TMZ Sports - Page 50

Here's a picture that could raise President Trump's blood pressure -- two of his biggest critics partying TOGETHER in Los Angeles!

Fresh off her World Cup celebration tour, Megan Rapinoe hit up the UNINTERRUPTED party at The Hollywood Athletic Club ... where she grabbed a bottle of champagne and kicked it with LeBron James!!

Of course, both Megan and LeBron have been targeted on Twitter by President Trump -- back in August, Trump went after James and called him dumb. Earlier this month, he told Rapinoe to stop publicly criticizing him and focus on winning. 

Well, she won ... and dug in her heels about not going to The White House. Instead, she talked about wanting to meet up with like-minded people who can help unite the country. 

Washington Redskins superstar Josh Norman jumped OVER a bull after the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain -- and the video is CRAZY!!!

31-year-old Josh -- who's in the middle of a 5-year, $75 MILLION contract -- was in the bullfighting arena following the run where he came face-to-face with one of the bulls.

Josh decided the only way out was to JUMP ... so he took a running start and pounced -- just as the animal began to charge!

If ya watch the clip ... you can see the bull actually made an effort to stick his horns in Josh's legs -- and if you listen closely, you can hear Dan Snyder screaming all the way from D.C.

Oh, and if that weren't terrifying enough for Redskins fans ... Norman jumped over the bull AGAIN just a few seconds later!!

Good news for everyone, Norman made it out of the horrifying event just fine ... and even said afterward, "It was fun. It was fun, man. It was worth it. It was really worth it."

Norman is ridiculously lucky to get out uninjured -- people get gored at the event every year. In fact 2 Americans were hospitalized with injuries in the 2019 run.

Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones came face to face in the lobby of an L.A. hotel right before the ESPYs ... but according to DC, the two kept it cordial.

Sources tell us the UFC rivals had a brief conversation -- but it was more civil than friendly. In other words, they acknowledged each other's presence just to be polite.

When we spoke with Cormier about the situation, he downplayed -- "Nothing happened. All my energy is on [my upcoming fight against] Stipe Miocic."

Cormier reiterated about Jones -- "We're not friendly."

Of course, these guys have one hell of a history -- they have one of the nastiest rivalries in pro sports and have talked an insane amount of trash to each other over the years.

At one point, Cormier even mocked Jon's wife for having a "flat ass."

Jones won both UFC fights against Cormier, though his second victory was overturned after Jon tested positive for an illegal substance.

But, Jon recently told TMZ Sports his animosity toward Cormier has been fading -- and claimed he would even shake his hand if the opportunity presented itself.

We're not sure if the two actually shook during Wednesday's run-in -- but DC made it clear he has no desire to have a friendly relationship with Jon.

It seems the two are on a collision course for a 3rd fight ... Cormier told us it's possible -- but he's gotta get through Miocic first.

When we asked if it would a "dream" to end his career with a victory over Jones -- DC laughed and responded, "It was my dream twice."

Ice Cube is opening up about why Lamar Odom was cut from his BIG3 basketball league -- explaining, "We want players that are actually playing."

As we previously reported, 39-year-old Odom was axed by the league on Wednesday -- essentially ending his dream of returning to pro ball. 

Odom was a member of the "Enemies" -- playing alongside Gilbert Arenas and Royce White. 

But, Odom only posted 2 points and 4 rebounds in 3 games and our sources told us the guy simply wasn't ready to play. 

Cube echoed those sentiments at LAX ... "You know, as a league we want players that are actually playing."

He added that players who aren't playing or who "can't play" or have "health issues" that prevent them from playing really don't have any business being on a BIG3 roster. 

When asked if he was concerned about Odom, considering the serious issues in Lamar's past ... Cube replied, "Always, I love the guy."

The move was shocking, considering Odom had been training like a maniac before the BIG3 season -- and it seemed like he was in shape and ready to go.

But, as the league continues to get more competitive, it became clear LO just couldn't hack it anymore. 

Odom has already been removed from Enemies' official roster. Baron Davis, Jermaine O'Neal and Bonzi Wells were also part of the BIG3 purge. 

