Jerome Lambert

Joseph Jerome Lambert (May 29, 1971 – August 11, 2007) was an American professional basketball player who is best known for leading NCAA Division I in rebounding in 1993–94 while playing for Baylor. A , 215 pound power forward, Lambert accomplished the feat as a junior in his first season of Division I basketball. He had previously played for Westark Community College before enrolling at Baylor.

During Lambert's recruitment to Baylor, then-assistant coach Gary Thomas had committed a major recruiting violation to acquire him. Thomas had faxed a term paper to Westark assistant basketball coach Troy Drummond on April 5, 1993, which was a slight re-write of an article that had previously appeared in a women's magazine.

Due to the scandal, Lambert transferred to Oklahoma State, but because of NCAA transfer rules he had to sit out one full year before becoming eligible to play his final season. In his lone season with the Cowboys, he averaged 13.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. He then went on to play professionally in Israel before coming home to work for Danfoss and serve as a firefighter.

Lambert died at age 36 in Nevada County, Arkansas. He and his wife, Tracey L. Green, were both shot to death as a result of a verbal altercation between Lambert and another man. The man who shot Lambert and his wife, Kelvin Box, was sentenced to two life sentences without a chance of parole the following year.