TMZ Sports - Page 3

Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson is throwing on the Purple and Gold one more time to channel his inner Black Mamba ... by rocking a Kobe Bryant jersey before Game 1 against the Clippers!!

Of course, Clarkson and Bryant grew close as teammates on the Lakers for two seasons ... and JC has consistently paid tribute to the late NBA legend following his tragic death in January 2020.

While it's usually weird to see a player rep a different team before a game, players across the league have made an exception when honoring Kobe.

Clarkson is making it known he's got Kobe's signature "Mamba Mentality" leading up to the Jazz vs. Clippers matchup in the Western Conference semis on Tuesday ... wearing the classic #8 Bryant wore for 10 seasons while meeting with media.

BTW -- Clarkson has had by far the best year of his career in 2021 ... averaging 18.4 points a game and winning the Sixth Man of the Year honors.

We must add ... there could also be another reason behind the Kobe jersey -- trolling -- after all, the Clippers have always HATED the Lakers.

LeBron James will be rockin' some brand new kicks when the Tune Squad and Goon Squad face off in "Space Jam: A New Legacy" ... and he's finally revealing the special sneaks to the public!

King James and Nike shared the first images of the "LeBron 19" sneaker on Tuesday ... and the folks at the Swoosh say the design is inspired by the new flick starring the hooper and Bugs Bunny.

The shoes have an eye-popping colorway, which matches the orangish-yellow-blue scheme of the new Tune Squad jerseys ... with an Air Max heel and Zoom Air forefoot.

Designer Jason Petrie spoke about the look ... saying, "In designing the LeBron 19, we were definitely guided by what was happening in the film."

"We wanted to give LeBron a brand-new feeling that was synonymous with an otherworldly, space-age kind of look."

In addition to the sneaks, Nike is also releasing a bunch of merch, game jerseys and Looney Tune-inspired LeBron 18s ... with color schemes inspired by the classic cartoon showdowns between Bugs and Marvin the Martian, Tweety Bird and Sylvester and Road Runner and Wile. E. Coyote.

The shoes and other SJ items are set to drop next month -- right around the July 16 debut of the flick.

Ex-NBA star Rip Hamilton says Chauncey Billups is gunning to be the next head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers ... telling TMZ Sports his good friend really wants the gig.

44-year-old Billups -- an assistant coach with the L.A. Clippers -- has been mentioned as a top candidate for teams in need of a new head coach this offseason ... including the Blazers and Boston Celtics.

Superstar Damian Lillard even listed Billups on his short wish list to replace Terry Stotts ... and Rip says the feeling's mutual.

"Me and Chauncey was actually just talking," Hamilton said on Rodeo Drive on Monday.

We asked if his old teammate told him he wants to coach the Blazers ... and Rip responded, "Yeah!"

"Chauncey wants to coach right now. Hopefully, he gets his opportunity."

Of course, the Blazers won't be able to reach out to the 2004 NBA Finals MVP until after the Clippers' season is over ... but The Athletic reports Billups is the "likely" choice to end up in Portland.

Max Kellerman -- one of the leading experts in boxing -- says he's genuinely intrigued by the Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley fight.

... and if Jake can knock out the former UFC star, he'll be legitimately impressed.

"That's an interesting fight. It's an interesting event," the ESPN star told us out in NYC.

24-year-old Jake and 39-year-old Woodley are set to throw down in August -- in what will undoubtedly be the biggest challenge of Paul's short career.

So far, Paul has knocked out two pro athletes -- Nate Robinson and Ben Askren -- but hasn't faced an opponent known for being a true striker.

... until now.

Woodley fought his way to the top of the UFC's welterweight division in 2016 -- knocking out Robbie Lawler to win the belt.

But, he's lost his last 4 fights -- leading some to believe he's washed.

"I don't care how faded Woodley is … if Jake Paul knocks out Tyron Woodley, he did something," Kellerman explained.

"Woodley can strike. So, we're not gonna confuse it with a title fight in boxing ... but okay, I'll be impressed."

Jake has promised to KO Woodley in 2 rounds. Woodley's response? "HAHAHHAHA."

