TMZ Sports - Page 50

Ex-MLB star Esteban Loaiza is fighting the charges in his cocaine smuggling case -- pleading not guilty to possessing more than 40 POUNDS of blow.

The 46-year-old former All-Star pitcher appeared in court in his jailhouse jumpsuit -- where his lawyer told the judge he denies all of the allegations against him.

As we previously reported, cops say Loaiza had a "sophisticated" drug smuggling compartment in his vehicle -- and when they searched his home, they found the motherload. Officials say Loaiza kept the drugs in a home just steps away from a preschool.

Prosecutors say Loaiza had come back from a trip to Mexico on the same day he was arrested.

He's facing multiple felony criminal charges including possession of cocaine for sale.

The judge set Loaiza's bail at $250,000 after prosecutors argued that he's a flight risk. The judge ordered him not to leave San Diego without permission from the court.

Great news, 76ers fans -- Dr. J's got faith Markelle Fultz is gonna fix his broke ass jump shot ... and he's telling TMZ Sports exactly why.

We got Julius touching down at LAX for All-Star week ... and the doctor gave his official diagnosis on why it looks like the #1 overall pick's been talent-zapped by The Monstars.

"Clearly it's some sort of physical thing that's causing him the problems that he's having, more than mental," Erving explained.

Essentially, Dr. J's saying Markelle's shoulder injury is to blame ... and the kid can get back to ballin' out with proper R&R.

FYI, there have been reports claiming Fultz's personal trainer is to blame for screwing with his jumper ... but no one really knows.

Luke Wilson went from crash victim to action hero mere moments after a Ferrari in which pro golfer Bill Haas was riding passenger caused a fatal accident ... TMZ has learned.

Tattoo artist Sean Heirigs -- who owns House of Ink in Venice, CA -- tells us he witnessed the crash Tuesday night, where he says the driver of the Ferrari, 71-year-old Mark Gibello, sped off down a road, lost control switching gears and hit a BMW in the opposite lane.

Heirigs says the BMW flipped over, and clipped Wilson's tailing car in the process. He tells us the woman inside was screaming, as her leg was stuck as her car began smoking.

That's when Wilson parked his car and ran over to get the woman out. Heirigs says he also assisted, but tells us it was Wilson who went in through the back, while he dislodged her leg. Wilson then pulled the victim out of the back of the car and they both carried her over to a curb while paramedics arrived.

Brynn Cameron has filed a palimony lawsuit against her baby daddy, Blake Griffin, claiming he shamelessly abandoned her and their children for Kendall Jenner.

The lawsuit slams Griffin as a heartless cad who left his fiancee after "cruelly embarrassing his family with his public fawning over Kendall Jenner."

Brynn and Blake were on and off for 8 years, they have 2 children together and were engaged, but he called off the wedding last year and then set his sights on Kendall.

Brynn uses Blake's own set of circumstances -- being traded by the Clippers to Detroit after being promised he was the future of the L.A. team -- saying, "Griffin himself, however, knows very well what breaching promises is all about. After all, Griffin had no problem trading Brynn Cameron, his former fiancee, and the mother of his 2 children, for reality television star Kendall Jenner."

According to the lawsuit, filed on Valentine's Day by high-powered celebrity lawyer Bryan Freedman, Griffin made repeated pledges to Cameron, promising to support her after insisting she abandon her sports marketing job and interior design business.

The suit says Brynn did everything for Blake ... "Cameron was not just the mother of Griffin's children and their caregiver, she was also a constant support for Griffin -- his personal assistant, meal planner, scheduler, stylist, publicist, party planner, nurse, nutritionist, branding expert, therapist, cheerleader, basketball and fitness consultant, and more."

In her suit, Brynn included love letters she received from "Blakey" reiterating how thankful he was for "all of the sacrifices" Cameron had made for him "and their family."

The suit also claims she counseled Griffin on how to deal with bad blood between him and Clippers teammate Chris Paul, claiming she advised him on how to be a better leader in the team's locker room when he was being shown up by Paul. She says the 2 had "mounting tension" between them because he felt it was no longer his team ... it was Paul's.

According to the lawsuit, "[Cameron] strengthened Griffin's bond with his teammates and allowed the organization to see a different side of his personality rather than the hard-partying man-child Griffin had been prior to their cohabitation."

Brynn essentially sums it up, saying, "Griffin cared more about the glamour of dating a Hollywood celebrity than the day-to-day responsibilities of being a father and family man."

And she says Blake -- who signed a $173 MILLION contract back in June -- left her in desperate straits ... "While Griffin is continuing to earn millions from his NBA and endorsement deals, Cameron and their children are homeless and cash-strapped. In Griffin's absence, Cameron's brother has had to provide Cameron and the children with financial support."

The suit doesn't specify an exact amount she wants -- but it's definitely in the millions of dollars.

One of O.J. Simpson's former BFFs is giving his alleged big-screen return 2 thumbs down -- telling TMZ Sports there ain't a chance Juice gets loose in Hollywood again.

