Canadian basketball star from Sudbury loses battle with cancer

Tributes pour in for late Canadian basketball star WATCH: Outpouring of tributes after the passing of a Canadian basketball star from Sudbury battling cancer.

SUDBURY -- Some sad news from the Sudbury sports community as a former local basketball star has passed away.

Eli Pasquale played for Lockerby in the 1970's then went on to stardom at the University of Victoria, winning five straight Canadian University Championships, and also played for Team Canada at two Olympics.

Pasquale was drafted by the NBA Seattle Supersonics in 1984.

Both his sons, Isaiah and Manny, were star players at Laurentian University in recent years.

Eli Pasquale passed away Monday in Victoria after a battle with cancer at 59 years old.

"Yes, sad day. Heaven received a great point guard, but more importantly an even better person," said Laurentian University Men's Basketball Coach Shawn Swords.

Dwight Walton, the current assistant basketball coach at Montreal's Concordia University in a tweet: