For The Duckworth
Awww! He was an icon for Oregon's pro basketball. He even lived in Tigard, where I lived, though I never bumped into him.
And now he's dead.
Kevin Duckworth, a two-time National Basketball Association All-Star who played most of his career for the Portland Trail Blazers, died Monday in Kernville, Ore. He was 44.
Duckworth was in Kernville to host a free basketball clinic for children, the Trail Blazers said in a statement. The cause of death is unknown and will be determined by the Lincoln County Medical Examiner, the team said.
Duckworth was born April 11, 1964, in Harvey, Ill. He played college basketball at Eastern Illinois University and was a second-round draft pick of the San Antonio Spurs in 1986. He was traded later that season to Portland, for which he was named the league's most improved player for the 1987-88 season. He played in the N.B.A. All-Star Game in 1989 and 1991.
Duckworth, a 7-footer whose weight often exceeded 280 pounds, was the starting center for the Trail Blazers when they won the Western Conference title in 1990 and 1992. But he became disgruntled in 1993 when he was made a reserve, and he was traded to the Washington Bullets. He also played for the Milwaukee Bucks before ending his career in 1997 with the Los Angeles Clippers.
He is the Trail Blazers' 10th-leading career scorer, with 7,188 points, and rebounder, with 3,327. He compiled averages of 13.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in 527 games with Portland, the team said.
Duckworth remained in the Portland area after his playing career, living in Tigard, Ore., with his fiancée and two children.
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