TMZ Sports - Page 50

Enes Kanter has a message for LeBron James -- "FREEDOM IS NOT FREE."

Moments after LeBron broke his silence on the situation with China, the Turkish-born Boston Celtics player went to Twitter to express his disgust, as illustrated by the green "sick face" emoji.

Oh, and when LeBron pointed out that he and his team had a "difficult week" dealing with the fallout of Daryl Morey's pro-Hong Kong tweets while the Lakers were in China, Kanter essentially had this to say to Bron, "Boo hoo!"

Tito Ortiz's love for the Trump family is definitely mutual -- with the UFC legend getting invited to hang with the President after a private lunch with Don Jr. and Eric Trump.

Tito's camp tells TMZ Sports ... Eric personally reached out to Tito last week when he heard the MMA superstar was in New York -- and the two sides quickly arranged a lunch date at Trump Tower.

"Secret Service walked us through crowds to a private room in Trump's restaurant," Tito's rep tells us.

"They talked fights and politics before Donald Jr. came down to join before heading off to a campaign event."

An NBA player being compared to Charles Barkley isn't always a good thing -- especially when it comes to golf ... because Mortiz Wagner is giving Chuck a run for his money for WORST SWING EVER!!!

NO EXAGGERATION -- THIS DUDE IS A PRO ATHLETE AND COULDN'T HIT THE BROADSIDE OF A BARN!!!

Here's the deal ... 22-year-old Mortiz joined the rest of his Washington Wizards teammates for an outing at Top Golf in Virginia on Monday -- and saying it went poorly for Wagner is a gross understatement.

Watch the vid ...the 6'11" power forward missed so badly, he nearly took a chunk out of the floor mat ... and his Mulligan swing wasn't much better.

But, is it worse than Barkley??? Watch and compare ...

And, get this, Mo's swing was so terrible ... Wagner's ex-Lakers teammate, Josh Hart, went to social media to make fun of him.

"Bro what is this...." Hart wrote.

Wagner tried to defend his painful assault on golf balls by firing back, "This was literally my worst try. I hit that thing over the net one time I swear."

Sure, Mo ...

As for the Hart-Wagner rivalry ... the two have been good for a TON of laughs over the last year -- remember when Josh got after Mo for his Michigan ring last season?!?

Forget the Eiffel Tower ... S.F. Giants rookie Mauricio Dubon turned to Paris' version of Mickey Mouse to propose to his smokin' hot GF -- and it worked, 'cause she told him yes!!

Dubon -- one of the top minor league prospects in the MLB heading into this season -- was on an offseason vacay with his girlfriend, Nancy Herrera, when he decided to get down on one knee at Disneyland Paris.

Right in front of a pond and Mickey shrubbery ... the 25-year-old shortstop asked Nancy to marry him -- and she said of course!!

The video is adorable ... the two look SUPER happy -- and Nancy wrote on social media afterward, "I LOVE YOU and what a great blessing to be able to share the rest of my days with my best friend and the love of my life"

Mauricio ain't a star yet -- he's still an up-and-comer in the big leagues ... but he sure knows how to pick out a ring -- check out the INSANE rock!!!

Don't worry, Dubon can afford it ... he played on a 1-year, $555,000 deal this season -- and he could be in line for a fat contract if he lives up to his potential in 2020.

Congrats!!!

Rule #1 of celebrating a championship -- MAKE SURE YOU DON'T FALL OFF THE PARADE TRUCK.

Members of the Gaelic football team Enniskerry GAA ended up having to celebrate their  Wicklow Junior B-level football championship in the hospital over the weekend ... after several players fell off the parade bus when the railing gave out.

The video is INSANE ... members of the team were losing their minds celebrating the big win ... right when they went tumbling to the ground.

Somehow, the team says the 9 players involved are expected to make a full recovery after being transported to a nearby hospital.

"Thankfully all the lads are doing ok, 3 were sent home in the early hours of this morning, another 2 have been sent home earlier today with another expected this evening leaving 3 remaining in Vincent’s."

"No injuries are life threatening however some do require surgery," the team added.

"Thankfully all injured will pull through this and the team are under strict instructions from Barto to make sure they finally have a drink out of that cup later this evening!!"

Drink up, lads ... you're champions!! And, stay away from railings. They can no longer be trusted.

Ice Cube says he knows how the L.A. Dodgers can finally stop choking in the playoffs -- SIGN MORE BLACK GUYS!!!

He's not joking ... we spoke with Cube (briefly) about the Blue Crew's habitual crashing and burning in the MLB playoffs and the rap legend summed it up this way.

"They need to get some black ballplayers."

We checked out the Dodgers roster ... and yeah, they're definitely lacking when it comes to black players.

UFC star Joanna Jedrzejczyk says Dana White is right ... she intentionally misled the media to think she was in danger of missing weight before fighting Michelle Waterson as part of a "mental game" to mess with her opponent.

"It was a head game, mental game," Joanna tells TMZ Sports ... "Everything work out so good. I was not even close to missing the weight."

