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An emotional Doc Rivers choked back tears as he talked about the Jacob Blake police shooting on Tuesday -- explaining why Black people are pissed and railing against republicans.

"It's amazing why we keep loving this country, and this country does not love us back," Rivers said.

"It's really so sad. Like, I should just be a coach. I'm so often reminded of my color. It's just really sad. We got to do better. But, we got to demand better."

The L.A. Clippers coach had refused to talk about the shooting BEFORE the playoff game against the Dallas Mavericks "because it's so hard to keep watching it."

But, after the game, the emotions poured out of the 58-year-old, who interestingly enough, used to be friends with Donald Trump.

"If you watch that [Jacob Blake] video, you don’t need to be Black to be outraged. You need to be American and outraged."

"All you hear is Donald Trump and all of them talking about fear," Rivers said while referring to the Republican National Convention.

"We're the ones getting killed. We're the ones getting shot. We're the ones that we're denied to live in certain communities. We've been hung. We've been shot. And, all you do is keep hearing about fear."

Doc says he's not anti-cop -- his father was a police officer -- but he demands changes when it comes to training, especially when it comes to policing the Black community.

"The training has to change in the police force. The unions have to be taken down in the police force," Rivers said.

Cincinnati Bengals rookie quarterback Joe Burrow just got himself an amazing welcome-to-the-NFL gift ... a diamond chain of his jersey number!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the Heisman Trophy winner wanted to do something special after inking his massive, $36 million rookie deal, so he hit up celeb jeweler Leo Frost to whip up the one-of-a-kind piece.

We're told the awesome #9 pendant is made of 18k white gold and VVS diamonds ... sitting on an 18k white gold prong-set Cuban chain with VVS diamonds.

In other words, the rook's got taste!!

For those who paid close attention to our pre-draft jewelry roundup back in February, this should come as no surprise. As Leo told Burrow at the time, "After the draft, I'm thinking we make this a fat ass piece for you, #9? A fat #9."

Leo delivered on his promise ... flying to Cincinnati this week to hand over the final product ... and Joe loved it!!

It's been one crazy year for the Ohio boy -- he won a natty, won the Heisman, helped raise $500k for his hometown food bank, and went #1 overall in the Draft.

Marshal Yanda has gone from All-Pro offensive lineman to absolute SNACK in just a few months ... dude's shaved off a ton of weight since his retirement -- and looks amazing!

Yanda -- one of the best linemen in the NFL for the past decade-plus -- just retired in March ... but it's clear he's got no chance of playing in the gridiron trenches any time soon.

Check out a photo the 6'3" potential future Hall of Famer posted Monday ... he looks NOTHING like the guy who used to crush D-lineman for the Ravens at over 300 pounds!!!

"Family RV Trip Out West," Yanda captioned the pic. "August is looking a lot different this year!!!"

No kidding!!!

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's son has been hit with several felonies stemming from his alleged knife attack on a neighbor in June ... and now he's facing nearly 10 years behind bars.

We broke the story ... cops in San Clemente, Calif. arrested 28-year-old Adam Abdul-Jabbar after they say he attacked his neighbor during an argument.

Adam's neighbor says he complained to the basketball legend's son about helping his grandma with outdoor trash cans ... which the man says set Adam off.

The 60-year-old says Adam stabbed him numerous times ... causing serious injuries, including a fractured skull and brain bleed. The man -- who's since filed a civil lawsuit against Adam -- also claims he nearly died from blood loss due to the incident.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Adam has now been charged with 3 felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon, one felony count of carrying a dirk or dagger, and three enhancements of inflicting great bodily injury over his alleged role in the incident.

If convicted on all counts, Adam faces up to nine years and eight months in prison.

"A dispute between neighbors should never escalate to violence, much less the ruthless nature of this attack," Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said Tuesday.

"Violence of any kind will not be tolerated in Orange County and those who choose to inflict violence on others will be prosecuted by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office to the fullest extent of the law."

It may be the end of an era with Barcelona, but Lionel Messi is getting serious love from his longtime teammates on Tuesday ... after the international soccer superstar has asked the club to terminate his contract.

The earth-shattering news broke hours ago ... with arguably the greatest player on the planet sending a letter to Barca asking to be released from his contract, citing a clause that could make him available at the end of the season.

It's a HUGE deal -- 33-year-old Messi has been with Barcelona since 2001, winning 10 La Liga titles and 4 Champions League titles.

Messi's also won the Ballon d’Or 6 times with Barca ... the most any player has ever earned in a career.

While Messi is prepped to leave the only pro club he's ever known, his teammates are taking the news in stride ... wishing the forward the best of luck in the future.

"Respect and admiration, Leo," Carles Puyol said on Twitter. "All my support, friend."

Luis Suarez -- Messi's teammate since 2014 -- echoed Puyol's message with a couple clapping emojis.

Messi wanting out isn't all that shocking to some, especially coming off an embarrassing season ... but it's still crazy to think about the guy in a new uniform.

The break-up might be a bit messy, however ... there are reports Messi's clause may have expired back in June ... which would require an $826 MILLION buyout.

The Detroit Lions canceled practice Tuesday at the request of the players -- so they could take action in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake.

Several players -- along with coach Matt Patricia -- instead met with the media outside of the Lions' headquarters in Detroit to give their thoughts on the shooting.

The players made signs -- one reading, "The world can't go on" ... another said, "We won't be silent."

Duron Harmon, a lions safety, gave an emotional speech -- saying, "Some people think were just football players."

"This league, 67%, of its players are African American. Jacob Blake could have been anybody’s brother, cousin, uncle, friend, could have been them. And it wasn’t okay."

Harmon added, "Football is not important today."

Blake was shot multiple times in the back Sunday by police officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin (about a 5-hour drive from Lions headquarters).

Blake's father has said he sustained 8 shots and is currently paralyzed from the waist down.

QB Matt Stafford also spoke on the issue -- saying, "Football was the last thing on our mind at the moment to be honest with you."

"We're all just trying to figure a way out to help or make a change and help out. The last thing we thought about was playing football."

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has been found GUILTY of a number of charges stemming from a massive brawl in Greece last week.

The 27-year-old superstar defender was vacationing with family in Mykonos late last Thursday when a fight broke out on the beach over allegations his sister was injected with a "rape drug."

Officers in plainclothes tried to break up the scuffle ... but ended up injured in the process, according to law enforcement.

At the time of the arrest, Maguire allegedly told cops, "Do you know who I am? I am the captain of Manchester United. I am very rich, I can give you money, I can pay you, please let us go."

Maguire was held in custody for nearly 2 days before being released on Saturday.

On Tuesday (apparently, the courts move super quick there) Maguire was found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and repeated attempts of bribery ... resulting in a suspended prison sentence of 21 months and 10 days.

Man. U released a statement ... saying, "Harry Maguire pleaded not guilty to all of the misdemeanour charges made against him and he continues to strongly assert his innocence."

The team added ... "It should be noted that the prosecution confirmed the charges and provided their evidence late on the day before the trial, giving the defence team minimal time to digest them and prepare."

Russell Wilson claims he's got AT LEAST another decade and a half left in his football gas tank ... saying he's trying to play quarterback until he's 46 years old!!!

"I'm right in the beginning of my prime," the Seattle Seahawks superstar told Sports Illustrated. "I got so many more years left."

Of course, Russ is 31 years old right now and has a TON of miles on his body -- dude's already been in the league since 2012 and has played in 128 regular-season games.

But, Wilson says he's feeling better than ever ... and thinks everything he's done up until this point is just the tip of his potential iceberg!!

"For me, I'm just getting started," Russ said. "That's the fun part for me. I'm just getting started. And, so, I want to keep going."

If you're wondering ... only a handful of quarterbacks have ever started past the age of 40 -- with Brett Favre, Vinny Testaverde and, most notably, Tom Brady all accomplishing that feat.

Russ seems confident as hell that he can join that list no problem ... saying straight up it's now "my mission" to make it there.

Great news for Minnesota Vikings LB Cameron Smith ... the team says he had successful open heart surgery Monday -- just a few weeks after COVID testing found a congenital issue.

Smith said earlier this month that after he was diagnosed with coronavirus ... his doctors did further testing and discovered he had an irregular valve in his heart that could have killed him.

"It is really a blessing that we found this," Smith said, "as my heart is severely enlarged and wouldn’t have lasted much longer."

Vikes head coach Mike Zimmer said Tuesday that Smith underwent the operation Monday and is still recovering at the hospital ... but added he's hopeful the 23-year-old can rejoin his teammates later this season.

Of course, Smith is out for the year and his future as a football player is in jeopardy ... but the former USC star has vowed to make every effort to one day get back on the field.

"By no means am I ready to be done playing football," Smith said. "There is still so much more I want to accomplish on the field."

Georgina Rodriguez wants everyone to know ... her boyfriend ain't the only one with a ridiculous body!!!

Check out Cristiano Ronaldo's longtime lady friend swimming around in the Mediterranean in a tiny, white thong bikini and a pair of flippers.

The insanely fit couple has been sailing around on their fancy, new yacht along the French Riviera ... hanging out with their insanely ripped pals -- living the good life.

Earlier this month, Ronaldo's Juventus squad won their 9th straight Series A -- but didn't win the Champions League, after being knocked out by Manchester City in the quarter-final match.

So, how do you blow off some of that steam? BOAT VACATION!

Of course, 35-year-old Ronaldo and 26-year-old Georgina have been together for years -- and she gave birth to their daughter, Alana, back in 2017.

