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  • #31
    As a side note, I never ever imagined this thread would be this emotional and we would have so many colleagues contributing eye-opening and quality materials.

    It is a thread that also tells part of our basketball history. Sadly, it will be a thread that will go on and on, because of so many tragedies, but I believe it is one of the best insights I had to establish this page on Interbasket about departing basketball players.

    It can be read years later and still be current enough to draw lessons from.

    In any case, it is our duty to pay tribute to our basketball brothers, in fame and sadly in their demise.....

    But still even in their deaths, they shine through as such beautiful people who touch our hearts so deep. Basketball.... the most beautiful of all sports... A sport that gives basketballers of such beauty and grace....

    ==

    Message in a song

    About the importance of paying tribute to parting ones

    --

    WHEN I GET WHERE I'M GOING

    By Brad Paisely feat. Dolly Parton

    Brad Paisley's official music video for 'When I Get Where I'm Going'. Listen to Brad Paisley: https://BradPaisley.lnk.to/listenYDSubscribe to Brad Paisley's ...


    Lyrics:

    When I get where I'm going
    on the far side of the sky.
    The first thing that I'm gonna do
    Is spread my wings and fly.

    I'm gonna land beside a lion,
    And run my fingers through his mane.
    Or I might find out what it's like
    To ride a drop of rain

    (Chorus)
    Yeah when I get where I'm going,
    There'll be only happy tears.
    I will shed the sins and struggles,
    I have carried all these years.
    And I'll leave my heart wide open,
    I will love and have no fear.
    Yeah when I get where I'm going,
    Don't cry for me down here.

    I'm gonna walk with my grandaddy,
    And he'll match me step for step,
    I'll tell him how I missed him,
    Every minute since he left.
    Then I'll hug his neck.

    (Chorus)

    So much pain and so much darkness,
    In this world we stumble through.
    All these questions, I can't answer,
    So much work to do.

    But when I get where I'm going,
    And I see my Maker's face.
    I'll stand forever in the light,
    Of His amazing grace.

    Yeah when I get where I'm going,
    Oh, when I get where I'm going,
    There'll be only happy tears.
    Hallelujah!

    I will love and have no fear.
    When I get where I'm going.
    Yeah when I get where I'm going.
    Last edited by worldbasketball; 06-20-2011, 03:24 PM.

    Comment


    • #32
      Donnel Allick, a former Connecticut high school basketball standout was shot and killed. Police found his body says the "Hartford Courant". He had been shot multiple times. He was brought to Yale New Haven Hospital, in Connecticut, where he died, police said. Allick was studying for a degree from Louisiana Tech, the "New Haven Register" reports. He had been arrested earlier in New Rochelle with 1,000 packets of "Hitman" Heroin. He was 31.

      Last edited by worldbasketball; 06-26-2011, 02:22 PM.

      Comment


      • #33
        Ronald Leith "Chino" Williams, a Fayetteville teenager, who was a member of the Jack Britt High School basketball team, died June 6 morning in a crash in Fayetteville. it appears he lost control of the car he was driving, ran off the right side of the road and overturned, according to a police report. He was just 16. A passenger, 15-year-old Mytrez Marsh, was taken to hospital, but was released later.

        Williams' older sister, Shalaya, said she was extremely close with her brother.
        "He was very caring," she said. "He always asked me if I needed anything or wanted anything. He was just an all-around happy person." He enjoyed helping others, no matter what age they were, Shalaya added.

        Williams was a sophomore at Britt this year and a member of the varsity boys' basketball team. Britt varsity boys' basketball coach Ike Walker Jr., said Williams was a very personable, very courteous young man.

        See photos and a video of a news coverage at





        Comment


        • #34
          Billy Lewis, who became the first African-American basketball player at the University of Colorado program died in his home in Sarasota, Fla.. He was 72.Lewis was an accomplished player when he came out of Denver's Manual High School in 1956. His first varsity game at CU was in the 1957-58 season. However, his college career didn't blossom, though he played for three seasons.
          After graduation in 1960, Lewis earned a law degree from Howard University and rose to prominence in the legal field. He was a corporate attorney for IBM.
          During an interview with The Denver Post in February 2008, Lewis said his diminished role as a basketball player at CU had caused him a great deal of anguish blaming his CU coach Sox Walseth for his problems on the basketball floor. Lewis was inducted into the CU Sports Hall of Fame in October 2008.

          Comment


          • #35
            Former UNLV and NBA star Armen Gilliam died Tuesday night playing basketball. WTAE in Pittsburgh reports that the 6-foot-9 was rushed to St. Clari Hospital where he was pronounced dead.


