Syracuse Basketball Legend Lawrence Moten Dies At Age 53

Former Syracuse basketball star Lawrence Moten died Tuesday at age 53. An athletic department spokesperson said Moten was at home in Washington, D.C., when he died. A cause of death was not immediately clear.

Lawrence Moten Remains All-Time Scoring Leader For Syracuse

Moten, a 6-foot-5 guard known as “Poetry in Moten,” still holds the Syracuse basketball career scoring record with 2,334 points over four seasons with the Orange, from 1991 to 1995.

In 121 career NCAA games (118 starts), Moten averaged 19.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.8 steals, and 34.2 minutes per contest while shooting 48.3% from the field, 31.6% from 3-point range, and 71.6% at the foul line.

The D.C. native also received second-team All-America honors as a senior.

An all-time great on and off the court.

Heavy hearts for the ‘Cuse Family today as we mourn the passing of Lawrence Moten.https://t.co/i7MCeNjRa9 pic.twitter.com/fJoGaKnhGp

— Syracuse Men’s Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) September 30, 2025

Lawrence Moten has passed at the age of 53.

Syracuse all-time leading scorer
3x First-team All-Big East
No. 21 retired by Syracuse

Legend forever. pic.twitter.com/MQJc88hMe5

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) September 30, 2025

His 1,405 points in Big East play was a conference record that stood until 2020. Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim, who recruited and coached Moten, called it a tragic day for the Syracuse basketball family.

“Lawrence’s passing is such a sudden thing; it’s very hard to take. He was one of the most underrated college basketball players of all time,” Boeheim said.

“I believe some people took his ability for granted because he made it look so easy. Lawrence was one of our greatest players and one of the best in the history of the Big East Conference.”

Moten Led Orange To Three NCAA Tournament Appearances

Syracuse qualified for the NCAA Tournament three times with Moten. The Orange advanced to the second round in 1992 and 1995, and they reached the Sweet Sixteen in 1994.

“I can’t think of anybody that was more positive or who loved Syracuse more than he did,” said Adrian Autry, who was a teammate with Moten for three seasons at Syracuse and succeeded Boeheim as coach in 2023.

“He was one of the greatest to put on the uniform. It’s a big loss. I was able to play alongside him for three years and watch him do some amazing things. I was fortunate to spend time with him on and off the court.”

Orange athletic director John Wildhack called Moten a Syracuse icon.

“His accolades as Syracuse’s all-time leading scorer and holding the Big East scoring record for 25 years speak for themselves, but his style of play is what energized the Dome,” Wildhack said. “He was a fixture around the program long after his playing career, always with a smile on his face.”

Moten was a second-round pick of the Vancouver Grizzlies in the 1995 NBA draft. He played two seasons with them and an additional eight games with the Washington Wizards in 1998.

Syracuse retired Moten’s No. 21 jersey on March 3, 2018, in a pregame ceremony at the Carrier Dome.