TMZ Sports - Page 50

A Harlem Globetrotters player says white Alabama news anchors threw a banana and other fruit at him during a January appearance ... and now he's coming forward to blast the men for the "disrespectful and egregious" act.

Maxwell Pearce -- AKA "Hops" -- says he was doing an interview with Fox 6 in Birmingham to promote an event ... when suddenly, people on set threw tangerines his way.

Shortly after ... the 24-year-old says one of the anchors took it a step further, and hurled a banana at him.

In footage from the interview ... you can see Pearce caught the fruit with a shocked expression on his face.

Now, after months of reflecting on the incident ... Pearce says he's going public with his feelings on the matter to raise awareness for just how unacceptable the acts were.

"Throwing fruit at me diminishes the Naismith Hall of Fame legacy of the Harlem Globetrotters to that of a circus," Pearce said in an emotional video over the weekend.

"But throwing a banana at a black man and passing it off as entertainment displays an unacceptable lack of awareness. And quite frankly, I'm having a very difficult time understanding how someone could work in the media field and not know that this is offensive."

Pearce added, "This carries deep racial undertones that date back to the early 1900s when black people were held on display in human zoos."

Pearce says he initially urged the news station for an apology, but "stood down" for fear of appearing combative.

But, Pearce claims after the tragic deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd ... he felt it was necessary to shine a public light on what he went through.

Pearce told CNN this week that he did receive an apology from the news station over the fruit throwing ... but claims the anchors themselves have yet to reach out to him to say sorry.

"At this point it's not going to be sincere to me," Pearce said.

For its part, a station spokesperson released a statement on the matter to AL.com this week ... saying, "WBRC Fox6 would like to take this opportunity to again extend a heartfelt and sincere apology to Globetrotter Max Pearce."

NFL running back Derrius Guice is adamant he did NOT rape two women back in 2016 while attending LSU, despite new claims to the contrary.

Both women claim Guice raped them in their own apartments after a night of heavy boozing -- and both claim the allegations were reported to LSU, but never properly investigated.

The women each spoke with USA Today Sports, but have not revealed their identities publicly.

The first woman says she drunkenly passed out on her bed after throwing a party -- and later began to have flashbacks of Guice assaulting her. Plus, she claims other football players at the party said Guice had bragged about having sex with her that night.

The accuser said she told a friend on the diving team about the incident -- who told her diving coach. The diver claims the coach reported the incident to LSU athletics officials.

The accuser claims she later got an email from an LSU official following up on the allegations -- but nothing really came of it.

However, the accuser claims LSU coach Ed Orgeron mentioned the incident later to her then-boyfriend, a player on the LSU football team.,

The player told USA Today Sports ... Orgeron made comments telling him not to be bothered by Guice's involvement with the accuser because "everybody’s girlfriend sleeps with other people."

The player doesn't know exactly how much Oregron knew about the incident.

The second accuser, a former LSU tennis player, claims Guice also sexually assaulted her after a night of drinking.

The woman later went to rehab for substance abuse issues and in 2017, told a rehab staffer about the alleged rape.

The staffer allegedly reported the allegation to LSU -- but the accuser claims it was never properly investigated.

For his part, Guice's attorney Peter D. Greenspun told USA Today Sports the allegations are baseless and looking to make Guice look worse after his recent domestic violence arrest in Virginia.

"At no time were allegations of physical or sexual assault brought against Derrius during his years as a student athlete at LSU," Greenspun told USA Today.

"To bring up such assertions only after the Virginia charges were initiated certainly calls into question the credibility, nature and timing of what is being alleged years later."

"Such speculation and innuendo should not be the basis for Derrius to be required to make any comment at all but he wants to be absolutely clear. The allegations in this story are just that and have no basis in fact."

Guice -- a talented running back -- was released by the Washington Football Team earlier this month after cops say he violently attacked a woman he was romantically involved with on 3 separate occasions from Feb. to April.

LSU issued a generic statement -- but did not address the Guice allegations specifically.

DeSean Jackson went OFF on Danny Green during L.A.'s stunning loss to Portland on Tuesday ... with the NFL star calling the Lakers wing "weak," a "bum" and straight-up "trash."

