Former NBA player Eric Montross dies at 52
Eric Montross, who starred at North Carolina before playing eight seasons in the NBA, has died from cancer. He was 52.
His family announced though the University of North Carolina that he died Sunday at his Chapel Hill home. He was diagnosed with cancer in March, forcing him to stop working as a radio analyst for Tar Heel games.
“To know Eric was to be his friend, and the family knows that the ripples from the generous, thoughtful way that he lived his life will continue in the lives of the many people he touched with his deep and sincere kindness,” the announcement stated.
Montross played for coach Dean Smith at the school from 1990 to 1994, winning the 1993 NCAA title. He averaged 11.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game and his #00 jersey hangs in the rafters at the Dean E. Smith Center.
Montross was selected ninth in the 1994 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics. He also played for the Dallas Mavericks, the New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors during his eight-year NBA career.
“Carolina Athletics, the Tar Heel basketball family and the entire University community are profoundly saddened and stunned by the loss of Eric Montross, one of our most beloved former student-athletes, at far too young an age,” UNC said in a statement.
“Eric was a great player and accomplished student, but the impacts he made on our community went way beyond the basketball court. He was a man of faith, a tremendous father, husband and son, and one of the most recognizable ambassadors of the University and Chapel Hill.”
After retiring from professional basketball, Montross became a radio analyst for UNC game broadcasts for 18 seasons and worked as a fundraiser for the school’s athletic department.
Montross is survived by his wife, Laura; his daughters, Sarah and Megan; and his son, Andrew.
