Back in July, a former member of the Oklahoma City Thunder passed away unexpectedly.
Ryan Reid, a member of the 2011-12 Thunder team that made it all the way to the 2012 NBA Finals, reportedly died as a result of a medical emergency. The news first appeared in a social media post by French team, Nancy, with whom Reid had played between 2014 and 2015.
The medical emergency was later reported to have been a heart attack. Reid was 38 years old.
Il avait marqué tout le monde de par sa gentillesse et son talent ! Nous adressons nos plus sincères condoléances à sa famille et à ses proches ♥️🤍
Reid’s NBA Career
Reid played for the Thunder for one season, having been selected by them in the second round of the 2010 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers before being traded to the Thunder, along with cash, in exchange for the draft rights to Magnum Rolle. He appeared in six NBA games, scoring eight points and grabbing two rebounds in 17 minutes played, and instead spent the majority of the season with the Thunder’s then-D League then-affiliate, the Tulsa 66ers.
For the 66ers, Reid averaged 11.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks per game, but he was never a stats-heavy player. Reid’s game was based upon intelligent defense, rotations and positional sense, a combination of size and basketball IQ that saw him drafted by the Thunder despite averaging only 7/5 as a senior. It was a combination that would see him play as a professional for more than a decade.
Leaving American shores in the summer of 2012, Reid would play another ten years of professional basketball, the vast majority of which were split between Japan and France alongside short stints in Canada and Puerto Rico. He finished his career in the French second division in 2022 with Quimper, and had also played for the Jamaican national team between 2009 and 2013.
Tribute From Former Team Mate
When he graduated from Florida State in 2010, Reid left as the winningest player in the school’s history. His Seminoles teams won 88 games across his four years under the stewardship of Leonard Hamilton, a record that stood until the pandemic-affected 104 wins of former Atlanta Hawks guard, Trent Forrest.
Among Reid’s team mates during that period was guard Luke Loucks, who earlier this year replaced Hamilton – who departed the program after 23 seasons – as the Seminole’s head coach. In a post on his X account, Loucks paid tribute to Reid as both a player and a person.
“Ryan was more than just a great basketball player – he was a great competitor, a trusted teammate, a natural leader, a devoted husband and a loving father,” said Loucks, in a social media tribute post. “He was a mountain of a man, both in stature and in spirit – always standing tall for the people he cared about. His personality filled every room, his sense of humor lifted every moment, and his presence made us all better – on and off the court.”
“I’ll forever be grateful for the battles we shared, the laughs we had, and the memories we built together. You’ll be deeply missed, Ryan. Your legacy lives on through the lives you touched and the love you gave. No words make your passing easier, but your life will be celebrated by your friends, your family, and your fans.”
Former Thunder Center Passed Away Unexpectedly Aged 38