"I don't care what anybody say," said the Philadelphia Eagles receiver, who grew up in L.A. "Danny Green, you weak as f*ck. You out there playing like a bum."

"Get him off the team, man. Trash."

Of course, Green didn't play his best in the Lakers' 100-93 playoff loss to the Trailblazers ... scoring just 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting.

In fact, Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso were all heavily criticized by NBA pundits for not giving LeBron James enough support in the game.

Seems DeSean couldn't agree more ... because he said he now believes the Lake Show is in big trouble in the rest of the series.

"I told ya'll Lakers, ya'll in trouble," DeSean said. "I'm a die-hard Laker fan, but I don't know. This ain't looking like us."

Jackson went on to praise the hell out of Damian Lillard for his 34-point night ... adding, "That boy Dame Lillard cold. Salute, Dame."

Game 2 in the series is set to tip-off Thursday ... and there's already been talks J.R. Smith and/or Dion Waiters should begin eating into Green's minutes.

Two camps are claiming to be in possession of the REAL jersey worn by Michael Strahan in Super Bowl 42 ... which means someone has a FAKE.

And now, the situation is about to explode -- with both sides claiming they have solid arguments for why their jersey is the real thing.

In one corner, Michael Strahan -- Pro Football Hall of Famer.

In the other, Goldin Auctions -- one of the top sports memorabilia dealers in the country, which prides itself on trading in authentic items.

Strahan claims after his NY Giants beat the New England Patriots on Feb. 3, 2008, he gave his jersey to a friend and instructed that person to take it straight to Strahan's hotel room for safekeeping.

Per a source close to the NY Giants legend, Strahan is adamant the same jersey he passed to his friend ended up in a frame which is now on display at his home.

If you take a close look, we're told those stains on the jersey are champagne and Gatorade stains from the locker room celebration.

But, Goldin Auctions is disputing that claim ... insisting the REAL jersey ended up with a Giants equipment manager that day, who then passed it along to another person ... who brought it to Goldin Auctions.

Ken Goldin, Goldin Auctions Founder and CEO, tells us he's had two well-respected photo match experts -- Mei Grey and Resolution Photo Matching Service -- take a look at his jersey and both agree his jersey is legit.

Goldin also says when you take a close look at the jersey in Strahan's home, he believes there are obvious inconsistencies from high-definition photos of the jersey that were taken directly after the game.

In other words, Goldin believes the photo evidence proves he's got the REAL uniform.

"We are 100% confident the Strahan jersey in the auction is authentic," Goldin says ... "And the photo matching services letters and images speak for themselves."

So, what happens next? We're told Goldin is prepared to defend his claims and will proceed with his auction.

The most recent bid for the Strahan jersey is a cool $39k -- and Goldin believes it can crack $100k.

Here it is ... video proof Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri was SHOVED FIRST in an altercation with a sheriff's deputy during the 2019 NBA Finals.

It's shocking footage considering the claims made by the deputy which painted Ujiri as the main aggressor in an incident that left him with multiple injuries.

Remember, a spokesperson for the Alameda County Sheriff's Dept. initially claimed they would pursue CRIMINAL CHARGES against Ujiri for allegedly striking the deputy in the moments after the Raptors won the title over the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

Ujiri had denied wrongdoing -- but the deputy was adamant the NBA honcho committed misdemeanor battery on a law enforcement officer.

Now, new bodycam footage shows exactly how things went down -- and it seems obvious the cop overreacted in a dangerous way.

The footage shows Ujiri trying to pull out his credentials in a peaceful, nonthreatening way but the deputy freaked out and put his hands on Masai!!!

You can hear the deputy, Alan Strickland, tell Ujiri to "back the f*ck up" while shoving him in the chest.

Strickland pushed Ujiri again -- this time with two hands and using very aggressive force.

Ujiri replies, "Why did you push me? I’m the president of the Raptors."

That's when Ujiri responds by shoving back at the officer, but at that point ... what else is he supposed to do? He felt he was being attacked!?!

And, don't forget this part ... Strickland filed a federal lawsuit against Ujiri, the Raptors and the NBA back in February claiming he suffered serious injuries to his teeth, head, jaw and chin.

And, don't forget, officials initially said deputy claimed the altercation started because Ujiri didn't have the proper credentials -- but the video blows that whole argument out of the water.

