TMZ Sports - Page 50

It's been nearly 14 months since John Wall has stepped foot on an NBA court ... but he tells TMZ Sports he's learned a VERY valuable lesson during his time away from the game.

The Washington Wizards superstar ruptured his Achilles back at the beginning of 2019 after falling in his D.C. home ... and has been working like crazy to get back to 100%.

We spoke with Wall about his time away from the game ... and he's got some solid advice for players in similar situations.

"I learned what not to do is not to rush back and just take my time," Wall says.

Of course, Wall has been going viral for being able to dunk in pregame warm-ups recently ... which appears to be a good sign for recovery ... but the 29-year-old makes it clear he ain't coming back 'til he's fully ready to ball.

Ninja -- the most famous pro gamer in the world -- is sick and tired of people treating his sport like it's a joke ... and he's invoking the names of LeBron and Tom Brady to make his point.

The 28-year-old Fortnite legend went on a passionate rant while streaming on Wednesday -- saying he's fed up with people telling him to tone down his competitiveness with comments like, "It's just a video game."

Ninja HATES that phrase -- explaining how EVERY top competitor in any field should HATE to lose no matter what sport they're in.

In his words ... "If anyone ever uses the excuse 'It's just a game' I'm gonna lose my mind."

"Imagine telling LeBron James, Tom Brady that when they're pissed off after losing a game that it's just a game. Like I'm gonna lose it. Are you kidding me?! You're so stupid!!!"

"It’s the competitive nature, bro. It’s about respect, bro. It’s about pride. It’s so much bigger than a f**king video game. Anybody that ever uses the excuse 'It’s just a game' is a horrible human being and is lazy. You’re a lazy human being."

Earlier in the week, Ninja had tweeted about his mindset -- saying, "The phrase 'it’s just a game' is such a weak mindset. You are ok with what happened, losing, imperfection of a craft. When you stop getting angry after losing, you’ve lost twice."

"There’s always something to learn, and always room for improvement, never settle."

People went after him HARD on social media -- but Ninja ain't backing down ... which is why he went on the rant during his stream on Wednesday.

Also, with Fortnite Season 2 about to drop this week, he's clearly getting his mind right to destroy everyone.

Kyle Long says now that his playing days are over ... he's ready to be an NFL commentator -- and he tells TMZ Sports he thinks he can be like Tony Romo for football "simpletons!"

"I think I can speak more Layman's terms," Long says. "He's really an AP-level teacher."

Don't get it twisted ... Long's actually complimenting Romo -- saying the ex-Dallas Cowboys QB is way smarter than him!!

But Kyle, who just retired from the Chicago Bears last month and is out in L.A. this week trying out with various networks, says he's hoping his offensive line mind can provide a different perspective in the studio/booth.

"I speak to the simpletons," Long said with a laugh.

Of course, Kyle is one of the most entertaining follows on Twitter ... so there's a lot of potential there -- and Long says he's actually been learning a thing or two by watching Tony!

What's interesting ... his dad Howie Long has been doing the "NFL on FOX" thing for years -- and if another network signs Kyle, it could be Long vs. Long in the battle for NFL ratings!

As for his resume, NOT TOO SHABBY -- Kyle was a 1st round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft and spent his entire 6-year career with the Chicago Bears, making the Pro Bowl 3 times.

Dallas Cowboys star wide out Amari Cooper was NOT shot in a parking garage in Texas -- despite rumors on social media ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Oh, and also Amari is saying it himself.

"That was fake news y'all. Everything good over here."

There were rumblings on social media the 25-year-old was attacked in a parking garage early Wednesday morning.

And, in the wake of the shooting death of rapper Pop Smoke, people were freaking out about the possibility of losing 2 notable figures to gun violence in less than 24 hours.

Obviously, Amari's statement should end the rumors -- but just for good measure, we also contacted the Dallas Police Dept. which confirmed nobody named Amari Cooper was involved in a shooting.

Amari's pal, Dez Bryant, says he also spoke with Amari today and confirmed all is well.

