According to the team of former NBA player Robert “Tractor” Traylor, Traylor has been found dead in his apartment in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico. He was 34 years old.
Traylor first gained national attention for his hulking physique and skill around the basket as a star forward at the University of Michigan, and was taken with the sixth overall pick (and swapped for Dirk Nowitzki on draft day) after averaging 16 points and 10 rebounds per game as a Michigan junior.
Traylor’s NBA career never lived up to the promise he showed in college, and he averaged 4.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in stints with the Bucks, Cavaliers, and Hornets before he began his international basketball career in 2006 after a failed physical with the New Jersey Nets.
Traylor struggled with health and weight issues throughout most of his adult life, but his cause of death has yet to be confirmed. He had been out with a heel injury but not been seen for several days when friends went to his apartment to check on him and found him passed.
Our thoughts go out to the friends and family of Mr. Traylor.
