Goodbye to Chet Walker at the age of 84.
Known as "Chet The Jet", Walker was a seven-time All-Star, and joining Wilt Chamberlain and Hal Greer, Walker was a starter for one of the best teams ever in the 1966-67 world champion Philadelphia 76ers.
Walker was drafted in 1962 from Bradley by the Syracuse Nationals, where Walker played his rookie year before Syracuse moved to Philadelphia to become the 76ers to replace the Philadelphia Warriors, who moved to California.
Walker played six years for Philadelphia before being traded for the final six years of his career with Chicago, where he averaged eighteen points or more in each season.
After basketball, Walker became a producer of made-for-television films and made a memorable guest appearance on "The White Shadow" as himself, a former Bulls teammate of "Ken Reeves" the star of the show.
Goodbye to Walt Wesley at the age of 79.
A two-time All-American at Kansas, Wesley was the first-round selection of the Cincinnati Royals in 1966 and averaged eight points and five rebounds in a ten-year NBA career playing for eight teams.
Wesley's claim to fame came as the first pick in the expansion draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the famous draft where Cavaliers coach/general manager Bill Fitch used Topps basketball cards for the stats and facts for draft research.
Wesley's best seasons came in Cleveland, averaging double-figure points for the only two times in his career and poured in fifty points in a 1971 win over the Cincinnati Royals.
Goodbye to Tates Locke at the age of 87.
Locke was the head coach of five college teams and the NBA's Buffalo Braves but his lasting contribution may have been when he hired Bob Knight to be his assistant at Army.
Locke was building Clemson basketball to its highest heights when the Tigers tied for second in the ACC in 1974-75 but Locke was fired for many recruiting violations that placed Clemson on probation.
Locke coached the Buffalo Braves for forty-six games in 1976-77 and later would take Jacksonville to the NCAA tournament before a stint at Indiana State and working in the NBA as a scout and consultant.
Goodbye to Joe Bryant at the age of 69.
Known as the father of Kobe Bryant, Joe "Jelly Bean" Bryant played eight seasons in the NBA for the 76ers, Clippers, and Rockets after the Warriors took Bryant with the fourteenth overall pick in the 1975 draft from LaSalle.
Bryant's best seasons were with the San Diego Clippers but after his one season with Houston, Bryant would spend ten seasons playing in Europe as one of the most popular former American players of the time.
Bryant would become a coach after his playing career, coaching in several international leagues and three seasons in the WNBA with the Los Angeles Sparks.
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