Lorenzen Wright, the former NBA player, was found dead on the outskirts of Memphis after a long search of ten days.

Curtis Wright, the uncle of the deceased, said that they came to know about this tragedy only after the police called Herb Wright, Lorenzen’s father, on Wednesday afternoon informing them of this mishap.

Alyssa Macon-Moore, Sergeant at the Memphis Police Department, was not able to reveal the true identity of the body found in the woods around 15 miles southwards to downtown Memphis, till Wednesday night.

Camella Logan, a cousin of Lorenzen, mouthed the feelings of his family: “Lorenzen’s family has come together to mourn his loss and honor his legacy. We appreciate your thoughts, prayers and condolences as they are comforting at this very difficult time. Additionally, we ask that you please respect our privacy as we try to cope with his sudden loss.”

Deborah Marion, the player’s mother, was overcome with grief when she reached the crime sight late Wednesday night and even trespassed through the crime scene tape to reach out to the police before she was asked to retreat. She was in a TV van when two of the officials led her outside.

But Marion again attempted to reach the crime scene where she met the police officials who talked to her. She then ignored the awaiting reporters and went towards a van.

Lorenzen Wright went missing on 18 July when he was supposed to catch an outstation flight. The missing person report was registered on 22 July.

The 34-year-old Wright represented the NBA for thirteen years for teams like Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies and finally for Cleveland Cavaliers playing 17 matches in the 2008-2009 season. Wright was really eager to be a part of the NBA for which he even left behind the University of Memphis early and the Clippers picked him up to include him in the No. 7 slot.

Wright figured 8 points with 6.4 rebounds in his career of 778 games.

Around 200 people had already visited the blocked-off site on Wednesday night before the police came up with the mobile command center. The helicopters of the TV news channels were hovering in the air as the grounds were out of bound.

Penny Hardaway, the prominent ex-NBA player who was part of Memphis a couple of years before Wright, rushed to the site after hearing about the tragedy from a friend.
He said: “I cried. The emotions hit me immediately. It’s just sad because we lost a good person and a brother.”

Elliot Perry, the other well-known Memphis player who was also personally acquainted with Wright, and Lorenzen’s earlier personal assistant, Wendy Wilson, were also present on the scene.

Wilson said that Wright went to his mother’s home through the short route which was cordoned off by the police. He said: “He was a good person. He did not deserve to die this way. God is not pleased with this.”

Michael Heisley, Memphis Grizzlies majority owner, said in a statement released on Wednesday night, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Lorenzen Wright. We lost a member of the Grizzlies family. Lorenzen delighted fans on the court with his passion and off the court with his generosity in a Memphis community that watched him grow throughout his playing career …”

His fans can express their condolences below to share the grief of his bereaved family.