Jerome Kersey, a National Basketball Association (NBA) veteran who played for the Lakers when Kobe Bryant was still a rookie, died at age 51 in Oregon.

The cause of Kersey's death was not immediately disclosed and the news about his demise shocked friends and NBA players alike.

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Kersey, who helped the Portland Trail Blazers reach two NBA finals as a small forward, appeared Tuesday at a Portland high school in celebration of African American History Month.

As a Trail Blazers ambassador, Kersey attended the event with fellow former Blazers Terry Porter and Brian Grant.

"Today we lost an incredible person and one of the most beloved players to ever wear a Trail Blazers uniform," Blazers owner Paul Allen said in a statement.

"My thoughts and condolences are with the Kersey family. He will be missed by all of us. It's a terrible loss," Allen added.

Clyde Drexler also expressed shock at the sudden passing of his former Portland teammate.

"He was the greatest guy, the nicest friend, teammate and brother. He was loved by everyone. We will all miss him. He just cared so much," Drexler told Comcast SportsNet Northwest. "This is unbelievable."

When he was still active at the NBA, Kersey averaged 10.3 points and 5.5 rebounds during a career that also included stops in Golden State, Seattle and Milwaukee.

He is near the top of several all-time lists for the Trail Blazers, including rebounds (second, 5,078), steals (third, 1,059) and points (fifth, 10,067), the LA Times reported.

Born on June 26, 1962 in Clarksville, Virginia, the 6-foot, 7-inch Kersey attended the then Longwood College, where he set school records for points, rebounds, steals and blocked shots while making 57 percent of his baskets.

Longwood College was a NCAA Division II school at the time.

Kersey was selected in the second round of the 1984 NBA Draft (46th overall pick) by Portland. He was a regular contributor from the bench, eventually becoming a starter, and by his third year, he began to shine, even coming in second behind Michael Jordan in the NBA Slam-Dunk Competition.

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