            Armen Gilliam, a former #2 pick, died playing bball. I've never seen him play but I knew he did well in the semi-pro ABA league a few years back. RIP
            aim low, score high

            Comment


            • #36
              NBA Legend Armen Gilliam dies

              July 5, 2011

              PITTSBURGH (AP)—Armen Gilliam, who was part of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels basketball team that made a run to the Final Four in 1987 and played for several NBA teams, has died. He was 47.

              The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said Wednesday that Gilliam died Tuesday night at the LA Fitness gym in Bridgeville while he was playing basketball.

              The office said the cause of death has not yet been determined pending an autopsy which is likely to be completed later Wednesday.

              After college, the Phoenix Suns drafted Gilliam as the No. 2 overall pick in the first round of the draft. Besides the Suns, Gilliam also played with the then-Charlotte Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Utah Jazz. He retired in 2000.

              “We are deeply saddened to learn about the loss of Armen Gilliam,” said Rod Thorn, president of the 76ers. “He was a hard-working, physical player during his distinguished 13 years in the NBA and we are proud of the contributions he made to the Sixers from 1990 to 1993.

              “On behalf of the entire Sixers organization, we send our deepest condolences to the Gilliam family during this very difficult time.”

              Nicknamed “The Hammer,” Gilliam was the leading scorer on the 1987 UNLV team coached by Jerry Tarkanian.

              In a statement released by UNLV, Tarkanian, who coached basketball there from 1973-1992, called him one of the best players the university ever had.

              “In my ratings, I had Larry Johnson No. 1 and Armen No. 2. He was such a great person. Everybody loved him and he loved everybody,” Tarkanian said. “He was such a gentle person and such a caring guy. I am all shook up over it. I think the world of him and am just really shocked.”

              Gilliam’s No. 35 UNLV jersey was retired during a halftime ceremony at the Thomas & Mack Center in November 2007. He became the eighth player in the program’s history to receive that honor.

              He played at UNLV from 1984-87 and was a key member of UNLV’s second NCAA Final Four team in 1987. That team finished the season with a 37-2 overall record and was 18-0 in Big West Conference play.

              Gilliam coached and played for the Pittsburgh Xplosion in the American Basketball Association in 2005 and 2006. He also coached Division III Penn State-Altoona from 2002-05.

              Born as Armon Louis Gilliam, he later changed the spelling of his first name to Armen to better suit the pronunciation of it.

              “On behalf of the entire Phoenix Suns family, I’d like to express our sadness at the news of the passing of Armen Gilliam and offer our condolences to his family,” Suns President Lon Babby said in a statement.

              “Armen will always have a place in Suns history as only the second No. 2 overall pick for the franchise, but the rugged, tough enforcer known as ‘The Hammer’ on the court will be remembered by his former teammates and our fans for his easy-going nature off the court.”
              ================================================== =========================================

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              • #37
                Gilliam was also a member of the USA seniors NT that won the 1986 World championship in Madrid, edging the former USSR in the final game.

                Comment


                • #38
                  Pictures of Armen Gilliam





                  Comment


                  • #39
                    Here's a news item about Raymond Leon Robinson Jr, a 16-year old young man who died while playing basketball in Inman, Spartanburg County, South Carolina:

                    QUOTE:
                    Investigators are looking into the death of a Chapman High School football player who collapsed while playing basketball with friends. Spartanburg County Coroner's Office investigator Randy Bogan said Raymond Leon Robinson Jr., of Timberlake View Circle, Inman, collapsed about 7 p.m. after playing basketball at a home on East Main Street in Inman.

                    A woman told a sheriff's deputy that she called 911 after Raymond collapsed. Although unconscious, he was breathing at first, but then stopped breathing. The woman conducted CPR on the teen until Spartanburg County EMS arrived.

                    Raymond was taken to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, where he later died, a Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office incident report said. An autopsy and toxicology test results are pending, Bogan said.

                    Raymond, a rising senior, was a starting offensive lineman for the Chapman High Panthers, coach Kevin Farmer said. Raymond was very dedicated to the team, never missing practice or a workout, and always upbeat. “He was probably the most well-liked kid on the team,” Farmer said. “He brightened the room when he walked in.”

                    Not only popular among his teammates, Raymond was well-liked by the rest of the student body and faculty and staff at Chapman High. “He was a great kid, one of my all-time favorite students,” Farmer said.

                    Raymond's upbeat personality and spiritual side were evident on his Facebook page, where he posted things like, “Any human has the ability to be great,” “Think before u speak” and “Praise the Lord Jesus Christ.” He also recently posted that he couldn't wait until “those Friday nights this school year,” the nights high school football teams hit the field.

