TMZ Sports - Page 50

Magic Johnson says he's not tuning in to HBO's new show about the "Showtime" Lakers, but the NBA legend should definitely reconsider -- so says "Winning Time" actress Caitlin O'Connor, who tells TMZ Sports he'd love the series!!

As we previously reported, the 5-time champ told us he was NOT looking forward to Adam McKay's project starring John C. Reilly ... pretty much distancing himself from the entire thing.

But, O'Connor -- who plays legendary Laker fan Dyan Cannon in the series -- is hoping Magic changes his mind ... saying Quincy Isaiah's portrayal of the 3-time MVP is certainly worth a watch.

"I think Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson gives an amazing performance," O'Connor said outside Urth Caffe. "He has a smile that lights up a million rooms."

O'Connor even sends a personal message to the legend ... saying, "Magic Johnson, if you're watching this, you should watch 'Winning Time.' It's so funny, it's so fast-paced. Jerry Buss breaks the fourth wall. John C. Reilly does an amazing job on the show. I think that Magic is gonna love it, so I hope that he watches it."

As for her time on the show, O'Connor also says she hasn't met Dyan just yet ... but she'd LOVE to hit up a Laker game with her in the future.

O'Connor says she did a deep dive into everything about Dyan's life to prepare for the role ... and McKay worked tirelessly to make sure the show was done right.

Shaun White is starting off retirement with a bang ... the legendary snowboarder took a trip to Costa Rica with his girlfriend, Nina Dobrev, and judging from the pics, life's good. Very, very good.

"It means no worries….🦁 #retired," Shaun wrote on an Instagram post of himself on vacay.

White -- a five-time Olympian and three-time gold medalist -- retired last month after competing in his final Winter Olympics. The 35-year-old was overcome with emotion as he concluded his final Games ... crying in front of the media.

In a recent interview with NBC in Boston, White told the outlet "Yeah, I'm retired, that's the last of it. Every step of the way has been great. I’ll finally have the time to do some things I’ve always wanted to, take some vacations, ride some powder."

Shaun kept true to his word ... going on a vacation with his famous GF. The two went to Costa Rica ... taking in sights on the beautiful islands at Hacienda Altagracia -- a local luxury resort.

White and Dobrev -- star from the hit  TV show "The Vampire Diaries" -- have been dating for years ... and announced they made it official while quarantining together during the early stages of the pandemic.

Nina considers herself an avid lover of snowboarding -- and, well, her boyfriend happens to be one of the greatest snowboarders in the sport's history.

Elon Musk is asking Vladimir Putin to put his dukes up -- and not just that, but he's posing the challenge in the dictator's native language ... with the ultimate stakes at play.

The Tesla and SpaceX chief dared VP to a battle of brawn Monday morning, doing so over Twitter of course ... where he wrote, "I hereby challenge Владимир Путин  to single combat." EM followed up by saying ... "Stakes are Україна."

The translation is pretty simple, he's just asking Putin to rumble -- noting that the winner takes Ukraine. As you know ... Elon has directly involved himself with the conflict (in a good way) by offering Internet support and other tech resources to help Ukrainians/deter Russia.

Just make sure Vlad and co. got the message, Elon asked ... "Вы согласны на этот бой? @KremlinRussia_E." That simply means, "Do you agree to this fight?"

Obviously, Elon seems to be kidding -- we don't think he expects Russia's President to take him on ... but just for the sake of argument, ya gotta wonder who might take the W  -- because they each have some fighting experience.

Perhaps more famous in throwing down would be Putin ... we've seen photos of the guy laying dudes out on the mat while dressed head to toe in martial arts gear, and he even has an honorary taekwondo black belt (which he was stripped of in the wake of him invading).

Less known is Elon's training ... he once told Joe Rogan that he trained in karate as a kid. On top of that, he said he's also dabbled in taekwondo, judo and a little jiu-jitsu.

MLB superstar Pete Alonso says he was nearly killed in a horrifying car crash on Sunday -- but, thankfully, he said he's doing just fine now.

The New York Mets slugger explained the terrifying situation to media members out at spring training in Port St. Lucie, Fla. on Monday ... saying he was T-boned in Tampa by a man who ran a red light.

"Yesterday was a really close experience to death," the 27-year-old said. "My car flipped over probably about three times."

The first baseman added, "I'm really thankful to be alive."

Alonso said he had to kick out his windshield in order to escape the rolled-over car ... though he said somehow he was able to do baseball activities on Monday.

Alonso said the people in the other car were OK ... and he added his family -- including his wife who was in a car trailing him just before the crash -- is doing fine as well.

