RIP

The towel Kobe Bryant famously draped over his shoulders during his "Mamba Out" speech in 2016 just netted somebody a small fortune ... it sold for over $30K at an auction!!

You'll recall ... just minutes after the final buzzer sounded on Kobe's last game in the NBA on April 13, 2016 -- the Mamba grabbed a Body Armor towel and a mic and delivered a powerful speech.

He reflected on his L.A. career, thanked fans, and expressed gratitude for Vanessa, Gianna and the rest of his family for giving him the opportunity to hoop for the Lakers for 20 years.

Kobe famously ended the speech by saying "Mamba Out" ... and as he walked off the floor -- a lucky fan was able to nab the towel off his shoulders.

Turns out ... that was a VERY lucrative move -- because it not only fetched $8,000 at an auction in 2016 -- it sold again for $33,077.16 at a different auction Sunday.

Iconic Auctions president Jeff Woolf told CNN the winning bidder was none other than David Kohler -- the Lakers superfan who not only collects insane memorabilia but also sells it.

Remember, Kohler is the dude who scored $1 MILLION from Babe Ruth's 500th home run bat back in December!!

As for Kohler's plan for the towel ... Woolf says the guy with the massive Lakers collection wants to open up a museum someday with all of his L.A. memorabilia on display.

Actor Matthew Faber -- who starred in a number of cult classic films in the '90s -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Faber was found deceased Saturday inside his Van Nuys, CA apartment -- this after his family hadn't heard from him in some days and asked the landlord to his building to open up his unit ... according to Matt's brother, Mark. His death appears to be natural, we're told.

Mark tells TMZ, "A beautiful man. Incredibly talented. Wise beyond his years, quick-witted. Abundantly aware. He could really pay attention more than most. He had such incredible focus and ability to sustain concentration -- brilliant man, very aware, very smart."

Matt is perhaps best known for his roles as Mark Weiner in 1995's 'Welcome to the Dollhouse' and its 2004 sequel 'Palindromes.' He also starred in 'Natural Born Killers,' 'Hard Luck,' 'The Pallbearer,' 'Ride with the Devil,' 'Sue,' and several other mid-to-late '90s flicks.

John Callahan of 'All My Children' fame has died.

The longtime soap star passed away Saturday after suffering a massive stroke at his Palm Desert, CA home ... according to his rep. On Friday, paramedics were called to his home and he was transferred to a hospital in Rancho Mirage, where he was put on life support.

Callahan's rep says his death is NOT related to COVID-19 -- but notes that nonetheless, some of John's family members were only able to see him for a short while due to hospital restrictions currently in place all over the country because of the coronavirus.

His ex-wife and former 'AMC' co-star, Eva La Rue says ... " We are extremely saddened and distraught over the loss of John." She continued, "He was my great friend, co-parent and an amazing father to Kaya. The absence of his bigger than life, gregarious personality will leave a hole in our hearts forever. Words cannot express the shock and devastation we are feeling at this time. The Yankees just lost one of their greatest fans."

John played Edmund Grey on the hit show for years, starring in his role from 1992 all through 2005. He also acted on the daytime drama "Santa Barbara" for a couple years in the '80s as well as 'Falcon Crest' in the early '90s. He also had recurring roles on 'Days of Our Lives' dating back to the late '80s all the way up until 2010.

The guy had 34 acting credits to his name. He's survived by his daughter, Kaya.

"Game of Thrones" fans already reeling from the show ending have another heartbreaking loss -- the dog that played Bran's direwolf has died.

Odin, an Inuit dog who played Summer the direwolf in the very first 'GoT' episode back in 2011, died after being diagnosed with mouth cancer in November.

His owners announced the sad news on social media Thursday, saying they got him as a 7-week-old pup and he's been a member of the family the past decade.

Though they're very sad, they say ... "We can all take great comfort in knowing that he is forever immortalized in the great TV Show Game of Thrones as Summer Bran Starks' Direwolf Pup in Season 1 episode 1."

The HBO show even rallied behind Odin following his cancer diagnosis, helping raise funds for the family, so they could get the TV direwolf special treatment in Dublin on a weekly basis.

The family says Odin was treated to beach walks and his favorite foods during his final days, but succumbed to further illness this week and passed in his sleep.

He was 10.

RIP, good boy.

Tragic day for the basketball community ... beloved Harlem Globetrotters legend Fred "Curly" Neal has passed away. He was 77 years old.

Curly became one of the most recognizable players for the Globies during his 22-year stint with the team ... playing in more than 6,000 games.

Neal's #22 jersey was retired in 2008 ... one of just 5 players to receive the honor.

