Earl Cureton, two-time NBA champion and former Olimpia Milano, died at age 66 Sunday morning. Cureton, who played 12 seasons in the NBA, winning titles with the Philadelphia 76ers (1983) and Houston Rockets (1994), worked on an ESPN+ NCAA basketball broadcast Saturday, the day before he died, writes The Detroit News.
Very sad news tonight. Earl Cureton who was part of our history in the 80s has left us at 66. RIP pic.twitter.com/pbheJJSqBi
– Olimpia Milano (@OlimpiaMI1936) February 4, 2024
The cause of death is currently unknown. Among his many NBA seasons, Cureton played multiple years at the international level, one of them with Olimpia Milano in 1989-90 and partly in 1983 between the Sixers and Pistons.
“Cureton, a Detroit native, remained loyal to his hometown throughout his life, devoting himself to local sports until his death. He represented our franchise with great passion and truly enjoyed working to give back and improve the lives of Detroiters in the city he loved so much.”, the Pistons wrote.
“All of us are saddened by the unexpected loss of Earl Cureton. He was an extraordinary teammate, a fierce competitor, a champion and a great human being. Earl always cared about the Detroit community and worked tirelessly to make a difference for the city he loved. He will be sorely missed.”, said Isiah Thomas, Hall of Famer and former Cureton teammate.
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