NBA World Mourns Loss: Former Hoyas, Knicks, Bulls Star Michael Sweetney Dead at 43
Former NBA player Michael Sweetney, who played for the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls after a standout career at Georgetown, has died at 43. Tributes poured in from his former teams and alma mater, honoring his legacy on and off the court. Sweetney later coached at Yeshiva University, where he was remembered as a loyal friend and a significant presence in the community.
Michael Sweetney, a former NBA player who notably played for the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls, has died at the age of 43. Sweetney passed away on Wednesday at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. No cause of death was immediately provided. His passing was acknowledged with heartfelt tributes from his former teams, the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls, as well as his alma mater, Georgetown, through social media posts.
Sweetney was a significant presence in the basketball world, beginning with a standout collegiate career at Georgetown. During his final two seasons with the Hoyas, he consistently averaged double-doubles, posting 19 points and 10 rebounds in 2001-02, and an impressive 22.8 points and 10.4 rebounds in 2002-03. He holds a distinguished place in Georgetown's history, ranking fifth in career rebounds with 887, seventh in career blocks with 180, and ninth in career points with 1,750.
His impressive college performance led to him being selected by the New York Knicks as the ninth overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft. He played for the Knicks from 2003 to 2005 before moving to the Chicago Bulls, where he played from 2005 to 2007. Throughout his four seasons in the NBA, Sweetney participated in 233 games, starting 73 of them, and averaged 6.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 15.5 minutes per game.
Following his professional playing career, Sweetney transitioned into coaching, serving as an assistant coach at Yeshiva University, a Division III school located in New York. Elliot Steinmetz, the head coach at Yeshiva, expressed profound grief over Sweetney's death, stating in a post on X, "The world lost a giant today. I lost a close friend. The basketball world lost a beloved star. 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."