TMZ Sports - Page 50

The new Atlanta Hawks owner could be in a very tough spot ... having to pick one hip hop spokesman for his team out of all the music superstars in A-Town -- and he's not looking forward to settling the matter.

We tried to nail down John Rutherford Seydel II on whether he's going to follow the lead of the Raptors and Wizards -- which recently enlisted Drake and Wale as respective spokesmen for their hometown squads.

Seydel gave T.I. props for performing on the Hawks' opening night, but also mentioned he has ties to Usher. Throw in Jermaine Dupri, Rich Homie Quan, Ying Yang Twins, and Wocka Flocka Flame -- to name just a few -- and Sydel would have an impossible decision.

Tennis champ Caroline Wozniacki didn't just run her first New York City Marathon over the weekend ... she finished it by shaming some world class male athletes too!

Caroline was greeted at the finish line by her BFF Serena Williams -- and nearly TWO HOURS later ... former New York Giants star Tiki Barber crossed the finish line!

Wozniacki's time was 3:26:33 -- an amazing time for anyone, much less someone running her first marathon. Besides Tiki ... CW also beat NBA players like Dikembe Mutombo, Allan Houston, and Charles Oakley -- who ran on a relay team. Checkout our gallery for shots of all the famous marathoners (and some spectators.)

Nelly turned 40 this weekend ... and some HUGE stars came out to his L.A. mansion to celebrate -- including big-time actors, producers and a major boxing champ.

Former "Scandal" star Columbus Short was there ... along with Nick Cannon, "Real Husbands of Hollywood" star Duane Martin and boxing champ Andre Berto.

We're told the whole thing was put together by Nelly's GF Shantel Jackson (who was formerly engaged to Floyd Mayweather) ... and included a private chef, champagne and even a pinata (see the video below).

Sources tell us ... Berto is still friendly with Mayweather (who has a beef with Nelly) ... but we're told Nelly doesn't care and has never put him in a "pick sides" situation.

Pretty mature for a 40-year-old.

Former NFL star Jason Sehorn has separated from his wife Angie Harmon after 13 years of marriage.

Sehorn and Harmon have three daughters together (11, 9, 5).

The couple got engaged on "The Tonight Show" back in 1998. They were married in 2001.

According to reports, Jason has been living in North Carolina and working as an analyst for ESPNU -- while Harmon was staying in L.A. with their daughters. She currently stars on the TNT drama "Rizzoli & Isles."

Shaquille O'Neal is finally fighting back in a lawsuit over allegations he cruelly mocked a man with a rare genetic disorder on Instagram ... saying it may have been rude, but it was NOT defamatory.

The man behind the lawsuit is Jahmel Binion -- who suffers from ectodermal dysplasia -- which causes abnormal hair growth, missing teeth and facial deformities.

Earlier this year, O'Neal had posted a selfie on Instagram with a side-by-side of Binion's face along with the caption, "Smile today." Binion wasn't happy about it.

Shaq apologized to Binion -- but Binion sued anyway ... claiming invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation and general negligence.

Now, Shaq has fired back in legal docs of his own filed in a federal court in Michigan -- claiming he couldn't have invaded Binion's privacy ... because Binion put the photo on social media in the first place and made it public.

Shaq also says Binion's allegations of defamation are also BS because he didn't alter the picture to say anything false about Jahmel.

In the docs, Shaq also says he does not have a legal duty to block his 8 million followers from commenting on the picture ... so if someone DID make a defamatory comment, Shaq shouldn't be held accountable.

Now, it's up to a judge to decide if the case against Shaq should go forward.

Dyan Cannon is the ultimate Lakers insider -- she even bakes brownies for the players before every game -- and she's adamant Steve Nash will never wear Purple & Gold again.

The Oscar-nominated actress was leaving Craig's in L.A. this weekend -- when we asked if there was a shot the 40-year-old baller would return to the squad after suffering ANOTHER major injury.

He's single (kinda) ... and now it's clear Matt Barnes is lookin' to mingle -- because the NBA star was chattin' it up with TWO ladies outside Greystone this weekend.

As we previously reported, the L.A. Clippers star recently separated from his wife Gloria Govan -- and though the "Basketball Wives: LA" star claims there's a shot at reconciliation, we're hearing it just ain't so.

Fast forward to Sunday night/Monday morning ... and it's pretty clear Barnes is looking to move on.

