Melvin Turpin, American basketball player, has died from an apparent suicide by gunshot he was , 49

Melvin Harrison "Mel" Turpin was an American professional basketball player, has died from an apparent suicide by gunshot he was , 49.

(December 28, 1960 – July 8, 2010)

Life and career

A 6'11" center, Turpin was born in Lexington, Kentucky and attended Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, Virginia from 1979-1980. He was FUMA's most valuable player for the postgraduate squad under coach Fletcher Arritt. He was also voted the number one player in the state for varsity basketball. While at FUMA, he averaged 19 points, 12 rebounds, and six blocked shots per game. He was inducted into the Fork Union Military Academy Hall of Fame in 2000.^[1]

At the University of Kentucky, Turpin made the 1st Team All-SEC for 1982 and 1983, and was a starter for the NCAA Final Four Kentucky Wildcats Team (1983-1984). In 1984, he was the SEC scoring leader, and he still holds the record for the most field goals made in SEC tournament play in addition to the co-holder for the individual with the most points scored in a single SEC tournament game (1984). Turpin scored 42 points in a game against Tennessee as a junior by making 18 of 22 shots from the field. He similarly dominated LSU as a senior, shooting 15 of 17 from the floor and five of six from the foul line.^[2]

After four seasons he was drafted as the sixth overall pick in the first round by the Washington Bullets in the 1984 NBA Draft, and immediately traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. As a professional, however, Turpin struggled with his weight, and after five seasons with the Cavaliers, the Utah Jazz and the Bullets, he retired. Earning the derisive nicknames "Dinner Bell Mel" and "The Mealman", Turpin was considered one of the biggest busts in a draft class that included future greats such as Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and John Stockton.^[3] In a 2004 Sports Illustrated article, Turpin quipped, "In my day, they thought the big man was supposed to be thin. They didn't know too much. It was medieval".^[4]

Turpin later worked as a security guard.^[4]

Awards

In 2000, Turpin was inducted into the Fork Union Military Academy Hall of Fame.^[5]

Death

On July 8, 2010, Turpin committed suicide in his Lexington home from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 49.^[6]

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