All-time favorite athlete whose career was cut short?

Good one. He provided me with 2 of my great early childhood memories. My uncle had a client with front row Knick seats & he would sometimes take me. I was there Christmas eve when he scored 60 in a loss to the Nets. In another game, he was injured, but came mid-game to sit on the bench & shook my hand. Other memories from that game: Getting Red Holzman's autograph- he was sitting in the stands; and, I can't imagine it's accurate, but I seem to remember Hubie Brown calling time out to yell back at a heckler a few rows behind me.

 

Lots of good names above, but no one compares to Joe Don Looney.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_n40_v219/ai_17495109/?tag=content;col1

 

No argument with several of the names cited frequently but, given the parameters we've established, I can't believe no one's mentioned David Thompson.

 

I was trying not to. He was just a couple of years too old for me to see for myself. (And watching last night's game ... surely he would have dunked better than the 22 percent that the team shot in the first half ... ) I was around to see the Miracle of '78. Gene Banks was a dynamite athlete, but dunking was again legalized, too.

All the stories and, given the rich tradition of the ACC, for HIM to still carry that kind of hyperbole with fans of that era says a lot. He and Len Bias lead the list in the ACC - without question. Everyone will have to take a backseat.