RIP

Only Garry Shandling would see the hilarity in watching comedians play basketball ... so his buddies gathered for one last round in his honor.

More than 30 jokers gathered for a final pickup game at Shandling's house ... which was a regular event among L.A. comedians.

Judd Apatow posted a pic of the final meetup saying, "One last game of basketball at Garry's house to say goodbye."

Bill Maher, Kathy Griffin, Richard Lewis, Kevin Nealon, Phil Rosenthal, Jeffrey Tambor, and even sports reporter Jim Gray were among the heavy hitters who showed up.

TMZ broke the story ... Shandling unexpectedly died last week from what appears to be a massive heart attack.

If you have a couple minutes ... you should really watch this.

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh spoke at Tray Walker's funeral this weekend -- remembering his former player as a tough, sweet talented guy who didn't back down from anyone ... including future Hall of Famer WR Steve Smith.

It's clear Walker -- a defensive back -- made quite an impression on Harbaugh and several Ravens players (several attended the funeral including Steve Smith) ... before passing away in a motorcycle crash earlier this month.

Tray's family wanted the funeral to be more of a "celebration of life" -- and Harbaugh did a pretty great job painting a picture of a man who loved football and his family.

We know how much Walker loved the Ravens -- as we previously reported, his family bought a custom Ravens-themed casket for the 23-year-old.

#RIP

An extraordinary guy deserves an extraordinary funeral ... so says the family of Ravens cornerback Tray Walker who ordered up a custom Ravens-themed casket for his final tribute.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Walker's family agreed to celebrate his life after he passed away from injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash last week -- and wanted to make a statement with his casket.

So, the family contacted casket maker Trey Ganem and ordered something that would match Tray's flashy personality ... with Ravens logos, an NFL helmet and Louis Vuitton interior.

Ganem (who got permission from Tray's family to speak with us) says the price tag was about $16k -- but the family was happy to pay because Tray would have loved it.

Walker was laid to rest Saturday in Miami.

Garry Shandling was feeling bad the night before he died, and he was making plans to go to the ER Thursday afternoon.

Sources connected with the comedian tell TMZ ... he spoke with a doctor friend of his Wednesday late afternoon, complaining he was not feeling well. The doctor was concerned enough that he came to Shandling's home and checked him out.

Garry complained he was achy and short of breath. He did not complain of chest pains. The doctor told Garry if he was not feeling well the next day he should go to the ER to check it out. Garry said if he wasn't feeling better he'd probably go sometime Thursday afternoon.

In a recent appearance on Jerry Seinfeld's "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee," Shandling cracked a joke about having hyperparathyroidism ... which, according to the Mayo Clinic, can lead to cardiovascular disease.

TMZ broke the story, Garry called 911 Thursday at around 10:30 AM and fell unconscious during the call. Paramedics responded, broke his door down and found him unresponsive. We're told he had a weak pulse at the house. He was pronounced dead at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica.

1:44 PM PT -- Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ Shandling died from a massive heart attack, with no prior warning whatsoever.

Comedian Garry Shandling died at an L.A. area hospital on Thursday ... TMZ has learned.

The 66-year-old star was not suffering from any illness ... as far as we know ... so, it appears this was sudden. A source connected to Shandling says he was healthy and speaking to people on Thursday morning.

Our source says there was a 911 call from "The Larry Sanders Show" star's home, and he was transported to the hospital. We're told Shandling was alive when he arrived at the hospital.

Last weekend, Shandling was hanging with friends Kathy Griffin and Bob Odenkirk ... who also co-starred with Garry on 'Larry Sanders.'

Story developing ...

Garry Shandling made the 911 call himself, telling the dispatcher he was experiencing a severe medical emergency ... but he never made it through the call.

Sources connected to Shandling and familiar with the situation tell us, in the middle of the 911 call the comedian lapsed into unconsciousness.

Paramedics were dispatched and we're told when they arrived no one answered so they had to kick in the door.

As we reported, our sources say it appears Shandling died Thursday of a massive heart attack.

Our sources say Shandling appeared in good health and there were no signs of medical problems prior to his death.

10:40 AM PT -- Phife's family just released a statement confirming the rapper died from diabetes.

Phife Dawg -- a member of the iconic rap group A Tribe Called Quest -- died Tuesday.

Phife battled health problems for years -- he suffered from Type 1 diabetes -- and underwent a kidney transplant in 2008.

Roots drummer Questlove posted a lengthy tribute to Phife on Instagram, tagging the post as coming from Linden Boulevard ... a street in Queens the group frequently mentioned in their songs.

