TMZ Sports - Page 50

With Nick Young getting ready to tie the knot to fiancee Keonna Green -- our guy asked an interesting question ... does D'Angelo Russell get an invite to the wedding?!

Nick's response??? "HAHAHAHA!!!"

Look, in a way ... D'Lo is responsible for Nick's upcoming marriage -- because had he not posted that infamous video back in the day, Iggy Azalea and Nick might still be together!

It was messy at the time, but things seemed to have worked out for everybody since.

Nick's happily engaged (that went down over the Christmas break).

Iggy's moved on with Playboi Carti.

And, D'Angelo -- who was teammates with Nick on the Lakers during the video scandal -- was traded away and eventually blossomed into an All-Star.

And, speaking of hoops, Nick -- who's only 34 -- says he's still gunning to get back in the NBA, hopefully in time for the playoffs. Hey, the guy does an NBA ring in his collection.

Andrew Yang is looking to get a King's endorsement for his 2020 presidential campaign ... telling TMZ Sports he wants LeBron James on his side!!

The entrepreneur-turned-Democratic candidate already has a solid list of celeb backing -- from Donald Glover to Elon Musk to Rivers Cuomo from Weezer -- but no big-time athletes ... yet.

Considering Yang's a big NBA fan, we asked -- hypothetically -- which baller he'd most want as his running mate ... and it took him like, a millisecond to give us his answer.

"I'd have to go with LeBron James," Yang tells us. "He's already shown he's got a heart of gold and loves the American people."

Yang showers the Lakers superstar with praise and throws some major shade at President Trump in the process ... saying, "He certainly could do better than the guy who's currently there."

Of course, Bron has shown support for Hillary Clinton in the past ... and even introduced her at a rally in Ohio.

LBJ has also made his feelings about POTUS crystal clear ... calling him a "bum" and a clown since #45 began his presidency.

Yang thinks LeBron would be a great addition to his team ... and gives him a personal message.

NBA superstar Trae Young is starting off 2020 by giving back to his new city in a HUGE way ... by helping cancel out more than $1 MILLION in medical debts for people in Atlanta.

The 21-year-old pro teamed up with a nonprofit called RIP Medical ... which, according to the site, uses donations to buy large bundles of medical debt and then forgive that debt with no tax consequences to donors or recipients.

Young's foundation recently donated $10,000 ... which translates to $1,059,186.39 in medical debt getting erased, helping 570 people in need.

"The City of Atlanta has welcomed me with open arms," Young said, according to WSB-TV in ATL.

"Giving back to this community is extremely important to me. I hope these families can find a bit of relief knowing that their bills have been taken care of as we enter the New Year."

We spoke with Young's dad, Rayford ... who tells us "[Trae] understands where he came from. He understands everyone is not in a position he's in."

Rayford adds that he was in medical debt before Trae got to the NBA ... so it's a cause that hits close to home.

The coolest part??? Rayford tells us each person affected by Trae's donation will receive a personalized letter from the hooper.

Save that letter!!! Young's stock is exploding in a big way these days ... did you see that move he pulled off the other day? GOOD LORD!!!

Claressa Shields is getting a big-time assist in her possible MMA fight with Amanda Nunes -- PERSONAL TRAINING SESSIONS FROM JON JONES!!!

The planet's best female boxer tells TMZ Sports she's been in contact with the UFC superstar about some MMA lessons to get ready for a possible tilt with Nunes ... and it looks like those will all go down after Jones' fight with Dominick Reyes in February.

"He said after he fights, I could come down there a week or two and see how I feel doing MMA stuff."

Of course, if Shields had her way ... there would be no need for the workouts -- she wants a fight with Nunes to be strictly boxing only.

But, Amanda told us last month the only way she's getting in the ring with Shields is if it's an MMA fight ... so Claressa is taking the steps to get the ball rolling on that.

Shields says she's actually "excited" AND "scared" to begin learning the tools for the possible bout ... telling us, "I'm going to have to learn so much more stuff and I just hope that I like it."

As for what will happen when she feels her MMA skills are good enough to take on Nunes ... Shields says she expects that fight to be BIGGER than Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor!!

