TMZ Sports - Page 50

Jui Jitsu master Rodrigo Gracie -- a member of the legendary Gracie MMA fighting family -- is begging the court for protection against an allegedly drunk and violent enemy ... TMZ has learned.

In one corner ... 6'0", 185-pound Gracie -- a 5th degree black belt and 4-time Pride fighting winner.

In the other corner ... 5'3", 135-pound woman named Tiffany -- who lives in an apartment above Gracie's Brazilian Jiu Jitsu studio in Torrance, CA.

Rodrigo filed a request for a restraining order against Tiffany last month, claiming she's been terrorizing his training center:

"[Tiffany has been] cursing, yelling, hitting my door, hitting the glass ... knocked a hole in my door ... comes drunk every time."

The judge sided with Rodrigo ... at least for now ... granting a temporary restraining order against Tiffany, requiring her to stop pestering Rodrigo and his studio.

The case is due back in court later this month -- when Rodrigo will likely ask the court for more permanent protection from his allegedly pain-in-the-ass neighbor.

Attempts to reach Tiffany were unsuccessful.

Diana Nyad really left her mark when she completed her record-setting swim from Cuba to Florida -- meaning she left the warm Gulf Stream waters ... even warmer.

Take that sharks, and jellyfish, and stingrays, and ...

Lamar Odom just left an L.A. sushi restaurant with a friend ... where he ordered no sushi.

Lamar was there for lunch ... a very light lunch, consisting of a bowl of miso soup and 2 green teas.

Lamar barely touched the soup, and spent most of the time ignoring his friend while he chatted on his phone.

The staff tells TMZ ... Lamar was nice enough. The bill came to a whopping $7. Lamar plunked down a 20 and went on his not-so-merry way.

There are reports Lamar is getting outpatient treatment for his crack problem.

11:13 AM PT -- Hernandez just pled not guilty to all the charges. A pretrial date has been set for October 9th.

Former NFL star Aaron Hernandez is scheduled to be arraigned this morning on charges he murdered 27-year-old semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd. He's expected to plead not guilty ... and we're streaming live inside the courtroom.

As we reported, Hernandez has long insisted he's innocent.

23-year-old Hernandez was formally indicted last month, when he was hit with a laundry list of criminal charges, including 1st degree murder, carrying a firearm, possession of a firearm, possession of a high-capacity firearm or feeding device, and 2 counts of possession of ammunition.

American swimming legend Diana Nyad finally returned home to L.A. last night after her historic Cuba to Florida swim ... and told TMZ she got some new "homies" after the feat ... Barack and Michelle Obama.

The 64-year-old ultra-athlete received a hero's welcome when she arrived at LAX (balloons, kazoos, posters) ... and of course, we needed to know one thing -- how much did she pee out there??

Nyad's answer --well, let's just say she may have raised the water table in the Atlantic.

Diana also told us about how she stayed safe from possible shark attacks. Interesting stuff.

Bottom line -- Diana's a friggin' STUD.

Lamar Odom fell deep into the world of hardcore drugs during a wild summer in Hollywood ... where he spent as much as $1,000 in a single day to fuel his growing addiction to crack -- according to sources familiar with the situation.

TMZ broke the story Lamar was hooked on crack -- but now we've learned just how bad it got in the last few months.

We're told Lamar's habit picked up speed when he moved out of his home with Khloe Kardashian, and into Hollywood's Roosevelt Hotel with a friend in late May ... after the NBA season ended.

We're told the hotel room was used like a flop house ... where Lamar was surrounded by his pal and 7 or 8 other drug abusers -- strangers -- who came in and out of the room throughout the day and night ... for several months straight.

According to sources, Odom was dropping -- on average -- $800 per day, but sometimes more, for multiple drugs, including crack.

By the way, if $800 worth of crack sounds like a huge amount of drugs for one person ... it is. But we're told Lamar sometimes shared his huge score. Plus, drug dealers often charge rich customers premium prices.

As we first told you, Khloe kept Lamar's drug addiction secret for at least 2 years -- but after this summer she decided enough was enough ... telling him if he didn't get treatment, she would pull the plug on their marriage.

Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant's wives having dinner together in L.A. means only one thing -- 'Melo is totally gonna ditch the Knicks for the Lakers!

Or maybe Vanessa and La La were just hungry. Nah!!

Boxing champ Tommy Morrison -- who starred in "Rocky 5" -- died from a blood infection ... so says his death certificate which contains no mentions of either HIV or AIDS, TMZ has learned.

According to his death certificate, filed in Nebraska, the 44-year-old died from cardiac arrest ... stemming from a blood infection known as Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Septicemia.

FYI -- back in 1996, Morrison announced he had contracted the HIV virus ... but later recanted and questioned if the disease even existed in the first place.

Lamar Odom has NOT checked himself in to rehab ... sources connected to the NBAer tell TMZ.

There are reports out that Lamar checked himself in ... we've been making calls for the last day and just got what we're told is the definitive word ... he's not there.

Lamar has gone off the radar with the Kardashian family for the last few days. Khloe -- who has made it clear she will end the marriage if he doesn't get help -- has heard nothing from him.

Khloe Kardashian is totally unaware her estranged husband Lamar Odom entered a rehab facility -- despite the fact she lead the charge for him to get help in the first place ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the couple tell us Khloe never got so much as a heads-up about Lamar's plans, and was completely blindsided by the report he's checked in for treatment.

We're told one big reason for that is Khloe and Lamar have not been talking at all since she issued an ultimatum last weekend -- get help or our marriage is over -- intending to force his hand on the issue of rehab.

As we previously reported ... Lamar started a treatment program last summer in San Diego, but bailed after only 3 weeks.

One source says although Khloe's been kept outside the loop this time -- she does hope wherever Lamar is ... he's actually getting professional help.

No men? No problem ... at least for Vanessa Bryant and La La Anthony ... who took some time away from their famous husbands last night for a basketball wives dinner date in L.A. ... and TMZ has the footage.

The two hit up Madeo in West Hollywood -- without Kobe Bryant or Carmelo Anthony -- and after the meal, they posed up for photogs who snapped away like crazy.

So, are there actual NBA implications from the dinner date? Well, Carmelo becomes a free agent after this upcoming season ... and the Bryants could be trying to woo Carmelo away from NY and sign on with the Lakers.

Sporting his and hers hot pink shirts, golf superstar Rory McIlroy and his tennis superstar girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki hit the streets of NYC together yesterday for a couples shopping spree ... packed with PDA.

They held hands ... they sucked face ... she put his hand on her ass ... it was actually kinda cute.

There's only one problem -- he's got a Nike contract ... and she's an Adidas girl.

Deal breaker?

NFL legend Michael Irvin hit up Craig's in Hollywood last night ... which reminds us ... THE NFL SEASON OFFICIALLY STARTS TONIGHT ... AHHHH!!!!!!!!!

We talked to Irvin about the NFL's new deal with the Uber car service -- in which each NFL player gets a $200 credit in an effort to prevent players from getting DUIs.

It's actually an interesting story ... and Irvin thinks it could actually work ... but THE NFL STARTS TONIGHT!!!!!

RAVENS vs. BRONCOS!!!!!

Lamar Odom has finally checked in to rehab to deal with his raging drug addiction ... this according to a new report.

People.com says Lamar has checked into a rehab facility ... but does not specify when or where he started treatment.

Lamar was seen out in public over the weekend ... so the move to rehab had to be very recent.

As TMZ first reported ... the 32-year-old NBA star has been struggling with drug addiction for years, and most recently he's gotten hooked on crack. Lamar was arrested for DUI last Friday.

We broke the story ... Arenas was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol on June 27 for speeding ... and during the bust, cops say they found more than 100 pounds of fireworks.

Arenas was arrested -- and now, we've learned he's been charged with misdemeanor possession of dangerous fireworks without a permit.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... because he had more than 100 pounds of bang bang, he faces up to 1 year in county jail and up to $10,000 in fines.

TMZ cameras were rolling during the bust -- as the LAPD bomb squad (carefully) removed the explosives from Gilbert's Ford truck.

Arenas is due in court for the matter next month.

Kobe Bryant's famous customized '63 Chevy lowrider -- tricked out by the guys from "Pimp My Ride" -- is back on the auction block ... and it could be yours if you've got an extra $100k laying around.

The car was a gift to Kobe from his wife Vanessa back in 2006 ... but he got rid of it earlier this year ... and the new owner has decided to put it up on eBay with a 6-figure price tag.

It's a pretty sick whip -- we're talkin' 327 V8 engine ... 13-inch wheels ... white leather seats ... pimped out stereo system ... and some serious hydraulics.

The car also comes with Vanessa's old registration card AND Kobe's State Farm insurance card (Like a good neighbor ...).