Howard Porter

From Hoopedia

Howard Porter (born August 31, 1948 in Stuart, Florida - died May 27, 2007 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) was a college and professional basketball player. At 6'8" and 220 pounds, he played as a forward and a center.

Porter attended Booker High School in Sarasota, Florida, where he was nicknamed "Geez" because teammates said he could leap into the air like a geyser. The highlight of his high school career occurred in 1967, when he led Booker to the Florida Interscholastic Athletic Association Class A State Basketball Championship.

Porter then played collegiately at Villanova University, where he was a three time All-America selection. He took Villanova to the 1971 NCAA Championship Game, in which Villanova lost to UCLA, 68-62. Porter was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after scoring 25 points in the final game. However, he was later ruled ineligible for the honor because he had signed a professional contract with the Pittsburgh Condors of the American Basketball Association during the middle of his senior year.

Porter never played for the Condors, instead joining the NBA's Chicago Bulls in 1971. He played seven seasons in the NBA as a member of the Bulls, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, and New Jersey Nets. His finest professional season occurred in 1976-77, when he averaged 13.2 points and 5.9 rebounds for the Pistons.

After his basketball playing days ended Porter encountered some serious setbacks in his life. There were a number of failed business ventures. Porter admitted to cocaine addiction. In 1985 he was a penniless cocaine addict sleeping on his mother's couch. He was arrested for drug possession and spent six months in prison for violating his probation. In 1989 he successfully completed a drug rehabilitation program. He worked as a drug addiction counselor. Eventually he landed a job as a Ramsey County (Minnesota) probation officer.

2007 Disappearance And Death

Howard Porter disappeared on May 18, 2007. He was found severely beaten in a Minneapolis, Minnesota alley in the early morning hours of May 19 and died on May 27, of injuries sustained during the assault.

Police have not apprehended a suspect in the assault, and have no suspects. Police are unsure whether the assault was related to his job as a probation officer. As of May 26, police were investigating reports that Porter was abducted prior to the assault.