Lance Blanks, a former professional basketball player and NBA executive, tragically passed away at the age of 56. A cause of death was not revealed.
For decades, the NBA star has been a driving force in basketball. After graduating college at the University of Texas Austin, he was drafted in the first round (26th overall) of the 1990 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons and even averaged 4.9 points and 1.5 rebounds per game over his career.
However, when his playing career came to a close, his love for the sport never dwindled. Blanks transitioned into basketball management after his retirement and even worked as a scout for the Cleveland Cavaliers before joining the San Antonio Spurs as their Director of Scouting in 2000. He went on to become a basketball analyst for ESPN and NBA TV as well.
Given his significant impact on the sport, the basketball community is publicly mourning the loss of such a significant figure.
“Lance was a light for all those who knew him. It’s been a privilege to have called him one of my closest friends. I’m eternally grateful for all the support he has shown me throughout the years,” Pistons legend Joe Dumars said of the deceased in a statement released by his family. “His legacy will be carried on, not only by his family but by all those whose lives he touched for the better. You will be dearly missed, brother.”
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Blanks’ family mourns the loss of Lance following his death.
Riley Blanks Reed, daughter to the NBA figure, also publicly mourned his death. She shared a statement that read, “My dad was my person. He was my teacher, my idol, my best friend. The love I have for him is simply immeasurable.”
“He carried his family and friends on his selfless shoulders and he was the wisest man I’ll ever know,” Riley continued. “The path ahead is dark without him but he once told me that he trusted my sister and me to carry the torch of our family’s legacy. And we will.”
In addition to Riley, his other daughter Bryn also discussed the passing of Blanks. IN her own words, she expressed the sentiments, “My heart aches for the tragic loss of my daddy. He was our father, our rock, our superhero – the one who was there when we needed him most. Life will never be the same without him.”
“I rest in knowing that his indomitable legacy and infectious commitment to family and community will live on forever,” Bryn Blanks added.
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