David Ortiz suffered a setback in his recovery from gunshot wounds -- and required a third surgery to fix complications earlier this week ... the Red Sox announced Thursday.

Big Papi was shot in the back in the Dominican Republic last month ... but after two surgeries shortly after, his wife and the Red Sox said he was recovering well.

But, the Sox just announced Ortiz suffered complications from the injuries recently ... and needed a third procedure to fix the issues this week.

Good news for Big Papi, the team says he is now "recovering well and is in good spirits."

As we previously reported, Ortiz was shot in the back at point-blank range while he was sitting outside of a nightclub on June 9 ... with the bullet striking his liver and his small and large intestines. 

Ortiz underwent emergency surgery immediately after in the D.R. -- and doctors said they were forced to remove his gall bladder at the time.

Ortiz was flown to Boston just hours later to have a second surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital.

David's wife, Tiffany Ortiz, has previously said David was able to sit up and take steps ... and added, "he remains in good condition and continues to recover under the care of Drs. David King and Larry Ronan."

Miami Dolphins lineman Kendrick Norton was cited by police for an improper lane change after the horrific 4th of July car crash that caused him to lose his left arm, police docs show. 

According to the police report obtained by TMZ Sports, the Florida Highway Patrol responded the wreck at 1:18 AM on a Miami highway. 

When they arrived, officers noticed Norton's 2017 F-250 pickup truck flipped on its roof. 

Norton and his female passenger suffered major injuries in the crash and were both transported to a nearby hospital. 

Now, cops are spelling out what caused the crash -- and all signs point to Norton making a dangerous decision behind the wheel. 

Cops say Norton was exiting the highway on the Northbound exit ramp when he made a last-second decision to switch to the Southbound exit ramp. 

As Norton (Vehicle 1) was making his move, he sideswiped another car -- a 2015 Maserati Quattroporte -- which sent Norton careening into a barrier and ultimately causing his car to flip. 

The Maserati came to a controlled stop -- and it doesn't appear anyone in that car was seriously injured. 

Cops determined Norton made an improper lane change -- and he was issued a citation. 

Guessing it's the last issue on his mind though -- as we previously reported, the 22-year-old lost his arm in the wreck and suffered other serious injuries. 

Also noted on the police report ... officials say Norton caused $15,000 worth of damage to the concrete barrier. Unclear if he'll be charged for the repairs, but it appears likely. 

Who inspires the man who inspires so many??? TOM BRADY!!!

You probably know Rob Mendez from the ESPYs -- he's the amazing high school football coach born without limbs who was honored Wednesday night with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance.

Rob's story is incredible ... the 31-year-old was unable to play football due to a rare condition called tetra-amelia syndrome, which prevented him from growing limbs. 

But, he loved football and paid his dues as an assistant coach before being named the JV head coach at Prospect a Bay Area high school in California in 2018, where he nearly won a title in his 1st season!

He's clearly an inspiration -- but who inspires him? We spoke with Rob right before the ESPYs ...

"I heard Tom Brady's not gonna be here but he definitely inspires me with his determination to win," Mendez says ... "I love his [famous battle cry] 'Lets go!'"

Mendez says he's never met TB12 but would love the opportunity to sit down with him and talk football. 

"Come on, Mr. Brady, I need some Xs and Os coaching here!"

Some people thought Odell Beckham looked like a human burlap sack at the ESPYs ... but NOT Victor Cruz -- he loved OBJ's outfit telling TMZ Sports, "That's fire!!!"

Odell got people talkin' by showing up to the awards with a special Prada top that's not for sale to the general public. In fact, the item was recently featured at the Prada Spring 2020 Fashion Show.

After the show, Odell's former New York Giants teammate, Victor Cruz, was all about the look -- telling us, "This is fire! Don't let anybody tell you that's otherwise! That's fire!"

High praise -- but it still hasn't stopped the Internet for clowning Beckham ... 

We're trying to find out just how much Odell's Prada threads will cost the general public -- but so far, we haven't heard back.

