decision."

The four-time champion and current free agent posted video of his outing on Wednesday ... showing him vibing out to Tupac's "Check Out Time" in between holes.

Meanwhile, the Association is trying to figure out where the all-time leading scorer will play next season after parting ways with the Los Angeles Lakers last week.

Tigers legend Justin Verlander is hangin' up his cleats at the end of the 2026 season ... and he's doing it right in the city where his legendary career started!

The superstar pitcher, in his 21st season in the Big Leagues, penned an emotional letter posted to his X account, confirming his plans to walk off the mound for good after the Tigers' season ends in September.

"This season has challenged me in ways I haven't experienced before, both physically and mentally. I've always believed that as long as I could compete at the level I expect of myself, I’d keep playing. I never wanted to retire because of a milestone, a number, or a date on the calendar. I wanted the game to tell me when it was time," Verlander wrote in the announcement.

A fan is coming to his own defense after a clip appearing to show him mocking IShowSpeed with a racist taunt went viral ... but the Argentinian supporter says it ain't what it looks like, and he's adamant he did nothing wrong!

"I wasn't being racist, I was imitating Speed himself, it disgusts me and that anti-Argentina campaign has me fed up, and to top it off if it had been 'racist' then tough luck for him, he's in ALL the matches busting balls against Argentina, what are we gonna tell him? Love ya?," one of the alleged fans explained on X, in response to the controversy.

Along with the commentary, the fan, named Micha, shared a one-minute-long video of Speed taunting Lionel Messi from a first-row seat during a penalty kick in the Argentina vs. Egypt game on Monday.

Congratulations to Shohei Ohtani on hitting his 300th career home run ... and now that we got that out of the way, let's talk about these adorable baby raccoons!!

Two tiny trash pandas stole the hearts of baseball fans and animal lovers on social media Tuesday night ... when a clip of their visit to Dodger Stadium quickly went viral.

The cuties were caught on camera roaming underneath the outfield wall padding ... and the broadcasters assured viewers that help was on the way to bring them to safety.

The Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce wedding is now in the rearview mirror ... so what's next for the newlyweds?? If they decide to start a family, the singer's former employer, Jeff Jarrett, tells TMZ Sports those kids will be blessed with the "genetic lottery!!"

The WWE Hall of Famer and the bride go way back -- Swift used to babysit his little ones when she was a teen in Hendersonville, Tennessee ... and he's stayed in touch with the fam over the years, even after she became a global pop star.

That being said, we had to ask one big question when we caught up with Jarrett in NYC this week -- was he at the ceremony at Madison Square Garden?!?!

Before this sweet girl decked out in flowers turned into a professional athlete, she was just playing tennis at 5 years old, and moved to Florida as a pre-teen to take her skills to the next level ...

At the 2014 Wimbledon Championships, she became the first Canadian player to reach a major singles final, where she finished runner-up to Petra Kvitová.

She also plays pickleball!

Sean Strickland is issuing a mea culpa to Dustin Poirier ... in a wild 180 that no one saw coming, with the UFC champ eating crow for doubting whether the retired fighter was actually battling depression before his recent viral arrest.

Stricland said, "I spoke to Dustin and he is legitimately messed up by his actions," Strickland wrote on social media. "I thought he was just doing PR clean up tbh.. I guess not everyone is a POS like me lol."

He continued, "So yeah I repent and I am sorry Dustin."

Greatness recognizes greatness ... and Tom Brady was so impressed with Lionel Messi and Argentina's win over Egypt at the FIFA World Cup, he thinks it might've topped his 28-3 comeback in the Super Bowl!!

Messi and his crew were seemingly cooked down 2-0 late in the Round of 16 matchup in Atlanta on Tuesday ... but they put the ball in the back of the net in the 79th minute to finally get on the board.

Minutes later, Messi did his thing and tied it up at 2-2 ... and Enzo Fernandez secured the game-winning goal two minutes into stoppage time to put Argentina in the quarter-final and send Mohamed Salah and Co. packing.

Taylor Lewan is setting the record straight on his Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce wedding rejection ... letting everyone know he and Will Compton aren't actually pissed for getting snubbed, 'cause couples can invite "whoever the f*** they want" to their own ceremonies.

