TMZ Sports - Page 50

Adrien Broner says he doesn't get why everyone is all "bent out of shape" about the Gucci sweater that ignited a boycott ... telling TMZ Sports, "I don't care, it's just a sweater!"

Remember, stars like T.I., Soulja Boy and Spike Lee called for a Gucci boycott over a sweater that resembles blackface ... with T.I. calling the fashion item "racist and disrespectful."

But Broner seems to think the boycott is a massive overreaction -- and on his way into 1 OAK in L.A. he told us, "You can wear whatever you want to wear."

"I don't care! It's just a sweater! Why's everyone getting so bent out of shape about it?!"

Broner also said he's NOT wearing Gucci though -- explaining he's more of a Dolce & Gabbana kind of guy.

The decision seems to be motivated by fashion, not social justice.

AB's pal, Floyd Mayweather, also refuses to boycott Gucci -- in fact, he went on a MASSIVE shopping spree at the Gucci store in Bev Hills this week and proudly proclaimed that NOBODY tells him how to feel or what to wear.

NBA legend Chris Bosh -- an 11-time All-Star -- tells TMZ Sports he's "done" playing pro basketball and is focusing on the next phase of his life ... HOLLYWOOD!!

After the 2-time NBA champ told Bill Simmons he'd no longer be pursuing a basketball career, we asked why he decided to finally hang it up.

"It was just time, man," Bosh told us while leaving Toast in L.A. ... "Time to do other things. Maybe be in some movies or something."

We asked if Bosh was taking acting classes -- "Yeah man, acting. Music. The whole nine, bro."

The 34-year-old already has a pretty solid IMDb page -- with acting credits on shows like "Parks and Recreation," "Wrecked," "The Odd Couple" and "Entourage."

Plus, he's an accomplished musician too -- remember, he jammed out on guitar with Buddy Guy back in 2017.

Of course, Bosh hasn't played an NBA game since the 2015-16 season when he was diagnosed with blood clots.

But, with all these big career plans -- we asked Bosh if there was ANY way he'd reconsider and play ball again.

Flea HATES the Boston Celtics with the red, hot, fiery passion of 1,000 suns -- and when we saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers star at LAX ... HE WENT NUCLEAR on Beantown!!!

Oh, we should mention he's a die-hard Lakers fan ... if you couldn't tell by his throwback Magic Johnson shirt.

"I just think the Boston Celtics SUCK ASS," Flea proclaimed, "They're like the Satanic bottom of the basketball world! They are the shadow side."

It didn't stop there ... Flea reached way back into the rivalry to throw even more shade at the Celtics.

"Magic Johnson owned Larry Bird in college, owned him in the pros ... more championships, smoked him in college -- it's a simple fact."

We asked Flea if he'd like to see a Lakers vs. Celtics series in the NBA Finals -- and he went even HARDER!

"That would be thrilling. I'd like to see Lonzo dunk right on Jason Tatum's head!"

So, how do people in Boston feel about that? We got Mark Wahlberg out the other day, and he's already counting on the Celtics and the Boston Bruins to make it a clean 4-team championship sweep this year.

The Fresh Prince of ... D.C.??

Vernon Davis hopes that's one of his nicknames in the near future ... 'cause the Redskins star tells TMZ Sports once his football days are done -- he wants to be the next Will Smith!!!

"Anything he touches is golden, and that's what I'd like to model myself after."

Davis has been acting as a side gig for a while -- he's had parts in "The League" and "Baywatch" in the past -- and just landed his biggest role yet on "Hell on the Border" ... starring Frank Grillo and Ron Perlman.

But, Vernon says his passion for acting goes deeper than cameos ... he wants to be a legit Hollywood star after his football career is over!!!

In fact ... Davis sees himself as an action star -- saying his football roots give him an easy transition there!!!

As for when we might see Vernon turn from Pro Bowl tight end to full-time actor ... Davis ain't so sure.

He hasn't fought since 2016 ... but Cain Velasquez says he's still a BEAST in the Octagon -- and after he runs through Francis Ngannou, he's confident he could take Jon Jones.

36-year-old Cain is squaring off with Francis on Feb. 17 -- his first fight since defeating Travis Browne at UFC 200 in July 2016. After that fight, Cain was sidelined with bone spurs in his back.

But now, the former 2-time UFC heavyweight champ says he's been training like a maniac and feels like his old self -- and he's ready to compete with the best in the world ... including Jones.

"I think I could beat him," Cain told us ... "I think I'm good enough."

"Jon Jones is an amazing athlete. I've watched him in all his fights. I know what he's capable of. Every guy poses a great challenge. I think he does as well."

Of course, he's gotta get through Ngannou first ... which ain't gonna be easy. That dude's a monster.

The guy who created that freaky King Cake Baby character -- the New Orleans Pelicans mascot -- claims the movie "Happy Death Day" jacked his freaky face ... and now he's suing to get revenge.

