TMZ Sports - Page 50

Portland Trail Blazers star Robin Lopez didn't sulk after losing to the Rockets last night -- he spent his Wednesday teaching kids about the importance of reading ... and TMZ Sports has the pics.

The 7-footer rolled over to Chief Joseph/Ockley Green School in Portland and talked to kids from kindergarten through 3rd grade about how much he loves to read. It's all part of a literacy program called "Read Big."

"If I’m not playing basketball, I’m reading or thinking of stories I can create," Lopez said. "I am so fortunate to have a mom who shared with me her love for books and helped me, from my earliest memories, take great adventures through reading."

During the assembly, Lopez -- a hardcore comic-book nerd -- debuted an animated, super-hero version of himself that will be featured in the campaign.

Nice work, dude.

Wayne Gretzky's daughter Paulina was smokin' hot both figuratively and literally last night ... because we've learned she almost went up in flames at her local bar.

Sources at The Tipsy Goat in Thousand Oaks tell us, Paulina was sitting on the edge of one of the bar's outdoor fire pits when she turned to throw a cigarette into the flames.

We're told as she turned ... a corner of Paulina's sweater slipped into the pit, and before she knew it the entire thing was engulfed in flames.

Eyewitnesses say Paulina and several bar patrons ripped off her sweater -- or what was left of it -- and onlookers jumped into action, extinguishing the flames.

Paulina's people tell us ... she's fine.

That fire pit has caused Paulina trouble in the past. We're told she was once booted from the joint for dancing on the very same pit.

The Miami Dolphins player Richie Incognito allegedly bullied and harassed -- was doing so badly when he left the team, he had to be hospitalized for emotional distress ... according to a report.

Jonathan Martin checked into a South Florida hospital last week, and got a visit from Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin ... ESPN reports.

The team reportedly flew Martin's parents to Florida to visit him ... and he eventually returned to their home in California with them.

According to ESPN ... Martin is cooperating with an NFL investigation into his allegations of harassment from Incognito and other teammates.

It's the new craze sweeping the Cheesehead-hating anti-Packers universe -- a Graterhead -- and TMZ has learned, it's got "Shark Tank" star Daymond John's fingerprints all over it.

The Graterheads made their big debut during Monday night's game between longtime rivals the Packers and the Bears -- and the Graterhead creator tells us, it's been two years in the making.

CEO & Founder of Graterhead Jeran Dahlquist says he hatched his plan to create the grater-shaped hat back in 2011 -- and Shark Tanker Daymond John has been instrumental in the product's launch.

Daymond's rep says the businessman hasn't made a financial investment yet -- he's still weighing his options -- but he believes in the product, and has been coaching the company during its infant stages.

If the company shapes up like he thinks it will, we're told Daymond will be investing a sizable sum.

Dwight Howard was hit in the head with a basketball Monday night ... a basketball that came from the stands ... and he was so pissed, he called in the cops to hunt down the offender, TMZ Sports has learned.

Multiple sources tell us ... the Houston Rockets star was walking toward the tunnel to the locker room at Staples Center after losing to the Clippers Monday night when a basketball came out of the stands and smacked him in the head.

We're told Dwight was furious ... believing whoever had the ball hurled it at him on purpose. Dwight immediately went to stadium security to report the incident and pushed for the offender to be arrested.

Sources say security found the person who had the ball -- a 22-year-old man -- and detained him inside the stadium to conduct an investigation. We're told the LAPD was also involved.

The man maintained that he was an autograph seeker and just wanted Howard's Hancock on the ball -- but lost his grip and accidentally dropped it on the NBA star.

We're told cops found video footage of the incident -- and upon review of the tape, determined the whole thing was an accident that was blown way out of proportion. The man was eventually released.

L.A. Dodgers star Yasiel Puig won't go to jail for doing 97 in a 50 on a Tennessee highway back in April -- 'cause prosecutors have officially dropped the charges.

Puig was initially popped in Chattanooga for burning rubber around 1am on April 28. At the time, Puig was playing for the Chattanooga Lookouts -- a minor league team associated with the Dodgers.

Puig had been charged with reckless driving and speeding -- but now, officials say the charges have been dismissed after he logged 12 hours of community service in L.A.

Even Superman wasn't immune to NFL hazing during his days as a pro -- 'cause Dean Cain tells TMZ, things got straight up racial when he was in the league.