But before stepping in the cage ... Shields has a big time boxing match this Friday against Ivana Habazin in Atlantic City.

The Clemson vs. LSU championship game on Monday will be one of "the more secure places in America" -- with fighter jets patrolling the skies -- so says Sen. Marco Rubio.

With Iran vowing revenge on the U.S. -- and reportedly offering an $80 MILLION bounty on President Trump -- some people are concerned the Superdome could be a major target, especially since Trump is scheduled to attend the game.

But, Rubio isn't concerned one bit ... in fact, he believes Trump's presence will ensure top-notch safety efforts and insists fans should focus on enjoying the game.

"[Trump] being there will probably make it one of the more secure places in America for those 3 hours that he's there," Rubio tells TMZ Sports.

"It's already tight security to begin with because of the size of the event, but him being there will be even more so."

Rubio continued ... "I kind of understand what he travels with in terms of security and all of the things he brings with it. The whole airspace is restricted. They'll have fighter jets up there. So, not your typical event."

Rare Jack Nicholson sighting at Staples Center on Tuesday -- where the Hollywood legend returned to his old stomping grounds to watch the Lakers crush the Knicks.

... and during the game, he became BFFs with rap star Tory Lanez!

Remember, 82-year-old Jack used to be a regular at Lakers games -- and was even considered the Lake Show's #1 fan!

But, a few years ago, when the Lakers were in the thick of sucking ass ... Jack basically stopped going to games and even offered to sell his floor seats to TMZ (we couldn't afford 'em).

Good news though ... the Lakers are GOOD AGAIN (they're in 1st place in the West) and Jack is excited enough about LeBron James and co. to return to his courtside seats!

You can see in the pic, Jack and Tory became fast friends -- the 3rd guy in the pic is fashion mogul Umar Kamani. Jack's 27-year-old son, Ray Nicholson, was also there!

A bunch of other big stars came out for the game including Jimmy Iovine, Michael Che, Hannibal Burress, Andy Garcia and more!

Final Score -- 117 to 87, with LeBron dropping 31 points in 31 minutes.

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Miguel Castro says he's lucky to be alive today ... he says he was robbed at gunpoint and would have been shot during the attack if the weapon hadn't jammed.

The 25-year-old said Tuesday he was on his way to train in the Dominican Republic when he was jumped and robbed by two men.

Castro claims the guys took his chain ... and then attempted to shoot him -- but says the gun locked up on the criminals.

"I'm alive by the mercy of God," Castro said on social media ... "They took my chain and they wanted to kill me. It's unbelievable."

Castro's reps say he's shaken up but fine ... and Miguel added crimes in his hometown have to stop ASAP.

Orioles general manager Mike Elias said in a statement Tuesday, "We are in contact with Miguel Castro regarding today's incident in La Romana, DR and we are very thankful that he is safe."

How do the directors of "Uncut Gems" feel about fans pointing out a real-life TV mix-up that made it into the final cut of their movie?! THEY'RE FLATTERED!

Here's the deal ... there's a key scene in the Adam Sandler flick where his character (Howard Ratner) tells his wife to flip on ESPN to watch the Boston Celtics game.

Sandler's wife changes the channel -- but the game ain't on ESPN, it's clearly a TNT broadcast. THE HORROR!!!

Sounds stupid, but media outlets have written stories about the goof. Fans have pointed it out on social media. It's really blown up!

So, when we saw the movie's co-directors -- Benny and Josh Safdie -- we asked how they felt about getting called out in public.

"I love it," Josh told us outside Tao in L.A. ... "I think it just means that people hold the movie up to high standards because they expect reality."

Benny added, "If people are paying attention, I guess that's all it's about."

"We’ve been rewarded with something that the scoreboard won’t show -- the satisfaction of knowing we gave everything to each other in pursuit of a common goal."

That's Tom Brady trying to sugarcoat one of the most disappointing seasons in recent Patriots memory -- saying the bond with his teammates is helping to make up for the lack of a Super Bowl ring.

TB12 just penned a sappy end-of-the-season letter to his teammates and fans ... thanking everyone for supporting him over "the past two decades."

