RIP

Howard Finkel -- one of the most famous announcers in the history of pro wrestling -- has died, WWE confirms. He was 69.

Details surrounding his death are unclear at the moment.

The Fink (as he was lovingly called) had been ring announcing since 1977 -- when he was hired by Vince McMahon, Sr. for the WWE's predecessor, WWWF.

He became a full-time staffer in 1979 and went on to become WWE's longest-serving employee.

Besides that famous voice, Fink was involved in a bunch of WWE storylines over the years involving superstars like Mr. Perfect, The Million Dollar Man, CM Punk and more.

He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.

"WWE extends its condolences to Finkel's family, friends and fans," the org. said in a statement.

Stephanie McMahon also weighed in -- saying, "In what has already been a tough week for our @WWE family, today we lost our 1st ever employee and WWE Hall of Famer, @howardfinkel."

"Howard’s voice is iconic & recognized by generations of fans. He will be missed. #RIPHowardFinkel Thank you for everything."

RIP, Fink.

Pro Football Hall of Famer and 5-time champion Willie Davis has passed away at age 85, the Hall announced Wednesday.

Davis -- who won Super Bowls I and II under legendary coach Vince Lombardi -- quickly blossomed into one of the best defensive ends in the league after the Cleveland Browns traded him to the Packers in 1960.

“It is with great sadness the entire Pro Football Hall of Fame family mourns the passing of Willie Davis," Hall CEO David Baker said in a statement.

"Willie’s extraordinary athleticism was an undeniable factor in Green Bay’s winning tradition of the 1960s under Coach Lombardi. He helped the Packers through an unprecedented championship run and to two Super Bowl victories."

Davis racked up 5 First Team All-Pro selections, made the Pro Bowl 5 times, and was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981.

"He was the basketball version of me, and I was the rap version of him, and that’s facts!"

That's Kanye West ... explaining why he and Kobe Bryant were one and the same -- LEGENDARY -- and in typical Kanye style, he's not holding back.

It's spelled out in a candid (just released) interview with GQ that went down back in February, less than a month after his good pal Kobe died in a helicopter crash very close to Kanye's Calabasas-area home.

As part of the interview, Kanye agreed to take photos on a basketball court -- and admitted, it was therapeutic.

"One thing I thought was really amazing is that we were able to find a groove with the photographs today even as out of it as I was with the loss of Kobe," Kanye said.

"We were able to just go to the court and play ball."

Kanye says he often drives on a street near the spot of the helicopter crash ... and it makes him motivated to dominate in life like his friend Kobe did.

"There’s no way for me not to be as determined as Kobe every time I drive down that street. It’s game time. There’s no move that we can’t make, or that we’ll wait to make."

Of course, Kanye and Kobe were close friends for years -- they trained together, starred in Nike commercials together ... and Kanye was even courtside for Kobe's last game.

Now, Kanye says he continues to draw motivation from Kobe -- attacking challenges in life and business with that trademark Mamba Mentality.

"Everyone in our life is now a member of the Lakers on one of Kobe’s championship teams. The way that Kobe would say that we all have to come together and win this championship is the way I look at life now."

New York Yankees co-owner Hank Steinbrenner has died, his family confirmed. He was 63.

Hank had been battling an illness for a while -- but according to the NY Post, it was NOT related to COVID-19.

Steinbrenner was reportedly surrounded by family at his home in Clearwater, Florida when he passed. Hank is survived by his brother, Hal, and their two sisters, Jennifer and Jessica. He also has 4 children with his ex-wife.

Hank famously took over much of the ownership duties after his father, George Steinbrenner, passed away in 2010. In recent years, his brother, Hal, has taken over the role of "boss."

But, while Hank was in charge, he was known for being big and brash like his dad -- never afraid to speak his mind in public.

In fact, Hank famously made headlines back in 2008 when he took aim at the rival, Boston Red Sox.

"Red Sox Nation?" What a bunch of bush*t that is," Steinbrenner told The New York Times' Play magazine.

"That was a creation of the Red Sox and ESPN, which is filled with Red Sox fans.

"Go anywhere in America and you won't see Red Sox hats and jackets, you'll see Yankee hats and jackets. This is a Yankee country. We're going to put the Yankees back on top and restore the universe to order."

Funny, we feel like that's the quote Hank would want to end this post -- so we'll leave it at that.

RIP

Hockey fans paid their respects to Colby Cave in an awesome way Monday ... lining up cars for over 9 MILES to welcome the player's family back to his hometown after his tragic death.

As we previously reported ... the 25-year-old Edmonton Oilers center suffered a brain bleed early last week -- and despite emergency surgery, he passed away on Saturday.

On Monday, his family returned to North Battleford in Saskatchewan with a law enforcement escort ... and the love people showed the Cave fam on their way home was pretty amazing.

