Coronavirus

The NBA courts for the 2020 season restart have been revealed ... and, as promised, feature a massive "Black Lives Matter" paint job front and center.

The league and the NBPA came up with the idea to display the message at all 3 arenas used inside the bubble ... as a way to show solidarity with the social justice movement.

Along with the BLM paint ... the sideline benches have been spread out to provide 6-feet of distancing for team staffers and players as a form of precaution during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of course, commish Adam Silver previously suggested banning several coaches -- including Mike D'Antoni (69) and Gregg Popovich (71) -- from the sidelines due to their age ... but eventually scrapped the idea.

The NBA's set-up also features huge video boards and its "Whole New Game" slogan for the restart.

While no fans will be able to attend games, at least players have the chance to fill up some seats.

The longtime police chief of Davie, Florida is outta work ... he quit his post after allegedly blaming a sheriff's deputy's COVID-19 related death on the guy being gay.

Dale Engle, who'd been on the force 22 years, resigned this week in a letter to his staff, saying he was proud of the town he'd served and the work he'd done -- but his departure comes on the heels of him getting placed on administrative leave.

Three months ago a police union accused Chief Engle of saying a Broward County Sheriff's Deputy who'd died from complications due to COVID had no one to blame but himself.

Specifically, the union claimed Engle flew off of the handle when some officers complained about a lack of safety measures to protect them from the coronavirus. During his rant, the union alleges Engle said BSO Deputy Shannon Bennett -- a 12-year vet himself -- contracted the virus and died as a result because he was a “homosexual who attended homosexual 'sexual' events."

Major news coming from the NBA on Monday -- the league announced there have been ZERO new coronavirus cases in Orlando since July 13.

Which means .... THE BUBBLE IS WORKING!!!

The Association says it tested all 346 players who are currently on the Disney World campus ... and each result came back negative.

Of course, the NBA has proven it ain't messing around when it comes to following the strict guidelines ... and even made Sacramento Kings player Richaun Holmes re-quarantine for 10 days after accidentally crossing the campus border to pick up some delivery food.

Some players like Memphis Grizzlies rookie star Ja Morant have expressed their displeasure with the league implementing a "hotline" to report people violating the bubble protocols ... saying it comes off as snitching.

But, hey ... ya can't argue with the results!!

It's gotta be a sigh of relief for Adam Silver and co. ... who hope to tip off the 8 regular season play-in games starting July 30.

Move over, Max Scherzer ... the Nats are now relying on Dr. Anthony Fauci to pump in a fastball on Opening Day -- the team says it's tapped the COVID-19 expert to throw out the ceremonial first pitch Thursday!

It's a huge honor for Fauci ... the guy is a self-proclaimed Nationals superfan -- and WA team officials say they couldn't be happier he accepted their invite to help kick off their season this week.

"Dr. Fauci has been a true champion for our country during the COVID-19 pandemic and throughout his distinguished career," the Nats said.

"So it is only fitting that we honor him as we kick off the 2020 season and defend our World Series Championship title."

Fauci will take the bump just minutes before the Nats host the New York Yankees at Nationals Park in D.C.

Unclear what Fauci's arm looks like from 60 feet, 6 inches ... but we ain't expecting any 50 Cent type shenanigans during the pregame ceremony.

Remember ... 79-year-old Fauci was quite the athlete back in the day -- running the point for Regis H.S. in NYC in 1958.

In fact, President Trump even praised Fauci's athletic ability a couple months ago at a White House briefing!

KJ Smith's enjoying her time in quarantine, because thanks to Tyler Perry ... she's able to work, make new friends without worrying about her health ... and the food's good too!

The "Sistas" star joined "TMZ Live" Monday to describe what life's been like inside Perry's massive studio complex in Atlanta, where she's been the past couple weeks filming her BET dramedy series.

KJ says the cast and crew are undergoing consistent COVID-19 testing, which makes her feel safe and secure, and everyone's being treated with their best interest in mind ... beyond just focusing on the business side of things.

On that note ... the actress says the bubble-like setup for shooting "Sistas" is allowing everyone to make real human connections they wouldn't otherwise make if it was a traditional Hollywood set.

KJ even called the experience fun ... and said on set they all refer to it as "Camp Quarantine."

It's official ... no high school football during 2020 in California -- the season will now begin in January and could pose some serious issues for multi-sport athletes.

The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) issued a statement Monday, saying most teams can begin to practice in December with a January kickoff date for regular-season games.

Football season in CA usually begins in either late August or early September -- but COVID has obviously thrown a wrench in the usual plans.

Now, the season will run through April -- which could force some top multi-sport athletes across the state to make some tough choices.

Both baseball, basketball and track are now scheduled to begin around March -- and it could be very difficult or even impossible for players to meaningfully contribute in those sports at the same time.

