Tonya Harding's Most Brutal Knockout Video Unearthed

Tonya HardingMost Brutal Knockout Video … Unearthed

2/11/2018 1:00 AM PST

EXCLUSIVE

Wanna see Tonya Harding knock a chick out cold with a devastating right cross? 

You’re in luck … because TMZ Sports found extremely rare footage from Tonya’s last professional boxing match — and she straight DESTROYED her opponent. 

It all went down in 2005 — when a 35-year-old Harding (3-3) stepped into the ring to face Brittney Drake in Brittney’s first pro boxing match, a fight promoted by Celebrity Boxing creator Damon Feldman

Makes ya wonder how good Tonya coulda been if she trained to be a fighter instead of a skater … 

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Tonya Harding's Most Brutal Knockout Video Unearthed
Tonya Harding's Most Brutal Knockout Video Unearthed
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Source: TMZ

'Martin' Star Carl Anthony Payne's Down for Reboot, Talks Netflix

‘Martin’ Star Carl Anthony PayneDown for RebootAlready Talking Netflix!!!

2/11/2018 12:50 AM PST

EXCLUSIVE

Carl Anthony Payne says the “Martin” show transcends time … and since he’s all in for the show making a comeback, there’s no better place than Netflix.

We got Martin Lawrence‘s pal leaving Mastro’s on Thursday night and asked him, first and foremost, if the reboot’s gonna happen. Carl dances around the question for a bit before we ask him if he’d be into it. Carl says NO. QUESTION. ABOUT. IT.

He says Martin 2.0 is long overdue and even makes a strong pitch for Netflix to pick up the show. TMZ broke the story … the “Martin” cast reunited at Morton’s … fueling speculation a reboot’s in the works.

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'Martin' Star Carl Anthony Payne's Down for Reboot, Talks Netflix
'Martin' Star Carl Anthony Payne's Down for Reboot, Talks Netflix
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Source: TMZ

Thomas: 'I got my powers back' in Lakers debut

DALLAS — In his Los Angeles Lakers‘ debut, Isaiah Thomas made 3-pointers, a pull-up jumper and difficult drives to the basket.

At times, the point guard felt like his old self.

“I wanted to bring something to the table,” Thomas said. “I felt like I got my powers back playing on this team.”

Calling his trade to the Lakers “a fresh start,” Thomas got over the “shock” of being dealt from the Cleveland Cavaliers by scoring 22 points and dishing six assists in his first game with the Lakers. Although Los Angeles had its four-game win streak snapped with a 130-123 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Thomas gave the Lakers a glimpse of his scoring prowess despite not knowing the playbook.

After coming back from a hip injury and struggling in 15 games with the Cavaliers, Thomas showed flashes of returning to his old form after just one shootaround with his new team. He made seven of 12 shots, including going 4-of-8 from behind the arc, and displayed his ability to score points in bunches when he put up 11 points in nine minutes in the second quarter.

“He brings another dimension to what we have,” said head coach Luke Walton, who was annoyed with the team’s lack of defense in just the Lakers’ fifth defeat in their past 17 games. “When he is able to control pick-and-rolls and get people shots, obviously we couldn’t run a ton of stuff because he has been with us for one day, but he was good.”

Thomas had dinner with Walton on Friday night upon joining the Lakers in Dallas. He tried cramming the Lakers’ playbook on his iPad on Friday night but played with admittedly little to no knowledge of the Lakers’ play sets. Walton opted to bring Thomas, who was traded along with Channing Frye and a protected first-round pick to the Lakers for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr., into the game off the bench.

But Thomas, who said he would love to start but will play whatever role Walton wants, played the entire fourth quarter. He had six turnovers in the game, including one late when he left his feet inside the paint and threw the ball away due to his lack of familiarity with where his new teammates were on the floor, and committed five personal fouls in the fourth quarter.

Thomas had as good a debut as he could have hoped for under the circumstances, giving the Lakers elements that they are looking for with Clarkson gone: another instant offensive weapon with perimeter shooting off the bench and the ability to push the pace with some playmaking.

Thomas said he liked the pace and energy of his new team after averaging 14.7 points and 4.5 assists in 15 games before the Cavaliers pulled the plug on their stint with Thomas.

“I was shocked,” Thomas said of the trade. “It was a surprise, but at the same time, I am happy to have a new start, I am happy to be here with the Lakers, happy to be with a young team that is exciting, that likes to get up and down. That’s my style of play. I am here to help in any way possible. It’s a fresh start for me. I am excited.

