Ex-NBA Player, Beloved UNC Announcer Dead at 52
Former NBA player Eric Montross lost his battle with cancer at the age of 52 on Sunday, according to a statement from his family posted on the University of North Carolina men’s basketball website. Montross was first diagnosed in March 2023. His family said that he was surrounded by loved ones at his Chapel Hill home when he died, and that they were “grateful for the tremendous support and the truly overwhelming love as he battled with his signature determination and grace.”
Montross was selected by the Boston Celtics as a first-round NBA draft and ninth overall pick in 1994 after playing for the UNC Tar Heels in college. After spending two seasons with the Celtics, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 1996. He also played for the New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, and Toronto Raptors during his NBA career.
After retiring from professional basketball in 2002, Montross returned to his alma mater, where he served as an announcer for the Tar Heel Sports Network for 18 seasons before stepping away following his cancer diagnosis. He was likewise a senior major gifts director at the Rams Club.
“Carolina Athletics, the Tar Heel basketball family and the entire University community are profoundly saddened and stunned by the loss of Eric Montross, one of our most beloved former student-athletes, at far too young an age,” the organization said in a statement. “Eric was a great player and accomplished student, but the impacts he made on our community went way beyond the basketball court. He was a man of faith, a tremendous father, husband and son, and one of the most recognizable ambassadors of the University and Chapel Hill.”
“He helped the Rams Club secure scholarships for student-athletes, and as color analyst for the Tar Heel Sports Network he brought perspective, heart and humor to UNC fans near and far,” the statement added. “Eric also became an ardent supporter of the Lineberger Center while in college and remained a leader in the fight against cancer throughout his life.”
