TMZ Sports - Page 50

Ryan Lochte won't have to swim naked when he returns to the pool this summer ... 'cause the troubled Olympian finally has a new swimsuit sponsor -- TYR.

The 12-time Olympic medalist was sacked by Speedo -- along with Polo Ralph Lauren and Gentle Hair Removal -- in August after his Rio gas station robbery incident.

"Through his work in the pool he has elevated the sport of swimming on a global scale," Matt DiLorenzo, CEO of TYR Sport says.

Here's the first video of Sacramento Kings star Rudy Gay living life in the slow lane ... scooting around NYC after having major surgery on his Achilles.

Rudy ruptured his tendon in a game against the Pacers on January 18 ... and TMZ Sports got him out in NYC fresh off his surgery this week.

The 6'8" forward was moving slowly, but told our camera guy the setback wasn't anything he couldn't handle while admitting the obvious ... it FREAKIN' HURTS.

FYI Rudy -- If you need any advice on how to turn up while you serve your scooter sentence, hit up Maurice Jones-Drew ... dude's got it down to a science.

There's no beef between Shaq and Metta World Peace over their basketball star kids ... matter of fact, Metta says he sometimes pulls for Shareef when he plays against his son.

TMZ Sports spoke to Metta about Ron Artest III's H.S. squad going up against Shareef O'Neal's this week ... and he says he's so close to Shareef, he's conflicted about who he wants to win.

FYI -- Shareef is one of the top-ranked juniors in the country ... and Ron III -- who just started ballin' 2 years ago -- is an up-and-coming prospect.

MWP says he's cool with the young ballers being friends OFF the court as long as they're still enemies ON the court.

As for Metta, if being a basketball dad and an NBA player weren't enough to keep him busy ... he told us he just dropped a new hip-hop track.

Ex-NFL star Bill Romanowski says there ain't much the NFL can do about stopping CTE these days unless they make one dramatic change -- go back to leather helmets.

Bill was leaving Catch in West Hollywood when he explained his theory. It sorta makes sense.

Joe Mixon is getting props from the father of a sick 5-year-old Oklahoma Sooners fan ... after the controversial football star made a secret visit to a children's hospital this week to hang out.

We're told Mixon got word that 5-year-old Cooper had been hospitalized with an infection -- the latest in a slew of serious medical issues he's been battling over the years.

TMZ Sports spoke with Cooper's father, John Slate, who tells us Mixon privately reached out and asked if he could come by the hospital to try to cheer everyone up. He got the green light and arrived around 9:30 PM on Monday. We're told Mixon asked to come late to minimize the chance of people recognizing him.

Slate tells us Mixon spent about an hour hanging out with Cooper and his family. He took pictures and signed autographs and has been checking up on Cooper via text messages since the visit.

Antonio Brown is really, REALLY sorry for posting on Facebook Live from the Steelers locker room ... apologizing yet again for sharing Mike Tomlin's 'the Patriots are a**holes' speech.

Brown went to Facebook Live (ironic) to discuss the infamous post ... and explained that he paid a $10k fine and is ready to move on.

"If the only thing I did wrong was Facebook Live, I guess I'm a pretty good guy then."

Tito Ortiz is ANGRY over claims his fight with Chael Sonnen was fixed -- and just invited all doubters to his gym so he can CHOKE YOU OUT HIMSELF!!!

By the way, he's serious.

After Ortiz dominated Chael at Bellator 170, an Internet conspiracy theory went around saying Chael gave Tito a hand signal to reverse a chokehold ... and essentially threw the fight.

If you think UCLA superstar Lonzo Ball is a problem now ... just wait until the kid gets to the NBA ... 'cause Lonzo's dad, LaVar, says he's gonna dominate the Association even EASIER than the NCAA.

Lonzo's just a freshman, but has already established himself as one of the best players in the nation ... with some experts saying he could be the first overall pick in June's draft if he declares.

TMZ Sports talked to LaVar -- who's totally a star in his own right -- and asked him how he thinks his son, Lonzo, will do if and when he gets to the NBA ... LaVar's short answer was ... well.

That's not all ... we also talked to Mr. Ball about how you build a family dynasty in hoops (his sons, LiAngelo & LaMelo, are current HS superstars) and the man dropped knowledge to all the parents out there.

UFC star Khabib Nurmagomedov says he's the Floyd Mayweather of MMA -- and if the boxer wants a REAL fight ... he'll happily meet him in the street!!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the 28-year-old Russian who says he's ready to BREAK Tony Ferguson when they face off at UFC 209 in March ... and then he'll smash Conor McGregor.

