After years of battling cancer, 66-year old Hugo Cabrera passed away on 23 March 2021 of pancreatic cancer. He stood six feet seven inches tall and weighed a slim 195 pounds.
Born in Santo Domingo, in 1976 he graduated from the University of East Texas with a degree in Physical Education. At that university he was selected Most Valuable Player on two occasions and was a member of the All-Star team on three occasions. He teamed up with Nate Granger.
He was chosen for the NBA in the tenth round of the 1976 rookie draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, but did not make the team. Later, he was called to train with the New York Knicks, but was not selected to play in the season by then manager Red Holzman.
In the following season, he received several offers from Mike Fratello, one of the great leaders of the NBA, to train with the Atlanta Falcons, but he preferred to reject the offers and participate in other tournaments. He participated in the semi-professional league of the CBA with the Wilkes-Barre and Allentown teams and averaged 33.6 points per game.
He participated in international tournaments in Spain, Italy, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Brazil.
Dominican basketball fans remember him best for his plays with the San Lazaro team in the Superior Basketball Tournament of the National District.
In 1977 he was the key piece for the national team to win the gold medal in the Centrobasket Tournament held in Panama, where he was chosen the Most Valuable Player.
In 1978 he was selected the Most Valuable Player of the XIII Central American and Caribbean Games in Medellin, Colombia, even though the team could only win the bronze medal.
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Diario Libre
Z101 Digital
Listin Diario
23 March 2021