Kevin Duckworth
Two-time All-Star and Most Improved Player who anchored the Portland Trail Blazers' frontcourt in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Kevin Jerome Duckworth (April 1, 1964 – August 25, 2008) was an American professional basketball player who played as center in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A native of Illinois, he played college basketball for the Eastern Illinois Panthers before being selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the second round of the 1986 NBA draft. Before completing his rookie season with the Spurs, he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers where he spent most of his six seasons and was named the NBA's Most Improved Player and a two-time All-Star. After playing with three more teams he retired in 1997 and returned to Oregon where he would later work for the Trail Blazers' organization.
Quick Facts
- Teams played for
- Indiana Pacers
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Denver Nuggets
Lore & Background
Duckworth was born in Harvey, Illinois, and grew up in Chicago, where he played basketball at Thornridge High School. At Thornridge, he participated in the 1980 and 1981 Illinois State Holiday Classic tournaments, which eventually became known as the State Farm Holiday Classic. Duckworth surpassed Cody Winter to become the greatest scorer in the event's history. He attended Eastern Illinois University (EIU), where he set a university record of 867 rebounds, a record that still held at the time of his death. He also led EIU to the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament Championship in 1985 and was the tournament MVP in 1986.
Reader's Guide
Duckworth played for the San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, Washington Bullets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Los Angeles Clippers during his NBA career. He was a two-time NBA All-Star (1989, 1991) and won the NBA Most Improved Player Award in 1988. After retiring, he worked as a Heritage Ambassador for the Trail Blazers and later at Royal Marine Sales. He died of heart failure on August 25, 2008, in Gleneden Beach, Oregon.
Did You Know?
- He was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers for rookie Walter Berry during his first season.
- He was suspended indefinitely during the 1994–95 season for not staying in good physical condition.
- After his death, the Portland Trail Blazers wore a memorial stripe on their jerseys and a patch with his number '00' during the 2008–09 season.
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