We got Ahmad Rashad at LAX on Tuesday ... and it was pretty clear from the jump that he didn't wanna talk O.J. (who, fun fact, was in his wedding party, along with Bill Cosby).

But when we asked if O.J.'s rumored cameo in a Sacha Baron Cohen movie could be the start of an acting resurgence -- the Vikings legend straight-up laughed off the possibility.

Ahmad also told us there's no way in hell he'd watch Sacha's flick if O.J.'s in it (shocker).

FYI, Simpson's Hollywood credits include blockbusters like "Roots" and "The Naked Gun" trilogy.

Blake Griffin had a "toxic" relationship with several teammates on the Clippers -- and things got so bad, Doc Rivers had to mediate disputes in private meetings, this according to Blake's ex.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Brynn Cameron is suing the NBA star for palimony -- but in her lawsuit, she details the turbulent relationship Blake had with the Clips.

In her suit, Brynn says she would council Blake on how to deal with the "mounting tension with Chris Paul."

"The Clippers had been Griffin's team since he was drafted and he felt like it was no longer his team."

She continued, "Griffin struggled to be viewed as a leader for the Clippers while Chris Paul was such a vocal presence in the locker room and the media -- and was better known for his drive to win and dedication to both team building and family values."

Brynn says she counseled Griffin to lead in his own way "by setting a standard for hard work."

She also claims she helped Blake with his communication skills -- including how to speak with teammates and coaches when issues would arise.

"The relationship between Griffin and other teammates had become so toxic Rivers had to mediate disputes in private meetings with the players."

"Griffin did not know how to handle confrontations and would go silent when things did not go his way. To change that dynamic, Cameron would coach Griffin on how to communicate his issues."

Blake Griffin's ex, Brynn Cameron, claims the NBA star dumped her ONE WEEK before their wedding date because she wouldn't sign a prenup ... and then jetted to Vegas to party without her.

In her lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, Brynn claims the NBA star made an oral agreement with her back in 2013 that she would quit her job to raise their kids so he could focus on getting a max NBA contract, worth more than $170 mil.

In exchange, Brynn says Griffin "promised explicitly that, whatever the future might hold, he would take care of [Cameron] financially and provide her a home for the rest of her life."

Brynn says she and Blake were slated to tie the knot in St. Barth's on July 28, 2017 -- but one month before the wedding, he demanded she sign a prenup.

Brynn shut him down -- claiming the prenup contradicted the oral agreement they made in 2013.

Blake then called off the wedding 1 week before the date -- and Blake sent a note to guests saying, "Brynn and I take this commitment to each other seriously and want to ensure it is done in the right way."

Instead, Brynn says ... Blake "immediately embarked on a high-profile affair with [Kendall Jenner]. The next weekend, on what would have been his wedding day, he was partying in Vegas."

Byrnn says she and Blake began couples therapy -- but he was still seeing Jenner on the side.

It was then Brynn says Blake stopped paying her "full financial support commensurate with her lifestyle and her share of their joint property."

Warren Sapp didn't see this coming!!!!

The NFL Hall of Famer got SERVED with a lawsuit in his battery case by a process server PRETENDING TO BE A FAN ... and executed the trick play to perfection!

As we previously reported, Sapp is being sued by a woman who claims Sapp drunkenly bowled her over at a 2015 Super Bowl party in Arizona. She claims she suffered major injuries as a result.

The woman's attorneys had been trying to serve Sapp for more than a year but couldn't quite track him down -- they felt he was "actively avoiding the process server."

So, they sent a guy to a Sapp autograph session he had been promoting, hoping Warren would show up -- and they could finally slap him with the complaint and summons to appear in court.

The plan worked to perfection ... an unsuspecting Sapp even put his arm around the guy to pose for a photo before he dropped the bomb on him.

Oh man ... this is painful.

LaVar Ball took the mic on "Lip Sync Battle" and decided to do his biggest, ballerest version of the Nas classic, "Hate Me Now" ... and yeah, everyone hates him now.

Including his son, Lonzo Ball.

The Balls competed against each other on the show (airs Thursday) -- Lonzo did "Band and Boujee" by Migos, accompanied by a bunch of twerking girl dancers.

When LaVar got his shot, he tried really hard -- but it became very obvious he didn't really know the words and just sorta jumped around and mouthed a bunch of incorrect lyrics.

Afterward, Lonzo told his dad ... "If I was Nas I'd be mad he put on a performance like that on my song. I'd be mad."

UFC fighter Devin Powell is one bro who won't be getting lucky on Valentine's Day -- 'cause he's in the hospital nursing a surgically-repaired nut.

No, we aren't making this up ... and Devin gave TMZ Sports the cringy play-by-play of the accident.

Devin told us he was training his ground game with UFC vet Joe Lauzon ... and it was business as usual until Joe's knee sandwiched one of his testicles and "exploded it."

"The top of it felt like a big sack of worms -- all the veins had swelled," Powell said.

The worst part -- Powell says he waited A DAY AND A HALF before getting his ruptured ball checked out.

