Hero of unlikely Final Four team dies in tragic car accident
In an Elite Eight game between Iowa and UNLV in March 1987, Runnin’ Rebels forward Gerald Paddio nailed four three-pointers in the second half, part of a 24-2 scoring run that erased a 16-point halftime deficit. The victory was the high point in UNLV’s program history. They reached the Final Four for just the second time ever — a fitting destiny for a team that finished the regular season ranked No.
1 in the country. MORE: Georgia two-sport star, top-5 MLB draft pick, dies It was also the high point in Paddio’s basketball career. Although he went on to play parts of three seasons for five different NBA teams, he was never a star as a professional.
Once his playing career ended, Paddio returned to his native Louisiana. On April 4, he was found dead on the scene of a tragic single-car crash, the only victim of an apparent accident on a rural stretch of highway near his home town of Rayne. Paddio was 60.
MORE: Vikings announce tragic death of six-time NFL Pro Bowler Paddio averaged 13. 1 points, 4. 3 rebounds and 2.
0 assists in 39 games (37 starts) for the 37-2 Runnin’ Rebelsin 1986-87. After his final year at UNLV, Paddio was selected by the Boston Celtics in the third round (74th overall) of the 1988 NBA Draft. He played one season in the CBA and another in Europe before finally getting his first chance in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1990.