New Orleans Pelicans guard Bryce Dejean-Jones was shot and killed at an apartment Saturday in Dallas.
A man living at the apartment was sleeping when he heard his front door kicked open, Dallas Police Senior Cpl. DeMarquis Black said in a statement. When Dejean-Jones began kicking at the bedroom door, the man retrieved a handgun and fired.
Officers who responded found Dejean-Jones collapsed in an outdoor passageway, and he later died at a hospital.
Dejean-Jones agent, Scott Nichols, told ESPN.com that he had been shot in the abdomen.
“Bryce overcame a lot of obstacles to get to this point in his career,” Nichols told ESPN. “He was a joy to be around, a talent just turning the corner in his career.”
“I just lost my best friend/cousin last night enjoy life because you never know if tomorrow is guaranteed,” Shabazz Muhammad of the Minnesota Timberwolves wrote on Twitter.
In Dejean-Jones’ only NBA season, which ended in February because of a broken right wrist, the 6-foot-6 guard started 11 of 14 games and averaged 5.6 points and 3.4 rebounds.
The Los Angeles native signed a three-year deal with the Pelicans in February after impressing the team during multiple 10-day deals.
*With files from The Associated Press