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Tom Brady is letting everyone know he's dead serious about retiring this time around ... officially submitting his retirement paperwork, seemingly closing the door on a comeback.

Brady doubled down on his February 1 retirement announcement Friday ... by sending an official retirement letter to the NFL and NFLPA, according to Adam Schefter.

Brady's formal letter to the league and the union should answer any questions surrounding the 45-year-old quarterback's future.

With TB12 officially gone from the NFL ... the 7x Super Bowl-winning quarterback is a lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame once he's eligible in 2028.

Of course, Brady said he was "retiring for good" a couple weeks after the Cowboys defeated the Buccanneers, 31-14, at home in the wild card round of the playoffs.

"I know the process was a pretty big deal last time," Brady said during the big announcement ... "so when I woke up this morning I figured I'd just press record and let you guys know first."

Jalen Brunson had the best reaction to his old college teammate, Josh Hart being traded to the Knicks ... 'cause he absolutely freaked out -- yelling, "OH S***!!!"

The Portland Trail Blazers traded the former Villanova guard to the Big Apple on Wednesday ... in exchange for Cam Reddish, Ryan Arcidiacono, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, and a 2023 first-round pick.

Brunson was back at Villanova's campus -- where he played from 2015 to 2018 -- to have his #1 jersey retired when the deal went down ... and as soon as someone showed him the news on their phone, he threw up his arms in excitement.

"OH S***!!!," the point guard yelled. "YES!!!"

FYI, Brunson and Hart won the 2016 NCAA championship together ... so it was only fitting Jalen was back in Wildcat territory when he learned about the reunion.

Unclear how Reddish feels about his now-former teammate being this excited ... but Cam barely got any playing time since he joined the Knicks last January, and only started 8 games this season.

Blazers superstar, Damian Lillard had good things to say about his new teammate after the trade, ... saying, "I've always liked Cam Reddish a lot."

"He's one of those guys you just always look like, 'Man, if he gets to the right place, could it just click?' Could you see something come out of it?' I take a lot of pride in pouring into guys [like him], especially in a situation like this."

Hart -- who's shooting 50% from the field -- is nice on defense, plus he's a rebounding machine, averaging 8.2 per game.

Jim Ross says he spoke with Jerry "The King" Lawler after he suffered a stroke on Monday  ... and the WWE legend is doing okay, but still needs support as he recovers.

Ross shared the update on Lawler's health status late Tuesday night, reassuring fans the 73-year-old, who has a history of heart issues, is trending in the right direction.

"I spoke very briefly with @JerryLawler tonight," Ross tweeted. "He’s obviously weak but I could understand his affected speech. Jerry’s prognosis is positive but he needs all our thoughts and prayers. #LoveYaKing"

As we previously reported, Lawler suffered a medical emergency, believed to be a stroke, at his Florida home and was rushed to the hospital where he underwent surgery.

Ross and Lawler go way back ... the two formed one of the most iconic commentator teams in pro wrestling history, calling some of WWE's biggest matches and moments.

Jerry and Jim were a staple on WWE's flagship show, Monday Night Raw, and their on-air chemistry was unmatched.

Lawler's health scare reverberated throughout the wrestling world ... especially considering the pro wrestling icon went into cardiac arrest in 2012 and suffered a stroke in 2018.

Viola Davis just joined an exclusive club in the world of entertainment ... becoming the 18th EGOT winner in history, this after snagging a Grammy and giving a helluva reaction.

The actress was up for Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording for the narration on her memoir, "Finding Me," which was just selected as the winner during the pre-broadcast show that's underway right now.

She went up there for her acceptance speech and got a roaring applause when she said emphatically and quite simply, "I just EGOT!" Indeed, she did ... and now, she's on the list.

Viola joins 17 others who came before her, including two other Black women ... Whoopi Goldberg, who received the honor in 2002 with her Tony award, and Jennifer Hudson -- who hit that milestone last year with her own Tony.

Other EGOT recipients include John Legend, Mel Brooks, Audrey Hepburn, Richard Rodgers, Helen Hayes, Rita Moreno, John Gielgud, Jonathan Tunick, Marvin Hamlisch, Scott Rudin, Mike Nichols, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Robert Lopez, Tim Rice and Alan Menken.

