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Everyone's a comedian ... even Kareem Abdul-Jabbar!

The Lakers legend was one of the speakers at Shaq's big Lakers statue unveiling at Staples Center on Friday ... and made a reference to the fact Kobe Bryant was on hand for the event!

"Some people thought the odds of Kobe Bryant showing up today were the same as Shaq sinking a free throw."

The ceremony was great. The statue looks awesome.

Congrats Big Fella.

Ex-Penn State president Graham Spanier was just found guilty of child endangerment stemming from the way he handled the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse incidents.

Officials say Spanier was alerted of a 2001 incident of Sandusky sexually assaulting a young boy in a Penn State shower ... but for some reason, Spanier did NOT report it to police.

Instead, officials say he and other Penn State officials simply told Sandusky he couldn't bring boys to campus anymore. Prosecutors argued he put the school and their own interests ahead of protecting the child.

Spanier argued his actions did not put any child in danger.

Peyton Manning says he has absolutely ZERO plans to run for political office in his post-NFL life ... saying he has NO IDEA where the rumors even started.

Rumors had been swirling for months that Peyton could run for senator in Tennessee in 2020 ... and John McCain even endorsed the idea, calling Manning an "American hero."

But Peyton put the senator talk to bed during the Adobe Summit in Vegas this week.

"I have no idea where that comes from. A few weeks ago I was gonna go run a team. Last week, I was gonna go be in the Senate ... next week, I'll probably be an astronaut."

To be clear, Manning added, "I have no interest in getting into the political world" ... but said he does want to continue to serve and give back to the communities.

He added, "Be careful what you believe."

Here's the video (go to the 4:00 mark).

There could be a Big Red Mayor in Tennessee next year ... 'cause WWE legend Kane is running for office!!

The 7-foot, 323-pound superstar is prepping to chokeslam the political game in his local Knox County, according to WCYB in Tennessee.

Kane -- AKA Glenn Jacobs -- is a Republican and filed paperwork earlier this month, kick-starting the campaign process. The election won't take place until May 2018.

As a member of The Authority, Kane was voted Most Hated Wrestler of the Year by Pro Wrestling Illustrated in 2013.

Michael Jordan bets HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS PER HOLE when he golfs ... so says Charles Barkley.

Sir Chuck appeared on the 'Dan Patrick Show' and said he once saw MJ bet $300,000 on a put -- and that wasn't even out of the ordinary.

Charles says MJ has so much money, those kind of bets are chump change to him.

Pats owner Robert Kraft was actually happy to see the FBI -- because they forked over Tom Brady's missing Super Bowl jerseys!!!

The Bureau posted this photo shot at Gillette Stadium Thursday ... where the QB's Super Bowl 49 and 51 jerseys were returned from Mexico. The recovery was the result of a massive international jersey hunt that led to a reporter in Mexico whom authorities say was the thief.

Kraft said, "We want to thank the FBI, the Mexican authorities and the many different local agencies that were involved in the investigation and ultimate recovery of Tom Brady's Super Bowl LI jersey."

He added, "Working along with the Patriots and NFL security, those agencies collectively coordinated an investigation that also led to the recovery of Tom's missing Super Bowl XLIX jersey."

Nicely done!

Ex-Baylor football player Tre'Von Armstead has been arrested in Texas for sexual assault 4 years after he was accused of gang raping a woman ... officials say.

Armstead was named in a rape investigation in 2013 ... but Baylor reportedly failed to take action for roughly 2 years. Armstead was eventually dismissed from the team in 2015 for a "violation of team rules."

The 22-year-old has always denied any wrongdoing in the 2013 incident.

But now, McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna says there's "newly discovered evidence" implicating Armstead ... and he was arrested Wednesday for 3 felony counts of sexual assault.

His bail was set at $150k.

It's the SECOND time Armstead has been arrested this month -- as we first reported, he was busted in Vegas for allegedly roughing up a woman and then going berserk on a cop car.

WWE legend Jim Ross' wife, Jan Ross, has died at 55 years old ... days after sustaining a catastrophic brain injury in an accident.

Ross -- who married Jim in 1993 -- was riding her Vespa home from the gym Monday night in Oklahoma when she was struck from behind by a vehicle. She was not wearing a helmet. Ross sustained a serious brain injury and multiple skull fractures.

Jim announced his wife's death on Twitter Wednesday night, saying ... "A priest gave my wife Jan her last rites tonight. My little angel is gone."

The latest White House fence jumper was caught as she was hanging from the top of the fence by her shoelaces.