Is the war between Charles Oakley and James Dolan finally over??

The Knicks owner sure hopes so ... 'cause Dolan is calling for peace after Oak's lawsuit against him was dismissed on Wednesday.

Of course, Oakley sued Dolan and Madison Square Garden back in 2017 after Dolan sent security to physically remove the Knicks legend from the arena. He was dragged out and arrested in a wild scene captured on video.

Oakley sued for defamation, assault and false imprisonment claiming he was unfairly targeted by Dolan over unflattering public comments he made about the state of the Knicks.

At the time, MSG staffers claimed Oak was drunk during the incident -- which Oakley vehemently denied.

But, Dolan claimed victory on Wednesday when the federal judge ruled Oakley's case was weak and ultimately dismissed the lawsuit.

The judge explained his decision, saying, "From its inception, this case has had the feel of a public relations campaign, with the parties seemingly more interested in the court of public opinion than the merits of their legal arguments."

"That is perhaps understandable, given the personal and public nature of the dispute."

"But while basketball fans in general, and Knicks fans in particular, are free to form their own opinions about who was in the right and whether Oakley’s ejection was motivated by something more than the whims of the teams owner, the fact remains that Oakley has failed to allege a plausible legal claim that can meet federal pleading standards."

The Knicks released a statement on the dismissal ... saying, "We thank the court for its ruling. This was an incident that no one was happy about. Maybe now there can be peace between us."

So, will Oak and Dolan REALLY bury the hatchet???

NASCAR driver Ryan Newman is in a Florida hospital after his car wrecked in a super-scary crash on the final lap of the Daytona 500 ... and video from the crash is INSANE.

As you can see ... Newman's car flips several times as it hurtles through the air, eventually catching fire, spinning onto the infield and crossing the finish line on its roof. Somewhat surprisingly, no other drivers were injured in the crash.

Newman was rushed to a local hospital ... but his current condition remains unclear.

It's pretty crazy ... Ryan was trying to hold on to the lead when his car was nudged by Ryan Blaney and hit the wall on the final lap of the weather-delayed race

Denny Hamlin ended up winning the first race of the NASCAR season, while Newman was credited with a fourth-place finish.

John Beilein's brief stint as Cleveland Cavs head coach was nothing short of a dumpster fire ... and it got so bad, the players trolled the dude by referencing his infamous "thugs" comment with the locker-room music.

The 67-year-old's NBA career came to a screeching halt after just 54 games on Tuesday ... with Beilein leaving about $12 million in contract money on the table just to end his misery.

Now, details on his failure of a tenure with the Cavs are coming to the surface ... and it's uglier than imagined. Like, we knew it was bad. But, THIS BAD!?!?!

Remember, back in January ... Beilein called his players a "bunch of thugs" in a film session and later insisted he meant to say "slugs" instead. He claimed it was an innocent slip.

Beilein apologized but it seems the players didn't accept it -- with The Athletic reporting guys in charge of the team's locker-room music would play songs with the word "thug" in the lyrics whenever the coach was around.

According to the report, the "thug" playlist included tracks like "Thuggish Ruggish Bone" by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, "Thugz Mansion" by Tupac and Trick Daddy's "I'm a Thug."

Among other issues reported -- the players thought Beilein acted like a dictator, over-worked newcomers during Summer League and never really grasped the concept of what an NBA coach was expected to do.

FYI, Beilein was the head coach at the University of Michigan for years before jumping to the NBA. Unclear if he will go back to coaching at the college level again.

Australian F1 superstar Daniel Ricciardo is paying tribute to the late Kobe Bryant with his helmet as the new season kicks off ... showing off a design that would be Mamba-approved.

Ricciardo showed up for the opening of the Formula One preseason with an all-purple helmet ... and later on in the morning, had the design added to complete the NBA legend-inspired look.

The helmet has "KB8" and "KB24" below the visor ... as well as a snake and the words "Mamba Mentality" on top.

Ricciardo is a big NBA supporter and lives in L.A. ... so we take it he was a big fan of Kobe.

