Aaron Rodgers' awesome offseason kept right on rolling on Friday ... as he seemed to have a helluva time at Churchill Downs, smokin' stogies and hanging out with his good pal, Davante Adams!
The New York Jets superstar hit up the venerable race track in Louisville for the Kentucky Oaks one day before the Kentucky Derby went down ... and he looked like he was having a blast.
He was spotted enjoying a cigar -- and chatting it up with a bunch of famous people ... including Adams, who he was teammates with in Green Bay for nearly a decade.
Bad news for the rest of the NBA -- LeBron James still has half a decade left in the tank "body-wise" ... so says the Lakers superstar's agent, Rich Paul, who believes he can physically keep going for several years before retiring.
The Klutch Sports founder weighed in on his top client's future on the "All the Smoke" podcast with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes this week ... and he said there are a number of factors that will play into when Bron decides to call it a career.
But when it comes to the 39-year-old keeping up with the younger guys in the league, Paul feels James isn't anywhere near slowing down.
Willis Reed, Walt Clyde Frazier, andPatrick Ewing are generally considered the greatest Knicks ever, but the trio of Hall of Famers may have to slide over ... 'cause diehard NYK fan, Fat Joe, says Jalen Brunson's on the verge of being the G.O.A.T.!
"[Jalen's] so close to being the greatest Knick ever," Crack told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs nightly on FS1), adding ... "So close, and in such short time."
Of course, the hip-hop superstar grew up in The Bronx, New York, and has been a loyal Knicks fan through the good, and unfortunately for New Yorkers, many bad times in his 5 decades as an NYK supporter.
Darvin Ham is out of the job -- the Los Angeles Lakers just fired their head coach after two seasons on Friday ... days after the Purple and Gold were booted from the playoffs in the first round.
Rumors of a change on the bench started right after LeBron James and Co. lost to the Denver Nuggets ... with many pointing the finger at Ham's lack of leadership or ability to make adjustments.
It wasn't all bad for Ham -- the team did make a solid run in the playoffs last year ... and won the inaugural In-Season Tournament back in December.
Saquon Barkley's goin' in on New York fans who were irked at his presence at the 76ers vs. Knicks game in Philadelphia Thursday night, with the NFL star telling the supporters of his former team to get over him jumping ship!
"It’s been two months… lol no way ya can still be this mad! Mf can’t even go to a basketball game 😂😂😂," 27-year-old Barkley tweeted on X after he was heckled for attending the game at the Wells Fargo Center in the City of Brotherly Love, where he sat courtside with Eagles WR A.J. Brown.
12:15 PM PT -- Ryan Garciais firing back ... saying he'll break Conor McGregor's "weak ass ankle" if the two ever cross paths -- which is a reference to an injury Conor suffered against Dustin Poirier in 2021.
"You ran from being tested bc you were on Roids," Garcia posted on X ... while also mocking his recent movie with Jake Gyllenhaal. "Roadhouse or ROIDRAGE."
8:33 AM PT -- Malinda Adams, the reporter who Patrick Beverley bullied on Thursday, said on her X page the Bucks guard reached out Friday morning to apologize.
"I appreciate it," she said, "and accept it."
She also revealed the Bucks' org. reached out to say it was sorry as well.
Dak Prescott will not face criminal charges over allegations he sexually assaulted a woman seven years ago ... cops revealed Thursday they found insufficient evidence to pursue the case any further.
The woman, Victoria Shores, had made the claims against the Cowboys superstar in a report with the Dallas Police Department earlier this year ... alleging Dak had been inappropriate with her in the parking lot of the XTC Cabaret strip club in Texas on Feb. 2, 2017.
The quarterback, though, was adamant he committed no wrongdoing ... filing a lawsuit against the woman after alleging she was attempting to shake him down for $100 million with the claims. He also filed a police report of his own in the case over the alleged extortion plot.
Shohei Ohtani and his new wife, Mamiko, made a rare public appearance together on Thursday ... throwing on some fancy outfits and attending a fundraising event.
The 29-year-old Japanese superstar and his former basketball pro partner rolled through the 8th annual Blue Diamond Gala at Dodger Stadium in L.A. ... joined by Ohtani's teammates and a handful of celebs.
Fellow Dodgers Freddie Freeman, Jason Heyward, Kiké Hernandez and Mookie Betts brought their wives to the shindig as well ... while singer Ed Sheeran rolled through solo.
Ryan Reynolds is doubling down on his investment in the sports world, and it's in large part due to fans of his 2 biggest franchises ... TMZ has learned.
