TMZ Sports - Page 22

LeBron James is taking advantage of the NBA's relaxed dress code while in the Orlando bubble ... rockin' an open shirt and showing some serious skin before the Laker game on Monday!!

Of course, the league decided to take it easy on its fashion requirements during the NBA's restart ... allowing players to ditch their sport coats and suits for a more casual look.

LBJ is taking things to a whole 'nother level before tipping off against the Denver Nuggets ... wearing an unbuttoned short sleeve shirt and some shorts.

If you didn't know about the context, you'd assume the King was about to hit the beach!!

"Miami Drip in Orlando," L.A.'s Twitter account captured the pic of James heading to the team bus.

To top off the whole look, LBJ is sporting the Klutch Sports agency with a custom mask ... which has to make his buddy Rich Paul happy about the free advertising.

Fun Fact -- did you know Paige VanZant can execute a perfect toe touch??

The MMA superstar is out to prove any doubters wrong ... by throwing on a tiny hot pink bikini and posting a slow-mo vid as evidence on Monday!!

"Suns out buns out ☀️✌🏼🌴" Paige captioned her video ... which, might we add, is a very factual statement.

PVZ and her Bellator hubby, Austin Vanderford, have been spotted training at the famous American Top Team MMA gym in Florida this past week ... but made sure to get in some solid fun at the pool during their time off.

Of course, ATT houses some of the biggest names in MMA -- from Amanda Nunes to Joanna Jedrzejczyk ... and VanZant basically confirmed the move in an Instagram post.

"Always go with the choice that scares you the most, because that’s the one that’s going to help you grow. #NextChapter #Florida," PVZ captioned the pic.

Back to the toe touch -- PVZ was a cheerleader in HS and went on to prove she still had moves while appearing on "Dancing With The Stars" back in 2016.

Federal agents say a massive shipment of footwear on its way to Mexico contained millions of dollars worth of fake shoes -- including some coveted, rare Jordans and Yeezys.

U.S Customs and Border Protection announced the bust their agents down at the Dallas/Fort Worth port this week -- where they seized a haul which included over 1,800 pairs of phony Limited Edition Dior X Air Jordan 1 kicks that were heading to retailers south of the border.

These specific shoes retail for about $2,000 a pop on the market, and all in all ... the feds say the shipment was worth upwards of $4.3 million.

The agents add that the boxes -- about 60 of which were targeted, all coming from China -- had all the markings of a scam ... bad packaging, poor quality and the officers' previous experience with this sort of thing told them the shoes weren't legit, so they halted them.

The Jordans weren't the only sneakers in the mix -- as you can see in the photo above, it looks like there are some Yeezy 350 Boosts scattered throughout as well ... knock-offs, we should note. USCBP says several different shoes with Nike and Adidas logos were spotted.

They also say they gave the shipment's cosigner the chance to submit proof of Trademark Licensing before taking it outta their hands. Obviously, their paperwork wasn't up to snuff.

BTW ... this sorta scheme can generate tens of millions of dollars if it goes undetected -- according to the customs team, more than $37 mil of an MRSP was recorded in counterfeit shoe sales in 2019 alone. So, be on the lookout for Jordans and Yeezees on the street.

Donald Trump is campaigning hard for college football -- urging programs NOT to cancel the 2020 season.

And, he's on board the #WeWantToPlay movement, which is being led by his old fast-food buddy, Trevor Lawrence.

"The student-athletes have been working too hard for their season to be cancelled," POTUS tweeted Monday ... adding the hashtag, "#WeWantToPlay"

Trump made the comments while quote tweeting the Clemson QB's demands for a college football season.

As we previously reported, Lawrence -- along with other top college football stars -- spelled out a list of demands in order for the players to be on board with a 2020 football season.

Among the demands ... "Universal mandated health and safety procedures to protect college athletes against covid-19 among all conferences throughout the NCAA."

"Give players the opportunity to opt out and respect their decision."

Trump and Lawrence go way back -- remember, Trevor's Clemson football team was invited to the White House back in January 2019 to celebrate their national championship season.

Trump was widely mocked for the fast-food catering, but Lawrence had nothing but praise for POTUS on the way out ... saying the food was "awesome."

Shredded?? Check. Hot?? Yup. Vacation in paradise?? Better believe it!!

Star couple Caroline Wozniacki and David Lee have taken their summer getaway around the globe to Italy ... soaking up the sun at a pool in Portofino.

