TMZ Sports - Page 50

An impromptu pre-Oscars party went down at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday ... with big actors like Timothée Chalamet and Ben Affleck snagging courtside seats for the Lakers' win over the Timberwolves.

LeBron James and Co. handled business for the Purple and Gold ... coming away with the 111-102 victory thanks to the King's stat sheet-stuffing night with 33 points, 17 rebounds and six assists.

Ball knower and "A Complete Unknown" star Timmy C was clearly loving the action ... giving a big smile as he took it all in. He seemingly had a bit of a costume change during his night out ... as he was spotted wearing two different shirts.

Gene Hackman's two dogs that were found alive when authorities searched his home are safe and in the care of local officials.

According to a sheriff's press release, Santa Fe County Animal Control is reportedly working with Hackman’s family to “ensure the safety of the two dogs.”

Gene and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, had three dogs -- one of which was found dead by deputies inside a bathroom closet. The German Shepherd was lying 10-15 feet away from Arakawa, who was also found deceased on the bathroom floor -- with prescription pills scattered nearby.

Gene Hackman seemingly had no health-related issues prior to his mysterious death ... this according to the late actor's daughter.

Speaking with the Daily Mail, Leslie Anne Hackman says, "there was no indication that there was any problem," leading up to his tragic death. She also notes Gene did not recently undergo any significant surgeries.

While Gene was 95 years old, his daughter claims he was in very good physical condition, participating in activities like Pilates and yoga several times a week -- with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, playing an imperative role in his healthy lifestyle. As we reported, a close friend of Gene's tells us Betsy made sure GH stuck to a strict diet.

Coach Norman Dale was one of Gene Hackman's most iconic roles -- in "Hoosiers," one of his most memorable movies -- and now the late actor's costar is speaking out in the wake of the beloved 95-year-old's death.

TMZ Sports spoke to Brad Long just hours after the tragic news broke of Hackman's passing ... where the actor shared his experience working alongside the Academy Award winner in what was Long's first movie role.

Despite having no experience, Brad, who played Buddy in the 1986 hit, says Gene was super down-to-earth and "made us feel comfortable," adding he never made anyone "feel self-conscious."

Mary Kate Cornett and her parents are coming off an emotional 48 hours ... one which her parents said left them feeling helpless -- though a recent development may help the Cornetts take some of their power back.

We spoke with Mary Kate Cornett's mother, Leslie, and her father, Justin ... who tell us all the claims about their daughter floating around on the internet are untrue.

We're told the last couple days have been difficult for the trio, who are all spending time together in Oxford, Mississippi -- the city where the University of Mississippi resides.

NFL superstar Stefon Diggs just filed a lawsuit against a former fling ... accusing her of assaulting him, threatening to torpedo his career and attempting to extort millions of dollars out of him.

The Houston Texans receiver filed the papers this week ... claiming model and TV personality Mulan Hernandez -- who he had a "casual relationship" with for months -- showed up at his apartment around 6 AM on June 7, 2024 after a night of partying and proceeded to "aggressively berate" him.

Diggs states Hernandez entered his gaming room and ignored his instructions to leave ... and despite his attempts to defuse the situation, she continued to go off on him.

Gene Hackman and his wife were inside their home, not moving ... and the sight of them got the 911 caller very emotional, TMZ has learned.

We've obtained the audio of the 911 call that led to police discovering the bodies of Hackman and Betsy Arakawa ... and, an unnamed caretaker of the area can be heard frantically pleading for the dispatcher to send someone to the house.

The call starts with the caretaker, whose name is redacted, saying he believes they've just stumbled across one or two dead bodies -- he seems unsure at the time of the call -- and they need immediate assistance.

It'll be a while before we get the full story on Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy, and their dog’s suspicious deaths -- 'cause TMZ has learned that even with the initial autopsy, the final report will take a few more weeks.

Sources tell TMZ that after the autopsy is done by the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, it’ll take 4 to 6 weeks for toxicology and other tests to come through before the final report is issued.

