TMZ Sports - Page 50

Jake Paul is keeping his political ties strong, because GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will be VIP'd up when "The Problem Child" steps in the ring this weekend ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Vivek's spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin tells us the presidential hopeful is heading to Orlando to support Jake during his Friday night showdown with Andre August ... and says they've actually become good friends.

We're told Jake's hooked up Vivek with ringside seats -- he'll be seated next to Jake's pals and teammates when the first round bell rings. Once it's over, Vivek plans to get a quick face-to-face catch-up with Jake and his fam ... before heading straight back to Iowa for 6 scheduled campaign events on Saturday.

The bond between Ramaswamy and Paul is no secret, thanks to Jake recruiting the candidate for a joint TikTok dance in September, which went viral.

While it might have seemed like a stunt done for fun and games, Vivek later explained during a GOP debate why he thinks TikTok is vital for winning elections ... it's all about influencing the next-gen.

Draymond Green would be breathing a lot easier today if Shaquille O'Neal were running the NBA ... 'cause the Lakers legend says he'd only suspend DG two games if league punishments were up to him.

O'Neal made the declaration while speaking with Babcock and Charles on "TMZ Live" on Thursday -- less than 24 hours after Green was banned by Adam Silver indefinitely for smacking Jusuf Nurkic in the head during an altercation in the Warriors vs. Suns game.

Shaq says he believes Green had no bad intentions when he flailed his right arm into Nurkic's face -- explaining he's buying the Warriors star's explanation that he was simply trying to sell a call.

"I don't think Draymond said, 'Hey, I'm going to punch this guy just 'cause he's pulling my jersey,'" Shaq said.

The Diesel went on to tell the guys that he believes the play was merely a flop gone wrong.

Of course, Silver and the NBA apparently disagree ... because they've banned Green from suiting up for Golden State for the foreseeable future.

After a ton of speculation, Shohei Ohtani is finally spilling the beans on what he named his dog ... and as it turns out, it has nothing to do with his new team, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

His name is Decoy!!

The 29-year-old Japanese superstar met with the media as a Dodger for the very first time just minutes ago ... where he talked all about topics like his decision to take his talents to L.A., winning aspirations and recent surgery.

But the one question everyone wanted the answer to -- what the heck is your dog's name, dude?!?!

Of course, the phenomenon started after Ohtani accepted his 2023 MVP award ... when reporters claimed Shotime's team refused to disclose any information about the four-legged friend who made an appearance with him in a video interview.

The secrecy led to a bunch of rumors -- and some even claimed it was because Ohtani chose a namesake related to his next destination.

But the two-way athlete put an end to all that talk on Thusday ... saying he decided on Decoy -- or the Japanese version, Dekopin.

As for when he knew he would be a Dodger, Shohei said he came to the decision the night before he announced his next move on Instagram.

Metro Boomin was the guest of highest honor in his St. Louis hometown on Thursday ... presented with a Key to the City for his years of giving back to single mothers.

TMZ Hip Hop got pics of Mayor Tishaura O. Jones bestowing the key to Metro on Thursday inside City Hall, surrounded by dozens of St. Louis community figures, elected officials and his 4 siblings.

This year marks Metro's 7th "Single Moms Are The Real Superheroes" campaign and we're told the annual event is now being reimagined as "Leslie Joanne Single Mothers And Caregivers Appreciate Day" to honor his late mother, who died in 2022.

Little did he know, the city also had a gift for him -- December 14 will officially be "Leland 'Metro Boomin' Wayne Day" going forward.

The Diamond-selling producer teamed up with Amazon Access and Rung for Women for this year's function ... set up to assist single mothers with career coaching, skills training, and additional needed resources.

It was an emotional day, capping off Metro's amazing year ... he helmed the "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" soundtrack, partnered with the St. Louis Cardinals and earned a Producer of the Year Grammy nomination.

Pacman Jones pleaded guilty to a charge of disorderly conduct in a Kentucky courtroom on Thursday in his airport meltdown case -- and after he submitted the plea, the ex-NFL star apologized to the cops he screamed at during the outburst.

Jones appeared before a judge in Boone County to issue the plea after reaching a deal with prosecutors.

As part of the plea agreement, officials dropped the other two charges he had been facing in the case -- alcohol intoxication and making a terroristic threat.

The judge sentenced Jones to 30 days in jail but suspended imposition of the sentence ... meaning if Jones keeps nose clean for the next two years, the former football player won't have to serve any time behind bars.

After the hearing, Jones provided a statement on the case on his X page -- writing, in part, "I am not proud of my conversations with the police that day."

"I am truly aware that police have a very difficult job and deserve to be treated with respect and appreciation ... The police were professional with me and deserved my respect in return. I genuinely apologize."

