Sunday, October 14, 2007

RIP Alec Kessler (1967-2007)



Former Miami Heat player Alec Kessler died last night from a heart attack in Pensacola after playing a game of pickup basketball. He was just 40 years old. At 6-foot-11, Kessler was a former All SEC and All American player at the University of Georgia. He graduated in 1990 as Georgia's all time leading scorer with 1,788 points. Kessler was one of two first round draft picks by the Miami Heat in 1990 along with Willie Burton. Kessler was the 12th pick of the 1990 NBA Draft.

Both Kessler and Burton struggled in their Heat careers and never lived up to expectations as pros. Kessler averaged just 5.2 points 3.6 rebounds in his 4 year Heat career that spanned 210 games. But while Kessler's basketball career didn't live up to promise, his life after basketball was very successful. He graduated from medical school at Emory University in Atlanta and became an orthopedic surgeon. Kessler and had been practicing medicine in Pensacola. I would like to send out my prayers and condolences to the Kessler family. He is survived by his wife Rhea and sons Nicholas and Christopher.

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