Ex-Suns general manager Lance Blanks died by suicide, his daughter Riley Blanks Reed shared in a column for ESPN that was published on Tuesday
Blanks, also a college basketball analyst for ESPN and Longhorn Network, died on May 3.
"People will want more information," Reed wrote. "But the fact is we will never truly know why. And we don't need to. All we need to do is remember him, honor him, celebrate him and pour our love into the family that made him happy.
"All we need to know is that, oftentimes, the people in the most pain are the giants in our lives."
The 56-year-old starred at the University of Texas from 1988-89 - he led the Longhorns to an Elite Eight berth in 1990 and was inducted into the school's Hall of Honor in 2007 - before being selected by the Piston with the No. 26-overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft.
He also played for the Timberwolves before playing in the Continental Basketball Association and spending three seasons in Europe.
"I could tell you about every accolade, every stat and every award Daddy received throughout his career," Reed wrote. "But that information is easy to find, and as I listen to his loved ones, fans and community, I don't hear about his résumé. I hear about his character."
Blanks spent five seasons as the assistant GM of the Cavaliers before joining the Suns front office. His tenure ended in 2013 after three seasons without a playoff appearence.
Blanks left behind his wife Renee and two daughters, including Reed, whom he helped become a four-star tennis recruit at Virginia.
"He recently told me that I gave him a front-row seat to my life and that it was his greatest joy," Reed wrote. "What he didn't understand was that it was mine, too.
"I asked him a couple of months back, 'Daddy, what's the one thing in life that makes you happiest?' Without hesitation, he said, 'Family, Riles. Just family.'"
"Daddy, Lance, LB, my forever hero, has left a void that cannot be filled," she continued. "And yet, I find solace in the promise to honor him with everything he left us. In the loving embrace of my sister, Bryn, I will remember that we are both forever connected to the remarkable man who was our world."