Hooped Up

Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller passed away yesterday in his home surrounded by his family due to diabetes-related health complications. 

“I think if we’d have had a month to script this thing out, we wouldn’t have changed one thing about it,” Greg Miller said at a memorial news conference at the Jazz’s practice facility”

Larry Miller’s health has been in steady decline since he suffered a heart attack last summer and then having his lower legs amputated Jan. 23. Larry Miller “gave it his all before he gave up the ghost” in the words of his oldest son and successor.

Larry Miller has been the sole owner of the Utah Jazz since 1986.

Via The Salt Lake Tribune

Eddy Curry’s season took a tragic turn this weekend with news of his former girlfriend and mother of one of his kids was found murdered this weekend in Chicago.

“On Saturday, Curry’s former girlfriend, the mother of his 3-year-old son, was found shot to death in her Chicago apartment. A relative found the bodies of Nova Henry, 24, and her 9-month-old daughter, Ava, according to Chicago police. Curry’s son was found unharmed at the scene. Curry has four children with his wife, Patrice. [...] ”I can’t imagine what he’s going through,” said Rick Brunson, Curry’s friend and former teammate with the Chicago Bulls. “He’s always been one of my favorites. He’s just a big, joyful kid.”

Curry is expected to return home to Chicago for Henry’s funeral, but a team source indicated that Curry will be with the Knicks for tonight’s home game against the Houston Rockets.”

Via New York Daily News

Some very sad news on the news wire today, as former All-Star and Portland Trailblazer great Kevin Duckworth passes away at 44.  

The Lincoln County sheriff’s office confirmed the death. He died Monday.

The 7-foot Duckworth spend six-plus seasons with the Trail Blazers starting in 1986-87 and was a Western Conference All-Star in 1989 and 1991.”

USA Today

As a big music fan, it was a shock when I learned music legend Isaac Hayes passed away at the age of 65.  Not only was Isaac Hayes a talented musician, he was also a dedicated basketball fan. In the mid-1970’s Hayes bought part of an ABA squad. While the team, which he helped rename the Memphis Sound, eventually was forced to close its doors, Hayes remained a big basketball fan the rest of his life. 

In this clip of Isaac Hayes singing the national anthem in Memphis at the Grizzlies versus Spurs 04 playoff game. His giant voice just booms.

While the Heat was preparing for a critical road game against the Cavaliers on Thursday in Cleveland, center Michael Doleac was receiving some startling news about his younger brother.

Army 2nd Lt. Kenneth Doleac, 25, was piloting a Black Hawk helicopter just south of Baghdad that was shot down. Doleac survived, as did his fellow troops in the helicopter, but it still shocked the Heat center and his family.

”From what I’ve heard from him, it was he and another helicopter flying,” Doleac said. “They got hit, it was just small arms fire, and they ended up going down. He was able to put it down. A couple of his guys got hit, but no one was injured seriously. He was able to put the helicopter down. The other Black Hawk that was with him wound up coming back in a couple of minutes and picking them all up.

“It wakes you up. You take for granted every day he’s over there flying. To hear that he got shot down was just nuts. Every time you hear a helicopter go down, it’s something bad.”

Miami Herald