TMZ Sports - Page 14

Avery Wilson has no issue with President Trump being mercilessly booed at the NBA Finals while he sang the national anthem -- but his feelings have nothing to do with politics!

Avery tells TMZ ... it was an instant pop culture moment ... and that's all he really cares about -- because his fantastic rendition of the anthem is all over social media today.

As you know ... a chorus of MSG boos rained down for DT during game 3 while the Broadway star performed ... Trump told reporters afterward he heard plenty of cheers, too.

Karmelo Anthony's mom took the stand to plead with the jury set to determine her son's fate, TMZ has learned. 

Kala Hayes testified minutes after her son was found guilty of murdering Austin Metcalf. She told the 12-person jury she knows her son is very sorry for what he did. 

Prosecutors asked Kala if she still had love for her son. 

Stefon Diggs is being ordered to finally explain how he knows the man accusing him of sexual assault ... because a federal judge says calling him an "acquaintance" just isn't good enough.

According to new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, the judge ruled on a series of discovery disputes last week in Diggs' ongoing legal battle with Christopher Blake Griffith ... the man who has accused the NFL star of drugging and sexually assaulting him in 2023 ... allegations Diggs has repeatedly denied.

One of the biggest rulings centers on how Stefon must answer a basic question: How did Diggs and Griffith know each other before the alleged incident?

Serena Williams returned to the tennis court after nearly four years away ... and even at 44 years old, the G.O.A.T. didn't miss a beat, winning in straight sets!

In her first competitive match since the 2022 US Open -- over 1,350 days ago -- Serena, along with her doubles partner, 19-year-old Victoria Mboko, upset the number 3-seeded team of Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe at the HSBC Championship at the Queen's Club in London.

Serena received a huge ovation as she walked onto the grass court. Williams and Mboko, unseeded, weren't even pushed, winning in straight sets, 7-6, 6-2.

The Knicks' 13-game playoff win streak was snapped Monday night, and many fans are blaming President Trump ... but is that fair?? Charles Barkley says hell no!

"No, s*** no. That had nothing to do with it. I thought the Spurs outplayed them," the Hall of Famer told Adam Glyn in New York City, shortly after Game 3 ended.

Of course, Trump became the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game, pulling up to the Garden for the highly anticipated game, watching with his friend, Knicks owner James Dolan, as the team lost 115-111, with the Spurs pulling within one game of New York.

POTUS's presence meant hella increased security around the World's Most Famous Arena. Fans were told to arrive hours before the game, and were subjected to airport-like security. Barriers were also installed around MSG to keep fans away from the building perimeter, and watch parties were banned.

10:04 AM PT -- Davis Ingle, a White House spokesperson, tells TMZ ... “President Trump made history as the first sitting President to attend an NBA Finals game. The President watched every moment of a highly competitive, entertaining contest from James Dolan’s suite, joined by talented members of his Cabinet. Anyone ridiculously claiming the President was asleep is either lying or has severe brain damage.”

Donald Trump came to the NBA Finals hoping to watch the Knicks take a commanding 3-0 series lead ... but by the end of the night, he seemed to be ready for a nap instead.

The president's visit to Madison Square Garden on Monday was a spectacle from the jump. When Trump appeared on the arena's video boards before Game 3, a loud chorus of boos rained down from the crowd -- instantly turning the commander-in-chief into one of the night's biggest storylines.

Social media later erupted after cameras appeared to catch Trump with his eyes closed in his luxury suite, seated beside Knicks owner James Dolan and granddaughter Kai Trump ... prompting plenty of jokes about the 79-year-old nodding off while the Knicks were fighting to stay perfect in the series.

9:27 AM PT -- Stephen A. Smith clapped back at President Trump for seemingly falling asleep during game 3 of the NBA Finals -- saying, "Didn't you call out former President Joe Biden, 'Sleepy Joe'? Well, what should we call you?”

President Trump is pouring cold water on Stephen A. Smith's possible aspirations to ascend to the White House, saying he doesn't have the "IQ" or the "aptitude" to become commander-in-chief.

Trump's vicious remarks came during a press gaggle late Monday night in NYC, before he boarded Air Force One to fly back to D.C. after watching Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs. 

