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LeBron James is out ... and now the City of Cleveland has announced they're replacing the legendary banner with a new icon ... a Guardian!!!

No, not Groot. Or Rocket. Or even Mantis ... it's the Guardian of Traffic!

ALL HAIL THE TRAFFIC GOD!!

It's true -- the greatest athlete in the history of the city (maybe the world) is being subbed out for an image of the statue that overlooks traffic on the Hope Memorial Bridge.

City officials proposed the idea during a meeting early Friday morning -- claiming the statue is one of the "iconic landmarks" in town ... adding, "We all serve as guardians in terms of protecting and working within our community."

Okay, but honestly ... wouldn't you rather have Baker Mayfield or Bernie Kosar or Drew Carey?

Hell, throw Ricky Vaughn up there!

The Guardians of Traffic poster will include a slogan for the city -- "All For The Land."

And, if the guardian looks a little grainy to you -- it's 'cause the city wanted it that way ... saying it's a mosaic of "a composite of crowd-sourced images" of Clevelanders.

Immediate reaction to it hasn't been great ... with some tweeting, "Wait, is this real or a meme?"

Colin Kaepernick has another major supporter -- Miss Virginia -- who went to bat for the QB during a Miss America prelim competition on Thursday ... a prelim competition she WON!

22-year-old Emili McPhail was competing against 49 other women at night #2 in the 2019 Miss America prelims -- when she was asked how she'd advise the NFL when it comes to the kneeling issue.

"Kneeling during the national anthem is absolutely a right that you have to stand up for what you believe in, and to make the right decision that’s right for you,” McPhail said.

"It’s very important that we also have to take into consideration that it is not about kneeling: it is absolutely about police brutality."

The judges were so impressed with her answer, she was awarded the $1,000 prelim onstage question scholarship.

After the competition, McPhail talked about her answer with the Press of Atlantic City.

"I said standing up for what you believe in is the most important thing that you can do, and that’s what I did ... I was very happy to have that moment to be honest, because it’s not always easy."

Kevin Garnett claims his former accountant helped swindle him out of $77 MILLION and now he's suing in hopes of getting some of his cash back.

The NBA star -- who reportedly made more than $343 MILLION during his NBA career -- claims his former accountant Michael Wertheim was helping a crooked wealth manager skim a fortune from his bank accounts over several years and did nothing to stop it.

In fact, Garnett claims the accountant aided wealth manager Charles A. Banks IV in the theft and should be held responsible ... according to the suit, which has been moved to federal court in Minnesota.

Garnett claims part of the diabolical plot against him involved his wealth manager and accountant trying to get him to live on a budget so they would have a greater pool of cash to steal from.

One example ... in August 2013, Garnett claims he asked his wealth manager to wire him $40,000 of his own money -- but was scolded for exceeding their budget. Meanwhile, KG claims the wealth manager took more than $2 MILLION for himself over an 8-day span.

1:52 PM PT -- In the 911 call -- obtained by TMZ -- a male caller tells emergency operators Reynolds is experiencing trouble breathing and chest pain. The caller also says Reynolds is awake but not answering questions. The call was made just after noon on Thursday.

12:54 PM PT -- Burt was cast in Quentin Tarantino's Charles Manson film, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," but a source connected to the project tells us Burt hadn't shot his scenes yet.

He was supposed to shoot for 2 days, playing George Spahn ... the owner of the ranch where the Manson Family lived and plotted the Tate-LaBianca murders. Back in June, he showed up for a table read in Hollywood with the rest of the cast, including Brad Pitt.

Burt Reynolds died of a heart attack Thursday morning at a hospital in Florida, according to multiple reports.

Reynolds was 82.

Burt was transported to a Florida hospital after going into cardiac arrest at home. His family was by his side when he passed.

Reynolds had heart problems for years -- he underwent major heart surgery in February 2010. His rep tells us Burt had appeared extremely frail recently, and was in and out of the hospital.

Burt was a star in movies and on TV -- appearing in classics like "Smokey and the Bandit," "Boogie Nights" and "The Cannonball Run."

