2025 was one of those years where the NBA world kept getting hit with the same gut-punch headline on repeat. Not always the biggest name on the timeline, not always the guy you see in every classic highlight reel, but the kind of people who made the league feel alive across different eras. HoopsHype put together a running in-memoriam list, and yeah, it’s a heavy read.
Gus Williams
Aged 71 (October 10, 1953 – January 15, 2025)
Gus Williams was a key piece of the Seattle SuperSonics’ 1979 championship run and later made two All-Star teams (1980, 1982). He also earned All-NBA First Team in 1982, which capped his best stretch as one of the league’s most dynamic scoring guards.
He finished his NBA career with 17.1 points per game, 5.6 assists per game, and 2.0 steals per game. Reports noted he suffered a significant stroke in 2020 and required assisted care afterward, and passed away due to complications five years later.
John Shumate
Aged 72 (April 24, 1952 – February 3, 2025)
John Shumate entered the NBA as the No. 4 overall pick in the 1974 draft and carried major college credibility from Notre Dame, including being part of the team that snapped UCLA’s 88-game win streak. He played five NBA seasons and was a productive big when healthy.
Shumate’s career NBA line was 12.3 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game, and 1.3 assists per game. Shumate’s cause of death was not explicitly stated in initial reports, but he passed away at 72, after a lengthy battle with blood clots that impacted his playing career and a subsequent diagnosis of Stage IV Hodgkin lymphoma in 2010.
Gary Phillips
Aged 85 (December 7, 1939 – January 26, 2025)
Gary Phillips was part of the early Celtics era and won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 1962. He also had a notable college legacy as the University of Houston’s first men’s basketball All-American, a milestone that still gets referenced in that program’s history.
Phillips finished his NBA career with 6.7 points per game, 2.6 rebounds per game, and 1.9 assists per game. Local reporting said he had been in declining health prior to his death.
Junior Bridgeman
Aged 71 (September 17, 1953 – March 11, 2025)
Junior Bridgeman carved out a long, steady career as a high-end rotation scorer, spending the bulk of his NBA years with the Milwaukee Bucks. The franchise later retired his jersey number, and he remained a well-known figure around the sport long after his playing days ended.
He ended with 13.6 points per game, 3.5 rebounds per game, and 2.4 assists per game, totaling 11,517 career points. Reports around his death said he suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed at a Louisville event.
Oliver Miller
Aged 54 (April 6, 1970 – March 12, 2025)
Oliver Miller played nine NBA seasons and became a recognizable name from his time with the Phoenix Suns and the Toronto Raptors’ inaugural roster. He had a reputation as a huge-bodied center with legitimate feel, including passing and rim protection.
Miller’s NBA career averages were 7.4 points per game, 5.9 rebounds per game, 2.2 assists per game, and 1.5 blocks per game. Reporting around his death did not include one universally repeated official cause, but Arkansas previously announced he had cancer while honoring its 1990 Final Four team.
Slick Watts
Aged 73 (July 22, 1951 – March 15, 2025)
Slick Watts became a fan favorite with the Seattle SuperSonics thanks to his defense and pace, and he stacked real accolades in his best season. He led the NBA in assists and steals in 1975-76 and earned All-Defensive First Team, which is rare guard hardware in any era.
Watts finished his NBA career with 8.9 points per game, 6.1 assists per game, and 2.2 steals per game. ESPN reported his health declined following a stroke in 2021.
Dikembe Mutombo
Aged 58 (June 25, 1966 – September 30, 2024)
HoopsHype listed Dikembe Mutombo, so he stays, but his death occurred in 2024 rather than 2025. Mutombo was an eight-time All-Star, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, and one of the most iconic defenders in NBA history, with a legacy that went far beyond the court.
He ended his NBA career with 9.8 points per game, 10.3 rebounds per game, and 2.8 blocks per game, ranking second all-time in blocks. The NBA announced he died after a battle with brain cancer.
