TMZ Sports - Page 50

Lamar Odom can't be that drugged out ... he was able to find the last Blockbuster video store in LA.

Lamar went deep into the heart of the San Fernando Valley today -- to Reseda -- to pick up some DVDs for his Labor Day enjoyment.

Lamar Odom was seen for the first time since his DUI arrest (barely) ... getting around the only way he can now ... IN A TAXI.

TMZ broke the story ... Lamar was popped for a DUI in L.A. early Friday morning after cops believed he was driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Lamar refused all chemical tests and as a result his driver's license was suspended for year.

As for where he was headed ... the agency who took the photos claims they were snapped outside the gated community where Khloe and Lamar's house is. But frankly, it's hard to tell.

1:00 PM PST -- Khloe was just photographed driving into the gated community moments after Lamar.

Lamar Odom went after his drug enabler with a vengeance, calling the woman a "groupie junkie" and "crack head" ... and he did it while Khole Kardashian was breathing down his neck.

TMZ has seen text messages between Lamar and Polina Polonsky, an attorney who Lamar stayed with during the last few months ... partying with him while he was doing crack.

We've learned on July 13, Khloe confronted Lamar at a downtown L.A. motel, where he was holed up with the woman and doing drugs. In an effort to save her husband, Khloe practically manhandled him out of the room and back to their home.

Once home ... Lamar started texting Polina right in front of Khloe, telling Polina he had "f**ked up." Polina responded by saying, "You're corny." Lamar -- standing next to his furious wife -- then fired his salvo, texting Polina, "Groupie junkie ... crack head."

Lamar went on, "U might want to b careful. Narcs know. They have footage, audio n pics."

Polina responded, "Stay in your lane." He fired back, "4real Know where u work U live Ur parents."

Tebowing has a brand new meaning -- unemployed NFL star -- 'cause Tim Tebow has been dropped by the New England Patriots.

Tebow -- who signed a 2-year contract with the Patriots back in June -- was cut from the roster Saturday morning ... after failing to impress head coach Bill Belichick, according to ESPN.

The news comes just a little over 4 months after Tebow was fired from the New York Jets.

Since Tebow has been in the NFL less than 4 years, he could become a free agent and sign with another team ... begging the question, will another team even want him?

So we gotta ask...

Allen Iverson's ex-wife is sick and tired of dragging him to court to squeeze out child support ... she's asking a judge to make him cough up the next 13 years worth RIGHT NOW -- a cool $1.2 MILLION.

TMZ broke the story ... after the couple's nasty divorce Iverson was ordered to pay $8000/month in child support for their 5 kids. Problem is, Tawanna has gone to court on numerous occasions because A.I. won't pay.

It came to a head in July when a judge threatened Iverson with jail, unless he forked over $40,000 in back support -- which he did. But Tawanna says she doesn't want to keep running into the same problem.

On August 1st she filed docs asking a judge to make A.I. cover ALL the support through October 2026 (when their youngest turns 18). After the math, it comes to $1,272,000 ... which Tawanna wants put in a trust for the children.

Cincinnati Reds 2nd baseman Brandon Phillips is in deep-fried trouble with a pro-fat person organization after blasting a sports reporter as a "fat motherf**ker" ... TMZ has learned.

The National Association for the Advancement of Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) had their ears (and probably their mouths) open when Phillips went off on C. Trent Rosecrans during a news conference with Reds manager Dusty Baker.

Rosecrans -- who happens to sport a fuller figure -- had gotten on Phillips' bad side for criticizing his on-base percentage ... and while CTR was talking to Baker, Phillips interrupted and called him a "fat f**k" and a "fat motherf**ker."

Baker just sat there ... refusing to call out Brandon.

But the NAAFA is hungry for an apology ... and also probably pizza ... and meatballs ... telling TMZ, "[Brandon's] poor choice of words indicates that he may have missed the fact that verbal aggression and threats are bullying."

The org. says they're especially upset because the Reds participate in anti-bullying campaigns -- "Putting on an anti-bullying face then allowing the blasting of a reporter's body-size is not acceptable."

We've reached out to the Reds -- so far, no word back.

Lamar Odom allegedly pulled a Kylie Jenner just 6 days before his DUI arrest -- rear-ending another car and causing a chain-reaction collision on an L.A. freeway.

The 3-car accident occurred at around 6 PM on the 101 Freeway -- the same freeway on which Lamar was popped for DUI on Friday morning.

So how did the media find out about the story? Turns out ... the person Lamar hit is a reporter for the L.A. Times. It's unclear why the Times waited so long to publish the story.

According to the reporter, Lamar's white Mercedes slammed into the back of his ride near the Gower Street exit.

