TMZ Sports - Page 50

Justin Bieber has Bieber fever -- Shane Bieber fever, that is.

The most unlikely long-distance friendship is blossoming between the "I Don't Care" singer and the Cleveland Indians ace ... with the Biebs getting his own "Not Shane Bieber" Tribe jersey!!!

Of course ... Shane has worn "Not Justin" on his back for the past 2 MLB Players' Weekends, when the athletes get to wear whatever name they want on their jerseys.

JB is getting in on the fun now ... rockin' his very own Tribe jersey while joyridin' on his motorcycle in Beverly Hills on Tuesday.

The 2 first linked up online on August 4 after Topps accidentally called Shane "Justin" on his baseball card -- and Justin responded on Twitter, saying, "I feel like we have a special connection."

TMZ Sports spoke with Shane in NYC earlier this month and he told us that the interaction was a life milestone reached.

Anthony "Rumble" Johnson's domestic violence case is closed ... the ex-UFC star just cut a deal with prosecutors and won't have to spend more time behind bars.

Johnson was arrested back on May 6 in Palm Beach County, Florida after his girlfriend told cops the former fighter roughed her up during an argument.

In police docs, Johnson said he DID pick the woman up to carry her to a different room because he was tired of arguing ... but he insists he never tried to hurt her.

Johnson was hit with a misdemeanor domestic battery charge ... and faced up to 1 YEAR in jail.

But, Johnson's attorney, Michael Walsh, tells TMZ Sports Johnson reached an agreement with prosecutors this month to enter a pretrial diversion program.

Walsh says Johnson will be required to complete an anger management course ... and once he's done that, the case will be dismissed.

Walsh -- who called the deal a "no-brainer" for Johnson -- says the 35-year-old has until Oct. 21 to complete the course ... although he could request an extension.

Johnson retired from fighting back in 2017 with a 22-6 record as a pro ... with wins over stars like Glover Teixeira, Ryan Bader and Alexander Gustafsson.

New Orleans Saints' P.J. Williams has one less thing to worry about before roster cuts this week ... the DB was able to close out his drunk driving case with a guilty plea to a lesser charge Tuesday.

Williams was pulled over for going 80 MPH in a 50 MPH zone in New Orleans just days after the Saints lost to the Rams in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 20.

During the stop, cops suspected the 26-year-old was drunk ... and when he refused a breathalyzer test, he was arrested.

Williams was hit with a DWI charge as well as speeding, improper lane usage and failure to use a turn signal.

But, a court official tells TMZ Sports Williams cut a deal with prosecutors Tuesday and, in exchange for a guilty plea to a reduced charge of reckless operation of a vehicle -- his case was closed out.

We're told as part of the agreement, Williams -- who had his attorney appear for him in court -- was forced to pay a $340 fine.

Williams has been a solid member of the Saints' defense the past three seasons, logging 15 starts and 3 interceptions.

DeMarcus Cousins allegedly told his ex-girlfriend he'd put a "bullet in [her] f*cking head" if she didn't let their child come to his wedding ... and the woman claims she has the audio to prove it.

TMZ Sports has obtained court docs and a police report filed by DC's ex-girlfriend, Christy West -- claiming the NBA star threatened her on August 23, just one day before Cousins was set to marry his new girlfriend, Morgan Lang, in Atlanta.

In fact, West recorded the alleged threat and claims she played the audio for court officials ... and now we have a copy of that same recording.

West claims she made the recording while at a trampoline park in Alabama with their 7-year-old son ... and she's adamant the voice on the other line is Cousins'.

"I'm gonna ask you this one more time before I take it to another level," the man says ... "Can I have my son here, please?"

Christy responds, "No" -- and that's when the man makes the alleged threat -- "I'm gonna make sure I put a bullet in your f**king head."

That's when the audio cuts off -- but Christy has since filed court docs in Alabama seeking a restraining order against Cousins claiming he ALSO told her that he was going to kill her, "even if he didn't have to get his hands dirty doing it."

In the court docs, Christy also claims Cousins had choked her during a previous incident -- but she didn't provide any specific details.

She wants officials to keep Cousins away from her and their son -- but she notes she's open to allowing Boogie to have supervised visitation.

