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One of the most famous cleat artists in the world says he's lucky to be alive after a bad car crash in Miami this week ... and his ultra-famous clients are offering their support.

"SolesBySir" -- real name Marcus Rivero -- has designed cleats for superstars like DeSean Jackson, Terrell Suggs, Reggie Bush, Marshawn Lynch and more for years ... and is widely regarded as one of the best in the business.

But, tragedy struck Thursday in Miami when his vehicle collided with another car, forcing his Mercedes-Benz to veer off the road and slam into a tree.

We spoke with SolesBySir who says he went to a hospital to get checked out -- but the injuries were relatively minor considering how bad things could've been (the crash photos are BRUTAL).

"Words can’t express how THANKFUL I am to be able to have walked away from [Thursday's] accident with just a few injuries. Luckily, the person who caused it was unscathed. Please be careful out there."

Several of the artist's top clients have already reached out to show their support -- including Dwyane Wade, Warren Sapp, Jameis Winston and more.

Kobe Bryant is still a titan of industry -- even in death -- so says Forbes which just ranked him #6 on its "Highest-Paid Dead Celebrities of 2020" list.

The NBA legend passed away on Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash -- but in the months that followed, his estate pulled in an estimated $20 million in earnings, Forbes says.

The main source of income is from shoes and apparel -- with Nike reportedly raking in around $250 mil annually from Mamba items.

In addition to sneakers, Kobe's 2018 autobiography, "The Mamba Mentality: How I Play" sold more than 300,000 copies this year --TEN TIMES the number of copies it did in 2019, Forbes says.

There's more ... after the Lakers won the NBA championship in October, Bryant's jersey was the #2 seller for the organization, behind Finals MVP LeBron James.

As for the rest of the Forbes list ... Michael Jackson is still #1 with $48 mil in earnings in 2020. Dr. Seuss is #2 with $33 mil. Peanuts creator Charles Schulz is #3 with $32.5. Arnold Palmer is #4 with $25 million. And #5 is Elvis with $23 mil.

Elvis' estate has lost a ton of money this year because of the COVID pandemic -- tourism at his legendary home Graceland is a big moneymaker, but it's been hit hard by the shutdowns.

"Your opinion can eat sh*t."

Emily Cave -- the widowed wife of late Edmonton Oilers center Colby Cave -- does NOT want to hear your complaints about COVID-19 protocol ... explaining the alternatives to the safety measures are so much worse.

"My 25 year old husband died alone," Emily said in a powerful statement Thursday.

"I have no clue what his last breath was like. I have yet to have a funeral because of this global pandemic. So for goodness sake, wear a mask. Wash your freaking hands."

As we previously reported, Colby tragically died back in April after emergency surgery to remove a colloid cyst from his brain was unsuccessful.

Emily was devastated over it all ... and says the coronavirus pandemic made everything infinitely worse.

She wrote Thursday that she couldn't be with Colby during his post-operation period ... saying, she had to get a phone call that he had died rather than "being there holding his hand."

Now, she's BEGGING people to just simply follow COVID-19 restrictions ... insisting they'll help others avoid a tragic situation similar to hers.

"Today I hit my breaking point with Alberta making new restrictions," Emily said. "I personally see and hear so many people complaining. I understand a lot of people feel that they won't get it and if they did they would survive it."

"However, what would happen if your loved one became sick very fast with something else, was in a car accident, or was dying ... and then because of the COVID restrictions you weren't allowed to be with them?!?!"

Mohamed Salah -- one of the best soccer players in the world -- has tested positive for coronavirus, the Egyptian Football Association confirmed.

The 28-year-old Egyptian superstar will now begin a self-isolation period -- where he must remain until he's cleared to return to action by medical officials.

"The medical swab conducted on the mission of our first national football team showed that our international player, Mohamed Salah, the star of Liverpool, was infected with the Coronavirus," the EFA said in a statement,.

Officials say Salah is not showing any symptoms -- and no other members of the Egyptian team have tested positive.

Salah is a beast on the pitch -- he's won the Golden Boot for leading the Premiere League in scoring in two separate seasons ('17-'18, '18-'19) and was the BBC African Footballer of the year in 2017 and 2018.

Less than a week after he was hospitalized in a bad car crash, Alabama running back Trey Sanders returned to the team locker room Thursday ... and TURNED UP!

The team threw an impromptu dance party Thursday following a work out where different players showed off their moves ... and when Sanders rolled in, everyone went wild!

Amazing to watch considering the redshirt freshman was injured so badly in the wreck, he was life-flighted to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.

As we previously reported, Sanders was in a vehicle with his brother in Clarksville, Florida last Friday when they got into an accident that left Sanders in bad shape.

No word on his specific injuries -- but he seems to be recovering well.

Earlier this week, coach Nick Saban told reporters Sanders is expected to make a full recovery -- but noted there is no timetable on his return.

"He’s going to be okay but [this is some] pretty serious stuff."

Bama was supposed to play LSU this weekend -- but that game has been postponed due to COVID concerns.

Super emotional scene in the Titans' game Thursday ... Corey Davis played despite his older brother's death Wednesday -- and cameras caught the WR in tears at one point in the evening.

Davis' bro, Central Michigan football legend Titus Davis, tragically died Wednesday at the age of 27 after a lengthy battling with a rare form of kidney cancer.

Corey decided to play a little more than 24 hours later ... because he said that's what his big bro would have wanted.

And, at times during the night, the 25-year-old's heavy heart was apparent.

"As he was laying there all he kept telling my sister was to tell me to play, regardless of what happens," Corey said after the game. "He just kept telling me to play, throughout the whole process. That's my biggest fan."

Corey balled out considering the circumstances ... catching 5 passes for 67 yards in Tennessee's 34-17 loss to Indianapolis -- and afterward, he explained just how much Titus meant to him both on and off the field.

"Since I was a little kid I was always chasing after him and trying to be like him," Davis said. "I wore his number every year to copy him. He thought it was annoying, but I looked up to him tremendously."

"That was my idol, my hero. I tried to honor him tonight."

Davis continued, "I obviously miss him and wish he was here, but I know he's in a better place and that he was with me today."

Heartbreaking stuff.

He may not be happy in Houston, but Russell Westbrook was all smiles in L.A. on Thursday ... where he celebrated his birthday at one of the swankiest spots in town.

Russ turned the big 3-2 on Thursday -- and hit up Delilah with his wife, Nina, and some close pals (No, James Harden wasn't there).

As you may have heard, Westbrook is looking to leave the Houston Rockets ... where he's reportedly unhappy with the team's "accountability and culture," according to The Athletic.

He apparently wants to play for a squad where "he can have a role similar to his prior, floor-general role in Oklahoma City."

So, Westbrook has reportedly made a trade request with just about a month until the 2020-21 NBA season kicks off. Tick tock ...

Westbrook still has 3 years left on his current contract -- which is set to pay him out more than $132 MILLION.

"They put that money up, hell yeah I'll go over there and fight him!"

That's boxing superstar Terence Crawford -- arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world -- telling TMZ Sports he would seriously consider an MMA match with Conor McGregor.

So, why would the undefeated welterweight champ cross over into Conor's sport? Easy ...

Turns out, Crawford comes from a family of wrestlers and has some legit wrestling experience himself. He's very confident in his skills.

Plus, he doesn't think Conor's that big of a threat on the ground anyway!

"To keep it real, Conor's not a real good wrestler. He may kick the sh*t out of you. You gotta worry about them kicks to the head and them elbows more than him grabbing you."

"It'd be other things that you'd be having to worry about other than wrestling you."

Of course, if Conor wanted to stand up and turn it into a fistfight, the undefeated Crawford believes it would be a slaughter.

There's been talk about a possible Crawford vs. McGregor match for a while -- but Terence says he's seriously open to it.

"Conor is a big talent in the octagon and I'm a big talent in the boxing ring. Money talks. They put that money up, hell yeah I'll go over there and fight him!"

In the meantime, Crawford has a big fight coming up on Saturday -- taking on former champ Kell Brook in a WBO welterweight title bout.

Crawford is a huge favorite -- but we spoke with Kell, and he ain't about to roll over.

34-year-old Brook is 39 and 2 as a pro -- with a win over Shawn Porter in 2014.

Tom Brady is new to Florida ... so how'd the G.O.A.T. handle his first huge storm?! Here's a hint ... he didn't secure his jet skis, and they floated hundreds of yards away.

