Former Utah Jazz star Mark Eaton dead after apparent bicycle accident in Summit County

Former Utah Jazz star Mark Eaton dead after apparent bicycle accident in Summit County
Correction: The headline and article have been updated to better reflect that a cause of death has not been determined.

Former Utah Jazz player and NBA All-Star Mark Eaton died after an apparent bicycle accident Friday in Silver Creek, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office said. 

The accident occurred sometime before 8:26 p.m., when the authorities received a call from someone who found Eaton unconscious in the middle of a road in the Silver Creek Estates neighborhood, a news release stated. 

Eaton, a longtime resident of the Park City area, was treated by emergency medical personnel and was transported to a hospital, where he died. He was 64.

The Sheriff’s Office said there were no witnesses to the crash, though authorities do not believe a vehicle was involved. The Utah Office of the Medical Examiner will attempt to determine the cause of death. 

Eaton played for the Jazz between 1982 and 1993, spending his entire NBA career in Utah. At 7-foot-4, he was a towering presence on the court who terrorized opposing offenses. He twice was named the NBA’s defensive player of the year and led the league in blocked shots four times. In 1989, he was named to the Western Conference all-star team.

“The Utah Jazz are profoundly saddened at the unexpected passing of Mark Eaton, who was an enduring figure in our franchise history and had a significant impact in the community after his basketball career,” the team said in a statement. “… His presence continued around the organization as a friend and ambassador while giving back as a businessman and volunteer to his adopted hometown in Utah.”

Eaton’s stature also made him a visible presence in the Park City area. On Saturday, after news of his death broke, many Parkites took to social media to offer condolences, and several people noted the friendly personality that accompanied his large frame. 

Former U.S. Ski and Snowboard spokesman Tom Kelly lived near Eaton in Silver Creek and told The Park Record in an interview that people in Park City who knew him didn’t view him as a basketball star, but rather as a neighbor and member of the community. 

“He was a Parkite. He made this his community some years ago and was an integral part of this community,” Kelly said, adding, “He was a warm and friendly guy and he made you feel welcome around him. He stood out in a crowd but made you feel … like you were part of his day.”

The Park City community’s fondness for Eaton was mutual. In 2010, when Eaton was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame, he spoke about the connection he felt to the area. According to a Park Record article, the Southern California native said he signed his first NBA contract in Jeremy Ranch and became enamored with Park City and its abundant recreational opportunities. He bought a home in Jeremy Ranch before later moving to Silver Creek. 

“I loved it,” he said of Park City. “I fell in love with it. I’ve always been one for the outdoors and, growing up near the beach, the mountains always intrigued me. I got to ride my mountain bike, go fishing and enjoy it all.”

Eaton during the Hall of Fame induction also recalled participating in his first conference call with members of the media in what was then the Claimjumper restaurant on Main Street. 

Following his playing career, Eaton was involved in the restaurant industry and was also a motivational speaker. He told The Park Record in a 2018 interview that he enjoyed motivational speaking because he was passionate about helping people reach their full potential.

Former Utah Jazz center Mark Eaton dies after bicycle crash at age 64
Mark Eaton, the 7-foot-4 shot-blocking king who twice was the NBA Defensive Player of the Year during his career with the Utah Jazz, has died, the team said Saturday. He was 64.

The Jazz said that police said Eaton was found lying in the road around 8:30 p.m. Friday after apparently crashing his bike in Summit County, Utah. According to the team, the Summit County Sheriff's Office said that Eaton was taken to a hospital, where he later died, and that there was no reason to believe a vehicle was involved in the accident.

"The Utah Jazz are profoundly saddened at the unexpected passing of Mark Eaton, who was an enduring figure in our franchise history and had a significant impact in the community after his basketball career," the team said in a statement.

"... His presence continued around the organization as a friend and ambassador while giving back as a businessman and volunteer to his adopted hometown in Utah. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife Teri and their extended family. Mark will be greatly missed by all of us with the Jazz."

The center, who spent his entire career with the Jazz, led the league in blocks per game four times, and his average of 5.6 per contest in 1984-85 remains the highest average since the NBA started officially tracking that statistic.

"He was so impressive," longtime NBA broadcaster Mike Inglis, now the radio voice of the Miami Heat, said Saturday. "I used to call him the human condominium complex. He was something else on defense, let me tell you."

Eaton's career blocks average of 3.51 per game is the best in NBA history, and his career happened almost by accident. He was working as an auto mechanic in 1977 when a community college basketball coach persuaded him to enroll. From there, he went to UCLA, and his stint with the Jazz followed.

