TMZ Sports - Page 9

Jay-Z and Robert Kraft are on a mission to thwart the rise of book bans by launching programs to reinstall teachings of slavery, the Holocaust and gender equality back into society.

TMZ Hip Hop has learned both Jay and Robert's organizations -- the Shawn Carter Foundation and the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism -- have donated $1 million to provide pro bono legal services to educators and librarians who've been targeted by local policies banning books.

The American Library Association reportedly documented nearly 1,300 demands last year to remove books -- most highlighting the Black and LGBTQIA+ communities, as well as religious minorities.

We're told the New England Patriots owner and Jay laid down the framework for underserved students to obtain scholarships and financial grants, and hopefully have their works turned into movies, plays, audiobooks, etc. to further the message.

There's also a plan to reprint banned books and have them circulated in adjacent learning centers.

The Brooklyn Public Library launched "Books Unbanned," a nationwide campaign that provides free books to kids, hassle-free, back in April 2022 ... and it's been wildly successful.

The BPL also unveiled Jay's new exhibit "The Book of HOV" on Friday, which showcases the Roc Nation rapper's legacy and written history in an elaborate fashion.

Jayson Tatum's appearance at Drake's concert on Wednesday night turned out to be a very painful experience for one fan ... 'cause during her freak-out over the Celtics star's cameo -- she wiped out down six rows of stairs.

The wild incident happened in the nosebleeds at TD Garden arena during the It's All A Blur Tour's stop in Boston ... after the rapper introduced the NBA star to the sold-out crowd.

The woman started to jump up and down when Tatum got on stage -- and she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Jayson Tatum!!"

But, somehow during the meltdown, she lost her balance ... tripped over a chair -- and then face-planted all the way down several steps.

Check out the footage of the fall ... she hit the pavement HARD.

No word on if she suffered any significant injuries ... but the TikTok user who posted the clip humorously captioned it, "big tatum fan!" -- so we get the vibe she's doing all right.

The night otherwise went off without a hitch ... and Drake seemed to be very pleased with his work inside the Celtics' home -- saying on his IG after the show, "Who else can get the Garden b(l)ooming like this?"

Daniel Ricciardo is getting the royal treatment in his big return to AlphaTauri ... with the whole team welcoming the F1 star back to home base.

The 34-year-old driver was greeted with a big hug from team principal Franz Tost on Friday ... and the front door featured a massive honey pot as a nod to his "honey badger" nickname.

The entire AlphaTauri team was waiting for the man of the hour as he made his way through headquarters ... and erupted in applause and cheers as he addressed the crowd.

Ricciardo even gave a speech ... thanking everyone for the warm welcome.

It's been a long time since Ricciardo -- who has raced for teams like Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri), Red Bull, Renault and McLaren -- has been back in the building ... but it's safe to say they made him feel like he never left.

Of course, Ricciardo's return to Red Bull's sister team comes as the team decided to move on from first-year driver Nyck de Vries ... who didn't meet expectations 10 races into the season.

Ricciardo previously said he was looking forward to taking the full year off ... but was turning heads with his testing laps this past weekend at Silverstone.

But, Danny is beloved in the F1 community ... so it goes without saying fans can't wait to check him out at the Hungarian Grand Prix next weekend.

Former Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy was found not guilty of rape and attempted rape at a retrial on Friday ... and the soccer star was overcome with emotion following the verdict.

The three-week process came to an end at Chester Crown Court in England, where Mendy broke down in tears after learning his fate.

The French footballer had been accused of raping a 24-year-old woman at his mansion in 2020 ... after she claimed he asked to see intimate pictures on her phone and told her to get naked. She said she made it clear she did not want to have sex, but when she went to get her phone off the bed, Mendy proceeded to rape her.

A 29-year-old woman also accused Mendy of molesting her in 2018, when she claimed he walked in on her while showering and tried to force her to have sex on his bed.

Mendy also faced serious rape allegations made by four women or teenagers ... but earlier this year, he was cleared of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault after a lengthy trial.

Bodybuilder Gustavo "the Freakin' Rican" Badell -- who faced off against some of the greatest bodybuilders of all time and twice finished third in the prestigious Mr. Olympia competition, has sadly died at the age of 50.

