North Carolina Legend Eric Montross Dead At 52
Former North Carolina and NBA big man Eric Montross lost his battle with cancer on Sunday. He was 52.
In a statement released Monday, his family expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support since Montross began cancer treatment in March. They said he died in his Chapel Hill home, surrounded by loved ones.
"His family is grateful for the tremendous support and the truly overwhelming love expressed by so many people as he battled with his signature determination and grace," the statement read.
"... To know Eric was to be his friend, and the family knows that the ripples from the generous, thoughtful way that he lived his life will continue in the lives of the many people he touched with his deep and sincere kindness."
Eric Montross left behind a legacy at UNC.
A native of Indianapolis, Montross played four seasons at North Carolina from 1990 until 1994. He earned All-America honors in his junior and senior seasons. At 7 feet tall, Montross anchored the post for North Carolina's 1993 NCAA Championship team.
His 00 jersey hangs in the rafters at the Dean E. Smith Center.
After a nine-month battle with cancer, Eric Montross has passed away. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Allsport/Getty Images)
"Carolina Athletics, the Tar Heel basketball family and the entire University community are profoundly saddened and stunned by the loss of Eric Montross, one of our most beloved former student-athletes, at far too young an age," UNC said in a statement.
"Eric was a great player and accomplished student, but the impacts he made on our community went way beyond the basketball court. He was a man of faith, a tremendous father, husband and son, and one of the most recognizable ambassadors of the University and Chapel Hill."
The Boston Celtics selected Montross with the No. 9 pick of the 1994 draft. He played eight NBA seasons for six different teams.
(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
Long after his playing career, Montross remained an active member of the Tar Heels community.
He served as a radio analyst for UNC game broadcasts and worked for the Rams Club, the fundraising arm of UNC's athletics department.
In 1994, he started the Eric Montross Fathers Day Basketball Camp. The camp has raised more than one million dollars for the UNC Children's hospital.
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