Dean -- who famously played Clark Kent after his short stint with the Buffalo Bills -- was in Malibu yesterday where he told us about a hazing incident that's just as racially charged as Richie Incognito dropping the n-bomb.

But Cain says he handled the situation much differently than Jonathan Martin did.

Richie Incognito finally broke his silence on the Miami Dolphins scandal ... calmly explaining that the situation will pass -- but until then, he's "just trying to weather the storm."

A reporter from WSVN-TV in Florida approached the NFL lineman on his way out of a doctor's appointment and asked Richie all sorts of questions about allegations he mercilessly bullied teammate Jonathan Martin.

Despite the fact he's been painted as the biggest villain in pro sports, Richie handles himself pretty confidently -- though he refused to comment on the n-word voice mail he allegedly left for Martin.

As we previously reported, Incognito is going about life as usual ... and even had a Ferrari delivered to his home yesterday.

The 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers are no longer the worst team in NBA history -- at least according to Vegas odd makers, who have drastically increased the team's chances of winning a championship after the Sixers' strong start.

The experts at LVH Race and Sports Books initially calculated the odds of a Sixers championship this year at 9,999 to 1 -- the worst pre-season line in history.

But after the team's shocking victories against the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls in the first two games of the season, Vegas is now lowering the odds to 100 to 1, placing the 76ers in the middle of the pack between the Celtics and the Hawks.

The worst in the league? That honor goes to the Phoenix Suns, which has 500 to 1 odds of winning the title.

Our Vegas sources tell us the original 76ers line was “foolish" and offered no upside to LVH. Translation: a measly $10 bet would pay $99,990 if the Sixers won the title.

Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte has been forced into a break from his swim training ... after tearing up his knee in a bizarre accident -- on dry land.

Lochte's rep tells us ... The 11-time medalist tore his MCL and sprained the ACL in his left knee ... when he greeted an overly excited fan in Florida who ran and plowed into him.

The teenage girl knocked Lochte to the ground ... and smacked his knee on a curb causing the severe injuries.

Team Lochte says Ryan will take an immediate break from training and competition. But we're told his medical team expects a full recovery.

All is not lost, Team USA.

Kordell Stewart is adamant ... he's NOT GAY ... despite his ex-wife going on "Real Housewives of Atlanta" this week and suggesting otherwise.

The former Pittsburgh Steelers QB just appeared on V-103 ... just two days after Porsha Stewart said on her Bravo reality show she had questioned K's sexuality.

"There were definitely times in the marriage that Kordell didn't necessarily want me physically," she said.

She also explained that when she questioned if K was gay, it was based on "things that I had experienced or seen."

Now, Kordell is lashing back ... claiming he's not gay, bisexual -- "I'm 100% man."

Of course, the issue with Kordell's denial is the insinuation that gays are not 100% men.

Still, Kordell continued, "I don't do no homophobic. I don't do no none of that. There's nothing about no dude that I see."

Richie Incognito had a brand new black Ferrari delivered to his Miami home this morning ... but he didn't drive it away, like he did to his teammate Jonathan Martin.

Incognito appeared cool, calm and collected when the car was delivered to his home early Tuesday morning -- not even cracking a smile as the exotic whip arrived at his doorstep.

Interesting that Richie was sporting a Miami Heat hat on his head -- instead of Dolphins gear -- considering the team has stopped selling R.I. gear in the team shop and appears to be cutting all ties.

When you chug a $100,000 bottle of champagne, you don't just discard the bottle, you carry it around with you ... or if you're David Ortiz, you get a woman to lug it around for you.

The Red Sox hero was strolling into "David Letterman" yesterday ... followed by a champagne handler who carried the 15 litre bottle of Armand de Brignac Nebuchadnezzar Champagne (also known as "Ace of Spades") Ortiz pounded after the World Series.

Can't give the guy too hard of a time though -- 'cause after the show, he was his typical friendly self ... and even posed for pics with some NYPD officers.

What rivalry?

The Miami Dolphins official online team shop has STOPPED selling all things Richie Incognito ... in the wake of reports the lineman is about to be cut from the team for good, TMZ Sports has learned.

It's unclear when the Dolphins pulled the Incognito gear from the online team shop, but as of 6AM Tuesday morning, it appears fans can no longer buy jerseys, shirts or any other merch containing traces of Incognito.

We tried to call the team shop's customer service hotline for help -- but we couldn't get a live person on the phone.

Story developing ...