"I'm really thankful that I'm healthy," Alonso said. "I'm very thankful to be here ... I'm just super, super blessed to be here."

MLB star Marcell Ozuna says he apologized to his teammates after police video showed him putting his hands on his wife ... explaining he told the Braves, "I made a mistake."

Speaking with reporters at spring training for the first time since he was arrested for grabbing his wife around her neck in a May 2021 altercation ... Ozuna said he addressed the situation with his Atlanta teammates.

Ozuna told media members he apologized to the Braves vehemently ... saying, "I said I'm sorry. I made a mistake."

Ozuna then issued a mea culpa to fans -- urging them to not change their opinion of him based on the '21 incident.

"I would just tell them, treat me as the person I was before," the two-time All-Star said. "Like, I was an amazing person out and in the field. So I'm going to be like that."

As we reported, Ozuna was arrested on May 21 after cops say he struck his wife and also attempted to strangle her at a residence in Georgia.

Ozuna was initially charged with two felonies ... but the counts were ultimately reduced to misdemeanor family violence charges -- and Ozuna agreed to enter into a pretrial diversion program to close out the case.

Ozuna was ordered to, among other things, take an anger management course and complete at least 200 hours of community service. He was also placed on 6 months of supervision.

The MLB, meanwhile, suspended him 20 games, but the ban was retroactive ... meaning Ozuna can play right away this season for the Braves.

In a rare public appearance, former NFL star Colin Kaepernick was spotted at the Lakers game Sunday night, choppin' it up with Dodgers star outfielder Mookie Betts.

During the broadcast of the Lakers-Suns game, cameras panned to Kaepernick, who was standing with Betts during a TV timeout ... which, of course, is worth noting 'cause Kap maintains a relatively low profile.

Seeing Betts and Kap together is interesting. Colin's known for kneeling and Mookie, at one point, said he'd never kneel because his father served in the Air Force. Betts later changed his position by kneeling before a Dodgers game in 2020, saying, "I wasn't educated. My fault."

Kap's attendance at the game comes on the heels of the 34-year-old releasing a video last week of him working out ... which clearly served to put NFL owners on notice that he's still interested and capable of playing QB in the NFL.

The last time Kaepernick took a snap under center in the NFL was in 2016 ... as quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers. Kap's final season certainly wasn't his best, but the dual-threat QB contends he's been doing his part to stay in shape, and he's ready to play.

"For The past 5 years, I’ve been working out and staying ready in case an opportunity to play presented itself," Colin tweeted on Sunday. "I’m really grateful to my trainer, who I’ve been throwing to all this time."

"But man, do I miss throwing to professional route runners. Who’s working?? I will pull up."

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett stepped up and responded to Kap's request -- telling him that he would run routes for him. “Let’s do it bro! Me and my brother will come run routes for you!” Lockett wrote to Kap.

One of the biggest beefs in NBA history has officially been squashed -- Kevin Garnett extended an olive branch to Ray Allen at his jersey retirement ceremony on Sunday ... and it was beautiful.

Of course, there was bad blood between the two Celtics champions ever since Allen left Boston to join the Miami Heat in 2012 ... breaking up the big three of KG, Allen and Paul Pierce after one title.

Tensions still appeared be high between KG and Allen during this past All-Star Weekend ... when Garnett hit his ex-teammate with a piercing stare during the 75th anniversary team ceremony.

But, all the hatred is a thing of the past -- as Allen was in attendance at KG's retirement ceremony ... with the two embracing at center court in the middle of the Big Ticket's speech.

"It's good to see Ray Allen here," Garnett said during the special moment. "Real s***. It's good to see you, man."

Allen then approached KG and gave him a hug ... with Pierce joining in for the touching moment.

KG says Allen should be the next Celtic to have his number in the rafters ... making him the final member of the big three to receive the honor.

Jason "White Chocolate" Williams felt the heat for saying Kobe Bryant is not a top-five all-time Laker -- and, now, he's retracting his statement, officially deeming the Black Mamba L.A.'s G.O.A.T.

The former point guard says he misunderstood the question on the "Players Choice" podcast last week when he said he was "not sure" if Bryant was a top-five Laker.

"In the conversation you all heard," Williams said in a lengthy post on his social media page Sunday, "my thinking was that we were talking about ALL the greatest NBA players EVER who wore the Laker purple and gold jersey for at least ONE season."

"I wasn’t talking about the greatest LAKER ever… because of course that’s Kobe!!! Kobe IS the Lakers!!! 💛💜"

In other words ... Williams says he thought the question was strictly from a basketball standpoint -- NOT what each player actually meant to the franchise.

