Kevin Duckworth | |
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Position(s) | Center |
Jersey #(s) | 54, 00 |
Listed height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) |
Listed weight | 275 lb (125 kg) |
Born | April 1, 1964 Harvey, Illinois, USA |
Died | August 25, 2008 (aged 44) Gleneden Beach, Oregon, USA |
Career information | |
Year(s) | 1986–1997 |
NBA Draft | 1986 / Round: 2 / Pick: 33 |
College | Eastern Illinois |
Professional team(s) | |
Career stats (NBA) | |
Points | 8,085 |
Rebounds | 3,945 |
Blocks | 316 |
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com | |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Kevin Jerome Duckworth (April 1, 1964 – August 25, 2008) was an American professional basketball player at center in the National Basketball Association. A native of Illinois, he played college basketball at Eastern Illinois University before being drafted in 1986 in the second round by the San Antonio Spurs. Before completing his rookie season with the Spurs, he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers where he spent most of six seasons and was named the NBA's Most Improved Player and a two-time All-Star. After playing with three more teams he retired in 1997 and returned to Oregon where he would later work for the Trail Blazers' organization.
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Early life and career
Duckworth was born in Harvey, Illinois and grew up in Chicago, where he played basketball at Thornridge High School.[1] At Thornridge, he participated in the 1980 and 1981 Illinois State Holiday Classic tournaments, which eventually became known as the State Farm Holiday Classic.
He attended Eastern Illinois University (EIU), where he set a university record of 867 rebounds, a record that still held at the time of his death.[1] He also led EIU to the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament Championship in 1985 and was the Conference Player of the Year in 1986.[1]
Duckworth was the ninth pick in the 2nd round of the 1986 NBA Draft, chosen by the San Antonio Spurs. Later that season, he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers for rookie Walter Berry.
His rookie season was unspectacular, as Duckworth came off the bench to back up center Steve Johnson (who in turn got the starting center position when Sam Bowie suffered a broken leg). However, the next season Johnson went down with an injury (in addition; Bowie broke his leg again at the beginning of the season), and Duckworth was pushed into the starting role, from where he averaged 15.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Also, after having previously never averaged over 70.0 percent from the free throw line, he shot 77% that year, rebounded well, and played good defense - earning him the 1988 NBA Most Improved Player Award.
All-Star
The following season, Duckworth improved his averages to 18.1 points and 8.0 rebounds, and was named to the Western Conference All-Star team. After the 1988–89 campaign, Bowie was traded to the New Jersey Nets for Buck Williams and Steve Johnson. Johnson, who was at the end of his career, was left unprotected in the 1989 expansion draft, allowing Duckworth to become the starting center.
The 1990 and 1991 seasons were also successful for Duckworth and the Blazers. Although 1988–89 was statistically Duckworth's best season, the team enjoyed greater success in the following years — advancing to the NBA Finals in 1990, and posting a 63–19 record in 1990–91. The presence of Williams as the starting power forward, with rebounding as his main assignment, allowed Duckworth to concentrate on scoring and defense.[citation needed] In 1991 Duckworth was also selected as an NBA All-Star for a second time.
Decline and retirement
Duckworth's production began to slip in 1991-92, as his physical conditioning deteriorated somewhat. He was constantly outplayed in the 1992 NBA Finals, and was even less productive in the following season, in which the Blazers failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs. At the end of 1992-93, Duckworth was traded to the Washington Bullets for forward Harvey Grant.
Duckworth played four more seasons in the NBA, two for the Bullets, one for the Milwaukee Bucks, missing most of the season due to injuries, and one for the Los Angeles Clippers (1996-97). He retired from professional basketball after that season.
Post-retirement
In 1996, Duckworth and Kermit Washington opened Le'Slam Sports Cafe in Vancouver, Washington.[2][3] He settled in Tigard, Oregon, with his girlfriend and her two children.
He was a Heritage Ambassador for the Trail Blazers and was active in the community. He spent several years at the end of his life working at and helping out with Royal Marine Sales, a small locally owned company where he bought and sold small yachts.[4]
Death
Duckworth died of heart failure on Monday, August 25, 2008 in Gleneden Beach, Oregon, near the coastal town of Lincoln City. He collapsed in his hotel room, and emergency services were unable to revive him. His death was confirmed by the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office. Duckworth was in town as part of a Trail Blazers group hosting a free kids basketball clinic. An autopsy identified the cause of death as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with congestive heart failure. He was 44.[5]
Following his death, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Oregon Community Foundation established a memorial scholarship in Duckworth's name for college and professional training for students in Oregon and Southwest Washington. [6], the Portland Trail Blazers wore a memorial stripe on their jerseys and a patch on their warmups stitched with Duckworth's number ('00') during the 2008–09 season[7], and the Portland City Council renamed the L-shaped dock adjacent to the floating portion of Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade after Duckworth.[8]
References
- ^ a b c "EIU Legend Kevin Duckworth Passes Away". Eastern Illinois University. http://www.eiupanthers.com/News/mbball/2008/8/26/08_duckworth_story.asp. Retrieved 2008-08-27.
- ^ "Le'Slam Sports Cafe". The Columbian. High Beam. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P1-30247313.html. Retrieved 2008-08-27.
- ^ Duckworth, a 1997 photo of Duckworth at his sports bar, from The Oregonian via Flickr
- ^ Crombie, Noelle (December 11, 2007). "Fishing with Kevin Duckworth". The Oregonian. http://www.royalmarinesales.com/royal_marine_sales_003.htm#Fishing%20with%20Kevin%20Duckworth. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
- ^ Crombie, Noelle (August 26, 2008). "Former Trail Blazer Kevin Duckworth dies". The Oregonian. http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/08/former_trail_blazer_kevin_duck.html. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
- ^ ""Trail Blazers and the Oregon Community Foundation Establish Kevin Duckworth Community Scholarship". trailblazers.com. http://www.nba.com/blazers/news/Trail_Blazers_and_the_Oregon_C-281305-1218.html.
- ^ "Duckworth honored with memorial jersey stripe". http://trailblazerscentercourt.blogspot.com/2008/09/duckworth-honored-with-memorial-jersey.html.
- ^ "Duck-Worthy Dock To Get New Name". http://www.nba.com/blazers/news/DuckWorthy_Dock_To_Get_New_Na-295413-41.html.
External links
- NBA.com profile
- Statistics at basketball-reference.com
- Remembering Kevin Duckworth as a Washington Bullet at truthaboutit.net
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