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One of the men accused of helping orchestrate the 2019 shooting of David Ortiz has been killed in the Dominican Republic, police announced earlier this week.

Authorities in the D.R. say Luis Alfredo Rivas-Clase -- who was one of at least 12 men who allegedly plotted to kill the Red Sox legend -- died after being gunned down in broad daylight over the weekend.

Cops say Rivas-Clase was shot outside of a shopping center ... adding that investigators found 27 bullet shells when they arrived at the scene.

According to D.R. media outlet Listin Diario, witnesses say Rivas-Clase was chased by his attackers in a car and eventually gunned down after he crashed and tried to flee.

It's unclear if the alleged murder had anything to do with the Ortiz case.

As we previously reported, cops in the D.R. say multiple men -- including Rivas-Clase -- attempted to kill Ortiz while he was sitting outside a bar in June 2019.

Rivas-Clase was the last of the suspects still at large -- cops say they had found, arrested, and thrown in jail all of the others, including the alleged shooter.

Britney Spears was the big winner in court Wednesday, but it's hard to believe anyone celebrated her father's removal from the conservatorship harder than this fitness instructor ... who turned his joy into burned calories.

This TikTok vid beautifully illustrates the joy #FreeBritney folks felt when Jamie Spears was suspended from the conservatorship after 13 years -- as this guy literally jumped for joy when he heard the news.

The coach -- who's known as The Fitness Marshall -- parlayed his excitement into a fabulous "Free Britney" workout, including some hilarious jabs at her dad.

"Jump high, knee Jamie in the face" and "Elbow him in the name of the law" might well become new rallying cries for Brit's supporters ... if the other hashtags wear out.

As we reported ... along with Jamie being removed from Britney's conservatorship, it also looks like the conservatorship is coming to an end after Wednesday's monumental court hearing.

Assane Drame, L.A. Clippers video assistant, was tragically killed in a car accident earlier this week following a ground breaking ceremony for the organizations new stadium.

He was only 26 years old.

Drame, who joined the organizations as an intern in 2019, worked with the Clips digital media group.

Before the fatal crash, Assane was present at the Clippers ground breaking ceremony in Inglewood Monday afternoon.

Officials say Drame was on the 10 Freeway in L.A. ... when he pulled his 2012 Honda Accord to the shoulder off the road. Moments later his vehicle was hit by another car, causing fatal injuries.

Assane was originally reported missing by his family after they received a call from Clippers HR, saying he hadn't showed up to work.

The Clippers organization released a statement on the Assane's death, writing ... "The Clippers organization mourns the loss of Assane Drame, a dedicated employee, a talented videographer and a loyal friend."

The statement later continued ... "He was a hard worker and a gentle soul, passionate about his craft and kind to his colleagues, earning the respect and admiration of players, coaches and staff."

And, that's clear ... 'cause players like Nicolas Batum and Terrence Mann expressed their condolences online.

Batum wrote, "Just heard the sad news. Rest In Peace King 🙏🏽🕊"

"🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 Heard nothing but great things about Assane. 🤞🏾🕊🕊 Send Prayers up," Mann tweeted.

The Rowan University alum is survived by his family in New Jersey.

Ben Simmons would rather lose tens of millions of dollars than suit up for the Philadelphia 76ers ever again ... 'cause the NBA star is reportedly willing to sit out the whole season and forfeit his salary if he's not shipped to another team.

Simmons and the Sixers have been butting heads all offseason amid the All-Star's trade demand -- he's refused to show up to training camp or meet with anybody from the organization.

The 25-year-old is owed more than $33 million for the upcoming campaign and has four years left on his remaining contract ... but if he decides to stick to his guns and sit out 'til a trade is made, as ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reports is likely to happen, that coin will go bye-bye.

Philly has made it abundantly clear that they will not move BS unless the right deal presents itself … but they have expressed a desire to get the ex-LSU star back into the swing of things.

Sixers head coach Doc Rivers even told us back in June he wanted Ben on the team this season ... and is holding out hope for a change of heart.