The actor's investment firm, Maximum Effort, announced Thursday it's spending big to become one of the leading investors in Homage, a sports apparel company with a specialty in vintage-style getups.
Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... RR is thrilled about the new addition to his portfolio because of his experiences with his English soccer club and the 'Deadpool' movies.
Ryan Garcia placed blame for his failed PED test squarely at the feet of Victor Conte ... but the former BALCO mastermind turned anti-doping advocate says that's pure BS, telling TMZ Sports he had absolutely nothing to do with the flunked test!
"His conspiracy theory is completely wrong and debunked. I have nothing to do with this. I'm completely independent of VADA," Conte told us on Thursday, addressing Garcia's allegation.
If you missed it, after news broke that King Ry flunked multiple tests for Ostarine, the 25-year-old fighter lodged this allegation.
Kendrick Lamar's Drake diss track, "Euphoria," is popping up everywhere ... even in the middle of the NBA Playoffs, but it's making some NBA legends uncomfortable.
The song opened up TNT's "Inside the NBA" halftime broadcast of the Clippers vs. Mavericks Game 5 showdown, and Kenny Smith and Shaq couldn't believe their ears!!!
Ernie Johnson attempted to unfold the first 2 quarters of play, but the pair of NBA champs were too distracted by Kendrick's onslaught blasting in the studio.
Kirby Smart is college football's first-ever $13 million man -- the Georgia Bulldogs coach just inked a massive, 10-year, $130 million deal ... making him the highest-paid staffer in college football.
The University of Georgia's board of directors approved the huge chunk of change during a meeting on Thursday ... improving Smart's already impressive salary from the $10.75 million he was slated to get under his old contract.
The deal is guaranteed through five years ... and will run through the 2033 season.
Charles Barkley's feud with Galveston, Texas is far from over -- the NBA legend was just targeted with a bunch of billboards throughout the city after dissing it on national television!!
As we previously reported, Chuck ruffled some feathers in the Queen City of the Gulf after claiming it had "dirty ass water" on TNT's "Inside the NBA" ... which prompted a response from the Visit Galveston tourism organization.
The back-and-forth didn't stop there ... 'cause now, a bunch of shots directed at the Round Mound of Rebound have started popping up all around the area -- and they ain't too nice.
3:07 PM PT -- Paige is now firing back at Danis ... unloading on the guy and claiming his whole Vegas affair story is complete B.S.
Former Bellator MMA star Austin Vanderford just publicly called out Dillon Danis for a fight ... telling Logan Paul's nemesis he's ready to throw hands for going after his wife, Paige VanZant.
The drama started earlier this week ... when PVZ claimed Danis is not a "real fighter" during an interview for her upcoming Misfits boxing match against Elle Brooke.
Misfits Boxing
Danis got wind of Paige's comments ... and clapped back by threatening to air some dirty laundry that he claimed would ruin her marriage.
"How fast they forget!" Danis (2-0 in MMA) said on X. "Haha, relax, Paigey baby, just because I didn’t wife you doesn’t mean you have to be petty. Don’t make me bring up our two trips to Vegas and ruin your marriage."
Enter Vanderford (11-2) ... who came to his partner's defense on Thursday -- telling Danis he's willing to settle things in the cage or the ring.
"Dillon, guy ...," Vanderford said on Instagram. "Let's just fight. Paige's comments seemed to upset you. We are the same weight. We can box or do whatever you want."
Vanderford already predicted Danis' potential responses ... saying the guy will probably say he doesn't have enough of a following to make it worth his time.
Danis is known for being ruthless on social media -- as we previously reported, Paul's fiancée, Nina Agdal, sued him leading up to last year's fight ... saying the incessant trolling and posting about the Sports Illustrated model resulted in humiliation, emotional distress and reputational harm.
Vanderford clearly wants Danis to put an end to the Twitter fingers and put his money where his mouth is ... but no word on whether he'll take the guy up on his offer.
Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomesare reportedly expecting to be without Rashee Rice for "at least" half of the 2024 NFL season ... due to his role in that wild March 30 car crash in Dallas.
James Palmer, a former NFL Network on-air talent, made the report while chatting about the Chiefs' wide receiver room with Steve Smith on the ex-Carolina Panthers star's podcast on Wednesday.
Underdog Fantasy Sports
Palmer said he knows for a fact Rice will receive a punishment from Roger Goodell after admitting to being behind the wheel of one of the cars that caused the accident. He then added that Reid, Mahomes and K.C. are bracing for, at minimum, an eight-game ban for the second-year wide receiver.
