Brad Keselowski Mourns Death Of Father, Bob ... 'Always Be My Hero'

Bob Keselowski -- former ARCA Menards Series champion and father of Brad and Brian Keselowski -- has died after a battle with cancer, the family announced on Wednesday.

He was 70 years old.

Brad confirmed the news in an emotional post ... saying, "My dad will always be my hero. He was quiet and understated, but that didn’t change the impact he had on me or that I watched him have on everyone who knew him."

"I am forever grateful for what I learned from this man, and I will remember him every day."

Brad's brother, Brian, also expressed his sorrow ... saying, "Got the chance to go with my dad a couple times this year to watch him drive his car."

"We never thought we would be here still after 2 1/2 years of fighting this. Still losing him isn’t easy knowing it’s coming, but I’m so glad I took the opportunity when I had the chance to do it."

Bob and his brother, Ron, were introduced to racing as teens when they served as crew members for their father, John.

Bob went on to have a decorated career -- he won 24 races in the ARCA series, including his championship run in 1989 ... ranking him eighth on the all-time series wins list.

Keselowski's dominance in the sport spanned over a decade -- from 1985-1996 -- and he finished top three in the points for a remarkable 7 consecutive years.

By 1995, Bob had taken his talents to the Camping World Truck series, where he was a driver and co-owned the K Automotive team, winning his lone race in 1977 at Richmond.

NASCAR released a statement saying ... "Bob Keselowski was a true racer whose determination and love of the sport embodied the NASCAR and ARCA spirit."

"He worked tirelessly to build his family-owned team, doing whatever it took to compete. Our thoughts are with the Keselowski family during this difficult time."

RIP

LeBron James I Got Gifts For Offset Too ... Signed Forces & Booze!!!

Cardi B wasn't the only one to shower Offset in gifts for his 30th birthday -- LeBron James also sent some dope presents to the rapper to celebrate the big night!

The King signed a pair of all-white Air Force 1s and shipped them over to Offset's bday bash in Los Angeles on Tuesday, and they're pretty awesome.

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FROM THE KING
@offsetyrn / Instagram

The Lakers superstar put his autograph on both sneakers ... and added a happy birthday message to one of the shoes as well.

James also gifted Offset with a custom bottle of his Lobos 1707.

Offset clearly loved the presents -- he shouted out LeBron on social media, thanking the NBA player for the swag.

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'TWO' MUCH LOVE
BACKGRID

Of course, the gifts were great, but LBJ had a ton of competition to win the night's best present award.

A bunch of celebs showed up to celebrate Offset at the bash, with most coming baring gifts -- including Cardi B, who handed over her man a $2 MILLION check.

Yeah ... LBJ's signature is great, but hard to beat cash!

Happy birthday, indeed.

Jimmy Goldstein NBA Needs To Shut Down ASAP I Don't Wanna Watch G League Players!!!

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THINK ABOUT THE FANS
TMZSports.com

Jimmy Goldstein -- the rich businessman who allegedly goes to more than 100 NBA games a season -- says the league needs to close up shop ASAP ... telling TMZ Sports the fans shouldn't be forced to watch crappy basketball.

The Association is currently dealing with a massive COVID-19 outbreak as players test positive left and right ... forcing teams to pick up free agents or G League players in order to compete.

While Adam Silver recently announced the NBA will not follow the NHL's lead and suspend the season, Goldstein says the best thing to do is shut it down.

"Regardless of what the NHL did, the NBA should close down as soon as possible," Goldstein said at Dwight Howard's OxeFit after-party at the SoHo Warehouse.

"Most of these players (who test positive) are healthy. If the NBA wants to let them play, that's another story. But if they forbid them from playing, I feel cheated as a fan, going to the games and watching G League players play instead of the stars."

Goldstein points out there's a huge game between the Lakers and Nets on Christmas Day ... and the majority of Brooklyn's star players will not be taking the court.

"It's time to recognize the fans are not getting a fair deal."

