Miami Valley native athletes share condolences after Dwight Anderson’s death

Daequan Cook, a basketball player who attended Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, spoke of his memories playing with Anderson in his backyard. Cook played for The Ohio State University, the Miami Heat, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Houston Rockets and the Chicago Bulls. He also played overseas for teams in Ukraine, Germany, Portugal and Iran.

Anderson played for the former Roth High School in Dayton, where he averaged a triple-double of 38 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists a game as a senior in 1978.

He averaged 13 points per game for Kentucky in three seasons before transferring to USC, where he scored 20 points per game. While at USC, Anderson was the MVP of the Aloha Classic in Honolulu, where he hit 26-of-33 field-goal attempts.

Cris Carter, a former football player from Troy, shared his condolences for Anderson’s family.

The former University of Kentucky and University of Southern California player, who earned the nickname “The Blur” because of his speed on the court, was a Parade All-American and the No. 1 college prospect in the nation. No details regarding the cause of his death were immediately available, though the autopsy will be performed today, the coroner’s office reported.

Anderson suffered through difficult times as an adult, referring to himself as ghost as he battled problems with drugs and alcohol.