TMZ Sports - Page 5

"You making the millions, you're doing the media."

That's Marcellus Wiley telling TMZ Sports ... Naomi Osaka should NOT get a pass from speaking with reporters after matches -- even if she's claiming it's for mental health reasons.

The former NFL star says the tennis player straight-up just HAS to do the post-match sessions ... explaining the interviews are one of the biggest reasons for the sport's popularity.

"How do they think that this sport is driven?" Wiley said. "Just because people show up and pay for cotton candy? That's not it!"

"It's all of the investment that goes into the sport and participation."

In other words, the host of FS1's "Speak for Yourself" says Osaka's boycott could cost the sport fans' interest ... and in turn, take money out of players' pockets.

As for the mental health argument ... Wiley admits it's important for Osaka to deal with that aspect of her life -- but he claims she should still have to do media regardless.

"Handle your mental health -- you!" Wiley tells us. "And, then show up when you're ready and don't burn down the house."

As we previously reported, Osaka had initially planned to do no press conferences at the French Open ... saying it was all in an effort to improve her mental health.

Dan Ige always wanted to be a champion ... but now the UFC fighter says he’s got a little extra motivation to beat the "Korean Zombie’s" ass -- his newborn baby boy, Bam.

TMZ Sports talked to the 29-year-old, 8th ranked UFC Featherweight star -- who's taking on Chan Sung Jung at UFC Fight Night on June 19 -- and we asked if the birth of his newborn changed the way he approached fighting.

FYI, Dan's wife, Savannah, gave birth to Bam Alexander Ige at the beginning of April.

"Yeah, for sure," Ige says ... "I've always been a pretty motivated guy. I was never a guy to look for that type of external motivation to push me. I've always had that internal drive but definitely having a little external motivation doesn't hurt at all."

"50K" Ige continued ... "Having my son and my family and my wife and everyone just kinda adds to that fuel and yeah, now it's not just about me anymore."

"It's about my son, it's about making sure he has a good life and he's set and he's secure, making sure my family is secure, so it's definitely a driving factor when I go to training every day or when I'm tired."

As for the fight ... Dan -- who's 15-3 as a pro and has beaten beasts like Edson Barboza -- believe's a win over the 4th ranked Zombie will put him in a prime position to make a run at the 145-pound title.

LeBron James getting smashed by the Phoenix Suns does NOT affect his legacy ... so says Ohio governor John Kasich, who tells TMZ Sports the Lakers star is still "the king."

Kasich was candid with our photog out in Beverly Hills on Friday afternoon ... explaining this week's Lakers playoff exit means NOTHING for Bron.

"He's the greatest, you know," Kasich said. "He's the king."

Kasich went on to say the first-round bouncing doesn't affect James' claim to "G.O.A.T." status over Michael Jordan either.

In fact, Kasich tells us LeBron's window for winning titles is still WIDE open!

"He's not done yet," the 69-year-old politician said. "Nope, not yet."

As for what needs to change next year ... Kasich stated the obvious -- Anthony Davis needs to get healthy, and the Lakers need to get those two more help.

A Tampa Bay Rays prospect was hit so hard in the head by a line drive Thursday, he began convulsing on the mound ... and the scene was absolutely horrifying.

Tyler Zombro was pitching for the Rays' Triple-A affiliate, the Durham Bulls, when the tragedy struck ... and the Bulls say the 26-year-old has since been hospitalized.

The team added he's currently in "stable" condition.

The play was as scary as any as you'll see on a baseball diamond ... in the 8th inning of the Bulls' tilt with the Norfolk Tides, Zombro was hit flush in the head by a comebacker.

You can see in video of the incident, Zombro appeared to lose consciousness as soon as the ball hit him ... and just seconds later, his body began twitching.

Trainers rushed in to help him, and he was eventually stretchered off the field and taken to a local hospital.

The game, meanwhile, was called after the play.

"[Zombro] is currently undergoing further treatment and observation," the Bulls said in a statement after the game.

"Additional updates will be provided as they become available. Our thoughts and prayers are with Tyler, his family and his teammates."

