Former New York Knicks Center and Hall of Famer Walt Bellamy (pictured), passed away on Saturday at age 74. The cause of death has not been released, according to the New York Times.
player had a stellar 14-year career as a basketball player, despite playing in the shadows of such luminary NBAers, such as Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell; Bellamy averaged 20.1 points, 13.7 rebounds, made “Rookie of the Year” in 1962, and was an All-Star team player four times.
Bellamy is also only one of seven players to score more than 20,000 points and grab more than 14,000 rebounds, joining Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elvin Hayes, Robert Parish, Moses Malone, and Karl Malone in the history books. In 1993, Bellamy, who retired in 1974, was enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
Over the years, Bellamy dedicated himself to community work and various human service organizations, such as the YMCA and Urban League in Atlanta. He also served for many years on the executive committee of the Atlanta NAACP.
A list of Bellamy’s survivors was not immediately made available at press time.
