TMZ Sports - Page 3

IT'S TIME TO PLAY THE GAME!!!

Wrestling legends Triple H and The Big Show showed up to Cleveland Cavs practice on Wednesday ... oh wait, that's Dylan Windler and Damyean Dotson!!

The Cavs players channeled the iconic superstars as they made their way to the court for practice ... and the results are nothing short of amazing!!

Here's how it went down -- Windler posed behind the rising door as Triple H’s introduction music blasted over the speakers ... and as he makes his entrance, he takes a sip of water and does the signature spit-water splash!!

Not to be outdone, Dotson followed up by hoisting a championship belt while Big Show's intro music plays ... and ends up tossing his practice jersey to hype up his teammates!!

It clearly worked -- the players are seen laughing and cheering as the intros unfold.

If you're wondering why this happened, JaVale McGee -- who documented the whole ordeal on IG -- explained these guys do it all the time when they shoot against each other during their pregame routines.

Kellen Winslow Jr. is now slated to spend the next decade-plus behind bars ... a judge sentenced the ex-NFL star to 14 years in prison Wednesday, and blasted him in the process.

The former Cleveland Browns Pro Bowler appeared in a San Diego-area courtroom via video conference for a sentencing hearing in his rape case ... but did not comment.

The judge in the case did, however ... saying Winslow can be described with "two words and that is sexual predator."

The judge continued by saying the 37-year-old ex-tight end preyed on his victims because of their ages and their living situations ... and that Winslow thought he "would get away with it."

As we previously reported, Winslow was accused of sexual misconduct -- including multiple allegations of rape -- by 5 different women.

He was initially hit with 12 charges over the allegations ... and faced up to life in prison if convicted on all counts.

But, a jury in 2019 found him guilty of several charges, and Winslow cut a plea deal on the remaining charges to avoid further prosecution and help secure a lighter sentence.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone is immediately stepping away from his team ... after announcing he must undergo surgery Wednesday to have a pacemaker installed.

The 47-year-old skipper underwent open-heart surgery in 2009 ... and says he's recently experienced "mild symptoms of lightheadedness, low energy and shortness of breath."

After getting checked out by several doctors, it was determined Boone would require a pacemaker.

Of course, the Yanks are currently prepping for the 2021 MLB season at Spring Training in Tampa ... but the good news is Boone says he expects to be back full strength in no time.

"They are confident that today's surgery will allow me to resume all of my usual professional and personal activities and afford me a positive long-term health prognosis without having to change anything about my way of life."

Boone joined the Bronx Bombers as manager in 2018 ... and has led them to the playoffs each season. Before he was a manager, AB played in the big leagues from 1997 to 2009.

Most famously for the Reds and Yankees ... where he hit one of the most memorable post-season home runs ever against the Red Sox in 2003.

Get well soon!!

If anyone is looking to hire a 2-time All-Star, Luka Doncic is putting his résumé on display ... with the Mavs superstar creating his very own LinkedIn page -- and it's as awesome as you'd think!!

The 22-year-old former Rookie of the Year's profile surfaced on the job-focused social media site this week ... and it's laden with nuggets that would make any company wanna add the hooper to their team.

For instance, Luka's experience section includes guard/small forward for the Dallas Mavericks (duh) ... as well as "Global Chief Hydration Officer" for BioSteel -- a company he announced a partnership with this week.

Things get good when we get to the "Skills" section of Luka's profile ... which includes basketball (duh, again), hydration and fitness.

As for other skills listed?? Magic ... which makes sense. After all, have you SEEN this guy play?!

The biggest flex of all comes in the "Honors and Awards" portion of the page ... which lists all of the baller's accomplishments so far in his young career -- 2-time All-Star, All-NBA First Team, NBA Rookie Of The Year, EuroLeague 2010–20 All-Decade Team, EuroLeague champ and MVP.

Yeah, not too shabby.

It's not the first time a huge name like Luka has ventured on to the site -- athletes like Shaq, Julian Edelman and Brandon Marshall have famously logged on in the past.

The Univ. of Tennessee is one step closer to having another Manning on campus ...

Peyton Manning's alma mater just reaffirmed its full-ride scholarship offer to the NFL legend's star quarterback nephew, Arch Manning ... according to 247 Sports.

The Vols had previously offered Arch -- Cooper Manning's son, Eli Manning's nephew, and the top quarterback recruit in the 2023 class -- but the scholarship disappeared when the school cut ties with former head coach Jeremy Pruitt in January.

Now, though, new head man Josh Heupel has reportedly wasted no time getting Tennessee back in the mix for the QB ... re-sending the offer Tuesday.

