Former Pitt center and NBA 1st-round pick Eric Mobley dies at 51
Jun. 3—Eric Mobley, one of only eight Pitt basketball players chosen in the first round of the NBA Draft, has died. He was 51.
Born in the Bronx, N.Y., Mobley played at Salesian High School in New Rochelle, N.Y., before enrolling at Pitt. A 6-foot-11 center, he played three seasons at Pitt from 1991-92 through 1993-94, starting a total of 50 games in his final two seasons.
For his career, he averaged 10.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. He led Pitt in scoring (13.7 points) and rebounding (8.8) in 1993-94 and in blocks all three seasons. He scored 30 points Feb. 19, 1994, in a 93-88 double-overtime loss to Villanova.
Mobley was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks (18th overall) in 1994 and played three seasons in the NBA, including his final two with the Vancouver Grizzlies. He averaged 3.9 points and 3.1 rebounds for his career.
He also played for the American Basketball Association's Pittsburgh Xplosion.
At the time he signed Mobley, Xplosion majority owner and general manager Freddie Lewis said, "Adding Eric Mobley ... bolsters our inside game and gives the Xplosion even greater depth. By signing Eric, we're putting some true Pitt into the Pittsburgh Xplosion."
Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jerry by email at jdipaola@triblive.com or via Twitter .
