Former NBA player Orlando Woolridge died at 52

Former NBA player Orlando Woolridge was pronounced dead in his parents' Mansfield home Thursday night.

Desoto Parish Chief Deputy Coroner Billy Locke said Woolridge, 52, had been under hospice care for a chronic heart condition.

The 6-foot, 9-inch Mansfield High basketball star played collegiate basketball with Notre Dame, where he was a member of the 1978 Final Four team. His professional career began in 1981 when he was drafted in the first round by the Chicago Bulls.

Woolridge went on to play with a number of NBA teams before his suspension by the league in the 1987-88 season for substance abuse. He retired in 1994, and was inducted in 2010 in to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.

In Februrary, Woodridge was arrested for theft of more than $1,500 for stealing alumninum water lines used to transfer water to natural gas drilling sites, DeSoto Parish deputies said.

The material was valued at more than $2,000 and was sold for scrap.