Some greats have fallen in the world of athletics in 2024, including up-and-comers who died tragically young, controversial figures whose off-field exploits overshadowed their accomplishments, and activist humanitarians.
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00:00Some greats have fallen in the world of athletics in 2024,
00:04including up-and-comers who died tragically young, controversial figures whose off-field
00:08exploits overshadowed their accomplishments, and activist humanitarians.
00:13Vontae Davis will always be remembered for how he ended his career. After joining the Buffalo
00:17Bills on a one-year contract, the cornerback retired in the middle of a game against the
00:21Los Angeles Chargers in 2018. After walking into the locker room, he didn't return for the second
00:26half, instead announcing his decision to his teammates and leaving the game for good right
00:30then and there. While his abrupt departure bewildered his coaches and teammates, he later
00:34released a statement that explained his reasoning. As he admitted,
00:37This isn't how I pictured retiring from the NFL. But today on the field, reality hit me fast and
00:42hard. I shouldn't be out there anymore. This was an overwhelming decision, but I'm at peace with
00:46myself and my family. I choose to be grateful to God for allowing me to play the game that
00:50I have loved as a boy until I turned 30 years old."
00:53So yeah, that's why I did it. That's why I walked away."
00:58Sadly, he didn't get to enjoy his post-retirement life for very long. On April 1st, 2024,
01:03Davis' house assistant called the police after finding him dead in his gym in his Florida home.
01:08He had apparently collapsed not long after stepping out of his sauna.
01:11The cause of death is unknown, though police ruled out foul play.
01:15Former NBA player Darius Morris died on May 2nd at the age of 33
01:20under tragic circumstances. While the official cause of death was coronary heart disease and
01:24was classified as an accident, drug and alcohol use were also listed as contributing factors.
01:29The situation is only made more sad due to the fact that Morris' death came three
01:33months after his father, Dwayne Morris Sr., and brother, Dwayne Jr., were convicted for
01:38bank fraud. For his part, Darius was never connected to any of their wrongdoing.
01:42Morris began his NBA career after being selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the
01:46second round of the 2011 NBA Draft. He would go on to play for four other teams before moving to
01:51the NBA's developmental G League before he decided to take his talents overseas and play in the
01:56Chinese Basketball Association. He then returned to the States to play in the G League once.
02:00That was followed by a stint in Europe to play in an international league and later a French
02:04league until 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down much of professional athletics around
02:09the world, after which Morris retired. Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray
02:13died at the age of 30 on May 25th, just one day after he pulled out of the Charles Schwab
02:18Challenge. The PGA decided to continue on with the tournament at the urging of Murray's parents,
02:22Eric and Terry, who soon revealed that their son had died from suicide.
02:26As they announced in a statement,
02:27We would like to thank the PGA Tour and the entire world of golf for the outpouring of
02:31support. Life wasn't always easy for Grayson, and although he took his own life, we know he
02:35rests peacefully now."
02:36Murray's talents became clear when he was still in high school, and he won three
02:40consecutive Callaway Junior World Championships. He also won the North Carolina High School
02:44Athletic Association 4A State Championship. In addition to his golf career, Murray will
02:49also be remembered as an outspoken advocate for mental health and substance use struggles.
02:54And the family hopes from out of this tragedy, they can help someone else.
02:59Former NBA star and renowned sports broadcaster Bill Walton died from cancer at the age of 71
03:04on May 27th. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver offered a heartfelt press release that read,
03:09Bill Walton was truly one of a kind. As a Hall of Fame player, he redefined the center position.
03:14Bill then translated his infectious enthusiasm and love for the game to broadcasting,
03:18where he delivered insightful and colorful commentary,
03:21which entertained generations of basketball fans.
03:23Walton's NBA career began in 1974 after he left his mark on the college game at UCLA,
03:28where he thrice claimed the College Player of the Year award. After being selected as the
03:32number one overall draft pick by the Portland Trailblazers, his pro career was unfortunately
03:37limited by a series of foot and ankle injuries and reconstructive surgeries. He also played for
03:42the Clippers and the Celtics, and then in 1993, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball
03:48Hall of Fame.
03:49I'm the luckiest guy in the world."
03:51NBA Hall of Famer Chet the Jet Walker passed away on June 8th at the age of 84. He played
03:5613 seasons in the league and won a championship with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1967. He was a
04:02seven-time All-Star and also made the rookie All-Star team his first year in the league.
04:06His career included a stint with the Chicago Bulls, where he once scored 56 points in a single
04:11game, then the most in team history, a figure that has since been eclipsed by none other than
04:15Michael Jordan. Upon Walker's passing, the Bulls organization announced,
04:19"...his skill, dedication, and contributions to the game made a lasting impact on the sport
04:23of basketball and the city of Chicago."
04:25Chet Walker will forever be remembered as a true Chicago Bulls icon,
04:28but Walker was more than just an athlete, as he was also known for his wide-ranging
04:32social justice interests. Those efforts included campaigning against South African apartheid and
04:37supporting the civil rights movement in the United States. He was also a plaintiff in the lawsuit
04:41that helped grant players free agency. His activism came at a cost, though. Even with
04:45an impressive stat line, no team wanted to sign him in 1975 because of his outspoken beliefs.
04:51That sadly proved to be the end of his NBA career, but Walker still had more to say,
04:55so he took his talents to Hollywood. He became a movie producer and even won an Emmy for the
04:59TV movie A Mother's Courage, The Mary Thomas Story, which was about fellow basketball legend
05:04Isaiah Thomas' mother and her fight to keep her kids away from gangs while growing up.
