TMZ Sports - Page 41

First pitch of the World Series is just hours away ... and Shohei Ohtani is hoping his dog, Decoy, gives him some good luck -- rocking a letterman jacket with his pooch's face on it!!

Ohtani pulled up to Game 1 in Toronto in style, rocking the tan letterman jacket with tan pants, New Balance shoes and his own custom Beats headphones.

If you're familiar with Dodgers baseball, you know Decoy is a popular figure in the fanbase. The team even had a bobblehead night featuring Ohtani and his dog ... who even got the chance to "throw" out the first pitch!

Time to TAP-IN y'all! Gen-Z was up and at 'em this week! Here are the MUST-KNOWS:

The long-lived feud between rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar may be reignited with tonight's World Series game. Earlier this week, Toronto native Drake went from zero to 100 real quick when the Blue Jays secured their spot in the World Series, while Kendrick -- who's from Compton, California -- is backing his beloved Dodgers 💯!

The question is:

JoJo Siwa's relationship garnered buzz this week -- She hit the carpet at the 2025 Dancers Against Cancer Gala ... and packed on the PDA with partner Chris Hughes. The smooches were flying, and so were the comments online; some peeps are over this relationship, while some are totes here for it 😘!

Terry Rozier's team isn't abandoning him after his arrest ... with Erik Spoelstra and Bam Adebayo showing support for the player on Friday.

Spoelstra -- the Miami Heat head coach since 2008 -- addressed reporters at practice ... just 24 hours after his shooting guard was taken into custody.

He initially said he couldn't comment much due to the ongoing case ... but made it clear Rozier means a lot to him and the team.

Megan Thee Stallion was front and center, cheering on her beau, Klay Thompson, for his NBA season-opener when he and his Mavs got blown out by over 30 points -- and she's doubling down her affection in a new single!!!

On Friday, Megan unleashed her "Lover Girl" single -- independently released on her Hot Girl Productions imprint -- lyrically gushing over Klay's moves off the court ... "My man, my man, my man, my baby, my baby / D****n' me down, spoiling me, driving me crazy."

Meg proudly refers to Klay as "her n***a" but says he never stoops low and labels her a "b*tch" ... but raps how the Splash Brother has no issues turning her lady parts into "Splash Town" -- backing up all the liquid language she flexed on her Diamond-selling collab with Cardi B, "WAP."

The song also borrows its sample from female R&B group Total's 1995 hit, "Kissin' You" from back when they were signed to Diddy's Bad Boy Records

The NFL just handed down some hefty fines on the New York Giants, head coach Brian Daboll and rookie running back Cam Skattebo for violating the league's concussion protocol policy ... all for "creating the perception" they interfered with Jaxson Dart while he was being evaluated for a head injury.

It all stems from the team's Week 6 showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles ... when the Giants rookie QB was taken into the blue medical tent for a concussion test.

Only members of the medical staff and the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant are allowed inside the tent. Daboll and Skattebo broke those rules ... which is a big no-no.

FBI Director Kash Patel blasted ESPN sportscaster Stephen A. Smith during a Fox News interview Thursday, calling him out for saying the "single dumbest thing I’ve ever heard out of anyone in modern history."

Patel launched his verbal assault on Smith after Smith gave his theory on national TV about who he thinks was really behind the federal takedown of a major gambling ring that saw the arrests of Portland Trailblazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier — as well as members of 4 out of the 5 New York mafia families.

According to Smith, President Trump is on a retribution tour against what he perceives as his enemies in the sports world, including the NBA, for protesting against him. And, Smith says, the WNBA might be next on Trump's hit list.

With all eyes on Miss Indiana's viral Caitlin Clark-inspired outfit, she's hoping to use the spotlight to send the Fever star a message -- come judge the Miss USA beauty pageant!!

TMZ Sports spoke with Sydney Shrewsbury after she walked the stage in a custom two-piece ensemble to represent Indiana at the Miss USA's costume competition earlier in the week.

Shrewsbury's WNBA-themed outfit instantly went viral ... and while Clark hasn't reached out to her yet, she's hoping this invitation catches her attention soon.

Dodgers fans getting their brooms ready might need to a take a beat ... 'cause David Ortiz tells TMZ Sports he's not buying the narrative Los Angeles will sweep Toronto in the World Series.