Ujiri's attorneys told KTVU the video proves Deputy Alan Strickland was "undeniably the initial aggressor."

All eyes are on LeBron James before he takes the court for his first playoff game of the season ... and the Lakers superstar is sending a powerful message with his wardrobe:

"Make America Arrest The Cops Who Killed Breonna Taylor"

The demand comes in the form of a modified Donald Trump "MAGA" hat ... which POTUS made famous during his first campaign for presidency.

Of course, the Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers are set to tip-off for their first-round match-up in the NBA Playoffs from the Disney World bubble ... and LeBron has vowed to use his platform to raise social justice awareness throughout the season.

As we previously reported, a number of NBA superstars spoke with Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, last month ... and many have used their platform to demand justice.

The hat is also clearly another jab from James at POTUS -- and it's not the first time. LeBron has not his disdain for the President ... he's previously referred to him as a "bum" and a "clown."

LBJ also chose to wear a shirt with the phrase "by any means" ... as well as a pair of Nike Air Force 1s designed by African artist Karabo Poppy.

Talk about making a statement.

Dale Hawerchuck -- a hockey Hall of Famer and Winnipeg Jets legend -- died Tuesday after a battle with stomach cancer ... his son announced.

He was 57 years old.

Hawerchuk is arguably the greatest player in Winnipeg Jets history ... tallying 100 or more points in 6 of his first 7 seasons with the team after it selected him with the #1 overall pick in the 1981 NHL draft.

Hawerchuk ended up owning Jets franchise records for points (929) and goals (379) ... all the way up until the marks were finally bested in the 2015-16 season.

"The Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club, our players, our alumni, and our fans will miss him dearly," the Jets said in a statement, "and we will forever be inspired by his passion for the game, his commitment to his team, and his love for our community."

Hawerchuk went on to play 17 total seasons in the NHL ... which included a solid run with the Buffalo Sabres after his time with the Jets ended in 1990.

"The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Dale Hawerchuk, an instant and enduring star who captured the hearts of two hockey-loving cities, represented his country with class and distinction and is one of the most decorated players in our game's history," commish Gary Bettman said.

Hawerchuk began treatments for cancer in 2019 and completed chemotherapy this past April ... but his son announced just a few weeks ago the disease had returned.

A moment of silence was observed for Hawerchuk just before the Philadelphia Flyers took on the Montreal Canadians in a playoff game in Toronto on Tuesday.

Really good at football. Really bad at singing!!!

That's how the Philadelphia Eagles players felt about rookie QB Jalen Hurts -- booing the guy off the stage during a performance at the team facility  ... and the footage is hilarious!!!

The former Oklahoma/Alabama star tried to best to perform Maze's 1981 hit, "Before I Let Go" on Tuesday -- but man, it did not work out!

Tone-deaf? Yes. Pitchy? Yes. Voice cracking during the song? Mmmhmmm.

And, since it's Philly, the crowd LET HIM HAVE IT -- booing the crap out of the guy ... with some players yelling, "Get the f**k outta here!"

Obviously, the whole thing is in good fun ... NFL rookies have been embarrassing themselves in team "talent" shows for decades. Never gets old.

Hurts had previously performed Al Green's "Love & Happiness" for the team last week --- no boo's there, though.

The L.A. Lakers will rock special Kobe Bryant tribute jerseys during their playoff run -- which include a patch to honor Gigi Bryant ... and Vanessa is a huge fan of it all.

Check out the "Black Mamba" look -- uniforms that were actually inspired by and co-designed by Kobe a few years before he passed.

The design is sweet -- black uniforms with a snakeskin print ... featuring 16 stars on the side to represent the 16 Lakers championships.

The team is set to debut the new threads on Kobe Bryant Day -- 8/24 -- against the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 4 of their playoff series, according to the NBA's "Lockervision" website.

The jerseys will also include a special patch on the right shoulder to honor Gigi -- featuring her #2 in a white heart.

Vanessa gave a sneak peek at the threads on her Instagram stories Monday and they're awesome.

We're guessing the Lakers players are stoked about the look -- especially since LeBron James and Anthony Davis previously got Kobe Bryant tattoos to pay tribute to the NBA legend.

