Heat inaugural-game leading scorer Pearl Washington dead at 52

Dwayne "Pearl" Washington, the flashy point guard who led the Miami Heat in scoring their inaugural game on Nov. 5, 1988, died Wednesday at 52.

Washington's death was reported by Syracuse University, where he starred before a brief three-year NBA career that included being acquired by the Heat in the 1988 expansion draft.

Washington was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1996. That tumor was removed and he remained active in basketball circles. He then was diagnosed with another brain tumor in 2015 and underwent surgery this past August.