The helmet will be used throughout the preseason ... and Ricciardo will reveal a new design in time for the Australian Grand Prix next month.

The Kobe tributes have been pouring in since the tragic accident in January ... from the All-Star Game MVP trophy name change to many Bryant tattoos to players changing their jersey numbers.

"My friend found me in a puddle of blood."

Hayden Hurst -- a 2018 1st-round pick -- says his battle with depression and anxiety got so bad ... he blacked out and cut his wrist in an apparent attempt to kill himself in college.

"I woke up in the hospital," the Baltimore Ravens tight end told First Coast News in Florida this week. "I didn't know what happened. I had to have a friend fill me in."

"Apparently, I had been drinking and went into my apartment and cut my wrist. My friend found me in a puddle of blood. He called 911."

26-year-old Hurst -- who had just joined the University of South Carolina football team at the time -- said the episode was a wake up call for him to seek help for his anxiety issues.

"What happened?" Hurst said he asked himself from the hospital bed at the time. "What are you doing?"

Hayden -- who says he's battled mental health issues for years -- got the help he needed ... and now he says he wants to use his platform as an NFL player to help people in similar situations get assistance.

"For some reason, people equate mental illness with having to be ashamed," Hurst says ... "I don't think it's anything to be ashamed of. Everybody goes through something."

The 6'4", 245-pound tight end admits he still has his struggles, saying he's "not this superhero that's portrayed on TV" ... but he says he's determined to help people regardless.

"If my story is going to change the narrative on this and people are going to talk about it more, then so be it."

It's 42 degrees in New York. 18 degrees in Chicago. And, PERFECT BIKINI WEATHER wherever the hell Lindsey Vonn is!

The world-class ski legend is on a secret trip for a secret project with her adorable pup Lucy Vonn ... and it doesn't take a whole lotta investigative reporting to know it's a bikini thing.

Vonn recently hooked up with L Space -- a bikini company -- and by the looks of things, they made a good choice in a spokesperson!

The 35-year-old Olympic superstar has had a pretty massive year -- she got engaged to her NHL star boyfriend P.K. Subban (remember they proposed to each other?!) and officially retired from competitive downhill skiing.

The good news ... she's got options!

Chad Johnson -- the bad boy from JoJo's season of "The Bachelorette" -- is out for blood ... specifically from Colton Underwood or Nick Viall, but the violence is for a good cause!!!

We got Chad out Tuesday at Elite Boxing Club in the San Fernando Valley, and asked about his boxing match coming up April 22. The event's being dubbed "Battle of the Bachelors" ... and there's only one problem.

Chad doesn't have an opponent, at least not yet. Of course, he has a wish list, and he didn't hesitate to explain why he's dreaming about doing some damage to Nick's "stupid face."

His first choice though is Colton, who of course appeared in Becca's season of "The Bachelorette" ... and later was the Bachelor himself.

Chad's no stranger to beefing with CU, or anyone else in 'Bachelor' nation -- but at least this time it will benefit someone besides Chad. All donations from the event will go to the Grand Bahama Disaster Relief Foundation.

The event -- hosted by alums Corinne Olympios and Josh Murray -- is still 2 months away but Chad's getting a head start on trash talking and training.

Jake Paul says his team is actively in talks with KSI's people to make a boxing super-fight happen ... but tells TMZ Sports he thinks Logan's foe is too chicken to get in the ring!!!

Of course, the younger Paul bro has vowed revenge following Logan's controversial loss to KSI back in November ... and now that he bulldozed his way past AnEsonGib, there's only one fight to make.

We spoke with JP about his fighting future ... and he sees another easy W coming at the hands of KSI VERY soon.

"Our teams are talking," Jake tells us. "I'm telling you, I'm gonna knock this kid out in the 1st round," he said. "I have to avenge the family name."

Jake even adds a direct message for KSI, saying, "I know you're going to be watching this. Stop being an embarrassment. You said you'd fight me and I embarrassed your friend, who you said was gonna beat me. I think you have to take this fight."

