Orlando Woolridge obit

Orlando Woolridge: Former NBA, Notre Dame Standout Dies at 52

He was not on the list.

Former Notre Dame standout and NBA big man Orlando Woolridge has died from a chronic heart condition, according to a report from the Shreveport Times.

He was 52.
Woolridge, a crucial player on Notre Dame's 1978 Final Four team and a longtime stalwart in the post in the NBA, had reportedly been suffering from the heart issue for several years and had been in hospice care for several months, according to the report.

The 6'9" forward struggled with substance abuse issues that derailed what was an extremely promising career in its early stages.

Woolridge was a standout in college, playing a key role in the Irish's run to the Final Four in 1978. While the team would never again reach such lofty heights, the big man guided the team back to the Big Dance in 1980 and 1981 and was named a second-team All-American in 1981.

He was selected sixth overall in the 1981 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls and immediately emerged as a potent scorer, averaging 16.5 points in his second year in the pros. By the time Michael Jordan arrived on the scene in 1983-84, Woolridge was firmly established as a versatile scorer on the wing. The big man averaged 22.9 points per game in 1984-85, the first of three consecutive seasons averaging 20 or more points.

However, Woolridge's production began to slip a year after leaving the Bulls, hitting its nadir during the 1987-88 season, when he was suspended for violating the league's substance abuse policy. He found his stride again with the  Denver Nuggets, thriving and averaging 25.1 points per game in 1990-91.

The forward hung up his sneakers after a tour with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1993-94 and moved into coaching positions in the ABA and the WNBA.

More recently, Woolridge had a run-in with the law back in February after being charged for stealing $1,500 worth of aluminum pipes used to pump fresh water to a natural gas dig site. He'd been living with his parents in Mansfield, La., for several months while in hospice care, according to the report.

Obviously, he was very, very talented,” said Chicago Bulls former vice president of basketball operations John Paxson, according to ESPN back in 2012. “He had strength and athleticism as a player. When we played together at Notre Dame, with his athleticism, as a point guard I always felt I could throw the ball anywhere near the rim and he was able to catch it and do something with it.”

In 1985, Woolridge took part in one of the NBA’s greatest Slam Dunk Contests ever. Woolridge went up against Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, and Julius Erving, among others. Wilkins, of the Atlanta Hawks, wound up winning the event.

Former Chicago Bears standout running Gale Sayers, was the godfather of Woolridge’s three children. “When you lose a family member, it’s one of those things where it’s going to be tough and it’s going to be tough for a long time,” Sayers said at the time of Woolridge’s death.

Known for his high-flying dunks and ability to throw down lob passes in the open court, Woolridge played for the Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, New Jersey Nets , Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons, and also coached the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA. He averaged 16.0 points in just more than 28 minutes per game, quickly emerging as an offensive spark plug no matter if he was in the starting lineup or coming off the bench.

"I just love it when we go up in the transition game, up and down the court, Magic [Johnson] looking for the open guy," Woolridge told Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn shortly after joining the team in 1988. "I get excited when we start playing like that. That's the way I love playing."

"He was a good person," said Timberwolves assistant T.R. Dunn, who played with Woolridge for one season in Denver. "He was a really good offensive player, athletic, could run the floor, score the basketball. He had a pretty solid career. Just a fun-loving, athletic guy. Just sad news."

"He was such an energetic-type, big player," said Wolves assistant Jack Sikma, who played against Woolridge. "He really was one of the early athletic-type players to come in the league, where we see a lot more of that now."

One of Woolridge's defining moments came as a senior at Notre Dame in 1981, when he hit a buzzer-beating jumper to beat Ralph Sampson and No. 1 Virginia on national television, ending the mighty Cavaliers' 28-game winning streak. Woolridge averaged 10.6 points in 109 games at Notre Dame, helping the Fighting Irish reach the NCAA tournament in each of his four seasons, including the Final Four as a freshman in 1978.

He played with several NBA all-stars in his career including George Gervin, David Greenwood, Charles Oakley, Dave Corzine, Larry Kenon, Ricky Sobers, Artis Gilmore, James Wilkes, Reggie Theus, Rod Higgins, Sidney Green, Steve Johnson, Charles Jones, Mark Olberding, Wes Matthews, Kyle Macy, Ray Williams, Dwayne Pearl Washington,Dallas Comegys, John Bagley, Otis Birdsong, Buck Williams, Albert King, Darryl Dawkins, Ben Coleman, Dennis Hopson, Dallas Comegys, Roy Hinson, Chris Jackson (Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf), Michael Adams, Anthony Mason, Cadillac Anderson, Michael Cooper, Vlade Divac, Larry Drew, A.C. Green, Byron Scott, Mychal Thompson, James Worthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Earvin Johnson, Jay Vincent, Mark Aguirre, Joe Dumars,  Alvin Robertson, Bill Laimbeer, Isiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Moses Malone, Danny Schayes, Jon Barry, Frank Brickowski, Blue Edwards, Jeff Malone, Shawn Bradley, Dana Barros, Isaac Austin, Clarence Weatherspoon, and Johnny Dawkins.

He was coached by greats such Paul Westhead, Kevin Loughery, Stan Albeck, Willis Reed (his cousin), Chuck Daly, Pat Riley, Mike Dunleavy, Rod Thorn, Fred Carter and Dave Wohl.

Woolridge's teammate with the Bulls Quintin Dailey passed away in 2010.
No information has been released about a public memorial service or funeral arrangements at this time.