FIRST it was Caldwell Jones, back in September of 2014 at the age of 64. Less than 3 weeks ago, it was Darryl Dawkins at the age of 58. Then, yesterday, it was Moses Malone at the age of 60.
It is a horrible coincidence, the deaths of three former Sixers big men in such a short period of time, but it serves to highlight a link that scientists have identified and studied for decades, the link between height and longevity.
A study of baseball players published in 2002 said that a typical major leaguer who stood 5-5 lived to around the age of 80 while a typical player who was 6-6 didn't make it to age 70.