THE SIDELINES : Boy Befriended by Team Dies
Ryan Gray, the cancer-stricken boy who was considered the lucky charm of the University of Kansas basketball team that won the NCAA championship in 1988, died today at the age of 17.
Gray, son of Dr. and Mrs. Captain Gray of Lawrence, died at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan. The boy, who would have been a senior at Lawrence High School this year, had an inoperable brain tumor at the base of his skull.
Former Kansas coach Larry Brown lived on the same street as the Grays and befriended Ryan shortly after arriving in Lawrence.
During the championship season, Gray rode the Kansas team bus, attended closed practice sessions and heard the coach discuss strategy before games.
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