NBA Players Who Died in 2023

There have been many legends and players who have graced the basketball courts and been part of the NBA. Some of them are still alive to narrate the sagas to their grandchildren or even use special insights to train a newbie; however, the others met an end. As 2023 concludes, it’s time for the NBA world to take a closer look into the lives of former NBA players who paved the way for such an interesting sport to be televised worldwide. After all, these players carried the torch forward and played their role in transforming the league into what it is today.

The list will feature every basketball player who was drafted into the NBA and breathed their last in 2023. Since the list is not in any chronological order, kindly refer to the dates and months for better navigation over such a vast text. The former players are mentioned below:

1. Chris Ford (January 11, 1949–January 17, 2023)

Christopher Joseph Ford, aka ‘the mad bomber,’ was drafted in 1972 in the 2nd round as the 17th overall pick by the Detroit Pistons. Furthermore, the native of Atlantic City, New Jersey, dedicated his NBA career to the Pistons and the Celtics. The shooting guard was active from 1972–1982, and later he shifted to coaching the Boston Celtics as an assistant coach in 1983. The shooting guard is credited with recording the first official three-pointer in NBA history in 1979–80 with a career average of 9.2 points per game, 3.4 assists, and 3.0 rebounds.

 

After winning an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 1981 (as a player), he went on to share his insights with three more franchises: the Milwaukee Bucks, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Philadelphia 76ers (assistant coach). Moreover, Chris Ford even won an NBA All-Star Game as head coach in 1991 while he was training the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference (the Boston Celtics). The player served the hardwood till 2004 and retired with two NBA championships as an assistant coach as well.

Six days after Ford celebrated his 74th birthday on January 11, 2023, Ford breathed his last. With complications resembling a heart attack, the former player and coach left an indelible mark on the basketball fraternity with his glorious career.

2. Charles ‘Cotton’ Nash (July 24, 1942–May 23, 2023)

Charles Francis ‘Cotton’ Nash has not only played in the NBA but also transitioned to leave a mark in MLB (Major League Baseball). As an NBA player, he played as a forward for two franchises: the Los Angeles Lakers and later the San Francisco Warriors (later known as the Golden State Warriors). ‘Cotton Nash’ was drafted in the league back in 1964 and was a 2nd round, 12th overall pick by the Lakers. He even graced the American Basketball Association (ABA) while playing with the Kentucky Colonels.

He held an average of 2.1 points per game, 4 assists, and 1.4 rebounds with the Lakers, while the average witnessed a positive shift with the GSW in 1964–65. Nash played a total of 84 games in the NBA and ABA combined and had an average of 5.6 points per game, 0.8 assists, and 3.3 rebounds.

Since that’s not a very glorious stat in the NBA, the player decided to give baseball a shot and recorded his debut with the Chicago White Sox in September 1967. Nash was in his eighties when the illness crawled to his abode, and he breathed his last on May 23 at Baptist Health Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky.

3. Bud Grant (May 20, 1927–March 11, 2023)

Harry Peter Grant Jr. was referred to as ‘Bud’ in the league, initially in the NBA and later on in the NFL. You must have seen players who transitioned from one sport to another; however, a player who couldn’t get a break in the NBA later transitioned to even coach an NFL team? That seems quite unusual to the ears.

An alumnus of the University of Minnesota, ‘Bud’ was proficient in three sports, namely, football, basketball, and baseball. While the player was drafted into the NBA in 1950 for the Minneapolis Lakers (now the Los Angeles Lakers), he played just 35 games in his stint from 1949–50. Grant was even part of the 1950 NBA championship team and played as a forward in basketball.

 

Making a transition into the NFL, Grant represented the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1951 season. After averaging 2.6 points per game, 0.9 assists, and 1.9 rebounds during the regular-season games with the Lakers from 1949–51, Grant became the oldest living NBA champion. The former Lakers forward departed on March 11, 2023, from his home in Bloomington, Minnesota, at the age of 95. As of yet, there is no further information on the cause of his death.

4. Felton Spencer (January 5, 1968–March 12, 2023)

Felton LaFrance Spencer graced the hardwood with his presence from 1990–2002. The native of Louisville, Kentucky, played for the Minnesota Timberwolves (1990–93), Utah Jazz (1993–96), Orlando Magic (1996), Golden State Warriors (1996–99), San Antonio Spurs (1999–2000), and the New York Knicks (2000–2002) in his career in the NBA.