We'll see who's right ...

Jim Fassel -- the former NFL head coach who led the NY Giants to Super Bowl XXXV -- has died ... and his ex-star player, Michael Strahan, is heartbroken.

Fassel passed away Monday in Las Vegas after suffering a heart attack following chest pains, his son, John, told the L.A. Times.

And, when Strahan was asked about his former coach on "Good Morning America" on Tuesday ... the ex-pass rusher explained he was crushed to learn of the passing.

"Just a great man, great coach," Strahan said of Fassel. "And, he will be missed. But, I was definitely shocked this morning to find out this news and I just wanted to send my love and condolences to his family."

Strahan continued, "Great man. I enjoyed every minute with him as my coach and after my career when we continued to stay in touch and talk."

Fassel joined the Giants as an assistant coach in 1991 and later became the head coach in 1997, when he won NFL Coach of the Year honors.

Fassel eventually took Strahan and the G-Men to Super Bowl XXXV in the 2000 season ... where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens.

Fassel was fired in 2003 after piling up a career 58-53-1 record ... but he still went on to be an offensive coordinator for the Ravens before wrapping up his coaching career as the head man for the United Football League's Las Vegas Locomotives.

He was 71 years old.

Dana White tells TMZ Sports ... he hopes Floyd Mayweather finally hangs up the gloves after his exhibition with Logan Paul.

... but as for Logan Paul fighting in the UFC one day, Dana ain't exactly saying no!

INTERESTING!!!

First, Floyd ...

"I would love to see Floyd retire," White tells us ... "He's had an incredible career and to do these type of fights, it's silly."

Now, to Logan ... who has repeatedly said he would kill for a shot to fight in the UFC since he has a legitimate wrestling background and feels he could actually compete in the Octagon.

So, Dana ... would you ever sign Logan Paul to a UFC deal?

"I don't know man ... I don't know."

"Here's the thing, not to say that I haven't taken a guy in that's been 0-0 into the UFC and done those types of fights before ... I don't know."

White is obviously referencing CM Punk, the former WWE superstar who got 2 fights in the UFC despite no prior professional MMA experience. Punk lost both of his fights in a lopsided fashion.

But, White respects Logan's work ethic and athletic ability -- as well as his marketing power ... and says there will always be a market for famous people to get in the ring.

"Imagine if Kim Kardashian wanted to fight Amanda Nunes ... how big do you think that fight would be?!"

"What do you think Kim Kardashian would make if she fought Amanda Nunes ... probably more than anybody's ever made, ever!"

There's more ... we also talked about that STACKED card for UFC 263 this weekend featuring the Israel Adesanya vs. Marvin Vettori and the return of Nate Diaz!

Before this tiny tot was known for being a professional basketball player, he was just another cute kid up next at bat on his little league team.

This famous sporty stayed focused on his basketball career and went from a college athlete to an NBA player in 2009, when he joined the Los Angeles Clippers. He was named rookie of the year following his start in the NBA.

Even though the name of this tiny tot's tee-ball team is a mystery ... we do know that he's been on some big-named NBA teams including the Detroit Pistons and also the Brooklyn Nets!

Mike Tyson says he was shockingly impressed with Logan Paul's performance against Floyd Mayweather on Sunday ... and thinks he's actually ready to take on a pro fighter in a sanctioned bout!!

In fact, Mike has a fighter in mind -- 37-year-old Swedish pro boxer Badou Jack, a former 2 division champ with victories over guys like Marcus Browne, Adonis Stevenson, Jean Pascal, and most recently, Dervin Colina.

Jack is a legit contender who is still pursuing titles ... and Mike thinks he'd be a good test for LP ... if he's serious about continuing his boxing career.

"I'm trying to get Logan Paul to fight Badou Jack," the champ said on IG Live with former boxer Zab Judah on Monday.

"I wanna see what he says about that."

Jack "The Ripper" is a beast -- he's 6'2" with a 30-3-3 record (14 wins by knockout) ... and previously held the WBC super-middleweight title.