Goldstein says he's hoping the league is just waiting until Dec. 26 to pull the plug.

Lawrence Taylor Failed To Reveal He Was Living In Hotel For Months ... Cops Say

Cops say Lawrence Taylor was arrested because he had been living in a hotel for months -- but failed to reveal that to law enforcement despite being required to do so.

It's all spelled out in new police documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, in which cops say the NFL legend committed a huge no-no after he failed to inform them that he had left his permanently registered address back in April.

According to the docs, officers say due to his status as a sex offender stemming from a 2011 conviction, Taylor must be diligent any time he moves and notify authorities of the change of address.

Cops, though, say an investigation revealed Taylor moved into a hotel in Florida on April 2 and had been living there without properly notifying them.

Police say when they questioned Taylor about the move ... he told them, "he was living at the hotel ... to avoid issues with his soon to be ex-wife."

Cops say Taylor told them he was unaware that he needed to report the change of address -- though the officers claim in the docs that they have paperwork showing Taylor should've known better.

According to the docs, cops issued a warrant for his arrest over it all ... adding that Taylor "promptly turned himself in" once he was made aware of the warrant.

Taylor has since been charged with two felony counts of failure to register as a sex offender.

LT pled not guilty to the charges earlier this week ... and his attorney, Arthur Aidala, tells us he's confident the case will be dismissed.

Kent State O-Lineman Pukes During Idaho Potato Bowl ... Flagged For False Start

Gross scene at the Idaho Potato Bowl on Tuesday ... a Kent State offensive lineman got so sick during the game, he puked all over the field.

... and he got flagged for it!!

The nasty play went down early in the second quarter of KSU's bowl game with Wyoming ... when the Golden Flashes were facing a third-and-goal situation.

In video of the scene, you can see left tackle Bill Kuduk -- wearing a No. 71 jersey -- vomited right before the ball was snapped ... causing defensive players on Wyoming to flinch across the line of scrimmage.

Of course, the refs threw a flag on Kuduk for a false start penalty ... which was assessed after the up-chucking happened during the snap count.

To Bill's credit, he stayed in the game and seemed to play well ... and was a good sport over it all afterward, tweeting, "Puke and Rally!!! Appreciate the shout out #MACtion."

As for the game ... the scoreboard looked sicker than Duduk, 'cause the Golden Flashes got trounced, 52-38.

Tommy Fury Give Me Jake Paul!!! ... Let's Fight In March

Tommy Fury is breaking his silence on Jake Paul's wild knockout win over Tyron Woodley ... saying it killed him to sit at home and watch, but he still 100% wants their fight to happen.

TNT -- who backed out of his bout with Paul with a chest infection and broken rib -- joined "The Unibet Lowdown" on Wednesday to give his take on Jake's performance ... and he says it would've been a different result if he had been in the ring instead of Tyron.

"It was very upsetting for me to sit there and watch it," Tommy said. "I know if I'd been in there, he wouldn't have been going six, seven rounds or whatever it was."

Tommy -- who is coughing throughout the interview -- claims Jake is "lucky" he had to pull out ... 'cause if he were in the ring, it would've been a bad night for Paul.

"I would have been smashing the jabs out there and fold up with the right -- he just wouldn't have been there because it was that bad. It was a bad, terrible fight."

Of course, Jake claimed Tuesday that Tommy's camp has gone radio silent since the Woodley K.O. ... but he makes it clear he's expecting their fight to get rescheduled.

"That should have been and it will be me," Fury added. "I do believe my time will come. Me, Frank (Warren), we're trying to figure out the next date. We're trying to get that fight rescheduled because that's the fight I want next."

Tommy has a message for his 5-0 rival ... saying 2022 will be the year they finally make the event happen.

"I'll do anything possible to speed up this recovery process because the quicker speed to get better, the quicker I get into the ring and get this fight done," Fury said.

As for Jake, he's moved on to offering Jorge Masvidal $5 million to fight ... but it's clear Tommy wants next.

