Hall of Famer Walt Bellamy Dies
The Atlanta Hawks have made an announcement confirming that legendary hall of famer Walt Bellamy passed away on Saturday (November 2nd 2013), aged 74.
The announcement will come as a terrible surprise to those Hawks fans who attended the team’s opening game on Friday night and saw an apparently fit Bellamy enjoying the game from the stands.
The Hawks released the following statement as they broke the news of Bellamy’s death: ”The Atlanta Hawks family is saddened to learn of the death … The Hawks and the National Basketball Association have lost a giant. As an Olympic gold medallist, the first overall pick in 1961, Rookie of the Year in 1962, a four-time All-Star and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, his on-court accomplishments were overwhelming. Off the court, he was equally impactful as a family man, leader in the community, mentor and friend to many.
“Walt is going to be missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. On behalf of the entire NBA family, our condolences and thoughts go out to Walt’s family”
Details of the cause of Bellamy’s death are yet to emerge. It is believed the legendary centre first fell ill on Saturday night, though the media still await full details from sources close to the basketball hero.
The Atlanta Hawks grieve
The team Bellamy played for over the longest period, and the team he took most dearly to heart the Atlanta Hawks will certainly mourn for the loss of one of their all-time greats and will miss his talismanic presence in the stands. With the Atlanta Hawks at 16/1 outsiders (check the latest odds at sportsbook odds) to win the South-East Division, they could certainly use a player of Bellamy’s prowess to turn around their fortunes.
A true all star
Bellamy’s hall of fame status was hard-earned. In a long career spanning over 1,000 NBA games, he maintained impressive averages of 20.1 points and 13.7 rebounds, displaying immense talent and great staying power over the course of 14 seasons. Bellamy held the honour of hall of fame status for a full twenty years, having been inducted in 1993. With a gold medal from the 1960 Olympics to his name, his distinguished career saw him play for Chicago (where he was named rookie of the year), the Baltimore Bullets, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Jazz.