So he's WAY more experienced than the YouTuber-turned-fighter ... but Tyson says that's the type of fighter Paul needs to be into ... and Judah agrees.

"Yeah, that's a real fight now. He fights Badou Jack, Logan Paul is gonna be in a big fight," Judah says.

"That's a whole different fight. You fight that guy, Badou is gonna give you a fight. Badou coming to fight! That's all Badou do is fight!"

Britt Reid is fighting back in his car crash case -- the former Kansas City Chiefs coach pled NOT GUILTY Monday to a DWI charge, court records show.

The 36-year-old is accused of drinking and driving prior to a violent wreck in Kansas City back on Feb. 4 that badly injured a 5-year-old girl.

Officials say Reid had a .113 BAC when measured around 2 hours after he allegedly crashed his pickup truck into others ... and claim Reid was also going 83.9 MPH in a 65 MPH zone just seconds before the collision.

Reid -- son of Chiefs head coach Andy Reid -- was ultimately hit with one charge of felony DWI ... but TMZ Sports has confirmed Britt entered a plea of not guilty Monday.

Britt also had the conditions of his bond adjusted Monday ... with the judge in the case allowing Britt to drive, so long as he uses an interlock device forcing him to pass a breathalyzer test every time he gets behind the wheel.

Britt is due back in court in late July for another hearing in the case.

Dirk Nowitzki's time as the greatest Dallas Maverick ever has come to an end ... Luka Doncic now holds that crown -- so says the NBA legend himself!!!

The ex-Dallas great made the revelation to TMZ Sports while heading into Staples Center on Sunday to catch the Mavs-Clippers Game 7 ... and, yeah, it's BIG praise!!!

"He's playing unbelievable," Dirk said after explaining Luka "already has" eclipsed him as the greatest Mav ever.

Of course, Luka went on to lose the big game against the Clips in front of Dirk ... but the 22-year-old arguably STRENGTHENED the big man's claim despite the L.

Luka went bananas in the elimination contest -- dropping 46 points, 14 assists and 7 rebounds ... so maybe Dirk's got a point???

As for if Dirk was just being nice ... we're sure that's the case, Luka's been amazing -- but he's got a loooooooooong way to go to catch Nowitzki.

Dirk's a 14-time All-Star, a league MVP AND a Finals MVP ... and he averaged 20.7 points per game over a 20-YEAR span.

Christian McCaffrey just got an AWESOME 25th birthday present -- a love note from one of the hottest women on the planet -- and it's adorable!!!

Olivia Culpo penned the mush on Monday afternoon ... gushing over her NFL superstar boyfriend with a series of pictures and sweet words.

"I’m obsessed with you 😍," Culpo said of her man on her social media page. "Happy birthday kintin!!!!!!! Thank you for making me the luckiest girl in the world I love you."

Christian didn't wait long to respond ... he commented on the post with an L-bomb of his own!!

"My ❤️," Christian wrote. "I love you."

The Carolina Panthers running back and the supermodel have been dating since 2019 ... and they've been pretty much inseparable ever since.

They've been on vacations, they've exchanged fancy gifts, they've flashed their toned bodies, and they certainly haven't hidden any PDA!!

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft just turned 80, but now he can cruise around in a drop-top like he's a billionaire half his age.

Meek Mill shared a video Monday of Bob's birthday surprise, in which Sixers partner Michael Rubin walked Kraft out of his house -- decked out in Pats gear -- to present him with his brand new blue Bentley ... something he apparently really desired.

Kraft seemed elated and mystified, asking, "How the fudge did you get it?" ... to which Rubin replied, "We have resources."

Rubin let Kraft know a handful of other rich dudes went in on his new whip -- including Meek and Jay-Z -- and it rode on a flatbed from Florida to arrive in pristine shape.

Here it is -- college hoops superstar Cade Cunningham's first TMZ moment ... and it's adorable as heck!!

Of course, the 19-year-old point guard is widely projected to be the #1 overall pick in the NBA Draft next month ... after averaging more than 20 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists per game.

So, what do you do when you're about to be an instant millionaire?? You hit up one of L.A.'s hottest dinner spots with your cute daughter, of course!!

