Ex-Knicks player Dean Meminger found dead

NEW YORK Dean Meminger, the former Marquette guard who played a reserve role on the New York Knicks' 1973 NBA championship team, was found dead Friday in a Manhattan hotel room. He was 65.

New York City police said staff at the Hamilton Heights Hotel found Meminger unconscious and unresponsive inside a room and emergency medical personnel pronounced him dead. Police said there were no signs of trauma and that the cause of death hadn't been determined. They said an investigation is ongoing.

FILE - In this 1972 file photo, New York Knicks' Dean Meminger poses for a photo in New York.

/ AP Photo/File

"We want to thank everyone for their prayers and condolences during this difficult time for our family," Meminger's family said in a statement. "Dean `The Dream' Meminger touched the hearts of so many on and off the basketball court. Through basketball and education, he helped countless people around the country receive scholarships, high school and college admissions, and even employment."

Meminger averaged 6.1 points in six seasons with the Knicks and Atlanta Hawks. A former New York City prep star at Rice High School, Meminger led Marquette to a 78-9 mark in three varsity seasons, averaging 18.8 points. He averaged 21.2 points as a senior in 1970-71 and was drafted 16th overall by the Knicks.

"Everyone at the New York Knicks' organization is saddened to hear the news of Dean Meminger's passing," Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald said in a statement. "From the day he was drafted by this franchise in 1971, Dean was a friend and close family member of this team. On April 5, 2013, the 1973 world championship team was honored at Madison Square Garden on its 40th anniversary. There was no one prouder than Dean to be back on the court with his teammates. We send our heartfelt condolences to the entire Meminger family."

Meminger had short coaching stints with the New York Stars in the Women's Basketball League, the Albany Patroons in the CBA and the Long Island Knights in the USBL. He coached Manhattanville College in 2003-04.

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Ex-MLB player Chad Curtis guilty in sex assault case

HASTINGS, Mich. Former major league outfielder Chad Curtis faces up to 15 years in prison after a jury in West Michigan found him guilty Friday on charges that he inappropriately touched three teenage girls.

Curtis, 44, was convicted of six counts of criminal sexual conduct and will be sentenced Sept. 26 in Barry County.

Curtis was accused of touching two 15-year-old girls last year when he was a volunteer weight-room strength trainer at an area high school. A 16-year-old girl later told authorities that he touched and fondled her in 2011.

"We give these young ladies so much credit for their courage," Barry County Prosecutor Julie Nakfoor-Pratt told MLive.com after the verdict. "It took a lot of courage to testify. This has been such a long road for them. This is a step in the healing process for them."

Curtis' attorney, David Dodge, did not immediately return email and phone messages from The Associated Press seeking comment Friday evening.

Between 1992 and 2001, Curtis played for the then-California Angels, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and Texas Rangers. He won two World Series rings with the Yankees.

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Ex-MLB player Chad Curtis guilty in sex assault case

HASTINGS, Mich. Former major league outfielder Chad Curtis faces up to 15 years in prison after a jury in West Michigan found him guilty Friday on charges that he inappropriately touched three teenage girls.

Curtis, 44, was convicted of six counts of criminal sexual conduct and will be sentenced Sept. 26 in Barry County.

Curtis was accused of touching two 15-year-old girls last year when he was a volunteer weight-room strength trainer at an area high school. A 16-year-old girl later told authorities that he touched and fondled her in 2011.

"We give these young ladies so much credit for their courage," Barry County Prosecutor Julie Nakfoor-Pratt told MLive.com after the verdict. "It took a lot of courage to testify. This has been such a long road for them. This is a step in the healing process for them."

Curtis' attorney, David Dodge, did not immediately return email and phone messages from The Associated Press seeking comment Friday evening.

Between 1992 and 2001, Curtis played for the then-California Angels, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and Texas Rangers. He won two World Series rings with the Yankees.

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