Michael Sweetney, a former NBA power forward, has died at the age of 43, according to an announcement made by his wife on Thursday. Sweetney was drafted by the New York Knicks as the 9th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. He played two seasons with the Knicks before being traded to the Chicago Bulls, where he remained for another two years. Throughout his NBA career, he averaged 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds before transitioning to play overseas in 2009.
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After retiring from basketball in 2017, Sweetney served as an assistant coach for the men's basketball team at Yeshiva University. Head coach Elliot Steinmetz expressed condolences on social media following Sweetney's passing.
Before his NBA career, Sweetney was a standout at Georgetown University, where he played from 2000 to 2003, averaging 18.2 points and 9.2 rebounds and shooting 55.4 percent from the field. He ranks second in Georgetown's history in career scoring average, only behind Allen Iverson. In his junior year, he recorded averages of 22.8 points and 10.4 rebounds, earning him a spot as a finalist for the Naismith College Player of the Year and consideration for the John R. Wooden Award.