                    Vince Bell, who volunteers with the Chapman High football team and whose son, C.J., is a classmate and teammate of Raymond's, said the teenager's friends, family, teammates and coaches are in shock right now. Raymond was always joking around, trying to make people laugh or smile.

                    “He had a positive attitude and encouraged others,” Bell said. “His Christian walk, his life made an impact on those around him. He may be gone, but his spirit will live on, in the lives of those he touched.”
                    UNQUOTE
                    Last edited by worldbasketball; 07-10-2011, 04:06 PM.

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      Basketball coach Neil Dougherty has died after collapsing while jogging in Indianapolis, the University of Kansas announced on July 8.

                      According to CBSSports.com, Dougherty, who worked at Kansas under Roy Williams from 1995 to 2002, could not be identified immediately because he had no identification with him when he collapsed. "He was only 50 years old," said Williams, who now coaches North Carolina. "You just never know."
                      Dougherty, who leaves behind a wife and three children, coached TCU from 2002 to 2008 and compiled a record of 75-106. He most recently was working for iHoops, a joint venture between the NBA and NCAA to promote youth basketball.

                      Dougherty also served as an assistant at Drake, Vanderbilt and South Carolina before joining Williams' staff in 1995.





                      Last edited by worldbasketball; 07-10-2011, 04:39 PM.

                      Comment


                      • #41
                        Lorenzo Charles, whose dunk in the final seconds of the 1983 National Collegiate Athletic Association national championship game propelled North Carolina State University to victory over Houston and himself to the realm of basketball legend, died on 27 June 2011 when the charter bus he was driving crashed in Raleigh, N.C. He was 47.



                        North Carolina State announced the death. It occurred on Interstate 40 as Charles was driving a bus for Elite Coach. News reports said the bus, which had no passengers, veered off the highway and sustained heavy damage to its front end. The police did not immediately comment on how or why the accident occurred. Charles had been a bus driver for 10 years.

                        His moment came in his sophomore year, when he leapt to rebound a teammate’s shot that fell short of the basket and jammed the ball through the hoop, giving the Wolfpack a 54-52 victory.

                        Like the clutch performances of Michael Jordan for the University of North Carolina the year before and Christian Laettner for Duke in 1992, Charles’s game-winner has become emblematic of the N.C.A.A. tournament. It has been shown thousands of times on television, as has the image of the victorious N.C. State coach, Jim Valvano, darting across the court looking for someone to hug. Charles said that not a day passed that he was not asked about it.

                        The title game, in Albuquerque on April 4, 1983, pitted the Wolfpack against a Houston team that had been ranked No. 1 in the nation. The high-flying Cougars were led by the future Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. The Wolfpack, by contrast, had a 17-10 regular-season record. In beating Houston, they became the first team to win a national championship after losing 10 games.

                        When N.C. State guard Dereck Whittenburg hoisted a 30-foot desperation shot with only seconds remaining, Charles was directly under the hoop. He said many times that he immediately knew it would fall short. After his dunk, he glanced at the clock and saw there were two seconds left. He later said he had never understood why the Cougars did not call a timeout. “At the time, I didn’t realize the magnitude,” Charles said in a 1996 interview with The NY Daily News. “I didn’t realize what I had done.”



                        Lorenzo Emile Charles was born in Brooklyn on Nov. 25, 1963, and grew up in the Starrett City housing project near Jamaica Bay. Growing to 6 feet 7 inches, he played basketball for Brooklyn Technical High School, from which he graduated.

                        In 1983, before advancing with his team to the N.C.A.A. finals, Charles sealed a 71-70 victory in an Atlantic Coast Conference tournament game against Wake Forest with a 3-point play. In the N.C.A.A. tournament, he hit two free throws with 23 seconds left to beat Virginia, 63-62, in the West Region final.

                        Charles played two more years at N.C. State, finishing with 1,535 points. He was the 41st pick in the 1985 National Basketball Association draft, by the Atlanta Hawks. He played only 36 games for the team, averaging 3.4 points.

                        Charles then played professionally in Europe and South America and for minor league teams. In the early 2000s, he coached the Fargo-Moorhead Beez, a North Dakota team in the Continental Basketball Association.

                        He is survived by his parents, a sister and a daughter, an N.C. State spokesman said.

                        Here is another news item (very extensive report) on Lorenzo Charles







                        Comment


                        • #42
                          A story related to the death of Wes Leonard we covered in this thread.