Jake believes his words are gonna fall on deaf ears though .. saying KSI watched his fight and realized Paul might be too skilled in the ring now.

"I think deep down, (he) saw my performance and is like, 'wow, do I really need to like risk this? I can just YouTube and make shitty music.' That's what he's thinking."

As for a fight date?? Jake makes it clear he doesn't wanna waste any time -- he says he's down to scrap right now!!

Mark Richt said to hell with a steak dinner at a 5-star restaurant for his birthday ... the ex-Georgia and Miami coach is going with "hot dog delight" for his big day.

And, it looks horrific.

Of course, the 60-year-old broke down the unique dish during Miami media day back in 2018 ... saying it's a combo of 2 pieces of bread, a sliced hot dog and American cheese HAMMERED with baked beans and ketchup.

Richt says it's "delightful." We're calling BS.

But, the birthday boy proved he's really about that HDD life on Tuesday ... and you gotta appreciate his dedication to the meal.

"Hot dog delight! My favorite birthday dinner!" the coach tweeted.

Naturally, the Twittersphere opened fire in the replies ... asking if the coach is okay, calling the dish a "dumpster fire" and predicting a long night in the bathroom is in his future.

Others were actually open to the idea ... asking how to copy the travesty.

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez will NOT be denied -- not when they're looking like this on their way into a schmancy Bev Hills boardroom.

The power couple dressed to the nines Tuesday, reportedly for a business meeting. Go ahead ... tell us who's gonna reject whatever they're pitching? We'll wait.

J Lo's never one for modesty -- we all still remember the Super Bowl halftime show, right? She showed off those famous dancer's legs in a mini-skirt and knee-high boots ... while stepping out of their drop-top Bentley.

If this is the new business casual ... go get that MBA, kids!

A-Rod's no slouch ... in his blue blazer, red tie and brown dress shoes, but even he knows his place when it comes to the couple's fashion hierarchy. Bonus points though, Alex, for the stylish bag ... bigger than J Lo's!!!

Okay, so ... who was saying no to them, again? Still waiting.

What was supposed to be a display of sportsmanship turned into an all-out BRAWL at a college basketball game in Texas ... when things got violent in the post-game handshake line!

Prairie View A&M had just defeated the Jackson State Tigers in a home game in Waller County -- but things had been chippy between the teams during regulation.

Things finally exploded in the handshake line when Jackson State's Dontelius Ross took exception with PV's Darius Williams ... who appeared to have bumped Ross during the handshakes.

Ross was PISSED and immediately tried running after Williams, but his teammates and a police officer used all of their might to hold him back.

But it didn't end there ... another fight broke out on the opposite side of the court involving other players and, again, officials raced on to the court to break it up.

It doesn't appear anyone was injured in the fracas -- but you can bet there will repercussions ... most likely suspensions to come soon.

Crazy night.

LeBron James is going scorched-earth on the Houston Astros -- saying if someone ever cheated their way to a title he'd be "f**king irate!"

The NBA superstar is joining the chorus of top athletes blasting both the Astros AND the man in charge of punishing them, MLB commish Rob Manfred.

"Listen here baseball commissioner," Bron said ... "Listen to your players speaking today about how disgusted, mad, hurt, broken, etc etc about this."

"Literally the ball(⚾️) is in your court (or should I say field) and you need to fix this for the sake of Sports!"

Bron added, "I know I don’t play baseball but I am in Sports and I know if someone cheated me out of winning the title and I found out about it I would be F*^king irate! I mean like uncontrollable about what I would/could do!"

Obviously, Bron is referring to the fact the 2017 Houston Astros used technology, bats and trash cans to steal signs and tip-off their hitters about upcoming pitches.

Everyone from Mike Trout to Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner and Aaron Judge have ripped Manfred for not punishing Astros players who participated in the cheating.

A bunch of players also want the MLB to strip the Astros of their 2017 World Series title.

In fact, Atlanta Braves star Nick Markakis says he believes everybody on that team deserves a "beating" for tainting the sport he loves by cheating.