Michael Sweetney, Georgetown Star And 2003 NBA Lottery Pick Who Played For The Knicks, Has Died At 43
Michael Sweetney died Wednesday September 16 at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in New Jersey. He was 43 years old. His wife India announced the news on Facebook Thursday.
"With the heaviest hearts, we are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our beloved Michael," she wrote. "To know Mike Sweetney was to love him. His children were the light of his life." No cause of death was given.
Sweetney was one of the most dominant big men in Georgetown basketball history, averaging 22.8 points and 10.4 rebounds in his junior and final season as a Hoya, which led to the New York Knicks selecting him ninth overall in the 2003 draft.
He played four seasons in the NBA, two with the Knicks and two with the Chicago Bulls, posting career averages of 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds across 233 games.
His NBA career was shorter than his talent suggested, weighed down by struggles with weight and a devastating loss: his father died during his rookie season, and he told HoopsHype in 2017 that his head coach told him from the start he would not play him. He battled depression in silence for years before speaking about it publicly.
After leaving the NBA he played internationally through 2017 and transitioned into coaching. The Knicks, Bulls and Georgetown all posted tributes Thursday.
