Michael Jordan’s 1984 Draft Class Member, Dan Trant, Tragically Lost His Life on 9/11

Among the 2,977 victims who tragically lost their lives in the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, was former Boston Celtics draft pick Dan Trant. The guard was a 10th-round pick in the famed 1984 draft class, which boasted Hall of Famers like Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and Hakeem Olajuwon.

Trant spent the summer of 1984 trying to earn a spot on the Celtics roster. It didn’t pan out as he’d hoped. But that didn’t deter him from living his dream of playing professionally. He moved to Ireland and spent a season with UCD Marian, the country’s oldest basketball club.

However, his international adventure lasted only two years before he returned to America in 1986.

His professional career wasn’t very eventful, but he was a beloved player at Clark University. His coach, Wally Halas, was a massive fan of his attitude, work ethic, and demeanor. On the University’s website, the coach paid tribute to the guard, saying,

“I loved the way [Dan Trant] played the game. He was bold, he was skilled, and he challenged everybody. If Dan could have played 10 hours a day, he would have…”

“He was personable, cocky, funny, and bright, and people responded to him. There was a boldness to the way Dan approached his life, which made him a great teammate… The way he played, you would have thought he was 10 feet tall,” the coach added.

Trant’s finest moment with his alma mater came in the 1984 Division III NCAA Championship. He led his team to the final, where they were beaten by Wisconsin-Whitewater. En route to the final, they beat Jeff Van Gundy’s Nazareth in the Elite 8.

In an interview with The Athletic, the veteran head coach complimented Trant. He said,

“Even now when I just see the name Dan Trant it evokes so many memories… He was a Division I player playing Division III basketball.”

As talented as Trant was, he was only 6-foot-2, which was a massive hindrance in his career. In the early 1990s, he pivoted from basketball to Wall Street after a college friend asked him if he was interested in a job opportunity.

From 1991 to 1997, he worked in several brokerage firms before landing a job at Cantor Fitzgerald. Four years later, he tragically passed away in the 9/11 attacks. He was survived by his wife Kathy and three children.

Trant is remembered fondly to this day by those fortunate enough to have met him and spent time with him.