“It kind of reminds me of the same situation when I got traded to Boston. It was a young team that was thinking rebuild, but we had some different thoughts than that, and we made a push to the playoffs. That is my job: to come to this team and bring that spirit, that fire, that killer’s mentality and just understand that we can take advantage of this opportunity that we have [the rest of] the season. It’s about winning, and it is about winning right now.”

Thomas made it clear that he does not want to “mess anything up” with the Lakers, who entered Saturday night’s game playing their best basketball of the season. With Lonzo Ball (sprained MCL) out, Brandon Ingram has flourished at point guard. Ingram started his fifth straight game at the position and scored 22 points while knocking down four of five 3-pointers.

“This is the best they have been playing,” Thomas said. “I don’t want to mess anything up. And I told [Walton] that. Whatever he needs me to do, I am willing to do that. Yes, I would love to be a starter. I feel like I deserve that and earned that, but at the same time, it’s a new chapter for me. I am here to help this team, help these young guys, continue to be professional, continue to work hard and continue to gel together.”

When Ball returns from his injury, Walton could start Ball, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Ingram, Julius Randle and Brook Lopez. But Walton kept his options open when asked about Thomas’ role moving forward.

“Isaiah, he is one of the best point guards in our league,” Walton said. “And I am quite aware of that. He’s been with the team for [only a few] hours now. We are going to get him playing and get him used to what we do, and I told him that for us, it doesn’t matter who starts and who doesn’t. We’re a group that different groups finish the game all the time for us.”

“He wants to start. Of course he does,” Walton added. “Everybody wants to start. I expect him to really help our team out, and I expect him to be a positive influence on our team and help us win ballgames … how many times have we changed our starting lineup this year? We are going to reward guys that are playing hard, playing the right way, that are going to help us, in our opinion, give us the best chance of winning ballgames. Now, we are still obviously developing young players at the same time, but we always take both of those into consideration.”

Thomas did not want to reflect back on his short time with the Cavaliers and what went wrong in Cleveland. Frye, who did not play on Saturday, said the pieces just didn’t fit, as evidenced by Cleveland’s adding four new players — Rodney Hood, George Hill, Clarkson and Nance Jr. — at the trade deadline.

“I think it just wasn’t working,” Frye said. “I don’t think it was a chemistry off the court thing because I went and talked to those guys all the time. I just think on the court, there just wasn’t enough give and take. I don’t think we were built to sacrifice for each other. I think a lot of guys had success in different systems. There wasn’t enough time for them to adjust to doing it a certain way, and that happens.”

While Thomas is making his way back from a hip injury, Frye says the point guard will return to the form that had him averaging 28.9 points and 5.9 assists last year. Both players are in the final year of their contract.

“I’ll be honest, he’s gonna be fine,” Frye said. “A lot of [his struggles in Cleveland] is just system-based. I think everyone makes a big deal out of it because it’s Isaiah, but Kyle [Korver] wasn’t having a great year. I wasn’t having a great year. Jae [Crowder] wasn’t having a great year. Dwyane Wade. You gotta put all these different personalities and groups together. It sometimes just doesn’t work out.”

Lakers team president Magic Johnson said he wants Thomas to also mentor Ball. Johnson said Ball is the team’s starting point guard, and he would like to see a veteran such as Thomas take Ball under his wing.

“I mean, that’s fine,” Thomas said. “I have been in the league six more years than he has. Obviously, I am going to help him out. We are part of the same team, he’s a special young player, and he is going to be an incredible talent in this league for years to come. My job is to help where I can. I am still in my prime. So it is not like I am taking a backseat to anybody. I am here to be who I am and here to make a difference on this team, and I am excited about the opportunity.”

Thomas said things should only get better, as he will have three days to study the Lakers’ system before the next game at New Orleans.

“As I get more familiar with the guys and playbook, it will be even better, especially in close games, executing down the stretch,” Thomas said. “I had one key turnover where I might have jumped and didn’t know where guys are. That is just getting familiar with each other … it is tough putting a new guy out there. I mean, I don’t know really any plays.”

Thomas added: “All these guys are talented … I watched this team from afar. Brandon Ingram, [Kyle] Kuzma, Julius Randle has always been a tough cover. I like playing with Lopez. I think I can help him out, when it comes to the mental side of things. He gets on himself a lot. I tell him to keep pushing, and he is a big part of this team. A lot of young talent, and I am excited to be a part of it.”

