Fox News reports that Louis Orr, the longtime coach of Syracuse's men's basketball team, has died at the age of 64. 

It appears that Orr's passing was the result of cancer.

His family indicated as much in a statement released after his passing.

The statement reads:

On 12/15/2022, Louis Orr was called home to be with the Lord as his battle with cancer has come to an end. He was a dearly loved and devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend. He will forever be missed!

Who was Orr?

Orr is probably most well-known for his association with Syracuse basketball. The association began back in the late 1970s when Orr played for Syracuse.

During that period, from 1976 to 1980, Orr helped Syracuse to reach NCAA tournaments four times. For his abilities, he was honored as an All-American and an All-Big East player. Later, his No. 55 was also retired by Syracuse.

After his time at Syracuse, Orr would go on to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for eight years. He was selected 29th overall in the 1980 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers. He would play two seasons with them, before playing six seasons with the New York Knicks.

After he retired from the NBA, Orr moved on to coaching, something that he would do - successfully - for the next three-plus decades.

He started off as an assistant at Xavier, and then at Providence, before making his way back to Syracuse. Then, he became a head coach, first at Siena, then at Seton Hall, and then at Bowling Green. Finally, from 2017 to 2022, Orr was an assistant at Georgetown.

"An orange legend"

Many are now offering condolences and tributes to Orr following the news of his passing.

This includes Syracuse.

The Syracuse men's basketball program put out a statement, saying:

We mourn the loss of an Orange legend — a player, a coach, and most importantly a great person who made everyone around him better. Louis Orr’s memory will live in our hearts forever, and especially whenever we look up and see his No. 55 in the Dome rafters.

NBA legend Patrick Ewing - who played with Orr on the New York Knicks and who is the current head coach of Georgetown - released his own statement, saying:

I've lost a great friend. Someone who has been in my life since I was 22 years old. We developed a friendship and a brotherhood. He was always someone I could talk to - we would talk about life, we would talk about basketball, we would talk about family.

"Louis Orr will be truly missed and he will forever be part of this Hoya program," Ewing added.