TMZ Sports - Page 50

Mark Cuban is so hands-on as the owner of the Dallas Mavericks -- he even attends ALL of his teams' G-League games ... so says Kostas Antetokounmpo.

Kostas -- a 2nd round pick in the 2018 NBA Draft -- is the younger brother of "Greek Freak" Giannis Antetokounmpo ... and currently plays for the Mavs' developmental team, the Texas Legends.

The 21-year-old is averaging nearly 10 points and 6 rebounds per game and has a ton of potential -- but when we saw him at LAX, he told us how great it's been playing for Cuban.

"He be at every game, you know?! ... I feel like he's probably the greatest NBA owner because he's always a part of the team, he comes to the trips, he's there at the games."

Of course, Kostas' big bro is killing it right now -- so we asked if he'd ever like to play on the same team as Giannis.

"If that would happen, that would be awesome!"

Conor McGregor is taking his punishment for a speeding incident in Ireland very seriously, showing a ton of remorse and ... JUST KIDDING, CONOR DOESN'T GIVE A FOOK ABOUT YOUR PUNISHMENTS!!!

Just a day after The Notorious One had his driving privileges in Ireland revoked for doin' 95 MPH in a 60 ... Conor joked about the whole ordeal with his adorable baby.

McGregor and little Conor hit the driveway in the baby's electric Mercedes ... and Conor giggled happily, joking, "I've found my new driver."

Conor's been pretty Teflon to everything that goes bad in his life these days ... and the loss of a driver's license for 6 months plus a measly $1,100 fine doesn't look like it's changin' a thing.

BTW ... now that Conor's car-less -- he's got some extra time on his hands to keep his training up ... and he's even making that a family affair too!

Surf legend Bruce Irons tells TMZ Sports he's confident he will beat the DUI Drug allegations against him -- claiming the field sobriety showed he was "fine."

As we previously reported, the 39-year-old surfer was arrested in Newport Beach last week when cops claim they found him passed out behind the wheel of a car with the engine running.

He was booked for driving under the influence of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.

Now, Irons tells us ... he's confident he'll be cleared -- and called the whole thing a "hiccup in the road."

"I did the sobriety test and I was fine," Irons told us at LAX on his way back to Hawaii.

Irons admits he was driving on an expired license -- but says he had planned to go back to Hawaii and fix that situation before the arrest.

Bruce also had a message for his fans -- "Innocent until proven guilty."

You know that big ass steer in Australia that went viral for being the biggest freakin' thing you've ever seen?

Major League Eating -- the competitive eating org that brought you food-guzzling superstars like Joey Chestnut, Matt Stonie and Takeru Kobayashi -- wants to eat him.

"Knickers" has become a viral sensation after reports pegged his height and weight at 6'4" and 2,800 pounds. He's a beast.

The MLE says it believes the animal could be too large to handle at a normal meat processing facility ... so they'd like to help out -- but butchering him and serving him themselves at an outdoor BBQ.

"Knickers is an extraordinary Holstein and we hope to pay honor by eating him in historic fashion," MLE Chair George Shea said.

"As a point of clarification, we would not consume the stomach because none of our eaters care for tripe."

So ... how many of the MLE's best eaters would it take to finish off good ole, Knickers??

The org estimates it'll take 20(!!!!) of it's best food fighters -- plus donut eating world champion Badlands Booker.

Safaree's finally getting cozy with someone post-Nicki Minaj ... the rapper was spotted out and holding hands with Erica Mena.

Sources close to the 'Love & Hip Hop' stars tell TMZ ... Safaree and Erica recently started dating and ... were seen walking hand-in-hand IN MATCHING FUR COATS at the Jazz-Nets game Wednesday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

We're told there were immediate fireworks ... and while they're not officially boyfriend/girlfriend yet, they're well on their way to that status. Safaree had been hinting for a while now about finding love ... posting clues on his Instagram story he's riding with a new chick.

Erica also took to Twitter before the Nets game ... professing she's finally finding true love.

Our sources say Safaree and Erica's new connection will be featured on 'L&HH' at some point.

Clearly, these 2 kids seem to be riding high on Cloud 9 ... a far cry from their previous relationships. As you know ... Safaree's on-again, off-again relationship with Nicki Minaj ended terribly, to say the least. He most recently accused her of trying to kill him.

Steve Weatherford is a MONSTER!!!

Check out the former NFL punter on vacation in the Maldives -- reminding everyone why you shouldn't skip leg day ... or ab day ... or arm day ... or chest day.

This is insane.

Weatherford was always a gym rat during his 9-year NFL career -- but he's clearly bulked up since hanging up the helmet and shoulder pads.

The 35-year-old Super Bowl champion has focused on bodybuilding and even made the cover of Muscle and Fitness as a "fitness icon." His workout brand "Weatherford Fit" has also taken off in a big way.

His wife, Laura Weatherford, is also a fitness nut who's in crazy good shape even after giving birth to 5 kids!

Kyler Murray's making the right call picking baseball over football ... so says Dave Winfield, who made the same choice more than 40 years ago and had things work out PRETTY well.

