Juice WRLD's death is another heart-breaking example of the drug epidemic in rap ... so says ex-NBA player Larry Sanders, who tells TMZ Sports he hopes people can learn from the tragedy.
TMZ broke the story ... the 21-year-old died on Sunday after suffering a seizure. Law enforcement sources say the "Robbery" rapper swallowed a bunch of painkillers to hide them from the feds during a drug raid, which could have played a role in his death.
Of course, rappers like Mac Miller and Lil Peep have also died due to drug-related issues .