KERNVILLE, Ore. - Kevin Duckworth, a two-time NBA All-Star who spent the majority of his 12 NBA seasons as the Portland Trail Blazers' center, has died. He was 44.
Duckworth died Monday in Kernville, Ore., near the coastal town of Lincoln City. His death was confirmed by the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office. Duckworth was in town as part of a Trail Blazers group hosting a free kids basketball clinic, Fox 12 reported on its Web site.
Duckworth, 44, passed away while on a trip to the Oregon coast to be host for a free basketball clinic. The medical examiner's report said the cause of death "was attributed to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with congestive heart failure."
Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle. The medical examiner's office concluded that it, along with the NBA veteran's hypertension, resulted in an enlarged heart that had been "failing for some time." According to Francine Duckworth, Kevin's younger sister, both his brothers and his father also died of congestive heart failure.
Former Eastern Illinois basketball coach Rick Samuels was among the many stunned by news that former EIU and Portland Trail Blazer Kevin Duckworth had passed away on Monday night.
“Shocking,” Samuels said. “Kevin was a guy who I think most people who knew him loved him. Certainly the Eastern contacts did. I'll have a family who will be greatly saddened. As I recall Kevin obviously one of my first really good players, a guy who I think helped legitimize our program's transition to Division I.”
Duckworth was a four-year member of the Eastern Illinois basketball program and is regarded as one of the top players in program history. He is EIU's career rebounding leader with 867 rebounds while ranking sixth in career scoring with 1,589 points. He was the Mid-Continent Conference Player of the Year in 1986 and led EIU to the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament Championship in 1985. Duckworth was inducted into the EIU Hall of Fame in 1993.
Duckworth played at Thornridge High School on Chicago's Southside before entering Eastern Illinois in the fall of 1983. Samuels remembered Duckworth's first collegiate game did not get off to a rousing start.
“We opened the season at Purdue and Kevin was matched up against Russell Cross,” Samuels stated. “I think he played about five minutes before he fouled out.”
Later in the season the future potential of Duckworth emerged as the Panthers played a mid-season game at Missouri.
“During the mid point of the season we played at Missouri and Kevin matched up against Steve Stipanovich,” Samuels added. “Kevin finished that game with a double-double and it was at that point that I think he realized he might have a future in basketball.”
The 7-foot Duckworth started at center when the Trail Blazers won Western Conference titles in 1990 and '92. He played in the NBA All-Star Game in 1989 and '91.
He spent 1986-93 with Portland and also played for Washington, Milwaukee and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Duckworth's last season in the league, 1996-97, was spent with the Clippers. A second-round draft pick of the San Antonio Spurs in 1986, Duckworth was named the NBA's Most Improved Player in his second year in the league.
The news of Duckworth's passing stunned the Charleston campus as EIU director of athletics Barbara Burke expressed the thoughts of many in the EIU family. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of Eastern Illinois' basketball legends. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Duckworth family.”
Following the news current EIU men's basketball coach Mike Miller announced that the men's basketball team would honor Duckworth's memory this season with a honorary mark on their jerseys.
The celebration of Kevin's life will be held at the Memorial Coliseum, a place he called home, on the floor where Duck and his teammates left an indelible mark on our hearts and our history. The Memorial Coliseum is located adjacent to the Rose Garden Arena, at 300 N. Winning Way in Portland.
All fans are invited to join Kevin's family, friends, current and former Trail Blazers personnel, as well as several of Duck's former teammates, to pay their respects on Saturday, August 30, at 11 a.m.
"Today is an extremely sad day for the Trail Blazers family," Trail Blazers President Larry Miller said. "Kevin will be remembered by fans as one of the most popular and recognizable players to ever wear the Blazers uniform, but to people who knew him, he'll be remembered as one of the warmest and biggest-hearted."
“This is a devastating loss,” said Traci Rose, Trail Blazers Vice President of Community Relations. “To this day, Duck is adored throughout this state and remains a brother to his teammates and to Trail Blazers staff. We will forever miss our beloved 00.”
Since the news, a tribute page on the Portland Trail Blazers website has appeared where fans can pay tribute to one of EIU's all time greats. http://hello.trailblazers.com/forms/KevinDuckworthForm
OTHER DUCKWORTH MEMORIES
Celebrating Our Heritage: Kevin Duckworth
Q&A With Kevin Duckworth: The All-Star Experience
STORY TAKEN IN PART FROM WIRE REPORTS