Of course ... D.W. is one of only six dudes to ever be drafted by THREE different pro sports -- but he chose the diamond over them all -- and says he's glad Kyler's doing the same.

"It's pretty intelligent to play baseball," the MLB Hall of Famer tells us ... "You don't get hurt as much."

Murray's a superstar QB at Oklahoma who some think could be the NFL's next Lamar Jackson ... but the kid was also drafted in the first round by the Oakland A's last summer.

Kyler says his plan -- as of now -- is to hang up the football cleats for the baseball diamond ... and Dave says that's a great call.

"Any football players you know play 22 years!?"

LeBron James was in a great mood after his Beverly Hills date night with his wife, Savannah, on Wednesday -- singing a Kendrick Lamar song on his way out of the restaurant.

The NBA superstar hit up Avra -- one of his favorite spots in town -- where the two dined on Greek food and then exited out the back to their waiting 2018 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S650 ... a car with a base price of $240k.

LeBron wasn't in the mood to talk about his Lakers -- or the upcoming Deontay Wilder fight -- but serenaded everyone to Kendrick's "Alright."

And, if you're wondering about Bron's "Me Over We" sweatshirt -- it ain't cheap either ... it's made by Cactus Plant Flea Market and we've seen it being sold for up to $500 online.

James and the Lakers didn't have a game last night -- but they do play on Thursday ... taking on the Indiana Pacers at Staples Center.

As for Bron's love of Avra -- he's taken Savannah to the spot on a previous date night and famously had his "Welcome to Hollywood" dinner there with Leonardo DiCaprio and Al Pacino right after he signed his Lakers contract.

Pro surfing star Bruce Irons was arrested last week for driving under the influence of drugs ... cops say.

The 39-year-old Hawaiian surfer was approached by the Newport Beach Police Dept. on Nov. 22 at 9:23 AM.

Law enforcement tells TMZ Sports Irons was found passed out behind the wheel of a running car at a gas station. Cops responded, found Irons, woke him up and determined he was under the influence of drugs. He was arrested without incident.

According to police records, Irons was booked for DUI Drugs, possession of a controlled substance without prescription and driving without a valid license. Bail was set at $2,500.

Bruce Irons is a legend in the surf world -- he's won several tournaments over the years including the 2008 Rip Curl Pro Search. He also famously beat Kelly Slater at the 2001 Billabong Pipeline Masters.

Bruce is also the younger brother of surf legend Andy Irons -- the 3-time world surfing champion who died in 2010 from a drug overdose at a hotel in Texas.

Both Bruce and Andy struggled with substance abuse -- something Bruce spoke about in the documentary "Andy Irons: Kissed By God."

Here's hoping he can find a way to conquer his demons ...

Jesse Ventura needs a little more time to decide whether he wants to run for President, but one thing's crystal clear -- his main goal is booting Donald Trump the hell out of office.

We got the WWE Hall of Famer and ex-Minnesota Gov leaving the Federal Courthouse in Orange County, and asked how serious he is about a 2020 presidential run. He insists he's always serious about that.

Jesse says he's gonna spend a couple months is Mexico mulling it over, but he's already concerned running as the Green Party candidate could take votes away from a Democrat and help Trump win.

Don't worry, Dems -- he has an unconventional plan to satisfy both sides and he's ready to make a deal.

As we reported, Jesse was at the courthouse Wednesday to testify on behalf of the Mongols Motorcycle Club, which is facing racketeering and murder charges. He's been a member since the early '70s and, even though he's been inactive for decades ... he vouched for the club, and told us he might go active again soon.

George Foreman doesn't know who's gonna win the MASSIVE heavyweight title fight between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury on Saturday, but he does know one thing ...

BOTH men woulda kicked the ass of a young George Foreman.

We talked to George, a two-time heavyweight champ and the oldest man to ever win the crown, and he told us he thinks both Wilder and Fury would have been a little too much for him to handle.

"I don't think I could've been able to get a good shot on Tyson Fury at all. He's too elusive."

Big George saw a whole different set of problems with Wilder.

"With Deontay Wilder, I'd have to protect myself so much I'd been in danger from round 1 to the final round."

As a matter of fact, Foreman thinks so highly of the two fighters he says their matchup on Saturday is going to be an EPIC brawl for the ages.

"I can say that, when it does take place, it'll be the world's greatest heavyweight matchup. For the world. Not America. A world championship boxing match. And, there's nothing better you can put together. Not today."

So here's the thing ... we love George, and fully admit he's forgotten more about boxing than we'll ever know. But, we're not so sure about this take. Dude was a BEAST, and beat an UNDEFEATED Joe Frazier.

But, honestly ... we're still afraid of him, so we didn't wanna argue.

Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury couldn't wait til Saturday to put hands on each other ... with the two boxers getting in a HEATED scuffle at their press conference -- and it almost came to blows.

The undefeated heavyweight champs were lining up to face-off on Wednesday ... when Deontay started jawing with Fury -- "I’m going to knock your ass out, I promise you that!!"

