NBA All-Star in Portland
Kevin Duckworth, 44, a former center for the Portland Trail Blazers and several other NBA teams, collapsed and died Monday night while in Lincoln City, Ore., to conduct a basketball clinic. The cause of death was not immediately known and an autopsy is planned.
A native of Harvey, Ill., the 7-foot, 275-pound Duckworth was taken in the second round of the 1986 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs after attending Eastern Illinois University.
Duckworth was traded in his rookie season to the Trail Blazers and spent seven seasons in Portland. Between 1987 and 1991, he averaged 15.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. In 1988, he earned the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award after averaging 77% from the free-throw line. He was named to the Western Conference All-Star team the next season and again in 1991.
He later played for the Washington Bullets and the Milwaukee Bucks and concluded his career with the Los Angeles Clippers, retiring after the 1996-97 season.
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