http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/basketball/ncaa/07/08/turpin.obit.ap/index.html?eref=sihp LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Mel Turpin, former NBA player an All-American Kentucky center, committed suicide Thursday, authorities said. He was 49. Police and the coroner were called to his North Lexington house Thursday afternoon on a personal injury call. They found Turpin dead. Coroner Gary Ginn says that Turpin had committed suicide, but would not say how. He also would not say whether Turpin left behind a suicide note. Neighbor Amanda McFadden said Turpin always seemed happy. "He never looked upset. He kept a smile on his face, just a good person,'' she said. The 6-foot-11 Turpin, dubbed "The Big Dipper,'' was an All-Southeastern Conference player for the Wildcats from 1980-84. He led Kentucky to the SEC championship in 1984. The center helped lead the Wildcats to three consecutive regular-season SEC titles. He averaged a career-high 15.2 points per game in 1983-84 and shot 74.5 percent from the field. Turpin was the sixth player selected in the 1984 NBA draft that included Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley, but never had the NBA success of those future stars. Turpin was picked by the Washington Bullets, then traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. His best season was 1985-86 when he averaged 13.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, but he was out of the league four years later.
Maybe the angst of "The Decision" drove him to it.... No but really that's sad. I wonder what happened and why they're being so secretive. Cover up?
Reminds me of the story that Jordan used to tell back when Mel played for the Jazz. Jordan runs downcourt and dunks all over John Stockton, and a fan on the sideline starts yelling at MJ "Hey Jordan, pick on someone your own size!" Next time down the floor, he dunks on Mel Turpin. As he's running back down to play defense, he looks at the guy...shrugs his shoulders, and says "is he big enough"? The TV cameras caught it perfectly. Sucks that my best memory of Turpin is him getting dunked on...but still a funny story.
