MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The procession
moved slowly and solemnly on Wednesday, a long line of mourners dressed
in black and white, pausing in front of the silver casket of their
slain native son Lorenzen Wright.
Hundreds of fans, friends and family
members of the former NBA player filed into the FedEx Forum in Memphis
for Wright's memorial service and funeral, remembering the man many
called "Ren" as a loving, gentle, charitable family man.
Wright's body was found July 28 in
woods outside Memphis after he had been missing for 10 days. The
34-year-old was shot to death in what police are calling a homicide. No
arrests have been made and Memphis police will not discuss whether they
have a motive or suspects.
Relatives and friends fought off tears as they addressed the crowd, still in disbelief at the way he died.
Jeffrey L. Archie told the audience that he may never understand why someone would kill his brother.
"To me he was invincible," Archie said. "There's no reason for anybody to take him like this."
Memphis Grizzlies owner Michael
Heisley said Wright had movie star looks with an infectious smile, and
served as the team's leader. Wright spent five of his 13 seasons in the
NBA with the team from the city he was born.
"We should all leave this hall with
the thought that were going to do a little bit in Lorenzen's honor to
make sure things like this don't happen again," Heisley said. "That's
the biggest service you could pay him."
Wright's six children and ex-wife
were in the procession, trailed by his father, Herb Wright, who uses a
wheelchair. Dozens of friends and family followed, stopping before a
photo of Wright, then the casket. His mother, Deborah Wright, also
attended.
A litany of former NBA brethren paid
their respects, including Memphis hero Penny Hardaway, Elliot Perry,
Bonzi Wells, and former Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Woodson. Current
Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph and former NBA player Damon Stoudemire
also were there.
Lorenzen Vern-Gagne Wright Sr. was
born in Memphis but lived a youth in Oxford, Miss. His mother and
siblings moved to Memphis for his senior year in high school, and he
became a star at Booker T. Washington High School. While growing up,
Wright's father, who was paralyzed after being shot in the spine,
coached him on the basketball court and taught him to be a family man
off the court.
He then went to the University of
Memphis, where he played two seasons and was an All-America selection
after his sophomore year.
The 6-foot-11 forward-center was
drafted No. 7 in 1996 by the Los Angeles Clippers where he spent three
seasons before moving onto the Atlanta Hawks, for two separate stints,
Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings and most recently the Cleveland Cavaliers
in 2008-09. He averaged 8 points and 6.4 rebounds in 778 career NBA
games, and also was known as a good defensive player.
In March 2003, Wright's 11-month-old daughter, Sierra, died of sudden infant death syndrome.
Wright contributed to children's
charities, holding basketball camps, contributing to child reading
programs, and visiting St. Jude's Children Research Hospital.
"As loving as Lorenzen was, and he
gave so much to so many people, if we can just come together and love
each other instead of all this violence, it will be a much better
world," Herb Wright said after the service.
As people mourned, police worked to find the killers.
A 911 hang-up call from Wright's
cell phone in the early morning hours of July 19 has become a key piece
of evidence in the investigation. The call was received by dispatchers
in suburban Germantown, but they didn't alert patrol officers or
commanders because they couldn't confirm that it came from inside their
jurisdiction.
Top police officials in Germantown
said they didn't learn of the call until July 27 — eight days after it
was made and five days after Wright's family reported him missing.
In the days he was missing, police
said they didn't expect foul play, and friends and family have accused
authorities of dragging their feet.
Dr. Bill Adkins, of the Greater
Imani Church and Christian Center, appeared to reference the 911 call
when he talked about how "a cry of help went unnoticed."
Memphis Mayor AC Wharton pledged to the family that justice will be served.
"I want you to know that we are
working day and night, not to see that things are done quickly, not to
rush, but that things are done right and that justice will be done,"
Wharton said. "That is our prayer."