Former Utah Jazz Center Felton Spencer Passes Away At 55
Mar 12, 2023, 3:43 PM | Updated: 4:35 pm
Utah Jazz forward Felton Spencer (Courtesy of Tom Smart / Deseret News)
(Courtesy of Tom Smart / Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – Former Utah Jazz center Felton Spencer passed away at the age of 55 years old.
The Louisville men’s basketball program announced the former NBA player’s death on social media on Sunday, March 12.
Prior to his professional career, Spencer was a standout player for the Cardinals.
“We’re heartbroken by the passing of UofL great Felton Spencer. Spencer was the Cardinals’ all-time leader in career field goal percentage, the 6th overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft, & a beloved member of the Louisville community. Our thoughts & prayers are with his loved ones,” the Louisville men’s basketball tweeted.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) March 12, 2023
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The Louisville, Kentucky native was born on January 5, 1968. After high school, Spencer attended the University of Louisville and became a standout player for the Cardinals’ basketball team. He became Louisville’s all-time leader in field goal percentage during college.
Following his time at Louisville, Spencer was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the No. 6 overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft. Spencer was honored as an NBA All-Rookie Second Team member in 1991.
Spencer played for the T-Wolves until 1993 when he was traded to the Jazz for Mike Brown. Spencer joined a Jazz team that featured fellow frontcourt players in Karl Malone and Mark Eaton.
The center played for the Jazz until 1996 when Utah traded him to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Brooks Thompson, Kenny Gattison, and a first round pick.
During his time in Utah, Spencer averaged 7.6 points per contest on 50.5 percent shooting. He also recorded 6.7 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 23.8 minutes per game. Spencer played in 184 games for the Jazz, including 183 starts.
Felton Spencer was only a part of the #UtahJazz for 3 seasons but was a big part of their success from '93-96. I know this is a David Benoit dunk, but this is what I think of every time Felton Spencer's name comes up.#TakeNote l @KSLSports l #RIPFeltonSpencer pic.twitter.com/5mQK2J7Qty
— Sam Farnsworth (@Samsworth_KSL) March 12, 2023
During the rest of his NBA career, Spencer played for the Magic, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, and New York Knicks. He retired from the league following the 2001-02 season.