Of course, the former tennis superstar and ex-NBA hooper have been doing a bit of sight-seeing after Woz announced her retirement in January ... recently hitting up Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat in France.

And, just like in France, the couple ditched their clothes for their swimsuits ... proving there's no such thing as a retirement bod for either of them.

Woz decided to go with a one-piece patterned suit this time around ... although we know she's a big fan of bikinis -- even rocking one for a hike last week.

But, CW ain't the only one who can show off -- gotta give Lee his credit as well!!

We'll be sure to keep you posted on their next stop on the Hot Couple World Tour.

Shocking new details in the Derrius Guice domestic violence case ... the NFL player's GF told cops he choked her unconscious during a March incident and when she came to, he was crying next to her.

It's all in new court documents obtained by TMZ Sports ... which spell out the allegations from 3 separate incidents allegedly involving the former Washington Football Team running back, beginning on Valentine's Day.

INCIDENT #1 -- Feb. 14, 2020

Guice's girlfriend told cops he "pushed her to the ground in his bedroom bathroom, causing injury to her left thumbnail where she caught her fall."

The woman says the nail eventually fell off due to a "popped blood vessel."

INCIDENT #2 -- March 13, 2020

Guice's GF told cops he "strangled her until she was unconscious by putting his hands around her neck and applying pressure."

The woman says when she regained consciousness, Guice was "crying and tapping her."

She told cops Guice had also pushed her and pulled her hair more than once that same day.

The woman says she left the house to catch a flight and didn't look in the mirror until she was at the airport. That's when she realized she was badly bruised and took photos of her injuries, which she submitted to police.

INCIDENT #3 -- April 17, 2020

The woman says Guice pushed her to the ground outside of his Ashburn, Virginia home causing injuries to her body, which she again photographed.

She claims Guice also thew her cell phone into the street, causing it to shatter.

As we previously reported, Guice was arrested on Friday and hit with multiple serious charges including assault and battery, felony strangulation and destruction of property.

If convicted on the felony, the faces up to 5 years in prison.

He was released on bond -- and cut by the Washington Football Team later that day.

Guice was a top running back at LSU during his college days and was selected in the 2nd-round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

He flashed huge potential but was hampered by injuries.

Danica Patrick isn't letting the haters get to her -- brushing off an IG troll who tried to mock her dating life after her split with Aaron Rodgers.

The troll left a mean comment under one of her latest IG comments -- trashing Danica out of the blue.

"At 38, its over for you in the relationship world with high value men. From a failed marriage to failed dating clearly you have a problem in dating."

The ex-NASCAR driver didn't get in the gutter with the commenter -- instead, she exposed him and encouraged her followers to ignore this kind of stupid negativity.

"If we let what one person thinks of us be our reality, we are doomed," Danica wrote.

"Realize that what someone says to us has a lot more to do with their own wounds and reality than ours. Our reality is our decision. Still not easy -- but true."

As we previously reported, Danica split with the Green Bay Packers QB last month.

The Baltimore Ravens are donating $1 MILLION to combat social injustices ... and the team's star players are deciding who gets the cash.

A players council -- consisting of ex- Ravens WR Torrey Smith, and current stars like Ronnie Stanley and Justin Tucker -- selected 28 local organizations who are each getting a share of the money.

The organizations range from a group that uses dirt bikes to eradicate poverty (B-360) to a program that provides mentors for kids in Baltimore (Challenge 2 Change).

"When you talk about social justice, there are many different issues – from education, to criminal justice reform, to health," Smith says.

"There are so many avenues the players could have chosen, so they really spread it out among a lot of different grassroots organizations."

26-year-old Pro Bowl T Ronnie Stanley says he's pumped to help people who aren't getting a fair shake in life.

"I'm passionate about this, knowing the position I'm in and how blessed I am to be in a position to help people," Stanley says.

"I'm not going to forget about the people who are dealing with things that aren't fair. We have an opportunity to help make the world a better place, and I want to take advantage of that."

Many NFL teams and players -- including the league -- have stepped up in a big way in the wake of George Floyd's killing ... donating huge amounts of money.

The NFL committed a whopping $250 million over the next 10 years to "address criminal justice reform, police reform and economic and educational advancement for African Americans."

Saints star Drew Brees is throwing down $10 mil to build healthcare and community centers in the New Orleans area.