After the collision, the reporter says he tried to swap insurance info with Odom ... but the NBA star was resistant ... and insisted the damage "doesn't even look that bad."

Eventually, the reporter says he obtained Odom's insurance info ... but when he tried to give the insurance card back to Lamar, he bizarrely resisted at first ... before realizing he needed to have his insurance card to drive.

The reporter says the accident was not reported to the cops.

Lamar Odom got some secret visitors yesterday -- two drug counselors who work with the National Basketball Players Association ... just hours before he was busted for DUI.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... the counselors -- former NBA players Dirk Minniefield and Cliff Robinson -- had contacted Lamar to offer help, and he accepted -- thus, the meeting.

Cliff and Dirk know a thing or 2 about addicts and drug addiction -- they both struggled with substance abuse during their careers. They currently work with the NBPA ... counseling rookies and struggling NBA players about handling addiction.

During the visit Thursday at Lamar and Khloe's house ... we're told Lamar was receptive and, as one source said, "It was very positive."

Here's the problem ... Shortly after Dirk and Cliff left, Lamar drove off and never came home.

As we first reported, he was arrested early this morning for DUI ... and law enforcement sources tell us they believe he was under the influence of both drugs and alcohol.

11:07 AM PT -- TMZ has just obtained a photo of Lamar's Mercedes SUV inside the tow yard, where his car was taken after the DUI arrest.

10:05 AM PT -- According to the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept., Odom was released from custody at 8:33 AM. However, it's unclear if Odom has actually left the station yet.

9:17 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... officers at the scene smelled alcohol on Lamar and believe he was under the influence of both drugs and alcohol. The sources say Lamar's driving and conduct were consistent with drugs. We're told there were no drugs or alcohol found in Lamar's car ... only cigarettes, 2 bottles of cologne and other innocuous items.

Lamar Odom was arrested for "driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs" early Friday morning ... TMZ has learned.

The bust occurred in the San Fernando Valley at 3:54 AM. Lamar -- who was driving a white Mercedes SUV -- was popped by the California Highway Patrol and taken to a nearby station, where he was booked and is being held on $15,000 bail.

He was pulled over on the 101 Freeway for going too slow -- 50 MPH. Cops say Odom had been driving in a "serpentine manner."

Lamar initially did not respond to cops, and drove 3 exits before finally coming to a stop. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ he showed obvious signs of intoxication.

Lamar failed numerous field sobriety tests.

When Lamar was booked, we're told he refused all chemical tests.

Lamar's booking sheet shows he is 6'10" and 235 lbs.

Lamar has been tooling around town lately ... this after TMZ broke the story he had been on a crack binge.

Lawrence Taylor Jr. -- the son of NFL legend Lawrence Taylor -- has just been released from jail after his July arrest for statutory rape, child molestation, and sodomy, TMZ has learned.

LTJ's mom bonded out her son moments ago in Georgia. Bond was set at $50,000. The 31-year-old will remain free until his next court date, which hasn't been scheduled yet.

TMZ broke the story ... LTJ was arrested on July 7 on 3 counts: statutory rape (felony), aggravated child molestation (felony), and statutory aggravated sodomy (felony). He remained in custody until today.

According to the warrant, a female under the age of 16 accused LTJ of forcibly performing oral sex on her (legally referred to as "sodomy" in this case). Another underage girl also accused LTJ of having sex with her multiple times last year.

If convicted of either child molestation or sodomy, LTJ faces 25 years to life in prison. The statutory rape charge carries a sentence of 1 to 20 years.

LTJ's lawyer tells us, "Mr. Taylor has some serious challenges that lay ahead of him and we are focusing on those challenges. This is a tough case, no winners here."

Atlanta Hawks head coach Michael Budenholzer says he was NOT driving drunk when he was arrested for DUI last night ... and says he has some semi-convincing proof to back his claim.

Budenholzer was arrested in Atlanta around 10:30 PM Wednesday night ... after a Georgia State Trooper noticed the NBA coach's car had a broken taillight.

During the stop, cops say they noticed a strong odor of alcohol on Budenholzer's breath -- and asked him to submit to various field sobriety tests, including a breathalyzer.

According to the incident report, obtained by TMZ, MB agreed to everything BUT the breathalyzer ... and then proceeded to perform poorly during the other field sobriety tests.

During the arrest, Budenholzer reportedly admitted to having consumed 1 glass of wine earlier in the evening. He was arrested and hauled to a nearby jail.

Budenholzer was eventually released from custody around 3:45 AM this morning (5 HOURS after the initial arrest) ... and his lawyer says the coach went directly to a local hospital where a blood test revealed his B.A.C. was less than .01.

