Lawrence Moten, the all-time leading scorer in Syracuse Orange history, has passed away. He was 53.
According to ESPN, an athletic department confirmed that Moten passed at his home in Washington, D.C.. No cause of death has been released.
Jim Boeheim, Moten’s coach at Syracuse, shared his dismay over his former player’s passing.
“Lawrence’s passing is such a sudden thing; it’s very hard to take,” Boeheim said. “He was one of the most underrated college basketball players of all time. I believe some people took his ability for granted because he made it look so easy. Lawrence was one of our greatest players and one of the best in the history of the Big East Conference.”
Adrian Autry, a former teammate with Moten and the current head coach at Syracuse, also issued a statement.
“I can’t think of anybody who was more positive or who loved Syracuse more than he did,” said Autry. “He was one of the greatest to put on the uniform. It’s a big loss. I was able to play alongside him for three years and watch him do some amazing things. I was fortunate to spend time with him on and off the court.”
During his time at Syracuse from 1991 to 1995, he was nicknamed “Poetry in Moten” for his smooth style on the court. Standing 6-foot-5, Moten scored 2,334 points, a school record, and put up 1,405 points in Big East play, which was a conference record that stood until 2020. Over his collegiate career, Motenn averaged 19.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. He is the only player in Syracuse history to score at least 500 points in four consecutive seasons.
Moten’s jersey was retired by Syracuse in 2018.
Drafted in the second round by the Vancouver Grizzlies in the 1995 NBA draft, he went on to play two seasons in Canada. Moten also had a brief stint with the Washington Wizards in 1998.
After his NBA career, he played in the CBA and ABA, and in Spain and Venezuela. Moten later became the vice president of player development for the Maryland Nighthawks of the ABA. He was the head coach of the Rochester Razorsharks in 2014.