                          Title:
                          Fennville basketball team in the running for an ESPY

                          Artricle

                          The courage and determination of the Fennville Boys Basketball Team could earn them a top honor from ESPN. The team was in California this morning for tomorrow's ESPY Awards. They were nominated for "Best Moment of 2011" for their emotional journey through the state tournament without star player Wes Loenard. Wes died back in March after making a game winning basket to lift the team to a perfect regular season. The team found the strength to continue on into playoff action where they won the Class C district title against Covert. They did it all in Wes's honor. They fell short of a state championship though, losing in the regional semi-finals.

                          The other nominees up for best moment are Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay who tossed a playoff no-hitter and Nascar driver Trevor Bayne who became the youngest winner of the Daytona 500 in February.

                          End of story

                          See also video

                          Comment


                          • #43
                            Here is a sad news form Dearborn Michigan - Just when will we stop getting violent on "basketball arguments" I don't know




                            QUOTE
                            Basketball game killing shocks Dearborn Arab community

                            Grant opportunity for Arab American organizations The Center for Arab-American Philanthropy (CAAP) is offering support and capacity-building grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 for Arab American organizations. Funds are available through individual donors and support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The deadline to apply for grants is Feb. 28. Three conference calls providing information on …


                            A year after an 18-year-old man was stabbed to death outside of an ice skating rink on July 13, 2010, tragedy struck the Arab community again on July 13, 2011 as another young man was shot multiple times and killed.



                            The incident happened after a pick-up basketball game near Riverside Academy West on the city's east side just off Schaefer Road.

                            Thousands of mourners came out to pay their respects to Hassan Zeidan at the Islamic Center of America on Thursday, July 14 as emotions ran strong. The victim was believed to be 23-year-old Hassan Zeidan by friends who had arrived on the scene as numerous police officers secured the area. He was later confirmed as the victim, although police had not released his name officially as of press time.

                            On July 14 at 8 p.m., thousands of people came out to the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn to pay their respects to Zeidan, offering condolences and prayers in a massive showing of community unity and support following the tragedy.

                            Mourners at the Islamic Center were mostly overcome with grief as they walked up one-by-one to view Zeidan at rest in his coffin. Many of them questioned why a promising young life could be lost over a simple game of basketball.

                            Witnesses said Zeidan was killed after an argument over a game played by between six and eight people led to a fight, following which the shooter went to his car to retrieve a gun.

                            According to witnesses, the shooter pulled up to the parking lot where the game was being played and fired multiple shots at the victim. The single basketball goal where the game was being played rests in an area near the school, ACCESS, and the Islamic Institute of Knowledge just off of Schaefer Road.

                            Imam Husham Al Husainy, the director of the Karbala Islamic Center nearby, said he had been lecturing about 100 young people at the center during a commemoration event for last year's stabbing victim, Mohamad Abboud, about the importance of avoiding violence and conflict, when loud gunshots were heard outside.

                            The alleged shooter fled the area of the basketball game and ran toward the center after being chased and attacked by other players who had witnessed the shooting. He had been bleeding, possibly from having shot himself in the foot accidentally according to an eyewitness.

                            Al Husainy said he tried to prevent others from continuing to attack the alleged shooter in retaliation until the police were able to arrive. He came out of the scuffle with blood on his cloak from the alleged shooter. He also said that the shooting victim's father fell down and had what may have been a heart attack after arriving on the scene.

                            The alleged shooter was in police custody and was also taken to Oakwood Hospital with injuries. Police on the scene had no comment on the situation as they continued to gather evidence.

                            "This is a tough life lesson, we need to teach our youth how valuable life is and as parents and the community we all have a role," Al Husainy said.

                            He also said that the location was noteworthy in that it occurred near a school, mosque and community center and said that all three need to do a better job of teaching conflict resolution and the value of life in light of recent tragedies.

                            "We need more wisdom to learn how to avoid conflict otherwise we'll keep losing in an expensive way," he said, adding that he's been in the community for about 30 years.

                            "We need to close the gap between the older generation and the youth," he added. "This is a live example of what could happen if we don't increase the passion, wisdom, and faith of the community."

                            Mohamad El Salmen, 24 of Dearborn and a friend of Zeidan, was inside the mosque when the incident happened.

                            "It's sad what's happening, we had just come out of the commemoration (for Abboud) when we found out," he said.

                            "Some people are falling in with the wrong lifestyle and we're losing too many young people in the community."

                            ==



                            Man Charged In Basketball Court Shooting

                            The page you're trying to access could not be found or is no longer available.


