Robert Traylor was an American professional basketball player. In the 1998 NBA Draft, Robert Traylor was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round (with the sixth pick), then traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for Pat Garrity and German prospect Dirk Nowitzki. In the 2005 offseason, Traylor had surgery on his aorta. He then signed on with the New Jersey Nets for the 2005–06 NBA season, but—due to his failing a physical examination—the deal was scrapped. Traylor battled weight problems throughout his career. Robert Traylor played in Turkey for Antalya Kepez Belediyesi, in Italy with the Lega Basket Serie A club NSB Napoli, in México for Halcones UV Xalapa, and in Puerto Rico with the Cangrejeros de Santurce and Bayamon Cowboys. Traylor was selected as 2010 Defensive Player of the Year of Baloncesto Superior Nacional. Traylor’s last game was played on April 26, 2011, against San German, where he tallied five minutes of playing time with no points scored and two personal fouls. On May 11, 2011, Robert Traylor was found dead at his apartment in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, of an apparent heart attack. Traylor was talking to his wife on the phone at the time; the connection was suddenly lost, at which point his wife alerted team officials to investigate. Former coach Paul Silas commented on Traylor’s death, saying, “It’s just a shock and hard to believe.”