Roy Tarpley Passes Away
http://mavsblog.dallasnews.com/2015/01/roy-tarpley-troubled-but-talente…
January 9th, 2015 at 8:05 PM ^
January 10th, 2015 at 12:00 PM ^
This is just sad, and a morality tale of sorts. Roy and one Jim Harbaugh were probably of the same recruiting year, or very close. One went one way, the other went another. Roy could have had an EXCELLENT NBA career. Roy and the original "Fab Five" (Henderson, Wade, Rellford , Jokisch) were in my dorm their freshman year. Roy was a sweet, sensitive soul who would hang out with the fellas and not big-time people like some athletes. Unfortunately, he also even at that age would gravitate to the rooms from where the sweet aromas of "the tree" were emanating, which was pretty much a regular occurence in the mid-80s. Comparing Roy's fate to that of Harbaugh just tells you how 30 years of life can change you.
January 9th, 2015 at 8:06 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 8:11 PM ^
That was a man's man frontcourt.
January 9th, 2015 at 8:57 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 9:44 PM ^
They did not take the second round teams seriously enough and it did them in. Villinova in '85, who won it all, and Johnny Orr and Iowa State who were geeked up to play Orr's former team.
The Fab Five had the same problem, but managed to squeak through some close early round games.
January 9th, 2015 at 9:59 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 8:44 PM ^
Easily one of the most talented players in UMich history. He had his moments in the NBA, too. An SI piece from that era:
http://www.si.com/vault/1985/03/11/620555/the-judgments-in-its-michigan
January 9th, 2015 at 8:08 PM ^
RIP.
January 9th, 2015 at 8:08 PM ^
damn.
One of the biggest talents to every go through UM's sports program but some troubles in his life for sure.
January 9th, 2015 at 8:08 PM ^
R.I.P. Big man.
January 9th, 2015 at 8:10 PM ^
thats horrible news.
Rest in Peace.
January 9th, 2015 at 8:11 PM ^
Sad. Same age as me.
January 9th, 2015 at 8:12 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 8:13 PM ^
RIP Roy. My thoughts and prayers are with your friends and family in this horrible time.
January 9th, 2015 at 8:16 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 8:17 PM ^
My prayers go out to his family and friends.
January 9th, 2015 at 8:18 PM ^
I remember going to see Michigan play at St John's Arena. During the game Roy got a rebound and with Ohio's bigs all around him he elevated and did a fantanstic reverse slam. The Ohio crowd just went "whoa". I loved it and I'll never forget him.
January 9th, 2015 at 8:21 PM ^
Great player. RIP Roy.
So much good news lately. This is truly sad. Way too young.
January 9th, 2015 at 8:20 PM ^
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January 9th, 2015 at 8:20 PM ^
fought demons for years.
RIP big man.
January 9th, 2015 at 8:29 PM ^
I ached for that man to reach his potential when I was young.
I just hope he found some peace and joy in life somewhere along the way.
RIP Roy.
Edit:
Tough to find video of tarpley in college, but here's something.
He was a special, special talent.
January 9th, 2015 at 10:23 PM ^
Ugh, this hurts. Condolences to Roy's family.
Watching that video is incredible. That talent on that team is incomparable to anything in the Big 10 today.
January 9th, 2015 at 8:21 PM ^
Saw a documentary on him 10 years ago on how he was turning his life around and becoming a family man. The report speculated that liver failure was cause of death. Can't help but believe that his body suffered too much from his vices.
January 9th, 2015 at 10:13 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 8:23 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 8:24 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 8:27 PM ^
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January 9th, 2015 at 8:27 PM ^
Very sad news.
I was only a kid in elementary school at the time, but I do have memories of watching Tarpley play both at Crisler in the pros. Great, great talent and taken far too soon. Condolences to his family in this difficult time.
January 9th, 2015 at 8:31 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 8:32 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 8:32 PM ^
RIP.
Lurker but wanted to pay my respects.
January 9th, 2015 at 8:34 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 8:36 PM ^
Sad story. He was at U-M when I was. RIP.
January 9th, 2015 at 8:38 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 8:43 PM ^
I hope you found your peace Roy. Prayers for you and your loved ones.
January 9th, 2015 at 8:41 PM ^
One comment stated he died of liver failure. Could be conjecture or fact but I guess it really doesn't matter. RIP Roy, wish everyone could realize you did the best you could.
January 9th, 2015 at 8:43 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 9:00 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 9:01 PM ^
What a great talent he was, he is the starting C on my all-time Michigan Team, the guy was a pure stud and had he not had his issues during his NBA days, he would have been a slam dunk HOF'er.
R.I.P. Roy, you will be missed!
January 9th, 2015 at 9:17 PM ^
Out of Cooley High, Roy was the least of that class, not a Mr. Basketball like Henderson, Wade or Relford, though from the start it was obvious that he was the man. We'll always have that OT game against Iowa.
January 9th, 2015 at 9:18 PM ^
Sad to see anyone lose that battle, especially someone with the resources to get treatment. I was at Huron those years and caught several games with a buddy who had season tickets.
January 9th, 2015 at 9:18 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 9:21 PM ^
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January 9th, 2015 at 9:25 PM ^
Sucks. Loved watching those mid-80's teams. Roy was a man among boys. RIP, big man.
January 9th, 2015 at 9:36 PM ^
My fondest memories of Michigan basketball are my days in graduate school in 1985-1986 when my wife and I had season tickets. She worked while I went to school. We went to almost all the games as one of our big diversions and passions. Watching Tarpley and his teammates in those days was special as they won an outright Big Ten Championship. The night they won the Big Ten title, we went to Thano's Lamplighter to celebrate and most of the team came by afterwards to celebrate including RT. Great times. RIP Roy.
January 9th, 2015 at 9:52 PM ^
The unofficial training table and clubhouse of Michigan basketball in that era.
January 9th, 2015 at 10:04 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 11:41 PM ^