John Feinstein (1955–2025), sportswriter and commentator

John Feinstein was a sportswriter and commentator best known for his long tenure as a Washington Post columnist, as well as the author of such books as “A Season on the Brink,” which chronicles a year of the of Indiana University's men's basketball team and its volatile coach, .

Greg Gumbel (1946–2024), CBS sportscasting great

Greg Gumbel was a longtime sportscaster best known for his work for CBS on “The NFL Today” and for his coverage of Super Bowls and March Madness.

Dick Van Arsdale (1943–2024), three-time NBA All-Star

Dick Van Arsdale was a three-time NBA All-Star with the Phoenix Suns who was drafted alongside his identical twin brother, Tom.

Lou Carnesecca (1925–2024), legendary St. John’s basketball coach

Lou Carnesecca was the longtime basketball coach for St. John’s University in New York City, reaching the postseason in all of his 24 seasons and racking up 526 career wins.

Jerrod Mustaf (1969–2024), Maryland basketball star

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. 

Dikembe Mutombo (1966–2024), Hall of Fame NBA shot-blocker

Dikembe Mutombo was an NBA star known for his towering height and his shot-blocking skills.

Mitchell Wiggins (1959–2024), Houston Rockets shooting guard

Mitchell Wiggins was a shooting guard for such NBA teams as the Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls, as well as the father of current Golden State Warriors star Andrew Wiggins.

Jerry West (1938–2024), three-time NBA Hall of Famer

Jerry West was a three-time NBA Hall of Famer widely considered one of the best to ever play, as well as a successful executive who helped launch the career of iconic pro ballers like . 

Drew Gordon (1990–2024), former Philadelphia 76ers forward

Drew Gordon was a power forward with such basketball teams as the Philadelphia 76ers, as well as the older brother of Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon. 

Bill Walton (1952–2024), Hall of Fame basketball player and announcer

Bill Walton was a Hall of Fame basketball player who won two championships with UCLA and two more after he joined the NBA, then became a star commentator after his playing days ended.

Darius Morris (1991–2024), former NBA point guard 

Darius Morris was a former NBA point guard who played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and others.0

Walt Wesley (1945–2024), former NBA player and Kansas Jayhawk 

Walt Wesley was a 10-year NBA veteran anda star player with the University of Kansas Jayhawks.

Charles “Lefty” Driesell (1931–2024), college basketball coach 

Charles “Lefty” Driesell was a legendary college basketball coach known for his team-building skills, leading to over 100 wins with four different schools.

Earl “The Twirl” Cureton (1957–2024), NBA “big man” and college star 

Earl “The Twirl” Cureton was an NBA player and college standout who excelled at the University of Detroit Mercy and played pro ball with the Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, and others.

Eric Montross (1971–2023), Tar Heels legend and NBA player

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.

George McGinnis (1950–2023), Hall of Fame basketball great

George McGinnis was an ABA and NBA basketball player who led the Pacers to two ABA titles and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Johnny Green (1933–2023), four-time NBA all-star

Johnny Green was a four-time NBA All-Star who was a star player with the New York Knicks from 1959 to 1965, and who made the All-Star team his final time at the age of 37.

Walter Davis (1954–2023), Olympic gold medal-winning NBA star

Walter Davis was a basketball star at the University of North Carolina who later had six All-Star NBA appearances and won an Olympic gold medal with the 1976 USA men’s basketball team.  

Bobby Knight (1940–2023), legendary Indiana Hoosiers coach

Bobby Knight was a longtime basketball coach for the Indiana Hoosiers who became a college sports legend both for his remarkable winning record and for his notorious temper.

Tasha Butts (1982–2023), Georgetown women’s basketball head coach

Tasha Butts was a former WNBA player who had recently been named the head coach of Georgetown University’s women’s basketball team.

Terry Dischinger (1940–2023), Hall of Fame basketball player 

Terry Dischinger was a College Basketball Hall of Fame player, three-time NBA All Star, and Olympic gold medal winner who became a patent-holding orthodontist.

Brandon Hunter (1980–2023), former NBA forward 

Brandon Hunter was a standout basketball player at Ohio University who became a power forward in the NBA for the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic.

Nikki McCray-Penson (1971–2023), WNBA star and coach 

Nikki McCray-Penson was a star of the WNBA who won Olympic gold on the U.S. women’s basketball team in 1996 and 2000.  

Charles “Cotton” Nash (1942–2023), played in the NBA and MLB 

Charles “Cotton” Nash was a basketball star at the University of Kentucky in the 1960s who went on to play both basketball and baseball professionally.