Reynolds was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role as porn director Jack Horner in "Boogie Nights" in 1997. He won the Golden Globe that year.

He's survived by his son.

Reynolds was famously married to Loni Anderson in 1988 -- but they split in 1993 in one of the nastiest breakups in Hollywood history.

He accused her of sleeping around. She accused him of physical brutality. And there were drug allegations and lots of other things. The 5-year marriage officially ended in 1993, when Burt agreed to pay Loni $234,794.13.

Reynolds refused to pay off the full bill for years -- but finally caved in 2015 ... 22 years after the divorce.

Reynolds was a star college football player -- who played at Florida State. His roommate was Lee Corso.

One of the biggest moments of Burt's career was when he posed naked for Cosmo magazine in 1972 on a bearskin rug. The photo became a national sensation. However, Burt expressed regrets about it later, saying, "It was really stupid. I don't know what I was thinking. I really wish I hadn't done that."

Burt was the #1 box office attraction for 5 solid years back in the '70s -- starring alongside iconic actresses like Jill Clayburgh, Dolly Parton, Goldie Hawn and Julie Andrews.

Alex Jones won't be spewing his conspiracy theories on Twitter, which is now the first social media platform to permanently ban the "InfoWars" host.

Twitter announced Thursday it's suspending two accounts -- @realalexjones and @infowars. The ban also extends to Periscope. A spokesperson said videos and tweets Jones recently posted violated Twitter's abusive behavior policy ... plus, there had been previous violations.

The final straw appears to stem from a tense confrontation Jones had Wednesday on Capitol Hill, where CEO Jack Dorsey and other tech execs were testifying to congress. In addition to his face-off with Sen. Marco Rubio ... Jones got in the face of CNN reporter Oliver Darcy, and likened him to "the Hitler Youth." Jones livestreamed the confrontation on InfoWars.

Ex-Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks pled guilty to insider trading Thursday and now faces up to 25 years in prison.

Kendricks -- who was cut by the Browns last week after he was indicted -- appeared in a federal courtroom in Philadelphia on Thursday where he owned up to his crime when questioned by the judge.

"Because I know I was wrong," Kendricks said ... "I know that I made the decision to accept information, secret information, and it wasn't the right thing to do."

Kendricks plied a Goldman Sachs analyst with kickbacks (including cash and NFL tickets) -- and in exchange got private info that allowed him to make roughly $1.2 million in profit.

By the way, Kendricks has more than $20 MILLION in NFL contract money during his career.

Not worth it.

Burt Reynolds inspired generations of Hollywood celebs, and almost every one of them -- whether they worked with him or not -- seems to be sharing his or her memories of the legendary actor.

These celeb tributes to Burt started flooding the Internet within minutes of the news he'd suffered a fatal heart attack Thursday morning in Florida.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts says it's reconsidering rolling out a new "popular" category for the Oscars, and putting the move on ice for 2019 ... and probably forever.

The AMPA said Thursday that the bemoaned category of "Best Achievement in Popular Film" merits further study ... and it won't be happening for the 2019 award show. As you'll recall ... the backlash to the announcement last month was swift and fierce, with cinephiles calling it the death of the Academy Awards and simply a way to pander to ratings.

The Academy's CEO, Dawn Hudson, says ... "There has been a wide range of reactions to the introduction of a new award, and we recognize the need for further discussion with our members." She continued, "We have made changes to the Oscars over the years—including this year—and we will continue to evolve while also respecting the incredible legacy of the last 90 years."

We'll take this a step further and predict this means the "popular" category will never see the light of day, especially after people stop talking about it when the 2019 show's over. Once the buzz dies down, our money's on the Academy never moving to reinstate it.

9/7 -- Sam's family just sent us an update on condition post-surgery, "Sam is an incredibly resilient and strong individual. His surgery went well and he is currently recovering and being monitored to make sure that there are no complications."

The statement continues, "He will require further treatment and rehabilitation over the coming weeks but he is under the care of some of the best physicians in the world at Cedars-Sinai. His family thanks everyone for their love, support, prayer and positive vibes. We will update everyone should there be any further developments."

