Art Heyman — a man at the heart of the Duke/North Carolina rivalry who went on to be the No. 1 overall pick of the Knicks in 1963 — passed away Monday at the age of 71. The cause of death is not known.
Heyman is often remembered as the first great players at Duke, a three time All-American who led the school to its first Final Four back in 1963. He also lit the fire under the Duke/North Carolina rivalry when during a February game he punched Larry Brown (yes, that Larry Brown) and started a benches-clearing brawl.
The Knicks picked him No. 1 overall and Heyman played six years bouncing between the NBA and ABA. The 6’5” swingman averaged 13 points a game over his career but never blossomed into the NBA star many expected. He did, however, help the Pittsburgh Pipers win the 1968 ABA title.