Michael Sweetney, who played for the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls after being a standout player at Georgetown, has died. He was 43 years old.
Sweetney’s wife India announced the news on Thursday in a Facebook post.
“To know Mike Sweetney was love to him. No one loved him more and he loved no one more than his family,” India Sweetney wrote. “His children were the light of his life, and he lived every day to give them the best life possible. He’s been my best friend for 30 years and my husband for almost 20. I’m not sure what we or I will do without him.”
No cause of death has been reported.
Sweetney played three years at Georgetown and helped the Hoyas reach the Sweet 16 of the 2001 NCAA Tournament. Over his final two seasons in college, he was a finalist for both the Naismith College Player of the Year and the John Wooden Award. During the 2002-03 season, he averaged 22.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.2 blocks, 1.9 assists, 1.5 steals per game.
Sweetney was drafted ninth overall by the Knicks in 2003. He would play two seasons in New York before being dealt to the Bulls in a trade that included Eddy Curry, Tim Thomas and Antonio Davis. After two seasons in Chicago, he would go on to play for teams in Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Uruguay before retiring in 2017.
Following his playing career, Sweetney became a mental health advocate and spoke publicly about his own dealings with grief and depression, which he experienced early in his NBA career.
In 2019, Sweetney joined the Yeshiva University men’s team as an assistant coach, while also coaching the varsity girls team at The Ramaz School.
“The world lost a giant today. I lost a close friend. The basketball world lost a beloved star,” wrote Yeshiva head coach Elliot Steinmetz in a social media post. “Our Jewish community lost an ally and someone who knew exactly how to show up.
“Mike Sweetney wasn’t just a friend. He was family. When you needed him, he was there. Always. You didn’t even have to ask.”
Golda Och Academy, a non-public boys program in New Jersey, had announced in August it had hired Sweetney as its newest head coach.
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