Utah Jazz great Mark Eaton has died at age 64, the team confirmed on Saturday, according to a report. He was found unconscious by a neighbor on Friday after apparently crashing his bike during a ride where he lived in Summit County, Utah, the Salt Lake Tribune reported, and later passed away at a hospital. Eaton wasn't struck by a car, and foul play wasn't suspected, the report said.
The 7-foot-4 center was a force on the defensive end for over a decade in the NBA, earning All-Defensive honors five times, as well as two Defensive Player of the Year Awards. He was an All-Star in 1988-89.
Eaton, a California native, was drafted out of UCLA by the Jazz in 1984, in the fourth round. He joined the Bruins after a two-year stint at tiny Cypress Community College, in Orange County, where, incredibly, he was recruited to play after he was discovered working in an auto shop by a Cypress assistant, according to the Tribune.
Eaton quickly established himself as a premier defender in the paint in the NBA, and was a key figure in laying the groundwork for the Jazz to reel off 20 consecutive playoff appearances. He led the league in blocks per game in four separate seasons, and retired averaging 3.5 blocks in 29 minutes. He once ranked second in total career blocks in league history behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, though both have since been passed by Hakeem Olajuwon and Dikembe Mutombo.
Eaton remained on the periphery of the league since retiring after the 1992-93 season, holding positions in the retired players' association and occasionally appearing at home games for the Jazz, who retired his No. 53. He also opened a restaurant in Salt Lake City, according to reports.
Eaton was reportedly present for the Jazz's playoff game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.
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