Christy also went to the the Mobile Police Dept. and filed a report with cops. A police spokesperson tells us they have opened an investigation into the allegations.

As for Boogie's wedding, it went down on Saturday as scheduled in Atlanta -- and while a ton of famous people showed up (from Matt Barnes to Anthony Davis to Draymond Green), his 7-year-old was not in attendance.

We've reached out to Cousins for comment -- so far, no word back.

The breakup between Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger just got a lot nastier ... with AB telling the Steelers QB to "shut up already" ... because they were NEVER friends.

It's no secret the 2 butted heads several times when they were Steelers teammates ... with Brown even tweeting Ben had the "owner mentality" after getting blamed for a late-game interception last season.

Roethlisberger recently talked about how he handled that specific situation in an interview with Michele Tafoya ... saying, "I wish I wouldn't have done it."

"Obviously, we saw what happened and obviously it ruined a friendship," Ben said. "I just got caught up in the emotion of the heat of the battle."

But, AB is havin' NONE of that "friend" talk ... blasting his old QB for trying to make it sound like they were tight.

"Never friends just had to get my ends.......shut up already," AB tweeted on Tuesday.

Tyler Cameron was too busy hooping and showing off his toned bod to hit up the VMAs with Gigi Hadid ... and it looks like he made the right call because he won some hardware!!!

The 'Bachelorette' heartthrob hit the court for some rec league basketball in New York City Monday afternoon ahead of the VMAs across the river in Jersey ... and naturally, Tyler C took his shirt off. It's kinda his thing.

Sure, taking in the VMAs backstage with Gigi sounds appealing, but Tyler's got his priorities ... this was the championship game after all!!! Check out the gallery to see his big shiny trophy -- TC's got game ... on and off the court, apparently.

In the end he enjoyed the best of both worlds -- after showing off his moves and his abs, and balling with his boys, the underwear model met up with Gigi for a VMA after-party!!!

Y'know you're confident when you can put someone as hot as Gigi on the back burner ... while you play a game. Point is ... those first few dates they went on in the Big Apple must've gone REALLY well.

Keenan Allen is throwing a giant wet blanket on Carli Lloyd's football goals ... saying if the USWNT star ever got on an NFL field, she'd get run over like Mufasa in "The Lion King."

"Sound sweet til somebody block the kick and all of a sudden she on defense," the L.A. Chargers superstar said ... "Would be like the stampede scene in the lion king movie."

Lloyd says she is "seriously considering" a kicking career in the NFL after she was caught on camera drilling a 55-yarder at Philadelphia Eagles practice last week.

In fact, her longtime trainer, James Galanis, told Fox Sports a team was willing to put her on a roster and let her kick in a preseason game THIS WEEK ... but she declined because of her soccer obligations.

But, Allen clearly thinks that would have been a mistake ... tweeting Tuesday, Carli would get seriously hurt if she ever had to try to make a tackle in the league.

"She do got a boot tho!" Allen added.

For her part, Lloyd has yet to comment on how she'd handle the physicality of the sport ... but her trainer seems to think she'd have zero issues if a team were to sign her.

Kobe Bryant says he woulda been in Bill Russell territory if Shaquille O'Neal wouldn't have been such a "lazy ass" during their Lakers days ... claiming, "I woulda had f*cking 12 rings!"

Mamba spilled his guts about his relationship with Shaq during an interview earlier this month with Patrick Bet-David at the 10th annual PHP Agency Convention in Las Vegas.

Bryant was asked about how Shaq would have been remembered had he had Kobe's legendary work ethic ... and Kobe's answer was captivating.

"He'd be the greatest of all time," Bryant said ... "He'd be the first to tell you that!"

"I wish he was in the gym! I would've had 12 f*cking rings!"

Kobe says he's not saying anything publicly he hasn't already said to Shaq in private -- "Me and Shaq sit down all the time and I say, 'Dude if your lazy ass was in shape ...'"

Kobe also talked about his legendary fistfight with Shaq (when Kobe was 19) and how NOT backing down from O'Neal was a key moment in their relationship.

"He told me that day was a big turning point for him."

Ya gotta hear the other stories about Shaq and Kobe -- from the trash talk to the arguments over passing the ball ... it's pretty hilarious stuff.

This AMAZING video will hit you right in the feels.