"Everybody wants to see this fight. You wanna proclaim yourself as a boxer. Stop calling out UFC people. Come and fight me."

Packers Vs. Ravens Fans Get In Bloody Brawl At Game ... Multiple Punches Thrown

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THE ALL-OUT BRAWL
Storyful
UPDATE

8:06 AM PT -- Cops tell TMZ Sports nobody was arrested over the incident ... though they did say four people were ejected as a result of the melee.

UPDATE

Cops added that one person needed medical attention before they were booted from the venue.

Packers and Ravens fans got into an all-out brawl during the teams' game Sunday -- and the action got so violent, one fan left the melee with his jacket covered in blood.

The wild scene all went down in the stands at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore ... when Green Bay supporters began jawing with men in Ravens jerseys.

Unclear what initially started the arguments -- but video from the scene shows a guy in a cheesehead hat appeared to ignite the physical fracas after he struck a Baltimore fan in the face.

Check out the video, as soon as the man was hit -- fists flew everywhere, with roughly half a dozen people getting involved in the skirmish.

At one point, a Ravens fan wanted to insert himself so badly into the fight -- he left his feet to jump on top of the crowd.

As security came to separate the combatants, you can see in the clip a woman appeared to have been struck in the cheek during the commotion, which caused one Ravens fan to yell, "Who the f*** punched her in the face?! I swear to f***ing God I'll kill you!"

Eventually, security was able to gain control of the situation -- though it's unclear if any arrests were made. We've reached out to cops, but so far, no word back yet.

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BEAR DOWN
TMZSports.com

Of course, this is far from the first act of violence at an NFL game this season -- fans have been fighting all year, including at the Rams vs. Bears game earlier in the season.

Originally Published -- 6:52 AM PT

JoJo Siwa Barely Avoids Courtside Catastrophe ... Nearly Run Over By Suns Player!!!

A Phoenix Suns player almost wiped out JoJo Siwa while she was sitting courtside at the Lakers game Tuesday ... but somehow, the influencer avoided catastrophe.

The near-collision all went down early in L.A.'s contest with Phoenix at Staples Center Crytpo.com Arena ... when Jae Crowder went flying into the stands to try to save a loose ball.

You can see in the footage of the play, as Jae dove head-first to nab the basketball -- his 6-foot-6, 235-pound body nearly went crashing into Siwa!!!

Fortunately, JoJo was able to duck out of the way -- and Crowder rolled over her seat without causing any injuries.

Siwa clearly loved the experience ... she was all smiles as Crowder picked himself up off the floor -- and she even tweeted her experience went "quite well!"

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COURTSIDE COLLISION

The night ended up being an overall bummer for Siwa, though -- 'cause her Lakers ended up losing badly to the Suns.

But, hey, sure beats going home with bruises or broken bones ... right?!

Francis Ngannou I'm Impressed W/ Jake Paul's Boxing Woodley KO Shocked Me!!

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GOTTA HAND IT TO HIM
TMZSports.com

"I was impressed by Jake Paul. I didn't see that coming. I was sure that Tyron Woodley was gonna win this fight, you know? But you gotta give it to Jake Paul. He made a statement -- a huge statement and he proved that he puts his money where his mouth is."

That's arguably the baddest man on the planet, UFC heavyweight champion and knockout machine, Francis Ngannou saying that even he was very impressed with the Problem Child.

Like many people, Ngannou expected 39-year-old Woodley -- with the experience of their summer fight under his belt -- to handle 24-year-old Paul with relative ease.

However, that didn't happen ... 'cause Paul knocked T-Wood -- the former dominant UFC welterweight champ -- out cold in the 6th round of their highly anticipated rematch Saturday night in Tampa, landing a huge power punch that flatlined the future UFC Hall of Famer.

Francis -- who's won 12 of his 16 pro MMA fights by KO -- says this should be a lesson to anyone who doesn't take 6-0 Jake Paul seriously ... you really should, or wind up fast asleep on the canvas.

"[Jake's] taking himself very seriously. You better take him seriously because he proved it."