Russell Wilson and Ciara are making another business move together -- by publishing their first children's picture book!

The couple announced the news Wednesday ... saying they've teamed up with Penguin Random House to release the book titled "Why Not You?"

"I am so excited to share that Ciara and I will be publishing our first book for kids next spring," the Seattle Seahawks QB said on IG.

The picture book intends to "encourage readers to see themselves achieving their dreams, no matter how outrageous they may seem," according to PRH.

"It’s a lyrical celebration of self-esteem, perseverance, and daring to shoot for the stars".

The storybook will have 32 pages -- with illustrations by Jessica Gibson -- and is set to be released in March 2022.

This is yet another dope collab between the Super Bowl champ and award winning singer -- in fact, Why Not You is also the name of the couple's nonprofit org that focuses on education, health and the fight against poverty for youth.

Russ and Ciara -- who married in July 2016 -- also opened their Why Not You Academy in Washington this fall.

Tom Brady's first game at Gillette Stadium in an away uniform is BY FAR the most coveted ticket of the NFL season ... with sales skyrocketing leading up to Sunday's big matchup.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the average ticket price for the Buccaneers vs. Patriots showdown is a whopping $1,222 on StubHub ... with the cheapest seats coming in at $275.

We're told Brady's homecoming is crushing every other game of the NFL season in ticket sales ... outselling the second most popular game by 20%!!

As for who's going to the game -- the majority of fans are from Massachusetts (duh) ... with 8% of spectators coming from California and another 7% coming from Brady's new state of Florida.

The game has been hyped up since the schedule was released back in May ... and many have called it one of the biggest regular season ones in NFL history.

Brady has downplayed the whole thing ... claiming he's not expecting a "homecoming" as it's just another Sunday night game to him.

It may not go as TB12 plans -- after all, the guy is responsible for those 6 Super Bowl banners in the stadium.

Greg Steube looked less like a politician and more like Juan Soto on Wednesday night ... hitting a towering home run in the Congressional Baseball Game that was WILD!!

Steube -- a Republican from Florida -- blasted the moonshot dinger in the third inning of the annual Democrats vs. Republicans game ... and you can see in footage of the homer, he got ALL of the ball.

Steube planted the pitch several rows into the seats in left field at Nationals Park -- clobbering the baseball more than 330 feet!!!

"That was a bonafide Major League home run right there," one of the game's announcers said on the broadcast.

In fact, the swing was so impressive, Steube got some dap from the Democrats as he rounded the bases -- and then he was mobbed by his Republican teammates when he stepped on home plate.

For his part, Steube seemed to love the tater as well -- 'cause his home run trot was long, slow, and featured a lengthy finger point to the sky!!

Steube became the first participant in the game to hit an out-of-the-park homer at D.C.'s MLB stadium since the contest was moved there in 2008.

And, in addition to his heroics at the plate ... the 43-year-old politician also pitched in the game -- and later played some stellar defense at third base, helping the Republicans win the evening, 13-12, for the first time since 2016.

Steube's probably got too much on his plate to make a run at The Show -- but it should be noted, the Nats are in danger of finishing in last place in the N.L. East this season and could use some help.

Dak Prescott is better right now than Tom Brady, Lamar Jackson AND Kyler Murray ... so says Drew Pearson -- who tells TMZ Sports the Cowboys star is a top-3 QB in the NFL.

The Dallas legend made the claim just one day after Dak carved up the Eagles on "Monday Night Football" ... saying he believes only 2 other QBs in the league are as good as Prescott is at the moment.

"Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, Dak Prescott," Pearson says. "Top three quarterbacks in the league, I would say, right now."

Dak has been tremendous through the Cowboys' first 3 games of the season ... completing 77.5 percent of his passes for 878 yards, 6 TDs and just 2 INTs.

And, Drew's been wildly impressed with it all, praising the guy for his leadership as well as his ability to bounce back from a devastating ankle injury in 2020.