Remember, Dana White blew up at the MMA media -- including ESPN -- claiming reports suggesting Joanna's main event fight this past Saturday was in jeopardy were just wrong.

There were stories that Joanna was coming into fight week heavy and if Waterson didn't accept a catchweight, the fight would be called off.

But, Joanna says she was never in danger of missing weight ... adding, "We should trust Dana always!!!"

In the end, Joanna DID make weight and dominated Waterson -- despite badly injuring her right foot in the 2nd round of their 5-round war.

Shockingly, Joanna says she was just informed the foot is NOT broken -- and she'll get back to training soon to get ready for a strawweight title fight with Zhang Weili.

Meantime, Joanna is chillin' on the beach in Miami -- enjoying the fruits of her labor.

Michael Rapaport ain't taking too kindly to Kevin Durant's uncool assessment of his beloved NY Knicks ... and sent this message to the Brooklyn Nets star:

"You got a big task in front of you -- you and your flat-earth friend, Kyrie Irving -- don't worry about the New York Knicks right now."

KD set social media on fire last week when discussing his decision to sign with Brooklyn instead of the Knickerbockers ... saying "The cool thing right now is not the Knicks.”

Durant basically said the Knicks haven't been good in decades and young people see the organization as more of a joke (since that's all they know) than a legendary franchise.

Enter Rapaport -- who'll stop at nothing to defend his beloved hoops team. He tells TMZ Sports KD is DEAD WRONG about the Knicks ... even if they've had their recent struggles.

"The Knicks are always gonna be cool," Rapaport told us Monday. "Don't worry about us. We know our deficiencies."

Rapaport has some advice for Durant, who's recovering from a torn Achilles he suffered during the NBA Finals ... saying the Knicks should be the last thing on his mind.

"You should just be chilling in a hyperbolic chamber getting your blood spun so we can see you back on the court."

Rapaport ain't holding a grudge against the superstar baller, though ... telling us he hopes to see Durant 100% in no time.

MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz -- who reps UFC champs like Khabib, Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman -- was cited for misdemeanor battery over an altercation with a rival manger, cops tell TMZ Sports.

Abdelaziz -- who runs Dominance MMA -- got into it with Abe Kawa, Vice President of First Round Management, during a PFL event at the Mandalay Bay on Friday.

We're told ... Las Vegas Metro Police Dept. officers were on scene when the two got into a heated verbal altercation, which escalated into a physical incident.

Law enforcement sources tell us officers on scene say they witnessed Abdelaziz deliver two "open palm strikes" -- aka slaps -- to Kawa's face.

Abdelaziz was NOT arrested, but he was detained and cited on scene ... and if the case moves forward, he'll be notified to appear in court.

Footage of the incident was posted on social media. UFC star Anthony Pettis, Kawa's client, was in the middle of the action and told ESPN's Marc Raimondi "Abdelaziz slapped Kawa 'like a bitch' and 'was gone in 15 seconds.'"

Cops note Abdelaziz was cooperative with police during the incident, as was Kawa.

Barstool Sports honcho Dave Portnoy is officially OFF the Antonio Brown bandwagon ... telling TMZ Sports he hates the WR now -- but he's open to change!!!

Remember, Portnoy sort of defended Brown after the Raiders cut his ass back in Sept. and then sung his praises once Dave's beloved New England Patriots brought him on board.

But, now that Bill Belichick and company kicked AB to the curb, how does Dave feel about the embattled wideout now?!?

"Hate him now," Portnoy says ... "when he's on the Patriots, I love him. When he's not on the Patriots, I hate him."

But, Portnoy admits he's not really trying to judge AB's character -- he's a fan of anyone who can help his team win. And, it seems obvious Dave thinks Brown can help (let's face it, the guy's a monster on the field).

Brown -- who recently filed a grievance against the Patriots and Raiders -- went on social media last week and suggested the Pats give him a second chance since he believes New England is gonna be on the hook for paying him roughly $10 mil in salary anyway.

Dave ain't opposed to the idea ... but says if Pats management makes it clear they want no part of AB, Portnoy will "fall in line" and swear off the WR too.

Wanna see the most adorable NFL smack talk ever? Great!

Here are Matt Stafford's adorable 2-year-old twin daughters expressing their utmost DISDAIN for the Green Bay Packers ... before being distracted by a shiny red truck.

C'mon, this is SUPER CUTE!!

Of course, Matt's Detroit Lions are facing Aaron Rodgers and company tonight on "Monday Night Football" in a crucial NFL North match up.

Since Matt and the Lions are on the road ... the QB's wife, Kelly Stafford, made a cute pump-up video for dad showing their support for Detroit!

It's a big game for Detroit -- they're 2-1-1 and if they don't beat the Packers, it could already spell the end for their hopes of a division title since Green Bay is 4-1 and look strong right now.

As for Matt, he's having a pretty solid season, statistically, at the moment -- with 1,122 passing yards, 9 TDs and only 2 INTs with a QB rating of 102.6. Not bad!

