Conrad McRae

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Conrad McRae (born January 11, 1971 in New York, New York; died July 10, 2000 in Irvine, California) was a professional basketball player who was selected by the Washington Bullets in the 2nd round (38th overall) of the 1993 NBA Draft. McRae's professional career flourished overseas in Europe for teams in Italy, Greece and Turkey. In the summer of 2000, McRae collapsed and died during a practice with the Orlando Magic's summer league team at the University of California, Irvine.

[edit] Bio

McRae attended Brooklyn Technical High School where he excelled at basketball. He also entertained crowds in the Entertainers Basketball Classic at Harlem's famous Rucker Park, where he earned the nickname "McNasty". McRae was selected as a McDonald's High School All-American, and he receieved numerous scholarship offers. McRae accepted a scholarship to Syracuse University, playing under basketball coach Jim Boeheim. While at Syracuse, McRae became a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity (Theta Xi Chapter). Though he did not immediately garner many minutes, his tenacity, athleticism, and defensive skills turned him into a star, and an NBA draft pick, and eventually a star on several European clubs.