Quinton Ross Not Dead, But False Report ‘Tough’ On Ex-NBA Hoopster

Quinton Ross, a seven-year NBA veteran who played last season in the French pro basketball league, had what he calls a “tough day” on Monday. But that’s understandable. You might have a tough day, too, if a major metropolitan newspaper reported that your body was found stuffed into a trash bag and buried in a shallow grave.

That’s what happened to Quinton Ross, a 32-year-old onetime NBA journeyman who played for five teams in his NBA career. The New York Post ran a story saying the body of Quinton Ross, a former player for the New Jersey Nets, was discovered buried in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York.

The story was partly true. A man named Quinton Ross did indeed meet an unfortunate end that way. But the pro basketball-playing Quinton Ross was actually at his home outside Dallas, looking forward to attending an NIT Men’s Basketball tournament game Monday night, pitting his alma mater, Southern Methodist University, against Louisiana State University.

The Post retracted the story shortly after it appeared, but not before the alleged violent demise of Quinton Ross became a major “trending” topic on the internet.

When he woke up Monday morning, he said, his voicemail was loaded with messages, all from friends and loved ones wanting to make sure he was okay. That’s when Ross logged on to the internet and quickly found the New York Post story on line.

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

A Dallas radio station reached him soon afterward.

“It’s been a crazy morning.” he told the station. “I woke up and saw these text messages saying ‘say it ain’t so!'”

Then it was up to Ross to spend the rest of the day letting everyone know that he was very much alive and doing just fine.

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

Quinton Ross was not drafted by the NBA after his four-year college career at SMU, but played a season overseas in Belgium in 2003/2004. He then caught on with the Los Angeles Clippers where played for four seasons. After that, he bounced around to the Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards, finishing with the Nets before playing the 2012/2013 season in France.

New York police are currently investigating the apparent homicide of the other Quinton Ross.