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Former college soccer star Chase Stegall's cause of death has been revealed ... officials say he passed away due to Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy.

The Cook County Medical Examiner announced the ruling this week ... classifying the manner of death as "natural."

Stegall -- a DePaul University footballer who was the son of former NFL wide receiver Milton Stegall -- died unexpectedly in his dorm room back in early June.

5:20 PM PT -- The Los Angeles Clippers released a lengthy statement Wednesday evening addressing the allegations ... saying the idea Ballmer invested in Aspiration to "funnel money to Kawhi Leonard is absurd."

"Steve invested because Aspiration co-founders presented themselves as committed to doing right by their customers while protecting the environment."

The statement goes on to say that neither the team nor Steve had "any knowledge of improper activity by Aspiration" -- which was a team sponsor from the 2021 to the 2023 seasons before defaulting on their contract -- "or its co-founder until after the government initiated its investigation."

"There is nothing unusual or untoward about team sponsors doing endorsement deals with players on the same team. Neither Steve nor the Clippers organization had any oversight of Kawhi’s independent endorsement agreement with Aspiration. To say otherwise is flat-out wrong."

It closes with L.A. saying they "welcome" the league's investigation into Aspiration ... and will continue "to cooperate with law enforcement in its investigation into Aspiration's blatantly fraudulent activity."

12:53 PM PT -- The NBA just announced it is launching an investigation into the claims made in Pablo Torre's report.

Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers are under fire, accused of circumventing the NBA's salary cap with a huge, no-show endorsement deal ... but the team is firing back, calling BS on the allegations!

In the report from Pablo Torre -- who drew the ire of Jordon Hudson earlier this year -- Leonard is accused of signing a $28 million deal with a now bankrupt company, Aspiration, that was at least partially funded by the billionaire owner of the Clips, Steve Ballmer ... as a way around salary cap restrictions.

If true, that's obviously a huge no-no as far as NBA rules go.

Despite the lucrative deal, Torre says he was unable to find any instance where Kawhi worked with the tree planting company.

There's been plenty of iconic nicknames associated with football players over the years ... and it looks like Dylan Raiola might be remembered as "Baby Mahomes" in his future!

The college football player's received a lot of attention for his similarity to Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes -- and they're both aware of the comparison, too!

We're going to check out how the quarterbacks ended up being linked and see how they've managed to take the whole situation in stride.

Dylan's on the University of Nebraska's football squad, where he plays quarterback.

The athlete had actually been committed to both Ohio State University and the University of Georgia before he ended up at Nebraska. He started playing for the Cornhuskers during their 2024 season.

Dylan's first season with the Cornhuskers saw the team go through various ups and downs, and they finished with a 7-6 record.

Oh, and by the way, the guy's got football in his genes, because his father Dominic spent 14 years playing center for the Detroit Lions -- and L.A. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is his godfather!

Dylan started being compared to Patrick at the beginning of his collegiate career -- and in all fairness, the guys don't exactly look too dissimilar.

The connection between the two only became more pronounced when the college athlete began imitating the NFL star's warmup ritual at Nebraska's games.

Nebraska's coach Matt Rhule is well aware of the comparisons between the athletes, seeing the similarity as a positive, and he claimed Dylan is "a winner, just like Patrick" on an episode of "The Rich Eisen Show."

Even the Chiefs star has commented about the similarity between their styles of play, and he referred to the Cornhuskers quarterback as his "lil cuzzo" in a post shared on his X account in August 2024.

Patrick's spoken openly about the comparison between himself and Dylan, and he totally understands why a college-level player might want to take after an NFL star.

Mahomes recalled emulating Alex Rodriguez as he played baseball growing up, and said modeling his game after the former shortstop "helped me become the athlete that I am," according to ESPN.

Mahomes also spoke highly of Dylan's football skills and predicted the Cornhuskers quarterback was "going to make his own stamp on the game" over the years.

Anthony Rizzo almost lost his World Series ring at the bottom of a massive lake ... but fortunately for the former Cubs superstar, a famed Chicago diver saved the day.

Yohei Yamada -- an experienced swimmer who makes a living helping those retrieve items they've lost in Lake Michigan -- told Block Club Chicago he once gave Rizzo a big hand when it came to his championship bling.

Yamada explained Rizzo's hardware had slipped off his hand after he had lost some weight ... and once it disappeared in the water, the baseballer called Yamada for an assist.

Ryan Lochte is celebrating his sobriety ... admitting he fell into a "really dark place" a few years ago -- but after checking himself into a rehab facility for substance abuse issues, he's doing better than ever.

The 41-year-old Olympic star opened up on his struggles in an Instagram video ... in which he revealed he's 54 days sober.

Lochte explained his journey ... saying he struggled in the aftermath of a serious car accident when he crashed into a garbage truck on his way to pick up his kids from school in 2023 ... and he experienced "depression, loneliness and feeling like I was giving up in life."

Consider Novak Djokovic the sixth member of the Saja Boys ... 'cause the tennis superstar broke out a famous "KPop Demon Hunters" dance to celebrate his big US Open win on Tuesday!!

The Joker handled Taylor Fritz in four sets to advance to the semifinals ... and used the accomplishment to give a special shoutout to his daughter on her birthday.

To no surprise, the 38-year-old Serbian athlete's kid is one of the millions obsessed with the hit Netflix movie ... and he explained she's taught him all the moves from the flick -- including the choreography to the villain group's banger, "Soda Pop."

