had a heart attack. He was 58. Malone died in his sleep of coronary artery disease. He was 60.
Jones died in 2014, and the deaths the next year of Dawkins and Malone within the space of 17 days was a shock that spurred the National Basketball Players Association to launch a mobile heart-health screening program for retired players. The screenings give players a chance to gather and receive free care.
Since it began in 2016, more than 500 players have been tested, said Joe Rogowski, the NBPA’s director of sports medicine and one of the driving forces behind the screenings.
Screenings typically are offered six times a year, and four are timed to coincide with big events such as the All-Star Game.
“We’ve done several arenas, basketball courts or a hotel where they could come in, get a
