Mark Eaton, the 7-foot-4 shot-blocking king who twice was the NBA’s defensive player of the year during a career spent entirely with the Utah Jazz, has died. He was 64. The team announced his death Saturday. Eaton left his home for a bike ride Friday night in Summit County, Utah, and shortly thereafter someone called 911 to report after seeing him lying on a roadway and unconscious. Eaton was taken to a hospital where he later died. The team, citing county officials who investigated, said “there is no reason to believe a vehicle was involved in the incident.” The Jazz described him in a statement as an “enduring figure in our franchise history” who had a “significant impact in the community after his basketball career.”