Check out the clip ... a reporter first tells Trump that Smith -- a famous sports commentator -- has been talking about running for president and that he would blame Trump if the Knicks lost to the Spurs (the Spurs ended up beating the Knicks 115-111.)

Alaric Jackson, Los Angeles Rams' starting left tackle, was arrested for felony domestic battery Monday night ... and booked into an LAPD jail, where he remains behind bars.

Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to a home in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley on Monday around 11 PM after cops were called to the scene.

Police determined, according to NBC L.A., which broke the story, Jackson was initially in a verbal argument with a woman over her allegedly filming him with her phone.

Cardi B says President Trump screwed the New York Knicks' mojo by showing up to Game 3 of the NBA Finals ... killing the overall vibe of Madison Square Garden.

The "WAP" superstar was in the building as the halftime entertainment ... and she says she felt like Trump brought a "dark" energy to MSG.

Cardi chowed down on a SpongeBob SquarePants popsicle as she shared her experience ... comparing Trump's appearance to a principal being at a party, with everyone feeling like they had to be on their best behavior.

Charles Barkley wasn't exactly breaking down pick-and-roll coverage during Game 3 of the NBA Finals ... because once Cardi B hit the floor for halftime, Chuck's scouting report took a very different turn ... and it was sexual.

Check out the clip ... while Cardi brought the house down at Madison Square Garden, Chuck and the "Inside the NBA" crew seemed just as entertained as the fans in the arena. And let's just say Chuck had a particular observation about Cardi's boobs that immediately sent the desk into hysterics.

As cameras showed Cardi performing, Ernie Johnson joked the crew had been "competing with Cardi B" for viewers' attention. Chuck quickly waved the white flag ... cracking that Cardi's famous nickname might need a slight alphabet upgrade.

Chuck joked ... "I don't know if those B's. They might be Cardi D's. I'm pretty sure those aren't B's. She has the wrong initials."

Josh Hokit's fighting Derrick Lewis at the White House in just a few days, but you wouldn't know it listening to the up-and-coming UFC heavyweight ... who stayed mocking Alex Pereira during a recent, albeit brief, conversation with TMZ Sports!

"Chama," the 28-year-old said when Babcock spoke to the 28-year-old fighter earlier this week ... using a faux-translator to seemingly jab Pereira.

Of course, Alex is from Brazil, and English is not his first language. Hokit, meanwhile, is from Bakersfield -- about 100 miles outside Los Angeles -- and very much does.

Donald Trump's arrival at Madison Square Garden was almost as anticipated as tipoff itself ... with POTUS instantly becoming part of the show when he stepped into the building for Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

Watch for yourself ... the MSG faithful made their feelings known ... turning Trump's appearance during the National Anthem into one of the loudest moments of the night so far.

And it seems the crowd's reaction wasn't lost on him as he let a smirk slip out while the crowd spoke ... or rather booed ... their piece.

The knife Karmelo Anthony allegedly used to fatally stab Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet wasn't illegal under Texas law ... according to a police detective who testified in Anthony's murder trial.

The testimony came as Anthony's defense team wrapped up its case, with jurors hearing from Detective Beau Riley -- a member of Frisco PD's Crimes Against Children unit who responded to the scene of the fatal stabbing.

One of the key moments came when Anthony's attorney had Riley confirm the knife Anthony carried that day was legal to possess in Texas ... and legal to bring into a stadium.

The NY Knicks are two games from their first NBA title in 53 years, but President Trump's presence at Madison Square Garden has dominated much of the conversation... begging the question, will it distract the hometown team?!

No, not at all ... according to former NBA star Zach Randolph, who TMZ Sports ran into at LAX on Monday.

"At this stage where these guys are playing for a championship, I don't think that's going to distract [the Knicks] because it's more important things than, you know, getting distracted by the president," the 2x NBA All-Star said.

Cardi B is making the first NBA Finals game in New York City in 27 years even more epic ... TMZ has confirmed she's performing at Game 3.

A source tells us the "WAP" singer will be the star of the halftime show Monday night when the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs head to the locker room.

Cardi will be among a huge list of celebs in the house at Madison Square Garden for the first NBA Finals matchup at MSG since the Knicks and the Spurs back in 1999.