Unless Matt was just looking to make some new platonic friends at 3 A.M.

Former UFC fighter Matthew Riddle -- who was fired for smoking weed last year -- is getting guidance on his new career path from a seasoned vet ... and we got the headlocked proof.

Riddle recently started training to become a pro wrestler at the Monster Factory in New Jersey ... where former WWE wrestler The Blue Meanie is keeping a close eye on his work.

Meanie tells us Riddle has been doing great in his first few days of training ... and Matthew is really enthusiastic about learning the craft.

We already came up with a nickname for him: The Riddler.

Sorry, it was too easy.

A former NFL lineman -- who now coaches college football -- is being investigated over footage that allegedly shows him body-slamming someone in the school gym ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The man at the center of the investigation is Charles Grant -- a 2002 1st round NFL draft pick who won a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints in 2009. He's now the linebackers coach at Bowie State University in Maryland.

Multiple witnesses tell us Grant is the man in the grey shirt in the video ... who confronted another man in the BSU gym Thursday. We're also told the other man in the video is a student on the football team.

You can see in the footage things get heated ... and the large man in the grey shirt attacks and body-slams the other man. Even raising his fist at one point ... before pulling back.

We made multiple calls to Grant and his people -- but never heard back.

The biggest baller in the stands during NBA games isn't Spike Lee or Jack Nicholson or even Justin Bieber -- it's Jimmy Goldstein ... who spends more money on NBA tickets than anyone else on Earth.

You've seen Goldstein on the court at various NBA games over the years -- and this week he confirmed what ex-NBA Commish David Stern has said ... that he's the NBA's biggest investor when it comes to tickets.

As for how Goldstein made his fortune, that's a bit of a mystery -- but point is, the guy drops BANK when it comes to basketball.

After taking down Ole Miss last night, Auburn is now 7-1 on the season ... thanks, in part, to Jonah Hill.

Well, at least thanks to Jonah's head.

Jonah's image -- along with Spiderman, Batman and a Smurf -- are part of Auburn's coded sideline signals used to deliver plays to the field this season.

So far, no word on why the team chose Hill ... or what his head is supposed to signify ... but it seems to be working.

Some people are taking "The Fast and The Furious" movies a little too seriously ... because IndyCar stud Helio Castroneves tells us several people have tried to race him ... on the streets!!

Helio and his girlfriend Adriana Henao were out in NYC last night when he told us how he handles the challengers when they try to go all Marty McFly in the middle of a street.

After an 0-3 start, the L.A. Lakers are in trouble ... but Lil Romeo says he's got the solution -- SIGN HIM.

Here's the thing -- we don't think he's joking ... since Romeo played college ball at USC with his good friend and NBA star Demar DeRozan ... and he's earned a reputation for being one of the best celeb ballers in Hollywood.

"Me and Chris Brown -- the two best celebrity hoopers ... I bet if we were on the Lakers they'd be championship contenders," Romeo told us.

Check out the highlghts ... if the Lakers keep slidin' Romeo ... ya might wanna keep your phone on.

As one law enforcement source put it, "[Floyd] goes in and pulls a 'Do you know who I am' and does inappropriate things with some of the women."

We spoke with honchos from multiple strip clubs who tell us they will NOT heed the warnings, because they've never had a problem with Floyd. Plus, everyone knows he spends a TON of cash.

Sources close to Floyd tell us the boxer is adamant he has NEVER done anything wrong at a strip club -- particularly with women -- and has no idea why cops would have him in their crosshairs.

****** WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE ******

Johnny Manziel went on a cursing rant on an NBA referee during LeBron James' homecoming game in Cleveland last night ... and his rage was captured on video.

Johnny Football was pissed off after what he clearly felt was a BAD call, and repeatedly yelled -- from his courtside seat -- "Bulls**t" and "F**k" ... for a solid minute.

Anyone who thinks a 6'2", 320 lb. hulk can't get it poppin' like a supermodel ... is about to get a lesson from football star Chris Baker in this awesome video.

Baker joined other NFL players Pierre Garcon and C.J. Mosley to strut down a fashion runway in D.C. last night. You gotta see how the crowd ate it up.

All the guys were decked out head-to-toe in threads by GANT for the Becky's Fund 6th annual "Walk This Way" fashion show ... which raised more than $200k -- but also made Chris a true player in big man dancing.