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Nicolaas Peter Vanos (April 13, 1963 – August 16, 1987) was an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The San Mateo, California, native was selected 32nd by the Suns in the 1985 NBA draft, after playing for Hillsdale High School and collegiately at Santa Clara University. He played for the Suns as a center on the team.[1]
 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 13, 1963 San Mateo, California, U.S. |
| Died | August 16, 1987 (aged 24) Romulus, Michigan, U.S. |
| Listed height | 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) |
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Hillsdale (San Mateo, California) |
| College | Santa Clara (1981–1985) |
| NBA draft | 1985: 2nd round, 32nd overall pick |
| Selected by the Phoenix Suns | |
| Playing career | 1985–1987 |
| Position | Center |
| Number | 30 |
| Career history | |
| 1985–1987 | Phoenix Suns |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
His career with the Suns lasted only two years before his death. On August 16, 1987, Vanos and his fiancée, Carolyn Cohen, boarded Northwest Airlines Flight 255, after visiting his fiancée's parents, for a trip to Phoenix, Arizona.[2] The plane crashed after takeoff from the Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus, Michigan, killing 154 passengers and crew, including Vanos and his fiancée, as well as two motorists.[3]
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