His 11 playing seasons with the Jazz are third most in team history, behind longtime Utah cornerstones Karl Malone and John Stockton. His durability was noteworthy, with him once appearing in 338 consecutive games. He finished with career averages of 6.0 points and 7.9 rebounds.

Eaton's No. 53 was one of the first jerseys retired by the Jazz. He was the DPOY in 1984-85 and 1988-89, was a five-time All-Defensive team selection -- with three first-team nods, two second-team picks -- and was an All-Star in 1989.

He had been, among other things, a restaurateur and a motivational speaker in his retirement. In recent years, he served as a mentor to Utah center Rudy Gobert -- the only other player in Jazz history to win the Defensive Player of the Year award.

"To my great mentor and friend @markeaton7ft4, one of kind and an amazing human being, i'm grateful for your presence in my life over the years," Gobert posted Saturday on Twitter. "Gonna miss our conversations. But i know you'll be watching."

Utah coach Quin Snyder said Saturday night before Game 3 in Memphis that the team's thoughts and prayers go out to Eaton's wife.

"Mark was someone that was a friend, and I think a friend who a lot of us, in his relationship with Rudy Gobert I think is emblematic of who he was and his ability to listen,'' Snyder said. "And then to offer counsel and support was something that was really unique, and obviously we'll miss him."

Eaton also served as an officer in the National Basketball Players Association, and the union released a statement Saturday saying he would be missed.

"It may be cliched, but it's true: Mark Eaton was a giant, in every sense of the word," the NBPA statement said. "A long-time member of the NBPA Executive Committee right through his retirement from the league in 1994, Mark served his colleagues with grace and strength, and continued to watch over them through his service for the Retired Players Association. His imposing physical presence made a delightful match with his warm and thoughtful manner."

Eaton's death came days after he was in Chicago to be part of the celebration for his friend Joe West, who broke baseball's umpiring record Tuesday night by working his 5,376th regular-season game.

Eaton was taken by Phoenix with the 107th pick in the 1979 draft, then drafted again at No. 72 by Utah in 1982. And he never left. His last game was in 1993; back problems ended his career, and he retired in September 1994.

"It has been a great ride, but life does have a way of moving on and I must move on with it," Eaton wrote in a column for The Salt Lake Tribune in which he announced his retirement. "Thank you for letting me be a part of your life and community. I'll be around."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Lakers' Anthony Davis, questionable with knee sprain, says 'no chance' he sits out Game 4
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Anthony Davis describes the process he will go through to make sure his knee is good to go for Game 4 vs. the Suns. (0:49)

4:06 AM WIB
Dave McMenamin
ESPN Staff Writer
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LOS ANGELES -- Despite the team listing him as questionable with a left knee sprain, Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis says there is "no chance" he sits out Sunday's Game 4 with L.A. looking to take a commanding 3-1 lead in its first-round series with the Phoenix Suns.

"There's no chance that I don't play tomorrow," Davis said after practice Saturday. "As a player, I've wanted to be in this moment. You want to be in the playoffs and help contribute to my team's success. I want to be out there. So in my eyes, for me as a competitor, I think I'll be out there [Sunday]."

Davis landed awkwardly and hyperextended his left knee after executing a chase-down block on the Suns' Devin Booker in the first half of the Lakers' 109-95 Game 3 victory Thursday.

He pushed through the discomfort and stayed in the game, finishing with 34 points and 11 rebounds in 40 minutes.

The nine-year veteran said the injury did not require an MRI, but he has been experiencing swelling in the knee, and has been wearing a compression sleeve as part of his treatment.

When asked if he would wear a more substantial brace for Game 4, Davis doubted it would be necessary.

"I haven't mentioned or talked about a brace," he said. "But if that's going to help, then I don't mind going back to the 1970s brace."

Lakers coach Frank Vogel said that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who hurt his left knee and quad area in Game 3 and was unable to finish the game, is also listed as questionable.

"Both will be listed as questionable dealing with some soreness," Vogel said. "But we're hopeful that they both play."

Davis stressed the importance of Game 4 for the Lakers, who have won the past two games after losing the first, in order to keep the momentum.

"It's going to be probably the biggest game of the series, I think, besides if Game 7 happens," he said. "We're going in, want to protect home court ... We know they're going to come out and play desperate, in a sense."

Mark Eaton, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year who spent his entire NBA career with the Utah Jazz, has died. He was 64 years old.

Eaton was riding his bik