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BEATING THE ODDS
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We also talked to the HW champ about his upcoming UFC 270 fight with interim champ, Ciryl Gane ... a fight in which Ngannou is actually the underdog.

But, Francis flat out says he doesn't care what Vegas thinks ... and when January 22 rolls around, he plans on extending his win streak to 6!

Khalil Mack Lists Hillside Home For $2.88 Million ... Insane NorCal Mansion

Wanna live like NFL superstar Khalil Mack?? Now you can -- if you've got a small fortune layin' around ...

TMZ Sports has learned the Chicago Bears pass rusher -- who began his career with the Oakland Raiders -- is selling his insane hillside mansion in NorCal for $2.88 MILLION.

The 3-time All-Pro bought the place in San Ramon, Calif. shortly after the Raiders drafted him ... but with no need to be in the Bay Area anymore, he's ready to get rid of the pad.

The place -- which is being listed by Maria Afzal from Keller Williams Luxury Palo Alto after being referred to by Luther Robinson II from Robinson Luxury Group -- is insane, featuring 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.

It's 3,700 square feet and has a spa bathroom, chef's kitchen and a huge patio with views that overlook hills and lights from the city.

Of course, if the home sells, it'll be the second time Mack has unloaded property this year -- 'cause he just sold his home in Illinois for $3.9 million.

Unclear if it all means Mack is gearing up to play football for a new team in a new city next year, or if the dude just wants some extra cash in his pocket.

Either way, the guy's really rich -- and clearly enjoys living in some amazing places.

Jorge Masvidal Jake Paul's $5 Million Offer Is 'Chump Change' ... Meet Me In UFC!!!

UPDATE

3:42 PM PT -- Masvidal has heard Jake's offer loud and clear -- and he's shutting it down, calling it "chump change."

UPDATE

Masvidal says if Jake raises the offer to $20 million, then maybe the UFC would consider letting the fight happen.

UPDATE

Jorge then makes his own offer to Jake ... saying he can come meet him in the UFC on a 1-fight deal, where they'll only box. If Jake wins, Masvidal says he'll forfeit his purse.

UPDATE

"Come on over and get paid and laid out."

Jake Paul is channeling his inner Godfather and making Jorge Masvidal an offer he can't refuse ... saying he will shell out $5 MILLION to get the UFC fighter to be his next opponent.

Fresh off his knockout win over Tyron Woodley, the Problem Child announced the offer on his brother Logan's "Impaulsive" podcast on Tuesday ... saying he's not all talk and REALLY wants to scrap.

Jake says Masvidal keeps shutting him down for 2 reasons -- he only fights the best, or he fights for the money ... so now, Paul is giving him the latter.

And, a LOT of it.

"Masvidal, I got an offer for you right now -- $5 million guarantee plus percentage of Pay-Per-View," Jake said. "Let's make it happen."

Remember, Jake called out Gamebred and Nate Diaz right after the win ... calling them "bitches" in the process.

The big obstacle, though, is that both guys are under contract with UFC ... and would need permission to take a fight outside the promotion.

He says he's down to take either UFC star in the ring ... calling it "light work."

"Diaz isn't good," Jake added. "Look at their records! Numbers don't f***ing lie, bro. I'm undefeated. Diaz literally wins two fights and loses one. Two fights, loses one. F*** that."

It wasn't always this bitter between the two -- back before the Ben Askren fight, Jorge was actually helping Jake train.

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TRAININ' WITH THE BEST
@jakepaul / Twitter

Is the money enough to get Jorge's attention?? Most likely. But, the real question is, if UFC honcho Dana White -- who ain't exactly the biggest Paul fan -- will sign off on the fight?

Originally Published -- 2:52 PM PT

NFL's Cole Beasley Tests Positive For Covid-19 ... Outspoken Against Vaccine

UPDATE

4:11 PM PT -- Beasley says he has mild symptoms and is feeling fine ... sending another fiery message in the process.

