Former University of Notre Dame standout and NBA veteran Orlando Woolridge, who played on Fighting Irish teams that four times knocked off the number-one-ranked team in the nation, died last night at his parentsโ home in Mansfield, La., where he had been under hospice care due to a chronic heart condition. He was 52.
Woolridge was a first-round pick in the 1981 NBA Draft, as the sixth overall selection by the Chicago Bulls. He played with the Bulls from 1981-82 through 1985-86, the New Jersey Nets from 1986-87 (20.7 points per game) through 1987-88, The Los Angeles Lakers from 1988-89 to 1989-90, the Denver Nuggets in 1990-91 (25.1 points and a career-high 6.8 rebounds per game), Detroit Pistons in 1991-92 and 1992-93, Milwaukee Bucks in 1992-93 and the Philadelphia 76ers in 1993-94. He finished with career NBA averages of 16.0points (13,623 career points), 4.3 rebounds (3,696) and 19 assists. He played in Italy in 1994-95 and 1995-96. Woolridge averaged 22.9 points per game with the Bulls in 1984-85 while playing with Michael Jordan.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Woolridge served as head coach of the WNBA Los Angeles Sparks in 1998 and 1999 and later coached the Arizona Rhinos of the ABA beginning in 2008-09. He was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.
Sadly, his final year of life was marred by a run-in with the law. In February he was arrested for stealing aluminum tubes.
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