Lance Blanks, University of Texas men’s basketball legend and Phoenix Suns general manager, reportedly died Wednesday at the age of 56, according to TMZ.
Blanks’ exact cause of death has not yet been determined, according to TMZ. A spokesperson for the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office in Texas said an autopsy is being performed to establish what happened to the beloved basketball pro.
Ex-NBA GM, UT Basketball Legend Lance Blanks Dead At 56 https://t.co/m5tIYXURC8
— TMZ (@TMZ) May 4, 2023
Blanks had an expansive career in basketball, beginning at the University of Virginia in 1985. He transferred to Texas, where he truly shone and became more widely recognized for his athletic talents. He averaged 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in his two years at UT, from 1988-1989, according to TMZ.
He was inducted into Texas’ Hall of Honor in 2007.
The Pistons selected him in the first round of the 1990 NBA Draft and Blanks played three seasons in the league for Detroit and Minnesota, according to TMZ.
Former Suns GM and NBA veteran Lance Blanks has passed away at the age of 56.
Prayers to the Blanks family & friends 🙏 pic.twitter.com/gw1IEApqbV
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) May 4, 2023
Blanks went on to pursue his passion for basketball overseas, and then returned to the United States to explore his love for basketball from a different angle — as an executive in the NBA. (RELATED: Shaquil Barrett’s Wife Breaks Her Silence On Their Daughter’s Death)