Kurt Busch opened up about his brother Kyle's sudden death in a new interview ... and he's clearly still stunned by the development -- especially because he insists no one knew how sick he was.
The NASCAR star opened up about Kyle's final days in an interview on Anderson Cooper's "All There Is" podcast ... telling the veteran journalist that people around Kyle noticed he had a little cough -- but he seemed totally fine otherwise.
He notes Kyle won a race -- the 2026 Ecosave 200 Craftsman Truck Series race at Dover Motor Speedway -- days before he died ... and even visited an indoor go-kart track with his son two days before he passed.
Kurt says these aren't the actions of a man so close to death ... and one look at him shows he's still shocked.
TMZ Sports caught up with the retired NBA player-turned-podcasting star at Ryan Garcia's open workout in Los Angeles this week ... and Barnes weighed in on one of the league's most polarizing hoopers.
“A lot of people wanna say his dad got him drafted, and that may be true, may not be true,” Matt told us. “But Bronny has a lot of talent, and I just thought if he would’ve stayed just one more year, he could’ve did it on his own.”
Mark Sanchez has agreed to plead guilty in connection to the stabbing incident that took place in Indianapolis last year ... TMZ has learned.
According to court documents ... the former New York Jets star came to an agreement with prosecutors just 5 days before his criminal trial was set to begin -- asking the judge to set aside the trial start date and "set this matter for a guilty plea and sentencing hearing."
Sanchez's legal advisor, Nick Sanchez Jr., said, “This is a positive development. We are finalizing an agreement with the prosecutor’s office that provides a path toward resolving the state’s case. We’re also encouraged by the constructive conversations taking place regarding the related civil matter. There is real momentum toward bringing this entire chapter to a close."
3:38PM PT -- A Wintrust Arena spokesperson tells TMZ ... "The Chicago Sky's decision to ban Enes Freedom is only applicable to the Chicago Sky or WNBA games, it does not apply to the majority of events at Wintrust Arena, including other sporting events, comedy shows, and concerts."
They declined to comment on Mr. Freedom's lawsuit.
Former NBA star Enes Kanter is taking Chicago Women’s Basketball and the City of Chicago to court -- demanding a permanent injunction lifting the ban on him, TMZ has learned.
In his suit, Enes claimed that he believes deeply that the integrity of women-only sports must be protected and he had made public appearances on this point.
He said he self-identified as a player who is eligible to play in the WNBA because, “such declaration is all that is required by WNBA’s rules and the related Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and the players’ association.”
Late NASCAR star Greg Biffle’s ex-wife, Nicole Biffle, wants his estate to pay hefty damages after she lost her daughter in a plane crash ... TMZ has learned.
According to court docs obtained by TMZ, Nicole filed a claim against the late driver's estate in the amount of $10 million for Emma Biffle’s death on December 18, 2025, in North Carolina.
Emma was on board the fatal flight with Greg, and Nicole has already filed a wrongful death action against the estate. In the new docs, Nicole is asking for an order preventing the estate from making any further distributions to ensure there is money left over to pay her claim and similar ones filed by the estates of others who died in the crash.
A man was found hanging from a bridge just outside Dodger Stadium Wednesday night -- as Shohei Ohtani and his teammates took on the St. Louis Cardinals just hundreds of yards away.
LAPD told the California Post, which first reported the story, that the unidentified man was found around 8:48 PM ... at the intersection of Bernard Street and Stadium Way, while the Dodgers were playing the second game of a series against St. Louis.
Police responded to the area after receiving 911 calls about a dead body "in plain sight."
Nothing says newlywed bliss like a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth ... and that's exactly where Jordyn Woods and Karl-Anthony Towns were this week.
The cute couple hit up Disneyland on Tuesday ... just a couple weeks after tying the knot in a star-studded ceremony.
TMZ obtained photos and a video of the outing ... and you can see the newlyweds having a blast as they made their way through the Anaheim amusement park.
Congressman Eric Burlison used TMZ D.C.'s Jacobfor batting practice while talkin' about "The Show" outside the Capitol, savagely trolling the Dodgers!
Burlison, who reps Missouri in the House, was choppin' it up with the TMZ guys in the nation's capital on Thursday ... when a friendly convo turned into a heated baseball debate.
Charlie Cotton asked Burlison what he did to relax, offering up a softball ... only for him to send back a four-seamer, high and tight.
Dianna Russini was in "clear violation" of The Athletic's newsroom standards because of her relationship with Mike Vrabel ... an internal investigation found.