Details surrounding the death are currently unclear.

Fellow competitor and friend Eddie Abbew confirmed the news on Thursday ... and shared photos of the men together during their bodybuilding careers.

"I woke up this morning to information that Gustavo has passed away. My heart goes out to his family and friends," Abbew wrote.

"Gustavo was ten years younger than me. It is always sad when a young person is taken away long before their time. Rest in peace Gustavo and know that you will be missed."

Badell started his bodybuilding career when he was 19 and won his first competition in 1991 at the Junior Caribbean Bodybuilding Championship.

He went on to compete in many huge competitions, including the Atlantic City Pro, which he won, the Ironman Pro, Arnold Classic, and the World Pro Championships.

His most iconic moments came in 2004 and 2005 when he finished third at Mr. Olympia, right behind bodybuilding G.O.A.T.'s Ronnie Coleman (8 consecutive Olympia titles) and Jay Cutler (won 4 Olympias).

After retiring in 2012, Badell continued to stay in shape ... and was still involved in the fitness community, often interacting with fans online.

Britney Spears has a big recording decision to make -- not about new music, but about whether she will personally read the audio version of her upcoming memoir.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Britney remains undecided on doing the audio portion of "The Woman In Me," though it's unclear why she hasn't made a decision either way.

One theory floated to us -- Britney might simply feel it's too much to record all 288 pages of her life story.

The clock is ticking, though ... the memoir is set to be released Oct. 24, and there's already huge demand for the book -- it's among Amazon's best sellers based solely on pre-orders.

Our sources say Britney's team is scrounging up a list of names for possible candidates in case she decides against recording it herself.

Meanwhile, we're told her manager, Cade Hudson, is in Mexico right now with Britney where they're trying to reach a decision.

Remember, Britney recently finished the book, and was in Las Vegas to celebrate her accomplishment when the Victor Wembanyama slapping incident happened ... and we know she's still fuming about that.

Time apparently doesn't heal all wounds for Future ... 'cause the rapper just seemingly dissed the hell outta Russell Wilson in his latest song.

The Atlanta M.C. dropped the controversial bar in his "Turn Yo Clic Up" collab with Quavo on Friday ... rapping in his verse, "I got it out the field, f*** Russell."

Future hasn't shied away from his thoughts on his ex-fiancée and mother of his child, Ciara, moving on with the NFL quarterback ... going in on the now-married couple multiple times in interviews.

Remember, Future Hendrix bashed Ciara for having Russell around Future Jr. early in their relationship ... telling "The Breakfast Club" in 2015, "You don't bring a man around your son."

"You've known this man for a few months and you're bringing him around your kid? Who does that?"

He later went in on Russell in 2019 ... saying he's not a real man in their relationship.

"He not telling her, 'Chill out with that on the internet. Don't even talk to him. I'm your husband. You better not even bring Future's name up!" he said on Apple Music.

"If that was me, she couldn't even bring his name up. She know that. She couldn't even bring her exes names up."

Russell and Ciara have been married since 2016 ... and they have two kids of their own.

Wilson has since become a father figure for Future Jr. as well ... even spending a lot of time working on their football skills together.

Russell doesn't seem bothered by Future's constant gripes -- this past Father's Day, he said, "Future, Sienna & Win ... I Love You Forever! Glad we get to raise them together Momma! @ciara."

Lionel Messi's move to Miami apparently didn't come with a personal shopper ... 'cause the soccer legend was spotted out at a Publix on Thursday -- roaming with the normies to make sure his cupboards were stocked with cereal.

Just two days after he touched down in Florida to begin his new career in the MLS ... Messi evidently needed some food for his crib so badly, the $600 million man took it upon himself to hit up a local supermarket to nab some groceries.

The 36-year-old soccer G.O.A.T. pushed his own cart and traversed through some gawking fans to make the run ... and at the end of it all, he walked away with what appeared to be several boxes of sugary breakfast treats.

The footballer, though, seemed to have a relatively easy time being out in public ... while he did pose for a selfie with at least one fan at the store, most seemed to let him go about his business without bothering him.

