TMZ Sports - Page 50

The Wimbledon L clearly ain't affecting Serena Williams ... the tennis legend was out partying in Hollywood on Thursday -- and she looked GREAT!!!!

The 37-year-old superstar hit up Sunset Room for the Sports Illustrated Fashionable 50 party -- you know, the one where they honor the 50 hottest athletes in the world -- and Serena killed it.

Obviously, some thought a rough loss to Simona Halep on Saturday might hamper her style ... but, clearly, there ain't no hangover here!!

Other celebs crushed it too ... Michelle Wie, Errol Spence Jr., Ben Simmons, DeAndre Jordan and Chloe Kim all rocked fancy duds.

Also, NBA stud Kelly Oubre Jr. showed up in this.

Lindsey Vonn and her hockey-playing BF, P.K. Subban, were also there -- and they've sure been getting close lately.

Israel Adesanya might get the chance to go G.O.A.T. hunting after all ...

UFC honcho Dana White tells TMZ Sports he's very interested in an Israel Adesanya vs. Jon Jones fight ... but Israel's gotta take out Robert Whittaker first!

Remember, Israel -- who's 17-0 with an impressive win over UFC legend Anderson Silva -- told us a fight with Jon Jones "tickles my loins" ... and added, "I already killed one G.O.A.T. and I'm hunting the next."

Jon saw the clip ... and fired back, "I’ll make you call me daddy by the third [round]."

In fact, Israel was ringside at Jon's UFC 239 fight earlier this month -- but later said he wasn't impressed with Jones.

So, when we saw White out in Beverly Hills ... we had to ask if he has any interest in putting an Israel vs. Jones fight together.

"I do," White said ... but he made it clear nothing's in stone and Israel has to get through Whittaker at UFC 243 in October first.

"If he beats Robert Whittaker, he's a very very dangerous guy and a guy Jones needs to take serious.

FYI, Whittaker is the current middleweight champ -- and famously beat Yoel Romero, TWICE!!

Should be fun ...

Here's a preview of what the NBA All-Star game's gonna look like in a few years ... Bronny James throwing some ferocious dunks while messing around with Shareef O'Neal!

The whole thing went down at LeBron James' Brentwood mansion -- where Shaq's sons, Shareef and Shaqir, rolled over for a shootaround with Bronny and some other friends, including Syracuse recruit Dior Johnson (one of the best high school players in the country).

LeBron was so impressed he whipped out his phone and started shooting video ... and it's pretty great.

Shareef seems to be doing REALLY well after heart surgery earlier this year. He's expected to get back on the court for UCLA next season.

Of course, Bronny just transferred to Sierra Canyon High School in Los Angeles -- one of the top hoops programs in the nation -- where he'll be playing with Dwyane Wade's kids.

Keith Thurman says Floyd Mayweather is straight CHICKEN -- accusing the boxing legend of running scared before he retired and now he's calling Floyd out.

"If he wanted a real fight, he would have saw me years ago," Thurman tells TMZ Sports.

"You never wanted to fight me. I was right there right underneath you for years. I was the #1 contender of the WBA and then they made you super champion so that our names didn't have to be in the same sentence together."

FYI, a WBA Super Champ is a fighter who holds multiple titles in the same division -- and is exempt from mandatory title defenses. Essentially, Super Champs can pick their own opponents.

Thurman says during Floyd's active fighting days, there were plenty of opportunities to make a fight between the two ... but Mayweather wussed out and didn't want the smoke.

Now, Thurman -- who's 29-0 -- is gearing up for the biggest fight of his career against Manny Pacquiao on Saturday ... and he knows a victory could open some huge doors.

In fact, Keith says he sees big fights with stars like Terence "Bud" Crawford and Errol Spence in 2020 ... and says, "I'm very open to those contracts."

But, for now, Thurman says the plan is to beat Manny and then take the rest of 2019 off to gear up for a massive 2020.

MLB All-Star Game MVP Shane Bieber is on one helluva hot streak right now -- not only is he one of the best pitchers in all of baseball ... his girlfriend is insanely attractive!!