Remember, Jones was first arrested in the case while at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport on Sept. 11, after he got into a spat with airline employees over the electrical outlets in his seat on the plane.

Jones claimed he complained about his outlets not working -- and in response, airline officials decided to boot him from the flight.

Once Jones got off the jet, he blew a fuse ... with body cam footage showing him yelling at officers.

In his statement Thursday, Jones said he simply "let my frustrations from the plane bubble over into my conversation with the officers."

Metta World Peace says he'd be happy to talk with Draymond Green after the Warriors star was benched indefinitely for hitting Jusuf Nurkić ... and considering no NBA player's served a longer suspension (86 games), it's probably not a bad idea to listen!

"I hope I'm able to reach out to [Draymond]. I hope he's able to reach out to me and chat a little bit, because he's a winner," 44-year-old Metta told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

"He might not be one of the greatest players, maybe in his mind he is, but he is one of the greatest winners. That's for sure. He is an elite winner. He has an opportunity to do television after, whatever he wants to do," Metta said of Green's future, which extends beyond just being a player.

Of course, Draymond was indefinitely suspended by the NBA on Wednesday night (he'll have to meet certain requirements before returning) ... after hitting Nurkić Tuesday night during the Warriors vs. Suns game in Phoenix.

"I never expected him to be suspended," Metta said. "I knew he was emotional. We're very similar."

And, Metta tells us he's willing to sit down with the 4x All-Star.

Remember, World Peace was at the center of the infamous "Malice at the Palace" back in 2004 ... and ultimately served an 86-game suspension, the longest in NBA history.

"I don't know if he needs my help, but definitely can't wait to chat with him," Metta said.

"Players like him, players like myself, players like [Dennis] Rodman," Metta said, "We wanna see more players like that in the league, players that play with passion but control it."

Even if Metta doesn't get to talk to him face to face, he offerred some advice for Green ... use this time out to refocus.

"I think that's what he should do," Metta said, "Kinda understand you made a couple of mistakes and let time take its course."

"Get back to the winner that he is in life!"

Bill Gates got a feeling inside his bones at the Justin Timberlake show christening a new resort in Sin City ... and we've got video of the billionaire dancing his face off to one of JT's hits.

Justin was onstage for the grand opening of the Fontainebleau Las Vegas and Bill was in the star-studded crowd ... dance, dance dancing along to "Can't Stop the Feeling."

Bill looks like he's got that sunshine in his pocket and that good soul in his feet ... and he's moving so phenomenally next to his girlfriend, Paula Hurd.

Other celebs going electric and wavy during Justin's set included former NFL star Rob Gronkowski and his S.I swimsuit model GF Camille Kostek.

Cher was also dancing with her boyfriend Alexander "AE" Edwards ... and Lenny Kravitz was moving and grooving in his seat, a few chairs down from Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner and Ivanka Trump.

As we reported, Hollywood flocked to the desert for the Miami landmark's expansion to Las Vegas, gambling and schmoozing inside Jeff Soffer's resort.

Shaquille O'Neal is weighing in on the Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. Pacers game ball debate -- and he's making it clear, he's siding with the Greek Freak in the tiff.

The beef, of course, began late Wednesday night -- after Indiana players felt following their 140-126 loss to the Bucks ... the rookie who scored his first-ever points during the contest, Oscar Tshiebwe, deserved the game ball more than Antetokounmpo, who dropped a franchise-record 64 points.

Obviously feeling differently than Indiana's players, Antetokounmpo went to the Pacers' locker room area to retrieve it -- but, chaos then proceeded to break out.

When Shaq joined Charles and Babcock on Thursday's "TMZ Live" and spoke about the commotion ... he said Giannis had every right to be upset with the situation -- believing the two-time MVP should have been the one who ultimately walked away from the arena with the memento.

"By the letter of the law," Shaq said, "if you're playing at home, you should get the ball if something spectacular happens."

Giannis did end up with a game ball -- though he told media members afterward he wasn't sure if it was the basketball he used to record his historic night.

Mark Cuban, meanwhile, told TMZ Sports earlier Thursday that if the game had happened in his home arena, he believed whichever team had the rookie deserved it most.

"That's a big deal that only happens once," the Mavericks owner said.

It sounds like Naomi Osaka and Cordae have the whole parenthood thing figured out ... 'cause the tennis star says the two have made it easy by building "a really good foundation" for their baby girl.

Osaka and the "Gifted" rapper welcomed their daughter, Shai, in July ... and have been so private about raising their daughter, they don't even share photos of her on social media.

The 4-time Grand Slam singles champ briefly gave some inside info on her new role as a mother five months after giving birth ... and revealed Cordae -- who she started dating in 2019 -- is making parenting easy.

