Police: Ex-NBA player Wright shot to death

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Wright was considered generous and a likable sports hero. A relative says he was probably carrying a large amount of cash when he disappeared on July 18...

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis police are investigating the shooting death of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright as a homicide.

His body was found Wednesday in a wooded area outside of town. Police have declined to answer questions about motives or suspects.

Wright was considered generous and a likable sports hero. A relative says he was probably carrying a large amount of cash when he disappeared on July 18.

A court affidavit obtained by The Associated Press also said Wright had sold two vehicles in 2008 to a man affiliated with a Memphis drug ring that’s suspected in six deaths. The documents didn’t say if Wright was aware of the buyer’s background.

Police say a 911 call was placed from Wright’s cell phone early on July 19 and investigators determined it came from the area his body was found. The Commercial Appeal newspaper, which first reported the call, said a dispatcher in the suburb of Germantown heard a garbled male voice say an expletive and then at least 10 gunshots. The call went dead.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE