Former player NBA "Tractor" Traylor found dead

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Robert Traylor, former NBA and University of Michigan big man nicknamed "tractor" because of its giant image, died. He was 34.

Described as a "gentle giant" with a smile, Traylor has played seven years in the NBA. However, it is perhaps best known for his career at Michigan, where he was a standout for three seasons, but became involved in a major scandal involving a booster.

Police in San Juan said that Traylor was found dead Wednesday on the floor of the bedroom of his apartment on the ocean. Police and Traylor of the team, the Bayamon Cowboys, said he had been absent for a few days and apparently died of a heart attack.

"He was a leader of the team," said Jose Carlos Perez, Manager of the Cowboys. "It was very, very user-friendly." He got along very well with everyone. The fans loved him, idolizes him. ?

NBAE/David Liam Kyle/Getty ImagesRobert Traylor, observed in 2005, played seven seasons in the NBA.

Perez told Associated Press that Traylor had spoken by telephone to his wife in Chicago when the connection was suddenly cut. She called team Wednesday officials, and they have checked on him, Perez said.

The 6-foot-8, Traylor 300 pounds was injured and had not been playing, said of the team.

Traylor was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks sixth in 1998, but they exchanged his rights to Milwaukee in a major agreement that Dirk Nowitzki was sent to Dallas. Traylor played for the Bucks in the first two seasons of an NBA career that included stops in Cleveland, Charlotte and New Orleans.

"The whole of the Milwaukee Bucks organization is saddened by the news of the death of Robert Traylor," Bucks said in a statement. "Robert was a competitor hard court which helped the Bucks to reach the playoffs in each of his two seasons at Milwaukee.

"He was off the coast of the Court a gentle giant, displaying his smile and care, especially to young people through its involvement in school visits and his work with the Special Olympics clinic."

Traylor received his nickname of "Tractor" in high school, and then makes it to Michigan shortly after the departures of Fab five stars, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard and Jalen Rose. Part of another vaunted very class recruitment arrived in 1995, Traylor has played three seasons with the Wolverines.

Dugan Fife, who played with Traylor for a season, Michigan described as gentle and selfless voice.

"He likes to put on this shirt from Michigan," said Fife. "I was disappointed, that I was only to play one year with him because of the type of guy, he has been." ... Never complained about time, never complained get the game ball. ?

Of course, what everybody remembers what Traylor was its size - including unusually large hands and feet.

"I remember shaking his hand for the first time," said Fife. "I could get my foot with a shoe on, in her shoes."

Traylor was the most valuable player of the NIT in 1997 and average 16.2 points and 10.1 rebounds the next season, when Michigan won the inaugural Big Ten tournament.

"We are saddened to hear of the loss of a former student-athlete, Robert Traylor," Michigan Sports Director, said Dave Brandon. "Our sympathy out his family during this difficult period."

Although it is productive on the Court, Traylor was one of the Michigan players whose links to booster Ed Martin resulted in NCAA sanctions against the basketball program.

He turned pro after his junior year, with an average of 4.8 points and 3.7 rebounds in 438 games NBA.

Traylor had surgery on his aorta in 2005, said Bayamon Cowboys.

The team has suspended his game Wednesday night because of his death.

Traylor played with a team of Veracruz, in the Mexico, before he moved to Puerto Rico in mid-March, said Perez.

He said "his game was a lot of force, a lot of defence".

Coach of Indiana Tom Crean, a former assistant at Michigan State, echoed these sentiments in an post on Twitter.

"Michigan State, we fought against him and he could be long and difficult the confrontational spirit we never been confronted and we as coaches were not yet play." He had large feet and hands and very dupe...You really had to have a plan to stop him. ?

In 2009, Traylor was sentenced to prison after violating the terms of supervised release related to a case of tax on income in which he acknowledged prepare a tax return false which hid assets of a convicted drug dealer.

A judge delayed the sentence thus Traylor could play for an Italian team.

Attorney of Detroit Steve Fishman, a friend of the Traylor which he represented during his legal troubles, said that Traylor often worked with him at youth basketball camps.

"He was a gentle giant", Fishman told the AP on Wednesday. "There are two things in it that really uncompetitive with other athletes of this day and age: never, he complains and always took responsibility what either he never."

Fishman minimized size of Traylor, saying that the former NBA player was "just a huge person."

"If he starved himself in the Gobi desert, it would still appreciate 270 books," said Fishman.

Fishman said the Traylor aortic disorders have been discovered in physics, an NBA, causing teams away from him.

The Attorney General also see questions about the connection of the Traylor to Martin, who died in 2003 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to launder money. Martin had told federal prosecutors that he took in the game of money, he combined with other funds and lent $616,000 to Traylor and other actors.

"Any player who had the circumstances that came from Robert Traylor would have taken money from Ed Martin or anyone else," he said. "It was not a child of privilege."

Perez said the Traylor survivors include his wife and two sons.