Former UCLA Men's Basketball Guard, NCAA Champion Greg Lee Dies at 70

Lee, who won two national championships with John Wooden and the Bruins, died from an infection related to an immune disorder.

Former UCLA men's basketball guard Greg Lee died at the age of 70 on Wednesday, his wife confirmed Thursday afternoon.

Lee, who played for the Bruins from 1972 to 1974, died at a hospital in San Diego due to an infection related to an immune disorder. Lee earned three varsity letters and won two NCAA championships on two undefeated UCLA teams.

The Bruins' basketball program mourns the passing of former UCLA guard Greg Lee, who was a part of undefeated back-to-back NCAA championship teams in 1972 and 1973.

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— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) September 23, 2022

Lee attended Reseda High School (CA), where he was named valedictorian before enrolling at UCLA. Lee's father, Marvin, was a center for the Bruins in the 1940s.

The 6-foot-4 Lee eventually became a regular starter under coach John Wooden, with the team going 86-4 across his three seasons alongside classmates Bill Walton and Jamaal Wilkes. The trio starred on the undefeated freshman team before freshmen were allowed to play varsity, with Lee averaging 17.9 points per game compared to Walton's 18.1 and Wilkes' 20.0.

Lee averaged 5.8 points and 1.5 rebounds per game in 88 career appearances at the varsity level. The Bruins won the 1972 and 1973 NCAA championships with Lee starting at the point.

Following his collegiate career, Lee turned pro and was selected in both the NBA and ABA drafts. Lee decided to lace them up for the San Diego Conquistadors in the ABA for one year, averaging 3.6 points and 2.6 assists per game that season.

Lee joined Walton and the Portland Trailblazers the following year, and after putting up 1.2 points and 2.2 assists per game in the NBA, he went to Germany to play for TuS 04 Leverkusen.

That's where Lee's basketball career came to a close, but he continued his athletic pursuits by starting a career in volleyball. Lee teamed up with fellow UCLA alumnus Jim Menges, who had played volleyball for the Bruins. 

As a pair, Lee and Menges won 25 of the 30 tournaments they appeared in, with three second-place finishes and two third-place finishes mixed in as well.

Lee eventually became a math teacher at Clairemont High School in San Diego, where he also coached varsity basketball and tennis. In his later years, Lee suffered from neuropathy and had a heart valve that needed to be replaced.

Lee is survived by his wife, Lisa; his brother, Jon; his son, Ethan; his daughter, Jessamyn Feves; his son-in-law, Ryan; and his two grandchildren, Donovan and Opal.

Walton and nine other former Bruins have come together to pen a letter calling for Lee to be inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame, according to Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.

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