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Thomas: 'I got my powers back' in Lakers debut
Thomas: 'I got my powers back' in Lakers debut
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Source: ESPN SPORTS

Kerr on being fastest in American sports to 250 wins: "I inherited a hell of a team"

0:51

San Antonio took an early first-quarter lead, but there was no stopping Golden State with all five starters scoring in double digits.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Steve Kerr became the fastest coach to win 250 games after his team defeated the San Antonio Spurs 122-105 on Saturday night.

The Golden State Warriors head coach reached the 250 career mark in just 302 games, 44 faster than Phil Jackson’s previous record. It’s also the fewest games to 250 wins for any coach in the four major American professional sports leagues.

In his postgame address, he downplayed his role in the feat.

“It just means that I inherited a hell of a team,” Kerr said. “An amazing, talented group of players.”

Draymond Green was asked what Kerr’s accomplishment means.

“It means he’s got some good players,” he replied in jest. “Nah, I’m just playing. That’s incredible. Obviously, Steve never had any coaching experience, and to accomplish something like that says a lot. I think with the continuity that he brought to the organization, not only on the basketball court but just in the culture, has made a difference, and that’s why we’ve been able to have the success that we’ve had.”

Kerr became the fourth Warriors coach to secure 250 career victories, joining Al Attles, Don Nelson and Eddie Gottlieb. Luke Walton, former Warriors assistant and current head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, won 39 of those games when Kerr was sidelined for a period during the 2015-16 season.

“Obviously [Steve] made the right decision [to coach the Warriors],” Stephen Curry said. “He was coveted coming out of the [television broadcast] booth. When he first got here, he really took his time implementing the system and perspective around how we’re going to win and make that next step to a championship-winning team as opposed to a playoff team that we had been a couple of years before. It’s been an amazing three-and-a-half years, and hopefully more to come.”

Kerr has led his team to three consecutive NBA Finals appearances and captured two titles. Now, Golden State has its sights set on winning back-to-back championships.

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, Kerr’s mentor and the coach he defeated to get to 250, had very little to offer on the achievement.

“I don’t care,” Popovich said. “And I can tell you that he doesn’t care either.”

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Kerr on being fastest in American sports to 250 wins: "I inherited a hell of a team"
Kerr on being fastest in American sports to 250 wins: "I inherited a hell of a team"
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Source: ESPN SPORTS

Hill: Cavs 'got to be all Robins' to LBJ's Batman

ATLANTA — By trading away Isaiah Thomas as part of three deadline-day deals, the Cleveland Cavaliers officially abandoned the “Big Three” structure it rode to three straight NBA Finals appearances.

What became clear after George Hill, Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. participated in their first practice with the Cavs on Saturday is that the pecking order has been shifted in Cleveland. Everything will flow through LeBron James — even more so than before — and then everyone else will fill in around the four-time MVP and three-time champion.

“We have one of the best players in the history of the game, I’m sure he’s going to dictate the tempo and things like that,” said Hill. “We just got do our job, be the best role players we can possibly be. He’s the Batman and we got to be all Robins. We got to figure it out.”

When asked whom the No. 2 scorer will now be after James, Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said that while Kevin Love is out with a broken left hand, it could be just about anybody.

“LeBron is No. 1 and then after that, it’s going to be, you know, different guys on different nights,” Lue said. “We said that when the season first started. It could be Hood tonight. It could be George Hill. It could be Clarkson. It could be Jeff Green, [Kyle] Korver. So, you never know. Just LeBron, he’s going to make those guys better, I know that for sure. But every night it could be somebody different.”

Cleveland will trot out a different lineup when it faces Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC). Lue said he will start Hill and JR Smith in the backcourt, James and rookie Cedi Osman in the front court, and Tristan Thompson at center.

All four new additions will be available to play Sunday, Lue said.

The Cavs are actually 5-3 in their past eight games after all the doom and gloom they’ve experienced in the past several months. Lue hopes the roster reinvention will keep them winning games.

“These guys, it’s going to take a while for them to catch up but it’s just good having them on the floor,” Lue said. “Just trying to start all over again with our teaching and we’ll just see how it goes.”

