Life Swap: Tragic Losses in Sports

Pat Tillman; Darrent Williams; Sean Taylor; Steve McNair; and Chris Henry.

What do the above five names have on common with one another?

Each was professional athletes who lost their lives, not by choice or natural cause, but they were murdered.

In a single, senseless act of violence, 34-year-old Lorenzen Wright’s life came to a tragic end, leaving six children without a father. Who’s to be certain that following the proper protocol of a 911 call may have saved a man’s life? We may never know.

Unfortunately, the early morning hours of July 19th, 2010 have proved to be all too telling.

Former NBA player Lorenzen Wright was found shot to death near TPC Southwind golf course, a road Wright traveled on as a shortcut to his mother's home in Memphis, Tennessee.

Wright attended high school at nearby Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis, Tennessee. The Memphis native attended the University of Memphis from 1994-1996, where Wright developed tight bonds with teammates Perry Ellis and Penny Hardaway.

For thirteen years, Wright had the privilege do what he did best in life—play basketball at the NBA level. Over the course of the thirteen years, Wright played for five different teams.

Drafted seventh overall in the 1996 NBA Draft, Wright began his career out on the West Coast with the Los Angeles Clippers. The 6'11", 255-pound first-rounder made LA his home for the first three years of his career.

From 1999-2001, Wright relocated across the map and joined the Atlanta Hawks, where he averaged 9.2 points per game and pulled down seven rebounds per game for the next two seasons.

From 2002-2006, Lorenzen Wright landed an intricate role with the Memphis Grizzlies, where he was credited for developing true veteran stature by mentoring the younger players. More vocal and demanding, Wright had no problem laying into the new blood, especially Pau Gasol. Wright's efforts to enhance the ability of young talent didn’t go unseen and the Grizzlies organization couldn’t have been more appreciative.

Lorenzen’s NBA career halted for good after the 2008-2009 season in Cleveland, but his legacy was alive and well.

Thirteen years.

A stereotypical version of any NBA player packing his bags and leaving one city to play in another, may not harness the character Wright did. He didn’t require the spotlight to thrive. Loving the game and enjoying every minute of his God-given talent was enough motivation. He played the game with love and passion and asked for nothing in return.

Lorenzen brought his kids to practice on a regular basis. How many fathers involve their children like that?

Developing teammates into future All-Stars turned out to be Wright’s niche, and that same niche aided the Grizzlies to the playoffs from 2004-2006.

Because of his competitive drive, coupled with his charismatic fondness of the game, playing in five cities in thirteen years could easily have turned Lorenzen a bitter man.

But it didn’t.

There comes a time in professional sports when one must call into question what is vitally important as well as rediscover a sense of self.

Consequently, time proceeds on its own terms, forcing us to deal with rocky unforeseen circumstances which can send a life into an intense tailspin.

At some point or another, all athletes arrive at a profound realization they are not, nor have they ever been, bigger than the game itself. Suddenly and sadly, reality renders helplessness dispatching a tragic message loud and clear.

In a flash, a precious and sentimental gem is lost forever and can never be found again. The aftermath of such horrific events within the sports world aggressively reaffirms that the athletes people admire, respect, and idolize are human beings, just the same as you and I.

At 34 years of age, Lorenzen Wright’s professional basketball career reached its final destination, but a whole new chapter in his life had only just begun.

Another life unjustly cut short.

Shades of Pat Tillman, Darrent Williams, Sean Taylor, Steve McNair, and Chris Henry forcefully ascend to the forefront, causing us to relive the painful nightmares of the past.

Although the details surrounding the homicide of Lorenzen Wright have yet to be ironed out, under no set of circumstances do charismatic sports icons wish to have their everyday human side revealed in such a frighteningly obscene demeanor.