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The Tokyo Olympics will NOT need to be canceled -- at least not yet -- officials and organizers say the event is still set to go on despite a report indicating otherwise.

The Times of London reported on Thursday that the summer games, which had already been postponed from 2020 to 2021 due to the pandemic, are in serious jeopardy of having the plug completely pulled.

In fact, according to the report, a source close to the situation said the reality of a cancellation is already being discussed among event organizers and officials.

"No one wants to be the first to say so but the consensus is that it's too difficult," the source said in the report. "Personally, I don't think it's going to happen."

But, Tokyo Olympics reps called BS on the report a short time after its publishing ... saying they have absolutely ZERO plans to cancel the event at this time.

"All our delivery partners including the national government, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, the IOC and the IPC [International Paralympic Committee] are fully focused on hosting the games this summer," officials said in a statement.

"We hope that daily life can return to normal as soon as possible, and we will continue to make every effort to prepare for a safe and secure games."

The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee echoed those sentminets in a statement of their own this week ... saying, "We have not received any information suggesting the Games will not happen as planned."

"And our focus remains on the health and preparedness of Team USA athletes ahead of the Games this summer."

Ex-MMA fighter Ralph Gracie -- a member of the legendary Gracie jiu-jitsu family -- has been sentenced to 6 months in jail Friday for smashing another fighter in the face at a 2018 event.

49-year-old Gracie -- son of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grandmaster Robson Gracie -- landed a cheap shot elbow strike on 5-time world champ Flavio Almeida at the 2018 IBJJF World No-Gi Championships in Anaheim during a disagreement in the crowd.

Almeida was knocked unconscious in the Dec. 2018 attack -- but Gracie continued to strike, kicking him in the head, according to prosecutors.

Almeida reportedly suffered serious injuries in the attack -- including seizures and broken teeth.

Gracie ultimately pled guilty to felony assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury. The charge included an enhancement for inflicting great bodily injury. He was sentenced to 6 months in jail.

Gracie's attorney acknowledged the attack in a 2019 statement -- saying, "It is undisputed that my client, without lawful excuse or justification, struck the victim, knocking him to the ground and causing him injury."

"My client fully acknowledges that he should never have struck Mr. Almeida and he accepts full responsibility for doing so."

The attorney claimed Gracie felt "tremendous remorse'' for attacking Almeida, claiming they were longtime friends before the incident.

Gracie was 6-1 in his pro MMA career -- his last fight was a loss to Takanori Gomi at PRIDE Bushido 3 in 2004.

Charles Barkley says the 1-year anniversary of Kobe Bryant's death is hitting him pretty hard -- explaining, "It was like a death in my family."

"I’ve known Kobe his whole life" Barkley told "Ellen" on the episode that airs Friday ... "So, I've been around him for 30 years. So he was like part of my family."

Kobe -- along with 13-year-old daughter Gianna and 7 others -- passed away in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020, almost 1 year ago.

Barkley told Ellen the NBA is a tight-knit community where players and staff become really close over the years ... "And any time someone on the NBA dies, it's painful."

As for Kobe, "He was a great kid, he was obviously one of the greatest basketball players ever," Charles said ... "But, you know when people die young, that's what hurts me."

"If you get to be a certain age and die, if you had a great life [that's one thing] ... but when you die really young, it just really sucks. Especially for his wife and his kids."

Barkley also wanted to pay his respects to the other 7 people on the helicopter -- saying, "There are other families who lost loved ones and I want to give them my thoughts and prayers [on the 1 year anniversary of the crash]."

Here it is -- the very first footage of Lamar Odom training for his highly-anticipated celebrity boxing match ... and the dude looks like he's ready to go!!

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the 41-year-old, 2-time NBA champion has inked a deal with Celebrity Boxing to step into the ring this summer at the Showboat Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.

While LO's opponent hasn't been announced (yet), it hasn't stalled the dude's preparations ... teaming up with big-time trainer Xavier Biggs to help him prep for the fight.

In the footage -- obtained by TMZ Sports -- Odom is seen working on his jabs ... which may seem like standard workout stuff ... until you hear the sound he makes when his gloves hit the mitts.

FYI -- Biggs is the go-to guy for stars like Kevin Hart and Usher ... so whoever's going against the former Laker has their work cut out for them. After all, have you SEEN Kevin Hart lately?!

Of course, Odom is the first NBAer to take the ring since Nate Robinson got knocked out by YouTuber Jake Paul ... and we're assuming he's hoping it ends up better for the hooper this time around.