Brady met with the media Thursday afternoon ... and he was asked how he dealt with Tropical Storm Eta -- which slammed into Tampa early this morning -- wreaking havoc.

"The hurricane, that was a trip last night for me," Brady said.

"I had a dock and it broke, floated away. I had these jet skis on, I saw those things sitting in the middle of the bay and I was going, 'Wow, that's pretty surreal' and I was kinda laughing. 'Well, you'll get the jet skis back.'"

"A lot of people are dealing with a lot worst than that, but just waking up and seeing kinda what happened to the yard, it got pretty messed up. Be really nervous if a big one hit!"

Of course, Eta caused flooding and lots of property damage ... and was even responsible for 1 death, according to reports.

Tom -- who was raised in California and spent his entire professional career in New England -- says he is NOT looking forward to the next one ... but has learned a valuable lesson on storm preparation.

"It happened pretty quick, I thought you had time to prepare for these things but apparently you don't, They're just kinda on you and then you just gotta deal with it so we pushed the schedule back today."

"Fortunate everyone made it safe and sound. Good lesson learned for someone who's been in the northeast for a long time."

So, did Brady get his jet skis back?

"They got fixed. We dragged 'em back. They were about 300 yards away at someone else's house and I got a bunch of messages from people that were like, 'Hey man, are your jet skis...?' Ya know, they floated down and found their way into someone else's dock. They got lodged, so I was very lucky."

How freaky of an athlete was teenage Todd Gurley?? The Atlanta Falcons star ACCIDENTALLY qualified for Team USA Track and Field in high school!!!

The 26-year-old running back explained the whole story to NFL stars Cam Jordan and Mark Ingram on their "Truss Levelz" podcast on The Players' Tribune this week ... and the tale is WILD!!!

Gurley says he taught himself how to run hurdles while he was attending Tarboro H.S. in North Carolina ... and he got so good at it, one of his track coaches asked him to come down to Myrtle Beach, SC to run in a race.

"I'm like, 'All right, cool,'" Gurley said.

Turns out, the race was a qualifier for Team USA Track and Field ... and Gurley ended up winning it with damn-near no prep!!!

"I guess that was like the pre-trial for the USA team," Todd said of the race. "Bro, I did not know! And, I end up winning. And they was like, 'All right, you got your passport? All right, we 'bout to go to Italy for a whole week.'"

"I'm like, 'What?! Why y'all didn't tell me this?!'"

Gurley says he didn't place during his races with Team USA ... but he said the trip was super memorable -- and he's still pals with some of his teammates to this day!

As for his track career after that, Gurley said he got offers from Cornell and Princeton to bail on football and run for their teams -- and he says he SERIOUSLY considered it.

Great news for John Elway ... the Denver Broncos legend has recovered from his bout with COVID and is set to return to the team facility on Friday.

60-year-old Elway tested positive for coronavirus on Nov. 3rd after experiencing what the team described as "minor symptoms."

He's been working from home and self-isolating ever since, the team says.

But now, things have taken a turn for the better, according to KUSA's Mike Klis.

"GM John Elway has recovered nicely from COVID and is cleared to return to his office tomorrow," Klis said.

He also noted Broncos CEO Joe Ellis -- who also tested positive for COVID last week -- "is still battling symptoms and is not yet cleared to return.

For what it's worth, the team believes both Elway and 61-year-old Ellis contracted the virus OUTSIDE the team facility.

The Broncos have a game this weekend against the Las Vegas Raiders, a team that's also had some recent COVID drama.

A SIXTH green jacket is well within reach for Tiger Woods ... the golf legend got off to a blazing hot start at the Masters -- and is now currently tied for 4th after finishing his 1st round!

44-year-old Tiger shot a super stress-free 68 -- carding zero bogies and four birdies -- and he now trails the leader, Paul Casey, by just three strokes heading into Day 2.

"That's the best I've seen him play in a long time," said golf superstar Michelle Wie, who commentated on Woods' entire round for ESPN on Thursday morning.

It's a great sign for Tiger, who hasn't exactly played his best golf since winning the Masters back in April 2019.

Woods hit 10 out of 14 fairways, 15 out of 18 greens and his average driving distance off the tee was over 280 yards.