Viola, of course, won an Oscar for her work in "Fences," two Tonys for "Fences" (the theatrical play) and "King Hedley II," an Emmy for "How To Get Away with Murder" ... and now this.

Kyrie Irving got his wish -- the NBA superstar has been traded to the Dallas Mavericks, according to multiple reports.

News of Irving's intentions to leave Brooklyn were made clear on Friday ...with the 30-year-old telling the Nets to either trade him, or he'd leave in free agency in the offseason.

Now, Uncle Drew will be teaming up with Luka Doncic and the Mavericks, who sit sixth in the Western Conference standings.

In exchange for Irving, the Mavs will send Spencer Dinwiddie back to BK ... as well as Dorian Finney-Smith, a first-round pick and a handful of second-rounders, according to Shams Charania.

The Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers and Phoenix Suns were also reportedly in the running for Irving ... but there was growing concern over sending a haul for the guard, when he could bolt in free agency in August.

Nets fans were clearly upset with Irving's request out of Brooklyn -- and showed their feelings by booing him before the Nets vs. Washington Wizards game on Saturday.

Irving found himself in hot water during his time in Brooklyn ... after he controversially tweeted a link to a movie filled with anti-Semitic beliefs.

The 2016 champ was suspended over his actions, and the NBA and Nets called for Irving to denounce the contents of the film. Nike also announced it was cutting ties with the Irving.

Irving eventually apologized days later.

Former NFL cornerback Vontae Davis -- who last played with the Buffalo Bills in 2018 -- was arrested for DUI in Florida, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

A spokesperson for the Florida Highway Patrol tells us ... officers responded to a crash involving two vehicles on State Road 821 in Florida on Saturday, Feb. 4 around 7:51 am.

Once officers arrived on the scene, they noticed a black 4-door Tesla with heavy front end damage and a bronze pickup Toyota truck with heavy rear end damage.

According to police docs, Davis, who was identified as the driver of the Tesla, failed to maintain control of his vehicle ... and collided with the pickup truck.

The force from the collision caused the pickup truck to hit a nearby pedestrian ... who sustained multiple injuries and was transported to the hospital.

Law enforcement authorities say they observed Davis -- who played ten seasons in the NFL with the Colts, Dolphins, and Bills -- laying down sleeping on the right shoulder of the road.

When police were interviewing Davis, they say they noticed his eyes were bloodshot, and he needed to lean on the barrier to prevent himself from falling to the ground.

Police say they asked Davis if he had been drinking ... he replied, "Yes, I had two drinks. Two mixed drinks."

Officers say they asked Davis if they could administer a standard field sobriety test ... but the ex-NFL CB refused, saying, "No."

A Chinese spy balloon that's been hovering over the U.S. throughout the week is probably going to meet its maker once it reaches the deep blue ... something President Biden teased.

JB made one of his first public comments about the foreign aircraft Saturday while out in Syracuse, NY -- where he was asked about it by a reporter ... to whom he casually responded, "We're going to take care of it." Reports from AP and ABC News suggest it's going down.

According to the outlets, the Biden administration is strongly considering shooting the balloon while it's floating over the Atlantic Ocean ... that way, there's no risk of any debris crashing into anything or anybody on the ground. The reports say U.S. officials have cleared airspace for this, and that they would collect the debris for further examination thereafter.

As of Saturday morning, the balloon could be seen fly above the Carolinas and heading East. Estimates say it should be over water sometime this afternoon, so it could go down later today.

The Prez was reportedly first briefed on the fact the balloon had entered our territory on Tuesday, and the first sightings of it over Montana and other midwestern states began surfacing Wednesday. China says it's an unmanned weather balloon conducting research which accidentally veered off course and floated our way ... but the U.S. has called BS.

Instead, intelligence officials are saying it's a surveillance balloon ... and they believe it was sent here intentionally. In any case, it's not great for diplomatic relations right now.

A second balloon was also spotted floating above Latin America today. Time will tell if it's flight comes to an end ... and what any potential findings could mean for how we deal with China.

