NBA legend Wes Unseld, one of the greatest professional basketball player in the US, died Tuesday morning at the age of 74.
In a statement, Washington Wizards said it mourned the death of the legend universally considered the greatest player in franchise history. Unseld led the then-Bullets to the NBA Championship in 1978.
After finishing his senior season as a consensus All-American selection in Louisville, Unseld was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets with the second overall pick in 1968.
In his first season in Baltimore in 1968-69, Unseld led them to 21 more victories than the year prior and the team’s first ever playoff appearance.
His performance in the first season earned him Rookie of the Year and MVP Honors, making him just one of two players in league history to win both awards in the same season.
“On behalf of the Wizards organization and the entire MSE Family, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the Unseld family, including his wife Connie, daughter Kimberly, son Wes Jr. and his two grandchildren as well as his large number of extended family and friends,” said Chairman & CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, the owners of Washington Wizards, Ted Leonsis.
“We all admired Wes as the pillar of this franchise for so long, but it was his work off the court that will truly leave an impactful legacy and live on through the many people he touched and influenced throughout his life of basketball and beyond,” Leonsis said.