Authorities have been super puzzled over their deaths -- making a note of how Gene's front door to his NM property was open when they entered for the search warrant of their house.

Jon Gruden is back in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Ring of Honor ... less than four years after he lost the recognition amid his controversial email scandal.

The organization announced the reversal in a statement on Thursday ... saying "Jon Gruden was initially inducted into the Buccaneers Ring of Honor based on his many accomplishments during his seven seasons as our head coach and he remains a significant figure in the history of our franchise."

"Upon further reflection, we have decided to reinstate him into the Buccaneers Ring of Honor."

Legendary actor and two-time Oscar winner Gene Hackman has been found dead inside his Santa Fe, New Mexico home alongside his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and their dog, TMZ has confirmed.

The bodies of Hackman and Arakawa were discovered Wednesday afternoon, with Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirming the news just after midnight on Thursday.

The sheriff's office reportedly told NBC affiliate KOB of Albuquerque a welfare check was conducted at his home after a concerned neighbor called the police.

Andrew and Tristan Tate are back in the United States after spending much of the last few years fighting legal battles in Romania ... and, they hit the ground challenging allegations of sex trafficking and rape, claiming they're victims of misinformation and straight-up lies.

The brothers -- who were indicted on sex trafficking charges in the Eastern European country back in 2023 -- arrived in Fort Lauderdale Thursday ... and, reporters were waiting for them.

Andrew says America is a democratic society where people are innocent until proven guilty ... and, he asks everyone to stop rushing to judgment -- because they haven't been convicted of a single crime.

Gregg Popovich won't be back on the NBA sidelines anytime soon ... as the three-time coach of the year announced he will miss the rest of the season as he continues to recover from a stroke he suffered in November.

Popovich released a statement minutes ago ... saying interim head coach Mitch Johnson and the staff "have done a wonderful job and the resolve and professionalism the players have, sticking together during a challenging season, has been outstanding."

"I will continue to focus on my health with the hope that I can return to coaching in the future."

Newly sworn-in FBI Director Kash Patel wants his org to kick some serious ass ... with reports stating he's considering bringing in UFC trainers to work with agents!!

According to Reuters, Patel suggested the idea in a video conference with supervisors on Wednesday. In the call, he proposed establishing a formal relationship with Dana White's promotion to fine-tune agents' self-defense skills.

The idea may seem a bit odd ... and that's how it's being received by at least a few agents, who said it was "surreal" and "wacky," according to the outlet.

Travis Kelce isn't going anywhere.

The Kansas City Chiefs star just announced he's returning next season ... saying losing Super Bowl LIX left a "bad taste in my mouth."

The 35-year-old tight end revealed his plans in a text message to Pat McAfee ... who read it out loud on his ESPN show on Thursday.

"My dog!!! I'm coming back for sure," McAfree read from his exchange with Kelce. "I'm gonna try and get in the best shape I've been this offseason and get back to the mountaintop."

Gene Hackman's death and the deaths of his wife and dog are puzzling authorities, who have labeled his passing "suspicious."

According to a search warrant, obtained by TMZ, a Santa Fe detective who sought a search warrant wrote in his affidavit, he believes "the death of the two deceased individuals to be suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation because the reporting party found the front door of the residence unsecured and opened."

The detective continues, "Deputies observed a healthy dog running loose on the property, another healthy dog near the deceased female, a deceased dog laying 10-15 feet from the deceased female in a closet of the bathroom, the heater being moved, the pill bottle being opened and pills scattered next to the female, the male decedent being located in a separate room of the residence, and no obvious signs of a gas leak."

The Ole Miss student accused of sleeping with her boyfriend's father is hellbent on clearing her name ... and she's calling out big sports names like Antonio Brown and Pat McAfee for spreading "complete lies" to their massive audiences.

Mary Kate Cornett -- a member of the Kappa Delta sorority in Oxford -- claims she's at the center of a "deliberate and coordinated cyberattack" involving straight-up false information about her personal life.

Her name was a trending topic on X after countless users shared the allegations this week ... which her family believes started as "some sort of fraternity prank that has mushroomed out of control."