Louisville legend Wes Unseld has passed away.
Wes Unseld, a Louisville men’s basketball great and NBA Hall of Famer, passed dead.
Wes Unseld, one of the best players in Louisville men’s basketball history, has passed away. He was 74.
Unseld died on Tuesday morning after a series of health concerns, the most recent being pneumonia, according to his family.
“It is with profound sadness that we share that our adored husband, father, and grandfather Wes Unseld passed away peacefully this morning surrounded by family,” his family stated in a statement released by the Washington Wizards.
A Louisville native, he led Seneca High School to two state championships in 1963 and 1964, and was awarded Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball in the latter year.
During his three years as a Louisville Cardinal, he averaged 20.6 points and 18.9 rebounds per game, both school records. His 1,551 career rebounds rank second in school history, while his 1,686 career points place eleventh. He still retains the UofL single-game scoring record, with 45 points versus Georgetown.
He was a unanimous All-American in 1967 and 1968 and is one of only four players in program history to have their jersey number retired (Charlie Tyra, Darrell Griffith, Pervis Ellison).
In 1968, he was selected second overall by the then-Baltimore Bullets, where he spent the remainder of his 13-year professional career.
Despite his 6-foot-7, 245-pound bulk, the center had a successful NBA career.
He won Rookie of the Year and NBA MVP in the same season, averaging 13.8 points and 18.2 rebounds per game in 1968-69.
Nearly a decade later, he helped Washington win the franchise’s sole championship in 1978, against the Seattle SuperSonics. He was also voted Finals MVP for the series.
He was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1988 and was recently ranked as the No. 50 player in NBA history by ESPN.
