At the age of 55, former Minnesota Timberwolves top pick Felton Spencer has passed away. He played 12 NBA seasons with the Utah Jazz, the Golden State Warriors, the New York Knicks, the Orlando Magic and the San Antonio Spurs. During his NBA career, Spencer averaged 5.2 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game after being drafted with the No. 6 pick in the 1990 NBA Draft.
His three seasons with Minnesota ended in 1993, when he was traded to the Jazz, where he was a key starter on a Utah team that made the Western Conference finals twice in three years. In 1994, Utah advanced to the Western Conference finals before losing 4-1 to the Houston Rockets, when he averaged 7.9 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game. When Spencer played for the Jazz from 1993-96, former assistant coach Gordon Chiesa described him as an outstanding rebounder and competitor.
Spencer also has a unique place in NBA lore because he started at center for the Magic’s opener in 1996-97, taking over the starting center role after Shaquille O’Neal left Orlando to sign with the LA Lakers.
While at Louisville, Spencer appeared in 134 games and recorded a career field goal percentage of 62.8%, which still stands today.