Later on that night, Odell actually busted out a clothing change to hit up Nice Guy with his girlfriend, Polyxeni Ferfeli, a Greek fashion model he's been linked to since 2018. 

The two pulled up in Odell's orange Rolls-Royce ... the car he had tricked out to show off his Cleveland Browns team spirit. 

Heavyweight boxing champ Andy Ruiz says he's already training for the rematch with Anthony Joshua ... and tells TMZ Sports he's calling the shots this time around!!

Of course, Ruiz was a late replacement who stepped in for Jarrell Miller when "Big Baby" failed a drug test -- with Andy only getting around 6 weeks of training before the June 1 fight. 

But this time around, Ruiz tells us he's working in a FULL training camp -- and he's going to be the one to decide WHERE the fight takes place. 

Ruiz tells us he'd like to throw down in Mexico -- where he recently met with President Lopez -- or go back to Madison Square Garden in NY. 

There's one place he won't go ... England, where Joshua is from. 

Bottom line ... "I'm the champion," Ruiz says -- "We're the A-Side."

As for whether he's spoken with Joshua, Ruiz tells us, "I haven't talked to him, but I'm pretty sure he's training hard for the rematch. And, so am I."

Floyd Mayweather is laughing at the idea of a rematch with Conor McGregor -- labeling the UFC star's camp as a bunch of "circus clowns" who "can't f*ck with Money May!"

As we previously reported, McGregor publicly stated that he wants another crack at Floyd because he knows what he did wrong in the first fight and he's convinced he can win the 2nd-time around.

So, when we saw Floyd out in L.A. this week, we asked if he was down for another scrap with the Irish superstar. 

Floyd and his crew immediately began bursting into laughter -- and that's when the trash talk began. 

"Boy, boy, boy, boy, boy ... these kids are some circus clowns," Mayweather said. 

"They cant f*ck with Money May."

"They gonna keep coming my way. At the end of the day, I keep laughing, I keep living, I keep going to the bank."

Remember, Floyd beat up Conor pretty badly when they clashed in 2017 -- ultimately winning by way of TKO in the 10th round. 

We asked Floyd -- who made more than $300 mil from the first McGregor fight -- if there was a number that would get him back in the ring ... but he essentially told us he doesn't need the money. 

There's more ... we asked Floyd if he's supporting Manny Pacquiao in his upcoming fight against Keith Thurman. 

Lamar Odom's highly anticipated basketball return has come to a screeching halt -- the ex-NBA superstar has been kicked out of the BIG3 league ... and our sources tell us it's because he simply wasn't ready to play.

Ice Cube's organization announced the move on Wednesday ... saying LO -- as well as Baron Davis, Jermaine O'Neal and Bonzi Wells -- would be deactivated for the remainder of the 2019 season.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Odom was nervous about being embarrassed on the court because he wasn't prepared to compete with his fellow ex-NBA hoopers ... and there was little hope it would work out.

As the league stated in the news release ... the org wanted to "maximize competition," so it was an easy decision to part ways with the Lakers champ.

"As the premier professional 3-on-3 league in the world, we are always striving to improve the quality of both the live and broadcast experience for our fans as well as the level of competition," the statement read.

Odom had barely played for the Enemies team ... posting 2 points and 4 rebounds in the season.

It's been a tough road back to the hardwood for Odom following his 2015 drug overdose that left him in a coma ... and those around him said he was laser-focused on getting back in shape and competitive again.

Who's the best-dressed athlete in sports?? Now's your chance to see them go head-to-head with their threads at the 2019 ESPYs ... with the biggest ballers showing off their swag!!

LA Rams QB Jared Goff and his bikini model GF, Christen Harper, are one attractive couple in a rare public appearance together ... and Russell Wilson and Ciara are looking hot, as always.

UFC superstar Tyron Woodley is bringing the star power with a blue print suit ... and NBA hooper Trae Young went with the classic all-black look.