 

Spencer won the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 1991 when he was playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Riding on a regular-season average of 5.2 points per game, 0.8 assists, and 0.4 rebounds, the former player of the New York Knicks attained retirement from his playing career in 2002. After this phase, he went on to assume the role of assistant basketball coach at Spalding University and Bellarmine University later on. While the reason for his death is not specified, he bid his adieu to the world at the age of 55 while he was admitted to the University of Louisville Hospital.

5. Lance Blanks (September 9, 1966–May 3, 2023)

Blanks was the 1st round, 26th overall draft pick in 1990 for the Detroit Pistons. Starting his career as a point guard for the Pistons, Lance Blanks later played for the Minnesota Timberwolves and achieved great accolades in his career. Blanks played in the NBA, the American Football League, and the National Football League. The native of Del Rio, Texas, also won the title of Texas Mr. Basketball in 1985. Averaging 2.0 points per game, 0.8 assists, and 0.8 rebounds, the player was active as an NBA player from 1990–1993.

After ending his term with the Keravnos (1999) of the Professional Basketball League, he joined the San Antonio Spurs as a scout and went on to become a director of scouting for the same team in 2002. Furthermore, he also gained experience as an ESPN analyst for the Spurs and hence earned his position as an assistant general manager for the Cleveland Cavaliers. A couple of years later, in 2010, he was appointed as the general manager of the Phoenix Suns. It is claimed that Blanks committed suicide in May 2023, ending his life at the age of 56.

6. Stanley ‘Whitey’ Von Nieda (June 19, 1922–September 6, 2023)

Stanley Von Nieda kicked off his basketball career in 1946 when he first started playing for the Lancaster Red Roses, a team that plays in the professional basketball league. Later on, after the 1946–47 season, he started playing for the Tri-Cities Blackhawks (now called the Atlanta Hawks) in 1947. He played for just one franchise in the NBA and then went on to play in the American Basketball League. He put his career as a player on hold after playing with the Lancaster Rockets from 1950–1953, and he began coaching college basketball teams.

The guard/forward breathed his last on September 6, 2023, at the age of 101 after averaging 5.3 points per game in his NBA career with the Atlanta Hawks and the Baltimore Bullets. The accolades extend beyond the hardwood and to the battlefield, as Nieda was enlisted in the army during World War II.

7. Brandon Hunter (November 24, 1980–September 12, 2023)

Brandon Hunter was an underdog in the NBA, as he was not recognized for his talent in the NBA when he played for the Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic. The power forward started his career back in high school when he played for the Tigers and later committed to the Ohio Bobcats in 1999. He was the NCAA rebounding leader in the 2002–2003 season and also averaged a stellar record of 12.6 rebounds.

With 2,012 career points and 1,103 rebounds, he was invited to join the exclusive 2000-point, 1000-rebound club. In 2017, Hunter’s name was inducted into the Withrow Athletic Hall of Fame. The 2003, 56th overall draft (2nd round) went on to carve out his career in the Euroleague and Greek Basket League in 2006.

After retiring from his career as a basketball player, he worked as a real estate broker and a sports agent. It is reported that the power forward collapsed on the spot while performing hot yoga at a yoga studio in Orlando, Florida.

8. Terry Dischinger (November 21, 1940–October 9, 2023)

Drafted in 1962 by the Chicago Zephyrs (now the Washington Wizards), Dischinger has had a rather bright NBA career. The small forward/shooting guard played for three franchises in the NBA: the Washington Wizards, the Detroit Pistons, and the Portland Trail Blazers, from 1962 to 1973. A graduate of Purdue University, Dischinger won the title of NBA Rookie of the Year in 1963. His achievements didn’t just stop there; he won the NBA All-Star title three times, from 1963 to 1965.

Later on, the player transitioned to his career as a basketball coach, where he trained the Detroit Pistons in 1971. Furthermore, Dischinger retired from the NBA, took a keen interest in orthodontics, and even pursued that as a profession. Not only that, he took a break from basketball in 1965–1967 after completing his first season with the Pistons and went on to serve in the US Army. It was during this period that he made up his mind to pursue dentistry, as he had lost touch with basketball as a sport.

Terry Dischinger is coming back to MyTEAM 🦷 Who needs the dentist on their squad? pic.twitter.com/ZrkfCtaZ30

— NBA 2K MyTEAM (@NBA2KMyTEAM) January 6, 2022

 

However, the player returned to the hardwood and played five seasons with the Pistons and one with the Trail Blazers. He breathed his last on October 9, 2023, at the age of 82, having a list of accolades to his name from having his name in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame (2010), and many more.

