Former NBA player Sean Rooks dies at 46, just hours after Knicks interview

 Sean Rooks, a veteran of 12 NBA seasons, died after collapsing at a Philadelphia restaurant Tuesday night, just hours after interviewing for an assistant coaching position with the Knicks. He was 46.

Rooks met with new Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek and was a likely candidate to join the Knicks staff as an assistant after meeting with Hornacek, Phil Jackson and Steve Mills on Tuesday, according to a source.

The former veteran center returned to Philadelphia Tuesday evening, where he held an assistant coaching job with the Sixers before he died.
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After playing at the University of Arizona, Rooks was the 30th overall pick in the 1992 draft, selected by the Dallas Mavericks. He also played for the Timberwolves, Hawks, Lakers, Clippers, Hornets and Magic.

Rooks was a member of the 1999 Lakers which were coached to the finish line by current Knicks assistant Kurt Rambis.

Scheduled to travel to China on Wednesday, Rooks' passing left the league in mourning. Regarded as a true professional and hard-worker - he spent five seasons coaching in the NBA D-League before being hired by the Sixers in 2014 - the New York City native who played high school ball in Fontana, California, was considered to have a bright coaching future ahead of him.
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