In his IG statement, Williams explained he believes Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James are better hoopers than Bryant, but they don't mean nearly as much to L.A. as Kobe.

"My bad if I've hurt any of y’all feelings, it’s just my opinion!!!" Williams said. "I love this game and I respect this game!! It has nothing to do with Kobe bustin my team’s ass just about every time we played them either."

An American Hockey League game looked more like a UFC fight night this weekend -- because after two players were involved in a violent on-ice tussle, one was completely covered in blood.

The wild scene all went down in the Rockford IceHogs' game against the Milwaukee Admirals in Illinois on Friday night ... when Mathieu Olivier got into it with Kurtis Gabriel in the first period.

The two opponents dropped their gloves, grabbed each other -- and then started throwing haymakers.

For about a minute, the guys punched the daylights out of each other, but at one point, Olivier got the upper hand, and opened up a gash on Gabriel ... and then kept swinging.

The fight was eventually broken up by refs ... but you can see in video of the clash, Gabriel's face was a mess following the tilt.

The dude's eye, hair, jersey and helmet were soaked in blood ... but somehow, it appeared he was able to stay in the game.

"The Challenge" star Jordan Wiseley is finding more ways to make an impact on the ground in Ukraine ... distributing much-needed supplies brought over the border from Poland.

Check out these images from Ukraine, where Jordan and his actor roommate Kevin Pasdon are making a daily trek across the border to aid the humanitarian efforts underway.

Jordan's routine includes loading up vans with boxes full of supplies ... driving the goods in from Poland and handing them out to the Ukrainians, who are having their cities and towns shelled by the Russians.

Remember ... Jordan and Kevin flew to Poland earlier this month with the goal of helping out in Ukraine, but they didn't have a plan ... and they quickly found work transporting supplies, thanks in part to their U.S. passports, which allow them to cross the border with ease.

As you see in the videos, the folks in Ukraine are desperate to get their hands on whatever supplies they can ... and Jordan's working hard to unload the boxes and distribute essential items, like food and blankets.

They have started a fundraising campaign for donations that will go towards Ukrainian aid for both military and humanitarian relief.

Kayla Harrison says she happily resigned with PFL -- but only after company execs proved they were serious about making a super fight with Cris Cyborg, the undefeated MMA star tells TMZ Sports.

31-year-old Harrison -- a 2x PFL tourney winner -- has made it clear she wants to fight the best (think Cyborg and Amanda Nunes) ... so when Kayla recently hit the free-agent market, she talked to Bellator and UFC.

But, the 12-0 fighter says the PFL bosses convinced her they could put together a Harrison-Cyborg fight in the near future.

"PFL and I talked in depth about that and they let me know in no uncertain terms that they are gonna -- Cyborg only has two fights left on her contract, but also I know that they're very open to talking with Bellator," Harrison tells us.

"They're very open to co-promoting, cross-promoting, streaming, Pay Per Viewing, CBS, ESPN, they're open to all of it."

36-year-old Cyborg -- who's only lost twice since turning pro in 2005 -- is laying her title on the line, fighting Arlene Blencowe at Bellator 279 in April. But, after that, it's clear Kayla believes there's a path to make the fight.

And, Harrison, a 2x Olympic gold medalist, believes she's ready ... and has been for some time.

"To be frank, honestly, and blunt, I am ready now to test myself. I feel like I've been held back by my coaches, by my advisors for a while. I've been ready, I've been chomping at the bit, I've been ready to go out there and test myself."

Along with the new deal comes a whole bunch of money, too (PFL described it as a “historic new contract”). But, Kayla says the cash comes second to her legacy.

"After talking to [PFL Founder] Donn Davis, I do feel really hopeful. I think that he really wants to make the [Cyborg] fight happen. I think that's he's innovative, I think that he knows that this is very important to me."

Tom Brady's retirement lasted 2 months -- the 7-time Super Bowl champ just announced he will be returning to the NFL for his 23rd season.

"These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands," Brady -- who will be 45 before the 2022 begins -- shockingly said in a tweet on Sunday.

"That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible."

"I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business LFG."

The rumors of Brady's return started pretty much immediately after he confirmed the news on Feb. 1 ... and his comments in the weeks following certainly made it seem as if he wasn't done for good.

In fact, just one week later, Brady flirted with the idea of coming back ... telling Jim Gray "never say never."

The Bucs were clearly in favor of a TB12 return ... with general manager Jason Licht saying the team would "leave the light on" for him.

The Bucs went 13-4 last season before losing to the Los Angeles Rams, who went on to win the Super Bowl.

Brady definitely showed no signs of slowing down last season -- he led the league with 5,316 passing yards and 43 touchdowns ... and threw just 12 interceptions.