Now -- thanks to team owner Stephen Bisciotti's donation -- a bunch of groups in the Baltimore area will have thousands of dollars to fight for equality.

"Any time you have to release a very talented young football player, its always a tough decision."

That's Washington Football Team football coach Ron Rivera explaining why he wrestled with the decision to release Derrius Guice on Friday, hours after Guice was arrested on domestic violence charges.

"On Friday, I made a decision that I believe was in the best interest of this organization, our players and our fans going forward," Rivera said during a Monday morning media session.

"Very difficult decision."

As we previously reported, the 23-year-old running back was taken into custody on Friday on multiple charges, including one count of felony strangulation.

He's also facing 3 counts of assault and battery and 1 count of destruction of property.

Officials say the charges stem from THREE violence incidents dating back to February.

River says he spoke with the Washington players on Sunday and "basically told them that I made a decision that I believe was in the best interests of our organization."

"If it was the right decision, we will benefit from it and if it's not, it will be on me."

"I will take full responsibility as we go forward to try and make sure we do things the right way and we'll go from there."

On the football side of things, Washington still has some talent at RB -- including veterans Adrian Peterson and Peyton Barber.

Dan Snyder claims a fired ex-employee is taking bribes to feed information to a foreign-based website that's out to get him, and now he's naming names in court.

The Washington Football Team owner is calling out Mary Ellen Blair, whom he describes as a former executive assistant in the team's offices. In docs filed Monday morning, Snyder claims Blair -- who was first demoted and then fired in 2017 -- contacted a current team employee in late May or early June to say a Washington Post story was coming out that would "not [be] good for Dan." Snyder insinuates she used stolen information, such as team contacts, to fish for negative information for that story.

BTW, The WaPo story that came out on July 5 claimed "minority owners" of the Washington Football Team are pissed at Snyder and wanted to sell their stakes.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, Blair contacted team employees again in early July, and said another big story was coming out claiming Snyder did "dirty and illegal" things.

He claims Blair told one employee, you'd "probably make a lot of money" for info on Snyder. Sources connected to Snyder tell us he also has recordings of Blair and multiple affidavits indicating she actually offered bribes to contacts.

Snyder, who's hired high-powered attorney Joe Tacopina, says the employee didn't take the bait, and points out the WaPo story that was published July 16 alleged sexual harassment in Team offices ... but he was not accused.

However, around that time meaww.com did post stories alleging Snyder was involved in sex trafficking and tied to Jeffrey Epstein. As TMZ Sports first reported, he's filed a $10 million defamation lawsuit against the site, and now wants a judge to allow him to dig into Blair's recent contacts, her finances ... and especially her housing.

Snyder claims she's lived in a swanky apartment for years -- despite being in "dire financial straits" -- and says within the last 60 days she upgraded to an even higher-end home.

Houston Cougars lineman Sedrick Williams says he's experienced "complications with my heart" after battling COVID back in July ... and now he's opting out of the 2020 season.

The 6'3", 302-pound defensive lineman -- a junior transfer from Kilgore College -- tested positive for COVID in early July and spent 14 days in quarantine.

But, Williams says he didn't make a full recovery.

"As a result of the virus I’ve had complications with my heart and I really don’t know the outcome or what’s in store for me in the future," Williams said on Facebook.

"I just know that my life is more precious to me than football could ever be."

As a result, Williams says he's opting out of the 2020 season -- but vows to return once he's 100% recovered.

"I won’t take this year for granted, IM COMING BACK BIGGER, FASTER, & STRONGER than EVER."

Williams says the recent death of former Florida State basketball player Michael Ojo made him realize heart issues are no joke.

As we previously reported, Ojo passed away last week after suffering a heart attack during a training session. He was only 27.

Williams had been a standout at Kilgore College the past two seasons and was expected to compete for starter's minutes with the Cougars.

Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence is adamant he WANTS to play college football this season -- even spelling out reasons why it's imperative for so many players -- but it ain't lookin' good.

The QB -- the projected #1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft -- essentially argued athletes are safer from COVID in the college environment than back in their own homes.

"People are at just as much, if not more risk, if we don’t play," Lawrence said Sunday on Twitter.

"Players will all be sent home to their own communities where social distancing is highly unlikely and medical care and expenses will be placed on the families if they were to contract covid19."

"Not to mention the players coming from situations that are not good for them/their future and having to go back to that."