Of course, that's a stark contrast from his usual norm in Argentina ... where most of his nights out involve being swarmed by hundreds of fans.

But, Messi is still getting the VIP treatment, at least in some parts of his new home ... while out at a dinner earlier this week, he had to deal with several people who had lined up to get a glimpse of him on his way to his car.

Messi is slated to be formally introduced by Inter Miami on Sunday ... so it might be another few days before the mania around the soccer player really kicks off in South Beach.

Doc Rivers says he has no idea if he'll ever return to an NBA sideline ... the coaching great tells TMZ Sports his future in the sport is completely up in the air.

We spoke with Rivers -- who was recently let go from his gig with the Philadelphia 76ers -- outside Jon & Vinny's in LA this week ... and he made it clear his main focus is enjoying his recently-cleared schedule.

"I don't know what I'm gonna do," Rivers told us. "I'm just gonna enjoy life."

The championship-winning coach was fired back in May after going 154-82 through three seasons in the City of Brotherly Love ... and if a coaching job isn't in the cards, there are rumblings he could put on the headset for a broadcasting role with ESPN.

Rivers didn't tip his hand on what's next for him ... but certainly seemed to be in great spirits as he deflected questions about whether teams were calling his line.

"I just enjoy life," he told us ... adding he was having a "phenomenal" summer.

The 61-year-old former NBA star is one of the most successful coaches in league history ... leading the sideline for the Magic, Celtics, Clippers and Sixers through the years.

Former Detroit Lions CB Stanley Wilson Jr. died from a pulmonary thromboembolism likely caused by deep vein thrombosis -- a blood clot in a deep vein -- according to an autopsy report obtained by TMZ Sports.

Wilson, who was 40 years old, was pronounced deceased at the Metropolitan State Hospital in Los Angeles County on February 1 ... after officials said he suddenly collapsed, never regaining consciousness.

Stanley's family, however, wasn't buying the explanation ... hiring an attorney who filed three lawsuits against the county in March, accusing them of being deceitful with the truth.

"The County has grossly misrepresented the cause and circumstances of Stanley Wilson Jr.'s death," the attorney said in the court filings at the time.

However, an autopsy conducted on February 4 by the medical examiner in L.A. concluded Wilson Jr. passed away naturally from a pulmonary thromboembolism.

According to the Mayo Clinic, that's a "blood clot that blocks and stops blood flow to an artery in the lung. In most cases, the blood clot starts in a deep vein in the leg and travels to the lung."

The report does mention "red abrasions" to the "forehead, right hand, and right knee" ... but they were described by the doctor as "superficial."

The report says Wilson Jr. was in a prescreening area of the hospital and complained of anxiety before he collapsed. Officials say medics responded to the scene, but unfortunately they weren't able to save Stanley.

Philip Rivers' family is one step closer to having their very own offspring football team -- the ex-NFL star's wife is pregnant with their 10th child!!

The former Chargers and Colts quarterback revealed the exciting news this week ... saying a baby boy is slated to arrive this fall.

"We are all fired up," Rivers told AL.com. "Everyone was pulling for a boy. Even our girls wanted a boy."

Rivers -- who currently shares nine children ranging from age 4-21 with wife Tiffany -- pointed out his mom AND dad come from families of nine kids ... and he initially thought it would be the same for his own clan, but "God decided" they would reach double digits.

As for a baby name, the 17-year veteran said they haven't figured it out just let ... but they have a lot of options to pick from.

When he's not taking care of his kids, Philip also spends his retirement as a high school football coach ... entering his third season at St. Michael Catholic in Fairhope, AL.

Just when you thought Lane Johnson couldn't get any scarier ... here's video of the NFL star picking up 700 pounds from the ground -- with ease!!!

The Philadelphia Eagles right tackle -- arguably the best offensive lineman in the entire league -- shared footage of the feat to his social media page Thursday afternoon ... humbly calling it a "quick lil" lift.

While Johnson made the one rep on the trap bar look effortless ... don't be fooled, that is some heavy-ass weight -- the equivalent of one full vending machine!!

