Jerrod Mustaf, Former Knicks 1st Round Draft Pick, Dies on His 55th Birthday

Mustaf was selected by the New York Knicks with the 17th pick in the 1990 NBA Draft

Jerrod Mustaf, a former New York Knicks first-round draft pick, has died.

The Baltimore Sun confirmed that the former NBA player died on Monday, Oct. 28, his 55th birthday.

According to the outlet, a cause of death has not been announced.

Gary Williams, Mustaf's coach for one season at the University of Maryland, remembered the athlete as "an important member of the Maryland basketball family" in a statement to the Sun.

“Jerrod was a very talented big man who was very skilled in all phases of the game," he said.

Maryland Basketball also shared a statement following the news of Mustaf's death.

"With great sadness, we learned of the passing of Jerrod Mustaf today," the program wrote. "Forever a Terp, a teammate and a friend."

Mustaf was drafted by the Knicks — where he played alongside Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley —with the 17th pick in the 1990 NBA Draft. After one season in New York, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns, where he played three seasons in the league before transitioning to international leagues.

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In 1993, Mustaf was named an "investigative lead" by police following the shooting murder of Althea Hayes, who was believed to be three months pregnant with the athlete's child at the time of her death, according to CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated.

Hayes' family named Mustaf in a wrongful death lawsuit that was later settled out of court for an undisclosed amount, according to SI. Mustaf's cousin Lavonnie Wooten was convicted of Hayes' murder in 1996 and sentenced to life in prison, according to both reports.

Mustaf reportedly told SI that he felt he was "blackballed" following the allegations and called his situation “totally unfair."

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Mustaf is survived by his son Jaeden, 19, who played basketball at Overtime Elite and now plays for Georgia Tech.

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