Lawrence says football "is a safe haven for so many people."

"We are more likely to get the virus in everyday life than playing football."

"Having a season also incentivizes players being safe and taking all of the right precautions to try to avoid contracting covid because the season/ teammates safety is on the line."

"Without the season, as we’ve seen already, people will not social distance or wear masks and take the proper precautions."

Fair points, but while Lawrence was making his case ... the leaders of college football's Power 5 conferences (ACC, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC) were holding an emergency meeting to talk about the likelihood of no college football season in the fall.

No official decisions were made, but ESPN reports the leaders were discussing how they can work together if fall sports are canceled or postponed.

The takeaway from ESPN's report is it seems a postponement is the likely path at this point.

Meanwhile, Lawrence joined several other major college football stars in posting a message saying #WeWantToPlay ... which outlines the conditions that need to be met in order for the players to be on board with a 2020 college football season.

The group says it wants several things ...

--  "Universal mandated health and safety procedures to protect college athletes against covid-19 among all conferences throughout the NCAA."

-- "Give players the opportunity to opt out and respect their decision."

-- "Guarantee eligibility whether a player chooses to play the season or not."

-- "Use our voices to establish open communication and trust between players and officials; ultimately create a College Football Players Association [with] representatives of the players of all Power 5 conferences."

Tito Ortiz says he already has some powerful support as he embarks on a political career -- with the Trump family standing firmly behind him.

As we previously reported, the UFC Hall of Famer is running for City Council in Huntington Beach, CA -- but tells TMZ Sports, he ultimately wants to become the mayor.

Earlier this week, we spotted Ortiz as he was submitted paperwork for the Nov. 3rd election ... and man, he is EXCITED.

45-year-old Tito says he was inspired to run for office after working with law enforcement to protect the community during the George Floyd protests back in May.

Ortiz says he ultimately realized becoming an officer was too dangerous at this point in his life -- and political career seemed like a better option.

"My community has given so much to me throughout my career, now its time for me to give back to my community. I'm ready for city council!"

Ortiz -- who's been tight with the Trump family for decades -- says Donald Trump Jr. already reached out to show love.

"Donald Trump Jr. reached out to me and said, 'I heard you're running at Huntington Beach, go get 'em champ!' I'm very thankful for that."

Ortiz also says he would love to get on the phone with POTUS to get some advice, but understands Donald is a little busy these days.

In the meantime, Ortiz says he's been brushing up on civics lessons in hopes of hitting the ground running if he gets elected.

Tito says his campaign will focus on making the city safe again -- noting it was once considered the "Safest City In America."

He also wants to put focus on growing the local economy and protecting the environment.

Ortiz says he won't be bought off by big corporations -- telling TMZ Sports, "I'm not here for the money, I'm here to make a difference for my community."

Sylvester Stallone is rarely EVER down for the count ... but when it comes to his tricked-out Escalade, he's decided it's time to hang up the gloves and sell the whip for a small fortune.

The folks over at Becker Automotive Design did the customization and now are handling the sale of Sly's 2019 Cadillac Escalade. But, it's no ordinary Escalade, not when Rocky's the owner. The pimped-out whip is the stretched version ... 20 inches to be exact, and it's decked out for the VIP of all VIPs.

The beast is loaded with a 43-inch UHD LCD smart TV built into the electric center divider partition, plus rear 12-inch LCD screens for rear-facing passengers. It's also loaded with two SIM cards from different carriers to ensure you always have the most reliable internet connection.

Got back problems? Enjoy the massagers built into the seats with thermoelectric cool and heat functions.

For extra privacy, the windows are outfitted with electric curtains, and for a more comfy ride -- 2 fully electric rear bucket seats and electric leg rests. The car alone cost $89,500 but the interior enhancements -- for a cool $136,330 -- are what really make this a powerhouse on wheels.

So, why's Sly selling this beast? He says, "I ordered my Becker ESV for a specific purpose, however, my requirement for it has recently changed and I no longer have a need for this beautiful vehicle." Whoever lands this luxury room on wheels will enjoy the Stallone touch ... considering he personally designed the luxurious interior. Howard Becker, BTW, also worked with Tom Brady for his 2017 Cadi.

Sylvester says, "The on-board electronics and ride quality are second to none. I hope the new owner gets years of fulfilling use from this sensationally appointed Becker Cadillac ESV."