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George Washington University is bailing on its nickname ... saying Wednesday it's set to retire its "Colonials" moniker -- in wake of inclusivity concerns.

In announcing the decision Wednesday, school officials said they made the choice after members of its campus and its community repeatedly expressed displeasure over the "Colonials" name for years.

According to a special committee the university tasked with analyzing the moniker, opponents of the name said that the term "Colonial" is so closely associated with "people who oppressed Native Americans and owned slaves" that it should be changed.

In a lengthy statement Wednesday, school officials said they agreed it was time for an adjustment.

"Today," school official Christopher Alan Bracey said, "the moniker no longer does the work that a moniker should -- namely, unifying the campus behind our academic and athletic institutional aspirations."

The school said "Colonials" -- a moniker the university initially adopted back in 1926 -- will remain the university's nickname until a new one is conceived.

It's expected that, following "a broad university community engagement process," the new name will be announced by the 2023-24 academic year.

What's interesting ... a school official tells TMZ Sports that despite a new nickname, the school is keeping "George" as its mascot.

"The decision to change the Colonials moniker was not taken lightly, and both the Board and Special Committee determined a new moniker will help unify the university community and serve as a source of pride," the school said in its statement.

Sad news ... South Korean hockey player Cho Min-ho -- who scored the first-ever goal for the country's Olympic team in 2018 -- has passed away after battling cancer.

He was only 35.

The International Ice Hockey Federation confirmed Min-Ho's passing in a statement on Wednesday -- saying the forward died at a Seoul hospital after an eight-month battle with lung cancer.

"The Korean ice hockey family will remember him not only as a great player," IIHF officials said, "but also as a great human and leader on and off the ice."

Min-ho started playing for South Korea's national team in 2008 -- and became a hero during the PyeongChang Olympics.

Within the first few minutes of the team's preliminary round game against the Czech Republic, Min-ho scored ... making him the first-ever Korean player to hit the back of the net in Olympic men's ice hockey history.

In total, Min-ho competed in 11 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship tournaments ... and was named the team captain for the South Korean national team at the Final Olympic Qualification for the 2022 Olympics in 2021.

Drake brought his IG moniker "Champagne Papi" to life on Tuesday -- winning a title in the Sanctuary Basketball League -- and he celebrated by sprayin' bubbly everywhere!!

The victorious moment was all caught on video -- when his NTIG teammate hit the game-winning shot in the SBL title game right on Drake's basketball court in his Toronto mansion.

Drizzy and his squad went nuts after securing the dub ... cueing up the champagne showers.

And, Drake paid homage to the late Kobe Bryant for his game strategy ... saying he channeled his inner Mamba Mentality.

"I did what Kobe did in Game 7 against the Celtics," Drake said, "Shots not falling, you play f*****g defense!"

BTW, Drake launched the SBL league last year ... and now is a 2-time champ, after his team again won the 'ship.

Rafael Nadal is going to be a father -- the tennis icon and his wife, Mery Perello, are expecting their first child together, according to reports.

Spanish publication Hola! confirmed the news this week ... after weeks of rumors surrounding the couple.

Mery was spotted wearing "loose-fitting" clothing as she cheered on 36-year-old Nadal ... who won his 14th French Open and 22nd Grand Slam at Roland Garros earlier this month.

Mery also showed off what appeared to be a baby bump while on vacation with Rafa.

The #4-ranked player in the world has been with Mery for a long time (nearly 17 years) ... and the two got married in 2019.

Nadal, who's currently ahead of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic for most Grand Slam titles ever, previously told Hola! of his plans to expand his family one day.

"Obviously, I intend and want to form a family," Nadal reportedly said in 2018. "I love children and I would like them to do what they want in life."

Well, it looks like Rafa is getting his wish.

The video game developer for "Halo Infinite" is under fire for rolling out a new nameplate to honor Juneteenth ... folks are enraged the customization was named after an ape.

The folks over at 343 Industries apparently thought it would be a good idea to title the nameplate -- a palette adding a red, black and green colorway to a player's username -- "Bonobo" ... which is an endangered primate.

Problem is ... folks were angry with the association of apes with Juneteenth, considering the racist and discriminatory history between those words and Black people.

As you know ... Juneteenth is now a federal holiday, commemorating the day the last enslaved Americans got the news President Lincoln had abolished slavery.

