A former NBA player and standout college basketball star has died following a fatal car accident in Louisiana.
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Gerald Paddio, 60, was killed in a single-car crash over the weekend, according to reports.
The incident occurred on Saturday, April 4, on Ebenezer Road near Addie Drive, just west of Rayne.
Former NBA Player Dies in Louisiana Crash
Acadia Parish Sheriff K.P. Gibson said the vehicle left the roadway for "an unknown reason" before striking a culvert.
The impact ejected Paddio from the vehicle, and he died at the scene.
Authorities have released limited details, with the investigation still ongoing, per Fox News 15.
Gibson later confirmed the victim's identity as Paddio. His death came on the eve of the 2026 NCAA Tournament national title game.
Paddio built a strong reputation at the college level, most notably as a starting forward on UNLV's 1987 Final Four team.
He began his collegiate career at Kilgore College in 1984 before transferring to Seminole State the following year.
During his time there, he earned first-team junior college All-American honors. He later transferred to UNLV, where he played between 1986 and 1988.
Paddio's Career Spanned NBA and Overseas
In his final season with the Runnin' Rebels, Paddio averaged 19.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.1 steals.
He shot 45.6% from the field and 41.8% from three-point range, performances that put him firmly on the radar of NBA teams.
The Boston Celtics selected the 6-foot-7 forward with the 74th overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft.
Paddio went on to appear in 129 NBA games across five teams: the Cleveland Cavaliers, Seattle SuperSonics, Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, and Washington Bullets.
His best NBA season came in 1990-91 with Cleveland. At 25, he averaged 7.2 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists across 70 games, starting 22 of them while primarily coming off the bench.
Paddio's professional career stretched far beyond the NBA. Between 1988 and 2004, he played internationally, featuring for teams in France, Spain, Italy, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, and Argentina.
He closed out his career with Argentine side Ferro Carril Oeste during the 2003-04 season, capping off a long and well-traveled journey in the game.
