GONE TOO SOON

Former New York Knicks Star Dies at 43

Michael Sweetney’s wife confirmed the sad news.

Michael Sweetney, a former NBA first-round draft pick, has died at just 43 years old, his family has confirmed. Sweetney played for the New York Knicks and the Chicago Bulls after a standout college career with the Georgetown Hoyas. He died on Wednesday at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. No cause of death was given. In an Instagram post, his wife, India, announced the news. “With the heaviest hearts, we are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our beloved Michael,” she wrote. “To know @mikesweetney was love to him. No one loved him more and he loved no one more than his family. His children were the light of his life, and he lived every day to give them the best life possible.” After leaving the NBA, Sweetney went on to play in Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Uruguay before transitioning to coaching in 2019. He worked as an assistant coach at Yeshiva University. “The world lost a giant today,” Yeshiva’s head coach Elliot Steinmetz said in a post on X. “I lost a close friend. The basketball world lost a beloved star.” The Knicks and the Bulls also posted tributes to Sweetney on social media.