While Celebrity Boxing's Damon Feldman has yet to make Odom's opponent official, we're getting word it's a MAJOR household name ... but who knows, after seeing this footage??

Time to make some room in the binders, collectors ... Bernie Sanders is now getting a baseball card based on his 'fit at Wednesday's inauguration -- and it's pretty amazing!!

The guys at Topps just designed a piece based on the incredibly meme-able shot of Sanders at Joe Biden's historic event ... offering up the one-of-a-kind card for $9.99.

As part of the Topps Now program, collectors have until Jan. 28 to purchase the card ... and Topps will then print off however many were sold and send them out.

The beauty of it all for collectors? Topps says the Jan. 21 to Jan. 28 timeframe is the ONLY times in history they'll produce this card -- so it could make the thing super valuable down the road.

Unique spin on the hobby, right??

Sanders' iconic shot at POTUS' festivities won't just be memorialized in a card form, though ... he's also getting a bobblehead treatment!

The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame unveiled Thursday they've created a piece based on Sanders' mask, jacket and gloves for $25 a pop!

Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown is VERY concerned people think Joe Biden's victory over Donald Trump means the fight for social justice is over ... and he's begging people to "keep the same energy."

"I don't want to be pessimistic, but I think now having a new face [in the White House], people are taking their foot off the gas, thinking that everything is okay now," Brown said Thursday.

"I would like to challenge that. We still have a lot of work to do, regardless if Biden is in office or not."

Brown added, "Just because we have a new President doesn’t mean the system doesn’t need to be changed."

The 24-year-old star -- 3rd overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft -- has been one of the more outspoken NBA players when it comes to the fight for social justice ... famously peacefully protesting the death of George Floyd and then speaking out against the shooting of Jacob Blake.

Now that Donald Trump is out of office, Brown is concerned people are feeling a false sense of victory when it comes to racial issues in the U.S. ... and he's begging the community to step up.

"My dilemma was never with any presidencies or selections of different faces. It’s more about the system, I think, that needs to be changed."

He continued, "I know there was a lot of stress attached to our former president, potentially. But, I definitely want to keep the same energy up in terms of having the awareness and pushing forward for change."

"We gotta keep the same energy up. People still gotta care. People still need to make phone calls, you know, etc. So, I’m looking forward to continuing to fight for change."

The only ring in Floyd Mayweather's life is of the boxing kind -- not the engagement kind.

The 43-year-old superstar is NOT engaged to Anna Monroe, despite reports to the contrary -- with an extremely well-placed Mayweather source telling us straight up it's just not true.

You may have noticed a bunch of media reports lately about Floyd's relationship with Anna -- describing them as a pretty serious couple -- but again, our source is saying it's BS.

Monroe recently posted on IG, showing off a pretty massive diamond on her ring finger ... which may have fueled the engagement rumors.

Unclear if the ring was a gift from Floyd, but we know Mayweather has a history of showering women in expensive gifts ... just ask ex-GF Doralie Medina, who got a $300,000 Rolls Royce back in 2014.

As for Anna, when we asked our Floyd source if they're even in an official dating situation, we were told, "Not even that."

Monroe has been described as the "lead dancer" at Floyd's Las Vegas strip club Girl Collection. She was featured on the Girl Collection IG page back in 2017.

Mayweather has been in several high-profile, serious relationships over the years -- and has children with multiple women including Josie Harris, who passed away in March 2020.

The Big Aristotle is now The Big Community Relations Director ... Shaquille O'Neal has been hired for the role by a sheriff's office in Georgia!!

A rep for the Henry County Sheriff's Office confirmed to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday that the NBA legend will be starting the job ASAP.

Goal #1 for the former L.A. Lakers superstar, according to Sheriff’s spokesperson Eric Jackson? Have Shaq help bring the community closer.

"As a part of Sheriff [Reginald] Scandrett’s strategic plan, bridging the gap between the community and law enforcement is paramount,” Jackson told the AJC.

“Coupled with Dr. O’Neal’s philanthropy, Scandrett and Shaq have a specific plan to begin uniting the Henry County community.”

Cool gig for Shaq ... but of course, it shouldn't surprise anybody at all that he landed the role.

You'll recall, The Big Diesel has always had an affinity for law enforcement ... and has even been sworn in as a deputy or officer at several police agencies across the country through the years.

In fact, Shaq had once said it was his goal to ultimately be the Henry County Sheriff himself!!

Conor McGregor has big plans after UFC 257 -- most notably, he badly wants a rematch with lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

So, what happens if he loses to Dustin Poirier on Fight Island this weekend? That's the question we posed to Dana White.