The man behind the suit is Jonathan Bertuccelli -- an artist who created the intentionally weird looking mascot back in 2009. It's been seen everywhere from NBA games to Mardi Gras and even "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

In his suit, Bertuccelli claims he was shocked when he saw the killer in the movie "Happy Death Day" and the upcoming sequel "Happy Death Day 2U" wore a mask that looked just like his KCB mask.

Bertuccelli says NO ONE involved in the movie ever called him up to ask for permission -- or even credited him -- and he's pissed at Universal City Studios, Blumhouse Productions and everyone else attached to the film.

"A side-by-side comparison of KCB and Happy Death Day mask clearly shows that the visual attributes and aspects which have made KCB a celebrity mascot were copied and so substantially similar that the two are seen to be the same."

Bertuccelli also cites numerous people on social media who pointed out the similarity over the past few months.

So, what does he want?? Money. Lots of money.

In fact, Bertuccelli believes the movie has made more than $200 MILLION in revenue -- and he feels entitled to at least 50% of the profits.

Earnest Byner says he's in favor of the Browns giving Kareem Hunt a second chance ... IF the ex-Chiefs superstar and the team can show he's a changed man.

TMZ Sports spoke with the ex-Brown shortly after Cleveland inked the troubled RB ... and he says BOTH Hunt and the team have to show more for him to accept the controversial signing.

Byner -- who trained with Hunt before the draft -- tells us he wants to see if Kareem has "gone through a process of development" before he throws his support behind the move.

Don't get it twisted ... Earnest says he's all in favor of second chances -- he just believes what Kareem did to a female in an altercation at a Cleveland hotel last year was unacceptable.

"We don't support the violence against women. Okay? That will never happen. That should not be."

For their part ... both general manager John Dorsey and Hunt himself issued statements insisting the running back has learned his lesson.

"What I did was wrong and inexcusable," Hunt said Monday.

Wanna see the best high school dunker you've never heard of??

Good ... 'cause cameras captured Eric Gaines in a regional championship game this weekend -- and the dude can FLY!!!!

He's just 6'1", 140 pounds ... but 18-year-old Gaines took over for his Lithonia H.S. squad in a game in Georgia this weekend -- dunking on EVERYBODY.

Gaines threw down a few monster slams that woulda made Zion Williamson jealous ... even, at one point, cocking back a tomahawk that he slammed on some poor kid's head.

Bad news for Eric ... Lithonia still lost the regional championship game he was playing in, 61-59, in overtime.

Good news for Eric ... we're pretty sure you're gonna see him on a DI court sometime soon.

Gaines -- who's still a junior -- says he's got an offer from Georgia State ... but has been hearing from other schools like Georgia and Florida State as well.

Former NBA star Al Harrington says some nights in his NBA career were better than others ... and those are the nights he was guarded by white guys because on those nights he could do "something special."

Harrington -- who played 15 years in the NBA and averaged close to 14 points a game for his career -- appeared on "Van Lathan's The Red Pill" podcast and talked about his life.

Most of the conversation was about Al's Viola Lifestyle cannabis brand which he thinks will change the world (no one knows more about weed) but eventually, the conversation turned to the NBA.

When asked if Al felt any difference when he was up against white players versus black players, Harrington kept it all the way real.

"I might have that look in my eye with them ... I feel like Imma do something special."

Before you jump down Al's throat, he's not the first guy to say it ... Larry Bird, patron saint of the white hooper actually said in an interview he'd get INSULTED if an opposing team put a white dude on him.

Blake Griffin's dog is a violent menace -- so says an L.A. man who claims the Detroit Pistons star's pooch bit the crap out of him at a fancy restaurant ... and now he's suing.

The man behind the suit is Emmanuel Aframian -- who claims he was dining at A Votre Sante restaurant back in June 2018 when Griffin's "vicious" dog attacked him out of nowhere.

Aframian says he suffered real injuries from the attack which required expensive medical care -- and he thinks Griffin should have to cover all the bills ... plus other damages.

And, Aframian says Blake KNEW his dog had a history of biting random people -- so he should have taken proper steps to make sure he protected the public from his ferocious canine.

He's also going after the restaurant -- saying it had a duty to protect customers.

Aside from physical injuries, Aframian says he's also suffered -- and continues to suffer -- from "severe emotional harm."

FYI, Griffin signed a $171 MILLION contract extension in 2018.

Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn says his team DID consider signing Kareem Hunt ... but ultimately passed, saying, "I want good people in this organization."

The Lions brass held a Q&A session for season-ticket holders at Ford Field on Monday ... when Quinn opened up to a fan on why Kareem is in a Browns jersey now and not a Lions one.

Bob didn't hold back ... saying the troubled RB did NOT fit the mold of the kind of player they want on their team.

"We talked about it internally and he’s a player that we didn’t feel comfortable bringing to the Lions for numerous issues."

"I stand by that. That’s my word. I want good players and I want good people in this organization.”

