The sports community in Louisville, Kentucky and beyond is mourning the passing of NBA veteran Felton Spencer, who died Sunday at 55.
According to the Louisville Courier Journal, Spencer’s younger sister Tammy Pollock shared news of her brother’s death via Twitter. She said it was “befitting” that he received care in his final hours from University of Louisville Hospital staffers — employees of a facility associated with the alma mater he cherished so much.
“We are proud of all he did on the court and in his personal life,” said Pollock, the Courier Journal reported. “He was a kind, gentle giant whose physical presence will be sorely missed. While we are heartbroken, we are comforted by your thoughts and prayers.”
Felton Spencer #50, Center for the Minnesota Timberwolves, looks on during the NBA Central Division basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets on March 10, 1992 at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. Spencer died on Sunday in Louisville, Kentucky at the age of 55. (Photo by Jim Gund/Allsport/Getty Images)
Spencer played in 134 games for Louisville between 1986 and 1990 after an All-State high school career at Eastern High School. He set a school record for a career field goal percentage of 62.8% while playing for the Cardinals, tallying 1,168 points and 694 rebounds.
“He was the definition of HARD WORK!” said James “Boo” Brewer, Spencer’s former teammate and Bardstown boys basketball coach, according to the Courier Journal. “Thank you for all you did for me. Love you, Felton.”
The Minnesota Timberwolves took Spencer sixth overall in the 1990 NBA Draft. During his first season as a pro, he made the league’s All-Rookie second team.
In 2011, Spencer was appointed as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Spalding University, a year after being inducted into the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s Hall of Fame. He started working for Scott Davenport at Bellarmine University in 2016.
“Life is so fragile!” Davenport tweeted Sunday, saying Felton “left a legacy of true stardom!”
“He was a shining example of an extraordinary individual who made EVERYONE better,” Davenport added.
The Louisville native, who played for the Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Utah Jazz during his 12-year NBA career, finished with 3,354 points on 48.4% shooting and 3,436 rebounds.
Gordon Chiesa, who oversaw Spencer’s time with the Jazz from 1993 to 1996, remembered him as a “standout rebounder, interior defender, and competitor” in a tweet posted on Sunday. “R.I.P. in hoop heaven!” added Chiesa, The Courier Journal reported.
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