Lucky for him, it wasn't too late. Devin says the scrotal surgery was a success ... and he's already asking Dana White to book him on an upcoming UFC card!

Seriously, the balls on this guy ...

Johnny Manziel has signed on to play full contact football again -- as a quarterback in the upcoming "Spring League."

The league kicks off on March 28 in Austin, TX -- and during the 2017 season, several NFL scouts attended games to check out some of the players.

Previous Spring League players include Greg Hardy and Kellen Winslow Jr.

Manziel issued a statement saying, "The Spring League has provided me with a great opportunity to play ball again, and ultimately, that is all I want to do."

"I miss the competition. I'd like to thank Brian Woods and The Spring League staff for this opportunity to play the game I love. I've made my share of mistakes, but I'm 25 years old and I know my best football is ahead of me."

The Spring League had previously made 2 conditions for Manziel to play -- nightly check-ins with a team staff member at 9:30 PM AND he must pass a USADA drug test on the first day of the league.

No word if those conditions still apply.

Shaun White says he's "truly sorry" for referring to his sexual harassment case as "gossip" -- saying, "It was a poor choice of words to describe such a sensitive subject in the world today."

The snowboarding legend appeared on the "Today" show early Wednesday to address the comments he made during Tuesday night's post-Olympic media conference ... where he was asked about the graphic sexual harassment suit filed against him in 2016.

TMZ Sports broke the story back in August 2016 ... White was sued by his female bandmember, Lena Zawaideh, who claimed White would text her penis pics, sex videos involving fecal matter and forced her to style her hair in a way that appeased him during her 7-year run with the group.

White denied the allegations -- but ultimately settled the case with Zawaideh in May 2017, the terms of which were not disclosed.

But Tuesday night in South Korea -- right after White won gold in the men's halfpipe -- he was asked by an ABC reporter to address the allegations. White said he was there to talk about the Olympics, not "gossip."

A second reporter wanted to ask follow-up questions about the case, but was shut down by the moderator.

Golf star Bill Haas -- a 6-time PGA tour winner -- was injured Tuesday night when a Ferrari he was a passenger in rolled over and crashed in Pacific Palisades, CA -- killing the driver.

Luke Wilson's car was involved in the wreck -- but he was not injured.

The crash occurred right near Riviera Country Club -- where O.J. Simpson famously used to golf back in the day (he was banned after the murders). In fact, he golfed there with a famous movie producer the morning of the killings.

35-year-old Haas was rushed to the hospital where he was treated for pain and swelling in his legs. He suffered no broken bones and is expected to make a full recovery.

The driver of the car is a 71-year-old man. Cops have not released his name or said why they believe the Ferrari crashed in the first place.

Why did WWE superstar Shelton Benjamin fear his life was in danger when he found a LOADED GUN in the glove compartment of his Budget rental car?

"Me being a big black guy in a car with a gun in it? There's no way that scenario ends well for me if the cops come."

Yeah, that REALLY happened to Shelton last week in Kansas City -- where he discovered a loaded Ruger pistol with a spare clip that somebody else had left in the glove box.

Shelton says his mind raced when he first saw the gun -- wondering if it was used in a crime and if cops would wrongly think it belonged to him.

But Shelton handled things the right way -- saying he called police immediately and explained the situation ... and cops were cool when they came to collect the weapon.

In fact, cops told Shelton they see similar situations with guns left in rental cars "all the time."

Yeesh.

We reached out to Budget for comment -- so far, no word back.

Hopefully, Shelton gets some free rentals out of the situation ...

Here's another episode of "Playing It Coy," starring Tim Tebow ... who says he really doesn't know whether he'd consider signing with the XFL.

Tebow was gentlemanly as ever when we got him at LAX on Tuesday -- but when the topic of Vince McMahon's XFL offer got brought up again, he gave us the ol' Heisman stiff-arm.

"I don't know -- that's a long way from now."

He does have a point. The XFL doesn't launch til 2020.

Timmy did give us a clear answer when our photog -- a Chicago guy -- asked about him potentially playing for the Cubs.

One of the best basketball players alive says she's sick and tired of having to play overseas to make a decent living -- and she's calling for the WNBA to start paying women like their male counterparts.

Angel McCoughtry was the #1 overall pick in the 2009 WNBA draft and went on to become the 2009 WNBA Rookie of the Year, a 4-time WNBA All-Star and has already won the scoring title TWICE!

Problem is ... the top female players make SQUAT compared to NBA stars. According to a 2017 report, the top WNBA players only make around $100k in annual base salary.

To compare -- Steph Curry is making $34.6 million this season and that goes up to $45.7 mil per season at the end of his contract.

McCoughtry says the top women are forced to play overseas -- where they can make 10 times as much. McCoughtry has played everywhere from Russia to Lebanon to Turkey.

But she's clearly over it ...

"Pay us like you pay the men. I don't want to get paid more overseas. I want to get paid in my country."

In fact, McCoughtry says she sometimes wears the medals she wins in overseas tournaments out in public because people usually buy her a free meal when she does.