"The Greatest Showman" star Sam Humphrey -- who played Tom Thumb in the film -- is fighting for his life and is set to undergo an extremely risky surgery ... TMZ has learned.

Sources tell us Humphrey has been hospitalized for several weeks in Los Angeles due to complications with Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease. We're told Humphrey's Crohn's is made worse by his skeletal dysplasia.

"The Greatest Showman" was the 24-year-old's big break, but he's also appeared in "Neighbours" and several theater productions.

'Showman' -- which also starred Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron and Zendaya -- was nominated for an Oscar for Best Song for "This Is Me" ... and picked up a Golden Globe win for the same category.

Robert O'Neill -- the guy who killed Osama Bin Laden -- ain't joining the Nike boycott ... and says he thinks people are making too big of a deal out of Colin Kaepernick's kneeling demonstration.

The SEAL Team 6 member was out in D.C. and says he sees both sides of the argument when it comes to Kaepernick ... but at the end of the day, he ain't torching his beloved Air Jordans.

"He says it's for awareness for police brutality. I know a lot of vets are insulted. I wouldn't [kneel] personally but I'm a white guy from Montana."

"Like I always say, every time I was in handcuffs, I deserved it."

O'Neill says when it comes to the people burning their Nikes -- he thinks it's stupid ... saying they're better off donating their gear to homeless people.

His feelings don't exactly line up with another famous special forces guy -- ex-UFC fighter Tim Kennedy -- who told us his military buddies at Fort Bragg in North Carolina were fuming over the Nike ad.

Kennedy told us he would never buy Nike again.

Doesn't seem O'Neill's on the same page.

The Department of Justice is charging a North Korean spy for the infamous Sony hacking that sent shock waves around Hollywood.

The DOJ charged Park Jin Hyok as the mastermind behind the 2014 cyber attack that exposed tons of the studio's internal emails. It ultimately led to the ousting of several of Sony's top executives.

The attack also came just before the studio's release of "The Interview" -- the satirical flick depicting Seth Rogen and James Franco's characters' plot to assassinate North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. A group that took credit, at the time, for the hacking made terroristic threats against theaters, and Sony blinked ... yanking the movie from a big screen release.

According to the DOJ ... Hyok conducted the hack on behalf of North Korea's spy agency. The FBI first pointed the finger at N. Korea back in 2014, but the DOJ charges make it official ... allegedly.

For hacking Sony and targeting others, Park was charged with 1 count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse and 1 count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted. Of course, they have to catch him first.

The hack wiped data from thousands of Sony computers while also revealing super sensitive information ... like the fact Seth earned $2 million more than James for the same movie. Another email exposed a famed producer who bad mouthed Angelina Jolie.

8:18 AM PT -- Booker just released a batch of emails between Kavanaugh and other officials that date back to his early days in George W. Bush's administration as an associate of the White House Counsel at the time, Alberto Gonzales.

A lot of the emails appear to be internal communication from 2002 and include discussions on deciding how to screen people at airports and elsewhere in response to 9/11. Kavanaugh makes clear that racial profiling was on the table as an immediate -- and potential long-term -- option.

They also discuss a race-neutral system as ideal, but appear to acknowledge that using racial profiling in the interim would be most effective. Kavanaugh and his associates also seem to note legal loopholes they could invoke to get away with racial profiling and avoid liability. No word yet if Booker has been sanctioned for his actions.

Senator Cory Booker says he's willing to be thrown out of the United States Senate for releasing a confidential document allegedly showing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is guilty of promoting racial profiling ... but Booker says it's the right thing to do.

Booker dropped the bombshell Thursday morning at the Senate hearing. He said there's an email which is confidential because of national security concerns. In the email, Booker says there's evidence Kavanaugh, when he was an aide to President George W. Bush, suggested it was appropriate to racially profile people to blunt post-911 terrorism.

Booker says he intends to release the email knowing the consequences to him could be severe -- ouster from the Senate. After the hearing he told us why he's willing to go down with the ship.

Senator John Cornyn read the potential charge against Booker at the hearing, and the Democratic Senator from New Jersey responded bluntly, "Then apply the rule and bring the charges."

Booker had support from Senator Dick Durbin, who said, "If there is going to be some retribution against the Senator from New Jersey, count me in."

Miley Cyrus and Wiz Khalifa did the signing and rapping on their hit song, "23 (J's On My Feet)" ... but another artist recorded it first ... according to her lawsuit.

Ariella Asher says she released "J's On My Feet (feat. Fleetwood)" back in 2012 and, in her lawsuit, Ariella calls it "a hit original musical composition."

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the rip-off came when Ariella's friend met with mega-producer Mike Will Made-It ... although Ariella seems to think "Mike Will Stole It" would be more accurate. She says during the Jan. 2013 meeting her friend gave Mike a copy of her version of her "J's On My Feet."

Cut to Sept. 2013 ... when Mike, Miley and Wiz drop their '23.' That one is verifiably a huge hit. In the suit, Ariella -- bitterly, we presume -- points out Miley's version hit #11 on the charts, and has 794 million Internet views.

Ariella says the lyric "J's on my feet" -- repeated through both songs -- was jacked from her song. Ariella even thinks Miley's look for the video was a carbon copy of hers. Hmmm ... okay.

Vanilla Ice was one of more than 500 passengers aboard a double-decker plane from Dubai to JFK that had to be quarantined after more than 100 passengers fell ill.

The rapper tweeted from the top floor of Emirates Flight 203 on Wednesday and was STUNNED to see the plane swarmed by emergency trucks. At first he seemed to be unaware of what was going on but quickly learned the gravity of the situation -- tons of passengers and some crew members "complained of illness including cough and some with fever," according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Vanilla later tweeted, "This is crazy. Apparently there is over 100 people sick on the bottom floor, so happy I'm up top, it's a double-decker plane 380." A total of 521 people were aboard the A380 superjumbo plane. At least 10 people were taken to a hospital.

Nike isn't backing down from its Colin Kaepernick ad campaign -- they just released a brand new 2-minute commercial featuring the QB -- and it's slated to air during the NFL season opener.

The spot features Colin narrating inspiring messages about overcoming the odds while real video of really inspirational athletes plays on the screen.

Colin references Serena Williams and praises her as "the greatest athlete ever" -- while throwing similar compliments at stars like Odell Beckham, Shaquem Griffin and the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team.

Regarding Odell, Colin says ...

"Don't picture yourself wearing OBJ's jersey. Picture OBJ wearing yours."

Regarding Shaquem, Colin says ...

"If you have only one hand, don’t just watch football, play it at the highest level."

Regarding LeBron James, Colin says ...

"Don’t become the best basketball player on the planet. Be bigger than basketball." (while video runs showing LeBron opening his new school in Ohio)

Regarding Serena, Colin says ...

"And, if you’re a girl from Compton, don’t just become a tennis player. Become the greatest athlete ever. Yeah, that’s more like it."

It's the second phase of Nike's "Just Do It" ad campaign featuring Kaep -- a deal that we're told was put together in the last several weeks.

We're told the deal put together by Mark Geragos and Ben Meiselas also includes a new custom Kaepernick shoe and apparel line.

No word on when that's supposed to drop.

As for the commercial, a source with knowledge of the situation tells us the plan is to air the commericial at some point during the Falcons vs. Eagles broadcast on NBC.

Sen. Marco Rubio and "InfoWars" host Alex Jones got right up in each other's faces outside a Senate hearing ... and Rubio threatened to open a can o' whoop ass on Jones.

The toe-to-toe showdown went down Wednesday morning after Rubio exited a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on social media. It gets heated right around the 1 min mark of the video.

Jones, the king of conspiracy theorists, was there and pissed about being censored on social media platforms, so he decided to upstage Rubio in front of reporters. Rubio played the "I don't know who this guy is" card ... then Jones condescendingly patted Rubio on the shoulder, and it was on.

Rubio threw down some tough talk, for a Senator, saying ... "Don't touch me again, man. I'm asking you again not to touch me." Jones kept jawing at him until Rubio took the bait, blurting out ... "You're not gonna get arrested, man. I'll take care of you myself."

The verbal jabs continued, but no physical fight. Not this time.