Earl “The Twirl” Cureton, who won two NBA titles during 12 seasons in the league, has died. He was 66.
Cureton, who has been a community ambassador for the Detroit Pistons for the past decade, died “unexpectedly” on Sunday morning, according to a Pistons press release. The team gave no other information.
“Earl was one of the most generous, positive, and caring people I knew,” Pistons owner Tom Gores stated. “He was a caring parent who was dedicated to his family, and I felt honored to be his friend. He was a champion player and a valuable advocate in our community. We are heartbroken for his passing.”
The 6-foot-9 Cureton started his college career at Robert Morris before transferring to Detroit Mercy for his last two seasons under then-coach Dick Vitale. Philadelphia selected the Detroit native in the third round of the 1979 NBA Draft.
Cureton averaged 5.4 points and 4.7 rebounds throughout 674 NBA games. He has played for Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, the Los Angeles Clippers, Charlotte, Houston, and Toronto. He was a member of two championship teams: the 1982-83 76ers and the 1993-94 Rockets.
Following his playing career, he went on to coach in the NBA, United States Basketball League, and Continental Basketball Association.
“He was a tremendous teammate, a tough competitor, a champion, and a great human being,” said former Pistons guard Isiah Thomas in a team statement. “Earl always cared deeply about the Detroit community and worked relentlessly to improve it. “He will be greatly missed.”
Chauncey Billups, the Portland Trail Blazers’ coach, was devastated by the loss of a former teammate.
“He was just a beautiful dude,” Billups said ahead of the Trail Blazers’ game in Denver on Sunday night. “I spent a lot of time with him in Detroit, obviously. Just a large teddy bear. It’s always so much fun. He had one of those infectious laughs that made everyone laugh. Never had a horrible day, ever. I admire men and people like that. The world can be quite rough and tough, but they never view it that way, you know? And I adored that about him. Every time I visited Detroit, I would give him a big embrace. So, that was difficult news today.”
