Has An NBA Player Ever Died On The Court? Professional Basketball Players Who Passed Playing Basketball

NBA players are considered to be some of the healthiest men in the world given just how much work they have to put into their bodies. One of the sole reasons that they get paid millions of dollars every single year to play basketball is because of the level of otherworldly conditioning their body has become accustomed to. 

Though, even with millions of dollars at the palm of their hand along with all the time in the world to stay in shape, external and unfortunate factors could lead to them taking ill. Sometimes this leads to more than just an illness and actually results in the player passing away. 

There have been very few cases of NBA players passing away due to injuries sustained while playing basketball in the professional scene but it has happened. No players have died on the hardwood but injuries pertaining to what happened on the court have led to a later death. 

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Who are some NBA players who died due to basketball? 

Perhaps the most well-known case of this happened was when Reggie Lewis, an All-Star for the Boston Celtics, died in July of 1993. He had previously collapsed during a Celts-Hornets game in April of that same year, was benched, and then returned to play before being taken out once again. 

He was diagnosed with a fatal heart condition which was later rectified to being a non-fatal condition known as neurocardiogenic syncope. Unfortunately, during practice at Brandeis University in July, he would collapse and pass away in July. 

Another man who passed away while playing professional basketball was ‘Zeke’ Upshaw. He never made it to the NBA but was on the Grand Rapids Drive roster, the Pistons’ affiliate in the G-League. In the final minute of a game between the Nets and Rapids, he would collapse. 

While he did regain consciousness, he passed away two days later hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

‘Pistol’ Pete Maravich, a man who is considered by many to be one of the greatest guards to have ever played in the NBA, passed away during a 3v3 game at Pasadena First Church. He would suffer a heart attack in 1988. What makes this eerie is the fact that he predicted his own passing in a video many years prior.

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