Dominique Wilkins' daughter, JoJo, isn't letting her disability keep her from following in the NBA legend's footsteps ... draining buckets from her wheelchair in an inspirational video.

JoJo -- who has spina bifida -- hit the Human Highlight Film's awesome personalized court to put up some shots on Tuesday ... and her proud dad shared the footage.

"When most people see my daughter JoJo, they see a wheelchair. When I see her, I see POTENTIAL, STRENGTH and BEAUTY!"

"She’s just like every else. We all have challenges. They just come in different forms."

NFL legend Eric Dickerson says Colts fans booing Andrew Luck brought back hurtful memories of his own experience in Indianapolis ... claiming racist fans taunted him with a black baby doll holding watermelon and chicken.

ED recalled the moment from 1988 on "Lunchtime with Roggin and Rodney" on AM 570 L.A. Sports on Monday ... saying, he had just become the fastest player to reach 10,000 yards in league history and got booed by Indianapolis fans ... but that wasn't the worst part of it.

"I've never forgot that," the Hall of Famer said. "But, the thing that really sticks out the most to me, I will never forget this ... they took a black baby sitting in Indian-style position, put a stack of money on one side, watermelons on the other and me holding fried chicken in my hand with big red lips."

Dickerson says some of his black teammates thought it was funny ... but he clearly didn't.

"I've never EVER forgotten it and I never will forget it. That's why if I don't go back to Indy, I'm fine with that."

Dickerson played 5 seasons with the Colts ... and was added to the team's Ring of Honor in 2013.

Rob Gronkowski says he's not closing the door on his NFL career -- saying he's open to strap on the pads again if he starts jonesing for some football action!

Gronk says his body is finally "pain free" after getting into bed with a CBD company called CBD Medic ... and he hosted a media event on Tuesday to announce his partnership.

In short, Gronk says CBD has helped him get right since retiring and he hopes the league and other star players like Tom Brady will help get CBD approved for pain management in the NFL.

And, since he feels good, Gronk was asked about rejoining the Patriots -- and the 30-year-old explained that he's keeping an open mind.

"If I have the desire to play football again, if I feel passionate about football again, if I'm feeling like I need to be out there on the field, I will go back to football," Gronk said.

"But, as of now, that's not the case."

"It could be the case in 6 months. It could be the case in 2 years, could be the case in 3 years, could be the case in 3 months. But, I truly don't see it in the foreseeable future, in like a week or a month."

Gronk says toward the end of his career, "Football was bringing me down and I didn't like it and I was losing that joy."

Now, the future Hall of Famer says he's enjoying life away from the game and hopes the fans will support him.

During the event, TMZ Sports also asked Gronk if he had advice to fellow retired NFL star Andrew Luck ... and the TE delivered a heartfelt message to the QB.

Gronk also talked about Tom Brady and said he's excited to talk to TB12 about using CBD in his health care.

Lindsey Vonn hit the MTV VMAs with a brand new accessory ... her massive new emerald engagement ring!!

The legendary skier just got engaged to her hockey superstar boyfriend, P.K. Subban, last week but she kept the ring on the down low ... until Monday night.

As you can see, the stone itself is BIGGER THAN HER KNUCKLE ... and while the price of the ring is still unknown, safe to say it ain't cheap! Good thing Subban is in the middle of an 8-year, $72 million contract!

Subban previously told Vogue he picked the emerald because green is Lindsey's favorite color -- and it also happens to be his birthstone ... so it all worked out.

Plus, it matches an emerald green necklace he gave her for Christmas.

As for the wedding, Vonn has said the two are in no hurry ... this could be one of those super long engagement things, but both seem to be okay with that.

In the meantime, enjoy that rock!!!

Nick Diaz has a message for Colby Covington -- stop talking, let's fight.

Colby just went off about Nick during an interview with Helen Yee -- claiming he had signed a contract to fight Nick at Madison Square Garden in 2018 ... but Nick wouldn't put pen to paper.

"Nick was on board, he gave his verbal to the UFC that he wanted to fight me," Covington said ... "but when they sent him the contract, he never signed the contract.

He added, "We find out that he's a Stockton soy boy. He's scared. He has Stockton slaps but I got MAGA bombs and he ain't got sh*t on MAGA bombs."