Of course, a TON of major athletes played 2 or 3 sports in high school ... just look at Patrick Mahomes and Kyler Murray who were both big football and baseball guys growing up.

Other Fall sports that have been pushed back include volleyball, water polo, cross country, field hockey, gymnastics and more.

An MVP of the soccer world will NOT be crowned this season ... Ballon d'Or trophy presenters say they've scrapped the 2020 iteration of the prize -- and it's all 'cause of COVID.

The award -- similar to college football's Heisman Trophy -- has been given out to the men's game's best EVERY YEAR since 1956 ... and is considered soccer's highest honor.

Legends like Luis Suarez, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho have all won the hardware in the past ... and dudes like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were gunning to win it for the 7th and 6th times, respectively, this season.

But, the people responsible for doling out the trophy say the 2020 version will be forever vacant ... saying the coronavirus pandemic forced them to cancel the award this year.

The trophy presenters say the virus has simply impacted soccer too greatly all across the globe for them to properly and fairly announce a winner.

"How do you compare the incomparable?" officials said in a statement Monday.

They added, "We will always prefer a small sprain (to our history) to a large scar. It was the first time since 1956 that the Ballon d'Or had taken a break."

"The parenthesis does not enchant us but seems to us the most responsible and logical. Protecting the credibility and legitimacy of such an award also means ensuring its flawlessness over time."

The NFL's biggest stars are speaking out days before they're set to report to training camp for another season -- and they're all saying the same thing ... THIS ISN'T SAFE YET!!!

On Sunday, studs like Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes, J.J. Watt, Odell Beckham Jr. and several others expressed similar sentiments over having to boot back up again in the middle of a pandemic -- namely, that the league hasn't laid out a clear action plan.

It's pretty simple ... these guys say they're just a couple months or so from having to get back onto the gridiron, but claim there's been no guidance or direction from NFL's top honchos on how to keep the players safe, and what the protocol will be. It's alarming.

Russ, for example, made it clear that his family's safety is potentially at risk if the league doesn't get its act together, saying ... "I am concerned. My wife is pregnant. @NFL Training camp is about to start. And there’s still No Clear Plan on Player Health & Family Safety. 🤷🏾 We want to play football but we also want to protect our loved ones."

He, along with all the other high-profile players who chimed in, ended with the hashtag ... #WeWantToPlay. J.J., for his part, laid out crystal clear demands on what he and his teammates were looking for with a bullet point list. Sounds like the NFL's way behind schedule on these very basic precautions and procedures to handle positive tests.

J.J.'s list -- which called for more clarity on whether players would be tested/how often, standards on how to handle a player if they got sick, etc. -- made it clear that the league has the power here. He says the way their agreement is set up, the NFL can make them go to training camp and play games ... even if players want to opt out for safety concerns.

Khabib Nurmagomedov is NOT retiring from MMA, despite reports to the contrary -- and he WILL fight Justin Gaethje before the end of 2020, so says his manager.

We spoke with Ali Abdelaziz, who manages both Khabib and Justin -- and he tells us straight-up, both guys are on board.

"We have a blockbuster main event [Khabib] versus Justin Gaethje. Two of the best lightweights in the world today in the recent era."

There have been questions about Khabib's fighting future ever since his father passed away from COVID earlier this month.

Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov wasn't just Khabib's father -- he was also his coach, mentor and best friend.

"Everybody understands how close Khabib and his father were," Ali says ... "We lost something very important and the UFC's been so awesome, especially Dana. He's been communicating with Khabib, the whole team has been amazing."

Ali says Khabib is "heartbroken" -- "but at the end of the day, Khabib's father has a legacy he wanted Khabib to accomplish."

In other words, Ali says Abdulmanap would WANT Khabib to continue fighting ... to share his talents with the world.

And, Ali believes Justin Gaethje is the perfect opponent.

"We see what Justin Gaethje did to his last opponent. He dismantled Tony Ferguson, he made him look an absolute amateur."

MLB outfielder Yasiel Puig says he just learned he has COVID-19... and will quarantine for the foreseeable future.

"Although I tested positive, I am asymptomatic, and I feel absolutely fine."

"I will be quarantined until I receive 2 negative test results, which I hope will arrive shortly."

Puig says he's sad about his diagnosis -- "but I believe that everything is in God's timing and that my return to MLB will happen in His perfect plan and timing for me."

"When I return to the field, I will do so knowing that I will have one less hurdle to overcome."

FYI -- the MLB's 60-game season is set to finally begin with Opening Day on July 23 and 24.

Puig says he never believed it could happen to him ... and is urging everyone to "take this pandemic seriously, this can happen to anyone, even the healthiest athlete."

The 29-year-old ended his statement with a reminder to his fans to wear a mask, social distance, and follow your local protocols.

"Please take care of yourselves. I will see you all very soon when I return to play ball."