Sonny Vaccaro On Caitlin Clark's Nike Pact ... She Deserved A Jordan-Esque Deal

Sonny Vaccaro says he believes Caitlin Clark could have gotten a much better deal from Nike -- telling TMZ Sports he's sure the former Iowa superstar could've inked a pact similar to the one Michael Jordan got back in the day.

The shoe industry legend, of course, knows all about the deal MJ received -- he was the one who helped negotiate it. And, when he heard Clark only received $28 million over eight years to be with Phil Knight's co., he was surprised it wasn't more.

POORLY HANDLED
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Vaccaro tells us she could've landed a contract that not only gave her more annual money -- but also allowed her to take a cut of every Clark-branded item sold ... just like Jordan got with his initial Swoosh agreement in 1984.

Sanya Richards Ross I Want To See LeBron, Biles In My Jammies!!! ... At Paris Olympics

Coordinates x Team USA
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Sanya Richards-Ross is returning to the Olympics, but not as an athlete -- her pajama/loungewear line will help keep Team USA nice and cozy in Paris ... and she tells TMZ Sports she's hoping to catch the country's biggest stars like LeBron James and Simone Biles wearing her gear!!

The four-time Olympic gold medalist and her two-time Super Bowl champion husband Aaron Ross partnered with Team USA to distribute their Coordinates collection to athletes for the 2024 and 2028 games ... and she tells us she's over the moon about being able to share their product with the Red, White and Blue.

'We want everybody in it," Richards-Ross said. "We get to gift it to Team USA. There's some incredible athletes that we're all excited to watch compete and we would love it if they wear it."

Of course, one of those athletes is the Lakers superstar ... who will be attempting to win his third Olympic gold medal with the Team USA basketball team.

SRR made sure to specifically shout him out -- and the James Gang.

"LeBron James and the fam. Savannah, the boys -- we wanna see you guys in it!" Richards-Ross said.

She hopes to catch gymnastic star Biles and track star Sha'Carri Richardson wearing their comfy clothes this July, too.

Sanya explained the idea for the Coordinates line came from when she used to match outfits with Aaron while at the University of Texas. Then they launched the brand last November -- and sold out in one month!

"This basically started all from her heart," Aaron said. "We got together in 2003 in college and she's been coordinating us from that day."

Business Couple !!!
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Marriage and running a business together can be a tough combination ... but the Ross duo -- who got married in 2010 -- said it works for them because of their great foundation and recognizing each other's strengths and weaknesses ... as well as their own.

"I think because we know each other so well, we're able to make it work," Sanya said.

"It ain't gon' be perfect, it's gonna be some tough conversations sometimes that come up but I think if you can give the person grace and really love on them, I think it could really work."

#PowerCouple

Le'Veon Bell Gunning For World Title In Boxing ... 'I Want To Be The Best!'

CHOMPIN' AT THE BIT
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Le'Veon Bell hasn't fought in a year, but the former NFL superstar has been in the lab ... and with a big fight scheduled for next month, the 3x Pro Bowler says he's pumped to show he's an "elite" boxer!

32-year-old Bell joined Michael Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs nightly on FS1) ... and previewed next month's scrap against influencer/boxer Tristan Hamm (1-0, 1 KO) in Houston, Texas, and Le'Veon's ready to rock.

"He's just the opponent they put in front me," the former running back said, adding, "I gotta go out here showcase my skills on this opponent."

TMZ TV Hot Takes Joe Biden's Suicidal Thoughts ... Emma Stone, Xavier Worthy

The end of another hectic week, but -- before you hit the town Saturday -- check out some of our best clips from the week.

TMZ Live

PRESIDENTIAL VULNERABILITY
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On "TMZ Live," Harvey and Charles discuss President Joe Biden's Howard Stern interview ... where he reveals he contemplated suicide after his first wife's tragic death.

Devin Haney Fear of God Boots 'Maybe' A Bad Idea ... Says Eddie Hearn

can't blame the boots
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Eddie Hearn isn't blaming Devin Haney's footwear choice for his loss to Ryan Garcia ... but he does seem to regret the move just a little bit -- telling TMZ Sports it was "maybe" not a good idea for "The Dream" to rock Fear of God boots for the fight.

Many boxing fans took notice of Haney's Ugg boot-esque kicks for last Saturday's bout ... speculating whether he had enough support to compete against Garcia.

Hearn shuts down all that talk ... saying Haney was well-equipped in the ring.

April Hot Shots ... Celebs Ripped And Ready For Summer!

If there's one sure thing April brought ... it's a plethora of celebs out under the sunshine, lookin' mighty damn fine! Hollywood was blooming with excitement all month long, with stars eager to strip down and parade their bangin' bods heading into summer!

Kylie Jenner and Teyana Taylor donned eye-popping orange bikinis on vacay, Chloe Bailey also slipped into an orange set showcasing her beautiful curves in a cabana, and although David Beckham wasn't outdoors, he clearly is summer-ready ... case in point, his shredded gym selfie!

You're one step closer to summer! Drool over our hot shots gallery of celebs heating up heading into the hot months 😜.

Chrisean Rock Ditched Drankin' & Smokin' ...To Focus On My Fitness!!! 🏋🏽‍♀️

fit girl era

Chrisean Rock has been laying low amid Blueface's incarceration and turns out, it's for a positive cause!!!

In a new IG Live session, as she was chowing down in a restaurant with her son Chrisean Jr. in her arms ... Chrisean revealed she's cut out all the smoking and drinking in her life and now works out full-time.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Her newfound focus looks to be geared toward her participation in an upcoming football league, and judging by the precision of her drills, she'll be bustin' out onto the gridiron in no time.

