Former Ginebra import Jackson Vroman found dead in pool

MANILA, Philippines – Former Barangay Ginebra San Miguel import Jackson Vroman was found dead in the swimming pool of his Los Angeles County residence on Monday morning, June 29 (US time), according to a spokesperson with the county’s Department of Medical Examiner-Coronor. 

The cause of the 34-year-old’s death is still officially unavailable, but an autopsy is scheduled for later this week. 

According to a tweet from Jackson’s friend Dan Bilzerian, the former Lebanon national basketball player was “sitting down, he got up to go inside the house, tripped on the stairs, hit his head and drown in the pool.”

He was sitting down, he got up to go inside the house, tripped on the stairs, hit his head and drown in the pool #RIP pic.twitter.com/7xvc972UBG

— Dan Bilzerian (@DanBilzerian) June 30, 2015

Blizerian’s tweet contradicts an earlier tweet sent by the Lebanon’s national basketball team, who indicated that Vroman passed following a “tragic car accident.”

Vroman, a 6-foot-10 big man, was drafted 31st overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2004 NBA Draft but spent his rookie season with the Phoenix Suns and then became a New Orleans Hornet the following two years. Throughout his NBA career, Jackson averaged 3.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 87 total games, per basketball-reference.com.

Vroman played as Barangay Ginebra’s import in the 2011-2012 PBA season, averaging 16.6 points, 12 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 1.4 steals in 11 games. He helped lead the Gin Kings to 4 wins in 6 elimination round games before they fell to the B-Meg Llamados in 5 semifinal games. 

Vroman, who also played professional basketball in Spain, China, and South Korea, was Lebanon’s naturalized player in the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship – where he was fifth in rebounds and sixth in scoring – and the 2010 FIBA World Championship. – Rappler.com