Jim McMillian, a forward on the 1972 Lakers team that won the NBA championship, died Monday in a North Carolina hospital, The Associated Press reported. He was 68.
The Lakers drafted McMillian with the 13th overall pick in the 1970 draft after he enjoyed a storied career at Columbia with the All-American and All-Ivy League nods.
“Jim was an important part of Lakers history, as a key member of our first championship team in Los Angeles in 1972,” Lakers president and co-owner Jeanie Buss said in a statement. “His passing is a sad day for us.