Orlando Woolridge dead at 52

By foxsports
Published

Mansfield, La. (AP) - Former NBA and Notre Dame player Orlando Woolridge was pronounced dead in his parents' Mansfield, La., home Thursday night.

Desoto Parish Chief Deputy Coroner Billy Locke said Woolridge, 52, had been under hospice care for a chronic heart condition.

Woolridge played collegiate basketball with Notre Dame, where he was a member of the 1978 Final Four team. His professional career began in 1981 when he was drafted in the first round, sixth overall by the Chicago Bulls.

Remembered as one of the league's most prolific dunkers, Woolridge played for seven different teams over 13 NBA seasons, holding career averages of 16.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 28.3 minutes in 851 games.  He was suspended by the league in the 1987-88 season for substance abuse and later joined the Lakers playing in 136 games from 1988-90 with the Lakers, averaging 11.1 points and 3.3 rebounds in 21.4 minutes, while ranking fifth in the NBA with a .556 field goal percentage during the 1989-90 season. 

He retired in 1994.

In Februrary, Woodridge was arrested for theft of more than $1,500 for stealing aluminum water lines used to transfer water to natural gas drilling sites, DeSoto Parish deputies said.

The material was valued at more than $2,000 and was sold for scrap.