Fans parked their cars all along the shoulder of Highway 16 -- despite snow and freezing temps -- and displayed their appreciation for the Caves all along the route with signs and cheers.

In fact, former Oilers defenseman Eric Gryba even participated ... taking a selfie in front of the cars and writing, "a heartbreaking and heartwarming time."

"Over 15km of parked cars welcoming Colby's parents and sister home to North Battleford," Cave's wife, Emily, said of the scene. "Unfortunately, I had to stay behind with Colby's body in Ontario."

"My heart is broken. My heart is full. North Battleford, thank you for honoring your hometown hockey hero."

Cave grew up playing hockey in North Battlefield before he eventually moved on to the NHL as an undrafted player in 2015.

Tragic news ... Karl-Anthony Towns' mother, Jacqueline Towns, has died after a lengthy battle with coronavirus.

The Minnesota Timberwolves star announced last month his mom contracted the disease in mid-March ... and was put in a medically induced coma shortly after because of complications.

But, the T-Wolves said Monday she succumbed to the virus.

"The Towns family is heartbroken by the untimely passing of Jacqueline Towns, due to complications as a result of COVID-19," the team said in a statement.

"Jackie, as she was affectionately known among family and friends, has been battling the virus for more than a month when she succumbed on April 13th."

The statement continued, "Jackie was many things to many people - a wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. The matriarch of the Towns family, she was an incredible source of strength; a fiery, caring, and extremely loving person, who touched everyone she met. Her passion was palpable and her energy will never be replaced."

Towns' father, Karl Towns Sr., had also been infected by the virus ... but made a full recovery.

"The Towns family is extremely grateful for the outpouring of love and support they have received during this very difficult time," the T-Wolves said. "They would like to thank the medical warriors at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and JFK Medical Center, who fought for Jackie day in and day out, and helped Karl Sr. recover from the same virus that took Jackie's life."

Vanessa Bryant is reflecting on one of the most special days of Kobe's career ... wishing she had more time with the NBA legend on the 4-year anniversary of his retirement.

After 20 seasons in the NBA, Kobe finally hung it up on April 13, 2016 -- Mamba Day -- and went out in true Bryant fashion by dropping 60 points on the Utah Jazz.

Vanessa went to social media Monday to explain why the special day was more about family than basketball.

"My husband worked his ass off for 20 years," Bryant said on Instagram. "Gave it his all. All he wanted was to spend time with our girls and me to make up for lost time."

"He wanted to be there for every single milestone and special moment in our girls lives."

Vanessa goes on to list how many accomplishments Kobe had in the 3 years and 9 months they shared of his time away from basketball.

"We had 2 more daughters, he won an Oscar, he opened Granity studios, he became a 5x best selling author and coached Gianna’s basketball team in that time."

Kobe and Gianna -- along with 7 others -- were killed in a helicopter accident back in January ... and Vanessa wishes she could change what happened that fateful day.

"I wish I could back to that morning, every day. I wish they had a normal local game on 1/26. Life truly isn’t fair. This is just senseless."

Since his passing, Kobe has been voted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and will be formally inducted later this year.

Danny Goldman -- the actor best known for voicing Brainy Smurf in "The Smurfs" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Goldman died at his home Sunday night in front of friends and family while in hospice after suffering a couple of strokes around New Years ... this according to his longtime agent, Doug Ely. His death is not related to COVID-19. Ely took to Facebook to give his decades-long friend a touching tribute.

Ely wrote, "Danny was truly one of a kind. He always had strong opinions and didn't mind telling you about them. He was incredibly funny. He loved to root for the little guy and help wherever he could. He had a huge heart. We lost a good one today. He will be missed."

Goldman's acting credits date back all the way to 1963 with a stint in "General Hospital." He later landed roles in "Young Frankenstein" as a young medical student who questioned Gene Wilder.

Goldman also landed roles in "MASH" and "Busting Loose" but he reached stardom voicing Brainy Smurf when "The Smurfs" debuted in 1981 as a Saturday morning cartoon series on NBC. Brainy Smurf -- easily one of the most identifiable characters with his trademark thick glasses -- was known to never back down from sharing his smarts.

He'd hold on to that role until the series ended in 1989 but the show's popularity kept the series on the air via USA Network, the Cartoon Network and now the Boomerang channel.

Tarvaris Jackson -- who famously backed up Russell Wilson in Super Bowl XLVIII -- has died in a car crash.

He was only 36.

We're told Jackson was involved in a wreck late Sunday night in Alabama, where he grew up.

Russell Wilson tweeted about his former teammate early Monday morning -- saying, "TJack... you will be missed. Praying for your family...Love you man."

Recently, he had been working as a quarterback coach for the Tennessee State football team.

"My heart is so heavy with hurt hearing of the passing of Coach Jackson,” said TSU's athletic director, Teresa Phillips. “We were blessed with him for a short time but he did make an impact with our young men in this one season at TSU."

