Former NBA star Louis Orr dies at 64

• Sad news in the world of sports.
• Former NBA basketball player, Louis Orr has passed away.
• He was 64 years old.

Louis Orr, a star forward at Syracuse University who played eight seasons in the NBA before embarking on a long coaching career, has died. He was 64 years old. Orr’s family said in a statement Friday through Georgetown University that Orr died Thursday after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Orr helped Syracuse to four NCAA Tournaments between 1976 and 1980 and earned All-Big East season and conference tournament recognition during his senior year as a player at the college level. His number, 55, was retired in 2015, according to The Associated Press. May he rest in peace.

«The memory of Louis Orr will live in our hearts forever»

“We mourn the loss of an Orange legend, a player, a coach and most importantly a great person who made everyone around him better,” the Syracuse men’s basketball program posted on social media. «The memory of Louis Orr will live in our hearts forever, and especially each time we look up and see his number 55 in the rafters of the Dome.»

Orr was a second-round pick out of Indiana in 1980 and played two seasons with the Pacers before spending six seasons with the New York Knicks between 1982 and 1988. It didn’t take long for the reactions on social media to kick in. (Filed Under: NBA star Louis Orr dies)

Louis Orr and his outstanding career

Former basketball player Louis Orr, a Cincinnati native, joined the college coaching ranks as an assistant at Xavier in 1991 and had stints at Providence and his alma mater before taking over as head coach at Siena in 2000. He coached one season there, five at Seton Hall and seven at Bowling Green.

Also, Orr was an assistant in the Chinese Basketball Association for a year before joining coach Patrick Ewing’s staff at Georgetown. He spent five seasons as the Hoyas’ assistant and became a special assistant to the head coach in the spring. Ewing said he lost a great friend and someone who had been in his life since he was 22 years old, entering the NBA.

A last goodbye for Louis Orr

According to Yahoo Sports, Louis Orr was inducted into the Cincinnati Public Schools Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014. He was named Most Valuable Player of the Public High School League and First Team All-City by The Enquirer in his senior year. He also earned MVP honors at the Cincinnati-Dayton All-Star Game.

Coach Jim Boeheim said goodbye to the former basketball player on social media: “Louis Orr was the greatest man I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He came into my life as my first recruit, he became a fantastic coach and colleague, but most importantly, he became a dear friend. I will treasure our years together. I send my love to his family and to our Orange family.”

«He was the college coach I wanted to be»

Former basketball player Jason Hart honored Louis Orr on social media after his tragic death: “He was the college coach I wanted to be. He got me back in church at 19, when Bay was stumbling, he stayed with us, never changing. He raised me to be respectful and honorable. Coach, I love you, Rest in peace, our legend!»

Ethan Thomas shared a few words from the former basketball player who died at the age of 64 from pancreatic cancer: “Basketball isn’t supposed to be easy. There’s a reason only special people do it. They don’t give up when the going gets tough. They do not point fingers at others. They make adjustments and learn from every game, whether they score 20 or barely play.” (Filed As: NBA star Louis Orr dies)