Former Georgetown star and NBA first-round pick Michael
Michael Sweetney, a standout at Georgetown and a first-round NBA draft pick, has died at age 43. His wife announced his passing on Thursday.
Michael Sweetney, a former Georgetown University basketball star and NBA first-round draft pick, has died. He was 43 years old.
His wife, India Sweetney, announced the news in a Facebook post on Thursday. She did not provide a cause of death.
"To know Mike Sweetney was love to him," India Sweetney wrote. "His children were the light of his life, and he lived every day to give them the best life possible." She described him as her best friend for three decades and her husband for nearly twenty years.
College Standout at Georgetown
Sweetney played three seasons for the Georgetown Hoyas. He helped lead the team to the Sweet 16 of the 2001 NCAA tournament. Over his final two college years, he was a finalist for both the Naismith College Player of the Year and the John Wooden Award.
His statistical dominance was clear during the 2002-03 season. He put up impressive numbers across the board.
| Statistic | Average |
|---|---|
| Points | 22.8 |
| Rebounds | 10.4 |
| Blocks | 3.2 |
| Assists | 1.9 |
| Steals | 1.5 |
NBA Career and Later Years
The New York Knicks selected Sweetney with the ninth overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. He played two seasons in New York before being traded to the Chicago Bulls in a multi-player deal involving Eddy Curry, Tim Thomas, and Antonio Davis. After two more seasons with the Bulls, his NBA career concluded.
He continued playing professionally in Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Uruguay before retiring from playing in 2017.
Following his retirement, Sweetney became a vocal advocate for mental health. He spoke openly about his personal struggles with grief and depression, which he said began early in his NBA career.
Coaching and Tributes
Sweetney moved into coaching after his playing days. In 2019, he joined the Yeshiva University men's basketball team as an assistant coach. He also coached the varsity girls team at The Ramaz School.
Yeshiva head coach Elliot Steinmetz paid tribute on social media. The world lost a giant today. I lost a close friend, Steinmetz wrote. Mike Sweetney wasn't just a friend. He was family. When you needed him, he was there. Always.
In August, Golda Och Academy, a private boys' school in New Jersey, announced it had hired Sweetney as its new head basketball coach.