Cunningham brought along his 2-year-old, Riley, for a fancy dinner at Craig's in West Hollywood ... and even chopped it up for a bit with us as he arrived.

We chatted about how he was handling the hype leading up to the draft ... and Cunningham said, "I feel great, man. It's all blessings, for sure."

We also had to ask if there were any teams, in particular, he was eyeing ... but naturally, he handled the question like a pro.

BTW -- Cunningham was an All-American during his one year in college ... and was voted Freshman of the Year by several outlets.

"WTF was all this about?"

That's former boxing superstar Ricky Hatton UNLEASHING on his former opponent Floyd Mayweather ... essentially saying the exhibition with Logan Paul was an INSULT to the sport he loves.

42-year-old Hatton -- The Ring magazine's 2005 Fighter of the Year -- HATED everything about Floyd vs. Logan and went off the two in a scathing IG post early Monday morning.

"My personal opinion that was s**t for boxing," Hatton said.

"What happened to the days where fighters would put there lives on the line to try be the best and at least fight the best."

"Now we have fighters calling out youtubers as that’s where the most money is these days due to the social media world we live in???"

"I can live with an exhibition like mike (Tyson)and Roy (Jones) did between two legends of our sport but the greatest fighter of all time who has only recently retired against somebody who’s only there cus of how many followers he has and not because of who he’s previously beat???"

"Money is important that’s why we went from the amateurs and turned pro. But these days money seems more important than the legacy."

Yeesh.

Hatton was 43-0 when he fought Floyd back in 2007 -- but Mayweather kicked his ass ... ultimately winning in a 10th round TKO.

Simone Biles proved yet again why she's the G.O.A.T this weekend ... 'cause the gymnastics superstar just took home her SEVENTH national title -- becoming the first woman to EVER win that many championships!!

The 24-year-old Olympic gold medalist straight-up dominated the competition at the US Gymnastics Championships in Texas ... winning first place by an incredible 4.7-point advantage.

Of course, Biles is known to be a trailblazer in the sport ... and lived up to her reputation when she nailed her signature "Biles II" move -- two flips and three twists BACKWARDS -- during her floor routine.

FYI -- The move was named after Biles in 2019 ... after she became the first woman to successfully nail it in competition.

Biles explained her decision to go so hard after winning the competition, saying, "I feel like I did try to enjoy it because it could be one of my last championships that I'll attend."

"But it's also the road to Tokyo, and after this we have trials, so we just have to really embrace the moment."

To make things even better, Biles' NFL player boyfriend, Jonathan Owens, was able to watch her in person ... and raved about his girl in a super mushy Instagram post.

"What an amazing experience 👏🏽," the Houston Texans safety said Sunday.

"First time getting to watch you compete in person and you didn’t disappoint. It’s so cool that i get to watch you do what you love, and be the best at that ‼️ I’m so proud of you my lil champ 🥰❤️."

"Trials up next and you already know I’m there!! Love you baby."

Biles responded to the touching shoutout ... saying, "I love you so much 🤎 I’m so happy you got to come watch while in the middle of OTA’s 😘😘 you a real one."

Former USMNT star Oguchi Onyewu was forced to issue an apology Sunday night ... after he threatened to choke his female co-host live on air.

The mea culpa all went down during the CBS Sports broadcast of the USMNT vs. Mexico game in Denver ... minutes after Onyewu got verbally aggressive with Mexican soccer star Janelly Farias.

"I will come across this desk and choke you," Onyewu said as part of a segment with his co-host.

Oguchi appeared to be joking, he let out a laugh while unleashing the comment, but still, the remark was immediately criticized on social media.

In fact, the backlash grew so loud, later in the broadcast, Onyewu felt the need to apologize on air.

"Early in the show, you know, throughout our banter back and forth, I got carried away for sure," Onyewu said. "And I said a stupid thing that should've never come out of my mouth."

The 39-year-old continued, "And I am deeply sorry for it and I apologize to you and I hope that you can forgive me and don't take any offense to it. So, I just really want to sincerely apologize for what I said."