TMZ has obtained the incident report, which details the movements of the 38-year-old woman. It says she went back and forth, staring at the White House for a long period of time before making her move Tuesday at 10:50 PM.

The Secret Service agent who was watching her lost sight for a second and the next thing he knew she had caught her shoelaces on an iron spire and dangled helplessly on the inside of the fence. Agents helped her down before arresting her to keep her from falling on her head.

She told agents she was there to speak to the president.

She had a map of the White House, although the incident report does not explain whether the map showed the interior or exterior grounds.

As we reported, Congressman Jason Chaffetz told us, based on what he knew so far, the Secret Service followed protocol.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross says his wife is "being kept alive via life support equipment" after a bad car accident earlier this week ... and is now describing her brain injury as "catastrophic."

As we previously reported, Jan Ross was riding her Vespa home from the gym Monday night when she was struck from behind by another car. She was not wearing a helmet and suffered multiple skull fractures.

Jim says Jan is still hospitalized in Oklahoma and her life is in serious danger.

"We hope that the swelling of Jan's brain will subside soon as it must for her to survive," Jim explained in a blog post ... "It's that simple."

"Nonetheless my little, Italian angel who loves her Steelers and all things Pittsburgh is fighting for all's she worth to save her life."

Jim added, "I will fully admit that there has been no experience in my life that could have prepared me for this life changing week. To see one's life partner and love of one's life being kept alive via life support equipment is tragically heartbreaking."

BIG WIN for Conor McGregor ... the UFC star got his big $75,000 fine reduced to $25,000 for that water bottle fight with Nate Diaz at the UFC 202 presser.

Remember, the Nevada State Athletic Commission hit McGregor with the massive fine -- plus 50 hours of community service. Conor was PISSED!!! So was Dana White.

But the Commission granted McGregor a rehearing which took place moments ago ... and agreed to REDUCE the punishment to a $25k fine plus 25 hours of community service, per Damon Martin of FOX Sports. He has 6 months to complete the community service.

Here it is ... the long-awaited DUNKING SHAQ statue at Staples Center!!

The 9-foot tall, 1,200 POUND statue has been in the works for months ... it will officially be unveiled on Friday night!

A bunch of Lakers greats -- including Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West -- are expected to attend the event.

Game show legend Chuck Barris -- creator and host of "The Gong Show" -- died Tuesday of natural causes at his home in Palisades, NY ... according to his publicist.

In addition to starting 'Gong Show' in 1976 ... Barris had also created "The Dating Game" and "The Newlywed Game" in the '60s. He claimed to have been a CIA assassin on the side, as chronicled in his autobiography, 'Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.'

The book became a movie in 2002, starring Sam Rockwell as Chuck, and was George Clooney's directorial debut.

And because TV and CIA work wasn't enough, Barris was also a songwriter! His biggest hit was 1962's "Palisades Park" ... sung by Freddy Cannon.

Chuck was 87.

He and Gene Gene the Dancing Machine (who died 2 years ago) are somewhere doing their thing again ... we hope.

#RIP

Sarah Palin ain't impressed with Colin Kaepernick's $50,000 donation to Meals on Wheels ... labeling the move as a cheap "political stunt."

The former Alaska governor just put her seal of approval on an anti-Kaep article posted on her website, SarahPalin.com titled, "SERIOUSLY? Colin Kaepernick Just Pulled ANOTHER Political Stunt."

Paul Wall and Baby Bash just caught a huge break in their drug case -- a grand jury cut 'em loose.

The panel declined to indict the Houston rappers Tuesday, citing insufficient evidence to convict them in the December drug bust. Paul celebrated his victory with a cigar (weed-free, we think), and told us why he was always confident his attorney would save his ass.

We broke the story ... Paul and Baby were arrested in an undercover raid while attending a weed party in Houston. They'd been booked for possession of marijuana and intent to sell, both felonies in Texas. It appeared the case was moving forward a few months ago when the artists told a judge they would test positive for THC.

Colin Kaepernick is back in Donald Trump's crosshairs -- the President of the United States just mocked the QB for last season's national anthem protest.

Trump referenced a report that NFL teams are refusing to pick up Kaepernick because owners are afraid of a Twitter backlash from Trump himself.

Trump didn't exactly refute the report. Instead he fired up the Kentucky crowd by saying people in the Bluegrass State don't like it when people don't stand for the anthem.

The crowd loved it.

Meanwhile, Kaepernick just helped secure an entire airplane to send food and supplies to people in need in Somalia.