Things have been bumpy lately with the superpower nation, especially as it pertains to predictions about war and whatnot. With this brazen move, it doesn't bode well.

The balloon takedown could happen any moment now ... stay tuned.

Dr. Dre's groundbreaking rap masterpiece, "The Chronic" is back on streaming services after Snoop Dogg pulled it, and all Death Row albums, last year ... a fitting tribute for its 30th anniversary!!!

The pioneering gangsta rap project celebrated the milestone back in December, and it's put Dre back in cahoots with some day-one execs. He says, “I am thrilled to bring the Chronic home to its original distribution partner, Interscope Records."

He added, "Working alongside my longtime colleagues, Steve Berman and John Janick, to re-release the album and make it available to fans all over the world is a full circle moment for me.”

Upon its release, "The Chronic" jump-started the careers of Snoop, Tha Dogg Pound and Lady of Rage ... and officially marked the dawn of Suge Knight and Death Row's success in the music biz.

In 2019, the Library of Congress deemed the album as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and stored the album in the National Recording Registry.

Dre and Snoop also performed the album's lead single "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" during last year's now iconic Super Bowl LVI halftime show ... proving the music has longevity like no other!!!

Tom Brady's retirement announcement has resulted in a ton of tributes on social media ... with the 7-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback getting showered with praise from some of the greatest athletes in sports.

Patrick Mahomes, J.J. Watt, and Derek Jeter took time to congratulate Brady on his storied career -- expressing how much it meant to watch him play in the NFL.

Of course, Mahomes and Brady have had their fair share of battles over the years -- they played against each other in an AFC Championship Game and in Super Bowl LV.

Brady announced his retirement with a video on social media ... and once the Kansas City Chiefs' star quarterback got wind of the news, he tweeted three GOAT emojis at TB12.

Watt -- who announced his own retirement earlier this season -- spoke about how special it was to compete against Tom, calling him the unquestioned GOAT.

"Greatest of All Time," Watt tweeted. "No question, no debate. It’s been an honor and a privilege. PS - The newly retired group meets on the golf course every morning at 10am."

"Drinks are on the new guy, so bring your wallet."

Ex-NY Yankees captain Derek Jeter -- one of the greatest performers in MLB postseason history -- congratulated TB for all his accomplishments, saying, "it was fun to watch."

Broncos quarterback, Russell Wilson -- who Brady defeated in Super Bowl XLIX as a member of the Seahawks -- wrote on Twitter, "Congrats Tom. Salute to the Greatest."

Brady's retirement was a surprise to some ... although he announced he was retiring on the same date last year. This time, it appears the G.O.A.T. is hanging up his cleats for good.

Tom Brady's run in the NFL has officially come to an end ... the quarterback revealed Wednesday morning he's retiring -- and this time, it's "for good."

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers star made the announcement in a short video that he posted to his social media page.

In the clip, Brady fought back tears -- while insisting there's no chance he comes back to the gridiron again.

"I know the process was a pretty big deal last time," Brady said, "so when I woke up this morning I figured I'd just press record and let you guys know first."

Tom went on to thank his family, friends, teammates, opponents and fans -- adding that he "wouldn't change a thing."

"Love you all," he concluded.

Brady's made this announcement once before -- back on Feb. 1 of last year, he told the football world he was done. Of course, that retirement lasted just a few weeks, as he unretired just 40 days later.

Tom's contract with the Bucs had run out this offseason -- but many had speculated the 45-year-old could return in 2023, perhaps with the Super Bowl contender San Francisco 49ers.

But, Brady -- who played 23 seasons in the NFL -- made it clear in his vid Wednesday, he ain't coming back.

Tom appeared at peace with this decision at the "80 For Brady" premiere on Tuesday in Los Angeles, sporting a big smile while rubbin' elbows with his costars and other Hollywood celebs.

Brady will go down as arguably the greatest football player ever -- his resume is unmatched ... he won seven Super Bowls, earned three MVP awards, and was selected to 15 Pro Bowls. He was also named an All-Pro three times ... and threw for 89,214 yards and 649 TDs -- both NFL records.

