Darrell “Dr. Dunkenstein” Griffith, former University of Louisville and NBA star, has died at the age of 57. The cause of death is unknown. He was most notably remembered for his nickname “Dr. Dunkenstein.” He coined the nickname from developing a vertical leap of 48 inches and established himself as one of the best basketball players during his time.
Griffith led the University of Louisville, UofL, to their first NCAA men’s basketball championship in 1980. After winning the National championship his senior year, he was elected as a First-Team ALL American by The Associated Press. He also received the Wooden Award, which is given to the best collegiate basketball player of the year. He finished his career at UofL as their all-time leading scorer.
After finishing his collegiate career, Griffith went on to play professional basketball for the National Basketball Association. In the 1980 NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz selected him as the second overall pick. Griffith was awarded NBA Rookie of the Year in his first season with the Jazz. He was plagued with injuries in the middle of his career that led to early retirement. He played for the Utah Jazz for his entire 10-year career.
Griffith was elected into the NCAA Hall of Fame in 2014. Both UofL and the Utah Jazz retired his jersey number, 35.
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He hosts an annual Derby bash- The Darrell Griffith Foundation Experience- every year before the Kentucky Derby. In September 2014, Griffith had a new gym named after him in the west end of Louisville. The Darrell Griffith Athletic Center is a new, state-of-the-art, basketball facility, which is home to young boys and girls. Griff’s, a restaurant honoring Griffith’s legacy, is set to open this week next to the UofL campus. Here students and fans of the university will be able to cherish and remember his achievements while cheering on UofL in future sporting