UPDATE

"Just to be clear Covid is not keeping me out of this game. The rules are," he said on Instagram.

UPDATE

"Vaxxed players are playing with Covid every week now because they don't test. One of my vaxxed teammates is in the hospital missing games. I'm sure he didn't get this same energy."

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley -- who said he'd rather die than get the vaccine -- tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday ... and is expected to miss at least 10 days before returning to the team.

The news became official just minutes ago ... with the Bills placing Beasley on the COVID-19/Reserve list.

Beasley -- who is unvaccinated, obviously -- returned a positive test, and is now sidelined for the Bills' big game against the Patriots.

Of course, Cole has been as passionate as they come on his decision to not get the jab -- back in June, Beasley went on a social media rant ... calling out everyone from the NFLPA to fans on Twitter.

"Hi, I'm Cole Beasley and I'm not vaccinated!" the 32-year-old said at the time. "I will be outside doing what I do. I'll be out in the public. If you're scared of me then steer clear or get vaccinated. Point. Blank. Period."

"I may die of Covid, but I’d rather die actually living."

Beasley's decision to not get vaccinated even drew criticism from Mavs owner, Mark Cuban, who pled with the slot wideout to get vaxxed for the sake of everyone else.

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PLAIN AND SIMPLE
TMZSports.com

"Cole's a good guy, but, you know, getting vaccinated isn't just about you, it's about everybody else as well," Cuban said.

Despite Cuban's advice, Cole -- who already had to quarantine earlier this summer after coming into close contact with a trainer who tested positive for the virus -- doesn't seem like he's changing his mind anytime soon.

Originally Published -- 1:52 PM PT

Luka Doncic Sends Kids Toys, Autographs & Swag ... At Slovenian Hospital

Luka Doncic may be a Dallas Maverick, but he's clearly never forgotten where he's come from -- 'cause he just sent a bunch of gifts to kids at a hospital in his Slovenian hometown.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the NBA All-Star just directed a special delivery to the Children's Hospital of the University Medical Center Ljubljana -- surprising almost 200 kids with all kinds of goodies to brighten up their holidays.

The shipment was filled with toys -- like LEGOS and dollhouses -- as well as headphones, Jordan sportswear, and gift cards.

We're told Luka also sent each kid an autographed photo and a sweet note from the NBA star ... plus he recorded a video message that everyone got to watch from their hospital bed.

"These children are going through so much," Luka said in a statement. "I just hope this gives them a little bit of happiness during these difficult times."

"I hope they feel better soon, so they can get back to doing what they love. I'm thinking of them and I wish the children and their families a happy New Year in 2022."

Of course, this isn't the first time Doncic has given back to his Slovenian roots ... in 2020, he launched a program with Slovenian athletes Jaka Bijol and Robert Kristan to help the country's healthcare system during the pandemic.

The 22-year-old has also donated to the city of Dallas during the pandemic -- gifting 100 pairs of Jordans to healthcare workers at UT's Southwestern Medical Center.

Doncic also partnered up with Mark Cuban, Dwight Powell and the Mavs' Foundation to donate $500k to the same medical center and Parkland Hospital.

Props for all the generosity, Luka.

Kimera Bartee Dead at 49 ... Tigers' 1B Coach

Kimera Bartee -- Detroit Tigers first base coach and former MLB outfielder -- has died, the team announced in a statement on Tuesday.

He was just 49 years old.

Tigers GM Al Avila confirmed the tragic news, saying ... "All of us in the Tigers baseball family were shocked and saddened to learn that first base coach Kimera Bartee suddenly passed away on Monday at the age of 49."

"Throughout his time in our organization as both a player and coach, Kimera was known as a kind soul but intense competitor who did his best every day to elevate those around him to do great things."

The cause of death is not known at this time, but Bartee was visiting his father in Omaha, when he suddenly collapsed ... according to the Detroit Free Press.

Bartee -- a 14th-round draft pick by the Orioles out of Creighton University -- made his MLB debut with the Tigers in 1996.