In his final season in the league, Brady led the Bucs to the playoffs -- but bowed out early, losing to the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round.

He's now expected to hit the broadcast booth after signing a mega deal to work with Fox as a color commentator.

Damar Hamlin is kickstarting a campaign to spread CPR awareness and training following his on-field medical scare earlier this month ... teaming up with the American Heart Association to create the "3 For Heart" challenge.

The Buffalo Bills safety announced the move in an Instagram video ... saying, "Once again, I want to thank everybody for their love and support over these past few weeks."

"As you know, CPR saved my life earlier this year on the field, and CPR could easily save your life or someone you love."

To help the raise awareness for the procedure, Hamlin and the AHA came up with the social media campaign ... which includes three steps: learn hands-only CPR, donate to the AHA to fund CPR awareness and education, and challenge three people to do the same.

Hamlin started the movement by calling out Tom Brady, LeBron James and Michelle Obama to get involved.

As we previously reported, the medical staffers who immediately took action and performed CPR on Hamlin during Monday Night Football were credited with saving his life after suffering cardiac arrest on the field on Jan. 2.

Hamlin has been on the road to recovery ever since ... and continues to improve by the day.

The Broncos have found a new voice in Denver -- the team reportedly just finalized a deal to make Super Bowl champion Sean Payton their next head coach.

Denver is expected to send multiple first and second-round draft picks to the Saints in exchange for Payton, who last coached in the NFL with New Orleans in 2021.

According to Ian Rapoport, the deal was agreed upon ... paving the way for Payton to join the Broncos.

The Broncos recently fired head coach, Nathaniel Hackett ... after the team suffered a humiliating defeat, 51-14, to the Rams on Christmas.

Hackett went 4-11 in his first season at the helm with the Broncos ... and many believe he played a role in Russell Wilson's less than stellar season.

Wilson struggled offensively under Hackett -- the former Seahawk threw for just 16 touchdowns, and completed only 60.5 percent of his passes.

Alec Baldwin has now officially been charged with a crime over the fatal shooting of cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins on his "Rust" movie set, and the D.A. listed a litany of safety lapses which she says sit squarely at Baldwin's feet.

According to the charging document, the D.A. says Baldwin knew the drill ... that the armorer should have been present, checking the gun to make sure it was safe, and Baldwin knew that ... yet he relied on the assistant director who had no authority to clear the weapon for use.

The D.A. says Baldwin was supposed to undergo firearms training but failed to do so. Adding Baldwin was then supposed to get minimal training for 30 minutes, but was on his cell phone for most of that time speaking with his family.

The D.A. honed in on TV interviews Baldwin did, where he claimed not to have fired the weapon ... something the FBI and prosecutors dispute. The D.A. states there are multiple photos and videos that clearly show Baldwin with his finger on the trigger.

The district attorney goes on to say, as the producer of the movie, Baldwin should never have allowed the production company to hire Hannah Gutierrez-Reed as she lacked the requisite certifications and experience for the job.

And, the D.A. lays the numerous safety lapses on the set at Baldwin's doorstep, saying he did not address those issues, which even resulted in crew members walking off the set in protest.

The D.A. says Baldwin violated the first rule of gun safety -- never point a firearm, loaded or not, at another person.

And, the D.A. says Baldwin was in 40 films in which guns were an integral part, so he should have known all the protocols.

Prosecutors in Santa Fe County, NM have formally filed involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film's head armorer, is also charged with involuntary manslaughter. They're both facing up to five years in prison if convicted.

As for assistant director Dave Halls, he's already agreed to plead guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon -- a misdemeanor. Per the deal, Halls will receive a suspended sentence and six months probation.

Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, announced earlier this month Alec and Hannah would be prosecuted for the fatal shooting ... with special prosecutor, Andrea Reeb saying, "The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the 'Rust' film set. In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that don't take our State's commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously."

Reeb added ... "If any one of these three people - Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Halls - had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. It's that simple."

Alec denies any wrongdoing, insisting he was just following instructions during a rehearsal where he was practicing how to position the pistol for a "cross draw" scene in a chapel ... as director, Joel Souza and Halyna figured out camera angles.