Dick Barnett
Aged 88 (October 2, 1936 – April 26/27, 2025)
Dick Barnett was a two-time champion with the New York Knicks (1970, 1973) and a major part of the franchise’s most iconic era. He also received a late-career milestone with induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.
Barnett finished with 15.8 points per game, 2.9 rebounds per game, and 2.8 assists per game, totaling 15,358 points. Reports said he died in his sleep at a senior living facility in Florida.
David Greenwood
Aged 68 (May 27, 1957 – June 8, 2025)
David Greenwood went No. 2 overall in the 1979 draft, made All-Rookie First Team, and played 12 NBA seasons as a reliable interior presence. He later won an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons in 1990, adding a ring to a career built on steady production.
Greenwood’s career averages were 10.2 points per game, 7.9 rebounds per game, and 1.6 assists per game. UCLA and other outlets reported he died after a battle with cancer.
Larry Jones
Aged 83 (September 22, 1941 – August 16, 2025)
Larry Jones was an ABA-era star, making four ABA All-Star teams and earning three All-ABA First Team selections. He was one of the league’s defining scorers and is often mentioned among the ABA’s best pure buckets.
Jones’ pro career line was 19.1 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game, and 3.7 assists per game. The specific cause of death wasn’t widely publicized in initial reports, though his passing was confirmed by a family member.
Kim Hughes
Aged 73 (June 4, 1952 – August 29, 2025)
Kim Hughes played professionally in the ABA/NBA ecosystem and later spent years on NBA coaching staffs, including an interim head coaching stint with the Los Angeles Clippers. His career is more about longevity in basketball roles than headline stats, but he stayed connected to the league for decades.
In the NBA, Hughes averaged 3.8 points per game, 5.6 rebounds per game, and 0.8 assists per game. Most reporting around his death announcement did not include a widely confirmed cause, though he had previously battled aggressive prostate cancer and survived complications from an enlarged small intestine, which nearly killed him in 2013.
Lenny Wilkens
Aged 88 (October 28, 1937 – November 9, 2025)
Lenny Wilkens is one of the rare dual Hall of Fame figures as both a player and a coach. He made nine All-Star teams as a player and coached the Seattle SuperSonics to the 1979 NBA championship, later stacking 1,332 coaching wins across 2,487 games coached.
As a player, Wilkens posted 16.5 points per game, 6.7 assists per game, and 4.7 rebounds per game. Reuters and the AP reported his family did not publicly disclose a cause of death, only stating he died peacefully surrounded by loved ones after dealing with a health issue.
Sugar Ray Richardson
Aged 70 (April 11, 1955 – November 11, 2025)
Micheal Ray Richardson, known as “Sugar,” made four All-Star teams, earned two All-Defensive First Team selections, and led the NBA in steals three times. His peak was built on size, playmaking, and disruptive defense at guard, making him one of the most productive two-way guards of his era.
Richardson finished with 14.8 points per game, 7.0 assists per game, 5.5 rebounds per game, and 2.6 steals per game. ESPN reported he died shortly after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Rodney Rogers
Aged 54 (June 20, 1971 – November 21, 2025)
Rodney Rogers won Sixth Man of the Year in 2000 and played 12 NBA seasons as a physical scoring forward who could swing bench units. His career also included a notable college run at Wake Forest and a long stretch as a trusted rotation player.
Rogers’ NBA career averages were 10.9 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, and 2.0 assists per game. NBA.com reported he died of natural causes linked to his spinal cord injury, referencing a statement from the NBPA on behalf of his family.
Elden Campbell
Aged 57 (July 23, 1968 – December 1, 2025)
Elden Campbell played 15 NBA seasons, appeared in more than 1,000 games, and won an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004. He also had long stretches as a reliable big with the Los Angeles Lakers and other teams, rarely flashy but consistently useful.
Campbell finished with 10.3 points per game, 5.9 rebounds per game, and 1.6 blocks per game. Reuters and ESPN reported his death was ruled an accidental drowning after a medical emergency while fishing.