If Tiger is able to put together three more solid days just like that ... he could very well walk away with his second straight Masters green jacket -- which would be his 6th overall.

Of course, that number would tie him for most Masters victories ever with Jack Nicklaus ... and would put him just 2 behind the Golden Bear's all-time record of 18 total majors.

Good news for the WNBA ... Patrick Mahomes' unborn daughter already has a basketball hoop in her room!!!

The NFL superstar's fiancee Brittany Matthews is already putting together the nursery for their baby girl -- complete with 2 bassinets and a crib -- and it looks awesome!

There's a marble side table, pink drapes, some cool wall decor -- and a pink hoop by the door!

Unclear exactly when the baby is due -- but if she was 12 weeks when they announced the pregnancy in September, the kid would be due around April 2021.

The Kansas City Chiefs QB began dating Brittany back in high school and they've been together ever since.

Brit and Patrick -- who got engaged earlier this year -- recently said the wedding won't take place until 2022.

"We have a few dates nailed down but we'll be having baby in 2021 and we plan to do a wedding and all wedding things in 2022."

Matthews said the two weren't "trying" to get pregnant this year -- but admitted they weren't exactly "being careful either."

COVID-19 can't stop Urban Meyer ... the college football coaching legend just revealed he beat the virus after contracting it recently.

The former Ohio State head man said he was fortunate ... and only experienced minor effects.

"I did deal with it," the 56-year-old told WBNS 10TV this week. "I've just recently gotten over it. I was relatively symptom-free."

Meyer -- who now works as a CFB analyst for Fox Sports -- says his positive test was the reason he and his other co-hosts had to bail on their “Big Noon Kickoff” pregame show earlier this month.

Urban added he doesn't believe his diagnosis affected any of his co-workers.

"The good thing is none of my partners and teammates had it," Meyer said, "and we're going to be back at it this weekend."

Things are REALLY looking up for Mets fans ... just 2 days after their new owner promised to build a winner -- Noah Syndergaard showed his right arm can still throw missiles!!

... oh, and he did it all sweaty and shirtless!!

Syndergaard -- who had to undergo Tommy John surgery back in March -- posted video of him rocketing fastballs Thursday ... and it's gotta have people in NY ecstatic.

There was obviously concern the 28-year-old might not have the same firepower after the elbow operation ... but it's clear in the footage, Thor should be throwing close to 100 MPH again in no time.

The video comes on the heels of new Mets owner Steve Cohen saying Tuesday he wouldn't cut corners in the process of building the team into a premier MLB franchise.

"This is a major-market team," Cohen told reporters. "It should have a budget commensurate with that."

Syndergaard -- who didn't have the world's greatest relationship with the Wilpons (the previous owners) -- seems fired up to play for the guy ... he even changed his Twitter bio recently to reflect that.

"Dear Steve Cohen," Syndergaard wrote. "Hi, I’m Noah. Some ppl call me Thor. I’m a Met, working out in Florida, and I just want to win for Mets fans just like you."

Michael Jordan's last piece of NBA laundry is hitting the auction block -- the actual jersey from his final game ... and it's gonna fetch a TON of cash!

It's MJ's #23 away jersey from his final game with the Washington Wizards on April 16, 2003 ... the last time Jordan stepped on the court as an NBA player.

39-year-old Jordan dropped 15 points with 4 rebounds and 4 assists against the Philadelphia 76ers that night -- but it wasn't enough to get the W. Final score, 107 to 87.

BTW, we're also told Jordan rocked the jersey for the final 2 months of his NBA career -- his final 14 road games.

The one-of-a-kind jersey is about to hit the block at Goldin Auctions ... and GA tells us they expect the threads to bring in over $500,000!!

As for where the jersey -- which Goldin says has been photo-matched to ensure authenticity -- came from ... well, it's a pretty cool story.

Back in 1984, Jordan befriended the owner of a limousine service ... and the 2 men became close.

MJ gifted the jersey to the guy who held on to it for years -- but he has now decided to part ways with the item.

The Jordan jersey is part of a larger collection of rare MJ items hitting the auction block -- including a pair of signed, game-worn, Air Jordan 1's from Michael's 1984-1985 season. GA also has MJ's signed, game-worn minor league baseball jersey from the Birmingham Barons.