There's more ... "You talking about how you’re people have been fighting for 200 years, my people have been fighting for 400, and they’re still fighting to today!!"

It's tough to make out what Fury says in response ... but the dude was NOT having it ... and the 2 eventually traded shoves before getting separated.

3:00 PM PT -- We got Jesse as he walked out of the courthouse, surrounded by his Mongol MC "brothers," and he made it clear he never tried to hide his membership in the organization ... even when he was in politics. As he put it, "I don't run from being a Mongol."

1:15 PM PT -- Prosecutors asked Jesse about the Mongols MC allegedly retaliating for the killings of members ... and he said he'd lose respect for them if they didn't. During cross-examination, he conceded every organization has "some bad apples."

On a lighter note, Jesse referred to himself as a "gringo biker" who was never harassed while riding around East L.A. -- noting Mongols membership is about 75% Latino and 25% white.

He's now completed his testimony.

Jesse Ventura has found himself smack-dab in the middle of a real-life "Sons of Anarchy" storyline ... as the feds try to nail a biker gang on racketeering and conspiracy charges.

The legendary pro wrestler and former Minnesota Governor appeared in an Orange County courtroom Wednesday to testify on behalf of the Southern California-based Mongols Motorcycle Club ... of which he's an inactive member.

He was called as an expert witness for gang members who were accused of murder, drug running, robbery, extortion and other crimes. Jesse said under oath when he was a member of the MC he never engaged in criminal activity. He testified he was never asked to commit crimes and never did.

Jesse went on to praise the MC. He stated that joining the Mongols in the '70s helped him transition from the military -- where he was a Navy Seal -- to civilian life, and gave him a "brotherhood to rely on."

Ventura worked his way up to a Sergeant-at-Arms during his short time in the club, before leaving in 1974 to pursue his wrestling career.

It's interesting timing ... we just spoke with Jesse Tuesday, and he told us he's seriously thinking about running for President in 2020 against Trump.

We would say his affiliation with this case might hurt his chances, but controversy and legal trouble didn't deter Trump, so ... let the race begin?

Originally Published -- 10:01 AM PST

Gilbert Arenas wasn't lying when he said he would make his sex tape accuser pay ... he just settled his lawsuit with her -- and claims SHE had to write HIM a check for lying.

As we previously reported, Janelle Reeves got a restraining order against Arenas after telling the court he had been harassing her and threatened to release a sex tape of her to her own minor son.

Arenas claimed the woman was making the whole thing up and sued her for defamation -- demanding $10 MILLION in damages -- insisting he lost his job at Yahoo Sports as a result of the allegations.

The case was dismissed earlier this month, according to court record -- and now Gilbert's attorney, David Bass, tells TMZ Sports ... it's all because Reeves folded like a cheap suit.

"[Reeves] resolved the dispute by paying Mr. Arenas an undisclosed amount for his damages and confirming that the restraining order action of June 2018 was meritless, filed with fabricated documents and, therefore, filed without cause."

Reeves released the following statement to us, saying ... "I am generally a reclusive person, a lover not a fighter. I can't help it. My naivety to a lot of things landed me in situations that are not what I thought they would be."

"I am a person of integrity, honor, and love. And I will continue to be that. I am working through it all and am so glad to have moved on past this never to associate with the individual involved again."

Oscar De La Hoya says Dana White should "shut the f*ck up" and stop worrying about Golden Boy Promotions -- and focus on his own company.

That's just part of the fiery statement the boxing legend issued in response to Dana White calling him an irresponsible "cokehead" for allowing Chuck Liddell to fight last weekend.

Remember, White was PISSED -- claiming Oscar cared more about money than Liddell's health and said all sorts of terrible things about De La Hoya.

Now, Oscar has responded ... saying, "Dana is so small and threatened by our success with DAZN and now in MMA that he is bringing up news from a decade ago to try to stay relevant."

"Boxing has entirely rejected him. And, MMA fighters are now realizing they don’t have to risk their lives just so he can get rich."

"Golden Boy and I are moving forward and are bigger than ever. Dana should shut the f*ck up and try to figure out how to save his own company."

The comment about DAZN is in reference to the $365 MILLION deal Oscar put together for Canelo Alvarez as part of a 5-year, 11 fight contract.

These guys clearly hate each other's guts -- and we're guessing this feud is far from over.

Khabib Nurmagomedov was such a VIP at the Paris St-Germaine soccer game in France on Wednesday .... he sat IN FRONT of Leonardo DiCaprio and Mick Jagger!

Check out the pic ... Leo and Mick -- trying to go incognito in baseball hats -- were spotted 1 row behind the UFC star as Neymar and PSG took on Liverpool at Parc des Princes.

Khabib was personally invited to the game by the team owners -- how cool is that?!

The only star who had better seats than Khabib was Didier Deschamps -- who coached Team France to a 2018 World Cup championship.

Khabib has been on a media tear lately -- meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

He also had a massive press conference in Russia this week where he once again called out Floyd Mayweather ... and talked about his MMA future.