Drafted #6 in the 1984 Class, he had some all-time legends go ahead of him (Hakeem, Jordan, Barkley). His running mate from Kentucky, Sam Bowie, was drated #2 in that draft. Coming out of college I remember he was regarded as being nearly as good as many of them. Turpin basically just ate himself out of the league. Really sad. http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/Coroner-ExKentucky-star-Turpin-commits-suicide-070810
I'll remember him most for playing at Kentucky. I'm a huge Indiana university basketball fan (being from Indy) there were some great battles between the two schools back then. Hate to see things like this, it's a shame.
It's a sad thing. I remember Mel Turpin and Sam Bowie's days at Kentucky...mostly because I was a Houston Cougar fan and remember them dealing the Coogs one of their only losses back in '84 (pretty sure that's the year). Turpin and Bowie were a heck of a Twin Towers duo in college.
The NBA really has a big problem with its real veterans (those who have played in the league and retired.) Combine news like this with the stats of how many players end up broke five years out of the league, and it's really pathetic. In the next CBA, the sides need to work together to set up some sort of mandatory savings programs or some such. Kind of like a super-charged retirement benefit.
Or all the players have to take mandatory personal finacial planning classes in their year of college. Then must take PFP courses, mandated by the NBA, after their freshmen year and sophmore year in the league during the school. Thats right....Summer School.
I like that idea, but I think they've tried something a lot like this. What I'm talking about is a... (uh oh) ... lockbox.