Get well soon, Tyler.

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. was thrown off his horse and kicked in the head by another during a race Thursday ... but somehow, the dude miraculously avoided serious injuries.

The rider's agent, Steve Rushing, announced the good news on Friday ... saying that despite the horrifying fall, Ortiz Jr. will only need to miss a couple weeks from his job.

"He said he felt better today, than he did last night," Rushing told Daily Racing Form. "I told him I don’t know what brand of helmet you have, but make sure you get another one."

Rushing added Ortiz Jr. needed 6 stitches in his head and 5 in his arm ... but is expected to make a full recovery in a matter of days.

It's all quite frankly incredible, given just how gnarly the accident was.

Footage from the track showed as Ortiz Jr. was coming down the stretch ... his horse stumbled and bucked the rider to the ground.

When Ortiz Jr. hit the dirt, he was then kicked in the head by a trailing horse ... and ultimately needed to be stretchered off the track.

Ortiz Jr. was set to ride Known Agenda in Saturday's Belmont Stakes ... but he'll miss the event now. A replacement rider has not yet been named.

"I think it's gonna be just a big s**t show."

Gotta appreciate the honesty from Andre Berto -- who tells TMZ Sports he doesn't exactly have high expectations for the big Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul fight on Sunday.

Look, Berto -- a very accomplished and well-respected boxer -- has actually been in the ring with Mayweather in 2015 ... and knows what's like to fight against the best in the world.

So, how does he feel about a YouTube star getting a crack at TBE?

"This s**t is more of an event [than a real fight] and I'm tired of people texting my phone asking me, 'Ay bro, who you think is gonna win, Logan or Floyd?' I wanna throw my phone at a f**king wall!"

Don't get it twisted, Berto actually LIKES the Paul Bros -- and clearly has professional respect for Mayweather ... but he thinks it's a circus.

So, does Logan have a chance?

"You always got a puncher's chance ... I mean this is boxing. Anything can happen but of course, I think Floyd has it, running away with it and I think it's gonna be a show."

Winnipeg Jets superstar Mark Scheifele says his family is being targeted by angry fans upset with his cheap shot hit on Jake Evans ... and he's begging for them to stop.

Scheifele just received a 4-game suspension for taking out the Montreal Canadiens forward in Game 1 of their playoff series earlier this week.

The hit knocked Evans unconscious -- and was widely condemned by hockey fans and players alike who say Scheifele viciously targeted a defenseless player in a compromised position.

On Friday morning, Scheifele finally spoke to the media about the suspension -- saying he will NOT appeal the 4-game ban because he does not want to be a distraction to his team.

But, he also revealed his family has been harassed non-stop since the Wednesday incident ... and he's very upset about it.

"I'm a big boy. I signed up for this. I can handle this," Scheifele said ... "But, to put my parents, brother and sister, my loved ones through this, is unacceptable."

He continued, "I got held accountable. But, there's no right to go after my parents and my loved ones."

Scheifele says he's praying for Evans -- and hopes he can make a full and speedy recovery.

Evans suffered a concussion on the play -- and so far no update on when he's expected to return.

Drake's 3-year-old son got a taste of Lakers playoff basketball, and even though it wasn't very good ... he didn't look like he cared too much.

Billboard's Artist of the Decade brought Adonis to the Staples Center Thursday night to watch L.A. take on the Phoenix Suns and try to avoid elimination.

Dad kept him a little farther away from the action than courtside -- we're guessing it's a safety thing -- but did sit with him for a bit to point out some players on the court ... and probably give some fatherly hoops advice.

Adonis was decked out in a dope LeBron jersey and headphones as he entered the arena with Drake. We don't know if he was listening to hype music for the Lakers, but if so ... it didn't work. They got trounced 113-100.

So, Bron and the Lakers won't be repeating as NBA champs, but this father-son basketball outing's still pretty cool. Best of all ... no tears this time!

This is Yana Sizikova ... the pro tennis player suspected of taking BRIBES in a match-fixing scheme at the 2020 French Open.

... and now she's behind bars.

The 26-year-old Russian player -- currently ranked #765 in the world by the WTA -- was taken into custody in Paris on Thursday evening, officials confirm.

Sizikova was in France competing in the 2021 French Open -- and had lost in a doubles match earlier in the day.

Now, prosecutors say she's facing charges of "sports bribery and organized fraud for acts likely to have been committed in Sept. 2020."

Here's the deal ... Sizikova -- who's ranked #101 as a doubles player -- was involved in a doubles match at the 2020 French Open that was flagged after bookmakers noticed unusual bets being made.

Officials say hundreds of thousands of euros were wagered on the match -- and then noticed Sizikova was playing unusually bad.

After an investigation, prosecutors believe they have enough evidence to prove Sizikova was tanking on purpose as part of a match-fixing scheme.

So far, no official comment from Sizikova -- who is reportedly still in custody.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Malik Beasley will likely have to watch the rest of the NBA playoffs from jail ... TMZ Sports has confirmed he just started his 120-day sentence.

Jail and court officials tell us ... Beasley was booked into Wright County Jail in Minnesota on Tuesday -- ready to serve his punishment stemming from that bizarre gun incident in Sept. 2020.

You'll recall ... prosecutors say Beasley exploded on a family after they had been in his driveway -- alleging the 24-year-old NBA player pointed a gun at the people and ordered them to scram.

Beasley was initially hit with 2 charges over it all -- felony threats of violence and felony drug possession -- but he cut a deal with prosecutors months later to close out the case.

Beasley pled guilty to the threats charge ... and in exchange, the drug charge was dropped and Beasley was ultimately sentenced to 120 days in jail.

Initially, Beasley was set to begin the sentence on May 26 ... though a court official tells us it ended up being pushed to June 1.

Beasley posed for a mug shot when he was booked ... and you can see, he wasn't exactly thrilled to be behind bars.

It's been an eventful last few days for the NBA player ... remember, he just issued a public apology to his wife and family for his fling with Larsa Pippen.

Talk about sore losers ...

A couple of bitter Lakers fans thought they would take out their disappointment by heckling Kendall Jenner at Staples Center ... right after her boyfriend, Devin Booker, DESTROYED the Purple and Gold.

The idiot fans cussed out Kendall as she walked to her car -- saying things like, "Get the f**k outta here!" and "Go back to Phoenix, you're not welcome."

One of the guys shouted out TMZ -- but NONE of the people involved have any sort of affiliation with us. At all.

For her part, Kendall didn't even acknowledge these idiots ... and probably went on to celebrate the momentous victory with her superstar BF in some sort of awesome mansion.

In other words ... the Lakers fans couldn't be more wrong -- SHE'S WINNING AT EVERYTHING.

In case you didn't know ... Devin Booker DOMINATED the Lakers on Thursday night, dropping 47 points in a 113 to 100 victory over L.A., eliminating LeBron James' squad from the playoffs.

After the game, Booker said he felt Kobe Bryant's spirit in the building at Staples Center.

Amazing news for Greg Olsen and his family ... the former NFL star says his 8-year-old son, TJ, has found a donor match for his heart transplant!

The 36-year-old tight end made the announcement on his social media page Friday morning, calling the news "a huge step forward."

"A day we have prayed for has arrived," Olsen said while posting a picture of him smiling with TJ and his wife, Kara.

"We were alerted last night that there was a donor match for TJ to receive his heart transplant. Walking our little boy, with tears of hope and fear in our eyes, was one of the toughest moments of our lives."

Olsen added, "We ask for everyone’s prayers for TJ and his amazing team of doctors and nurses. TJ has a long road ahead of him but today is a huge step forward."

As we previously reported, TJ was hospitalized last month in North Carolina with a serious heart condition.

Olsen said it was all very terrifying, 'cause TJ "has already undergone 3 open heart surgeries and has survived with a modified heart for his first 8 years of life."

It's unclear when TJ will have his operation ... but he's already got at least one big NFL star rooting for him -- Julian Edelman tweeted to Olsen on Friday, "Thoughts are you with your little one today bubs."

