Orlando Woolridge, who played at Notre Dame and went on to a long career in the NBA, was pronounced dead Thursday night at his parents' Mansfield, La., home, the Shreveport Times reported.
Woolridge, 52, had been under hospice care for a chronic heart condition, Desoto Parish chief deputy coroner Billy Locke told the newspaper.
A star at Mansfield High, south of Shreveport in western Louisiana, the 6-9 Woolridge was a member of Notre Dame's 1978 Final Four team.
He was drafted in the first round, sixth overall, of the 1981 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls, with whom he played for five seasons.
He averaged more than 20 points per game for Chicago in 1984-85 and '85-86 before signing with the New Jersey Nets as a free agent in October 1986. He averaged 20.7 points in his first season in New Jersey, but played only 19 games in 1986-87 because he was suspended by the NBA for substance abuse.
Woolridge would go on to play for five other NBA teams before retiring after the 1993-94 season.
He averaged double figures in scoring his last three years at Notre Dame.
According to the Times, he was inducted in 2010 into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
However, according to the newpaper, Woodridge was arrested in February for theft of more than $1,500 for stealing aluminum water lines used to transfer water to natural gas drilling sites, DeSoto Parish deputies said. The material was valued at more than $2,000 and sold for scrap.