Of course, Browns GM John Dorsey seems to disagree ... after signing Kareem on Monday he said, "Given what we know about Kareem through our extensive research, we believe he deserves a second chance."

Antonio Brown was found guilty in his reckless driving case -- stemming from a November incident when cops say the NFL star was doing 100 MPH in his Porsche.

Remember, cops in Pittsburgh were responding to a bank robbery on Nov. 8 when they saw a black Porsche racing away from the scene.

Cops gave chase and pulled the car over -- but it wasn't a bank robber, it was Brown, who was cited for reckless driving and ordered to appear in court.

Brown did NOT show up to court Tuesday and therefore did not fight the charges. The judge has ordered him to pay roughly $400 in fines and other fees. He has 30 days to appeal the case.

The Pittsburgh Steelers star is in the middle of a $68 MILLION contract -- it's peanuts to him.

U.S. Congressman Hank Johnson says it's a "grave injustice" that Kareem Hunt is getting a second chance in the NFL before Colin Kaepernick.

Hunt was signed to a 1-year deal by the Cleveland Browns on Monday -- mere months after TMZ Sports posted video showing Hunt getting violent with a woman in an Ohio hotel.

The Chiefs cut Kareem almost immediately ... and when we got Rep. Johnson in D.C. he told us he's blown away that Hunt got his second chance so fast, and Kap is still waiting.

"When I think about Colin Kaepernick and him being blackballed from the NFL for taking a knee for protesting social injustice but yet people who are accused of crimes get cut and then resigned quickly, something is wrong with that."

Johnson doesn't stop there, saying a reasonable person could think that the NFL cares less about violence against women then they do about someone standing up for a political cause.

Clippers stud Montrezl Harrell took policing loud-mouth fans into his own hands again Monday ... telling a courtside heckler to "shut the f*ck up, now!"

It all went down at the L.A.-Timberwolves game in Minnesota ... when Harrell's Clips were getting ribbed by some guy with floor seats at the free-throw line.

Montrezl wasn't in the mood to hear it ... and turned to the dude and screamed, "Be a fan, bro. Sit over there and be a fan. Shut the f*ck up, now!"

It ain't the first time Harrell's gone after a heckler ... back in December, he threatened to "smack the sh*t out" of some guy who was chirping at him on the way to the locker room.

Of course, Harrell's one of MANY who have had incidents with fans this season ... guys like Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin have hit back hard at smack-talking guys in the stands.

Doesn't seem the clapbacks are ending anytime soon ... but if anybody wants to learn how to calmly deal with the situation -- don't forget Julius Randle's advice!!!

Floyd Mayweather says he doesn't give a DAMN about the Gucci boycott -- telling TMZ Sports no one tells him what to do or what to buy ... and that's why he dropped a FORTUNE at the store Monday night.

The boxer -- along with his entire TMT crew -- rolled into Gucci in Bev Hills ... and when we told him about all of the stars calling for a Gucci ban over a sweatshirt that resembled blackface, Floyd scoffed.

"I'm not no follower, I do what the f*ck I wanna do," Floyd told us.

When we told Floyd that stars like T.I. and Spike Lee would be upset with him, Floyd laughed.

"You said they're gonna be upset with me? I love it, I love it, I love it. See, the thing is this, I live for myself. I do what I want to do."

Outside the store, Floyd and his crew showed off a BUNCH of bags filled with Gucci -- dropping a fortune on clothing and accessories.

"I'm not a follower," Floyd added ... "You know when everybody else they say, 'Everybody gonna boycott?' I say guess what, this boy gonna get on a yacht and live life."

"We all know racism still exists but that's not gonna stop my drive. I've got friends from all walks of life and to me of course, black lives matter first ... but my thing is this, I'm gonna continue to go out there live life and be happy."

He added, "Half of the people that's on social media saying, 'Don't wear this, don't wear that,' I ain't never seen none of them supporting The Money Team."

After the Gucci run, Floyd -- flanked by his bodyguards Jizzy Mack and Badou -- went over to Neiman Marcus -- where the store stayed open past the normal closing time so Floyd could shop.

Mayweather tells us he dropped $200-300k at Neiman. Good times.

You don't think the people at Fortnite were gonna back down from a fight, did you?

TMZ has learned Epic Games has loaded up their metaphorical Battle Bus to go to war with 2 Milly, the rapper who claims the video game stole his signature Milly Rock dance move.

Remember, 2 Milly sued Epic Games back in December for copyright infringement claiming ownership of the Milly Rock, which Fortnite players can use to celebrate a victory on the virtual battlefield.

But, Epic says they have done nothing wrong -- because 1) No one can own a dance step. And, 2) The dance in Fortnite is different than the Milly Rock.

Epic's argument isn't too complex -- they claim copyright law does NOT allow people to own individual dance steps and simple dance routines because they are "building blocks of free expression."

The other argument ... Fortnite claims their characters aren't even doing the Milly Rock, but rather a similar dance called the Swipe It ... which is a slower version of the M.R.