Former New York Knicks lottery pick Michael Sweetney has died.
Sweetney died this week at the age of 43. India Sweetney, Michael’s wife, made the tragic announcement over social media on Thursday, saying that the family was “deeply saddened” by the news.
The Knicks also reacted to the news of Sweetney’s death in a post to X.
The Knicks are saddened to hear about the passing of Michael Sweetney.
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) September 17, 2026
Michael was an incredible person who will be missed by many. Our thoughts are with his family. pic.twitter.com/T071Ie4SnL
Sweetney, a Washington, D.C. native, played his college ball at Georgetown from 2000-03. He was a two-time All-American with the Hoyas, averaging 18.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game over his three seasons there.
Then in 2003, Sweetney was selected by the Knicks with the No. 9 overall draft pick. He spent two seasons with New York and then the next two seasons with the Chicago Bulls, averaging 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game overall in the NBA.
Sweetney then went on to spend nearly a decade playing professionally overseas in China, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Uruguay, After retiring as a player in 2017, Sweetney went into a career in coaching, including serving as an assistant coach for Yeshiva University in New York, N.Y. and as head coach for Golda Och Academy in West Orange, N.J.
