Remembering sports personalities we lost in 2021

Every year, sporting records are made, and names seldom heard before becomes familiar.   Sadly, each new year also brings a new list of sports people and legends that brought their talents to the great beyond.  Here’s a list of some sports figures we lost last year.

PAUL WESTPHAL (70), January 2 – A 5-time NBA All-Star, Westphal found success coaching the Phoenix Suns highlighted with a 1993 Finals appearance, losing to the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls.  He also coached the Seattle Supersonics and the Sacramento Kings.  He succumbed to brain cancer.

TOMMY LASORDA (93), January 7 – A lifetime Dodger, he started with the franchise when it was still based in Brooklyn.  Lasorda guided the LA Dodgers to 2 World Series titles and 4 National League pennants.  Spending seven decades with LAD, he once said, “Cut my veins and I bleed Dodger blue.”  He was the oldest living member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame until he died.

HENRY “HANK” AARON (86), January 22 - Baseball’s real Home Run King, ‘Hammerin’ Hank’ in 1974 surpassed Babe Ruth’s 714 home runs and held it for 33 years until it was broken by Barry Bonds in 2007.  He was inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1982.  He died in his sleep at his Atlanta home.

LEON SPINKS (67), February 5 – Spinks was a high school dropout and enlisted in the Marine Corps.  With his trademark toothless smile, he stepped into the ring and won the boxing gold at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.  Two years later, he shocked the world when he defeated Muhammad Ali in a 15-round, split decision bout.  He died of advanced prostate cancer.

“MARVELOUS” MARVIN HAGLER (66), March 13 - One of the best middleweights of all time, Hagler had 67 professional bouts, scoring 52 knockouts and in the 1980s, defended his title a total of 12 times.  He defeated the likes of Roberto Duran and Thomas Hearns.  He died of natural causes.

ELGIN BAYLOR (86), March 22 – One of the NBA’s all-time greats and one of the few Laker legends that played in Minneapolis and Los Angeles.   Baylor was an 11-time All-Star and played in 8 NBA Finals.  He was a long-time executive with the LA Clippers.  The only thing missing in his legendary career was an NBA championship.

MARK EATON (64), May 28 – The first NBA player to record 10 blocks in a playoff game, Eaton spent his entire 12-year career with the Utah Jazz.  The 7-4 center was twice named Defensive Player of the Year and led the league in blocks 4 times.  His number 53 was retired by the Jazz.  He died from injuries sustained in a bicycle accident.

PAUL “MR. WONDERFUL” ORNDORFF (71), July 12 – He was one of WWF’s biggest names in the 80s.  Orndorff was one of the four headliners of the first-ever Wrestlemania.  He died of dementia, of which his son believes is a result of repeated blows to the head, which the sport is notorious famous for.

SAM JONES (88), December 30 – The Boston Celtics’ very own “Mr. Clutch”, with 10 NBA titles, Jones had the second most championships, behind only teammate Bill Russell, who had 11.  Along with Russell and KC Jones, he was one of only three Celtics who were part of Boston’s 8-straight title run from 1959 to 1966. 

These are just some of the sports icons who had passed away last year. They might be gone, but they won’t be forgotten.

bobbytoohotty@lycos.com

bobbymotus1961@gmail.com

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