It's a big deal ... many believe Tennessee could be a top option for Arch throughout his recruitment because of Peyton's family ties -- so getting the offer in a couple years before he has to make his college decision is huge for the Vols.

Of course, Arch is going to be one of the most heavily recruited H.S. players EVER ... the dude -- who just wrapped up his sophomore season -- is considered a QB prodigy and already has a ton of suitors.

In fact, Eli Manning's alma mater -- Ole Miss -- has also reportedly thrown an offer Arch's way.

The Washington Football Team is making another drastic change -- the organization will feature a coed dance team in 2021 ... ditching its cheerleading program for the first time in more than 50 seasons.

WFT's new senior advisor Petra Pope made the announcement Tuesday, saying the "First Ladies of Football" -- the longest-running cheer program in the NFL -- will be replaced by a coed team for a more "modern and diverse" look.

"We want to be more inclusive, so we are going to invite a coed entity (to audition)," Pope said to USA TODAY Sports.

"We’re able to do more things with the strength of a male, and lifts, so that’s changed a great deal. The inclusivity, strength and interest of choreography has changed."

Even though it's a dance team, former cheerleaders will be allowed to try out for the new squad ... which will consist of more than 36 members.

Of course, this change comes after several former cheerleaders made serious allegations in a Washington Post article last August ... claiming staff members secretly recorded them naked while making a bikini calendar in 2008 and 2010.

The Post said a former staffer was told by the WFT's lead broadcaster that the video was made for team owner Dan Snyder -- a claim Snyder has adamantly denied.

WFT reportedly reached a settlement with the former cheerleaders in 2020.

The NFL is still investigating the WFT for multiple sexual harassment allegations.

Here's Joe Montana admitting something that must be tough to say ... Tom Brady is the greatest NFL quarterback of all time.

The 49ers legend -- who was widely considered the greatest ever during and after his NFL career -- says TB12's accomplishments are simply better than his.

Montana appeared on ESPN's "First Take" on Wednesday and was asked straight-up if Brady has replaced Joe as the NFL's G.O.A.T.

"Oh, I think Tom has taken his place on the top up there a long time ago," Joe said ... "So, he's had a tremendous career, he's fun to watch."

Joe said he's well aware of the G.O.A.T. debate -- "but if you look at what Tom's been able to accomplish in his time that he's played, I think it puts him definitely up there in the top of the list."

For the record, Montana's resume is pretty damn impressive -- 4 Super Bowl wins, 8 Pro Bowls, 2 NFL MVP awards.

But, Brady ... good lord.

7 Super Bowl championships, 10 Super Bowl appearances, 14 Pro Bowls, 3-time NFL MVP.

And, get this ... Montana's career passing yards -- 40,551.

Cops are on the hunt for a Buccaneers fan who they say robbed and shot a man during a "night of terror" shortly after a Super Bowl party in Tampa last month.

Officials at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office just released video of the suspect ... accusing the man in a Devin White jersey of turning "a night of celebrating into a night of terror."

"We want to find this individual immediately," Sheriff Chad Chronister said Tuesday. "& we are asking anyone who may have seen him the night of the big game to reach out to our detectives."

Cops say at around 3:30 a.m. on Feb. 8 -- just hours after Tampa's win over the Chiefs -- the Bucs fan and one other person offered a man a ride to a nearby Hard Rock Casino after a Super Bowl party.

The problem ... according to cops, the two men stopped the car on the way to the casino, ordered him out of the ride at gunpoint, and demanded he give them his jewelry.

Cops say the suspect in the White jersey then shot the man after he handed over the valuables. Officials claim the two men then fled the scene.

Fortunately, cops say the alleged victim is recovering ... but they're now releasing video hoping it leads to the arrest of one of the suspects.

In the footage, the man wanted by cops -- clearly sporting a jersey of the Bucs' best linebacker -- has a long beard and a black hat with light blue/grey jeans.

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is sounding off on Gov. Greg Abbott -- saying his decision to drop Texas' COVID mask mandate is "ignorant" and dangerous.

"It's a mystifying decision," Coach Pop said Tuesday night in a pre-game presser before his Spurs beat down the visiting NY Knicks.

"Of course [restaurants and businesses] want to open up but getting rid of masks just seems ignorant to me."

Earlier in the day, Gov. Abbott announced he will "open Texas 100%" beginning on March 10 -- which means he will end the state's mask mandate and allow restaurants and other businesses to operate at 100% capacity.

"Too many Texans have been sidelined from employment opportunities," Abbott said ... "Too many small business owners have struggled to pay their bills. This must end. It is now time to open Texas 100%."

