Detroit Pistons legend Earl Cureton, known as “The Twirl,” has died at the age of 66, the team announced Sunday. Cureton has been serving as a community ambassador with the Pistons for the last decade. The team said he unexpectedly passed away on Sunday morning. The cause of his death was not immediately known.

Earl Cureton, beloved Detroit basketball legend, dies suddenly at 66 Story by Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press • 3mo Earl Cureton, a former Detroit high school basketball and University of Detroit standout, as well as a Detroit Pistons center and community ambassador for the team, passed away suddenly Sunday morning. He was 66.

DETROIT, MI (February 4, 2024) – Earl Cureton, former Pistons player and community ambassador with the organization for the last 10 years, passed away unexpectedly this morning at the age of 66.

The Detroit sports community mourns the sudden loss of former Pistons player Earl Cureton, known affectionately as "The Twirl," who died unexpectedly at the age of 66. The Detroit News reported that Cureton passed away Sunday morning, but a cause of death was not immediately disclosed.