Wayne Hightower, 62, Basketball Player
Published: April 27, 2002
Wayne Hightower, one of the highest-profile players to jump from the National Basketball Association to the American Basketball Association, died on April 18 at his home in Philadelphia. He was 62.
The cause was a heart attack.
Hightower followed Wilt Chamberlain as the center for Overbrook High School in Philadelphia, leading the school to city titles in 1957 and 1958.
A tenacious rebounder, Hightower also followed Chamberlain to the University of Kansas, where he averaged 21.3 points and 10.8 rebounds.
Hightower, a 6-foot-8 1/2-inch forward, was selected fifth over all in the 1962 N.B.A. draft by the Philadelphia Warriors, who moved to San Francisco before his first season. He was traded to the Baltimore Bullets during the 1964-65 season. He joined the Detroit Pistons in 1966-67, then jumped to the Denver Rockets of the A.B.A., giving some credibility to the new league.
Hightower played five seasons in the A.B.A. -- with Denver, Los Angeles, Utah, Texas and Carolina -- before retiring after the 1971-72 season.
He averaged 9 points a game in the N.B.A. and 14.9 points in the A.B.A.
Hightower is survived by a daughter, Paula; two sons, Wayne Jr. and Anthony; a sister; two brothers; and four grandchildren.
April 18 -- Wayne Hightower, one of the highest-profile players to jump from the NBA to the American Basketball Association, died at age 62. A thin, 6-foot-8 forward, Hightower was a first-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Warriors in 1962. A tenacious rebounder, Hightower averaged 21.3 points and 10.8 rebounds in two seasons (1960-61) at the University of Kansas. Hightower averaged 13.2 points during the 1962-63 season as the Warriors advanced to the NBA Finals and lost in five games to the Boston Celtics. Hightower was traded to the Baltimore Bullets during the 1964-65 season. After two seasons, Hightower jumped to the Denver Rockets of the ABA, giving some credibility to the newly created league. Hightower played five seasons in the ABA with five teams before retiring after the 1971-72 season.
4/25/02: Hightower Dead at 62: Wayne Hightower, one of the highest-profile players to jump from the NBA to the American Basketball Association, has died. He was 62. Hightower died of a heart attack at his home in West Philadelphia last Thursday. A thin, 6-foot-8 forward, Hightower was a first-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Warriors in 1962.