In response to the backlash, the video game developer renamed the nameplate to "Freedom" and then to "Juneteenth."

343 Industries says the nameplate was originally named "Bonobo" in reference to a developer tool -- and they claim it was an oversight on their end.

Bonnie Ross, the founder and head of 343 Industries, says once they were made aware the nameplate "contained a term that was offensive and hurtful" they immediately made a change with a game update.

Just seconds before Arizona Cardinals defensive back Jeff Gladney died in a car accident last month ... he was both "swerving" and "flying" down a roadway, this according to a crash report obtained by TMZ Sports.

In the official documents, authorities say Gladney was driving a 2019 Mercedes-Benz with his girlfriend, Mercedes Andrea Palacios, at around 2:20 AM on May 20 on the Woodall Rodgers Service Road in Dallas.

According to the docs, a witness told investigators Gladney sideswiped a Lexus while traveling at "a very high rate of speed."

Investigators say Gladney then lost control of his ride, traveled into a nearby grassy area, and flipped into a bridge pillar. The collision, according to the report, caused the car to burst into flames.

In the docs, authorities say a witness on the scene filled out an affidavit claiming Gladney was both "swerving" and "flying" prior to colliding with the Lexus. The witness, investigators say, claimed Gladney caused the crash.

In the docs, investigators noted neither Gladney nor Palacios were wearing seatbelts. They listed "unsafe speed" and "faulty evasive action" as contributing factors in the accident.

Authorities also noted in the docs that responders arrived eight minutes after they were initially notified of the wreck.

As we previously reported, both Gladney and Palacios were tragically killed in the crash. Gladney was just 25 years old; Palacios was just 26.

It's unclear if either alcohol or drugs played a role in the accident, the crash report notes specimens were not taken at the scene. The Dallas County Medical Examiners Office, meanwhile, told TMZ Sports on Wednesday autopsy results for Gladney are still pending.

Gladney -- a former Minnesota Vikings first-round pick in 2020 -- had just signed with the Cardinals this offseason and was expected to compete for a starting cornerback role.

The NBA could be in serious trouble in 16 years ... 'cause Stephen Curry's 3-year-old son is already following in his papa's footsteps and showing off his incredible dribbling skills!!

Steph's wife, Ayesha, posted the clip on Tuesday ... with Canon mimicking Steph's iconic pregame ritual.

"Canon Jack out here stuntin like his daddy 😍😆 @stephencurry30" Ayesha said on Tuesday

Of course, Steph goes through a rigorous pregame warmup before every contest ... which has drawn fans to show up early to check out the spectacle.

Steph has previously talked about giving his son shooting advice but hilariously admitted the toddler isn't too fond of listening to the 3-time champion's help.

It should come as no surprise Canon's got natural talent -- after all, his dad, uncle and gramps all made it to the league.

A Klay Thompson impersonator has been BANNED for life from Warriors home games ... after he allegedly fooled arena personnel into believing he was the Golden State star, allowing him access to not just the building, but also the basketball court.

"Banned bc I walked past 5 layers of security guards (who willingly let me through security without asking for ID) & shot around on the court for 10 minutes," Dawson Gurley announced on social media.

And, Daws isn't kidding about the ban ... he posted a photo of a letter from a Warriors executive laying out his punishment.

"You deliberately deceived Chase Center building personnel by impersonating a GSW employee," the letter read, in part.

The disciplinary letter goes on to say Daws -- who isn't denying the allegation -- can't ever come back. They also threatened him with a trespassing charge.

For his part, Daws thinks the suspension is BS! He says he actually had a ticket for the game ... saying it isn't his fault security didn't stop him.

"I also spent 10K on tickets which they are not refunding. Why should I be banned because their security is incompetent?" Dawson asked his followers.

10 bands is obviously a lot of money to waste. But, the Klay impersonator says he doesn't have any regrets.

"Was it worth it to lose 10K on tickets and be banned for life? Absolutely. I was an NBA player for 10 minutes bro."

During those 10 minutes, Daws even had time to take a photo.

It's not the first time Gurley's received attention for impersonating the All-Star. He pranked fans during the 2018 NBA Finals, sitting courtside, dressed as Klay. That video has millions of views.

Side note: the real Klay Thompson had 21 points in Monday's game 5 win. The Warriors are one game away from winning an NBA title.

Jason McElwain -- the former basketball manager who went viral in 2006 after suiting up and scoring 20 points in a high school game -- broke nine ribs in a serious bicycle accident Monday afternoon ... but luckily, he was wearing a helmet, and is expected to make a full recovery.

According to USA Today, police in Greece, New York responded to a call of "a bicyclist who made contact with a motor vehicle."

The 34-year-old was transported to an area hospital ... where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

A spokeswoman for Strong Memorial Hospital confirmed Jason is listed in guarded condition at the facility ... meaning his status is extremely serious with an uncertain outcome.

Jason's brother, Josh, said he suffered 9 broken ribs, a broken scapula, and a punctured lung ... but he did not sustain injuries to his head or back, fortunately.

Josh said he's thankful Jason was wearing his helmet at the time of the accident ... fearing things could have been much worse for his brother.

Jason, who is autistic and now works as a motivational speaker, had one of the most memorable games ever as a senior at Greece Athena High School in 2006.

The teen scored 20 points in the team's final home game -- hitting 7 of 13 shots and channeling his inner Ray Allen, hitting 6 threes, earning him an ESPY award that year for best sports moment.

Police say former heavyweight boxer Julius Francis -- who famously fought both Mike Tyson and Vitali Klitschko early in his boxing career -- will not be arrested over his one-punch, street knockout this past weekend.

Metropolitan Police said in a statement Wednesday they have concluded their investigation into Francis' punch -- which went down while he was working as a security guard in the U.K. on Saturday -- and will not arrest the 57-year-old over it all.

"Officers have spoken to all parties involved and have reviewed relevant CCTV," cops said. "No further action will be taken in relation to the incident involving the security guard and male customer."

Police initially began investigating Francis after he was seen on video throwing a right hook at a man's jaw after the guy had appeared to get into a confrontation with security guards at BOXPARK Wembley.

The man was reportedly causing a scene at the venue, and after he was booted by the guards, he became combative.

BOXPARK Wembley founder Roger Wade believed Francis did no wrong ... saying in a statement following the incident that the former fighter was simply defending himself -- and it seems cops agreed with him.

Francis fought professionally 48 times in his career in the 1990s and early 2000s, losing to both Tyson and Klitschko in their matches.

Scary moment on the MLB diamond Tuesday ... an MLB ump was struck near his eye by a shattered bat -- but somehow, it appears the official is going to be OK.

The frightening scene happened in the ninth inning of the Dodgers' game against the Angels in L.A., when Mike Trout was at the dish looking to bring the Halos back from a 2-0 deficit.

On a 3-2 count, Trout smacked a ball so hard, his bat shattered ... and a large piece of the splintered lumber hit home plate ump Nate Tomlinson right in the face.

You can see in video from the game's broadcast, Tomlinson was nearly stabbed in the eyeball by the bat's jagged edge, and he immediately crumpled to the ground.

Trainers raced to Tomlinson's aid, and video shows he was bleeding from several areas of his head.

Tomlinson was forced to leave the game -- but, fortunately, he walked off under his own power. Second base umpire Laz Diaz eventually filled in for Tomlinson for the last few outs of the game.

Trout, who ultimately singled on the play, was left stunned by the scene. His Angels would go on to lose the game, 2-0.

Jaxson Hayes will not spend another minute behind bars stemming from his July altercation with cops that led to his arrest -- the New Orleans Pelicans player was just sentenced to three years probation, 450 hours of community service and weekly domestic violence classes.

22-year-old Hayes pleaded no contest to resisting arrest and false imprisonment in February ... and was facing up to 364 days behind bars for both charges.

The timeframe is unclear on when Hayes must complete his community service ... but he will be allowed to complete it where he lives, instead of in Los Angeles.

Hayes will be able to take his domestic violence classes online over the next 52 weeks.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Hayes was arrested on July 28 after cops responded to a reported domestic incident at his then-girlfriend's house around 3 AM.

When officers showed up at the scene, cops say Hayes refused to let them inside ... which resulted in a scuffle.

One officer was injured ... and Hayes -- who was tased during the incident -- was heard on video telling cops he couldn't breathe, which led to an LAPD investigation into excessive use of force.

Hayes was taken to a nearby hospital to receive treatment for minor injuries ... and was released from custody later that day.

The upcoming celebrity boxing match between Blueface and former NBA star Nick Young isn't too chummy, and won't be very long -- the "Thotiana" rapper is vowing to put Nick to sleep early!

Make no mistake about it, Blueface has already won the July 30 bout in his mind, because he tells TMZ Hip Hop ... "The Famous Cryp is about to be even more famous ... Nick's going down in the 3rd!"

Earlier this week, TMZ Sports hashed out the details: the proud L.A. natives will both have home ring advantage inside Crypto.com Arena where they will be on the undercard for the Social Gloves event where YouTubers Austin McBroom and AnEsonGib are the main event.

Speaking of YouTubers, Blueface has a history of sizing up social media stars for a fight.

Remember, he bashed TikToker Kane Trujillo's face in (as well as a random ring-crasher) during a July 2021 bare-knuckle fight.

Ex-NFL star, and part-time rapper, Le'Veon Bell is also on the card for July 30, but he's still waiting for a challenger.

As for the fight for L.A.'s unofficial celeb belt (which isn't a thing, yet) ... the physical stats are in Swaggy's favor, but Blueface has him beat in-ring experience.

The Kid LAROI might have to lay off pick-up basketball games while he's touring ... especially after taking a fall so hard, it's painful just to watch.

The Aussie rapper made an appearance at the Culture Kings store in Melbourne, and part of the store was shut down Sunday ... so he and his crew could do some shopping. Things took a turn, though, when he and his entourage decided to play hoops on the store's indoor court.

It was close quarters, for sure, and at one point The Kid jumped pretty damn high for the ball, only to trip over one of his pals ... and come crashing down right on his tailbone! Immediately, you could see he was in pain.

While a lot of fans thought he'd have to cancel his concert scheduled for that night, TKL stuck to that old adage -- the show MUST go on -- and got onstage that night ... with The Wiggles no less!!!

He certainly didn't look any worse for wear as he went HAM performing his childhood heroes' classics like "Big Red Car" and "Fruit Salad."

The Kid had already postponed the Melbourne concert the week before, so he knew he had to put on a great show, regardless of how sore his back must have been.

Congressman Colin Allred tells TMZ Sports the U.S. is calling Brittney Griner "basically a political prisoner" now in Russia ... and says because of it, government officials have formally begun negotiations with the foreign country to bring the WNBA superstar home.

We spoke with the representative out on Capitol Hill on Tuesday afternoon -- just hours after it was announced that Griner's detention in Russia would be extended until at least July 2 -- and he confirmed to us they've officially entered into talks with Russian leaders to try to get Griner back on U.S. soil.

"We're actively negotiating to get her out," Allred said. "Basically, we've acknowledged and we understand now that she is being held as basically a political prisoner."

"In some ways, that’s helpful," Allred continued, "because now we can just have a discussion on, 'What is it going to take for you to allow us to bring her back home?'"

It appears it'll be an uphill battle to make the negotiations work, however ... according to Russian state media outlet TASS, a Russian diplomat said on Tuesday the country will not consider a detainee swap for Griner until her case wraps in the court system.

It's unclear when that date might be -- she's been in custody since mid-February as her case continues to plod on -- but Allred told us they're still doing everything they can to make it sooner rather than later.

As for how Griner is doing while in custody, Allred said, "she’s as good as she could be under the circumstances, and the circumstances are not great."

He did say she is able to receive some messages from loved ones through her attorney.

Tyler Herro wished the mother of his child, Katya Elise Henry, a happy 28th birthday with a sweet message ... calling her "the most beautiful girl in the world" amid rumors of a nasty breakup.

The Miami Heat star penned the letter on Tuesday by sharing photos of himself, the fitness model, and their 9-month-old daughter, Zya, on Instagram.

"Happy Birthday to the most beautiful girl in the world," Herro said in the caption.

"Words can’t describe how much I appreciate you. Aint no tellin where we’d be at without you."

Herro -- who started dating Henry after sliding in her DMs in 2020 -- says she's been holdin' it down since they've met and he looks forward to their future.

"You’ve been my rock holding it down for 2 years, I can’t wait to see what life has in store for us. Enjoy. Smile. More life to 28 biggggg babbyyyy."

This is a good sign that the couple is in good spirits -- even after many thought Henry broke up with Herro after posting quotes about cheating on her IG story.

She also removed all of Herro's photos from her page and unfollowed him on social media.

But, we just checked -- she's following him again.