There have long been rumors about the two being secretly engaged -- or even secretly married -- but the couple has denied that several times over the years.

Gregg Sulkin's looking pretty hulkin' these days ... and it helps his gym's wherever he parks his shredded bod.

Gregg hit up a local park in L.A. Monday for a socially-distanced workout. The actor brought the essentials with him ... his face mask and these incredible Bowflex adjustable dumbbells that have no doubt helped his arms get absolutely JACKED.

Gregg spent about an hour working out ... busting out some bicep curls, bodyweight squats and some push-ups. Unlike some people, dude's been making the best out of a terrible situation here, working out in makeshift gyms ... and the park usually seems to be his place of choice.

Ben Simmons has a new team -- no he hasn't been traded (yet) ... the NBA superstar has joined the world-famous FaZe Clan!

Simmons -- a hardcore gamer -- is the newest celebrity investor and even got a new FaZe nickname to go along with it ... FAZE SIMMO!

The Philadelphia 76ers big man will serve as an "ambassador to the organization for content as well as an advocate for gaming and esports and the expansion of FaZe Clan globally," the company says.

FaZe Clan also notes it will not disclose the amount of Ben's investment, though it's probably fair to assume it's a sizable number.

Simmons first started gaming with FaZe talent in 2018 -- mostly playing Call of Duty with FaZe Temperrr.

The two recently participated in a COD celebrity pro-am which raised nearly $125,000 to help people affected by COVID-19.

"Gaming is an important part of my life, and so it was a natural progression to personally invest in this industry,” Simmons said.

"FaZe Clan represents the pinnacle of the gaming culture, and I am really looking forward to connecting with new fans around the globe."

FaZe is one of the largest and most influential companies in gaming -- recently passing the 1 BILLION view mark on its YouTube channel.

Milwaukee Bucks guard George Hill has regrets about going to the NBA Bubble -- saying he feels helpless to take real action in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting.

“It’s just sickening. It’s heartless. It’s a f*cked up situation,” Hill said after defeating the Orlando Magic in Monday's playoff game.

"You’re supposed to look at the police to protect and serve. Now, it’s looked at harass or shoot."

When asked what the Bucks organization and players can do -- since the shooting took place in Kenosha, WI (about 45 minutes from their home arena) -- Hill didn't hold back his thoughts.

"We can’t do anything. First of all, we shouldn’t have even came to this damn place, to be honest. I think coming here just took all the focal points off what the issues are."

Hill continued, "But, we’re here, so it is what it is,” Hill said. “We can’t do anything from right here, but I think definitely when it’s all settled, some things have to be done."

Ex-Seattle DB Kemah Siverand says he's sorry for sneaking a woman into the Seahawks' hotel earlier this month ... saying straight-up his actions were "absolutely inexcusable."

Kemah was fired by Pete Carroll 2 weeks ago after Seahawks officials caught him dressing up a female companion in player gear in an effort to get her past security and into his room.

The 23-year-old says after stewing over it all the past 14-or-so days ... he's realized the whole operation was a boneheaded idea -- and called the entire thing a "lapse in judgment."

"I violated team rules," Siverand says, "which would be unacceptable in normal times, but absolutely inexcusable now during a pandemic."

Siverand says he's apologized to Seahawks officials vehemently ... with ESPN reporting he even personally handwrote a sorry note to the team.

Siverand was an undrafted free agent cornerback who had a small chance of making Seattle's roster ... and now has an even smaller chance of catching on again in the NFL.

But, Kemah says he's learned from the incident ... and is vowing to do everything he can to sign with another team.

Island Express, the company that operated the helicopter that killed Kobe Bryant and 8 others, is suing the 2 air traffic controllers who they claim caused the crash.

The helicopter company claims the 2 air traffic controllers who were guiding the pilot to the Mamba Academy, The controllers were asked by the pilot for radar guidance, presumably because of the heavy fog. According to the lawsuit, one of the controllers responded by saying, "I'm going to lose radar and comms [communications] probably pretty shortly so you can just squawk V-F-R [visual flight rules] and when you get closer go to Camarillo tower."

The company claims the controller denied the pilot the use of what it believes is life-saving radar, despite the fact that radar guidance had not yet been lost.

Another controller then relieved the first and according to the suit, less than 2 minutes later the pilot radioed in, but the new controller was unhelpful and uninformed.

According to the suit, the pilot believed he was still operating on radar because the tower operators did not clearly say it was being terminated. Nevertheless, the company claims the helicopter did suddenly lose radio and radar contact in the fog.

The suit claims at some point -- presumably when the pilot was in the fog -- radio contact came back, and the controller tried reaching the pilot repeatedly, and that caused the pilot additional stress. What's unclear ... it would seem the controller was calling to guide the pilot.