Kimera spent 4 of his 6 seasons in the big leagues with Detroit ... before becoming a coach for three different orgs. -- the Pirates, Phillies, and Tigers.

Pirates chairman Bob Nutting released his own statement on Kimera's passing saying ... "We are deeply saddened to hear the news of the sudden passing of Kimera Bartee."

"He was a great person, whose upbeat attitude and infectious smile would always lift the spirits of anyone who interacted with him. Our hearts go out to his family, whom he loved so much. He was much too young and will be dearly missed."

RIP

Utah Jazz Dancer Gets Epic Marriage Proposal ... During On-Court Routine

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NOT THE PROPOSED ROUTINE
@utahjazz

Danielle Bush -- a dancer for the Utah Jazz -- got the surprise of a lifetime during Monday night's game ... when she got an epic marriage proposal during her on-court routine!

The amazing and romantic moment went down at the Hornets vs. Jazz game, when the Utah dancers were performing during a break.

In the video, you can see Danielle and the rest of the team were hitting synchronized moves, when suddenly, the routine changed and Danielle had no idea what was happening.

A few seconds later, though, her boyfriend popped out with a ring ... and asked her to marry him!

Danielle said "yes" as Bruno Mars' "Marry You" played over the speakers ... and it was all super sweet.

The dancers provided background moves while the whole thing went down ... making the whole thing all the more magical.

Amazing moment -- congrats!!

Follow up with the wedding during halftime of a game next year??

Aldon Smith DUI Arrest NFL Star Had Weed In Pocket & Empty Booze Bottles ... Prosecutors Say

UPDATE

10:02 AM PT -- Smith appeared in court on Tuesday and pled not guilty to all charges.

UPDATE

At the hearing, the judge ordered Smith must wear an alcohol detection device as part of the terms of his release from custody.

UPDATE

Smith is due back in court in January.

UPDATE

7:58 AM PT -- Prosecutors just revealed more details surrounding Smith's arrest ... saying the NFL star had weed in his pocket and empty bottles of rum and vodka in his car.

UPDATE

Officials say Smith rear-ended a vehicle that was stopped at a stop sign on I-280 at around 1:28 PM on Dec. 6 ... and then told the person he hit that "he "cannot have cops there."

UPDATE

Officials say Smith offered the person $1,000 for a ride away from the scene.

UPDATE

Officials added that when cops arrived, Smith "refused to submit to field sobriety tests and refused to take a test."

UPDATE

The officials also noted the person that Smith had hit was suffering from pain in his back, wrist, knee, leg and foot.

Prosecutors tell TMZ Sports they believe Aldon Smith was driving with a BAC of greater than .20 before he was arrested for a DUI earlier this month.

Smith was booked back on Dec. 6 after cops say he had driven drunk in San Mateo County and then got involved in a two-car accident -- and, on Monday, prosecutors formally filed charges against the 32-year-old over it all.

Court documents show Smith was hit with two felony DUI charges ... and, in the docs, prosecutors revealed they believe Smith was HEAVILY intoxicated at the time of the incident.

In the docs, prosecutors say Smith had a BAC of greater than .15 ... and when we spoke with the San Mateo County District Attorneys Office on Monday afternoon, a spokesperson told us they believe Smith actually had a BAC of greater than .20.

The DA spokesperson noted they're waiting on further test results to reveal the final number. Of course, the legal limit in California is .08.

Prosecutors also allege in the docs that Smith had an open container of booze in his car at the time of the crash ... and they also claim he had weed in an open container in the vehicle as well. They added that the other person involved in the accident suffered minor injuries.

Smith is facing up to three years in prison if he's convicted on the charges, prosecutors say. He's due in court for a hearing on the matter on Tuesday morning.

We've reached out to Smith's attorney for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

As for Smith's NFL career ... he balled out for the Dallas Cowboys in 2020, but he's currently a free agent after he was released by the Seattle Seahawks before the 2021 season began.

Originally Published -- 12:30 AM PT