David Greenwood

David Greenwood, a Chicago Bulls star in the pre-Michael Jordan era and college basketball Hall of Famer, died June 8, 2025, of cancer in Riverside, California at the age of 68.

Before Jordan came to dominate the game in Chicago (and beyond), Greenwood was one of the Bulls' core players, playing six seasons with the team during which he typically averaged double-digit points per game. Greenwood had been a star at the University of California at Los Angeles, making the First-team All-Pac-10 three years in a row (1977 to 1979), and eventually being inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He was almost the overall first draft pick in 1979, too, edged out by Magic Johnson. Along with Reggie Theus and Orlando Woolridge (1959–2012), Greenwood formed the backbone of the Bulls' squad in the mid-1980s. He was traded to the San Antonio Spurs in 1985 for future Hall of Famer George Gervin, playing there for three and a half seasons before going to Denver and Detroit, then returning to San Antonio for a year to finish out his career. All told, he retired with 582 starts, averaging 10.2 points per game.

Magic Johnson paid tribute to Greenwood on the social media platform X, writing: "I'm sorry to hear the news about the passing of David Greenwood. David Greenwood and I were drafted picks 1 and 2 in the 1979 NBA Draft. I'm praying for the Greenwood family and all of his loved ones. Rest in Peace David!"

By Eric San Juan

(Image: UPI/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)