Sports
Who does Shohei Ohtani's 50th home run ball belong to? Another fan files a lawsuit over it
The plot has thickened over the fate of Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball as another person is claiming legal ownership of the piece of baseball history.
Joseph Davidov, a 32-year-old Broward County, Fla., resident, filed a lawsuit Friday in Florida’s 11th Judicial Circuit Court stating that he is the rightful owner of the milestone ball hit by the Dodgers superstar Sept. 19 during a game against the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park.
Davidov is seeking ownership of the historic ball, an injunction preventing the four defendants — Goldin Auctions LLC and Florida residents Chris Belanski, Kelvin Ramirez and Max Matus — from selling the ball, and damages in excess of $50,000.
“We believe [Davidov] is the rightful owner of the ball based upon him having it first,” attorney Devon Workman told The Times on Monday.
That seventh-inning home run made Ohtani the first MLB player to have 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in the same season. A mad scramble ensued in the left-center field stands, with a fan identified as Belanski emerging with the ball. He was immediately escorted away by stadium security.
The ball is being sold by Goldin Auctions. As of Monday morning, the bidding stood at $1.2 million with 13 bids having been submitted. The auction is scheduled to close Oct. 16.
The lawsuit states that Davidov was the first person to secure possession of the ball.
“Shortly after Plaintiff obtained possession of the 50/50 Ball with his left hand, an unknown fan wrongfully jumped over the railing, jumped onto the Plaintiff and Plaintiff’s arm and attacked the Plaintiff causing the 50/50 Ball to come loose and roll into the hands of Defendant CHRIS BELANSKI,” the lawsuit states.
“Plaintiff would have retained control and possession of the 50/50 Ball if were not for the assault of the unknown fan who jumped onto the Plaintiff.”
Workman told The Times that the case is similar to the battle over Barry Bonds’ 73rd home run ball in 2001, in which two fans — Alex Popov and Patrick Hayashi — claimed ownership of the historic ball. A California Superior Court judge found that both men were the legal owners and ordered them to sell the ball and split the earnings.
“The one thing I think is pretty clear in my client’s case is that out of everybody, he was essentially the only one that was jumped on, thrown to the ground,” Workman said. “It’s very similar to Popov v. Hayashi back in 2001, where that person first had it, was also assaulted on the ground and lost the ball, and then the court ultimately decided that he did have possession of it and they had to split the proceeds.
“Our position is that our client was clearly jumped on when he had possession of that ball. At that time he was the rightful owner. So that’s the only difference, I guess, between the other people claiming it; my client actually was somewhat assaulted there by that guy jumping on him.”
Video footage from the stands shows Davidov, wearing a blue-and-white striped shirt, smiling and shaking Belanski’s hand after the latter man had secured the ball. Workman attributed that action to “the adrenaline, the historic moment.”
“He was celebrating with everybody else,” Workman said of Davidov.
On Wednesday, Matus filed a lawsuit against Belanski, Ramirez and Goldin Auctions, claiming ownership of the ball and looking to stop its sale. The next day, Matus filed a motion for an emergency temporary injunction to prevent the start of the auction, which had been scheduled for Friday, pending the result of the lawsuit.
Judge Spencer Eig deferred the motion until an Oct. 10 hearing, allowing the auction to start as scheduled but noting that the defendants cannot “sell, conceal or transfer the 50/50 Ball pending the Court’s ruling on Plaintiffs’ Motion.”
According to Matus’ lawsuit, the 18-year-old high school senior had possession of the ball until Belanski “wrapped his legs around Max’s arm and used his hands to wrangle the ball out of Max’s hand, stealing the ball for himself.” Matus’ lawsuit also states that Ramirez “attended the game with Defendant Belanski and has (wrongfully) claimed ownership interest in the 50/50 Ball on social media.”
The Times has been unable to reach Belanski or Ramirez. Matus’ attorney did not immediately respond to a message from The Times on Monday.
Sports
Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo makes NBA history with 83-point game
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Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo made NBA history on Tuesday night.
Adebayo scored 83 points, all while setting league marks for free throws made and attempted in a game for the Miami Heat in a 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards. It is the second-highest scoring game for a player ever, only to Wilt Chamberlain’s famed 100-point game.
“An absolutely surreal night,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters after the game.
Adebayo started with a 31-point first quarter. He was up to 43 at halftime, 62 by the end of the third quarter. And then came the fourth, when the milestones kept falling despite facing double-, triple- and what once appeared to be a quadruple-team from a Wizards defense that kept sending him to the foul line.
He finished 20 of 43 from the field, 36 of 43 from the foul line, 7 for 22 from 3-point range.
After the game, he was seen in tears while he hugged his mother, Marilyn Blount, before leaving the floor after the game.
“Welp won’t have the highest career high in the house anymore,” Adebayo’s girlfriend, four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, wrote on social media, “but at least it gives me something to go after.”
MAGIC’S ANTHONY BLACK MAKES INCREDIBLE DUNK OVER FOUR DEFENDERS IN HISTORIC NBA GAME
Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat celebrates during the fourth quarter of the game against the Washington Wizards at Kaseya Center on March 10, 2026, in Miami, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
The NBA’s previous best this season was 56, by Nikola Jokic for Denver against Minnesota on Christmas night. The last player to have 62 points through three quarters: one of Adebayo’s basketball heroes, Kobe Bryant, who had exactly that many through three quarters for the Los Angeles Lakers against Dallas on Dec. 20, 2005.