Don't worry, it doesn't read like a goodbye note ... but it doesn't read like an "I'm Definitely Coming Back" note either.

Here's the message in full ...

"I just wanted to say to all of our fans, THANK YOU! After a few days of reflection, I am so grateful and humbled by the unconditional support you have shown me the past two decades."

"Running out of that tunnel every week is a feeling that is hard to explain. I wish every season ended in a win, but that’s not the nature of sports (or life). Nobody plays to lose. But the reward for working hard is just that, the work!!"

"I have been blessed to find a career I love, teammates who go to battle with me, an organization that believes in me, and fans who have been behind us every step of the way."

"Every one of us that works at Gillette Stadium strived to do their best, spent themselves at a worthy cause, and prepared to fail while daring greatly (h/t Teddy Roosevelt). And for that, we’ve been rewarded with something that the scoreboard won’t show - the satisfaction of knowing we gave everything to each other in pursuit of a common goal. That is what TEAM is all about."

"In both life and football, failure is inevitable. You dont always win. You can, however, learn from that failure, pick yourself up with great enthusiasm, and place yourself in the arena again."

"And that’s right where you will find me. Because I know I still have more to prove."

The rappers are already lining up to work with Antonio Brown after the NFL superstar released his first-ever music video ... with O.T. Genasis saying he wants to get in the studio with AB!!!

As we previously reported, the All-Pro receiver just dropped his rap single "Whole Lotta Money" ... which is about ... well, you know.

TMZ Sports spoke with the "Big Shot" rapper at LAX to get a critique on the track ... and while he doesn't hate it, O.T. says there's some major room for improvement.

"It's not bad," O.T. tells us. "He needs a little bit of tweakin' on his verses at least."

O.T. added ... "It's dope, the cadence is dope."

How dope is it??? Dope enough for the guy behind the insanely huge hit, "CoCo" to actually willingly hit the studio with AB as long as he keeps working on his craft.

We asked O.T. to give us a rating out of 10 ... to which he says "4.5" BUT "with a possibility of an 8."

O.T. gets real for a second and says it's gonna be tough for AB to be taken seriously because people will view him as a football player, but admits there's one athlete who was able to pull off a straight-up banger.

And, just like AB ... the song is about money.

Lamar Jackson put on an MVP caliber season in 2019 and NOBODY saw it coming ... that is, nobody except Larry David, who says he personally called the Jets and told them to draft the QB in 2018!!

And, guess what then-GM Mike Maccagnan did after David gave his two cents??? HE LAUGHED.

Of course, the "Seinfeld" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" mastermind is a HUUUUGE Jets fan ... and joined "The Michael Kay Show" on Tuesday to talk all things New York sports.

That's when David pointed out his beloved 7-9 Jets might have had a better season if the team had taken his call seriously.

"I did call Mike Maccagnan before the 2018 draft and I recommended that he draft Lamar Jackson. I have a witness," David said ... and Maccagnan's reaction has gotta put a bad taste in NY fans' mouths.

"He kinda gave me the most condescending ... he laughed at me. But, who can blame him?"

David admits he's guilty of calling the team in the past -- he also recommended the Jets draft Reggie Bush in 2006. They didn't.

As for Jackson, he led the Baltimore Ravens to the top playoff seed in the AFC and posted incredible numbers -- passing for 3,127 yards and 36 TDs ... and rushing for 1,206 yards and 7 TDs. Some would say that's "pretty, pretty, pretty good."

Terrell Owens says now that the Dallas Cowboys have fired Jason Garrett ... they only need to do 1 more thing to get back to Super Bowl glory -- DITCH DAK FOR TOM BRADY!!!

TO made the shocking statement on the "Joe, Lo & Dibs" show on 95.7 The Game on Tuesday ... claiming Jerry Jones is just one TB12 away from getting Dallas its 6th ring.

"They have a quarterback that's a free agent in Tom Brady. That's the next move."

Owens says he has a rationale behind his wild thinking ... saying the fact that Prescott STILL doesn't have a contract speaks volumes to the way Jerry Jones feels about the QB.

