The NBA Hall-of-Famer and 1978 champ was one of only two players in league history to win both MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season.
Former NBA MVP and 1969 Rookie of the Year Wes Unseld died Tuesday morning following numerous health issues, including a recent bout of pneumonia.
Unseld’s family mourned the 74-year-old in a statement shared on Twitter by the Washington Wizards. „He was the rock of our family—an extremely devoted patriarch who reveled in being with his wife, children, friends, and teammates. He was our hero and loved playing and working around the game of basketball, for the cities of Baltimore and Washington D. C., cities he proudly wore on his chest for more than 20 years,“ the statement reads.
Unseld began his professional career in 1968 after getting drafted to the Baltimore Bullets, who would later become the Washington Bullets and then the Washington Wizards. According to a press release from the Wizards, in his first year with the Baltimore Bullets, during the 1968-69 season, Unseld averaged about 18 rebounds and 13 points per game, and led the franchise to its first playoff appearance. That same season, he was awarded both the Rookie of the Year and MVP awards, making him the second player in NBA history to receive both in one season.
