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By Alicia Cruz
The Black Urban Times
Originally posted 7/29/2010
The Black Urban Times
Originally posted 7/29/2010
The search for missing former NBA player Lorenzen Wright ended with the discovery of a body in a field in Memphis, Tennessee.
Channel 3 news, Memphis, reported that a body found near Hacks Cross and Winchester appears to be that of Wright who had been missing since July 18 when he was last seen by ex-wife, Sherra Wright at her Collierville home. She told officials that Wright was planning to fly out of Memphis and return to his home in Atlanta when he suddenly disappeared.
Channel 24 in Memphis reported that on July 19, at approximately 1:00 a.m., a Germantown dispatcher received a 911 call from Wright's cell phone. The dispatcher heard a garbled male voice utter an expletive, then at least 10 gunshots."
A spokesperson in Germantown told WREG News Channel 3, "Germantown has turned over a 911 tape to the MPD in reference to the Lorenzen Wright case."
Penny Hardaway, who also played for Memphis, was on the scene where Wright's body was discovered Wednesday to share his condolences with Wright's family.
"When the reports started that he was missing, and he didn't come out and say, 'Hey, I'm OK,' That's when I started to worry," said Hardaway, who described Wright a good friend who was a "warrior" on the basketball court.
Memphis Police are not releasing any details about the body found in the wooded area, except to say that it is the body of a male, and the area where the body was found is not far from where Wright was last seen on July 18. WREG reported that sources say detectives found Wright's identification along with his body.
Wright, who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, had been having financial problems, his family told WREG. They say the University of Memphis graduate had two homes, one in Memphis and one in Atlanta, foreclosed on.
Police, following up on a lead that Wright was seen at a Southeast Memphis Barber shop Monday where he had his hair cut, visited the barber shop, but that did not produce any further leads. Wright lived in Atlanta, but was in Memphis to see his children. When he disappeared, police say he left behind his phones, vehicles and there had been no transactions on his bank account.
"He wasn't able to spend the night because he wasn't here that long. He ran out and he never came back," said Sherra Wright, who added that her former husband was "fine" and in "good mental condition" when he left her home Sunday.
During his sophomore year at the University of Memphis, Wright, a native of Mississippi, was selected Third Team All-American by the Associated Press. He was selected seventh overall by the Los Angeles Clippers during the 1996 NBA Draft out of the University of Memphis before moving on to the Atlanta Hawks from 1999 to 2001.
The Memphis Grizzlies welcomed the 6'11 forward center from 2001 to 2006 before he returned to the Hawks. The Sacramento Kings acquired Wright as a free agent in September 2008 before he joined the Cleavland Cavaliers the same year until 2009.
Throughout his 13 years in the NBA, Wright played in 67 games, starting 31. During the 2006-07 season he averaged 2.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 15.4 minutes per game. He had career averages of 8.0 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. While attending the University of Memphis, he was nicknamed "The Howl" because of his tendency to yell after an exciting play.
Wright, who was the father six children: Lorenzen Jr., Loren, twins Lamar and Shamar, Lawson and Sofia, established the Sierra Simone Wright Scholarship Fund following the tragic death of his infant daughter in March 2003.
Contact reporter Alicia Cruz at nj.newsroom.cruz@gmail.com
Channel 3 news, Memphis, reported that a body found near Hacks Cross and Winchester appears to be that of Wright who had been missing since July 18 when he was last seen by ex-wife, Sherra Wright at her Collierville home. She told officials that Wright was planning to fly out of Memphis and return to his home in Atlanta when he suddenly disappeared.
Channel 24 in Memphis reported that on July 19, at approximately 1:00 a.m., a Germantown dispatcher received a 911 call from Wright's cell phone. The dispatcher heard a garbled male voice utter an expletive, then at least 10 gunshots."
A spokesperson in Germantown told WREG News Channel 3, "Germantown has turned over a 911 tape to the MPD in reference to the Lorenzen Wright case."
Penny Hardaway, who also played for Memphis, was on the scene where Wright's body was discovered Wednesday to share his condolences with Wright's family.
"When the reports started that he was missing, and he didn't come out and say, 'Hey, I'm OK,' That's when I started to worry," said Hardaway, who described Wright a good friend who was a "warrior" on the basketball court.
Memphis Police are not releasing any details about the body found in the wooded area, except to say that it is the body of a male, and the area where the body was found is not far from where Wright was last seen on July 18. WREG reported that sources say detectives found Wright's identification along with his body.
Wright, who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, had been having financial problems, his family told WREG. They say the University of Memphis graduate had two homes, one in Memphis and one in Atlanta, foreclosed on.
Police, following up on a lead that Wright was seen at a Southeast Memphis Barber shop Monday where he had his hair cut, visited the barber shop, but that did not produce any further leads. Wright lived in Atlanta, but was in Memphis to see his children. When he disappeared, police say he left behind his phones, vehicles and there had been no transactions on his bank account.
"He wasn't able to spend the night because he wasn't here that long. He ran out and he never came back," said Sherra Wright, who added that her former husband was "fine" and in "good mental condition" when he left her home Sunday.
During his sophomore year at the University of Memphis, Wright, a native of Mississippi, was selected Third Team All-American by the Associated Press. He was selected seventh overall by the Los Angeles Clippers during the 1996 NBA Draft out of the University of Memphis before moving on to the Atlanta Hawks from 1999 to 2001.
The Memphis Grizzlies welcomed the 6'11 forward center from 2001 to 2006 before he returned to the Hawks. The Sacramento Kings acquired Wright as a free agent in September 2008 before he joined the Cleavland Cavaliers the same year until 2009.
Throughout his 13 years in the NBA, Wright played in 67 games, starting 31. During the 2006-07 season he averaged 2.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 15.4 minutes per game. He had career averages of 8.0 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. While attending the University of Memphis, he was nicknamed "The Howl" because of his tendency to yell after an exciting play.
Wright, who was the father six children: Lorenzen Jr., Loren, twins Lamar and Shamar, Lawson and Sofia, established the Sierra Simone Wright Scholarship Fund following the tragic death of his infant daughter in March 2003.
Contact reporter Alicia Cruz at nj.newsroom.cruz@gmail.com
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