Former Phoenix Suns general manager Lance Blanks died by suicide, according to daughter Riley Blanks Reed.
Blanks - a former basketball player and executive - was found dead on Wednesday. His daughter penned an emotional letter published by ESPN on Tuesday that revealed the cause of Blanks’ death was suicide.
Blanks was 56 years old at the time of his death. In her letter, Riley reminisced about the time spent with her father, referring to him as her ‘idol’ who ‘encompassed everything’ to her. She wrote: “People will want more information. But the fact is we will never truly know why. And we don't need to.
“All we need to do is remember him, honour him, celebrate him and pour our love into the family that made him happy. All we need to know is that, oftentimes, the people in the most pain are the giants in our lives.”
She added: “Daddy was my person, my idol, my teacher, my best friend and my confidant - a man I thought immortal. He encompassed everything to me.”
Blanks excelled at the University of Texas between 1988 and 1989, impressing so much he was inducted into the Texas Longhorns Hall of Honour in 2007. The 26th pick in the 1990 NBA Draft, he played for the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves in the league before concluding his career in Europe.
After his playing career ended, Blanks worked in the front office for the San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers before serving the Suns as their GM from 2010 to 2013. He then became an analyst for the Longhorn Network. At the time of his tragic passing, Blanks was on assignment as a scout for the Los Angeles Clippers.
His daughter Riley concluded her letter by writing: “Daddy, Lance, LB, my forever hero, has left a void that cannot be filled. And yet, I find solace in the promise to honour him with everything he left us.
“In the loving embrace of my sister, Bryn, I will remember that we are both forever connected to the remarkable man who was our world.”
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