Sports

Kyle Busch's team has to push on without him ... but, there's certainly an air of grief around the team -- just watch them unload his car two days after his tragic death.

The Richard Childress Racing team took Busch's car out of the truck Saturday in North Carolina while numerous reporters and other onlookers watched ... and the silence was deafening -- with the only sounds coming from the car's wheels as the team eased it out.

The car -- repainted with number 33 after RCR announced they won't be using Busch's #8 for the foreseeable future -- has what looks like a tribute to Busch on the door ... but does not have a name on it.

3:13 PM PT -- Abdul Carter says he and Jaxson Dart talked on the phone, man to man ... and, they're all good.

He's telling folks online to keep their "narratives."

Jaxson Dart's foray into politics isn't going over well with at least one teammate ... who said he didn't believe the video was real when he first saw it.

Abdul Carter -- a New York Giants linebacker -- reposted a clip of Dart introducing the President Friday ... voicing his displeasure that his quarterback would stump for the prez.

Carter -- who was taken by the Giants in the same round as Dart -- wrote, "thought this s*** was AI, what we doing man."

Kyle Busch's tragic death has inspired statewide mourning in North Carolina ... with the governor ordering all flags to be flown half-staff.

Governor Josh Stein announced the order Friday ... directing officials to lower all U.S. and state flags to half-staff as a way of honoring Busch's legacy.

The flags were set to half-staff at sunrise Saturday and will remain that way until the sun sets on Sunday.

Fresh off his arrest for battery in Florida ... WWE's Ludwig Kaiser was back in the wrestling world, but in a totally different role in Mexico and the crowd there just loved it!

Kaiser (real name: Marcel Barthel) turned into his alter ego -- the mask-wearing El Grande Americano -- for the cheering crowd Friday night at his very own "Serenade for El Grande Americano" rally in Mexico City.

Video shows El Grande getting pumped up and emotional, appearing to wipe tears from his eye slits as he high-fives fans.

Another clip shows the wrestler looking dapper in his suit behind the scenes ahead of his upcoming mask vs mask match at Noche de Los Grandes next Saturday.   

Kyle Busch's medical emergency has been partially revealed by 911 audio obtained by TMZ Sports ... with a caller saying the NASCAR superstar was struggling to breathe, overheating and coughing up blood before medics rushed to help.

During the emergency call placed around 5:30 PM Wednesday, the caller urgently requests an ambulance to a training facility in Concord, North Carolina ... telling dispatch, "I've got an individual that's shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he's going to pass out, and he's producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood."

The caller also confirmed the patient was still conscious at the time ... repeatedly telling dispatch, “He is awake. He's awake. He's awake.”

It sure sounds like Austin Reaves wants to be a Los Angeles Laker next season ... but not only that -- he tells TMZ Sports he'd love to "run it back" with LeBron James, too!!

We caught up with the upcoming free agent after the Purple and Gold's playoff exit ... and asked how he'd feel about getting the King to stay in L.A.

Of course, Reaves would have to put pen to paper himself before he thinks ahead to the 2026-27 roster ... but Lakers Nation has gotta be wondering how they could've done this postseason if everyone was healthy.

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart is a big Donald Trump guy ... and the young star made that clear as he introduced the president at an event on Friday.

Prez No. 45/47 took the stage at Rockland Community College in Suffern on Friday ... and was welcomed by No. 6 -- who took his spot at the podium and casually said, "Wassup, wassup, wassup???"

Before he got to Trump, Dart got the crowd to do a "Go Big Blue" chant ... and then he said it was an "honor" and "privilege" to bring The Donald out.

No one will race the No. 8 car after Kyle Busch's tragic death ... with Richard Childress Racing announcing the digit will be suspended in his honor until his son, Brexton, is ready to join NASCAR.

The decision was shared on Friday ... with Busch's team saying it will opt to use No. 33 at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend and beyond.

"Kyle Busch was instrumental in the design of RCR’s stylized No. 8 and it has become synonymous with Kyle and an important symbol for his fans and the NASCAR industry," RCR said minutes ago. "No one can carry it forward to the level that he did."

NASCAR legend Kyle Busch passed away suddenly, according to an announcement from his racing team, Richard Childress Racing, and from NASCAR itself.

His "sudden and tragic passing" comes the same day his family revealed he'd been hospitalized with a "severe illness."

Kyle leaves behind an incredible legacy in the racing community. Keep reading to learn more and honor his memory.

Kyle was a Las Vegas native who was just 6 years old when he first fell in love with racing, often go-karting around his cul-de-sac.

He reportedly used crushed soda cans to create a makeshift track for himself and his brother, Kurt. Busch would even use the little tabs as targets to practice weaving in and out, according to ESPN.

Kyle's first popped on the NASCAR scene at only 16 years old ... racing for Roush Racing in a 2001 Craftsman Truck Series race, behind the wheel of a number 99 Ford.

While he finished 9th at Indianapolis Raceway Park, his debut was cut short ... thanks to a rule NASCAR implemented shortly after which banned drivers under 18 from competing in any of its touring divisions.

Once he was eligible, he went on to win Rookie of the Year twice -- in 2004 for NASCAR's Busch Series and again in 2005 for NASCAR's Cup Series.

Over the course of his 25-year career, Kyle won more NASCAR national series races than any other driver in history. He racked up 63 Cup Series wins, 102 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series wins and 69 Truck Series wins ... for a grand total of 234.

Busch also holds the records for most Truck Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series wins. He's even been crowned Cup Series Champion twice -- in 2015 and 2019.

NASCAR made Kyle's GOAT status official ... naming him in their list of 75 greatest drivers. He's in good company, included alongside all-time greats and household names like Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty.