The Athletic's editorial director, Mike Semel, published the findings Thursday, saying ... "Russini's relationship with Vrabel was in clear violation of The Athletic's standards. Regardless of whether the relationship was romantic, it was a breach and should have been disclosed."
Semel went through 903 videos, 77 videos, 204 episodes of her "Scoop City" podcast -- he also interviewed her coworkers and listened to her off-platform appearances and interviews -- and says he didn't find "a clear link" that shows Russini used her position to give Vrabel a leg up.
Semel write ... "That said, there are examplesof Russini writing glowingly of Vrabel that in hindsight are awkward or even uncomfortable."
Kroy Biermann Jr. is asking a judge to release him from jail on bond as his criminal case proceeds ... arguing he's no flight risk and his stellar academic and athletic record is evidence of his good character.
Lawyers for Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann's son filed documents requesting his release in a Georgia court Wednesday afternoon ... insisting he is a good kid and there's no danger of him fleeing.
The attorney points out Kroy Jr. is "a high school student in good standing who has demonstrated strong academic achievement" and is also receiving scholarships for his athletic prowess.
Alphonso Smith Jr. appeared to be in good spirits just days before his death ... knocking repeatedly on a door while offering to buy a family breakfast.
In a video posted to the late athlete's Facebook, Alphonso can be heard telling the family he was going to buy them whatever they wanted for breakfast ... even continuing to holler from outside as he looked for "#3."
Alphonso captioned the post, “Oh nothing, JUST TRYING to see what #3 & his family want for BREAKFAST THIS MORNING...” -- offering a glimpse into his final days before his death.
Aryna Sabalenka -- the world's No. 1 women's tennis player -- is kicking ass on and off the U.S. Open courts ... blasting a reporter for asking what she views as a ridiculous question about NYC parties.
Sabalenka talked to the media Wednesday night after beating Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1 to advance to the third round ... and one journalist dared to ask about her mood at the tournament after she was seen partying last week. Wrong move, pal, 'cause Sabalenka lost it.
Like a calm before the storm ... Sabalenka sighs, shakes her head, rolls her eyes and then lit into him, saying, “You guys are, like, a joke. Parties, fun. Like, why would you even say that? Why would you even think about that? Like, what kind of question is that?"
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
She went on ... "Just because I posted some, like, activities with brands and you think I've been partying, not training?
The New Level -- Kofi and Austin Creed -- made their debut Sunday night at AEW All In, and the team is already high on their new boss ... Tony Khan.
Kofi -- formerly known as Kofi Kingston -- and Austin Creed -- formerly known as Xavier Woods -- joined the TMZ “Inside the Ring” podcast to discuss their new home ... after spending more than a decade in WWE.
The 12-time tag team champions made their shocking debut at Wembley Stadium alongside Swerve Strickland ... and the trio immediately captured the AEW World Trios Championships.
“There’s a lot of things in there that are very wrestler-friendly ... in terms of being able to go out and do what it is that you want to do, there’s not really a lot of restrictions,” the duo told us.
Women of the Bay Area, listen up ... if you're considering (allegedly) giving money to any self-proclaimed 49ers, run it by E-40 first!
That's the official word from 40 Water himself, who pulled up to the TMZ offices this week to chop it up with Babcock, who asked the legendary Bay Area rapper about Daejon Love, the most talked-about story in sports.
"If he don't know Water, if he don't know 40 Water, and he claims 49er, if I ain't never heard of him or met him, he's not a Niner," 40 said.
Alphonso Smith Jr. -- a former NFL player and standout cornerback at Wake Forest University -- has died ... TMZ Sports has learned.
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ Sports ... the former cornerback died by suicide on Wednesday at a housing community in Florida.
Alphonso's final Facebook post highlighted his unstable emotional state before his death.
In the post, Alphonso wrote, "Do not cry for me! I tried everything in my power to fight the demons behind the ones that someone put into ME! I did not want to be that WAY! I know I have disappointed so many folks. This is a DEMON in me! But not only me! It’s EVERYONE! I have HURT so many! I needed help & did not get it!"
The NBA just unloaded on the Los Angeles Clippers, snatching five first-round draft picks, fining them $30 million, and suspending owner Steve Ballmer for an entire season!
The stiff punishment was all part of the league's investigation into whether superstar Kawhi Leonard circumvented the NBA's salary cap rules ... as a way to get compensation that wasn't on the books.
"The NBA announced today that the LA Clippers and Kawhi Leonard have been penalized for violating the salary cap circumvention rules contained in the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA)," the league said.
