Before Bo Jackson knew everything, before Deion Sanders introduced Prime Time, there was Dick Groat.

A wiry shortstop with a slick glove and a lightning-quick guard with a lethal set shot, Groat was a star on the baseball diamond and the basketball court in the 1950s, long before Jackson and Sanders made major sports multitasking a thing.

Groat, who parlayed a spectacular hoops career at Duke into a brief stint in the NBA before becoming an All-Star and the 1960 National League MVP while playing baseball for his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates, died Thursday. He was 92.

Groat’s family said in a statement that he died at UMPC Presbyterian Hospital from complications of a stroke.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of such a beloved member of the Pirates family and Pittsburgh community,” Pirates Chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement, calling Groat “a great player and an even better person.”

Groat, who was from the Swissvale neighborhood just east of Pittsburgh’s downtown, earned All-American honors in both basketball and baseball while starring at Duke. His No. 10 jersey hangs in Cameron Indoor Stadium; the program retired his number following the end of his senior season in 1952.

“A true multisports icon, Dick represented Duke University and the city of Pittsburgh with the utmost of class and dignity, which resulted in universal admiration,” former Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

Groat attempted to play both baseball and basketball professionally, signing with the Pirates and being drafted by the Fort Wayne Pistons of the then-fledgling NBA within weeks of each other in 1952. He is one of 13 players to play professionally in both the NBA and Major League Baseball.

While basketball was Groat’s sport of choice, a stint in the military and an ultimatum from Pirates general manager Branch Rickey redirected the arc of Groat’s athletic career.

Groat’s decision morphed into a 14-year career with Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Philadelphia and San Francisco. He made the All-Star team in five seasons and led the majors in hitting in 1960 when he batted .325.

The 1960 season ended with Groat earning NL MVP honors for a Pirates team that upset the New York Yankees in seven games to win the World Series.

A member of the college basketball and college baseball Halls of Fame, Groat was a two-time All-American guard at Duke and remains the second-leading scorer in school history, averaging 23.0 points for the Blue Devils. He was taken third overall by the Pistons in the 1952 NBA draft.

Groat played 26 games for the Pistons, averaging 11.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

Hendriks closer to return

Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks could go out on a rehab assignment next week in a big step in his recovery from non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Hendriks announced his diagnosis in January and completed his final round of chemotherapy three weeks ago. The 34-year-old right-hander announced last week on Instagram that he was cancer-free.

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said Thursday that Hendriks would return to Chicago during the team’s upcoming series against the Twins — the team Hendriks began his career with and pitched three seasons for — for “a pre-rehab assignment check-in,” and then his assignment could start “potentially immediately after that series.”

Hahn also said shortstop Tim Anderson (sprained left knee) and infielder Hanser Alberto (strained left quad) will join Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday for rehab assignments.

Guardians’ Willis out of hospital

Cleveland Guardians pitching coach Carl Willis was released from the hospital Thursday and cleared to rejoin the team.

Willis, a former Twins pitcher, became lightheaded prior to Wednesday’s series finale against the Colorado Rockies and was taken for tests. The team said the 62-year-old will travel with the Guardians, who open a three-game series in Boston on Friday.

Briefly

Award >> Joe Torre has won the third Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Baseball Digest. A star player during 18 major league seasons and longtime manager for the New York Yankees and four other teams, Torre was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014. He was honored Thursday with an annual distinction that recognizes a living individual “who has made significant contributions to the game.”