Denny Crum (1937–2023), Hall of Fame Louisville basketball coach 

Denny Crum was the longtime head basketball coach for the University of Louisville, leading the Cardinals to two NCAA championships.

Billy Packer (1940–2023), Emmy-winning college basketball announcer

Billy Packer was a longtime college basketball announcer who covered the NCAA tournament for decades.

Chris Ford (1949–2023), Boston Celtics great

Chris Ford was a basketball player with the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons who scored the first three-point shot in NBA history.

Louis Orr (1958–2022), former NBA player and college basketball coach   

Louis Orr was a college basketball star at Syracuse University who played in the NBA and was a college basketball head coach.

Billie Moore (1943–2022), first U.S. Olympic women’s basketball head coach

Billie Moore was a women’s basketball coach who coached the first U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team to a silver medal in 1976.

Grant Wahl (1973–2022), acclaimed writer for Sports Illustrated

Grant Wahl was a sportswriter who focused on college basketball and soccer, including covering the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Tiffany Jackson (1985–2022), WNBA star and coach

Tiffany Jackson was a WNBA star and coach who played for teams including the New York Liberty and Tulsa Shock.

Pete Carril (1930–2022), legendary former Princeton basketball coach 

Pete Carril was the head basketball coach at Princeton University for 30 years, leading them to 11 NCAA tournament appearances.

Mike Schuler (1940–2022), former NBA Coach of the Year

Mike Schuler  was a former NBA head coach for the Portland Trailblazers and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Lennie Rosenbluth (1933–2022), University of North Carolina basketball legend 

Lennie Rosenbluth was a legendary University of North Carolina basketball player who led the team to their first NCAA championship with a win over Kansas and Wilt Chamberlain.  

Caleb Swanigan (1997–2022), former Purdue basketball star 

Caleb Swanigan was a star power forward for the Purdue University men’s basketball team and was Indiana’s Mr. Basketball as a senior in high school.     

Bob Lanier (1948–2022), NBA great with Pistons and Bucks

Bob Lanier was a Basketball Hall of Famer who played center for the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks in the 1970s and ‘80s.

Joan Joyce (1940–2022), softball legend and LPGA record-holder

Joan Joyce was the longtime head softball coach at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), as well as a record-setting golfer and basketball player.

Elgin Baylor (1934–2021), Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Famer

Elgin Baylor was an NBA player and executive who was a superstar of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1950s and ‘60s.

John Chaney (1932–2021), legendary Temple basketball coach

John Chaney was the former head basketball coach at Temple University who led them to 17 NCAA tournament appearances.

Nancy Darsch (1951–2020), one of the original WNBA coaches

Nancy Darsch was a women’s basketball coach who helped take USA Basketball to gold at the 1984 and 1996 Olympics and was one of the original WNBA coaches.

John Thompson (1941–2020), legendary Georgetown basketball coach

John Thompson wasthelegendary former head basketball coach atGeorgetownUniversitywho was the first black head coach to win the NCAA men's basketball championship when he led Georgetown to a win in 1984.

Lute Olson (1934–2020), legendary Arizona basketball coach

Lute Olson was a legendary former head basketball coach at the University of Arizona.

Eddie Sutton (1936–2020), Hall of Fame college basketball coach

Eddie Sutton was a college basketball coach who was the first to take four different teams to the NCAA tournament: Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma State.

Andre Emmett (1982–2019), Texas Tech basketball legend

Andre Emmett was a basketball legend at Texas Tech University. Playing under head coach Bobby Knight, Emmett was their second all-time leading scorer and an All-American selection in 2004. He was drafted No. 35 overall by the Seattle SuperSonics and traded to the Memphis Grizzlies but only played in a handful of NBA games. He then played internationally and recently was a star in the BIG3 league, finishing second in scoring last season.

John MacLeod (1937–2019), Phoenix Suns all-time winningest head coach

Also coached Notre Dame, the Knicks, and the Mavericks.

Anne Donovan (1961 – 2018), Hall of Fame basketball player and coach

Anne Donovan, the Basketball Hall of Famer who won a national championship at Old Dominion, two Olympic gold medals as a player and another as a coach, died Wednesday of heart failure, according to the Associated Press. She was 56.

Woody Durham (1941–2018), former "Voice of the Tar Heels"

North Carolina football and basketball announcer for four decades…

Perry Wallace (1948–2017), broke down racial barriers in college basketball

Perry Wallace, who broke down a racial barrier in the Deep South by becoming the first black varsity basketball player in the Southeastern Conference, has died after a battle with cancer.

John Kundla (1916 - 2017), NBA Hall of Famer

Former Lakers head coach was an NBA Hall of Famer...