O.J. Simpson Cause Of Death Revealed

O.J. Simpson's official cause of death has been revealed ... one of the most infamous, high-profile Americans of all time died from prostate cancer, TMZ has learned.

Malcolm LaVergne, Simpson's longtime attorney and the executor of his estate, tells us he has received the death certificate for the disgraced former football superstar and actor, confirming our report that O.J. succumbed to cancer.

76-year-old Simpson died on April 10 after spending several months in hospice.

Olin Kreutz, Bears Great Could Be Most Talented Offense In Team History W/ Caleb Williams & Odunze

EXCITING TIMES
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Walter Payton, Mike Ditka, and Gale Sayers all suited up for the Chicago Bears, but offensively, the 2024 roster may be the most loaded in the legendary franchise's history, according to former Bears star lineman, 6x Pro Bowler Olin Kreutz.

TMZ Sports talked to Kreutz -- who anchored the Bears' offensive line for 13 seasons (from 1998 to 2010) -- Friday morning after the squad made two big splashes during round one of the NFL Draft, selecting Caleb Williams with the first overall pick, and stud wide receiver Rome Odunze with the 9th pick. We asked the Bears great for his reaction to the picks.

"For the Chicago Bears now, I mean, talent-wise, maybe the most talent that they've ever had on the offensive side of the ball if Caleb Williams turns out to be who people think he can be."

O.J. SIMPSON BANK OF AMERICA CREDIT CARD AUCTIONED FOR $10K

O.J. Simpson's Bank of America credit card has been auctioned off just over 2 weeks after his death.

The business account card, which expired in 2023, fetched $10,675 at Goldin Auctions ... making the seller quite the profit after he purchased it on eBay for only $70.

Jonathan Lepore told us he'd initially planned to gift the card to his pal's dad, who apparently used to hang out with O.J. and Nicole Brown Simpson in the Hamptons during the '80s and early '90s.

Model Grace Boor King Ryan's Nothing Like Social Media ... I'm Open To Dating!!!

CALL ME MAYBE
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Ryan Garcia might act unhinged on social media, but the boxing superstar couldn't be further from that in real life ... so says model Grace Boor, who tells TMZ Sports "King Ry" was the ultimate gentleman throughout their time together this week.

As we previously reported, the 25-1 fighter was spotted with several gorgeous women in Florida following his massive win over Devin Haney on Saturday ... one of them being Boor, a social media superstar with millions of followers.

4/23/24
HANGIN' OUT
Instagram / @graceboor

We spoke with Boor after Ryan flew to Miami to be with her ... and she's glad he made the trip -- 'cause they had a ton of fun.

Kelly Oubre Jr. Cops Launch Internal Affairs Investigation ... After Car Accident

Kelly Oubre Jr.'s recent car accident has raised some questions within the Philadelphia Police Department ... and now, an internal investigation has been launched.

TMZ Sports has learned -- the PPD's Internal Affairs Division is looking into the handling of Monday night's crash involving Oubre and another driver ... specifically officers' response and actions while at the scene.

As we previously reported, cops told us Oubre's Lamborghini ran a red light and hit a 2023 Hyundai Elantra ... with both cars being towed from the scene.

BAM MARGERA ADDRESSES UK TOUR CANCELATION DRAMA ... Adamant He's Sober

BACK OFF, BOZOS!!!

Bam Margera's clearing the air about why his UK tour got the axe -- and while some have suspected it's all about him falling off the wagon ... he's saying he's clean and sober.

Here's the deal ... Bam's been across the pond lately for a string of Q&A gigs he'd booked through a promoter -- where he was scheduled to talk to audiences ... all of which recently came to a screeching halt after the peeps he was working with announced the rest of his appearances were cancelled.

There's been a lot of accusations and drama brewing in the background this past week -- with allegations that Bam was acting erratic and rolling with a new crew of misfits.

Taylor Swift I Approve Chiefs' Draft Pick!!! ... 'Likes' IG Post Welcoming Rookie Xavier Worthy

The Kansas City Chiefs can breathe a big sigh of relief after night one of the NFL Draft ... 'cause their decision to select Texas receiver Xavier Worthy in the first round got Taylor Swift's stamp of approval!!

The back-to-back Super Bowl champs picked the speedy wideout 28th overall on Thursday ... adding yet another weapon to their already-stacked offense.

The "Fortnight" singer was apparently keeping a close eye on her boyfriend Travis Kelce's team's moves on draft night ... 'cause when the Chiefs shared a video of Worthy celebrating hearing his name called, Swift hit the "like" button on the Instagram post.

Ciara Shows Off How Much She Weighs ... As She Tries Losing 70 lbs.

Ciara is trying to drop major poundage after having her fourth baby -- and she's not afraid to show off the progress along the way ... including how much she weighs right now.

The singer posted a photo dump Thursday, which was basically just an update on her life. It included lots of different shots -- including her looking good in a car, her working out, her in the studio, her posing with famous pals, playing pickleball and her with her kids.

There was one photo in there, though, that caught the attention of fans ... it was a picture of a scale with a number on it, which seems to reflect Ciara's current weight.

Caleb Williams Breaks Caitlin Clark's Record ... Most Draft Night Merch Sold Across Sports

Caitlin Clark is known to break records, but Caleb Williams is showing her what it's like to be on the other side of history ... with the Chicago Bears quarterback becoming the top-selling draft pick across sports -- just one week after the Indiana Fever superstar earned the title herself.

The former USC Trojans signal-caller was the first prospect to have his name called at Thursday night's draft in Detroit ... and shortly after the selection was made official, Bears fans rushed to cop merch in support of their new face of the franchise.

Fanatics -- the official online retailer for the NFL -- confirmed to TMZ Sports there were an insane amount of orders for Williams apparel ... more than any rookie on draft night across any professional sport.

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