In fact, Pearson tells us Dak has been so good ... he already believes the Cowboys are a true Super Bowl contender.

"You didn't hear it first but you heard it from the original 88, OK?!" Pearson says. "I think they're on a roll."

Before this ballin' baby was driving to the hoop on the NBA court, he was just another sporty sweetheart working on his game in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

This mini-man is best known for shining as an all-star athlete -- he went home with the first round pick for the NBA back in 2015 and took his team to the finals just last year. He isn't unfamiliar with being in the sports spotlight ... his father was also a professional basketball player.

Now, this talented gamer can be spotted with his famous fashion model girlfriend.

Teyana Taylor is not surprised her husband, ex-NBA star Iman Shumpert is beastin' on "Dancing With The Stars" ... telling TMZ Sports she expects it 'cause he's always at her dance rehearsals.

Taylor is known for her amazing moves -- notably the Kanye West music video "Fade" -- so we had to ask if she gave her hubby any tips for 'DWTS.'

"I mean he's always at all my rehearsals," the singer and dancer tells us at LAX this week.

"He's always jumpin' in my rehearsals dancing with me."

And, she thinks Shump is doin' his thing! He delivered a dope performance to Outkast's "Hey Ya!" with Daniella Karagach for his debut dance last week. Shump then followed up with the rumba to Donell Jones' "You Know What's Up" on Monday.

"I think he's doing amazing. The lines, the techniques, his versatility. I love it!"

No adjustments needed, either ... Taylor tells us there's nothing she would advise him to change.

"He just needs to keep being perfect and keep having that authenticity and keep having fun with it."

Can he win the whole thing?! Taylor thinks so. Next eliminations go down next Monday.

Michael Strahan is making sure Texas Southern University's football team is straight for the rest of the season -- donating 100 brand new helmets to his alma mater.

TSU's head coach, Clarence McKinney, spoke with TMZ Sports about the amazing gesture on Wednesday, saying after his team's white helmets got old and beat up, they hit up Strahan for help.

And, it didn't take long for the Hall of Famer to deliver aid -- with McKinney telling us the former TSU star sent over 100 new maroon and grey Riddell helmets to the Tigers last week!

"He's been good to our program," McKinney said. "The players are pretty excited about the donation."

"We practiced in them on Monday," McKinney added. "The players love them."

This ain't the first time the New York Giants legend helped out his alma mater -- Strahan also donated high-quality XTECH football pads to the Tigers in 2019.

Strahan was a beast when he played for the HBCU in the 90s ... he broke TSU's single-season sack record (19) and still holds the school record for career sacks (41.5).

The 49-year-old was also named Black College Defensive Player of the Year (1992) and was inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

All-Pro defensive tackle Gerald McCoy has just been slapped with a 6-game suspension for breaking the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy ... and he's blaming it all on a doctor's prescription.

The 33-year-old Las Vegas Raiders star -- who is currently out for the season with a knee injury -- released a statement addressing the news Wednesday afternoon ... saying it was an "honest mistake" but takes full responsibility for the violation.

"It is with great disappointment that I recently learned I tested positive for a banned substance -- something I was prescribed to take to help with scar tissue and tendon strength from a previous injury," McCoy said.

"In no way would I ever intentionally take anything to help with performance or gain a competitive advantage."

Of course, McCoy was a problem for offenses for years ... but has recently dealt with a number of injuries that have kept him off the field.

McCoy -- the #3 overall pick in 2010 -- says he has nothing but respect for the sport and would never take a shortcut to success ... apologizing to his family, the league, his team and the fans for the hiccup.

Devin Williams -- one of the best relief pitchers in the MLB -- punched a wall and broke his hand over the weekend ... and is now likely out for the rest of the season.

The 27-year-old explained the situation to reporters on Wednesday ... saying the injury happened shortly after the Milwaukee Brewers clinched the NL Central division Sunday night.

Williams said he went out to have a few drinks to celebrate the playoff berth ... but for some reason, became enraged on his way home and socked a wall.

Williams said he tried to pitch with the injury this week ... but just couldn't -- and was later diagnosed by team docs with a broken hand that will almost certainly require surgery.

"I'm pretty upset with myself," said Williams, who's expected to now miss all of the Brewers' playoff games. "There's no one to blame but me."

"I feel like I've let my team down, our coaching staff, our fans, everyone. I know how big of a role I play on this team and there's a lot of people counting on me. But I guess all I can do now is cheer my team on and learn from it and not make that same mistake in the future."

The blow is a significant one for Milwaukee -- Williams is a big reason the team had World Series aspirations this year. In 58 games, the right-hander posted a 2.50 ERA with a staggering 87 strikeouts.

Michael Porter Jr. -- one of the biggest rising stars in the NBA -- says he will not get the COVID vaccine ... explaining he doesn't "feel comfortable" with the idea of getting the shots.

The Denver Nuggets forward -- who's made anti-vaxx statements in the past (see the video below) -- spelled out his feelings to The Denver Post this week, saying he just flat-out doesn't want the vaccine.

"For me, I had COVID twice," Porter Jr. said. "I saw how my body reacted, and although the chances are slim, with the vaccine, there's a chance you could have a bad reaction to it."

He added, "For me, I don’t feel comfortable."

Porter Jr. also insisted the NBA should not be allowed to require its players to get the jab ... saying, "It should be everyone's decision."

"I see it both ways," the 23-year-old continued. "If you want to get it because you feel more protected and you feel safer, and it's protecting people around you, get it. That's good for you. But if you feel like, 'Oh, for me, I don't feel safe getting it, then don't get it.'"

For now, the Association has not made it mandatory for players to get the vaccine ... although the unvaxxed will have far more rules and regulations placed on them this season than the vaxxed.

For example, vaccinated players will have more freedom to leave hotels while on the road as well test much less often for COVID.

Porter Jr., though, is clearly fine with that ... adding, "I don’t want to risk putting something that might affect me negatively in my body."

U.S. Olympian Klete Keller admitted he spent nearly an hour in the U.S. Capitol building on January 6th, pleading guilty to felony obstruction of an official proceeding ... and now faces years in prison.

Remember, 39-year-old Keller -- a 2x gold medalist and former teammate of Michael Phelps -- was caught on video inside the halls of the capitol during the raid.

In fact, KK was wearing a Team U.S.A. jacket ... which helped others identify him once the footage was posted online by reporters.

Keller, who was hit with 7 charges stemming from the incident, appeared in person at a Washington D.C. District Court and pled guilty to the obstruction charge.

It's a charge that could carry decades in prison ... however, it's likely Keller ultimately gets sentenced to about 2 years in federal prison.

While addressing the court, Klete said he tried to erase all traces he was present at the raid, admitting he destroyed his phone and threw away the jacket he was photographed wearing.

Keller represented America as part of the U.S. Swim Team at the Olympic Games in '00, '04, '08. He was the anchor on the 4x200 meter freestyle relay team in 2004 ... and famously held off Australian superstar Ian Thorpe to narrowly secure the top spot on the podium.

Justin Jefferson was not only the best player on the field for the Vikings this weekend -- he was also the most swagged out ... 'cause he rocked a pair of Swarovski crystal-filled spikes that were AWESOME!!

JJ hit up celeb shoe artist Mache for the pieces earlier this season -- and the dude went crazy on the spikes ... icing out a pair of all-black cleats for the Minnesota star to wear against the Seahawks.

On one of the shoes, Mache threw crystals on a big jet -- a nod to Jefferson's "jet" nickname (as well as his sweet diamond pendant). On the other, the artist made two "Js" shine as well.

And, Jefferson certainly didn't disappoint in his first game wearing them -- catching 9 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown.

It wasn't hard to see Jefferson was in love with the pair even before ballin' out in them, 'cause Mache shared a video of the moment the wideout received them, and he was in awe.