Even the NFL was impressed by Johnson's deadlift, the league's official social media page reposted the clip, writing, "That’s that OL strength 💪."

Of course, we shouldn't be too surprised by it all ... the 6-foot-6, 325-pound former Oklahoma Sooners star has been tossing around D-linemen and impressing in the weight room for over a decade now.

Lil Durk spent the past week in the hospital with severe dehydration and exhaustion, only to be released yesterday a source close to the situation tells TMZ Hip Hop.

We're told Durk checked into a hospital on July 6, after falling ill in Ohio.

He went to the hospital as a safety measure ... but doctors told him the matter was more serious than he and his team realized and quickly admitted him.

The sudden health scare forced Durk to miss a series of shows across Europe and yesterday's ESPY Awards, and we're told he's still not been cleared by physicians to return to work in any capacity.

Durk tells TMZ Hip Hop ... "My fans mean everything to me, you’re the reason why I do this. I was looking forward to touching all of my European fans, performing this week(end), attending the ESPYs and more but after performing and traveling daily I’ve become severely dehydrated and advised by my doctors not to travel due to exhaustion. Once I get my full energy back, it’s back to business which I’m looking forward to. #StillHealing."

Lil Wayne was undeniably a vital part of this year's ESPY Awards ... the Young Money rap star had every athlete in the building rocking when he opened the event with a sports-themed rendition of his classic banger "A Milli!!!"

The electrifying performance peaked when Wayne went into the crowd and bounced with reigning Super Bowl champ Travis Kelce, but the hip-hop legend wasn't done highlighting the festivities.

Weezy F. Baby later introduced WNBA 🐐 Sue Bird to the podium and linked up with Angel Reese, 2 Chainz and NBA champ Jamal Murray throughout the evening.

Backstage, Wayne and Quavo dapped it up, and we're told it was the first time they've seen one another since Lil Weezyana Fest last year -- which, tragically, was Takeoff's final show before he was killed.

We're also told Wayne's choice of attire was intentional -- he repped for the late Kobe Bryant in a "Mamba Mentality" sweater, and also donned an LSU hat to signify women's accomplishments ... most notably Angel and Flau'jae Johnson, who has a song collab with Wayne dropping soon.

Former LSU women's basketball star Danielle Ballard -- who helped lead the Tigers to the Sweet 16 in 2014 -- was tragically killed on Thursday ... after she was struck by a car in Tennessee.

She was just 29 years old.

The Memphis Police Department said the incident happened at around 1:30 AM at an intersection just a few miles away from the FedExForum in Memphis.

Cops said she was rushed to a local hospital after she was hit ... but she was sadly pronounced dead at the facility a short time later.

"The driver stayed on the scene," the MPD added in a statement. "This is an ongoing investigation."

Ballard was a standout for the Tigers during her time in Baton Rouge, averaging 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.4 steals in her three seasons (2012-15).

Among the accolades that she racked up in her tenure included Most Valuable Player honors and a selection to the All-SEC Defensive Team. She also earned recognition as the LSWA Louisiana Freshman of the Year.

Prior to joining LSU, Ballard was considered one of the best female high school players in the nation, being ranked No. 25 overall by ESPN after leading her Memphis Central team to its first class 3A state title in 89 years.

Fans of Ballard flooded social media following the news of her death ... with many leaving their thoughts and prayers on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

Add this to the list of awesome things Flau'jae Johnson's done since winning the National Championship ... the LSU hoops star performed in front of a packed crowd, including LeBron James, at a star-studded ESPY's after-party on Wednesday!

Johnson put on a show for The King and other big-time celebs at Uninterrupted's after-party in Los Angeles (Uninterrupted was founded by LBJ and biz partner Maverick Carter in 2014).

Johnson performed her hit single, "Clickbait" -- a remix of Latto's "Put It on Da Floor" -- and the crowd loved it!

But, she wasn't the only hip hop artist that hit the stage ... Quavo also pulled up and did "Hotel Lobby" and "Bad and Boujee."

Of course, James was all smiles, dancing the night away ... just hours after the Lakers superstar won the award for Best Record-Breaking Performance. LeBron also announced he's not retiring from the NBA.