Robert Traylor

Traylor was a McDonald's All-American the same year as Kevin Garnett, Vince Carter and Paul Pierce. He attended the University of Michigan. Standing 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m) and weighing in excess of 300 pounds, he joined a frontcourt for the Wolverines that included Maurice Taylor and Maceo Baston. That year, Traylor broke a backboard while dunking in a game against Ball State.[1] Traylor helped lead the Wolverines to the 1997 National Invitation Tournament title, and was named the tournament's most valuable player. His junior year was his best, as he averaged 16.2 points and 10 rebounds while leading his team to the inaugural Big Ten tournament championship and second round of the NCAA tournament as a three seed.

Traylor was one of the former Michigan players whose ties to booster Ed Martin roiled the program. During his freshman year, Traylor broke his arm in a car accident while out with teammates and recruiting prospect Mateen Cleaves (who ended up going to rival Michigan State). That accident triggered a six-year investigation into the Wolverine program. Martin, who died in 2003 at 69, pleaded guilty in 2002 to conspiracy to launder money and told federal prosecutors he took gambling money, combined it with other funds and lent $616,000 to Traylor, Chris Webber and two other Wolverine players dating to when they were still in high school.[2] Traylor received three years' probation for tax fraud.[3]

Due to NCAA violations connected to the case (principally the compromising of the amateur status of Traylor, Webber and Taylor), Michigan withdrew from consideration for the 2003 NCAA tournament, lost scholarships and was placed on probation. The school also vacated the records of every game in which Traylor played from its record book. Traylor also had to surrender his MVP award for the 1997 NIT, as well as his MVP award from the 1998 Big Ten tournament. Murray-Wright High School in Detroit, where Traylor played high school basketball, voluntarily forfeited its entire 1994–95 season (Traylor's senior season).

In the 1998 NBA draft, Traylor was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round (with the sixth pick), then traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for Pat Garrity and German prospect Dirk Nowitzki.[4] Landon Buford of Sports Illustrated ranked this trade as one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history,[5] while Dave Zirin of The Nation ranked it the most lopsided trade in NBA history.[6] Nowitzki "would go on to have a distinguished 21-year career where he was an All-Star 14 times, a member of the All-NBA team 12 times, a league and Finals MVP, and an NBA champion in 2011",[4] while Traylor struggled in the NBA.[6][7] (In addition, Garrity was traded to Phoenix by the Mavericks for future Hall of Famer Steve Nash).[8]

In the 2005 offseason, Traylor had surgery on his aorta.[9] He then signed on with the New Jersey Nets for the 2005–06 NBA season, but—due to his failing a physical examination—the deal was scrapped.[3][10] Traylor battled weight problems throughout his career.[4] During seven NBA seasons, Traylor played for the Bucks, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets. He averaged 4.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.[11]

Traylor played in Turkey for Antalya Kepez Belediyesi, in Italy with the Lega Basket Serie A club NSB Napoli,[12] in México for Halcones UV Xalapa, and in Puerto Rico with the Cangrejeros de Santurce and Vaqueros de Bayamón.[13] Traylor was selected as 2010 Defensive Player of the Year of Baloncesto Superior Nacional.[14] Traylor's last game was played on April 26, 2011.[15]

In 2007, Traylor pleaded guilty to tax evasion and was sentenced to three years' probation.[16]

On May 11, 2011, Traylor was found dead at his apartment in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, of an apparent massive heart attack. Traylor was talking to his wife Raye on the phone at the time; the connection was suddenly lost, at which point she alerted team officials to investigate. ESPN reported that Traylor had died of a heart attack.[17]

Former coach Paul Silas commented on Traylor's death, saying, "It's just a shock and hard to believe."[18]

• List of basketball players who died during their careers

• Enlund, Tom. "Lighter Traylor still big on talent." Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Thursday June 25, 1998. 3C. Google News 193 of 205.
• "Michigan's Traylor is turning professional." St. Louis Post-Dispatch. March 28, 1998. Page 13.

• "NBA.com profile". NBA.com. Archived from the original on April 7, 2005. Retrieved May 4, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
• "Michigan Wolverines biography". Archived from the original on December 23, 1996. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
• NBA Draft busts #16
• Robert Traylor @ Basketball-Reference.com