Along with rapper Q-Tip and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Tribe was popular in the '90s with songs like "Scenario," "Can I Kick It?" and "Award Tour."

He was 45.

Erin Storm, who competed for the affection of Matt Grant on "The Bachelor," has died in a plane crash.

The single engine plane went down Monday shortly after taking off at Hawthorne Airport. A nearby construction crew witnessed the crash and pulled the 41-year-old from the wreckage. She was taken to a local hospital but could not be saved.

We're told Erin was flying the plane. There were no passengers.

It's unclear what caused the wreck ... but cops say no one on the ground was injured.

Erin was eliminated from the show in 2008 after the third episode.

R.I.P.

Former Toronto mayor Rob Ford -- who became world famous for his crack scandal while in office -- died Tuesday after a battle with cancer ... his reps confirm.

Ford was diagnosed with pleomorphic liposarcoma in 2014 after a tumor was found in his abdomen. He underwent surgeries and multiple rounds of chemotherapy, but the cancer proved too strong.

Ford -- who served as mayor from 2010 to 2014 -- was caught on video smoking crack on multiple occasions during his term. He admitted to using the drug though denied he was an addict.

In 2014, Ford went to rehab to seek help for his "problem with alcohol" -- and after a 2 month stint, he returned to work to continue his term.

He died at Mount Sinai hospital in Canada -- surrounded by his family. Ford is survived by his wife and 2 children.

Mini Kim Kardashian died at 32 from health issues and no foul play is suspected ... this according to law enforcement sources.

We're told the day before her death Kim had complained to friends she was having significant chest pains.

As we reported, Kim's boyfriend Ricky Sells, who played mini Kanye West alongside Kim, found her body just after midnight Sunday, sitting upright on the porch of their Las Vegas apartment. She was purple and could not be revived.

Ricky says mini Kim K. will be cremated and her ashes spread in the ocean ... with a party celebrating her life to follow.

Kim Kardashian said her goodbye to Kim Tripp, the pint-sized woman who played her to a tee at Beacher's Madhouse.

Kim K. sent her thoughts and prayers to Tripp's friends and family, writing, "Rest in peace beautiful soul."

Tripp was found dead at her Las Vegas home Sunday by her boyfriend, who plays mini-Kanye West at the Vegas revue. We're told it looks like her death was health-related.

Tripp had become a centerpiece of the show. She was only 32.

"Gold Rush" star John Schnabel, one of the great Alaskan gold miners on the Discovery show died Friday morning. He was 96.

Schnabel's family broke the news he passed away peacefully in his sleep, saying ... "He was a true legend."

Schnabel was a military vet who got into gold mining later in life when doctors suggested he keep active after a triple bypass. He became an anchor on Discovery's hit gold mining show -- which focuses heavily on his grandson, Parker Schnabel.

Parker took over responsibilities at the Big Nugget Mine when John's health declined.

#RIP

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Tray Walker has died from injuries sustained from his motorcycle accident Thursday night ... this according to his agent Ron Butler.

Walker was 23.

According to police, Walker was operating a dirt bike in the dark without lights and crashed into a 2014 Ford Escape. He was not wearing a helmet.

Walker was transported to the trauma unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Joe Santos, who played Lt. Dennis Becker on "The Rockford Files" has died.

Joe's son, Perry, tells TMZ, Joe had a heart attack at his L.A. home Wednesday and was put on life support. He passed away Friday morning in a Santa Monica hospital.

Joe's career spanned more than 40 years and he was nominated for an Emmy in 1979 for his work on "The Rockford Files." He also had roles on "Magnum, P.I." and "The Sopranos." He was most recently in the movie "Chronic" which was released in 2015.

Joe had two sons and a daughter. He was 84.

R.I.P.

The shotgun Kurt Cobain used to kill himself is now available for public view ... partly to dispel rumors police had destroyed the weapon to cover up his murder.

Seattle police released photos of the shotgun, but only after a court ordered them to do so.

Emmy winning actor Larry Drake, who famously played Benny on "L.A. Law" died Thursday ... TMZ has learned.

We're told Larry had some health problems lately, related to his weight, but nothing acute or terminal ... as far as his rep knew. Sources on scene tell us Larry was found in his Hollywood home by a friend, who called paramedics around 1:30 PM.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Larry won two consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor for "L.A. Law" in '88 and '89. He also starred in the 1990 cult classic, "Darkman."

Larry had dropped out of movies and TV in recent years, but we're told he was an acting coach.

He was 66.