Sekou Smith, a Jackson State University graduate and a longtime NBA reporter and television analyst, died Tuesday after a battle with COVID-19. He was 48.

After graduating from JSU, Smith went on to work for the Clarion-Ledger. He also wrote for the Indianapolis Star and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, covering the Indiana Pacers and the Atlanta Hawks after graduating from JSU in 1997.

For more than a decade, Smith starred across all platforms for Turner, serving as an analyst for NBA TV, a writer for NBA.com and a host of the Hang Time Podcast.

He is survived by his wife and 3 children. Sekou Smith was 48-years-old.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement today regarding the passing of Sekou Smith pic.twitter.com/QyII7bcuXZ

— NBA (@NBA) January 27, 2021