TMZ Sports - Page 50

Good news for Dennis Rodman ... TMZ Sports has learned the NBA legend is NOT being hit with charges in that apparent yoga studio clothing heist back in May.

A spokesperson for the Orange County D.A.'s office tells us, "No case has been submitted on Rodman" ... and they don't anticipate receiving one from the Newport Beach PD.

As we previously reported, the owner of VIBES Hot Yoga studio in Newport Beach says Rodman and the NBA Hall of Famer's friends jacked a bunch of clothes from his store in broad daylight on May 7.

The owner also accused Rodman and his crew of breaking -- and then taking -- a $2,500 crystal that was on display at the front desk ... and says the whole thing was caught on video.

Cops investigated the incident ... and a woman who was with Rodman -- Misty Ann Sacapano -- was eventually hit with a felony charge of grand theft as well as a misdemeanor charge of shoplifting.

But, Rodman will likely escape charges ... with the D.A. telling us, "We do not anticipate receiving a case from Newport Beach."

Rodman is still under investigation down in Florida for a separate incident ... where a 30-year-old man is accusing the former Chicago Bulls star of slapping him at a party in Del Ray Beach on May 17.

For his part, Dennis is denying involvement in it all ... telling us back in May, "nothing happened."

Ex-UFC fighter Melvin Guillard pled guilty to knocking out civilians on TWO separate occasions ... but TMZ Sports has learned the guy won't have to spend more time behind bars after the pleas.

36-year-old Guillard first ran into trouble on June 15, 2018 when the former fighter was working as a bouncer at The Ginn Mill bar in Denver, Colorado.

Cops say a man walked up to the entrance of the bar and confronted Guillard ... and that's when they say Melvin pushed the guy and socked him in the face -- knocking him unconscious.

The second incident happened just a few months later on Sept. 3, 2018, when Melvin was a patron at Bar Standard in Denver.

Cops say Guillard threw punches and knocked another man out after a dust-up inside the club ... and in video obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see the full melee break out. 

Guillard was eventually hit with SIX total charges for the two incidents ... including multiple felony assault counts.

But, we've learned Guillard struck a plea deal with prosecutors last month, and in exchange for guilty pleas -- he won't have to spend more time behind bars.

In the bouncer case, we're told Guillard pled guilty to one count of assault in the second degree in order to have the other assault charge dismissed.

In the club brawl case, we're told Guillard pled guilty to one count of assault in the 3rd degree in exchange for having the other three charges of assault dropped.

Seems it was a good deal for Melvin -- who was facing MULTIPLE years in prison -- because court officials tell us the terms of his sentencing allowed him to not have to spend any more time behind bars due to the pre-sentence confinement he had already accumulated.

Court officials add Guillard was also hit with 2 years of probation and will be required to pay some sort of restitution as part of his plea agreement.

Guillard was a pretty promising MMA fighter when he first started out -- appearing on "The Ultimate Fighter" season 2. He famously scored a victory against UFC stud Jeremy Stephens back in 2010.

Time to kick up the energy and get ready to cheer on Team USA!

Today marks the final match (United States vs. Netherlands) of the FIFA Women's World Cup and these famous fans are ready to show some support to the ladies representing is the red, white and blue!

With celebrities like Oprah, Tom Hanks model Lily Aldridge and Arnold Schwarzenegger and several others, there are plenty of stars ready to send good vibes all the way to the final match in France!

Take a look through our gallery of famous USA futball fans to catch a glimpse of all the stars rooting the women on!

Jimmy Butler did a lot to put the Philadelphia 76ers in contention for a title last year -- and as a parting gift ... the team thanked him by misspelling his name.

Someone in the graphics department screwed up big time in the 'Thank You' tweet sent out Saturday by the team's official page -- spelling Butler as Buter. Weirdly enough, they tagged him correctly by writing, "Thank you @JimmyButler!" 

Hey, at least they got the "Jimmy" right. Props?

The erroneous tweet was up for about 40 minutes before somebody noticed and took it down. Jimmy doesn't appear to have responded to it either.

We'd like to give Philly the benefit of the doubt and assume this is just a classic mistake -- BUT, it could also be seen as a slight ... if you're into that narrative. 

Jimmy, of course, is no longer with the 76ers ... having signed a new contract with the Miami Heat in a 4-team, sign-and-trade deal. He was a free agent, and could've re-upped for another run with the Process, but opted to take his talents to Miami Beach instead.

Blake Griffin thinks Kawhi Leonard choosing the Clippers is "good for basketball" ... but warns the superstar that L.A. definitely has it's ups and downs!

Griffin would know ... he spent 8 seasons with the L.A. Clippers before being traded to the Detroit Pistons in early 2018. 

In fact, Blake still spends a bunch of his time in Los Angeles -- he was at the famous Comedy Store on Friday night -- so, we asked him about Kawhi's big move. 