We caught up with Big Papi out at LAX on Thursday -- just a day before the MLB's championship matchup kicks off in Canada -- and he made it clear, he thinks the Jays can win it.

In fact, he was surprised to hear some think a Dodgers title is already a foregone conclusion.

Months after Red Panda broke her wrist during a fall in the WNBA Commissioner's Cup championship ... the iconic halftime performer made her much-anticipated return on Thursday -- and it's safe to say she is SO back.

The legend popped up at the Amazon Studios after the L.A. Chargers beat the Minnesota Vikings on "Thursday Night Football" ... and proved she hasn't missed a step in recovery.

If there were any nerves for the performance, she wasn't showing them. The crew went wild when the performer -- real name Rong "Krystal" Niu -- nailed her signature bowl flip while riding a unicycle.

Kevin Love is backpedaling after mocking Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier's arrests ... saying after having a conversation with Damian Lillard, he now understands it's not a laughing matter.

Love -- who currently plays for the Utah Jazz -- shared his immediate reaction to the bombshell news in an Instagram post on Thursday ... shortly after the FBI arrested the Trail Blazers coach and Miami Heat guard in a gambling scandal.

He published an edited image of Billups and Rozier's faces onto the infamous "Coldplay couple", that was caught being cuddly on camera at a concert, with a caption that read: "NO (Draft) KINGS!!!"

Shaquille O'Neal on Thursday night addressed the bombshell arrests associated with current and former NBA players ... and he didn't hold back, saying he was "ashamed" of the guys for putting themselves in the situation.

Just hours after Chauncey Billups, Damon Jones and Terry Rozier were taken into custody for their alleged roles in illegal sports betting and rigged gambling schemes ... O'Neal chided the trio while on the set of "Inside the NBA."

O'Neal told his colleagues he's not a saint -- admitting he partakes in gambling from time to time -- but he added, "I'm ashamed that those guys would put their families and their careers in jeopardy."

Wrestling legend and WWE Hall of Fame inductee Abdullah the Butcher has reportedly been hospitalized.

Booking agent Steve Stasiak shared the news on social media Thursday, revealing he suffered from unspecified "serious health issues."

He also encouraged fans to come together to send "prayers, positive thoughts, and strength his way."

Allen Iverson is offering up NBA advice to Cooper Flagg ... and as a former No. 1 overall pick who went on to become a Hall of Famer -- the Dallas Mavericks star sure would be wise to listen up!!

The Answer doled out several tips to this year's top draft selection while chatting with TMZ Sports just before Flagg's Wednesday night debut.

Iverson's first bit of guidance was straightforward ... as he implored Flagg to take things "one day at a time."

Doug Martin apparently suffered from a pretty serious mental health episode months before his death ... with a new report claiming he jumped out of a 2nd story window and got into a physical altercation with some police officers.

The San Francisco Chronicle made the claim in a new article published Wednesday, citing reports from the Alameda County Sheriff's Office ... reporting Martin was put on an involuntary psychiatric hold back in August.

According to the Chronicle, Martin checked into Tranquility Rehab Center in Castro Valley in August ... and, they say he tested positive for cocaine and methamphetamines when he arrived.

The Los Angeles Dodgers may be without one of their best bullpen pieces for the World Series ... because Alex Vesia is taking a step back from the team to deal with what the team is calling a "deeply personal family matter."

The organization announced the news via a public statement Thursday afternoon ... writing that Alex and his wife Kayla are navigating this difficulty. The team is sending thoughts to the Vesias during this troubling time.

While the Dodgers didn't say what the personal matter is, we do know Kayla's pregnant with the couple's first child -- with Kayla looking ready to give birth any day in photos taken on the field after the Dodgers advanced to the World Series. It's unclear if that is at all related to his absence from the team.

Federal prosecutors indicated in court documents this month that Chauncey Billups allegedly leaked confidential information about his Trail Blazers to at least one bettor.

Billups appears to be listed as "Co-Conspirator 8" in a now-unsealed indictment filed by feds last week in a New York court.

The clues aren't hard to decipher ... given "Co-Conspirator 8" is described as "an NBA player who played from roughly 1997 to 2014 who went on to become a coach in 2021."