This tracks, since Busch's list of accomplishments is longer than a CVS receipt. Not to mention ... he's taken home the top motorsports honor at the ESPYS twice ... having been crowned Best Driver in 2016 and 2019.

Kyle's young song, Brexton, is continuing the family tradition ... because he's a racer, himself. According to Brexton's bio, he started racing at just 5 years old, competing at the Beginner Box Stock division at Millbridge Speedway.

Just days before his death, Busch took to Instagram to wish Brexton a happy 11th birthday ... sharing sweet snaps of his son.

He wrote in the caption ... "You’re the best kid on & off the track, you amaze us every day. Keep doing what you’re doing and there is no limit to what you’ll accomplish! Love you buddy!"

In addition to Brexton, Kyle is also survived by his wife Samantha and his 4-year-old daughter Lennix.

We first heard Kyle was sick when he radioed for medical help during his Cup Series race on May 10 at Watkins Glen in upstate New York, which he finished in 8th place.

And even though he was still under the weather, Busch raced again in a Truck Series race on May 15, where he won the EcoSave 200.

He was 41.

5/24/26 -- Attorney for the defendants, Morris Missry, tells TMZ ... “We have thoroughly reviewed Mr. Mayweather’s lawsuit. His claims against our clients are utterly baseless and refuted by substantial documentary evidence including Mr. Mayweather’s own correspondence."

"Our clients intend to vigorously defend against these claims and are confident that once all of the facts are presented in court, not only will our clients be vindicated, Mr Mayweather’s gambling issues, prolific spending habits, monies owed to third party creditors and IRS tax liens and levys, as well as other unseemly behavior will be exposed and we believe that Mr. Mayweather will be the one paying significant damages to our clients.”

10:15PM PT -- A source close to Rechnitz disputes the allegations entirely and says Mayweather’s financial, tax levy, and lien issues date back to at least 2018, years before they were ever involved professionally.

The source claims the boxer’s longstanding financial obligations and disputes were pre-existing and not caused by Rechnitz.

Floyd Mayweather says he got cleaned out to the tune of $175M ... claiming a former close associate ran a years-long scheme that allegedly drained his bank accounts, hijacked real estate deals, pawned off his jewelry and even made his private jet disappear.

According to a bombshell lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, Floyd claims Jona Rechnitz spent years gaining his trust ... before allegedly becoming the boxer's de facto money manager, real estate guy and banking middleman.

Now, Mayweather says it was all one giant setup.

2:45 PM PT -- Barstool is taking umbrage with TMZ's use of the phrase, "juicy fart," and in a "Cease & Desist" letter claims we've mischaracterized what was simply Hank's "butt releasing an odorless pocket of air due to the physics of crossing his legs."

Translation: It was an SND ... Silent Not Deadly. Duly noted.

Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take" had an explosive interview with Kellen Moore on Friday's episode ... when the whole sit-down was thwarted by a juicy fart.

The blooper went down as Big Cat and PFT Commenter were chatting it up with the New Orleans Saints head coach as part of the Netflix podcast's annual "Grit Week."

The crew certainly had to show some grit during the episode ... when producer Hank Lockwood broke wind mid-conversation.

8:52 AM PT -- Kyle Busch's medical emergency has been partially revealed by 911 audio obtained by TMZ Sports ... with a caller saying the NASCAR superstar was struggling to breathe, overheating and coughing up blood before medics rushed to help.

NASCAR legend Kyle Busch tragically died at the age of 41 Thursday ... and we are starting to learn more about what happened prior to his shocking passing.

Before being hospitalized ... Busch was testing in a racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive -- and was rushed for medical care, the Associated Press reported via unnamed sources.

As TMZ reported ... Busch's family, racing team, Richard Childress Racing, and NASCAR announced the shocking news yesterday afternoon.

Ben Stiller was directing his ass off from his courtside seats on Thursday ... documenting the Knicks' win over the Cavs on his cell phone -- and fans can't get enough of the results.

The actor, director, and producer had his feet on the wood for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden ... and he elected to share his view with his 5 million followers on X.

The footage started with a slo-mo vid of a Jalen Brunson floater ... and he did a great job at tracking the action and zooming in and out with precision.

A genuine piece of the Chicago Bulls dynasty history is up for grabs -- and it's ain't a replica!

The exact 1992-93 NBA World Champions banner that hung in the old Chicago Stadium after Michael Jordan and the Bulls completed their first three-peat is now live at Grey Flannel Auctions.

The massive vinyl banner -- measuring a whopping 9 feet 8 inches by 14 feet 4 inches -- features bold black "CHICAGO BULLS" lettering at the top, the iconic Bulls logo below it, and "NBA WORLD CHAMPIONS 1992-93" sewn underneath.

Kyle Busch's shocking death at just 41 years old has devastated the NASCAR community ... with drivers sharing their grief on social media.

Brad Keselowski was one of the first to post about Busch's death ... saying, "Absolute shock. Very hard to process. Hug your loved ones."

Denny Hamlin also went to social media ... adding, "Absolutely cannot comprehend this news. We just need to think of his family during this time. We love you KB."

Former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick is preparing for a different kinda court over some fake news ... saying anyone who reported she was joining OnlyFans will be hearing from her legal team.

The fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft sent social media into a frenzy this week ... when she claimed a "link" would be added to her bio in 24 hours.

"Link in bio," of course, is a popular phrase used by adult models on X or Instagram (or so we're told) ... leading some folks to think this meant she had created an account on the sometimes X-rated subscription-based platform, especially since she shared the news with a sexy pic.