Will it be good enough to beat Green Bay? The gamblers don't think so ... Detroit is a 3.5 point underdog.

Tom Brady just took his first L of the season ... the Patriots quarterback was forced to slash the price of his mansion that's been up for sale -- cutting $5.6 MIL from the price tag!!!

If ya missed it ... Tom put his epic 5-bedroom, 7-bathroom New England-area palace on the market back in August -- and listed it for $39.5 MILLION.

Didn't seem the G.O.A.T. would have too much trouble unloading it ... the place is sick, with a rec room, gym, wine room, spa AND an outdoor organic herb/vegetable garden.

Plus, it's got all the history of maybe the best football player EVER in it!!!

But, it seems Tom's having trouble finding a buyer ... 'cause he's now dropping the price all the way down to $33.9 million.

MMA fighter Luis Peña -- aka "Violent Bob Ross" -- tells TMZ Sports the time has come to renegotiate his contract with the UFC ... and he's confident he's gonna get it.

We spotted the 26-year-old after he landed at LAX on Sunday following a controversial split decision loss to Matt Frevola at 'UFC Fight Night' on Saturday ... and it's clear Pena thinks he got robbed.

Pena points out that Frevola trains in Tampa -- where the fight went down -- and he suggests there may have been some "small-town bias" affecting the judges' cards.

Pena stormed out of the Octagon after the judges announced the decision -- and Luis admits he was heated and pissed off, and let his emotions get the best of him.

"At the end of the day, it's on me for not going out there and finishing the fight," Pena says.

Still, Pena (7-2 as a pro) is not only a good fighter -- but he's entertaining -- and it seems the UFC appreciates it. Pena says UFC exec Sean Shelby told him the company is ready to start talking about a new deal.

Nobody likes seeing a bunch of open lower-level seats at an NBA game -- including the players -- so on Sunday the Minnesota Timberwolves decided to do something about it!!!

While the team was crushing Israel's Maccabi Haifa team at the Target Center, several players went to arena staff and asked them to go to the upper level to start upgrading fans, ASAP.

The fans were stoked ... and so many people started moving from the upper level to the good seats, the broadcasters shouted it out on the air.

"The players asked Target Center staff to have those fans who have been sitting in the 2nd level move down into the lower level for this 4th quarter," the announcers said.

"So, some of those fans up in the 220s, they're going to be able to enjoy the next 7.5 minutes with lower-level seats courtesy of a request from the Wolves players here."

Afterward, one of the fans personally thanked the team for the move.

"It was too strange," the guy wrote on Twitter ... "couldn't believe it was real didnt know it was a player request at the time. THANK YOU WOLVES PLAYERS"

Turns out, the gesture ended up being good karma ... the Wolves won, 131-101 -- and the team looked awesome.

Carlos Correa's walk-off dinger to even up the ALCS on Sunday was bigger than baseball ... 'cause the MLB star dedicated the home run to one of his biggest fans battling cancer.

Jalen Garcia is a teenage Houston Astros super fan who has been bravely battling Osteosarcoma -- a type of bone cancer -- since he was 13, according to the Laredo Morning Times.

The 25-year-old shortstop and his fiancee, Daniella Rodriguez, met the big-time fan at a hospital in Houston on Friday ... and Correa was so moved by the visit, he wanted to do something extra special that Garcia would never forget.

"Next home run I hit will be for you," Correa promised Garcia. "When you see me pointing, I'll be pointing at you."

Fast forward to Sunday night against the Yankees ... when Correa stepped up to the plate in the 11th inning with the game tied at 2 ... and he hit it right outta the park!!!

As Correa rounded first base, he held true to his promise ... pointing out for his new friend, Jalen while all eyes were on him.

Correa commented on the awesome gesture on Monday ... saying "That was for you, Jalen. Keep fighting we are with you."

No word on how Jalen reacted ... but we're assuming the guy has to be PUMPED!!

Steve Kerr still isn't ready to talk about China -- shutting down our photog when we asked the Golden State Warriors coach about the NBA's drama in Asia on his way out of dinner with Steph Curry.

Of course, Kerr initially shut down China questions last week -- saying he didn't know enough about the situation with China and Hong Kong to opine in the wake of the Daryl Morey tweets.

Morey essentially created an international incident by tweeting out support for Hong Kong -- which led to the Chinese government blackballing the Houston Rockets and putting the country's relationship with the NBA in jeopardy.

Since then, President Donald Trump verbally attacked Kerr ... saying the usually outspoken coach was "like a little boy" when asked about China -- claiming Kerr "was so scared to even be answering" a question about the topic.

Fast forward to Sunday night when Kerr and Curry hit up Mastro's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills -- not exactly a low-key hangout -- where our guy asked Kerr if he finally felt "well-versed" enough to talk about the biggest issue in pro sports.

But, Kerr shut it down. He was nice and friendly but made it clear he's still not ready to have a public conversation about China.