The Lakers were the last stop of Sparrow’s 12-year NBA career; he averaged three points and 1.9 assists for them in 42 games in 1991-92.
Sparrow, who had a flair for the dramatic — he won five games with shots at the buzzer while at Villanova — had his greatest success off the court where his charitable efforts earned him and seven other similarly benevolent athletes the honor of being named 1987 co-Sportsmen of the Year by Sports Illustrated.