Former basketball player Dean Meminger, who played on the New York Knicks’ 1973 NBA championship team, was found dead Friday in a Manhattan hotel room.
Police reports said the staff at the Hamilton Heights Hotel found the 65-year-old unconscious and unresponsive in the room and emergency medical personnel pronounced him dead. There were no visible signs of trauma to the body and the cause of death remains unknown at this time. The police investigation is ongoing.
“We want to thank everyone for their prayers and condolences during this difficult time for our family,” Meminger’s family said in a statement. “Dean ‘The Dream’ Meminger touched the hearts of so many on and off the basketball court. Through basketball and education, he helped countless people around the country receive scholarships, high school and college admissions, and even employment.”
While Meminger played for the Knicks and Atlanta Hawks, he averaged 6.1 points. Meminger averaged 18.8 points leading Marquette to 78 wins in three seasons while he played for the school, and was drafted 16th overall pick by the Knicks.