The "Bussin' With The Boys" boys have been quite vocal after the Madison Square Garden bash ... with Compton being the first to come out and say he was "flabbergasted" by the non-invite.

Lewan followed up by wondering if the guest list was a "personal shot" ... considering a ton of seemingly random celebs were there, but he was somehow overlooked after 10 years of friendship with the groom.

Marshawn Kneeland, late Cowboys pass rusher who took his life in November, has been diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), according to doctors.

The 24-year-old pass rusher's brain was sent to the center for a posthumous examination after his tragic death from a self-inflicted gunshot wound ... and on Tuesday, doctors at Boston University's CTE Center released their findings, saying Kneeland had Stage 1 CTE.

Stage one is the first stage of the disease, characterized by short-term memory loss, mild aggression and depression, and headaches, according to experts.

Conor McGregor's last fight was more than five years ago, but Max Holloway doesn't believe in ring rust ... 'cause he tells TMZ Sports he's preparing for a "dangerous" Mystic Mac at UFC 329 on Saturday.

Holloway and McGregor first met in the Octagon way back in 2013 -- a scrap Conor won via unanimous decision. Not only did Holloway think a rematch would've gotten made a lot sooner, he wasn't expecting it to happen with McGregor coming off a lengthy hiatus.

All that being said, Blessed told us he's happy to be the guy to welcome Conor back in the cage ... but that's where the pleasantries end -- 'cause he "can't wait to punch the guy in the face."

Travis Kelce was dealing with legal issues in the days before his mega-wedding to Taylor Swift ... TMZ has learned.

In new docs, obtained by TMZ, Travis and his pal Patrick Mahomes claim the shoe company 1587 Sneakers is trying to sue them in New York federal court, which picked the wrong place to file.

Travis and Patrick argue they lack sufficient ties to New York to be hauled into court there ... despite 1587 Sneakers claiming the NFL pros regularly participate in national advertising campaigns and can therefore be sued in NY.

Former USMNT star Herculez Gomez feels we are headed in a bad direction if President Trump is seemingly calling in favors to FIFA President Gianni Infantino ... because that could mean other world leaders might be inclined to do the same.

Check out the clip ... we spoke with the sports commentator on "TMZ Live" today to ask him what he made of Folarin Balogun's red card suspension ... and he's concerned to say the least.

Not only does he feel FIFA has "opened up Pandora's Box" by entertaining Trump's call to Infantino ... but he also feels this whole situation has brought the United States back to being "that ugly big brother ... that bully," which completely undermines the good work the nation has done as hosts of the World Cup and as a team on the pitch.

Kylian Mbappe just went scorched earth on Paraguayan politician Celeste Amarilla for directing disgusting and racist comments at him after a World Cup game ... calling her a "despicable woman" who is unfit to represent her country.

Amarilla targeted Mbappe following France's 1-0 win over Paraguay on Saturday ... taking issue with the superstar appearing to snub goalkeeper Orlando Gill's handshake attempt.

Her social media post is shockingly bad -- she called the 27-year-old a "colonized Cameroonian, desperately ​trying to pass himself off as French," a "brute" who can't write ... and said other things we're not going to share due to how far she went.

Mike Vrabel and his wife, Jen, are still moving forward together ... with the couple spotted side by side at the airport after attending Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's star-studded wedding.

The New England Patriots head coach and Jen were seen making their way through the Salt Lake City airport Sunday ... casually dressed and carrying their bags as they made their way through the terminal following a whirlwind wedding weekend.

Mike rocked a patterned short-sleeve shirt, white shorts, and sneakers, while Jennifer kept things comfortable in a matching light gray set and sandals.

Dianna Russini is patching things up with her husband, Kevin Goldschmidt, after she was snapped getting all touchy-feely with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.

The former NFL reporter for The Athletic was spotted on a Royal Caribbean Cruise with Goldschmidt -- a Shake Shack executive -- and their two sons over the July 4 weekend.

TMZ obtained photos showing Russini hanging out with her family inside the ship.