TMZ Sports - Page 48

Ex-NBA star Kenyon Martin says watching Carmelo Anthony play against his son, Kenyon Martin Jr., was dope -- telling TMZ Sports it's a testament to Melo's longevity.

Melo recently went toe-to-toe with his former teammate's son, KJ, when the Lakers played the Houston Rockets on Sunday and Tuesday.

The Lakers star said it was a special moment ... and, when we asked Martin how he felt a few days after, he says it was awesome, but odd at the same time -- praising Melo for still ballin' in the NBA at 37.

"It was dope," the 43-year-old tells us, "Strange feeling at first but testament to Melo for one."

"His longevity in his craft. Still playing at a high level."

Martin also gives kudos to his 20-year-old son -- from being a 3-star guard at Sierra Canyon to being selected in the 2020 NBA Draft.

"Childhood dream of his to play in the NBA," Martin said of KJ, "We here man and enjoying every minute of it!"

Of course, Martin played power forward for 15 season with the Nets, Clippers, Nuggets, Knicks and Bucks -- and made the All-Star team in his 4th year.

So, we asked if this will be a "like father, like son" situation for KJ's All-Star chances ... Martin tells us a long and healthy career is way more valuable than getting that recognition.

"Listen, being All-Star is great. Having a long, long career -- a healthy career I think is better than being All-Star. For you to play 15, 16, 17 years in the league is better.

"I played 15, able to be All-Star one year but it doesn't make or break your career."

Aljamain Sterling isn't lookin' to sit around much longer ... 'cause the polarizing champ tells TMZ Sports he informed the UFC he'll be ready to fight Petr Yan in January or February.

"I texted the matchmaker right after that fight happened and I said January or February. Let me know."

Of course, Sterling and Yan fought for the first time in March 2021 ... a fight that ended in controversy when the Russian fighter was disqualified after he blasted Aljo with an illegal knee in the 4th round. Aljamain was losing the fight at the time ... and looked out of gas.

However, the DQ meant Aljo was declared the winner -- making him the champion --  something that didn't sit right with some MMA fans who thought he faked the injury.

(FWIW, Aljamain clearly ate a hard illegal knee directly to the head.)

We also asked Sterling about Yan's perceived invincibility ... but Aljo says he's just a man, and Sandhagen proved it.

"I think Cory Sandhagen showed that the guy can bleed. Know what I mean? He went 5 rounds with a guy I dispatched in 88 seconds," Sterling says.

Of course, Aljo beat Sandhagen via rear-naked choke in the first round of their June 2020 fight.

Aljamain is doing a little MMA math to illustrate why he can beat Petr.

FYI, Sterling hasn't fought since the Yan fight. He's been recovering after having surgery for a herniated disc in his neck.

Kamaru Usman has ONLY lost 1 time in his historic MMA career ... and the only man to beat him, fighter Jose Caceres, says the Nigerian Nightmare can't, won't, lose to Colby Covington.

34-year-old Caceres faced Kamaru in 2013 ... beating the now champ via a rear-naked choke in the 1st round (it must be said -- this was Usman's 2nd pro fight).

Jose also happened to fight Covington ... losing to Colby, also in 2013, via unanimous decision.

But, even though he beat Usman and lost to Covington, Caceres says he knows who's gonna win when the men do battle again at UFC 268.

"That kid has the most chances of winning. I look at it like the human body. He's really developed like the anti-virus, the vaccine for Colby Covington. He kinda already knows how to beat him. He already experienced 5 rounds of him," Caceres says.

Of course, Kamaru and Colby fought in 2019 -- an amazing fight -- won by KU via 5th round TKO.

Now the men are about to scrap again ... and the question is, will Jose remain the only man to take down the Nigerian Nightmare??

Henry Ruggs is now facing FIVE total charges stemming from his fatal car crash this week ... including four felonies, TMZ Sports has learned.

Court records show the former Las Vegas Raiders star has been hit with DUI resulting in death, DUI resulting in substantial bodily harm (presumably for the injuries caused to his GF, the passenger), and two reckless driving charges -- all felonies.

Ruggs was also hit Friday with a misdemeanor charge of possessing a gun under the influence of alcohol.

If convicted on all counts, prosecutors say Ruggs is facing up to 46 years behind bars.