If Taylor Swift wants the Super Bowl Halftime Show, Taylor Swift gets the Super Bowl Halftime Show ... so says NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who revealed the pop superstar is "welcome at any time" to perform on the world's biggest stage.

The commish addressed all the speculation surrounding the SB LX show during an appearance on "Today" on Wednesday ... when he was asked straight-up if Swifties will get the ultimate treat when the league announces its plans for the Big Game.

"We would always love to have Taylor play," Goodell said. "She is a special, special talent and obviously, she would be welcome at any time."

Hours after he was sued by Nick Hogan, Bubba The Love Sponge went off on Hulk Hogan's son ... straight up calling the wrestling legend's spawn a "dumbass."

The popular radio host didn't hold back when he addressed Nick's lawsuit for the first time on Wednesday ... devoting a significant portion of his "Bubba The Love Sponge Show" to grilling Nick.

Bubba -- real name Todd Alan Clem -- said he doesn't understand why he's even a defendant in the federal suit ... claiming he doesn't have ownership of the upcoming Hulk documentary that Nick's going after.

If you wanna smell "strong" and "smooth" like Shaquille O'Neal, now's your chance ... the NBA Hall of Famer just dropped a signature cologne!!

TMZ Sports has learned the fragrance launched on Wednesday ... and the legendary center has his fingerprints all over the final product, which is "all about presence."

"It’s strong, smooth, and leaves a mark, just like I aim to do in everything I take on. I wanted something luxurious but still within reach, and this is it," O'Neal said.

Grab your cha-cha shoes -- "DWTS" just unveiled its next cast, and it’s wild ... Hilaria Baldwin, Corey Feldman, and influencer Alix Earle are ready to tango (or trip over their own two feet)!

"Good Morning America" released the line-up Wednesday, and it’s a fun mix ... Dylan Efron, Fifth Harmony’s Lauren Jauregui, "The Parent Trap"'s Elaine Hendrix, and Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles are all ready to sashay.

The goodies keep coming ... "Boy Meets World" star Danielle Fishel, wildlife wiz Robert Irwin, comedian Andy Richter, and Pentatonix singer Scott Hoying are all stepping onto the "DWTS" dance floor.

Travis Kelce is screaming from the rooftops about who his "Lover" is -- and we can't blame him!

"New Heights" is back Wednesday and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end is addressing his and Taylor Swift's engagement news, telling brother Jason Kelce ... "It’s been really fun telling everybody who I’m going to be spending the rest of my life with."

He also teased what wedding planning will be like, noting it’s "gonna go crazy." Swifties are certainly on the edge of their seats.

Master P may not be the only legendary Louisianian in the house when the Univ. of New Orleans tips off its hoops season in two months, 'cause the hip hop mogul tells us he's reached out to Lil Wayne, and he wants Weezy to perform!

Miller -- now Coach P -- stopped by the TMZ offices where he chopped it up with Babcock, opening up on his new gig as U.N.O.'s President of Basketball Operations and assistant coach ... as Percy attempts a complete overhaul of the struggling program.

"I'm bringing some huge talent, but I reached out to Lil Wayne's management team, so we're gonna see how that goes," P said, adding ... "But if it doesn't work out [for the first game on Nov. 8th,] we've got 11 more home games which we can bring him in."

Druski is back with another racial skit ... and this time he's playing a white man who is proud to be an American ... and his hair and makeup are something to behold.

The comedian known for his viral skits dressed up in whiteface for his most recent video ... going undercover at a recent NASCAR race.

Druski looks white in the video, and he's got a bunch of tattoos and even some sunburns. He's got a beard, mullet and a cowboy hat to go with some denim overalls.

Lil Jon made his fitness competition debut at the 2025 Muscle Beach Championship on Labor Day and the King of Crunk saw no reason to turn down ... he earned third place!!!

TMZ Hip Hop obtained photos of Jon flexing his stuff at Venice Beach in L.A., where he participated in the men's physique category.

It was a powerful moment ... Jon was the first artist to compete at the historic competition, giving his personal trainer, Jay Galvin, forever bragging rights!!!

A sculpted body is ultimately made in the kitchen and Jon told us last month that he's on a strict diet ... high protein, low carbs, spring water, no sugar, no processed foods and ensuring he hits the gym at least 3x a week!!!

Hulk Hogan's son, Nick Hogan, is suing Bubba The Love Sponge ... alleging the popular radio host's unreleased documentary about the WWE legend infringes on his dad's copyrights and trademarks.

Nick -- acting as a rep for Hulk's estate -- filed the lawsuit on Tuesday in a federal court in Florida ... after Bubba revealed he's going to drop "Video Killed The Radio Star: The Untold Story Of The Hulk Hogan Sex Tape Scandal" later this month.

Nick states the doc -- which promises to tell the real story of how Hulk's romp with Bubba's then-wife, Heather Clem, got leaked to the media -- includes unauthorized images from the sex tape.

Ricky Pearsall and Brian Robinson Jr. have quite the unique bond -- they are both victims of gun violence ... and the San Francisco wide receiver said the two recently shared their experiences after the running back was recently traded to the 49ers.

Pearsall opened up about the conversation he had with his new teammate in an interview with talkSPORT ... saying they spoke about the topic once the Washington Commanders traded Robinson, their 2022 third-round draft pick, to the Bay Area.

"We actually just told each other our stories, I think that was last week, and being able to go back and reflect with someone that can directly relate to you ... and he mentioned you never know what you're going to do in that situation until you're in it," Pearsall said.