42 Athletes That Died Before 40

NBA | February 16, 2021

Hank Gathers

Hank Gathers’ passing could be one of the saddest deaths in the history of sports. Hank was another star who never even got the chance at the pro level before his life was lost.

In 1990, Hank led the Loyola Marymount University Men’s Basketball team to one of the highest-scoring seasons in college basketball. Sadly, Gathers’ heart condition took his life during a game in March 1990, with the student-athlete collapsing on the court. He was declared dead hours later at age 23.