Tennessee coach Rick Barnes reflects on Kyle Busch's tragic death and NASCAR's emotional tribute

MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. — The shocking decease of NASCAR's Kyle Busch is being felt crossed nan world, pinch galore still successful disbelief that nan legendary driver passed distant past week owed to complications from pneumonia, including Tennessee's Rick Barnes.

After a play filled pinch tributes from crossed aggregate sports leagues that see nan NHL, MLB, IndyCar and nan PGA, nan news is still shocking to grasp.

For some, watching NASCAR put together a beautiful tribute to nan driver past play astatine nan Coca-Cola 600 was conscionable nan type of point needed to thief nan athletics get done nan days pursuing nan tragic news.

KYLE BUSCH ON "HANG OUT WITH SEAN HANNITY"

After passing distant past Thursday astatine a section Charlotte hospital, news of nan untimely decease of Kyle Busch sent shockwaves done nan sports community.

Kyle Busch and his son, Brexton Busch, activity to fans during driver introductions earlier nan NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 astatine Daytona International Speedway successful Daytona Beach, Fla., connected Feb. 19, 2024. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

One of those fans who travel nan athletics intimately is Tennessee hoops coach Rick Barnes, who grew up going to races successful Hickory, North Carolina.

An avid NASCAR follower, nan shocking news of Busch passing distant is still difficult to rack his encephalon around.

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"Being a NASCAR fan, I was shocked, I couldn't judge it," Barnes told OutKick. "I was really successful disbelief because I was reasoning of Kyle Busch astatine 41 years aged and wondering really could this perchance happen. As i’ve followed it very intimately I conscionable deliberation it sewage to a constituent wherever erstwhile you're his property you astir apt consciousness for illustration you tin flooded everything, and support going. It sounds for illustration he pushed himself really to almost for illustration a tragic death. 

"I tin only ideate what it's for illustration for him, I’ve had double-pneumonia and I cognize what I felt like. I tin only ideate him climbing into that simulator pinch those g-forces coming astatine him, it had to conscionable wholly overwhelm his whole...he astir apt couldn’t move."

Tennessee caput coach Rick Barnes protests a telephone during nan first half of an NCAA assemblage hoops crippled against Florida successful Gainesville, Fla., connected Jan. 7, 2025. (Alan Youngblood/AP)

NASCAR organization rallies astir family of Kyle Busch

From nan opening montage featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr. connected Amazon Prime, to nan countless drivers paying their respects to Busch successful different manners, it wasn’t difficult to announcement nan effect Busch had connected nan NASCAR world.

But, it was nan infinitesimal CEO Steve O'Donnell took nan microphone to speak pinch nan fans astatine location and successful nan crowd, flanked by Kyle's woman Samantha and their 2 kids, nan tenor changed.

As "Amazing Grace" was played, pinch NASCAR drivers opinionated down nan Busch family, nan realization started to group successful that we had mislaid a legend. For their part, nan statement did a awesome occupation paying their respects to Kyle, while his boy Brexton hugged his mother Samantha tight astir nan hips.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Childress, Samantha Busch, Brexton Busch and NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell guidelines connected nan grid during a remembrance ceremonial for Kyle Busch earlier nan Coca-Cola 600 astatine Charlotte Motor Speedway successful Concord, N.C., connected May 24, 2026. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

If anything, NASCAR knows really to grant those who were portion of their family, which Tennessee's Rick Barnes pointed out.

"I person awesome respect for NASCAR because I deliberation they person nan hit connected America," Barnes recalled to OutKick. "The measurement they respect what’s travel earlier them, they’ve ne'er mislaid their measurement successful position of history. They’ve wholly continued to grant that. You person a feline who is genuinely 1 of nan top ever, I thought they did a awesome occupation pinch that.

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"The sad portion evidently is his woman and 2 kids correct there, knowing that I deliberation he wanted to 1 time title his son, which is what makes NASCAR truthful beautiful."

It's clear that Kyle Busch will time off a lasting bequest and ne'er beryllium forgotten, arsenic nan NASCAR world continues to grant nan legendary driver moving forward.