Hood and Hill were able to participate in the Cavs’ full practice, as everyone else involved in their three-team trade had already been processed in Sacramento and Utah. Hill passed his physical with the Cavs and said the big toe injury that has reportedly plagued him was a thing of the past.

“Toe’s great,” he said. “I haven’t felt my toe [injury] since last year, so, I’m happy about it.”

Clarkson and Nance Jr. were sidelined for approximately the first 20 minutes of practice, according to the Cavs, while the Los Angeles Lakers finished clearing Channing Frye‘s medicals.

“LeBron is No. 1, and then after that, it’s going to be, you know, different guys on different nights. … It could be [Rodney] Hood tonight. It could be George Hill. It could be Clarkson. It could be Jeff Green, [Kyle] Korver. So you never know. Just LeBron, he’s going to make those guys better, I know that for sure.”

Cavaliers coach Ty Lue</cite>

Lue said that Hood could eventually start — either in place of Smith or alongside him — and that Nance Jr. could as well when Cleveland faces an outsized opponent. For now, the onus is on the group to pick up the Cavs’ sets as quick as possible. Hill, a 10-year veteran, will start because he is capable enough to, as Lue put it, “just run some pick-and-rolls.”

The four new faces come in with all sorts of preexisting ties to the Cavs and to one another. Nance Jr. and Clarkson have been teammates their entire careers in L.A. Hill and Hood were teammates in Utah during the 2016-17 season.

“He’s a guy who gave me a lot of wisdom,” Hood said of Hill. “I look up to him.”

Hill was on the Indiana Pacers when they lost to James’ Miami Heat team three straight years in the playoffs.

“He’s a champ, he’s the MVP, an All-Star for a reason,” said Hill. “One of the best to do it, so I tip my hat to him.”

Hood battled against James when the stakes were much lower: at James’ summer skills academy run by Nike when he was in high school. How did he fare? “Not too good,” Hood said. “But just to play against a guy like that kind of gives you a measure where you are at.”

Nance Jr., of course, grew up a huge Cavs fan because his father, Larry Nance Sr., played for them from 1987-1994. Nance Sr.’s No. 22 hangs from the rafters at Quicken Loans Arena. Nance Jr. chose to wear No. 24 for the Cavs, even though his father offered to unretire his jersey for him.

“Obviously people texted me, ‘What are you going to wear? What are you going to wear?'” Nance Jr. said. “I wanted No. 7 [retired for Bingo Smith], couldn’t have that. He earned that. That’s his accomplishment. I believe he deserves to keep that and it needs to stay up there.”

Nance Jr. attended Revere High School in Akron, Ohio. Cavs general manager Koby Altman said the big man was so excited when he called him to tell him about the trade that Nance Jr. was nearly in tears.

“I gave him a hard time for that because that’s not true,” Nance Jr. retorted. “I was excited, absolutely. I was super excited. We had a good conversation. He could tell I was excited, he was excited about bringing me here. This is home. There was a little bit of extra emotion, but not teary. I’m more of a man than that.”

All four of the players said they heard their name in trade rumors for about a month and finally being settled with Cleveland — even if it means that there is the pressure of a championship run expected attached to it — was a relief.

“Being able to be in a place that they want you here,” Clarkson said. “Come here and compete. All the rumors and stuff, sometimes they just mess with your head. I’m happy to be here. Feel like it’s a blessing.”

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Hill: Cavs 'got to be all Robins' to LBJ's Batman
Hill: Cavs 'got to be all Robins' to LBJ's Batman
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Source: ESPN SPORTS

Teenager Red Gerard gets U.S.'s first gold

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — Teenager Red Gerard has won the United States’ first gold medal at the Pyeongchang Olympics, edging Canadians Max Parrot and Mark McMorris in men’s slopestyle snowboarding.

Gerard, a 17-year-old from Silverthorne, Colorado, drilled his third and final run on the chilly but sun-splashed course at Phoenix Snow Park. His score of 87.16 was just enough to slip by Parrot.

He is the first Winter Olympic gold medalist born in the 2000s.

Parrot washed out in his first two runs but nailed his final trip through the tricky series of rails and jumps to post a score of 86.00. McMorris took third after putting up a score of 85.20 in his second run.

Gerard is the second straight American to win the event, which made its Olympic debut four years ago.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

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Teenager Red Gerard gets U.S.'s first gold
Teenager Red Gerard gets U.S.'s first gold
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Source: ESPN SPORTS