Pop says Abbott's decision will obviously result in more COVID cases -- which means more death.

"When all of a sudden we act like [the pandemic] is over with -- when all of the science tells us the opposite -- it's basically like you're saying, 'You get infected? You die? That's the way it goes. We gotta open up!'

Investigators in the Tiger Woods crash have obtained a search warrant to pull the "black box" from the SUV the golfer wrecked on Feb. 23 ... but it's still very unlikely he'll be charged with a crime.

The L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. confirmed the warrant to USA Today -- but insisted it was a "routine part" of a typical crash investigation and does not make it any more likely officials will hit the 45-year-old with criminal charges.

A car's black box usually contains information about the vehicle's speed at the time of a collision. It can also show if brakes were applied, airbags were deployed, seatbelts were worn, etc.

“We’re trying to determine if a crime was committed,” Sheriff’s Deputy John Schloegl told USA Today ... "If somebody is involved in a traffic collision, we’ve got to reconstruct the traffic collision, if there was any reckless driving, if somebody was on their cell phone or something like that."

"We determine if there was a crime. If there was no crime, we close out the case, and it was a regular traffic collision."

Sheriff Alex Villanueva previously said Tiger will NOT face criminal charges -- and suggested the worst thing that could happen is Woods gets hit with an infraction if investigators determined he was driving while distracted.

"We do not contemplate any charges whatsoever in this crash," Villanueva said last week ... "This remains an accident. An accident is not a crime."

Both Villanueva and Schloegl have said there is no evidence to support the theory Tiger was impaired while he was behind the wheel on Feb. 23 ... which is why officials never made a concentrated effort to obtain a blood sample.

Woods was severely injured in the wreck -- requiring major surgery to repair multiple fractures in his right leg.

If Gisele had it her way, the Super Bowl would have been Tom Brady's last ride ... 'cause the QB says his supermodel wife urged him to retire after the game, saying, "What more do you have to prove?"

Brady said the moment all went down just seconds after Tampa Bay won the championship ... explaining on "The Late Late Show With James Corden" those were some of the first words she told him after the big victory.

"We were looking for my family," Brady said of the minutes following the Super Bowl's final whistle. "I said, 'Where's my family? Where's my family?' All of a sudden, I see my oldest son run over to me."

"'Dad!' You know? I gave him a big hug. And I saw my two little ones. And then all of a sudden, I saw my wife and I gave her a big hug. And just as I did it, she says, 'What more do you have to prove?'"

43-year-old Tom said he didn't really respond to his wife's question ... adding with a smile, "I was trying to figure out a way to change the subject really quick."

"I think I moved on to something else pretty quickly."

Of course, it's no secret Gisele has wanted Tom to walk away from football for a while now ... just a couple years ago in 2018, she famously told Ellen DeGeneres she hadn't been successful in swaying him to hang up the spikes.

Tom, though, appears to have no ideas of shutting things down after his 7th Super Bowl title despite his wife's wishes ... 'cause everyone in Tampa is expecting him back for year #22 in next season.

Vanessa Bryant is opening up about her life after the deaths of Kobe and Gianna -- admitting, "This pain is unimaginable [but] you just have to get up and push forward."

"Lying in bed crying isn't going to change the fact that my family will never be the same again," Vanessa told People.com ... "But getting out of bed and pushing forward is going to make the day better for my girls and for me. So that's what I do."

Vanessa has kept very busy in the year after Kobe and 13-year-old Gianna passed away in that tragic helicopter crash -- taking the reigns on various projects Kobe had been working on in both entertainment and charity.

She worked with author Ivy Claire to complete Kobe's novel for young adults, "Epoca: The River of Sand" -- which dropped back in December.

And, she's been a force with Kobe's non-profit organization -- relaunching it as the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, with the mission of helping "underserved athletes and women in sports."

Vanessa says Kobe and Gianna serve as her inspiration to "keep going" -- "They inspire me to try harder and be better every day. Their love is unconditional and they motivate me in so many different ways."

Now, as Vanessa moves forward with her 3 daughters -- 18-year-old Natalia, 4-year-old Bianka and 1-year-old Capri -- she leans on her family to "give me strength."

Tyrod Taylor says the punctured lung he suffered before a game last September has NOT had any lasting impact on his health ... and now, he tells TMZ Sports he's ready for free agency.

You'll recall ... Taylor was the starting QB for the Chargers until Sept. 20 -- when team doctors botched a painkiller injection and injured his lung just minutes before kickoff against the Chiefs.

31-year-old Taylor was rushed to the hospital ... but the injury put him out for so long, star rookie Justin Herbert took the signal-caller reins and never gave them back.