9. Johnny Green (December 8, 1933–November 16, 2023)

Green was referred to as ‘Jumpin Johnny’ by his fans in the league. After being drafted in 1959 as the 5th overall pick by the New York Knicks, ‘Jumpin Johnny’ played for some NBA teams. Initially, he played for the Knicks from 1959–1965 and was later traded to the Baltimore Bullets (now the Washington Wizards) in 1965. In 1967, the power forward played for the San Diego Rockets (now the Houston Rockets), in 1968 for the Philadelphia 776ers, and then in 1969 for the Cincinnati Royals/Kansas City-Omaha Kings (now known as the Sacramento Kings).

 

Green is a four-time NBA All-Star champion and has been a prominent player for all the teams that he played with. You can guess his achievements from the fact that the Michigan State Spartans (an intercollegiate men’s basketball team) retired his jersey number, i.e., 24. The prolific rebounder broke and made many records, and some of his records, like recording 25 rebounds in a single game, are worth mentioning. Even at the age of 39, he was averaging 7.1 points and 5.5 rebounds with the Kings. Green departed his dear ones at the age of 89.

10. Ryan Minor (January 5, 1974–December 22, 2023)

Ryan Minor was proficient in two sports: baseball and basketball. While he achieved a great deal in his baseball career, his NBA career was rather short-lived. Minor was drafted in 1996 (2nd round, 32nd overall pick) by the Philadelphia 76ers; however, he didn’t play any games in the league.

Instead, he played for a professional basketball team based in Lawton, Oklahoma, from 1996–97. After playing seven preseason games with the Sixers and 32 games with the Oklahoma City Cavalry of the CBA (Continental Basketball Association), he transitioned to baseball.

He later went on to play for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB) and then the Montreal Expos in 2001. After taking retirement from professional baseball, he then carved out his career as a coach for many teams in the Atlantic League. Minor witnessed a disease-ridden death when he was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2022. It was only a year later, when he was 49 years of age, that the small forward ceased living.

11. Eric Montross (September 23, 1971–December 17, 2023)

Eric Scott Montross was a native of Indianapolis and became a part and parcel of the UNC team to pursue his basketball career in the NCAA. After his team won the 1993 NCAA Championship against the Michigan Wolverines, Montross made it big in the NBA. The 7-foot center was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1994 and played two seasons with them. He caught a big fish in his rookie season alone when he amassed a career-high 10-point average and 7.3 rebounds per game, winning the NBA All-Rookie second team in 1995.

With heavy hearts we bring you this update from the family of Eric Montross.

Rest in peace Big E.

🔗: https://t.co/EgOjPTSh2B pic.twitter.com/V3TgxZDWPm

— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) December 18, 2023

 

He played for five different NBA franchises after gracing the Celtics with his best performance to date. In 1996–97, he represented the Dallas Mavericks, and then in 1997, he hopped from the New Jersey Nets (now called the Brooklyn Nets) to the Philadelphia 76ers. Later on, from 1997 to 2001, he played with the Detroit Pistons. Before announcing his retirement from the league, he played his last game with the Toronto Raptors.

Post-basketball, he pursued his career as a play-by-play commentator at the Tar Heel Sports Network. The ‘center’ was later diagnosed with cancer, and although he received treatment for the concerned ailment at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, he succumbed to death at the age of 52.

12. Dedric Willoughby (May 27, 1974–July 19, 2023)

The 6’3 point guard didn’t make it big in the NBA, as he played for only one franchise in the league, the Chicago Bulls. After honing his hoop skills at the University of New Orleans, he played for Iowa State University (1995–97). Coach Tim Floyd has played a crucial role in his life, as the point guard often played under Floyd’s guidance, even during his short span with the Bulls. After averaging 7.6 points while playing in the league, he transitioned to the Australian Basketball League to earn his bread and butter.

 

In 2001, the player sustained a knee injury and was released from the games as a player. However, his keen interest in basketball found center stage as a coach with the All-Iowa Attack Youth Basketball Program. At the age of 49, Willoughby suffered a tragic heart attack and met his demise in July 2023.

13. George Wilson (May 9, 1942–July 29, 2023)

The 6-ft-8 Wilson was a native of Meridian, Mississippi, and went to John Marshall High School. In high school, he led the Commandos basketball team and did his part in winning the Illinois State Championship for two years, 1958 and 1960. After attending the University of Cincinnati, he was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals (now called the Sacramento Kings) and played for them from 1964 to 1966. The winner of the Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year award (1960) went on to play for the Chicago Bulls, Phoenix Suns, and Philadelphia 76ers.