05:08On June 12th, the world lost a truly iconic figure. That was the day that Jerry West,
05:12the basketball player whose silhouette was the basis for the outline of the NBA logo,
05:16died at the age of 86. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced in a statement,
05:21"...Jerry West was a basketball genius and a defining figure in our league for more than 60
05:25years. He distinguished himself not only as an NBA champion and an all-star in all 14 of
05:30his playing seasons, but also as a consummate competitor who embraced the biggest moments."
05:35"...I think what gets lost sometimes, and maybe your story touched on it,
05:38is what a caring person he was."
05:41West began making a name for himself in college when he was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding
05:45Player after taking West Virginia University to the NCAA Championship. During his time in the NBA
05:50with the Los Angeles Lakers, he played alongside all-time great Wilt Chamberlain and made it to
05:55the NBA Finals nine times, though he only won one championship. After retiring, West tried his hand
06:01at coaching his beloved Lakers for a few seasons, but then he really settled into his next chapter
06:05when he moved into the front office. As the Lakers' general manager, he guided the franchise
06:09to six championships. After helping to build the Showtime Lakers dynasty, he would help engineer a
06:15second Lakers dynasty during the era of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. His love of the
06:19game lives on in his two sons, Ryan and Johnny, who both work for NBA teams.
06:24Widely regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time, Willie Mays died on June 18
06:29at the age of 93. Affectionately known as the Say Hey Kid, Mays was a force to be reckoned with on
06:34the diamond. Over the course of his 23 seasons in Major League Baseball, he amassed an impressive
06:39660 home runs, the third-highest total at the time of his retirement in 1973. He's perhaps
06:44best known for The Catch, a jaw-dropping over-the-shoulder grab he made during the
06:481954 World Series. Despite the improbability of that moment, for Mays, it was more about skill
06:54than luck. As he once explained,
06:55Everyone said,
06:56Well, it was a hard catch. I said,
06:58Nah, it was an easy catch.
07:01I was always gonna catch the ball.
07:03Many believe that Mays could have had an even greater career, if not for his service in the
07:07Army. But the Hall of Famer had no regrets. As he told the San Francisco Chronicle,
07:11I don't like to look at it that way. I like to look at it as,
07:13I had a good 20, 22 years. I had my time, and I enjoyed my time.
07:18Ozzy Virgil Sr. passed away on September 29 at the age of 92. He was especially notable as the
07:23first Dominican to play Major League Baseball, thereby opening the door to many more immigrant
07:27players to join the big leagues. Fellow Dominican and current New York Mets superstar Juan Soto
07:32once said of Virgil,
07:33He means a lot. He was the first Dominican coming to the big leagues and opened the
07:37doors for a lot of Dominicans, and not only Dominicans, for all Latin players.
07:41Virgil began his MLB career with the New York Giants in 1956, and he would go on to play for
07:46the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Pittsburgh Pirates, and
07:50San Francisco Giants. After his playing career ended, Virgil spent 19 years coaching for various
07:55teams. In 2018, the New York Mets appointed him as Honorary Coach for National Hispanic
08:00Heritage Month. His son Ozzy Jr. followed in his father's footsteps and played in the MLB
08:05for 10 years, where he was a two-time All-Star.
08:08One of baseball's most successful but also most controversial players,
08:12Pete Rose passed away on September 30 at the age of 83. Known by the nickname
08:16Charlie Hustle, Rose made a name for himself while playing for the Cincinnati Reds during
08:20the 1970s era of the Big Red Machine, when the team won two World Series titles and a
08:24number of National League pennants. Rose also spent four years playing for the Philadelphia
08:28Phillies and one year on the Montreal Expos before returning to Cincinnati to end his career.
08:33His accolades include a Rookie of the Year award, two Golden Gloves, 17 All-Star selections,
08:38and three World Series titles. He also still holds the MLB record for most career hits,
08:43with 4,256. In 1984, Rose took over as the Reds' manager, but his name was tarnished in 1989
08:50when he was accused of gambling on games that he played in or managed.
08:54The accusations led to a lifetime ban from baseball. Decades later, the subject of whether
08:58or not Rose should be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame remains a controversial topic.
09:03It happened. There's nothing you can do to change it. I didn't break up the Beatles,
09:08okay? I didn't shoot JFK, okay?"
09:12One of the NBA's best shot blockers of all time, and also one of the game's greatest
09:16global ambassadors, Dikembe Mutombo died on September 30th at the age of 58 from brain
09:21cancer. A native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mutombo was drafted by the Denver
09:25Nuggets in 1991. He would go on to become a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year,
09:30with his reputation transcending statistics,
09:33thanks to his signature finger-wagging taunt after blocking a shot.
09:37"'Not in my house!"
09:40Mutombo was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
09:44Upon his passing, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said,
09:47"'Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life. On the court, he was one of the greatest shot
09:52blockers and defensive players in the history of the NBA. Off the floor, he poured his heart
09:56and soul into helping others.'"
09:57In 1997, Mutombo founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation to help his home country.
10:02This work earned him countless humanitarian accolades,
10:05including the highest volunteer service recognition, the President's Service Award.
10:09He also served on the board of Special Olympics International,
10:12the National Board for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, and several other organizations.
10:16If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis,
10:19help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.