                            A 34-year-old man has been charged in connection with a shooting Wednesday on a Dearborn basketball court that killed one person.
                            Fadi Hassan Faraj was arraigned Friday on charges of first-degree murder and felony firearm. He is being held in the Wayne County Jail without bond.
                            Witnesses on the court, which is behind Riverside Academy on Schaefer Road, told Local 4 that the 35-year-old Faraj told another player, 23-year-old Hassan Zeidan, that he had better stop guarding him so closely or else he was going to beat him up. They said Zeidan responded by punching Faraj.

                            Witnesses said Faraj then went to his car, pulled out a gun and shot Zeidan several times. One witness was lecturing a group of children at the Islamic Center next door as it all happened on the court.

                            "We heard shots, we came out. I think it was the most expensive lesson to this young man and to their parents to see what I was telling them, to see it alive in front of their eyes," said witness Imam Husham Al Husainy.
                            According to witnesses, after Faraj finished firing, he tried to run, but the other people on the basketball court chased him down and started beating him up. In the scuffle, he shot himself in the leg. When police arrived, the other players were holding him down in the parking lot.
                            "We have to get in their mind before they start shooting and trigger the gun. We should get in their heart and mind and teach them better than that. We cannot afford to lose our youth," said witness Al Husainy.

                            ==

                            There is a Facebook page for the victim Hassan Zeidan with wonderful tributes if you care to visit and leave a message

                            Last edited by worldbasketball; 07-17-2011, 06:55 PM.

                            Comment


                            • #44
                              Three very sad news items

                              ===

                              Title

                              Lamar Odom 'devastated' as 15-year-old boy dies following horrific crash with chauffeured car carrying NBA star

                              Article

                              A 15-year-old boy has died of severe head injuries following a collision with a chauffeur-driven SUV carrying basketball star Lamar Odom. The boy was rushed to hospital and underwent emergency surgery in New York City, but he died the next day.
                              Odom, who was in the city to attend his cousin's funeral, was left 'devastated' by the tragedy, and witnesses saw him crying at the scene.
                              He was sitting in the back seat when the accident happened on Thursday, in his old neighbourhood of Jamaica, Queens. His chauffeur-driven vehicle collided with a motorcyclist, and the bike then slammed into the 15-year-old pedestrian.
                              Both were taken to Elmshurst Hospital with serious injuries. The boy died on Friday morning, and his family held a funeral service on Sunday, TMZ reports.
                              His name has not been released.
                              The motorcyclist had only minor injuries, including 'road rash' and a fractured ankle. He was later released from hospital, a spokesman said.
                              Initial reports suggested the Los Angeles Lakers star's wife, Khloe Kardashian, was also in the car.


                              ==


                              Title

                              Canadian Teen Dies at Aspen Basketball Academy in Colorado

                              Article
                              A Toronto teenager died this week after collapsing at a basketball camp in Colorado, authorities say. Emergency responders received a 911 call Monday afternoon reporting that a boy had collapsed at the gym at Aspen high school.
                              Quinn Issiah Everring, 16, of Toronto was "semi-conscious," the PitkinCounty Sheriff's Office said in a news release, and those on the scene reportedly started CPR in a bid to revive him. Paramedics arrived and took the boy to hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the release said. Everring had apparently just arrived in Aspen that morning to take part in the basketball camp.

                              The sheriff's office said the cause of death would be released after an investigation post-morten exam. A local media report noted that Aspen is about 2,400 metres above sea level, while Toronto is about 75 metres above sea level. There was no immediate indication whether the altitude played any role in the boy's death.

                              ==

                              Title

                              Pinellas inmate collapses, dies while playing basketball

                              Article

                              A Pinellas inmate collapsed and died Monday afternoon while playing basketball, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said.

                              Mario Quntray Burks, 32, had played for over two hours and a total of six games of basketball with other inmates when he collapsed about 1:12 p.m., the sheriff's office said. Burks, of Gulfport, Miss., was transported to Northside Hospital in St. Petersburg and pronounced dead just after 2 p.m., the sheriff's office said.

                              Burks had been in jail since July 1 on a U.S. Marshal's hold, according to the sheriff's office jail website. The Pinellas County Medical Examiner's Office will perform an autopsy on Burks. Burks' death doesn't appear suspicious but the case remains under investigation, the sheriff's office said.

                              Comment


                              • #45
                                Lorenzen Wright's family wants 2 Mill because Police had no internet.
                                The family of murdered NBA star Lorenzen Wright is suing officials in Germantown, TN -- claiming it wouldn't have taken police 9 days to find his corpse if cops would simply have had Internet access.

                                I from Wisconsin!
                                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca6O8FR0rbQ

                                TO SYNTHESIZER WE ARE A BIG TEAM

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