"We built a really good foundation," Osaka told InStyle this week. "I don't know if it's because he's just an easygoing guy, but I think we just respect each other's opinions. And if we disagree on something, we talk it out."

"At the end of the day, we both want what's best for Shai."

Osaka also said her pregnancy wasn't the smoothest journey -- the 26-year-old tested positive for a bacterial infection Group B streptococcus, which affects millions of expecting mothers every year.

The infection can lead to sepsis, meningitis, or stillbirth for babies ... and it made Osaka very anxious.

The death of Olympic track and field champ Tori Bowie, who was found dead as a result of childbirth complications about two months before Osaka's delivery date, had her scared as well.

"I was kind of starting to freak out a little bit," Osaka admitted. "There were so many things I wasn't aware of."

But, everything is going well now ... as Shai is a healthy baby girl, Cordae is being a great father, and Osaka -- who started back training in October -- is looking forward to the next Wimbledon and French Open.

Mark Cuban says if he were in charge of the ball at the center of the Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. Pacers tiff ... the Bucks superstar would be disappointed -- 'cause he would've given the memento to Indiana.

The Dallas Mavericks honcho didn't mince words when talking about the topic to TMZ Sports on Thursday ... saying, "if you have a rookie who's never scored before in an NBA game, that's a big deal that only happens once."

"So," he continued, "I'd give the ball to the rookie."

Of course, Giannis felt differently following Milwaukee's 140-126 win over Indiana at the Fiserv Forum on Wednesday night ... going absolutely ballistic when the Pacers wanted to hand the ball off to Oscar Tshiebwe for scoring his first NBA basket instead of to the two-time MVP who had just scored 64 points.

Antetokounmpo ran to the front of the Pacers' locker room to confront them -- before he sprinted back on the court to complain to arena officials about the ball some more.

Eventually, a basketball was given to Giannis ... though he told reporters afterward he wasn't sure if it was actually the one he used to drop a franchise-high mark for points during the game.

Cuban said the home team should ultimately be the one to make the call in the situation -- though he said he'd just have to give it up to the rookie in this instance ... but would still do something nice for Giannis.

"With situations like that," he said, "I'd take the box score, I'd get his teammates to sign it and I'd frame it for him."

He added that if Giannis really wanted the ball -- he recommended bartering with the rookie for it ... perhaps by signing a jersey or even forking over some cash.

Flau'jae Johnson's doing way more than hooping in arenas now ... 'cause the LSU star and rapper performed in front of a huge crowd at Rod Wave's concert in Atlanta -- and the fans loved it!

The Tigers guard -- who's got some downtime before LSU's next game on Dec. 17 -- was front and center at Rod's "Nostalgia" tour alongside Ari Lennox, Toosi, G Herbo and Eelmatic.

Several fans immediately recognized the 2023 NCAA champ when she took the stage ... and captured footage of her performance of her hit song, "Big 4."

Flau'jae's no stranger to the stage -- as we previously reported, she performed for LeBron James and his guests at his UNINTERRUPTED party this summer ... and also put on a show for LSU fans after the Tigers' NCAA title win in April.

Remember, Flau'jae -- who was named the 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year -- is serious about her rap career just as much as basketball ... and has dropped several tracks and music videos that have gotten hundreds of thousands of views.

Johnson -- who's averaging 11.3 points and 7 rebounds per game this season -- is even signed to Roc Nation ... and hopes to do a collab with J. Cole and Lil' Wayne.

Pacers legend George McGinnis -- who won two ABA titles and an MVP award -- passed away on Thursday after a suffering medical emergency last week.

According to the Pacers, McGinnis -- who played for Indiana from 1971 to 1975 before the NBA merger -- died at the Community North Hospital days after he went into cardiac arrest at his home.

"We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Hall of Famer George McGinnis," the Pacers said in a statement on Instagram.

"He was the very definition of an Indiana basketball legend, a champion, and Hall of Fame athlete. But he was more than that. George was family."

The Pacers drafted the 6-foot-8 power forward out of Indiana University ... and he quickly became a key player for Indiana's two ABA championship wins in 1972 and 1973.

He went on to become such a legend for the Pacers, the organization retired his No. 30 jersey. McGinnis is only one of only four Pacers to ever receive that honor.

McGinnis also played for the Sixers and Nuggets ... before he ended his career with the Pacers again.

"From his all-state high school days to his time as an IU All-American and, of course, to his legendary ABA championship runs with the Pacers, George McGinnis shaped so many of the fondest basketball memories for generations of Hoosiers," the Pacers said.

"A passionate advocate for his fellow ABA players and a present, smiling face around the franchise, George has been as synonymous with our Pacers franchise as anyone."

"He will be greatly missed, and all of us at Pacers Sports & Entertainment will keep George and his family in our prayers."

McGinnis was 73 years old.