It was unclear if Taylor was dealing with any long-term damage from the injury ... but when we got the QB out in West Hollywood on Tuesday, he told us he's 100% good to go.

"Everything good," Taylor said ... adding, "I'm healthy, bro!"

As for his football future, Taylor's a free agent this offseason ... and when he talked to us outside of Toast in WeHo, he didn't appear to be a man gearing up to head back to the Bolts.

But, Tyrod did say he won't be picky when it comes to his next football destination ... saying, "I'm ready either way."

Greg McDermott -- head coach of the 14th-ranked Creighton University men's basketball team -- is pleading for forgiveness days after using the word “plantation” in a post-game speech.

Following Creighton’s 77-69 loss to Xavier on Saturday, McDermott admits he made the following statement to his squad ... "Guys, we got to stick together. We need both feet in. I need everybody to stay on the plantation. I can't have anybody leave the plantation."

Yeah ... not a good look.

Now, McDermott -- head coach at CU since 2010 and dad of NBA player Doug McDermott -- is apologizing for the “terribly inappropriate analogy” in a statement posted on his social media page.

“On February 27th, after an emotionally tough loss on the road, I addressed our student-athletes and staff in the postgame locker room and used a terribly inappropriate analogy in making a point about staying together as a team despite the loss."

That's when McDermott says he uttered the racially insensitive analogy.

The head coach says he knew right away that he screwed up.

"I immediately recognized my egregious mistake and quickly addressed my use of such insensitive words with the team. I have never used that analogy and it is not indicative of who I am as a person or as a coach."

"I am deeply sorry. I have apologized to our student-athletes and to our staff, as well as to President Hendrickson and Director of Athletics Bruce Rasmussen."

Creighton -- currently 2nd place in the Big East -- has had a great year on the floor ... with wins over teams like Villanova and Seton Hall.

James Harden's jersey will hang alongside Hakeem, Drexler and Yao Ming's one day ... with Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta announcing the team will "absolutely" retire its former superstar's #13 in the future.

Of course, the two sides had a nasty, public breakup earlier this season ... with the former MVP forcing a trade out of H-Town.

But, Fertitta is considering it water under the bridge ... telling the Houston Chronicle the Rockets WILL recognize the Brooklyn Nets guard with the highest honor eventually.

"James Harden will always be a Rocket," Fertitta said Tuesday. "Of course, we will retire his jersey. He made my first three years of owning this franchise unforgettable."

"The success he brought this franchise over eight years and the memories he created for our fan base/community (are) truly remarkable."

There's no debating Harden was one of the best players in the league during his 8+ seasons in Houston -- he had 3 scoring titles, 6 1st Team All-NBA nods and an MVP in 2018.

The 31-year-old led the Rockets to the playoffs each season with the Rockets ... making it to the Western Conference Finals twice.

Harden will become the franchise's 7th player to receive the honor when it happens.

Jake Paul is firing back at Canelo Alvarez for kicking 2 of the YouTube star's fans out of the ring during his post-fight interview on Saturday ... calling the champion an "old hater" who's ducking the real competition.

Of course, Canelo and Jake have had a beef brewing for months ... with the 30-year-old boxer saying the Paul brothers are disrespecting the sport of boxing.

The feud reached new levels when fans -- donning Jake and Ben Askren's faces on their shirts -- invaded the ring after Alvarez's dominant win over Avni Yildirim ... with Canelo telling them to "get the f*** out."

Jake is now speaking out about the incident ... and while he's not saying whether he knew about the prank beforehand, he's mad at how Alvarez handled the situation.

"Canelo, what's your problem, bro?! Why you hate me so much?!," Jake said on Tuesday.

"Canelo's mad. He has this thing against me. Said I'm bad for the sport. I'm disrespecting it, which doesn't make sense at all."

"I'm actually just bringing more eyeballs, more awareness to the sport of boxing. But since Canelo, you wanted to start this beef, let's do it!"

Jake goes on to say Canelo isn't the true pound-for-pound fighter in the world ... claiming he's hiding from real competition.

"Why not fight Caleb Plant? David Benavidez? BooBoo Andrade? You're ducking them. You're ducking them, Canelo! You're an old hater, that's what you are."

But, Canelo ain't the only boxing superstar going after Paul -- heavyweight champ Tyson Fury also had some words for Jake, seemingly trying to get him to fight his little brother, Tommy Fury.

Paul has some words for the Gypsy King as well ... saying he likes the guy and wants no beef -- but Tommy is a different story.

"If Tyson Fury took a s**t, it would be his little brother."