Eric Montross was an NBA basketball veteran and a member of the 1993 NCAA Championship-winning University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill Tar Heels team who came to be known as Bloody Montross after playing with a bleeding injury during a game against Duke University.
- Died: December 17, 2023 (Who else died on December 17?)
- Details of death: Died in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, of cancer at the age of 52.
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Eric Montross’ legacy
Towering at seven feet tall, Montross was an imposing figure on the court. A McDonald’s All-American player at Lawrence North High School, he played for the UNC at Chapel Hill Tar Heels in college, where he cemented his reputation as a tough player. Montross was with the team’s 1993 NCAA Championship-winning squad, was named first-team All-ACC in 1993, and made the John Wooden All-America team his senior year. Over the course of his college career, he played in 139 games, averaging 11.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game.
Montross gained notoriety in 1992 during a game against Duke University. The Tar Heels made a last-second 75-73 comeback against their rivals, and the most iconic image of the game was of Montross, blood dripping down his face from a gash under his eye, shooting free throws.
After college, Montross was drafted by the Boston Celtics and played eight seasons in the NBA, with stints on the Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, and Toronto Raptors. He was one of the league’s few “big men,” aka players over seven feet tall. Montross retired after the 2003 season and did color commentary on the Tar Heel Sports Network.
He was also an avid supporter of charitable work, working with the Pan American Health Organization, co-founding Vaccine Ambassadors, creating the Eric Montross Father’s Day Basketball Camp to support the North Carolina Children’s Hospital, and more.
On the Bloody Montross game against Duke University:
“I can wear the scars with a badge of honor now because we won that game; if we didn’t win, that would be a bad deal.”—from a 2020 interview for AllTarHeels
Tributes to Eric Montross
Full obituary: CBS News