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to his young family and all who knew and loved him."

Added TSU head coach Rod Reed, "We are devastated. He was an awesome young man and he will be missed by our players, our staff and the TSU family."

Jackson was a stud football player in high school -- and later played at Arkansas before transferring to Alabama State, where he balled out for 3 seasons.

The Minnesota Vikings selected Jackson in the 2nd round of the 2006 NFL Draft, with head coach Brad Childress calling the QB a "diamond in the rough."

Jackson spent 4 years in Minnesota before signing with the Seahawks, Bills ... and then a 2nd stint with the Seahawks, where he served as Wilson's backup until 2015.

We spoke with Jackson's former Vikings teammate, Bryant McKinnie -- who spent 5 seasons with TJ -- about the passing of his longtime friend.

The death of James King, who starred on "My 600-lb Life" was NOT related to the coronavirus -- instead, the big guy's family says his heart gave out.

James got very sick back in early February, and his liver and kidneys were shutting down due to his weight ... one of his family members tells TMZ.

Remember, James actually gained weight following his debut on the reality show. He was 791 pounds starting out on the show, but by the end of 2018 his weight got up to a whopping 840 pounds.

We're told James, who lived in Paducah, KY, was initially transported to a local hospital on Feb. 10. Shortly after that, he had to be transferred to a Nashville hospital that was better equipped to treat a patient his size.

The family member says after the liver and kidney issues, though, James' heart gave out under the stress. He died April 3 in the Nashville hospital.

James also battled other health problems in the past, including cirrhosis of the liver and sepsis.

He leaves behind a large family. James is survived by his wife, Lisa Raisor King, 4 daughters, 2 sons and 19 grandkids.

Edmonton Oilers star Colby Cave has died following a brain bleed he suffered earlier in the week -- this according to his loved ones.

The Cave family made the sad announcement Saturday, saying Colby had passed away in a hospital he'd been in for the past few days. The families -- speaking for both Colby and his wife, Emily, said ... "Both our families are in shock but know our Colby was loved dearly by us, his family and friends, the entire hockey community and many more. We thank everyone for their prayers during this difficult time."

Colby was airlifted to a hospital in Toronto Tuesday for emergency surgery to remove a colloid cyst that was putting pressure on his brain. After the surgery, he was placed in a medically induced coma -- and had been in an unresponsive state since.

It's been reported that Colby's family wasn't able to visit him in the hospital due to COVID-19 concerns. Upon hearing about his passing, the NHL community at large mourned Colby's death, including NHL honcho Gary Bettman.

The commish said, "The National Hockey League family mourns the heartbreaking passing of Colby Cave, whose life and hockey career, though too short, were inspiringly emblematic of the best of our game." He continued, "Undrafted but undaunted, Colby was relentless in the pursuit of his hockey dream with both the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins organizations. An earnest and hardworking player, he was admired by his teammates and coaches. More important, he was a warm and generous person who was well-liked by all those fortunate enough to know him."

His team also paid tribute, throwing up posts and clips of his first goal and other highlights. He came to the Oilers in 2018 and played for them for two seasons. He'd played for the Boston Bruins before that, as well as several other minor league hockey teams.

Colby's wife posted a very emotional remembrance of her husband, writing ... "My heart is shattered. The amount of physical, mental, and emotional pain I am in when I think about never seeing, touching, or holding you again is unbearable. You are and will always be my person, my hero, the greatest thing to happen to me. I never dreamed of being a widow before our first wedding anniversary."

Emily added, "Although, every cell in my body is lost without you, I promise to continue to make you proud. You were the best friend, husband, doggy daddy, and oh how I wished to see you as a baby daddy. I’ll see you again soon, Colb."

Dieter Laser -- the German actor best known for playing the evil Dr. Heiter in "The Human Centipede" -- has died.

Laser's death was revealed by his wife, Inge, who says he actually passed in Berlin back on February 29. His cause of death is unknown at this time.

The German star has more than 60 acting credits to his name -- including appearing in the Glenn Close film, "Meeting Venus," in 1991 -- but didn't achieve international fame until starring in the controversial horror film, 'Centipede,' in 2009. He also appeared in 'The Human Centipede III' in 2015.

Tom Six, director of the cult horror series, says of Dieter ... "He was a force of nature, a unique human being and an iconic actor. I’m so damn proud we created pop culture together."

Dieter was an acclaimed film and theater actor in Germany for years, though. He won a German Film Award in 1975 for his leading role in "John Gluckstadt." Almost 35 years later ... he won a Scream Award for Best Villain for playing the deranged 'Human Centipede' surgeon.

Laser's other notable credits over the years include the sci-fi TV series, "Lexx," and the 2003 thriller, "Baltic Storm."

Dieter was 78.