Former La Salle star and Sixers striker Larry Cannon dies at age 77

Larry Cannon, a gifted scorer and star of the 1968-69 La Salle Explorers, still considered the best team in Big 5 history, died Wednesday. He was 77 years old.

Information on the cause of death was not initially available.

Cannon, a 6-foot-5 forward, alumnus of Lincoln High School and a 1973 Big 5 Hall of Fame inductee, averaged more than 19 points in his junior and senior seasons at La Salle. He was named to the All-America second team in the second of those seasons, and the Explorers, coached by Tom Gola, went 23-1, losing only to South Carolina and finishing second in the Associated Press national rankings. They were ineligible for the 1969 NCAA Tournament because of recruiting violations under Gola's predecessor, Jim Harding.

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Cannon was selected in the first round of both the NBA and ABA drafts and chose to play for the Miami Floridians of the ABA. After one season in Miami, he was traded to the Denver Nuggets and was their leading scorer, averaging 26.6 points in 80 games. Phlebitis, a chronic inflammation of the veins in his legs, ended his professional career prematurely after he played 19 games for the 76ers during the 1973-74 season.

Funeral details have yet to be finalized.