Syracuse Basketball ‘Icon’ Lawrence Moten Found Dead at 53 in Washington, D.C. Home

Former Syracuse basketball legend Lawrence Moten is being remembered this week after his death at age 53.

Moten, who played for the Orange from 1991-95 and remains the university’s all-time leading scorer, was found dead inside his Washington, D.C., area home, his daughter Lawrencia Moten told Syracuse.com. A cause of death was not immediately clear, according to The Associated Press.

PEOPLE has reached out to Lawrencia and the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., for more information surrounding the former college basketball star’s death.

The school announced his death Tuesday, Sept. 30, citing information shared by Lawrencia.

“Lawrence Moten was a Syracuse icon,” Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack said in a statement provided by the school. “His accolades as Syracuse’s all-time leading scorer and holding the Big East scoring record for 25 years speak for themselves, but his style of play is what energized the Dome and was deserving of his nickname ‘Poetry in Moten.’”

The school’s athletic director added: “He was a fixture around the program long after his playing career, always with a smile on his face. We extend our thoughts and prayers to Lawrence’s family and friends. He will be Forever Orange.”

Moten finished his college career with 2,334 career points, averaging 19.3 points per game throughout his collegiate career with the Orange.

The shooting guard, who was born in Washington, D.C., helped Syracuse reach the NCAA Tournament in three of his four seasons and was named a Second-Team All-American during his senior year. Moten later went on to play two seasons with the Vancouver Grizzlies in the NBA before playing overseas in Spain and Venezuela, as well as playing several seasons in the Continental Basketball Association and the American Basketball Association leagues.

After his playing career ended in 2006, Moten returned to the Syracuse area to become a youth coach. He later moved back to his hometown of Washington, D.C., and most recently worked as the general manager for the boys and girls basketball teams at Digital Pioneers Academy, according to Syracuse.

Moten’s No. 21 jersey was retired by Syracuse in 2018.

“Lawrence’s passing is such a sudden thing — it’s very hard to take,” longtime former Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim told the AP. “He was one of the most underrated college basketball players of all time. I believe some people took his ability for granted because he made it look so easy. Lawrence was one of our greatest players and one of the best in the history of the Big East Conference.”