NBA Announces Tragic News Hours Before Game 3 of Finals originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The NBA Finals shift to Indiana as Game 3 between the Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder tips off Wednesday night. After the Pacers stole Game 1 by overcoming a 15-point deficit late to win 111-110, the Thunder bounced back with a 123-107 victory in Game 2.
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However, just hours before the 8 p.m. ET tipoff on Wednesday, the NBA announced the passing of former player David Greenwood.
“The NBA mourns the passing of David Greenwood (1957-2025),” the league wrote. “The No. 2 overall pick of the 1979 NBA Draft, David played 12 NBA seasons with the Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons. Greenwood won a championship as a member of the Pistons in 1990. We extend our deepest condolences to the Greenwood family.
Greenwood passed away Sunday night at Riverside Hospital after a battle with cancer. He was 68 and had kept his diagnosis private, sharing it with his family near the end of his life.
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“Everything happened so quickly. It was kind of a shock,” Greenwood’s nephew, Bronson Greenwood, said.
David Greenwood (34) in college.© Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images
Greenwood is most known for his time spent with the Chicago Bulls in the early parts of his career. The 6-foot-9 power forward played six seasons with them prior to the Michael Jordan era.
His best season as a scorer came in his rookie year, when he averaged 16.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
Greenwood was from Lynwood, California, and stayed home to play his college basketball for UCLA. There, he was a two-time consensus first-team All-American.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.