"Nothing happens," Dana said ... "People lose man. It happens. It’s part of the sport."

"If he loses, he goes back to the drawing board and comes back and fights another day."

Sure, but who gets the next title shot?

Dana says it's pretty obvious Poirier will gun for a rematch with Khabib if he wins -- but nothing's guaranteed, considering all of the monsters fighting for control of the UFC's stacked lightweight division.

"Charles Olivera (ranked #3) just came off an incredible win over Tony Ferguson (#5). You got Poirier (#2) and McGregor (#4) fighting on Saturday and the co-main event is #6 ranked Dan Hooker vs Michael Chandler, who is making his debut in the UFC. This guy has been fighting everywhere outside of the UFC and is one of the all-time greats in the division. He wants to prove himself now in the UFC."

"So, any one of these guys could end up fighting Khabib."

New year, new team, new number ... new Dwayne Haskins??

The former first-round pick just inked a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers ... in hopes of resurrecting his NFL career.

Remember, the Washington Football Team cut Haskins after several team-related issues during the season ... including COVID-19 protocol violations and attending a stripper-filled party, which he later apologized for.

The 23-year-old is getting a fresh start in the Steel City ... with the former Ohio State star officially signing on the dotted line to presumably serve as Ben Roethlisberger's backup.

Haskins addressed the move on Thursday ... sharing several edited photos of the signal-caller in his new Black and Gold threads with a #3 jersey.

Haskins -- who wore #7 with the WFT -- explained the new digit, saying, "3 in the Bible stands for restoration and eternal life. Let’s work 🙏"

Haskins has played in just 16 games since entering the league in 2019 ... throwing for a little over 2,800 yards, 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

There's a new lady in NBA center Enes Kanter's life ... and it's none other than Ariana Rockefeller, the great-great-granddaughter of oil mogul John D. Rockefeller!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 28-year-old Portland Trail Blazers player and 38-year-old fashion designer/equestrian have been seeing each other for several months now ... after initially meeting over social media.

Our sources tell us the two quickly bonded over animal rights advocacy ... something that both are very passionate about (Kanter recently opened up about switching to a vegan diet).

In fact, Susan Rockefeller, Ariana's aunt, recently commented on Kanter's pro-vegan Instagram post, saying "Keep inspiring 👍plants and food as medicine"

"thank you @arianarockefeller for sharing this❤️❤️❤️"

We're told Kanter spent much of the past NBA off-season in New York with Ariana ... and the couple have also spent time together in Portland during the season.

The new development has been unfolding for months in the IG comments ... but this is the first time they have gone "official" on the 'gram.

However, we're told the two are not *officially* official just yet ... in other words, no labels.

Rockefeller was previously married to entrepreneur Matthew Bucklin -- the couple divorced in 2019.

Ex-Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson -- who made some of the most important moves in franchise history -- has died.

He was only 68.

Thompson (a former linebacker) spent 10 years in the NFL as a player -- signing with the Houston Oilers as an undrafted free agent in 1975 --  before getting into the operational side of the business.

He started with the Packers in 1992 as a scout -- and worked his way up to GM in 2005 ... and that's when he really got cookin'.

Ted's first draft pick as GM? Aaron Rodgers. Yeah. Not bad.

Followed by ... future Pro Bowlers like Nick Collins, Greg Jennings, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, Clay Matthews, Eddie Lacy, Randall Cobb, Mason Crosby, David Bakhtiari, Davante Adams and many, many, many more.

In 2008, Thompson also famously traded away the team's most famous and beloved player of all time -- Brett Favre, which ended up working out great for GB.

There's so much more ... he also landed top free agents over the years including Charles Woodson in 2006 and Julius Peppers in 2016.

Thompson was a low-level staffer when the Packers won Super Bowl 31 in 1997 -- but was the acting GM when the Pack won Super Bowl 45 in 2011.

He stepped down as GM in early 2018 after he was diagnosed with an autonomic disorder. He was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 2019.

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur just spoke about Thompson's death Thursday -- saying, "Our condolences go out to his family. He's a guy that's held in the highest regard in this building and around the league."

"His impact is still felt to this day when you look at our roster."

Current Packers GM Brian Gutekunst also released a statement ... saying, "Ted was a man of great character and integrity who cared deeply for his family and friends."

"He was honest and hard-working. He valued his scouts and always did what he felt was right for the Packers organization."

Mark Murphy, Packers CEO, added ... "What really stands out to me is the consistency."

"Everything is designed to make it difficult to win that way, but you look at what Ted accomplished, it's remarkable."

