Jack Mckinney Accident: Death And Obituary

Jack Mckinney Accident: McKinney was riding his bicycle in the Palos Verdes district of Los Angeles on November 8, 1979, with the intention of playing tennis with his close friend and assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, Paul Westhead.  

McKinney was a well-known collegiate and NBA coach in the United States. He was born on July 13, 1935.

He had worked for a number of teams throughout the course of his career, including the Portland Trail Blazers, the Kansas City Kings, and the Indiana Pacers, the latter of which awarded him the title of NBA Coach of the Year in 1981.

McKinney was also hired as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979, but he was only able to serve in that capacity for a total of 13 games due to an accident involving a bicycle that left him in a coma.

Before beginning his professional career, he attended Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he earned a degree and played basketball.

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Jack Mckinney Accident: Death And Obituary

On September 25, 2018, it was reported that McKinney had died at the age of 83. He had been ill for some time.

According to ESPN, there has been speculation that the bike accident that left him with memory loss and other neurological disorders was related to his passing. The specific cause of death was never established, but it has been suggested that the two are connected.

“Jack was all about utilizing the speed and quickness of the guard play and Kareem was right with it as well,” Brad Holland, a rookie guard with the Lakers during his time, told The New York Times following his death that “Jack was all about utilizing the speed and quickness of the guard play.”

“And then there was Magic, which just completely changed the way the game was played.”

Pat Riley, the president of the Miami Heat, stated that “if he hadn’t had the accident,” referring to Kobe Bryant, “he might have won five or six titles for the Lakers in the ’80s.”

On September 25, 2018, Jack McKinney passed away while he was receiving care at a hospice in the state of Florida. McKinney went on to become the manager of the Indiana Pacers once he had recovered from the wounds he sustained.

However, over time the injuries he sustained curtailed and restricted his ability to participate in activities. The sad news is that the coach passed away at the age of 83. Hospice care was provided to him throughout the final years of his life in Bonita Springs, where the facility was located.

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