"I think it's good for basketball, good for L.A.," Griffin told TMZ Sports ... "I think it'll bring a little bit more balance to the Los Angeles basketball scene, so its good!"

But, when we asked Blake if he preferred L.A. to other cites, the 30-year-old didn't try and sugarcoat his answer. 

"No, to be honest. I think playing in another city now I see the advantages and disadvantages to playing in different places."

He added, "Everything has a positive and a negative. It just depends on what you value."

Of course, the Kawhi news is rocking the NBA world -- he's leaving his championship Toronto Raptors squad to play in L.A. with Paul George. 

Common can't say enough about tennis phenom Coco Gauff, who he says is inspiring the world.

We got Common at Studio Be Gallery in New Orleans Friday and he went on and on about the 15-year-old, who just advanced to the 4th round at Wimbledon after beating Polona Hercog.

Common says he's blown away by Coco's passion and determination ... adding she's become an inspiration for young people.

It's pretty touching ... he says Coco looked to her heroes -- Venus and Serena -- and is now on the road to achieving their greatness.

Could Jon Jones be the 4th member of the New Day?

Kofi Kingston ain't ruling it out ... telling TMZ Sports he'd love to see the UFC star get involved in pro wrestling -- but he's gotta see Jon's hip-shaking ability before bringing him into the group!!!

Check this out ... Kofi says he actually met Jon recently and admitted he was straight-up starstruck -- "He's one of the greatest of all time man!"

"It was a real honor meeting him ... real cool."

And, with former UFC star like Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey killling it in the WWE, Kofi thinks Jon could be the next great crossover.

"He's definitely got the height, he's got the skill," Kofi says. "From what I see he's got the right attitude."

"I think a lot of people would love to see Jon Jones in there."

Of course, before Jon can even consider a wrestling career, he's gotta get through Thiago Santos at UFC 239 in Vegas on Saturday night.

Mark Wahlberg is DOUBLING DOWN on his prediction that Baker Mayfield will be a New England Patriot, telling TMZ Sports, "He's the heir to the throne -- to Tom Brady!!"

Of course, Mark has been beating this drum for over a year ... it was June 2018 when he told us Mayfield would somehow end up on the Patriots' roster after TB12 retires.

But, since then, Mayfield has become the face of the Browns and the team's clear-cut franchise QB -- and if you're wondering if that's changed Mark's opinion at all -- spoiler alert, IT HASN'T!!!

Mark told us out in Bev Hills he STILL thinks Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft are going to find a way to make Baker their star QB after Brady decides to hang up his G.O.A.T. cleats.

It all begs the question, does Mark know something everybody else doesn't???

The legendary actor HAS been working out with Mayfield -- the two got in a lift together at Mark's F45 Training gym in L.A. just a few days ago ...

Colin Kaepernick isn't just an athlete with a platform -- "he's the spokesperson for the black culture" ... so says rapper Trinidad James. 

After Kaepernick reached out to Nike with concerns about their Betsy Ross Flag shoe, Trinidad says the culture immediately got behind Colin because they trust him as a leader. 

Trinidad -- the guy behind the hit "All Gold Everything" -- essentially explains why he believes Kaepernick's activism comes from a good place ... and that's why so many people are on board with his movement. 

As we previously reported, Nike felt Kap had a point with his objection to the Betsy Ross shoe (he claimed the 13-star flag has been co-opted by white nationalist groups) and pulled the kicks from stores. 

Several politicians have now gotten involved -- with people like Ted Cruz calling for a Nike boycott.

German soccer superstar Jerome Boateng is on a mission to be the most iced out player in the game ... going on a $350k watch and chain jewelry spree!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 30-year-old Bayern Munich defender wanted to treat himself with some shiny new gifts ... hitting up Gabriel the Jeweler for the job.

We're told Boateng copped an Audemars Piguet watch with a custom VVS diamond bezel decked out with 30 carat stones ... and a 1 kilo Cuban link choker with 120 carat VVS diamonds.

FYI -- Gabriel is the go-to guy for guys who play the other football as well -- like Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham and Amari Cooper.

Luke Walton admits he did meet up with the woman accusing him of sexual assault in a Santa Monica hotel room ... but the Sacramento Kings head coach says she's lying about what went down.

In new legal docs obtained by TMZ Sports ... Walton claims his accuser, Kelli Tennant, was the person who initiated their meet-up, but he is adamant their encounter was "platonic" and nothing sexual even occurred.

In the docs, Walton claims when he was a Warriors coach, Tennant drove to meet him at a hotel the team was staying at while in town to play the Lakers, something she initiated.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Kelli filed a lawsuit back in April claiming Walton sexually assaulted her and forced himself on her in his hotel room. 