Dan Campbell just had the best introductory news conference EVER ... the new Detroit Lions head coach delivered an epic speech -- promising his team will bite off knee caps!!

Campbell met with the media Thursday for the first time since Detroit hired him to be its new leader ... and the fiery former NFL tight end provided no shortage of sound bites.

Campbell cussed, dropping an S-bomb -- and then he guaranteed his Lions players will be some of the toughest on the planet!!

"Here's what I do know," a fired-up Campbell said. "This team is going to take on the identity of this city. All right? And this city's been down and found a way to get up, all right?"

"It's found a way to overcome adversity. And so this team's going to be built on, we're going to kick you in the teeth. All right? And when you punch us back, we're going to smile at you."

Campbell didn't stop there ...

"And when you knock us down, we're going to get up. And on the way up, we're going to bite a knee cap off. All right? And we're going to stand up and it's going to take two more shots to knock us down. All right?"

"And on the way up, we're going to take your other knee cap. And we're going to get up and it's going to take three shots to get us down. And when we do, we're going to take another hunk out of you. Before long, we're going to be the last one's standing."

WHO'S PUMPED UP IN DETROIT NOW?!?!

All insane promises and guarantees aside ... Campbell has a daunting task ahead of him to get his team to practice what he's preaching -- the Lions haven't won a playoff game since 1991.

Jake Paul says he moved to Miami to focus on boxing ... but he's already got some distractions.

The 24-year-old hit the beach with his pals this week -- and yeah, turns out he's got some attractive lady friends who rocked some very teeny bikinis.

Despite being surrounded by butt, Paul had bigger things on his mind -- trying to lock down a fight with Conor McGregor.

Check out the banner that just happened to fly over the area where Paul and his pals were hangin' out ... saying, "Conor McGregor is scared of Jake Paul."

"Aw yeah, he's a bitch," Jake noted about Conor as the sign flew by.

In the meantime, Jake is getting himself ready for his return to the ring on April 17 to fight a mystery opponent who's not a UFC star from Ireland.

Despite not having an opponent yet, the Internet star is already putting his pre-fight plans into place -- Paul was hanging out with Tory Lanez Wednesday night, who offered to walk him out to the ring for the big event!!

Paul says he'll reveal his opponent's identity in the coming days.

How'd Steph Curry show love to Joe Biden on inauguration day??

ULTRA-RARE KICKS, BABY!!!

The Golden State Warriors superstar busted out his 2-of-a-kind, famous Under Armour Curry 3 shoes for warmups before the Dubs took on the Spurs on Wednesday ... and the sneaks are clearly still as dope as ever.

FYI -- Curry teamed up with UA back in 2017 to make the special shoes -- creating them as a way to honor the end of Barack Obama's 2-term presidency.

Reportedly, only 2 pairs were ever made -- one for Steph and one for Obama -- and they were awesome ... featuring the presidential seal on the tongue as well as other nods to the former president all over them.

Curry hadn't been seen in the shoes since '17 ... but he apparently kept good care of them -- 'cause after Biden had been sworn in Wednesday morning, Steph took the court in the feet heat!

Curry -- who's big-time pals with Obama and a huge supporter of Biden -- laced them up pregame ... before transitioning into another pair of his signature shoes for game time.

Seems the POTUS kicks were good luck ... Curry balled out against San Antonio, scoring 26 points and adding 7 assists in the win.

BEAST MODE IS BACK ... on ice?!

Ex-NFL star Marshawn Lynch took his talents to the ice rink this week ... showing off his skating skills in a hilarious video!!

The 34-year-old running back teamed up with hockey player Akim Aliu, who posted a series of videos showing the two getting in some action on the ice ... and just like everything else Lynch does, it was pretty memorable.

"What’s his name? Wayne Gretzky?" Lynch says while suiting up in a Colorado Avalanche jersey. "Y'all heard of that n**** before? Well, I’m Shawn Gretzky. You know what I’m talking about.”

Aliu -- co-founder of the Hockey Diversity Alliance -- can be heard cheering his buddy on as he tries to skate ... while simultaneously looking for his first hockey fight.

“This a whole different animal, bro," Lynch says.

No word on why the hockey sesh took place ... but Aliu and Lynch have been hanging out in recent days. Maybe hockey guy hits the gridiron next?!

By the way -- can you imagine Marshawn in the NHL? The dude could be a hit as an enforcer!!

His marketing agency even tweeted out a message to the San Jose Shark and Seattle Kraken if they were interested … Lynch chimed in.

“Y’all can’t see me on this frozen wata either. You already know I’m from that IceCity.” Lynch later tweeted.