Jerrod Mustaf, Former Knicks 1st Round Draft Pick, Dies on His 55th Birthday

Jerrod Mustaf, former first pick of the New York Knicks, has passed away.

Baltimore Sun confirmed that the former NBA player died on Monday, October 28, on his 55th birthday.

According to the newspaper, the cause of death has not been announced.

Gary Williams, Mustafa’s coach for one season at the University of Maryland, remembered the athlete as “an important member of the Maryland basketball family” in a statement to Sun.

“Jerrod was a very talented big man who was very skilled in all phases of the game,” he said.

Maryland Basketball also shared a statement following the news of Mustafa’s death.

“It is with great sadness that we learned that Jerrod Mustaf passed away today,” the program says. “Forever a Terp, teammate and friend.”

Jerrod Mustaf number 32 in the New York Knicks in 1990.

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty

Mustafa was selected by the Knicks — where he played alongside Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley — as the 17th overall pick in the 1990 NBA draft. After one season in New York, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns, where he played three seasons in the league before moving to the international leagues.

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In 1993, police named Mustafa a “lead” in the killing of Althea Hayes, who was believed to be three months pregnant with the athlete’s child at the time of her death, according to CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated.

Jerrod Mustaf 32 from the Phoenix Suns.

Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty

Hayes’ family named Mustafa in a wrongful-death lawsuit that was later settled out of court for an undisclosed amount, according to SI. Mustafa’s cousin Lavonnie Wooten was convicted of Hayes’ slaying in 1996 and sentenced to life in prison, according to both reports.

Mustaf reportedly said SI that he felt he had been “vilified” following the allegations and called his situation “totally unfair”.

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Mustafa is survived by his son Jaeden, 19, who played basketball for Overtime Elite and now plays for Georgia Tech.

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Source: HIS Education