Now, Walton is pushing back against many of her claims from her lawsuit ... he says he did NOT write a foreword for her book, says he was NOT her broadcasting mentor and says there was NO sexual assault when she dropped off her book at his hotel. 

In the docs, Walton claims Tennant never complained to him or anyone else, including law enforcement, about any aspect of the visit that she initiated ... and he points out she waited nearly 5 years to file her complaint.

The heat Nike is taking over the controversy surrounding Colin Kaepernick and the Betsy Ross Flag Shoe is having another effect ... enhancing the brand's appeal to investors. 

Nike shares are surging in the wake of the company's decision to recall its special Betsy Ross Flag Air Max 1 USA sneakers after Kaepernick complained the 13-star flag design was offensive because it's been co-opted by several white nationalist groups. 

Since Nike pulled the plug on the sneakers following Kaepernick's objections earlier this week, Nike shares have seen a 2 percent increase since Tuesday, adding nearly $3 BILLION to the shoe giant's market value. 

Friday afternoon, trading Nike shares were up slightly to $86.62 and the company's market value is now $136.38 billion.

The stock surge looks a lot like what Kevin O'Leary predicted a few days ago ... the "Shark Tank" investor told us Nike is taking advantage of the controversy with a firestorm of free marketing. 

Tedy Bruschi, a three-time Super Bowl champion and New England Patriots legend, is recovering after suffering a stroke ... according to the former-NFL player's family. 

Tedy's family shared a medical update Friday afternoon on the current ESPN analyst, saying he's recovering well after suffering a stroke on the Fourth of July. 

The statement from the Bruschi family says ... "Yesterday afternoon, Tedy had a stroke, known as a TIA. He recognized the warning signs immediately: arm weakness, face drooping and speech difficulties. Tedy is recovering well, and would like to thanks the nurses, doctors, and staff at Sturdy Memorial Hospital for all they have done."

The statement continues ... "Tedy and his family thank you for your ongoing encouragement, and kindly ask for privacy at this time."

Tedy, now 46, also suffered a mild stroke way back in 2005, when he was 31 and still playing linebacker for Bill Belichick's Patriots defense.

Bruschi recovered well enough from his 2005 stroke to return to the gridiron, playing pro football for another 4 seasons. All told, he played 13 seasons for the Pats, winning three Super Bowls as the heart and soul of the New England defense. 

USA soccer star Alex Morgan is upset that people are upset with her for daring to be brash after her team defeated England in the World Cup and she pretended to sip a cup of tea.

Morgan just said, "I feel that there is some sort of double standard for females in sports," adding, "to feel like we have to be humble in our successes and have to celebrate, but not too much or in a limited fashion. You see men celebrating all over the world in big tournaments, grabbing their sacks or whatever it is. And when I look at sipping a cup of tea, I am a little taken aback by the criticism." 

Alex went on to say her gesture was in-part an homage to "Game of Thrones" star Sophie Turner, who famously offers opinions on Instagram stories and ends with the phrase, "And that's the tea" as she sips from a cup.

The women's team -- which can we say is awesome -- is famous for their play and their after-play, notably Megan Rapinoe's comments that she's not at all interested in trekking to The White House to visit Donald Trump. 

A 70-year-old marathon runner who was just disqualified for cheating in the L.A. Marathon back in March was found dead in the Los Angeles River.

Dr. Frank Meza, a retired physician, told his wife he was going for a run and that's the last time he was seen. His body was found Thursday morning in the River lying in shallow water.

Dr. Meza was distraught over the cheating allegation ... he had set a Marathon record for his age class -- 2 hours, 53 minutes, 10 seconds in the March Marathon, but officials became suspicious. Officials found video and eyewitnesses who said he had left the course and reentered from a different location.  

L.A. Marathon Officials officially disqualified Dr. Meza Monday ... 3 days before his death.

Dr. Meza acknowledged he left the course, but only to find a bathroom.

His wife said running was extremely important to Dr. Meza and he strongly denied the cheating allegation.

It wasn't the first time Meza was accused of cutting corners.  He had twice been disqualified from the Sacramento Marathon after authorities determined he cut the course.  He was banned from participating in that marathon.

A daredevil attempting to jump a motorcycle farther than anyone severely injured both his ankles in a super scary crash during a practice jump for HISTORY's live TV special ... and the video is gnarly. 

The rider, Axell Hodges, crashed hard while attempting to beat Robbie Maddison's world-record distance for a motorcycle jump -- 378 feet and 9 inches -- tumbling off his bike while trying to stick the landing. 

Ya gotta see the video ... Axell is flying through the air on his dirt bike, but when he finally comes down on the other side of the jump, he loses control of the bike and his body goes skidding down the pavement. 

You'll see more footage of Alex's crash Sunday night during HISTORY's live TV special, "Evel Live 2," when female rider and four-time X Games medalist Vicki Golden attempts to set a new world record in an epic live motorcycle firewall stunt.