Duke announces Art Heyman, the captain of the Blue Devils' first Final Four team, has died.
The school said Tuesday family members say Heyman died Monday night in Florida. The cause of death was not available. He was 71.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski says Heyman was ''one of the elite players to ever wear a Blue Devil uniform.''
Heyman led Duke to a 69-14 record from 1960-63 and averaged 25 points and nearly 11 rebounds. He was the most outstanding player of the 1963 Final Four.
He's tied for 12th on Duke's career scoring list (1,984 points) and is one of three Blue Devils to average a double-double for three straight seasons.
Heyman, one of 13 players to have their jersey retired at Duke, was a three-time All-America selection while averaging 25.1 points and 10.9 rebounds per game for the Blue Devils.
"As much as any other human being, Art [Heyman] was responsible for Duke University becoming a national power in college basketball," said former Duke coach Vic Bubas.
Heyman was involved in several heated incidents during games against North Carolina, including a brawl in 1961.
"Art [Heyman] was a warrior on the basketball court. He was relentless and his attitude on the court was infectious to his teammates," said former Duke teammate Jeff Mullins. "He only wanted to win, and wouldn't settle for less. He put a lot of pressure on himself to be great, and he was.
Heyman was drafted by the New York Knicks in 1963 and played eight seasons in the NBA and ABA.
Quotes from Duke's official press release were also used in this report.