As for the date, 8/24 has already been declared Kobe Bryant Day in Orange County, where Kobe and Gigi lived.

The date represents the two jersey numbers Kobe wore during his 20-year run with the Lakers ... 8 and 24.

Nike, meanwhile, is giving Kobe his own memorial week starting on 8/23 (Bryant's birthday) ... with reps from the Swoosh saying they'll honor the Lakers legend all week with special programming and merch.

Kobe and Gianna -- along with 7 others -- died in a helicopter crash back in January.

Gianna was only 13-years-old. Kobe would have turned 42 this coming Sunday.

Who's the Kim Kardashian of the Gronkowski family?!

IT'S NOT ROB!

This according to the NFL superstar himself who says he's teaming up with his bros for a new FAMILY project ... and it sounds insane!

Rob tells TMZ Sports he spent his entire offseason beating  up his brothers -- Gordie, Dan, Chris and Glenn -- for their new YouTube channel, "The Gronks."

"We all just compete verse each other," Rob says ... "We all team up with each other to do all different type of weird activities or fun activities, or crazy activities, however you wanna categorize it."

Paintball, jet skis, beer pong -- you name it, they're doing it. With intensity.

We asked Rob if the new project is part of a larger strategic plan to set up a post-NFL career for himself in Hollywood.

His response is classic.

"I don't really have a plan. I really just take whatever I'm doing at the moment. Obviously right now my plan is just football, for real."

"I'm just really focused on the game right now and I'm loving it."

Gronk sat out of the 2019 season -- but says he feels awesome right now ... and when we asked how much longer he wants to play pro ball, he didn't commit to an answer.

"I'm not gonna lie, the game of football doesn't last for your whole life," Gronk said ... "So, it's good to have options when you're done playing but as of now, the focus is just there to get better and play some ball."

The Gronks say as part of their new channel, they team up with a ton of big stars for some insane physical challenges ... and even teased a possible Tom Brady cameo.

One of the men convicted in the murder of Michael Jordan's father, James Sr., in 1993 will walk free in 2023 ... after he was granted parole on Tuesday.

MJ's dad was shot to death in July 1993 while sleeping in his car at a rest stop in North Carolina. His body was dumped off a bridge in South Carolina and recovered 11 days later.

One of the men -- 45-year-old Larry Demery -- pled guilty to first-degree murder, armed robbery, and conspiracy to commit robbery in 1996.

On Tuesday, the North Carolina Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission announced that it has granted Demery parole as part of the Mutual Agreement Parole Program.

Demery is set to be released on August 6, 2023.

In a letter explaining Demery's release, the MAPP is described as a scholastic and vocational program that is a three-way agreement between the Commission, the Division of Prisons and the offender.

The Charlotte Hornets play-by-play guy John Focke says he wanted to tweet out the word "Nuggets" on Monday.

He tweeted out a different n-word instead ... and now he's been suspended indefinitely.

Here's the deal ... Focke was watching the Utah Jazz take on the Denver Nuggets on Monday and claims his intention was to tweet about the shooting.

But, something went wrong ... and he sent out the racial slur to his 3,800 followers.

"Shot making in this Jazz-(n-word) game is awesome!" Focke said in the since-deleted tweet. "Murray and Mitchell going back and forth what a game!"

Once he realized what he had done, Focke scrambled to apologize and explain ... saying, "Earlier today I made a horrific error while attempting to tweet about the Denver-Utah game."

"I don’t know how I mistyped, I had (and have) no intention of ever using that word."

"I take full responsibility for my actions. I have been sick to my stomach about it ever since. I’m truly sorry that this happened and I apologize to those I offended."

The Hornets quickly addressed the issue ... suspending Focke indefinitely and launching an investigation into the incident.

"The Charlotte Hornets are aware of the recent social media post by radio broadcaster John Focke. As an organization, we do not condone this type of language."

"John has been suspended indefinitely as we investigate the matter more closely."

To make matter worse ... this is Focke's first season broadcasting for the Hornets.

Michael Strahan's game-worn Super Bowl 42 jersey -- when his NY Giants upset Tom Brady's UNDEFEATED Patriots in 2008 -- just hit the auction block ... and it's expected to crack the $100k mark!