Curly was also featured in several of the Globetrotters' TV specials ... including "The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island" and "The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Special" ... as well as 'Scooby-Doo.'

Curly was the team's elite ball handler for the Globetrotters after a successful career at Johnson C. Smith University ... where he averaged 23 points a game.

Fellow Globetrotters legend Curley "Boo" Johnson mourned the loss of his friend on Twitter, saying "Last night the World lost a true ambassador of the game of basketball and outside of Muhammad Ali one of the most recognizable faces on the Planet!"

"Rest In Peace my Brother.... "

Police are actively looking into the death of a 22-year-old Washington State football player after he was found dead Tuesday in his apartment, TMZ Sports has learned.

Bryce Beekman -- who started all 13 games at safety in 2019 -- was one of top players on the WSU defense. He was 5th on the team in tackles last season.

But, cops in Pullman, Washington received a call to Beekman's apartment around 5:44 PM on Tuesday for a person with "breathing problems" ... and when they arrived, it was too late.

No official cause of death has been released but a spokesperson for the Pullman Police Dept. tells TMZ Sports there is an active investigation into the situation, as with all death cases.

Beekman was well-liked by his teammates and coaches -- several of whom have already commented on social media.

WR Renard Bell wrote, "Fly high. Forever my dawg." Offensive lineman Liam Ryan added, "Cherish your loved ones. Every second matters."

WSU Athletic Director Pat Chun made a statement Wednesday morning, "Bryce was a tremendous young man, great teammate and will be missed by all."

"We send our deepest condolences and prayers to the Beekman family and his many friends."

Beekman -- from Baton Rouge -- transferred to the Cougars last January from Arizona Western Junior College and wore #26 as a tribute to the late great NFL safety Sean Taylor.

Kobe Bryant's daughters have just been appointed new guardians to represent their interests in their father's trust ... TMZ Sports has learned.

According to new legal docs ... Erika Williams has been appointed guardian ad litem for Natalia and Bianka Bryant, and James Summers is repping for Kobe's youngest daughter, Capri.

Vanessa Bryant and Kobe's former agent Rob Pelinka, who are the co-trustees of Kobe's trust, have been instructed to pay any expenses for Erika and James' roles as guardians, using money from the trust ... according to the docs.

As we first reported ... Vanessa filed docs Friday asking a judge to appoint the guardian ad litem for Bianka and Natalia, plus another one for Capri. Vanessa said she wanted to get her legal affairs in order ASAP because of uncertainty surrounding the court system due to coronavirus pandemic and potential government shutdowns.

Christy McGinity is in mourning -- her newborn baby girl died after a premature birth ... TMZ has learned.

The "Little Women: LA" star shared the news Monday, telling TMZ ... "It is with our deepest sorrow that we send our baby girl Violet Eva Carazo to play with the angels." She continues, "We were able to spend two weeks with our sweet baby girl and for that we are forever thankful. Please respect our privacy during this difficult time. Your thoughts and prayers are very much appreciated."

We're told Violet arrived earlier this month, 7 weeks before her due date. She weighed just 3 lbs and 15 oz. and measured 15 inches long at birth. Christy had announced her pregnancy with boyfriend Gonzalo Justo Carazo last year.

Violet Eva was Christy's third child.

Montae Nicholson's time with the Redskins is over ... he's been cut by Ron Rivera -- this just 4 months after he was wrapped up in an investigation over a woman’s death.

We broke the story, back on Nov. 14, Nicholson and a friend found 21-year-old Julia Crabbe "foaming at the mouth" in the safety's Ashburn, Virginia home after a night out.

According to police documents, 24-year-old Nicholson and the friend took Crabbe to a nearby hospital ... where she was later pronounced dead.

At the scene the following day, cops say they found pills, weed and "foil with residue" when they searched Nicholson's home ... although they did NOT say who the drugs belonged to.

A spokesperson for the county medical examiner told us back in January that Crabbe died of accidental fentanyl intoxication ... but the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office tells us an investigation into the incident is still ongoing.

For his part, Nicholson has said he's fully cooperating with police and called the days after Julia's death "extremely hard."

Nicholson was also famously involved in a street brawl just a year prior in 2018 ... where video showed him pummeling a man in the middle of a Virginia street around 2 AM.

He was charged with assault over the incident ... but prosecutors dropped the case a few months later.

Nicholson was a pretty solid safety for Washington since being selected in the 4th round of the 2017 NFL Draft ... and he still had one year left on his rookie contract.

It's unclear if his release Monday was related to his off-field incidents ... although Rivera and the Redskins announced they cut four other DBs along with Nicholson.