Lawrence Moten, Syracuse basketball’s all-time leading scorer, dies at 53

Lawrence Moten, the all-time leading scorer in Syracuse basketball history, died at the age of 53 Tuesday, his daughter Lawrencia confirmed, according to Syracuse.com. Moten was found dead in his Washington, D.C., home.

Moten played for Syracuse from 1991-1995, compiling 2,334 career points and averaging 19.3 points per game over his four-year career. He scored in double figures in 118 of 121 games and is the only player in school history to reach at least 500 points in four consecutive seasons. At the end of his career, Moten also led the Big East in career scoring with 1,405 points, surpassing notable players such as Chris Mullin and Terry Dehere.

Moten helped Syracuse return to the NCAA Tournament in 1994 and 1995 after the school served a one-year postseason ban. He was a three-time first-team All-Big East selection from 1993 to 1995, earned third-team All-Big East honors in 1992, and was named a third-team All-American by the AP and NABC in 1995. Syracuse retired his No. 21 jersey in 2018, a testament to his lasting impact on the program.

Moten grew up in Washington, D.C., and attended Archbishop Carroll High School before spending a prep year at New Hampton School in New Hampshire to meet academic requirements.

After college, the Vancouver Grizzlies selected Moten in the second round of the 1995 NBA Draft. He played two seasons with the Grizzlies and spent the 1997-98 season with the Washington Wizards. Moten also played professionally in the CBA, ABA and overseas, including stints in Spain and Venezuela. He earned two ABA All-Star selections in 2005 and 2006 with the Maryland Knighthawks.

He eventually returned to Syracuse, working with youth programs within the city’s school district and serving as a role model for aspiring basketball players. Most recently, in June 2025, he took a position as general manager of the boys and girls basketball teams at Digital Pioneers Academy, a public charter school in Washington, D.C.