TMZ Sports has learned ... Goldin Auctions is featuring Strahan's white and red NYG jersey in a current auction. The starting bid was $20k and it quickly exploded to $36k.

The game -- played on February 3, 2008, in Glendale, AZ -- is widely considered one of the best in Super Bowl history. It was also Strahan's final game of his legendary NFL career.

Goldin Auctions insists the jersey is 100% authentic -- it was photo-matched from 2 different companies that specialize in apparel authenticity.

Of course, New England entered the game as huge 12 point favorites and was looking to go 19-0 ... joining the Miami Dolphins as the only teams in history to complete an undefeated championship run.

But, Strahan -- along with Eli Manning and some help from a sure-handed, sure-helmeted David Tyree -- ruined the Patriots' night in a 17-to-14 upset.

Don't feel too bad for Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, and the rest of the gang ... they won other Super Bowls. They're just fine.

Strahan had a solid game that night -- chalking up 3 tackles and a sack.

He later went on to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame and launched a TV career that could eclipse his playing career ... and that's really saying something!!

The jersey auction will run until August 22 and could get super hot in the final days as there are some rabid and rich Giants fans that would LOVE to get their hands on this.

Mike Conley is BACK -- almost!!!

The Utah Jazz star has returned to the NBA bubble in Orlando -- ready for the playoffs -- just one day after his wife gave birth to their son, Elijah.

Now, the quarantine begins -- and if he passed all of the COVID-19 tests, he can rejoin his teammates in just a few days.

Conley had traveled from Orlando to a hospital in Columbus, Ohio on Sunday so he could be in the room when his wife, Mary, delivered. And, he made it!

The Utah Jazz said they supported Conley taking as much time as he needed to be with his family ... but Monday night,  he was already reporting for duty, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The quick turnaround means Conley MIGHT be cleared to return to action for Game 3 (Friday) of Utah's playoff series against the Denver Nuggets.

Like everyone who leaves the bubble, Conley must quarantine for several days and pass multiple COVID-19 tests before he'll be allowed to re-enter the bubble environment at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

This is the sports highlight of the day, BY FAR.

Washington Football Team QB Alex Smith made his official return to full practice on Tuesday ... nearly 2 years after he ALMOST DIED from complications following a devastating leg injury.

You can see in the amazing footage ... Smith runs through drills alongside QB Dwayne Haskins -- even connecting on a short pass to running back Antonio Gibson.

This is IMPROBABLE video considering everything Smith has gone through over the past 2 years.

Remember, the QB suffered a compound fracture in his right leg -- the bone broke through the skin -- during a game in November 2018.

Days later during his recovery, Smith became VERY sick and his leg turned black. He was diagnosed with sepsis -- a life-threatening condition that stems from a bad infection.

Doctors later determined Smith had a flesh-eating bacteria that ultimately required 17 surgeries!!!

Somehow, Smith battled through all of the procedures, all of the rehab ... all of the mental torture -- and was CLEARED by docs to return to the field over the weekend.

Alex's family celebrated the news with a champagne-spraying party -- and cake! Amazing moment.

And, now, once again Smith is beating the odds ... most everyone though the 36-year-old would just hang up his cleats and move on with his life.

But, Alex made it clear football is his passion and made it his mission to get back on the field.

Mission accomplished.

Tom Brady is fitting in just fine as the new guy down in Tampa Bay ... so says his new star wide receiver Mike Evans -- who absolutely GUSHED over the QB on Tuesday!!!

"He's the G.O.A.T. on and off the field," Evans said. "It's crazy. He's a superstar. The most accomplished player in our game in history. And. he's just like everybody else."

"He just works extremely hard. He's always taking care of his body. He loves his family. He loves family time. And, he's just cool."

Evans added, "He's a real down-to-earth guy. And, he's already up there as one of my favorite teammates."

It's huge praise from the 3-time Pro Bowl wideout ... considering the guys just became teammates about 5 months ago and have only had a few official practices as Bucs.

But, Evans says he truly means it ... saying, "I'm learning a lot from him. And hopefully, we tear it up this year."

Seems Brady's having a blast with Evans too ... Tom told NBC's Peter King earlier this week he's "so happy with the decision I made" to bolt from New England to Florida.

Good times in Tampa, huh?!