- Eaton dies at hospital after apparent bike accident on Friday
- Jazz center was twice named NBA’s defensive player of the year
Mark Eaton, the 7ft 4in shot-blocking king who twice was the NBA’s defensive player of the year during a career spent entirely with the Utah Jazz, has died. He was 64.
The Jazz said that police said Eaton was found lying in the road around 8.30pm Friday after an apparent bike accident in Summit County, Utah. The Summit County Sheriff’s Office said that Eaton was taken to a hospital, where he later died, and that there was no reason to believe a vehicle was involved in the accident, according to the team.
We are heartbroken by the passing of Utah Jazz legend Mark Eaton.
Our thoughts are with his family as we all mourn the loss of a great man, mentor, athlete and staple of the community. pic.twitter.com/HkINyLF9ix
To my great mentor and friend @markeaton7ft4 , one of kind and an amazing human being, i’m grateful for your presence in my life over the years. Gonna miss our conversations. But i know you’ll be watching. pic.twitter.com/XDvEJTPCwp