The Cleveland Indians ace wished his lady, Kara Kavajecz, a happy birthday on Thursday ... saying "Man ain’t she somethin?! Cheers to this beautiful birthday girl. I love you!"

Biebs and Kara celebrated the big day with a cute little pizza-making date (take note, fellas).

The couple -- who are both UC Santa Barbara alums -- took their romance to social media in December 2017 ... and they've been going strong ever since.

24-year-old Bieber has been crushing it in the league since making his debut with the Tribe in 2018 ... posting a 19-8 record and 4.01 ERA.

As for Kara ... she just turned 21, just graduated college and is dating one of the best players in baseball. So yeah, things are going well for both.

HBD!!

"It’s my turn to take care of you now."

AWWWWWWWWWW!!!!

That's new Kansas City Chiefs rookie Mecole Hardman's message to his mom after he surprised her with a new house ... and, yeah, the video is a tear-jerker.

Unclear where the new pad is -- we're assuming somewhere near Arrowhead Stadium so Mama Mecole can watch her son ball with the Chiefs -- but it looks like a sick place regardless.

There's a pool, a brand-new kitchen and plenty of yard space. It's pretty sweet.

"I been dreaming of buying my mama a house since I was 8 and now to finally do it words can’t explain how happy i am," Mecole said of the gift ... "I love you ma x1000000000."

Mecole was a 2nd-round draft pick of the Chiefs and reportedly just inked a 4-year, $5 MILLION deal ... and he said on camera his mom's new house is already fully paid for.

Here's Edgerrin James building a BEAST ... the ex-NFL star is giving his 8th grade son weight room tips -- and it doesn't seem like it'll be long before the kid is tearing up the gridiron!!!

Edgerrin's son, Eden, is about to start high school ... but it's pretty clear he's going to have a HUGE leg up on the rest of the freshmen in his class 'cause of his legendary pops.

The 15-year-old is getting personal gym lessons from Edgerrin himself ... and seems it's already working.

Check out some of the weight Eden's pushing around -- 225-plus-pound squats, 155-pound bench presses, 135-pound front squats and more. BEAST!!!

Edgerrin's already said he hopes Eden's good enough to ultimately end up at his alma mater -- The U -- and it sure looks like he's on his way.

By the way, the former Indianapolis Colts RB also has another younger son, Edgerrin James Jr., who's killin' it on the basketball floor as a middle schooler.

Edgerrin knows both can be special athletes -- he said in a recent interview, "They’re legit ... They’re really good.”

Josh Norman finally faced the question everyone wanted to ask when they saw the video of him  jumping that bull in Spain -- WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!

And, his answer is very "Braveheart"-esque.

"For me, though, it’s literally like, would you rather live and die ... or would you rather die and never lived?”

In other words, HE NEEDED THE RUSH!!!

The Washington Redskins star defensive back sat down with Rich Eisen and said he was basically hailed as a HERO in Pamplona for his antics at the 2019 Running of the Bulls.

Norman says the locals even gave him a nickname, "El Saltador" -- which means, "The Jumper!"

The 31-year-old says he weighed the risks before making the leap -- but ultimately felt he was athletic enough to hang with the animals ... and knew he wouldn't get hurt.

"You go out there to run out there with the bulls, you're gonna get the horns if you're not athletic enough to move out the way."

Eisen asked if the Redskins had reached out to Josh to express their concerns after watching the jump -- and he scoffed.

Norman explained that the Redskins know his personality -- that he's a bit of a wild man -- but he'd never do anything to put the team in jeopardy.

Norman says he's got a YOLO mentality when it comes to life -- and he wants to push himself to the limits. In fact, he feels people who play it safe are missing out.

So, what was going through Josh's mind right before he jumped?!

"It came straight directly at me so I charged back at it ... I was like who's gonna win big fella!"

"I knew I was gonna clear it."

Tim Tebow strikes again ... as in, he just bought up even MORE real estate in Jacksonville, Florida -- and this new place is awesome.