So, when we saw Nick leaving Catch in L.A. on Monday, he disputed Colby's version of the story -- saying, "I'm not gonna sit here and call the man a liar, I never heard about it. I just found out."

But, Nick isn't a guy to dive into the details, he simply made a street offer to Colby instead.

"If you wanna fight man, you know where to find me. I'm not a hard guy to find ... step in my motherf*cking range right here."

He added, "Come at me, bro!!!!"

We also asked Nick about Georges St-Pierre -- and Diaz told us that there's no bad blood, he actually likes GSP ... he just wants the guy to move on with his life.

Doug Gottlieb says his Twitter shot at Andrew Luck's retirement was supposed to be a joke ... and wants to make it clear he's actually a big supporter of the ex-NFL QB.

The Fox Sports Radio personality got a TON of flak for his shot at Luck on Saturday ... when he said, "Retiring cause rehabbing is 'too hard' is the most millennial thing ever #AndrewLuck"

Gottlieb addressed the backlash on Monday ... saying the tweet was supposed to be funny, but people took it WAY too seriously.

"I'm a smart ass. I always have been. I always will be," Gottlieb said on his show. "And, if I can't find something funny with the things in life, well then you know what, strike me down because I like to make fun of things in life."

The tweet caught the eyes of names like Torrey Smith, who quickly brought up Gottlieb's past troubles with the law that famously got the former basketball player expelled from Notre Dame.

"If you wanna go to me stealing credit cards 23 years ago, you're gonna have to deal with the fact that those questions have been asked, that has been answered," Gottlieb said. "We've all moved on."

Gottlieb defends his take by saying Luck's reasoning for hanging it up falls under the "millennial" mentality ... and goes on to make a comparison to Luck's predecessor, Peyton Manning.

"And, the new generation, maybe they're smarter, maybe they don't care as much about the ultimate success, maybe they just get that it's a short-term profession -- get a lot of money and get out."

Bronny James is 14 years old and already cooler than you'll ever be ... 'cause the basketball royalty got an epic shout-out in Drake's newest music video!!!

The 6 God somehow got his hands on LeBron James Jr.'s Strive For Greatness AAU team jersey ... and decided to wear it in his new "Money In The Grave" video with Rick Ross, which dropped on Monday.

Of course, Aubrey is no stranger to rockin' rare threads -- he had a Zion Williamson Spartanburg Day School jersey when the baller was still a 16-year-old H.S. phenom.

Drake also trolled Steph Curry during Game 1 of the NBA Finals by wearing his dad Dell's Raptors jersey, so the guy is clearly looking to make a case for toughest jersey collection out there.

Wearing the jersey for a music video is a MUCH bigger deal, though ... and King James took notice, commenting "So Tough!!!" with a bunch of fire emojis.

Bronny's gotta run for class office with all this clout.

By the way, Bronny's only a FRESHMAN at Sierra Canyon High School in L.A. -- where he's teammates with Dwyane's Wade's son, Zaire, and a bunch of other high school phenoms.

Pictured: Jacoby Brissett (#7). P.J. Walker (#5). Chad Kelly (#6).

Not Pictured: Andrew Luck (#12).

The Indianapolis Colts kicked off their first practice since Andrew Luck's sudden retirement on Saturday ... with 3 QBs all vying to take his spot.

Of course, Brissett has a tremendous advantage ... not only did he start when Luck was injured last year, but he's a pretty solid quarterback.

Remember, back in 2017 (when Luck was injured) Jacoby stepped up and threw for more than 3,000 yards with 13 TDs and 7 INTs in 15 starts.

As for the rest of the QBs, the war is on for that backup spot ... and NFL legend Jim Kelly thinks it's a hell of an opportunity for his nephew, Chad.

In fact, Jim told Greg Vorse he's excited for Chad to be able to compete and thinks CK has the talent to be a real successful NFL quarterback.

Chad has had several off-the-field issues over the years, including a bizarre arrest last year that led to the Broncos cutting him ... but Jim says he thinks Chad has moved past all of that.

"I think he's got his head together," Kelly said ... noting that he's spent a TON of time working with Chad this offseason.

So, what's the deal with P.J. Walker? He's been on the Colts practice squad for the past couple of years after playing his college ball at Temple ... he's got the most to prove on the field.