Jerrod Mustaf was a star basketball player at the University of Maryland who had a brief career with the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns, as well as overseas teams.
- Died: October 28, 2024 (Who else died on October 28?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 55.
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Jerrod Mustaf’s legacy
When Mustaf played at DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, he drew a lot of attention – so much that he became one of the most heavily recruited players in the country, landing on Parade’s All-American list three years in a row. The University of Maryland recruited him, and he continued his strong play with the Terrapins, averaging 16.6 points per game in his two seasons with the team and becoming one of just 19 school players to rack up 600 points in a season. He entered the 1990 NBA draft after his second year at Maryland.
The power forward was picked up by the New York Knicks in the first round of the draft. However, his career never took off. He was with the Knicks for just one season before moving to the Phoenix Suns. When his then-girlfriend, Althea Hayes, was murdered in Arizona by his cousin, Mustaf came under suspicion, too, though he was never charged with a crime. He said he felt blackballed by the NBA after the murder, playing for only four seasons.
Mustaf left the league in 1994 and played for years on overseas teams in such countries as Greece, France, and Spain. After his return to the United States, he devoted his time to community activism. Mustaf took over the nonprofit started by his father, the Take Charge Juvenile Diversion Program. He also served as director of athletic development at Laurinburg Institute and was president and CEO of the Mitchellville, Maryland-based Street Basketball Association.
Tributes to Jerrod Mustaf
Full obituary: The Baltimore Sun