Golden State Warriors star David Lee tells TMZ ... he thinks the NBA drug testing policy is rock solid -- and believes the reason only 1 guy has tested positive for hard drugs since 2000 is because the players are simply staying clean.

Lee was leaving Hooray Henry's nightclub in L.A. last night when we asked about the drug culture in the NBA -- specifically the statistic that the ONLY person who tested positive for a drug harder than weed in the past 13 years is Chris "Birdman" Andersen.

"I can tell you [the NBA is] very thorough with their testing," Lee told us.

As we reported, multiple NBA sources tell us players have found a loophole in the NBA drug testing policy -- because they're only tested 4 times a year, and after the 4th test "It's like Christmas Day."

Lamar Odom is not the only basketball player who was high on drugs during the season -- not by a long shot, TMZ has learned.

Multiple NBA-connected sources tell TMZ ... the big problem is that the league is only allowed to test players 4 times during a season. Because testing is randomized, the last test can be administered as early as January, and the season lasts for months thereafter. As one recently-retired NBA player put it, after the 4th test, "It's like Christmas Day. We can take whatever we want."

One NBA-connected source says pot is "ubiquitous" in the sport. The source adds, however, that most athletes who indulge do so in moderation so it doesn't have a perceptible impact on their performance. An NBA rep tells us ... weed is not only prevalent, it's hardly hidden -- he says the hotel rooms where the players stay, and even the halls, have the telltale smell.

The players we've spoken with all agree ... pot is prevalent. But some of the players say Lean -- Sprite and Codeine cough syrup -- has become a recreational drug of choice during the season. One player said it was even used during the recent playoffs.

One current and famous player tells TMZ, he estimates 30% of his fellow NBAers use hard drugs -- including Molly, Ecstasy, and Lean -- at some point during the season. He says he's never been aware of anyone doing cocaine during the season.

Another current and famous player tells us he estimates only 10% of NBA players use hard drugs, and no one uses cocaine during the season -- it's too risky. He also says Lean is a drug of choice.

An NBA source agrees -- he estimates 10-15% of the players use hard drugs during the season.

One NBA insider believes the drug use problem has gotten better over the last 5 years because of social media. He says players have been burned because pictures of them doing things they shouldn't be show up on Instagram and Facebook, and it's inhibited them.

Lamar Odom would rather order tacos than answer questions about his crack problem ... and we don't blame him ... his order sounds delicious.

The NBA star was making a munchies run moments ago, hitting up a Taco Bell drive-thru near his and Khloe's Tarzana home ... and proudly displaying his wedding ring ... when he was pelted with questions about his drug addiction.

Lamar wasn't feeling talkative, but he did manage to complete his order ... laughing in the process.

It's a good sign Odom has stopped smoking crack -- at least temporarily -- because one does not typically make food runs while zonked.

As we reported, Lamar has returned home after going MIA for several days and is now listening to his wife Khloe's advice, though he's still undecided about seeking treatment for his crack cocaine problem.

Fun fact: the famous Taco Bell chihuahua died in 2009. R.I.P.

He's out with the Clippers, but Lamar Odom could have a new home in Memphis ... if Grizzlies superstar Zach Randolph has anything to say about it.

Randolph -- a former Clipper himself -- was outside The Emerson Theatre in L.A. last night when we asked if he'd welcome Lamar to his team, if L.O. can get his life back in order.

"Damn right," Randolph said ... "He's a good dude."

Randolph knows a thing or two about second chances -- he's had multiple run-ins with the law over the years and was once suspended for punching a teammate in the face ... yet overcame his troubles to emerge as a bona fide superstar.

... a superstar who knows what it's like to get SWATTED hard by L.O. (check out the video below).

Lamar Odom has finally returned home ... with Khloe Kardashian ... but he remains undecided about seeking treatment for drug addiction, TMZ has learned.

Odom returned to his L.A. pad Monday after going off the grid for several days. Sources tell us both Lamar and Khloe are inside the home and addressing some serious issues, including Lamar's out-of-control crack problem.

We're told there's still no talk of divorce -- and Khloe is determined to help Lamar get his life back on track.

One source tells us Lamar is "open to reason and listening to the people who love him the most" ... a drastic change from a week ago, when L.O. rejected an attempted intervention.

We're told no decision has been made on possible treatment, but Lamar is "receptive."

Lamar seemed to be in good spirits Monday night -- when he was spotted out on a gas run near the home and stopped to pose for a photo with a young fan.

We know ... several of Lamar's NBA friends have tried to reach out to him, but it seems for the most part, L.O. is keeping to himself.