TMZ Sports - Page 2

Pope Leo XIV blessed an autograph collector with his holy John Hancock ... signing a baseball that's now expected to bring in thousands of dollars at auction.

The head of the Catholic Church signed a ball for Randy L. Kaplan -- a signature hawk who has spent the last few decades collecting signatures of world leaders and other prominent figures on baseballs.

Kaplan sent the Pope -- a noted Chicago White Sox fan who actually attended Game 1 of the 2005 World Series -- two White Sox caps ... and, in return, Leo signed the ball.

Method Man is still a trailblazing force in both Hip Hop and Hollywood ... and he's crediting a real-life American Gladiator, Michael O'Hearn, as a motivator to get muscular!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Tical at LAX this week and he tells us he struck up an online friendship with Michael -- AKA Titan on the "American Gladiators" 1990s TV show -- who's sent him tons of gym swag to keep him in tip-top shape ... even inspiring his own TICAL Athletics brand.

The rap game is sprinkled with gym rats ... Lil Jon, Megan Thee Stallion, Moneybagg Yo, and Benzino, just to name a few ... but Meth says it's guys like Mike who keep him going.

We ask if Meth is open to flaunting the body he's been sculpting in his roles down the line ... and luckily for his gawking fan base, he's down to show some skinnnnn!!!

Wilt Chamberlain's game-worn uniform from his epic 1969 NBA Finals battle with Bill Russell's Celtics is on the auction block ... a piece of basketball history that'll almost certainly rake in over 7 figures!

The iconic jersey and shorts combo -- worn by the NBA legend during the regular season AND in two games during the Finals --  is currently being auctioned by Sotheby's, and will close Tuesday afternoon ... where it's expected to sell for over a million bucks, and potentially much more.

The current bid is $320K.

Lewis Hamilton is asking his fans to send some serious well wishes after his dog, Roscoe, was placed in a coma this week ... revealing his beloved friend's condition remains uncertain amid a pneumonia battle.

The Formula One legend shared the heartbreaking story on his Instagram, posting photos of himself right by his English Bulldog's side in the hospital and detailing what they have gone through this week.

"Please keep Roscoe in your thoughts. I want to keep you all updated. Roscoe caught pneumonia again and was struggling to breathe," the Ferrari driver said on Friday.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba let everyone watching "Thursday Night Football" know he was pissed he was flagged during a critical 4th quarter drive, calling it straight up BS ... in a moment that was captured on an open microphone.

Whoops.

The expletive was heard loud and clear, on both the stream of the game, and in the stadium, as the Seahawks star and his squad played the Cardinals in Arizona in a week 4 matchup.

Justin Bieber hit the hardwood for a basketball showdown on Thursday ... helping his team to a victory over his former squad!!

All eyes were on the 31-year-old "Swag" crooner at SRGN Studios in Los Angeles for The League festivities ... a good sight for those who might have been worried about his recent ankle injury.

After a pregame pump-up speech from pastor Judah Smith, Bieber had two points in the first quarter for his SKYLRK clothing brand's squad ... before asking to be subbed out about two and a half minutes after the start.

Turns out, the story of Cal Raleigh's 60th home run ball has a happy ending for all involved parties.

The Mariners revealed on X they invited the man who initially caught the souvenir to T-Mobile Park on Thursday evening in order to thank him for the way he unselfishly gave up the memento to a kid.

Raleigh ended up having an on-field meet and greet with the guy -- who MLB.com says is Glenn Mutti-Driscoll, a licensed hydrogeologist -- and during their chat, the Seattle star actually gifted him a signed bat.

If Hollywood's got a Bill Belichick script on the way, Mark Wahlberg's making it clear he's got dibs ... telling TMZ Sports he's dying to play the coach in a movie!!

The "Ted" star made no bones about it during a brief chat with us out in New York City this week -- explaining it's a goal of his because Bill's the "greatest coach of all-time."

Of course, the desire shouldn't surprise many ... as Wahlberg is one of the biggest Patriots fans on the planet -- and Belichick helped New England lift six Lombardi Trophies in the last couple decades.

On and off the court, Serena Williams is a vet, and in honor of her 44th bday, we're runnin' through her hot shots ... they'll make you sweat!

Slip into silky-smooth snaps of Serena slaying lingerie and robes, and chase after her bikini pics that attract thousands of clicks ...

Yellow there!!! Serena slays her hot shots on the beach, serving up some fun in the sun and rockin' swimwear like this selfie!

The man who gave away Cal Raleigh's 60th home run ball on Wednesday night might be kicking himself today, 'cause TMZ Sports is told the memento could be worth a small fortune.

David Kohler, founder of SCP Auctions, told us on Thursday if Raleigh's artifact were going up on his block, he'd expect it to sell for somewhere between $100,000-$200,000.

It, of course, could be worth even more, Kohler said, if it ultimately ends up being the last one the Seattle superstar hits in 2025.

Former WWE Superstar David Otunga is opening up on how he's choosing to remember Hulk Hogan ... explaining the character will always hold a special place in his heart -- but he can't ignore Terry Bollea's past.

The two-time Tag Team Champion made a surprise appearance on Thursday's "TMZ Live" with Harvey and Charles ... and the hosts asked his thoughts on the WWE Hall of Famer's legacy, given his controversial past -- including the racist slurs he uttered during a leaked sex tape.

The 45-year-old explained he absolutely idolized the Hulkster growing up ... and he still remembers the first time they met and how special it was that Hogan already knew of him.

Jared McCain's playful mood is in jeopardy on Thursday -- just hours after the 76ers star had a laugh with fans over his 2.5-pound bench press photoshoot, he tore a ligament in his thumb during team workouts.

Philadelphia announced the injury just minutes ago ... saying its shooting guard suffered a UCL tear in his right thumb and is "consulting with specialists on next steps and further updates will be provided as appropriate."

The timing is wild -- McCain, the 16th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, was just having fun with fans who trolled him over recent team visuals.

Kelsey Mitchell's built up a pretty recognizable public profile throughout her basketball career ... and she's earned her fair share of accolades along the way.

The Indiana Fever star's helped lead the team to a pair of playoff appearances, and she almost earned herself one of the highest honors the WNBA can bestow upon a player.

We're going to examine how the athlete became one of the most prominent players in the league ... and see how she missed out on a pretty big title.

Shaun Alexander just announced he and his wife are expecting their FOURTEENTH child!!

The ex-NFL superstar revealed the great news while on Kay Adams' "Up & Adams Show" on Thursday ... and check out the clip, he couldn't have been happier to share the update.

"We're just now starting to tell people," the former Seattle Seahawks tailback said with a big grin, "but No. 14 is in the belly."

Martha Stewart’s doing a quick U-turn on that Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce wedding planning pitch ... telling us the couple’s got it covered without her!

We caught up with Martha in NYC Wednesday and she tells us Taylor’s got her wedding game locked -- and she most certainly doesn't need her lifestyle pro magic at all.

You gotta see the full clip -- Martha’s clearly thrilled for Taylor, and she even jokes that if Taylor ever needs wedding help, she’s got hubby-to-be Travis for that.

This all started when Martha commented on Taylor and Travis’ engagement IG post, "It’s time to call in the ultimate wedding planner," hopping on that proposal hype train real quick.

A New York City hotel has drawn Serena Williams' ire ... after she was stunned the business decided to decorate one of its hallways with a cotton plant.

The tennis legend showed disdain for the table adornment on her IG Story on Thursday while she was in the Big Apple helping Kim Kardashian with her SKIMS/Nike launch.

Williams, 43, can be seen inside the establishment ... zooming in on one of the plant's stems.