The New York Mets prospect plunked down $3 mil to scoop up an 8,100 square foot mansion in an exclusive private community in South Jacksonville, according to Jax Daily Record.

Tebow, who recently got engaged to longtime girlfriend Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters (the 2017 Miss Universe winner), had previously bought a smaller home nearby for $1.4 mil in 2014 ... but clearly he felt he was due for an upgrade.

And, man, this place is cool ... it's got a personal gym, fire pit, beautiful pool, a massive wine room, home theater, 5-car garage ... and PRIVACY.

The home also overlooks a golf course and a nearby lake.

Tebow can definitely afford it -- he made roughly $10 mil during his short NFL career ... but has racked up a fortune in endorsements, broadcasting and TV hosting gigs.

He's also getting paid by the NY Mets -- though his exact salary is unclear.

Tyrone Crawford can head to Dallas Cowboys camp without the worry of a court case hanging over his head ... TMZ Sports has learned he's a cut deal to get his bar brawl charge dropped.

We broke the story, the defensive end wrecked several bouncers at a Panama City Beach, FL bar on March 15. In crazy video we obtained ... you can see the 6'4", 290-pounder mauling people.

We also learned later in the night Crawford shoved at least TWO officers when they were in the process of making an arrest.

But, Tyrone was only hit with a misdemeanor charge of affrays for the altercation ... and court records now show he entered into a pre-trial diversion program to get the charge dropped.

Unclear what the specifics of the deal are ... but it usually means Crawford will have to complete classes and/or pay fines and fees to uphold his end of the bargain.

It's good news for Crawford -- the Cowboys begin training camp in just EIGHT days ... but Tyrone ain't completely out of the woods yet. The NFL still has to make a ruling regarding their investigation into the incident.

Crawford is one of the Cowboys' most unsung players ... as a team captain in 2018, he started 15 games and recorded 5.5 sacks. He's expected to be a key player for Dallas this season.

Henry Cejudo wins again!!!

The UFC superstar is down in Mexico on vacation with a smokin' hot lady on his arm ... and by the looks of things, he's having a GREAT time!!!

Triple C (two UFC championship belts and an Olympic gold medal) was spotted out in Tulum with a new lady friend.

We're told the mystery lady is a soap opera actress from Brazil named Sandra -- and by the looks of it, we're guessing she also does some modeling (if not, she should).

Our Cejudo sources tell us the two are vacation together (it's not like he met her down there) but they're not an official boyfriend, girlfriend thing just yet.

As one source put, "He's still single man. He's having fun."

Cejudo is having one hell of a year in 2019 -- he defended his UFC flyweight belt in January against a juiced up T.J. Dillashaw and then in June he starched Marlon Moraes for the bantamweight title.

Take me out to the ballgame and buy me some ... penis?!?!?!

That's what it sounds like Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy said during his rendition of "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" at Wrigley Field on Wednesday ... and it's hilarious!!!

The Bears head man took the mic in the 7th inning of the Cubs-Reds game ... and started the song off just fine.

But, when he got to the part about purchasing ballpark snacks ... it sure sounded like he sang, "Buy me some PENIS and Cracker Jacks!!!"

Doesn't appear we're the only ones who heard it ... 'cause a guy in the crowd made a face like Nagy had just sang something completely wrong as soon as the word left his lips!!!

Of course, the actual lyrics go "Buy me some PEANUTS and Cracker Jacks" ... and we're pretty sure Nagy's going to say that's what he actually sang.

As for the rest of the game, Matt at least nailed the first pitch ... throwing a strike on the outside corner of home plate.

Nike says the Kawhi Leonard logo they created to put on merchandise in 2014 is distinctly different from the logo Kawhi sketched himself back in 2011 ... and they claim the proof is in the pictures.

Remember, Kawhi -- who was under contract with Nike from 2011 to 2018 -- claims he got a cease and desist in late '18 from Swoosh execs who claim they own the copyright to the "Claw Design" and forbid the NBA star from using it elsewhere.