In fact, Khabib warned Conor and Floyd Mayweather that he's a force to be reckoned with ... and if either one gets in his way, he'll destroy them.

He eats sleeps and breathes MMA -- and refuses to even THINK about any other sport.

Smush Parker tells TMZ Sports he's PUMPED Lamar Odom is down to join his team for Ice Cube's 3-on-3 league ... and while he hopes Kobe Bryant comes around, he's not about to beg.

The ex-Lakers player joined the guys on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs Wednesday night on FS1) and told us he's still VERY serious about joining the league. His agent's even been in contact with league officials.

But, with Kobe still mum on the possible reunion with his former Lakers teammates -- Smush says he's already thinking about some of the players who could fill the 3rd spot.

D'Angelo Russell needs to stop acting like a kid and start acting like a MAN if he ever wants to reach his superstar potential ... so says his former Lakers coach, Byron Scott.

Scott appeared on "L.A. Today" on AM570 when Fred Roggin asked if he believes the 20-year-old will ever become the breakout NBA stud he was touted to be coming out of college.

"The jury is still out," Scott said ... "but he's got to grow up."

Scott says Russell has TONS of potential but strongly implied that he doesn't put in the extra work in gym that people like Kobe, LeBron and D-Wade are known for doing.

Translation -- you can't get by with raw talent at the NBA level.

Here's a 2014 interview with Oscar De La Hoya addressing his alcoholism head-on -- saying the daily battle was a "monster" that he was constantly trying to control.

De La Hoya opened up to Graham Bensinger ... saying he started drinking at 8 years old and things became a problem in his early teens.

At the time, Oscar -- who had been to rehab twice before -- said he had a grip on his drinking but admitted it was a day-to-day struggle.

Oscar relapsed this week and was arrested for DUI in Pasadena.

Sequels usually aren't as good as the original ... but that doesn't apply here.

Here's your crazy video of the day, thanks to John Daly hitting his tee shot off someone's MOUTH ... AGAIN!!

It's insane ... Daly pulled this off a couple years ago with a female volunteer. This time, he used the CEO of Loudmouth Golf, Larry Jackson.

Check out the clip ... only John Daly would be brave enough to pull something like this off TWICE.

P.S. -- he pulls it off with a cig in his mouth. Classic Daly.

Guess Roger Goodell was telling the truth about him and Bob Kraft having a "healthy respect" for one another ... because they hung out in NYC Wednesday and TMZ Sports has the photo.

The NFL and the Pats owner were spotted leaving Rockefeller Center around 2:30 PM ET. Bob had a smile on his face as the two chatted away. We're told they were flanked by private security.

Earlier in the day, Goodell went on 'The Herd' where Colin Cowherd asked if Kraft was unhappy with him for the way he handled DeflateGate.

"I wouldn’t be doing my job if somebody wasn’t unhappy with a decision that you make or why you’re doing it," Goodell said.

"Robert and I can disagree about things. We have a healthy respect for one another. But that’s true with any owner. And that doesn’t affect my relationship or the fact that we work together to try to make the NFL better, ultimately."

So ... friends?

Ronda Rousey told the anti-Dakota Access Pipeline activists at Standing Rock that she WOULD return to the front lines of the protest and "get pepper sprayed alongside everyone else."

We spoke with Linda Black Elk -- one of the leaders of the activist group -- who praised Ronda for visiting the protest camps in North Dakota last week and delivering much needed food and supplies.

"She's an incredible person and just so humble," Black Elk said ... noting Ronda's visit was an incredible "moral booster" to the people fighting against the 1,000 mile oil pipeline.

Black Elk says Ronda mentioned that she "still felt like a disappointment" after her loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 and that "everyone was upset with her."

Linda says she told Rousey that she's just the opposite -- "It was very important for me to let her know just how important she is for the Native community in particular."

No word on when Rousey plans to return -- but it's clear she'll be welcomed back with open arms.

Oscar De La Hoya was arrested for DUI in Pasadena, CA Tuesday night ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us the 43-year-old was pulled over for speeding in a Land Rover around 2 AM and during the stop, officers suspected he was drunk.

We're told Oscar bombed a series of field sobriety tests and was arrested for DUI. He was cited and released to his manager.

Earlier in the evening, Oscar was seen at multiple bars in the area, including Barney's Beanery in Old Town Pasadena where he posed for a pic with a fan.

Oscar has struggled with substance abuse for years -- and has been to rehab for alcohol and drug issues in the past.

Story developing ...