The timing is important -- free agents can sign with new teams starting Monday afternoon ... and the Bucs have more than 20 players hitting free agency.

Kyrie Irving is throwing NYC's vaccine mandate policy right back in its face on primetime TV -- taking in a home game, maskless, from the stands ... but not able to step onto the court.

The awkward scene played out live Sunday during the Nets' home game against Knicks ... which was being carried by ESPN. During the 2nd quarter, the camera panned to KI, who was shaking hands with people down near the bottom of the stands, and then going up to his seat a few rows up.

In this capacity -- as a spectator -- he's totally okay to not wear a mask and move about ... as that is now NYC's policy on events like this, regardless of vaccine status. However, their rule pertaining to private employees hasn't changed -- namely, those folks have to be vaccinated, and Kyrie isn't.

Still ... the irony of the sitch reeks of hypocrisy, but more importantly ... it reeks of a lack of common sense, something that Doris Burke and other announcers broached with trepidation ... because, if we're being honest, the regulations here just don't make sense anymore.

Kyrie's former teammate, LeBron James, was not as shy about expressing his indignation over NYC's backwards thinking. In response to someone pointing out what a joke this is, he wrote ... "FACTS FACTS FACTS!! It literally makes ABSOLUTELY ZERO SENSE!!! They say if common sense was common then we’d all have it. Ain’t that the truth."

LBJ has been outspoken on the pandemic, especially the further into it we've gotten. Remember, it was just in December that he suggested the latest strains were more like the flu or the cold than anything else ... something he was slammed for at the time, as some felt he was downplaying the seriousness of the virus.

Scott Hall -- one of WWE's biggest superstars from the 20th century -- is reportedly on life support ... this after major surgery complications.

The news was reported Sunday by PW Torch, which says Hall is clinging to life at a hospital in Georgia ... following a procedure to work on his broken hip. According to the outlet, SH suffered three heart attacks Saturday night.

PWT reports the heart attacks come on the heels of his hip surgery last week, which they say caused a complication when a blood clot got loose in the midst of operating.

Hall is one of the bona fide living legends of pro wrestling still active today. He rose to prominence in the '90s through the WWF playing the character Razor Ramon ... and then went on to assume his actual name in the WCW.

He's also one of the founding members of the wrestling stable New World Order (nWo) ... alongside Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash -- who portrayed themselves as wrestling outcasts looking to take the sport over in street gang, tough-guy fashion.

Hall is a multi-time champ -- he's won multiple titles with the WCW, including several tag team championships, and at least four with WWF. He's also competed in multiple WrestleMania events over the years ... and was even due to appear at this year's showdown.

Despite stepping away from WWE in the early 2000s, he continued to wrestle professionally until about 2010, at which point he semi-retired ... but still stayed active within WWE. He was inducted into their Hall of Fame twice ... once as a solo act in 2014 and again as a new member in 2020.

Naomi Osaka lost her tennis match Saturday, but that wasn't the worst part of her day ... a heckler set off a chain of events that reduced the tennis star to tears.

Naomi was playing Veronika Kudermetova at the Indian Wells Tourney outside Palm Springs, when a woman in the stands screamed, "Naomi, you suck!" The fans started screaming at the woman, and rocked Naomi.

She was losing 3-0 in the first set when she begged the ump to let her take the mic and talk to the audience, promising, "I just want to say something. I'm not going to curse. I don't curse. It's just weighing on my heart."

Officials would not oblige, but vowed to boot the heckler if she dared tried it again.

It was too late for Naomi ... she lost the first set 6-0 and the second 6-4.

After losing, Naomi asked again, and this time she got the mic, telling the crowd, "To be honest, I've been heckled before. It didn't really bother me. But heckled here, like, I've watched a video of Venus and Serena get heckled here, and if you've never watched it, you should watch it. I don't know why, but it went into my head and got replayed a lot."

Patrick Mahomes is a married man -- the NFL superstar quarterback just tied the knot with his high school sweetheart, Brittany Matthews ... and the ceremony looked incredible!!

The Mahomeses had their closest friends and family in attendance for the wedding ... including Patrick's Chiefs teammates.

The QB's younger brother, Jackson, was best man ... and All-Pro bestie Travis Kelce was also a groomsman.

Brittany's closest friends were part of her bridal party ... and Kelce and his GF, Kayla, were spotted dancing it up with the happy couple at the reception -- with both NFL stars wearing colorful outfits.

Patrick and Brittany first started dating back in high school ... and have been together ever since.

The newly wedded couple welcomed their 1-year-old daughter, Sterling Skye, in 2021 ... who adorably served as flower girl for the ceremony.