Retired from the league in 1971, the center had a lot of accolades to his name, starting with being a member of the 1964 US Olympic basketball team that won a gold medal, being named All-MVC twice, and winning an NCAA Championship back in 1962. Not only basketball, but he tested the waters in many fields, be it golf or horseshoes. He ended his earthly career in July 2023, when he was 81 years old.

14. Bingo Smith (February 26, 1946–October 26, 2023)

Robert Smith, commonly known among the NBA fraternity as ‘Bingo’, started his career in the NBA league in 1969 when he was drafted by the Houston Rockets as the 1st round, 6th overall pick. The 6-foot-5 small forward/shooting guard has paved his way to professional basketball since 1966, when he used to play for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. This is where he got his nickname, ‘Bingo’, and carried it forward to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1970. Not only that, the native from Memphis, Tennessee, U.S., went on to play for the Los Angeles Clippers in 1979.

 

Any NBA fan can imagine the honor when a team retires a jersey number that was donned by a former player, and the same honor was awarded to Smith. The Cavaliers retired his No. 7 jersey after he was inducted into the University of Tulsa Athletics Hall of Fame in 1984. Furthermore, the No. 32 jersey that he donned back in his college days while playing for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane was also retired in 2020. Bingo Smith retired at the age of 34 after he failed to play for the Dallas Mavericks in the 1980 NBA expansion and met his final destiny when he was 77 years old.

15. Willie J. McCarter (July 26, 1946–April 18, 2023)

A graduate of Drake University in Iowa, he crafted a basketball career out of his zeal to pay for the sport. McCarter was a 6-foot-3 guard who played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, and the Grand Rapids Tackers of the CBS (Continental Basketball Association). Playing for the Drake Bulldogs back in his college days, he put up an average of 19.9 points per game in three seasons from 1966 to 1969. His career in the NBA was rather short-lived, as he just played two seasons with the Lakers and one with the Blazers.

After his last game with the Blazers, McCarter opted for retirement and pursued basketball in the shoes of the head coach of a high school team in Michigan. Years later, the health problems caught onto him, and he had three strokes; the first one happened in September 2005. At the age of 76, Willie J. McCarter passed away, although the reason for his death is not specified in the media.

16. Walter Davis (September 9, 1954–November 2, 2023)

Drafted in 1977 (1st round, 5th overall pick) by the Phoenix Suns, Davis turned out to be a shining star in the history of the NBA. The shooting guard played for the Suns, the Denver Nuggets, and the Portland Trail Blazers, and then again performed a stint with the Nuggets. His No. 6 jersey was retired by the Phoenix Suns, and that has reasons stemming from his great performance in his rookie season. Riding on a whopping average of 24.2 points, he even won the 1978 Rookie of the Year Award.

Former UNC star Walter Davis passed away at 69 years old this morning of natural causes while visiting family in Charlotte.

He scored 1,863 points, grabbed 670 rebounds and had 409 assists playing for Dean Smith.

Davis won NBA Rookie-of-the-Year honors with the Suns in 1978…

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) November 2, 2023

 

The six-time NBA All-Star recorded a career average of 18.9 points per game, 3.8 assists, and 1.2 steals. Due to his smooth and efficient gameplay, he was nicknamed ‘sweet D’ in his university days. He carried on his career as a broadcaster for fellow NBA teams after retiring as a player in 1992. At the age of 69, Davis succumbed to death, and he received his first nomination to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame just after his demise.

17. George McGinnis (August 12, 1950–December 14, 2023)

A former player of the Indiana Hoosiers (the collegiate basketball team of Indiana University Bloomington), he made his name in the NBA league with his stellar buckets. The native of Harpersville, Alabama, started off his professional basketball career when he played for the Hoosiers and became the first sophomore to lead the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding. While he graced the Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Denver Nuggets, his stint with the Pacers received a lot of traction.

A fact worth noting about McGinnis is that he is among the four players who received the honor of having their jersey retired by the Pacers. Joining the trio of Roger Brown, Reggie Miller, and Mel Daniels, McGinnis got his No. 30 jersey retired. Not only that, his name was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017. George McGinnis breathed his last on December 14, 2023, owing to some heart complications.

Since the NBA has been around since 1946, innumerable players have played their part in helping the organization stand where it does today. Apart from the players that are covered in this extensive list, there are many more who have departed this world with a lengthy record of honors and awards. Since it is next to impossible to track all the former NBA players, this list contains the most noteworthy among them all.