"He hasn't extended Dak's contract. So, that leads me to believe he truly doesn't believe in Dak. If he had, then I think he would have already got a contract extension."

Of course, Owens' recommendation to Jerry will probably never go down ... Dak seems destined for the franchise tag this offseason, while Tom would likely retire before leaving New England to play in Dallas.

Golf legend Greg Norman says the "stupidity of humanity" is partly to blame for the deadly fires in his home country of Australia ... and he's demanding change before things get worse.

The 64-year-old Hall of Famer believes climate change is real and must be taken seriously -- and says officials from all over the world need to start implementing global policies "to prevent this from happening again."

"We see change. It's taking place," Norman said on "TMZ Live" ... "I see it on my ranch in Colorado where the seasons are getting later. It used to snow in the early part of September, now we don't get any snow until the middle of October."

"We're seeing this change take place and the stupidity of humanity ... Are we to blame to some degree? Yes. We ARE to blame to some degree. Are we to blame 100%? No, but whatever that degree is, let's fix the problem."

"Let's make sure our generations and the generations following us don't have to go through all this."

Master P says his HS hoops star son, Hercy, is already getting looks from big-time Division 1 schools ... but tells TMZ Sports he wants the biggest name in college hoops to hit him up.

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski!!!

Of course, Hercy's Minnehaha Academy just beat up on Zaire Wade and Bronny James' Sierra Canyon squad 78-58 in front of 17,000 fans on Saturday ... and the Junior contributed 9 points and 12 assists.

The game was nationally televised ... and after the exposure, P expects his son to get looks from huge programs -- and it's already happening!!!

"Arizona ... it's so many," Miller says. "Hopefully this summer they'll be on the radar."

P is clearly stoked for his son's progress as a sophomore in high school ... and hopes the biggest schools in the nation come knocking on his door.

Not only is Hercy a hooper, P tells us he's an A student as well!!

Miller also shouts out Hercy's teammate and top 10 recruit, Jalen Suggs, who just committed to Gonzaga ... saying the dude is already an NBA talent.

Fun fact ... Hercy and Suggs played together on the same AAU team in 5th grade ... and you know who the coach was???

Master P.

Katherine Webb says she gave up fame and her celebrity lifestyle to have kids with Houston Texans QB AJ McCarron ... and she says she'd "do it all again in a heartbeat."

Tuesday is the 7-year anniversary of when Webb exploded into the national spotlight after Brent Musberger famously fawned over her during the Alabama-Notre Dame National Championship Game broadcast.

The moment was as memorable as any from the game itself ... Musberger famously said of McCarron's then-GF, "Wow! I'm tellin' ya, you quarterbacks, you get all the good-looking women! What a beautiful woman!"

Webb turned the viral moment into a pretty successful career ... scoring a spot in Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue and appearances in commercials and reality TV shows.

But, in a series of social media posts Tuesday, Webb said she gave all of it up to marry McCarron and start a family with the NFL quarterback.

"I quit 'Hollywood' shortly after because I realized I genuinely hated being 'famous' and having my personal life out there so much," Webb said.

"I gave it all up to marry my forever love and have my boys and I would do it all again in a heartbeat."

Webb and AJ have been married since 2014 ... and their two boys are now 3 years old and 1 year old.

Michael Irvin says he's dressed in all black to "mourn" the death of Jason Garrett's run with the Dallas Cowboys ... though he admits Jerry Jones made the right decision to fire him.

Mike and Garrett go wayyy back -- like decades -- and Irvin says he still considers the ex-Cowboys coach to be a "very good friend."

But, when it comes to the Cowboys, Irvin -- who we talked to from the set of "Inside The NFL" -- says the team simply needs new leadership ... and he thinks Mike McCarthy could be the key to a Super Bowl.

In fact, Irvin compares the Cowboys to the Golden State Warriors.

"When [head coach] Mark Jackson left the Warriors, everything they needed to win championships was there. And, Steve Kerr came in and put in the right system that fit the talent, gave them the right leeways and brought the best out of everybody and they went on to start winning a lot of championships."

"I'm looking for Mike McCarthy to 'Kerr' the situation."