Knicks’ First-Round Pick Jerrod Mustaf Dies at 55

Per longtime NBA writer Brandon Robinson, brief New York Knick Jerrod Mustaf has passed away at the age of 55.

Mustaf played one season with the Knicks after the team brought him in as the 17th overall pick of the 1990 NBA Draft out of Maryland. He averaged 4.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in 62 appearances before he was sent to the Phoenix Suns in the deal that acquired Xavier McDaniel.

Mustaf originally made a name for himself in Maryland basketball: before starring for the Terrapins, he played at DeMatha Catholic. He later spent three seasons with the Suns as a reserve and held a fringe role in the team’s run to the 1993 NBA Finals, where they lost to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in six games.

The NBA career of Mustaf ended after he was labeled “an investigative lead” in the 1993 murder of his girlfriend Althea Hayes, who was pregnant at the time of her death. His cousin Lavonnie Wooten was eventually convicted of the crime and sentenced to life in prison in 1996. Hayes’ family filed a wrongful death civil lawsuit against Mustaf but the two parties settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.

SI’s Jon Wertheim profiled Mustaf’s story in 2019.

Following his departure from the league after the case, Mustaf continued his professional career overseas, playing in Greece, Andorra, Spain, France, and Turkey. He returned to Maryland in the 2000s and served as the CEO and president of the Street Basketball Association, a short-lived “Baskettainment” league. Mustaf later led “Take Charge” a “collaborative community-based 501c3 non-profit organization specializing in pre-teen  & teen behavior health, youth development and family strengthening programming” founded by his father Shaar.

Mustaf is survived by his son Jaeden, who currently appears on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets’ men’s basketball roster.

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