Kevin Duckworth's Death A Grave Warning to Former Players

With the passing of former NBA center Kevin Duckworth earlier this week, fans of the NBA lost one of the embodiments of what the league wants its players to be like. Duckworth was a hard, worker whose dominance and perseverance on the court was matched only by his kindness and charity off the court. Truly, Duck was somebody who you can find yourself cheering for even if you're not a fan of his team. Losing any player who you found yourself cheering for can be difficult.  This is especially true considering the circumstances under which we lost Duck. Duckworth's case is one that has become more and more common as years pass—former professional athletes unable to take care of their bodies following retirement, and often paying the ultimate price. Prior to his death, it was obvious that Duckworth was not taking very good care of his himself.  In his playing days, Duckworth was listed 7'0 and 275 pounds. A good portion of that 275 pounds was muscle, as while Duck struggled with ... (link)