PittsburghSucks Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Robert "Tractor" Traylor, who spent two one-year stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers during his seven-year NBA career, has died at age 34, his Puerto Rican team confirms today.According to www.elnuevodia.com, BAyamon Cowboys team attorney José Carlos Pérez said Traylor was in communication with his wife via Skype at about 7 p.m. Tuesday when communication was cut off. She tried to contact him several times, as well as Perez and some of the players but was unsuccessful. Elnuevodia reported that the building maintenance staff at Traylor's apartment forced the door open and found Traylor lying on the floor. "Apparently, the center died of a massive heart attack," the website reported. Perez said there were no signs of violence in the room nor the player had any kind of wound or injury. Traylor played four seasons in Puerto Rico's National Superior Basketball League (BSN). He played in 2007-08 with the Santurce Crabbers before joining the Cowboys. This season in 10 games, he scored 81 points and got 63 rebounds. The Cowboys announced that today's game against Mayagüez was suspended Traylor played with the Cavaliers in the 2000-01 and 2004-05 seasons. In his first Cleveland season, he averaged 5.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in 17.3 minutes, playing 70 games. During his next stay with the Cavs, Traylor played in 74 games, averaging 5.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 17.9 minutes. Traylor was selected by the Dallas Mavericks out of Michigan as the sixth overall pick in the 1998 draft. He was then traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for the rights to Dirk Nowitzki, who had been selected by the Bucks.http://www.cleveland.com/ohio-sports-blog/index.ssf/2011/05/robert_tractor_traylor_former.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DelayedPenalty Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I just saw this news on AnnArbor.com too. Sad news.On another note...Traylor was selected by the Dallas Mavericks out of Michigan as the sixth overall pick in the 1998 draft. He was then traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for the rights to Dirk Nowitzki, who had been selected by the Bucks.The Bucks sure got the short end of that deal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmoehrin Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I'm suspicious that there was no foul played involved.Most of these international teams are mob run. I've heard stories of players asking to renegotiate their contract and having the owner take out a gun. These are not people you mess with and it doesen't take a whole lot to set them off either.The Skype story that was posted here I can't find anywhere else. What I found was that he was missing for three days before anyone thought up contacting him, which seems very odd if true.It may be all for nothing, because he did have a history of heart problems, but I'm not taking it at face value at this point. Heard too many stories with guys overseas to not rule out foul play in anything like this. I want to see an autopsy and get confromation from his wife not some team rep. that he talked to her on Skype the previous night before I'll buy this story. Also see the story of pro wrestler Brusier Brody for how reliable the Puerto Rican authorities can be when somebody in power wants a foreigner dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJTank Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Today we are all big time NBA busts www.sportsecyclopedia.com For the best in sports history go to the Sports E-Cyclopedia at http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cujo Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Today we are all big K. Fixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy! Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I'm suspicious that there was no foul played involved.Most of these international teams are mob run. I've heard stories of players asking to renegotiate their contract and having the owner take out a gun. These are not people you mess with and it doesen't take a whole lot to set them off either.The Skype story that was posted here I can't find anywhere else. What I found was that he was missing for three days before anyone thought up contacting him, which seems very odd if true.It may be all for nothing, because he did have a history of heart problems, but I'm not taking it at face value at this point. Heard too many stories with guys overseas to not rule out foul play in anything like this. I want to see an autopsy and get confromation from his wife not some team rep. that he talked to her on Skype the previous night before I'll buy this story. Also see the story of pro wrestler Brusier Brody for how reliable the Puerto Rican authorities can be when somebody in power wants a foreigner dead.Wow. Just. Wow. "I secretly hope people like that hydroplane into a wall." - Dennis "Big Sexy" Ittner POTD - 7/3/14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEAD! Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I just saw this news on AnnArbor.com too. Sad news.On another note...Traylor was selected by the Dallas Mavericks out of Michigan as the sixth overall pick in the 1998 draft. He was then traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for the rights to Dirk Nowitzki, who had been selected by the Bucks.The Bucks sure got the short end of that deal!Today, Dirk must be thinking, "WOW! That could have been ME!" I saw, I came, I left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmoehrin Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I just saw this news on AnnArbor.com too. Sad news.On another note...Traylor was selected by the Dallas Mavericks out of Michigan as the sixth overall pick in the 1998 draft. He was then traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for the rights to Dirk Nowitzki, who had been selected by the Bucks.The Bucks sure got the short end of that deal!Bucks fans can only dream about a team that would include Ray Allen, Dirk, Glenn Robinson and Sam Cassell all more or less at their respective peaks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Admiral Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I don't know, he has some good points about the quite unsavory nature of sports business abroad (and just think of how unsavory they are at home). Can't rule out foul play.This pmoehrin guy has interesting thoughts on things. We got off on the wrong foot with some argument on the Supersonics, but he presents his thoughts well. ♫ oh yeah, board goes on, long after the thrill of postin' is gone ♫ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBTV Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I don't know, he has some good points about the quite unsavory nature of sports business abroad (and just think of how unsavory they are at home). Can't rule out foul play.This pmoehrin guy has interesting thoughts on things. We got off on the wrong foot with some argument on the Supersonics, but he presents his thoughts well.Maybe one of these mob guys had someone sneak into Traylor's room, put him under, and perform secret surgery on him to replace his heart with one that was about burst. Check him for scars.... "The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmoehrin Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I don't know, he has some good points about the quite unsavory nature of sports business abroad (and just think of how unsavory they are at home). Can't rule out foul play.This pmoehrin guy has interesting thoughts on things. We got off on the wrong foot with some argument on the Supersonics, but he presents his thoughts well.Maybe one of these mob guys had someone sneak into Traylor's room, put him under, and perform secret surgery on him to replace his heart with one that was about burst. Check him for scars....Look I have no idea what happened. I'm just saying given the enviornment its worth looking into and I will be waiting a few days to get more facts before coming to a conclusion as to what happened.And he did have a history of heart problems so a heart attack without any foul play is certainly a possibility as well.The last thing I want to do is start up some kind of conspiracy theory as to what happened, when there isn't much to go on at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GFB Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 RIP Tractor. You were the first U of M basketball player I remember watching... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEAD! Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 RIP Tractor. You were the first U of M basketball player I remember watching... ... I had to check your age just to make sure you were too young to remember the Fab Five I saw, I came, I left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy! Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 RIP Tractor. You were the first U of M basketball player I remember watching... ... I had to check your age just to make sure you were too young to remember the Fab Five Ugh. I just did too. He was born AFTER Robinson and Rice beat Seton Hall in Seattle.I feel old. "I secretly hope people like that hydroplane into a wall." - Dennis "Big Sexy" Ittner POTD - 7/3/14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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