As we previously reported, Ruggs is accused of speeding in his Corvette while drunk on Tuesday morning in Las Vegas ... all while carrying a loaded gun in his car.

Officials say Ruggs reached a speed of 156 MPH ... and eventually slammed into the back of a Toyota at 127 MPH -- killing a woman and her dog.

In video, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see in the moments after the crash, Ruggs was swearing and sobbing just feet away from the wreckage.

Ruggs ultimately showed up to court on Wednesday in a neck brace and a wheelchair -- though he did not enter a plea.

UFC fans got some extra star power at the ceremonial face-off between Rose Namajunas and Zheng Weili … 'cause even Hollywood actress Halle Berry made sure to be in attendance to oversee the whole thing.

Berry -- an Academy Award winner -- stood in between the two fighters as they met face-to-face one final time before they throw down in the Octagon at UFC 268 … and judging from the looks of it, Halle was ready to get in on the action!!!

Of course, HB is in fighting shape -- she had been training for her new UFC flick "Bruised" … where she goes toe-to-toe with real-life fighter Valentina Shevchenko ... so it's not surprising she looks like she could actually scrap on Saturday’s card.

Berry looked pumped by the entire exchange ... as Joe Rogan announced both fighter’s names and weight.

Berry smiled as both fighters stared each other down intensely in front of the raucous crowd ... and for good measure, she even made sure to give a complimentary pat on the back to both women, flexing some of her muscles for the fans and photographers in the building.

Luckily, both fighters hit their strawweight mark ... meaning it's going down at MSG Saturday night.

Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. made a champion-esque move this week ... by visiting and donating 113,000 face masks to an Atlanta children's hospital the day after winning the World Series!!

The awesome visit happened on Thursday -- right after Acuna's Braves took home the Commissioner's Trophy and beat the Houston Astros in Game 6 of the 2021 Fall Classic.

The outfielder popped up at the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta -- surprising fans including 11-year-old Nolan Madsen, who's a patient at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center.

It turns out Nolan's hero is Acuna -- and he was in total shock when he came face to face with the superstar, who later handed him a signed #13 jersey and posed for pics with him!!

That wasn't the only thing Acuna gave away during his stop ... he also donated 113,000 masks to the hospital as a thank you for their hard work and dedication during the COVID pandemic.

"This day is for the kids," Acuna says. "I get to smile, and feel happy that I’m a World Series champion. They helped me get that. It’s only right if I can give that smile back."

The hospital thanked the 23-year-old via IG for the great gesture .. saying, "Thank you Acuna for making this incredible week even better for our kids! ⚾"

The Atlanta Braves partied like its '95 on Friday ... with players getting bombarded with beers getting thrown at 'em by fans at the World Series parade -- and it's hilarious!!

TONS of fans were out and about in the streets of Atlanta to watch the champs soak in the rewards of their hard work.

The Braves -- who haven't won the Fall Classic since 1995 -- capped off a Cinderella postseason run by defeating the Brewers, Dodgers, and the pesky Astros.

As the parade made its way through ATL, the players made sure to show their appreciation for the fans in attendance ... and well, the fans returned their favor.

In the video, you can see a fan in the crowd tossing a beer to Austin Riley -- a third baseman for the squad -- and he's able to snag the brew from the air!!

Dansby Swanson was also able to snag a beer Stone Cold Steve Austin-style ... and we gotta admit, the throw was just as impressive as the Gold Glove-worthy catch.

Aaron Rodgers says after contracting COVID this week ... he consulted with Joe Rogan and decided to take ivermectin to fight off the virus on the heels of the podcast host's advice.

The Green Bay Packers star revealed his at-home, coronavirus-fighting plan on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Friday ... saying he decided to down a cocktail of meds similar to the way Rogan did earlier this year after talking with the 54-year-old.

"I've consulted with a now-good friend of mine, Joe Rogan, after he got COVID and I've been doing a lot of the stuff that he recommended in his podcasts and on the phone to me," Rodgers said.

"I've been taking monoclonal antibodies, ivermectin, zinc, vitamin c and d, and HCQ," the NFL player continued, "and I feel pretty incredible."

Rodgers revealed he began feeling COVID symptoms on Tuesday, tested positive for the virus on Wednesday, and felt poorly on Thursday.

The 37-year-old, though, said he's now feeling great.

Rodgers also explained his highly controversial vaccine stance to McAfee and A.J. Hawk ... admitting he did NOT get the shots, despite appearing to say in August he had gotten them.

But, Rodgers said he "didn't lie" -- and explained when he said he was "immunized," he meant he had actually taken steps to naturally help boost his immune system.

As for why he didn't just get the shots ... Rodgers said he's allergic to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines -- and just straight-up didn't want the Johnson & Johnson one due to reported side effects.

He also said even though he's "not some sort of anti-vax, flat-earther" ... he clearly feels the forcing of vaccines on people is not right.

In fact, Rodgers actually quoted Martin Luther King Jr. -- saying, "The great MLK said, 'You have a moral obligation to object to unjust rules and rules that make no sense.'"

She's baaaaaack!!!

After 2 months away from the sport, Naomi Osaka has made her return to tennis ... posting shots on the court to announce her comeback after a 2-month break.

"kinda rusty but feels good to be back 🎾💕," she said via Instagram on Friday. "I really want to say thank you everyone for all the kind messages, I really appreciate it ❤️."

The 24-year-old pro said back in September she intended to step away from the game to focus on herself after an upset loss at the U.S. Open in September ... admitting wins made her feel more relief than happiness.

Osaka was #3 in the world at the time ... and now, she's sitting at #13.

The superstar looks happy on the court while throwing up a peace sign and a smile ... which means she might be ready to get back to competing here soon.

As we previously reported, Osaka has been outspoken on her battles with mental health ... previously boycotting the media at the French Open, which resulted in a fine.

She also backed out of Wimbledon earlier this year to focus on her personal time.

Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has plenty of money to spread around, and he recently did just that ... pouring millions into Ice Cube's growing Big3 basketball league.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ, Ye was brought in as a new league investor during the 2021 season. Our sources say Ye invested somewhere in the mid to high seven-figure mark, and league cofounders Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz also invested additional money into Big3.

As for what sparked the news ... Kanye let the cat out of the bag on his league involvement during a lengthy sit-down interview on Revolt TV's "Drink Champs." Ye mentioned his negotiations with Cube, saying he'll only sign a contract that's one page or less.

Big3 -- a league featuring former NBA superstars as well as international players -- was first announced in 2017 and has grown in popularity ever since. The league features 12 teams, playing throughout the United States, and a 3-on-3 competition style.

Kanye was actually spotted at a 3-on-3 game back in July in Vegas chatting Cube up courtside ... gotta imagine they were talking business.

Welp, he was trying to do something nice ... but former President Donald Trump knocked a kid upside the head with a baseball at the World Series, and the video is pretty funny.

(The boy is okay!!)

#45 was in the house at Truist Park in Atlanta for game 4 of the World Series last Saturday night -- sitting in an open-air suite with Melania Trump -- a game the Braves won 3-2 over the Astros.

The video shows a young boy desperately attempting to get DT's attention. Finally, the ex-prez heard the kid, and asked him to throw a baseball for him to sign.

The boy complies ... and Trump -- who claimed he could've gone pro as a baseball player -- made a nice catch, snagging the ball, which was underthrown by the kid.

The 75-year-old politician grabbed a marker from a Secret Service agent ... and signed the baseball.

Then came time to toss the ball back ... and that's when Trump plunked a kid square in the dome, after an adult male who was with the kid failed to make the routine catch.

Thankfully, the boy appears to be okay ... and fans nearby were able to retrieve the baseball.

The silver lining ... we previously reported on Trump-signed balls that have sold for around a thousand bucks a pop.

As for Trump, he spoke about his baseball prowess back in 2004.

“I was supposed to be a pro baseball player. At the New York Military Academy, I was captain of the baseball team. I worked hard like everyone else, but I had good talent.”

The Philadelphia 76ers have resorted to hitting Ben Simmons where it hurts again -- his wallet -- 'cause the team just fined him $360k for missing Thursday's game ... and will continue to until he starts cooperating.

The 25-year-old has yet to play this season ... claiming he's not mentally ready to suit up after an offseason riddled with trade demands and other drama.

While the Sixers were initially fining Simmons for missing preseason games and practices, they halted the punishment after the guard revealed his physical and mental struggles.

As ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports, Simmons has refused to meet with team officials to work through his struggles ... but has been working with mental health pros through the NBAPA.

