The Portland Trail Blazers and the family of center Kevin Duckworth are planning a public memorial to honor the former basketball star.

Duckworth died of complications from an enlarged heart on Monday evening in Gleneden Beach at the age of 44.

The memorial has been planned for Saturday, August 30th in the Rose Garden's Memorial Coliseum. It will begin at 11 a.m.

A statement from the Blazers team read: "The celebration of Kevin's life will be held at the Memorial Coliseum, a place he called home, on the floor where Duck and his teammates left an indelible mark on our hearts and our history. All fans are invited to join Kevin's family, friends, current and former Trail Blazers personnel, as well as several of Duck’s former teammates, to pay their respects."

An autopsy Wednesday showed the cause of death was hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with congestive heart failure. The state medical examiner said Duckworth also suffered from hypertension, which contributed to an enlarged heart.

Fans were invited to a memorial Saturday at 11a.m. at Memorial Coliseum in the Rose Quarter.

Duckworth played for the Blazer between 1986 and 1993.

He was part of the Blazers' 1990 and 1992 Western Conference Championsihp teams, and was voted most improved player in 1988. He was named a Western Conference All-Star in 1989 and 1991.

"Today is an extremely sad day for the Trail Blazers family," Trail Blazers President Larry Miller said Tuesday. "Kevin will be remembered by fans as one of the most popular and recognizable players to ever wear the Blazers uniform, but to people who knew him, he'll be remembered as one of the warmest and biggest-hearted."

More: Teammates, friends react

Also: Duckworth's Bio, Career

Duckworth remained in the Portland area after his playing career ended. He was an avid fisherman and outdoorsment, and a skilled carpenter, and served as an ambassador for the Trail Blazers.

Duckworth was at the Oregon Coast representing the Trail Blazers as a Heritate Ambassador on the team's 19-city Statewide Summer Tour.

Duckworth called front desk of Salish Lodge around 9:15 p.m. Monday to complain he was hot.

A security worker took a fan to his room. Duckworth was laying on a bed and joking about being too hot.

About 40 minutes later, at 9:55 a woman called from the room saying Duckworth was having trouble breathing. The same security guard, a former military man who is trained in cpr, rushed back and found Duckworth slumped over the couch.

He realized Duckworth was not breathing and helped him to the floor and started CPR. At the same time the woman, who identified herself as a friend, called 911.

The local volunteer department from Depot Bay had just ended their evening training shift but all rushed to the lodge.

They shocked Duckworth's heart several times, gave him injections and put a breathing tube down his throat, along with doing cpr. None of it worked and after 30 minutes at 10:23 p.m. medics pronounced him dead at the scene.

The cause of his death was not immediately known and autopsy results were pending.

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(KGW Reporter Pat Dooris contributed to this story)