Death of basketball’s £60m Scots giant at age of just 39
THE only Scot to ever play basketball in the NBA has died at home in Illinois at the age of 39.
Father-of-one Robert Archibald, who made an estimated £60 million fortune during his ten years at the top of the game, died on Thursday. Last night, tributes flooded in from all over the world as his legion of fans and fellow players reacted with shock to the news.
The circumstances surrounding the death of the star, who grew up in Dunfermline before moving to the US in his teens, are not yet known. Yesterday, his father Bobby, who captained Scotland and Great Britain playing basketball in the 1980s, confirmed his son had died at the home he shared in Chicago with his wife, Molly, 40, and their eight-yearold son, Robbie.
A devastated Mr Archibald Snr, who is originally from Paisley but now lives in Texas, said: ‘We were so proud of him.
‘He pushed personal envelopes for his sport by making it to the NBA with his dedication to his craft.’ During his career, the 6ft 11in star played for the Memphis Grizzlies, the Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic and the Toronto Raptors.
He later transferred back across the Atlantic and became one of only three Britons ever to lift a European trophy during his spell with Spanish giants Joventut Badalona, as well as winning the Ukrainian League title with oil-rich Azovmash Mariupol.
He retired shortly after representing Team GB at the London Olympics in
2012 and later set up his own insurance broker business in Illinois, opting not to go into coaching but to spend more time with his family.
Last night, Basketball Scotland’s chief executive Kevin Pringle said: ‘The news of Robert’s death is a complete shock to us all.
‘He was a wonderful man and a great friend, as well as being a trailblazer and an inspiration to others.
‘The basketball community has lost a great role model and a true friend, and the thoughts of the whole community are with his family at this difficult time.’