Las Vegas seemingly sucked up all of Hollywood -- folks like Kim Kardashian, Cher, Tom Brady, Kendall Jenner, and many more flocked to the desert for the grand opening of the city's new resort.

The Fontainebleau Hotel -- a longtime Miami landmark -- just expanded to Sin City with a brand new $3.7 billion luxury resort/casino, and Wednesday night's opening had celebs swarming to schmooze, entertain and, of course, gamble!

Tom, Kim, Kendall, and Cher were just the tip of the iceberg -- Sylvester Stallone threw on a tux and stepped out for some fun, showing up with his wife, Jennifer Flavin.

Lenny Kravitz was lookin' sharp outside the massive hotel, as were "Breaking Bad" stars Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston.

Eva Longoria, Tyga, Ivanka Trump, Tommy Hilfiger, Keith Urban, Alice Cooper, "Foodgod" Jonathan Cheban and music icon Paul Anka were just a few more of the big names pullin' up for the grand opening of Jeff Soffer's resort.

Paul and Keith also performed for the crowd Wednesday night ... as did Justin Timberlake, who performed in the resort's theatre and was later spotted inside David Grutman's LIV Nightclub, which also celebrated its grand opening.

Taylor Swift hit the Big Apple in a big way with her A-list friends to celebrate her 34th birthday Wednesday night ... but her boyfriend Travis Kelce couldn't be by her side because of the whole mandatory football practice thing.

The 12-time Grammy Award winner galavanted around Manhattan with BFF Blake Lively, first grabbing some grub at Freemans before heading over to The Box nightclub to party.

At Freemans, Taylor and Blake were photographed exiting their SUV and walking hand-in-hand inside the restaurant. Both were dressed in all black and looked absolutely stunning.

Taylor was in a mini dress accentuating her legs and Blake was sporting a leather ensemble with knee-high boots.

After their meal, the two made their way to The Box nearby ... and that's when all the fun really kicked off as Taylor's famous friends dropped in for her Bday bash.

Celeb attendees included ... Gigi Hadid, Zoë Kravitz, Miles Teller, his wife Keleigh Sperry, sisters Este and Alana Haim and Antoni Porowski.

But, one person was glaringly missing from the soiree -- Taylor's hunky boyfriend, Travis Kelce.

Travis had a very good excuse for skipping out ... the Kansas City Chiefs tight end had mandatory football practice for his upcoming game Sunday against the New England Patriots.

As we previously reported ... the couple got in a pre-celebration with his mom, Donna Kelce, and his QB, Patrick Mahomes Sunday night.

Justin Timberlake's back in full showman mode ... taking to the stage at the theatre inside the lavish Fontainebleau Las Vegas for its grand opening.

The singer was suited and booted Wednesday night in a white tux for his first performance since April 2019 ... singing tunes from his catalog of hits during a dazzling night of festivities at the brand-spankin' new upscale resort.

In the clip, he's seen performing with a band and backup singer ... and later taking to the piano -- basically pulling out all the stops for the evening, for which he was paid a hefty $6.1 million ... according to The Sun, anyway.

JT's return to the stage may be an attempt to distance himself from ex Britney Spears' sensationalized claims in her memoir "The Woman In Me" ... saying she had an abortion while they were together, which she said he pushed for at the time.

She also alleged he'd cheated during their relationship, and put on a "blaccent" for Ginuwine ... among lots of other claims.

JT was supported at the event by his wife, Jessica Biel ... who looked incredible in a plunging white flowing gown as they arrived arm-in-arm. They later topped off their evening with an appearance at the resort's LIV nightclub.

The new 150,000-square-foot Sin City resort/casino ... owned by Jeff Soffer ... which boasts a new era of luxury hospitality, clearly went above and beyond ... with even icon Paul Anka taking to the stage and bellying up to a celeb-packed craps table.

Honestly, this is what you call high-rolling -- JT, Tom Brady, Cher and Tyga all crowded around to watch the dice. Sylvester Stallone and Kim Kardashian also popped up at the event -- and, imagine this ... Kim made a low-key entrance!

Bam Margera is up to his old tricks ... lending his "Jackass" experience to a new group of wild daredevils and helping them film a brutal knockout video.

The former "Jackass" star shot a couple stunts over the weekend in L.A. with the MadHouse Boys... throwing on a boxing glove and unleashing some haymakers to the head.

In the footage, obtained by TMZ, you see Bam sneaking up on one of the MadHouse Boys from behind and punching him in the side of the head, and it looks like it hurts ... which, we guess, is the whole damn point.

For the uninitiated, MadHouse is a next-generation stunt group ... on social media they say they are basically like "if 'Jackass' and your mom had a baby." Great visual.

We're told the MadHouse guys reached out to Bam because they wanted him to be part of one of their videos.