Derrick Coleman needs heart transplant

This guy was a great player back in his day, and his condition robbed the latter years of his career of all star performance. But this guy was a great player when he was healthy. He's only 40 and needs a heart transplant...very sad.
DERRICK NEEDS NEW HEART - New York Post (http://www.nypost.com/seven/05022008/sports/derrick_needs_new_heart_109042.htm?page=0)

Wow. That's terrible. Being a Georgetown fan, I remember vividely his days with the Orange.

Wow. That's terrible. Being a Georgetown fan, I remember vividely his days with the Orange.

This just isn't right. Normally athletes are supposed to have strong hearts from all the exercise they get. He is still young too.
I don't know the success rates of heart transplants anymore, but my preconceived notion is that it's a death sentence.

Didn't he have major drug issues? Maybe I'm thinking of the wrong guy. I wonder if that played a role with his current condition?

edit- I should have researched before I posted. I was thinking he had an issue with coke in the past. I'm not seeing anything after a brief search so I was most likely off base.

Well he's always had a heart arrythmia (for his NBA career at least). And I think he may have been an alcoholic

This just isn't right. Normally athletes are supposed to have strong hearts from all the exercise they get. He is still young too.
I don't know the success rates of heart transplants anymore, but my preconceived notion is that it's a death sentence.

Not even close. Recognizing that you can't read this. But survival rates five years after a transplant are excellent.

Damn that's crazy.

I was a huge SU fan growing up, I loved the old teams with Coleman, Rony Seikaly, Sherman Douglas, etc.

Damn that's crazy.

I was a huge SU fan growing up, I loved the old teams with Coleman, Rony Seikaly, Sherman Douglas, etc.

Yeah, they were damn good.

He was still very good when he played in the NBA in the beginning too.

my brother in law had a heart transplant at age 38. the doctors told him he should expect to live a long, and healthy life. one of the first people to talk to him was a 57 year old man, that had been going on 17 years with a new ticker. had the transplant down schneed's way, at the university of Penn. excellent hospital, excellent people. he is now 42, and going back to work, full time

This guy was a great player back in his day, and his condition robbed the latter years of his career of all star performance. But this guy was a great player when he was healthy. He's only 40 and needs a heart transplant...very sad.
DERRICK NEEDS NEW HEART - New York Post (http://www.nypost.com/seven/05022008/sports/derrick_needs_new_heart_109042.htm?page=0)

ESPN - Coleman says he has irregular heartbeat, doesn't need transplant - NBA (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3378594)

Coleman says he has irregular heartbeat, doesn't need transplant

Former NBA player and Syracuse star Derrick Coleman says he doesn't need a heart transplant, despite reports to the contrary on Friday.

Coleman told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that he is in the hospital for an irregular heartbeat but doesn't need a transplant.

Quoted in a story on the Detroit News' Web site, Coleman said, "Do I sound like I need a heart transplant? I don't know how this stuff gets started. I appreciate the love, but please tell everybody that I am fine."