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Conrad McRae
Personal information
Born	January 11, 1971; New York City, New York
Died	July 10, 2000 (aged 29); Irvine, California
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight	222 lb (101 kg)
Career information
High school	Brooklyn Technical; (Brooklyn, New York)
College	Syracuse (1989–1993)
NBA draft	1993: 2nd round, 38th overall pick
	Selected by the Washington Bullets
Playing career	1993–2000
Position	Power forward / center
Career history
1993–1994	Fenerbahçe
1994	Fort Wayne Fury
1994–1995	Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez
1995–1996	Efes Pilsen
1996–1997	Teamsystem Bologna
1997–1998	PAOK
1998–1999	Fenerbahçe
1999–2000	Telit Trieste
Career highlights and awards
	2× FIBA EuroStar (1996, 1998); FIBA Korać Cup champion (1996); Turkish League champion (1996); Turkish Cup winner (1996); McDonald's All-American (1989); 2× Third-team Parade All-American (1988, 1989);
	Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Men's basketball
Representing United States
FIBA Americas U18 Championship

Conrad Bastien McRae (January 11, 1971 – July 10, 2000) was an American professional basketball player who had a successful career in Europe, for teams in France, Italy, Greece and Turkey. He was also selected by the Washington Bullets, in the second round (38th pick overall) of the 1993 NBA draft.

High school

McRae attended Brooklyn Technical High School, where he excelled at basketball. He earned the nickname "McNasty", while playing in the Entertainers Basketball Classic in Harlem's Rucker Park. In high school, McRae was named PSAL High School All-City from 1986–89, selected to the 1989 McDonald's All-American Team, and participated in the Junior Olympics.

College career

McRae accepted a scholarship to Syracuse University, where he would play college basketball under head coach Jim Boeheim, with the Syracuse Orange. Though he did not immediately garner many minutes of playing time, his tenacity, athleticism, and defensive skills turned him into a second round NBA draft pick in 1993, by the Washington Bullets. While he was at Syracuse, McRae became a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity (Theta Xi Chapter).

Professional career

McRae moved on to play in Europe, eventually starring on several European clubs in Turkey, France, Italy and Greece. He helped Efes of Istanbul to win the FIBA Korać Cup of 1995–96, and also reached the Italian League's championship finals in the 1996–97 season, with Fortitudo Bologna. While in Europe, he accidentally scored in the wrong basket, after getting a poor night's sleep in his Parisian hotel room, due to what were described as "water problems." Though McRae never played in the NBA, he did play on home soil for the Fort Wayne Fury of the CBA, in 1994. In eight games played with the Fury, McRae averaged 8.6 points and 7.5 points per game.^[1]

In 1999, McRae signed a 10-day contract with the Denver Nuggets, but it was terminated after he fainted before a game.

Death

In the summer of 2000, McRae collapsed and died while running wind sprints during an Orlando Magic summer league practice at the University of California, Irvine.^[2] An autopsy failed to determine the cause of death, but McRae had a history of arrythmia. Syracuse Assistant Coach Bernie Fine, who had remained on good terms with him since his college days, stated in an interview two days after his death, he had spoken to him on the phone a few weeks earlier and Conrad told him he should have married on August 5th, just 26 days after his death.^[3]

References

^ 1994–95 Official CBA Guide and Register, page 319
^ "BASKETBALL; Former Syracuse Star Dies (Published 2000)". The New York Times. 12 July 2000. Archived from the original on 2019-10-23.
^ No Reason Found for McRae's Death LA Times, July 12, 2000