Earl Cureton, who went from a Detroit high school and college star to the Pistons and later served as a community ambassador for the organization, died on Sunday at 66.
Known as “Earl The Twirl,” Cureton had a stellar career at Detroit Finney HS and then played one season at Robert Morris before heading home, back to the University of Detroit, where he played for Dick Vitale.
Cureton and Vitale got Detroit to the NCAA Tournament in 1979, with Cureton leading the team with 19.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.
He was then drafted in the third round by the Philadelphia 76ers, where he spent three years and was part of the Sixers’ 1983 title-winning squad.
Cureton then returned again to Detroit, signing with his hometown Pistons the following season.
In a 17-year NBA career, Cureton also played for the Houston Rockets — where he won another championship in 1994, when Houston beat the Knicks in the NBA Finals — as well as the Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors.
He retired in 1997, having played in 674 NBA games and averaged 5.4 points per game and 4.7 rebounds.
Cureton also played professionally in Italy, France, Argentina and Mexico.
As part of his recent duties with the Pistons, Cureton filled in on the team’s radio broadcast on Friday, taking the place of Rick Mahorn, who was sick.
Cureton was scheduled to broadcast the Pistons’ game against Orlando on Sunday on Bally Sports Detroit, according to The Detroit Free Press.
Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, who played with Cureton with the Pistons, said in a statement, “All of us are hurting. He was a tremendous teammate, tough competitor, a champion and a great human being. Earl always held the Detroit community close to his heart and worked tirelessly to make a difference for the city he loved. He will be greatly missed.”
The Pistons released their own statement, saying the organization “is deeply saddened by the passing of Earl Cureton, a person who meant so much to the organization as a colleague, former player, community ambassador and friend. As tough a competitor as he was during his playing years on the court, he was equally kind-hearted, outgoing and impactful off it.
“He represented our franchise with great passion and truly enjoyed working to give back and improve the lives of Detroiters in the city he loved so much. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Earl’s family and countless friends and teammates during this most difficult time.”