He wound up passing Bryant for single-game scoring as well. Bryant’s career-best was 81 — a game that was the second-best on the NBA scoring list for two decades.
Adebayo scored 31 points in the opening quarter against the Wizards, breaking the Heat record for points in any quarter — and tying the team record for points in a first half before the second quarter even started.
He finished the first half with 43 points, a team record for any half and two points better than his previous career high — for a full game, that is — of 41, set Jan. 23, 2021, against Brooklyn.
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Adebayo’s season high entering Tuesday was 32. He matched that with a free throw with 5:53 left in the second quarter, breaking the Heat first-half scoring record.
Adebayo’s 43-point first half was the NBA’s second-best in at least the last 30 seasons — going back to the start of the digital play-by-play era that began in the 1996-97 season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Sports
Kings lose in overtime to the Boston Bruins
BOSTON — Charlie McAvoy scored 39 seconds into overtime and Jeremy Swayman stopped 14 shots on Tuesday night to earn the Boston Bruins their 13th straight victory at home, 2-1 over the Kings.
Mason Lohrei scored midway through the third period to break a scoreless tie. But the Kings tied it five minutes later when Drew Doughty’s shot from the blue line deflected off the heel of Bruins forward Elias Lindholm and into the net.
It was the seventh straight time the teams had gone to overtime in Boston.
In the overtime, Mark Kastelic blocked a shot in the defensive zone and made a long pass to David Pastrnak, who waited for McAvoy to come into the zone. The Bruins’ defenseman and U.S. Olympian, who went to the locker room at the end of the second period after taking a puck off his mouth, skated in on Darcy Kuemper and went to his backhand for the winner.
Kuemper stopped 21 shots for the Kings, who entered the night one point out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The victory kept Boston in possession of the East’s second wild-card spot.
Swayman tied his career high with his 25th win of the season. The Bruins haven’t lost at the TD Garden since before Christmas.
After the game, Kings forward and future Hall of Famer Anze Kopitar stayed on the ice to shake hands with the Bruins after what is expected to be his last game in Boston.
Sports
Jon Jones requests UFC release after Dana White says legend was ‘never’ considered him for White House card
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Mixed martial arts legend Jon Jones ended his retirement from UFC simply because he wanted a spot on the “Freedom 250” fight card at the White House in June.
But, when UFC CEO Dana White announced the card during UFC 326 this past weekend, Jones wasn’t among the fighters. As a result, he has requested a release from his UFC contract.
White was candid when asked about Jones following the UFC 326 card.
Jon Jones of the United States of America reacts after his TKO victory against Stipe Miocic of the United States of America in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 16, 2024 in New York City. ((Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images))
“Never, ever, ever, which I told you guys a hundred thousands times, was Jon Jones ever even remotely in my mind to fight at the White House,” White explained, per CBS Sports. “Some guy with Meta Glasses filmed him talking about his hips – that his hips are so bad. And I don’t know if you guys saw that flag football game where he can barely run. Jon Jones retired because of his hips. He’s got arthritis in his hips. Apparently, doctors say he should have a hip replacement.”
White added that “the Jon Jones thing is bulls—,” saying that he texted the fighter’s lawyer saying he would never be on the White House card despite Jones saying he was in negotiations for it.
UFC ANNOUNCES CARD FOR WHITE HOUSE EVENT
The Meta Glasses incident White is referring to came from a viral video, where Jones, unaware he was being filmed, discussed issues with his hips to a fan.
On Monday, Jones composed a thorough response to White’s comments about him and the White House Card. He previously posted and deleted social media explanations, but Monday’s appeared to be his final statement on the matter.
UFC President Dana White speaks after UFC Fight Night at Toyota Center on Feb. 21, 2026. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)
“Yes, I have arthritis in my hip and it’s painful, but that doesn’t mean I can’t fight,” Jones, who retired a heavyweight champion in 2025, said. “So let me get this straight, if I had accepted the lowball offer, suddenly my hip would be fine and I’d be on the White House card? That doesn’t make sense. I even received stem cell treatment last week to get ready for the White House card, and training camp was scheduled to start today. I was preparing to be ready.
“I understand business deals fall through sometimes, but going out publicly and saying things that aren’t true isn’t right. After everything I’ve given to the UFC, the years, the title defenses, the fights, hearing that I’m ‘done’ is disappointing. Especially when as recently as Friday UFC was calling me trying to get me on that White House card for a much lower number.”
Jones finished his statement by saying he “respectfully” asks to be released from his UFC contract.
Jon Jones enters the ring before facing Stipe Miocic in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City, New York. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
“No more spins, no more games. Thank you to the real fans who know what’s up,” he wrote.
The UFC did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.
Jones is considered one of the best UFC fighters of all time, owning a 28-1-1 record, which includes his last bout with Stipe Miocic, knocking him out to take the heavyweight title belt. He is also a two-time light heavyweight champion.
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