Golfer and model Paige Spiranac is hard to miss with a shiny silver dress ... and UCLA gymnast Katelyn Ohashi -- who  went viral for her perfect 10 routine back in January -- showed off her skills on the red carpet!!

The World Cup Champion U.S. Women's soccer team is even at the big event -- jetting from their celebratory parade in NYC to the show ... with a police escort from the airport!!

Jorge Masvidal's FINALLY gettin' the respect he's long deserved -- thanks to his brutal Ben Askren flying knee KO -- so says UFC star Robbie Lawler.

TMZ Sports talked to Lawler -- who was in NYC promoting his August 3 fight with Colby Covington -- about his former teammate Masvidal's monster win at UFC 239 last weekend.

"That was damn impressive. Masvidal is awesome and it was cool to see him go out there and showcase his skills," Lawler says ... "He's been in the sport a long time and never got the respect that I think he was due. And, hes earning it now." 

"He has almost 50 fights. He's fought a lot of the good guys in the sport. He's impressive!"

FYI -- Masvidal's 34-13 with wins over guys like Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and Darren Till.

Of course, Masvidal FLATTENED Askren, the formally undefeated fighter in 5 seconds ... the fastest UFC KO ever.

What's interesting -- Robbie and Ben have history ....they fought in March (Askren won), but the match ended in controversy.

Lawler (and a lot of fans) believed ref Herb Dean prematurely stopped the fight while Robbie was getting choked.

In fact, Dana White publicly said he wanted to rematch the fight ... but it never came together.

It's been 2 years since Sasha Vujacic has suited up for an NBA team ... but the Lakers champ says he's looking to change that next season, telling TMZ Sports he's gunning to make a comeback!!

The Slovenian guard -- who is currently on the Scaligera Basket Verona Italian ball club -- has been playing overseas since he left the Knicks in 2017 ... but he says he wants to make another run at the Larry O'Brien trophy.

"We'll see, you never know. I'd love to be home," Vujacic says. "I just want to win another championship ... so if it's with the Lakers, God bless. If that's with the Clippers, we'll see."

Of course, Vujacic won 2 titles with the Lakers and spent one season with the Clippers ... so he's looking to suit up for one of his old teams, but wouldn't say which L.A. team is most title-ready.

How did Luke Kuechly respond to getting juked by an 11-year-old kid??

HE LAID THE FREAKIN' HAMMER DOWN ... BOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!

The Carolina Panthers superstar was hosting a camp for kids at a local high school earlier this week ... when he and teammate D.J. Moore decided to a drill with some of the campers for fun.

The drill was supposed to involve kids taking a toss sweep and playfully running around in circles while Kuechly "tackled" them.

But, things took a hilarious turn when a boy named KD stepped up to the drill ... and juked the living hell out of the All-Pro linebacker!!!!

For real ... the kid totally owned Kuechly!!!

Luke, clearly embarrassed by the whole ordeal, made the boy take another rep ... and that's when things got violent -- 'cause Kuechly took the kid's face off!!!

Good news for all parties, nobody was injured and everyone laughed about it in a picture afterward.

Rob Gronkowski could be catching passes from Tom Brady in a REAL game this season ... so says Jay Glazer, who tells TMZ Sports he thinks the TE could definitely unretire this year!!!

"Could he possibly come out of retirement for a last little playoff push? Why not?!" Glazer says ... "Why wouldn't he?!"

Of course, Gronk is currently enjoying the retired life ... he's been partying up with his swimsuit model GF, Camille Kostek, and traveling all over the world dancing his face off.

But, rumors of a possible return have swirled almost since the day the 30-year-old made his retirement announcement in March ... given how dominant he still is on the field.

And, after Gronk was spotted working out with TB12 at UCLA earlier this week ... people are REALLY startin' to wonder if a comeback is in the works.

Glazer -- who's one of the best NFL insiders out there -- says he doesn't see Rob unretiring any time soon ... but says if the Pats are in a late-season playoff hunt, watch out.

As for how effective Rob would be after such a long layoff ... Glazer has no worries about that, telling us, "Gronk could retire for 10 years and come back and still dominate."

"He is ridiculous."