20 Athletes that Died Before Their Career Was Over

11 Hank Gathers
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Gathers was another athlete that died due to an abnormal heart condition. The first sign of his illness was when he collapsed at the free throw line on December 9th, 1989 while playing for Loyola Marymount University. He was diagnosed with exercise-induced ventricular tachycardia (abnormal heartbeat) and given medication.

When Gathers discovered that the medication affected his athletic ability, he cut-back on his dosage. On March 4th, 1990 he collapsed on the court again. As he attempted to get up, Gathers stopped breathing; he was announced dead on arrival after being transported to a local hospital. Gathers finished his career averaging 28 ppg and was the NCAA Scoring and Rebounding Champion in 1989.