Former longtime Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerome Kersey died on Wednesday at the age of 52, the team confirmed.

Kersey was a second-round pick by the Blazers out of Longwood in 1984 and played 11 of his 17 career seasons in Portland.

Kersey averaged 10.3 points per game throughout his career, including a career-best 19.2 points per game during the '87-'88 season. He helped the '91-'92 Blazers reach the NBA Finals where they lost to the Chicago Bulls.

The timing of Kersey's death is nothing short of shocking. Not only was he only 52, but on Tuesday he joined Brian Grant and Terry Porter to talk Black History Month at Madison High School in Portland.

You can see a photo of him from Tuesday's event here.