In his lawsuit, filed in June 2019, Kawhi claimed he came up with the design while sketching around in college back in 2011. His version consists of his initials K.L. and jersey number #2 in a hand design. Leonard claims since he created the logo, he should have the rights to it.

But, Nike says that's simply not the case ... explaining they collaborated with Kawhi in 2014 to come up with an original design. Nike claims they submitted several concepts to him with a "number of proposed designs."

In new court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, Nike admits Kawhi had sent them a copy of his K.L. hand-design sketch as part of the collaborative process.

But, Nike says they eventually settled on an "original" version that is different from Kawhi's sketch.

Nike claims Kawhi signed off on the company using the final "Claw Design" in 2014 -- so they filed a trademark application to effectively own the rights to the image.

Nike says the company found out in 2017 Kawhi also filed an application to trademark the image -- and they were pissed ... saying he has no rights to it and had "fraudulently claimed to be the author and sole owner of the Claw Design."

In their suit, Nike says Kawhi even acknowledged publicly that Nike should be given "all the credit" for the design for turning a "rough draft" into a professional logo.

Nike is countersuing for copyright infringement, fraud and breach of contract -- and they're looking for a judge to stop Kawhi from using the design. They also want unspecified monetary damages.

Greg Hardy vs. Jon Jones?!

That's what Greg wants in a BAD way -- telling TMZ Sports he KNOWS he's gotta scrap with the G.O.A.T. if he truly wants to be known as the greatest combat sports athlete ever.

The 30-year-old ex-NFL superstar is making it clear he's closed the door on his football career to focus on MMA -- and says his goal is to climb the heavyweight ranks and fight for the title.

First step is getting past Juan Adams at UFC on ESPN on Saturday -- but Hardy says he can see himself upgrading opponents to guys like Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier as he continues to chalk up the Ws.

As for Jones, Hardy says he has nothing but respect for the guy -- even noting that he emulates Jon's fighting style in the Octagon.

"It's impossible not to dream of Jon Jones," Hardy said ... "It would be an honor and a pleasure to go to war with him, if I make it that far."

Hardy is currently 4-1 as a pro MMA fighter -- with all 4 of his victories coming by 1st-round stoppages.

Greg says he doesn't have any personal issues with Adams -- who's been talking A LOT of trash -- only giving this message ...

"I forgive you, I understand your ignorance and I apologize for sending you to the hospital. Hope you get better soon, brother."

Genie Bouchard met her biggest fan on Wednesday ... and if you had any doubts about that, check out the massive Genie Bouchard tattoo on the dude's forearm!!

The tennis superstar came face-to-face with a man named Michael in Switzerland recently ... and he showed off his permanent tribute to his favorite athlete.

"This is insane," Genie says. "How did I get to a point to deserve such a dedicated fan that they would get a tattoo of me on their body?"

"If you told 8-year-old me playing my first tournament that I would one day affect someone so much that they would permanently alter their body in my honour... I would not have believed it."

The fan explains that Genie is his biggest inspiration to get out of bed and grind it out everyday ... so he decided to give her a spot on his body!!

"Hearing this makes my heart the happiest it could ever be. Part of me also thinks you’re completely psycho Michael"

"I hope you don’t regret this! And now, you are forced to be a fan for life lmao," Bouchard joked.

The tributes to Tyler Skaggs are still pouring in ... the Angels pitcher who tragically died this month was just immortalized with an insanely realistic mural outside of his old H.S. in Santa Monica.

Jonas Never -- the street artist legend who's painted famous murals of Conor McGregor and LeBron James in L.A. this past year -- did the art, and it's beautiful.

The piece is on the side of a teahouse just yards away from Santa Monica High School where Skaggs grew up pitching ... and it's about 10 feet wide and 10 feet tall.

27-year-old Skaggs graduated from SaMoHi in 2009 -- he was selected in the 1st round of the MLB Draft later that year.

Jonas says he was "proud" to be the one who did the honor ... and says Skaggs' mom, Debbie, and his wife, Carli, both stopped by to see the work.

As we previously reported, Skaggs died at the Angels' team hotel when they were on a road trip to play the Texas Rangers on July 1.