Simmons' Sixers teammates initially seemed pissed with his absence this season ... but after Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid made public statements in his support, it felt like both sides were going to be able to make up and move on.

Henry Ruggs was flying down a Las Vegas street seconds before he crashed into a Toyota killing the driver ... and you can almost feel the speed by looking at this surveillance video.

The video captures Ruggs' Corvette going at 156 miles an hour ... authorities say that's the speed captured on the car's onboard computer. The surveillance video -- obtained by TMZ Sports -- was shot about a block away from impact.

You can see the red in both images from this side-by-side ... the Stingray has a red light on the passenger's side door. You also see green paint on both images.

As we reported, authorities say at the point of impact the Stingray was going 127 MPH, so presumably, Ruggs saw the Toyota and slammed on his brakes ... to no avail.

23-year-old Tina Tintor and her Golden Retriever Max were both killed in the crash. Her family's lawyer says, "Tina's tragic loss has devastated her family beyond a grief they could never comprehend."

Ruggs has been charged with DUI resulting in substantial bodily harm as well as reckless driving. With other charges prosecutors are considering, Ruggs could face more than 40 years in prison.

The Raiders released him Tuesday night, shortly after he was charged.

Colin Powell is getting a poignant sendoff at Washington's National Cathedral ... with former Presidents and other political power players coming through to pay their respects.

So far we've seen President Biden and former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush at the memorial service ... plus a pair of former Secretaries of State in Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice, and former Vice President Dick Cheney.

Powell had a decorated military career before becoming Secretary of State in 2001 under Prez Bush.

As you can see, everyone in attendance is wearing a face mask, and not only, we're sure, because Dr. Anthony Fauci is there.

Even folks from outside the politics and the military are there honoring Powell -- baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. is there.

Interestingly, former President Bill Clinton is not at the service. Most likely because he was recently hospitalized for a UTI that spread to his bloodstream.

Univ. of Georgia linebacker Adam Anderson -- one of the team's best players -- has reportedly been suspended indefinitely ... after a woman says he raped her the night before the Bulldogs' game last weekend.

According to police docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, officers say a 21-year-old woman told them that after having a few drinks at an Athens, GA residence last Friday ... she awoke to Anderson having non-consensual sex with her.

No further details of the alleged incident were revealed in the docs.

Athens-Clarke County Police lieutenant Shaun Barnett told ESPN no arrests have been made despite the woman's claims ... adding that it's all "still open and under investigation."

Nonetheless, per ESPN, UGA football has barred 22-year-old Anderson from the team indefinitely while the probe continues.

For his part, Anderson has denied the allegations ... with his attorney, Steve Sadow, telling TMZ Sports the claims are "unfounded and unsupported."

"Adam hopes and prays the UGA community, and the public keep an open mind and not prejudge him based on inconsistent, unsubstantiated and baseless accusations," Sadow said.

Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart said he was aware of the woman's report and that he would be working closely with the school's administration to ensure they cooperate fully with all law enforcement and campus protocols.

Anderson, meanwhile, played in Georgia's win over Florida on Saturday -- the day after the alleged incident with the woman -- recording 7 tackles and a .5 sack.

Pro bass angler Aaron Martens -- a 3-time Bassmaster Angler of the Year -- has passed away after a battle with brain cancer. He was 49 years old.

Martens was a legend in the sport -- he won 9 Bassmaster tournaments over two decades ... earning more than $3 million in prize money.

Known as the "Furious Hog Snatcher," Martens was nominated for Best Outdoor Sportsman at the 2005 ESPY Awards.

Major League Fishing released a statement on the tragic news ... saying, "There are many, many words that could be used to describe Aaron -- talented, competitive, kind, creative, funny, thoughtful, gifted, sweet, quirky, generous."

"The world knew Aaron because of his brilliance at his craft, but for those who were fortunate enough to enjoy his presence in their lives, he’ll be remembered for the roles he played (and loved) the very best: loving father, devoted husband, beloved son and brother, dear friend and faithful believer."

Fellow fishing star Bill Dance shared his condolences on Twitter ... saying, "He was a class act and just a doggone good guy that our industry and all anglers are sure gonna miss."

"He was just so happy and genuine, just a dadgum GOOD GUY," he added. "Definitely a keeper that's going to be missed! Our family's thoughts and prayers go out to his family."

"You were one of the best Aaron! Rest In Peace my friend."