Former NBA player Ross spends day easing loved ones’ worries after being reported dead

DALLAS – Former SMU and NBA basketball player Quinton Ross had to ease the fears of friends and family members after he was erroneously reported dead.

Ross lives in the suburbs near Dallas and was attending Monday night’s NIT game between LSU and SMU.

He said he woke to a phone loaded with messages from people concerned about his well-being.

“My phone was going crazy,” he said. “I checked Facebook. Finally, I went on the Internet, and they were saying I was dead. I just couldn’t believe it.”

The New York Post ran a story early Monday on its website identifying Ross as a man found dead and buried on a city beach. The newspaper later corrected the story.

The 32-year-old Ross called loved ones and posted on Facebook to “let everybody know I was OK.”

“A couple (relatives) already heard it,” he said. “They were crying. I mean, it was a tough day, man, mostly for my family and friends.”

After playing for SMU, Ross played seven NBA seasons with five teams, mostly with the Los Angeles Clippers. His final season came in 2010-11 with the New Jersey Nets.