Magic Johnson is NOT happy about his beloved L.A. Lakers getting knocked out of the playoffs Thursday night ... admitting "You know I'm mad."

Magic and his wife, Cookie, were leaving the Staples Center after LeBron and the Lake Show suffered a 113 to 100 loss to the Phoenix Suns ... eliminating L.A. from the playoffs.

It's the first time in Bron's career he's ever been eliminated from the playoffs in the 1st round.

So, what happened??? That's what the photogs asked Magic after Game 6.

"I want you to ask those players what happened," Magic told the snappers

When one pap asked if he was upset over the situation, Magic responded -- "Yeah, I'm mad! I love the Lakers! You know I'm mad."

Part of the issue ... DEVIN BOOKER WAS UNSTOPPABLE.

The 24-year-old dropped 47 points on the Lakers -- helping the Suns build a 29-point lead in the first half!!

When the second half started, the Lakers looked like a defeated squad -- and the Suns rolled to victory.

Another issue for the Lakers ... Anthony Davis.

He was medically cleared to play in Game 6 after tweaking his groin in Game 4 -- but tweaked the injury in the opening minutes and never returned to action.

Now, the Lakers are out ... Magic is upset and LeBron says he's already focused on next year.

"The #1 thing for us is getting AD healthy," Bron said after the game ... "If we get big fella healthy ... that will put us in the best possible chance to be successful next year."

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?!

Two obsessed fans smashed into Neymar as he walked off the Brazil team bus in Rio de Janeiro ... and footage shows the superstar limping away.

The whole situation is absolutely ridiculous and completely unacceptable.

Here's the deal ... Neymar and his teammates had just finished a training session in Rio on Thursday leading up to Brazil's World Cup qualifier on Friday against Ecuador.

When they arrived at the team hotel, there was a large group of fans waiting for the team -- which is pretty common.

But, two fans got through security and sprinted at Neymar -- eventually knocking right into the 29-year-old at full speed!!!

Security raced over to pull the fans away -- and it looks like one of them made off with one of Neymar's shoes.

After the incident, it looks like Neymar limps into the hotel -- though it's possible he's just walking gingerly because he has no shoes on!

The team has yet to give an update on Neymar's condition -- but the entire world is watching.

Roy Jones Jr. thinks there's a better chance Earth will be invaded by aliens before Logan Paul knocks out Floyd Mayweather.

... actually, that might be too generous of a comparison.

Roy gave an official 0.0% probability of a Logan Paul victory -- and when he breaks it down, it's clear RJJ thinks Floyd is gonna straight-up embarrass the YouTube star.

"You're talking about the greatest defensive fighter of all time," Roy explained to TMZ Sports ... "so, it's very hard to hit him."

"That being said, I don't give the kid a chance."

We pushed back and asked about the famous "puncher's chance" theory -- that anyone with power can end a fight if he can land one shot.

Roy wasn't having that AT ALL.

"C'mon bro, that's Floyd Mayweather. Are you serious?"

"If he was Mike Tyson's size, it'd be different. He's not Mike Tyson's size ... it's not gonna happen."

Oh, there's more ... Roy explains in detail why 44-year-old Floyd is gonna light up the 26-year-old when they clash on June 6.

Meanwhile, Logan says he LOVES the doubters -- and can't wait to prove everyone wrong.

Attention all tattoo artists in Denver ... Von Miller could be needing a cover-up soon!!!

The NFL superstar says he's now changing his unborn son's name ... this despite already inking it onto his body just 2 months ago!!!

The Denver Broncos pass rusher made the announcement on his social media page Thursday ... saying his son will no longer be Valor Miller, but will instead go by Legacy Miller when he's born later this summer.

"Get ready to play some golf son," Miller said after announcing the name change. "My legacy. He gon be a beast just like his daddy."

Miller had fun realizing this might require some sort of tattoo cover-up ... crossing out his "Valor" ink and writing the word "Legacy" above it.

"I had his other name tatted," Miller explained. "Valor can be his nickname."

The 32-year-old then ensured he still had plans for the kid to grow up a quarterback ... adding, "It's all love. I'm just excited for my young QB."