Halls told Baldwin it was a "cold" gun ... meaning it was unloaded and safe, and Baldwin says he relied on that assurance.

Hannah was not in the chapel at the time of the shooting ... but Alec has said it was her job to prepare and check the prop guns.

The shooting occurred back in October 2021 and Alec was visibly torn up immediately after the incident. Alec repeatedly claimed he bore no responsibility for what he called a tragic accident, insisting he did NOT pull the trigger that fateful day.

The FBI disagreed with Alec ... the feds issued a report concluding the pistol would not fire without someone pulling the trigger ... and the D.A. has said she trusts the FBI's analysis.

Halyna's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Alec and others involved in the production, claiming Baldwin and others were responsible for the lapse in safety protocols that led to Halyna's death on the set.

Baldwin and the Hutchins settled the lawsuit, agreeing to finish filming "Rust" ... with Halyna's widower, Matthew Hutchins, becoming an executive producer on the film.

Key Glock is revamping his 31-city 'Glockoma' tour due to the death of Big Scarr -- his original supporting cast -- and now he's hitting the road with DaBaby's label mate, TiaCorine -- along with Kenny Muney and Jay Fizzle from his own Paper Route Empire camp!!!

The PRE capo rolled out an updated flyer for SiriusXM’s Hip-Hop Nation and Live Nation production ... and the fanfare's already heating up!!!

Tia hails from North Carolina and the March 10 date in Charlotte has been sold out in anticipation of her big homecoming!!!

Additionally, Dallas rapper BigXThaPlug will be in the mix for the 4 Lone Star state dates --- which have nearly all sold out ... and we're certain his breakout record, "Texas" has something to do with it!!!

The "Russian Cream" rapper's fellow Memphis native -- and Gucci Mane's 1017 artist, Big Scarr -- was present and celebrated the tour's original December 7 announcement ... but unfortunately died 16 days later from an accidental prescription overdose.

A relative of Scarr told TMZ Hip Hop at the time the late rapper had gotten addicted to painkillers after dealing with gunshot and car accident injuries.

Lil Wayne is hitting the road this spring on his "Welcome to Tha Carter Tour" ... a pretty clear cut smoke signal his long-awaited "Carter VI" album isn't too far behind.

Weezy made the grand announcement Tuesday ... unveiling the 28 city tour's kickoff date of April 4, which will hit major hot spots such as Chicago, Detroit, and NYC before concluding in L.A. on May 13.

One city missing, is Wayne's hometown of New Orleans ... but we're told Wayne omits NOLA from his tour lineups because of his acclaimed Weezyana Festival ... a special show for the people of The Big Easy that will be enjoying its 7th edition later this year!!!

The Louisiana rapper first announced there would be a "Carter VI" back in August 2022 --  and fans have been awaiting additional details ever since.

The new tour announcement set off alarms for fans who figure he'll perform new tunes on the road and they're literally chomping at the bit for new music.

John Mayer is revealing his secret to getting pumped up before Dead and Company concerts ... saying Hall of Famer Bill Walton, showers him in compliments!!!

The 45-year-old musician opened up on his relationship with the former big man during Walton's "Throw It Down" alternative NBA broadcast on Monday ... explaining how the die hard Grateful Dead fan gets him ready to hit the stage before shows.

"When Bill gives you advice, he looks you dead in the eye and everything stops," Mayer said.

"He speaks with this cadence -- 'Go out there. Give it your absolute all. Don’t be shy. They are here to watch you play. Go play to the greatest of your ability ... and some of the greatest compliments I’ve ever been given are from Bill Walton."

Of course, Mayer plays guitar and sings for the GD spinoff band -- so Walton has seen him perform countless times. He even took the stage with the band in 2015.

In fact, Mayer says Walton -- who stands at 6'11" -- is easily recognizable in the crowd ... referring to the guy as "air traffic control" for the fans in attendance.

Bill explains his reasoning for holding his hands up in the sky during shows ... saying he spent 4.5 years immobile with a deteriorating spine, and now that he's able to move -- he's making the best of it.