Michael Sweetney

Michael Sweetney

Sweetney with the New York Knicks
Personal information
Born	(1982-10-25)October 25, 1982 Washington, D.C., U.S.
Died	September 17, 2026(2026-09-17) (aged 43) Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	270 lb (122 kg)
Career information
High school	Oxon Hill (Oxon Hill, Maryland)
College	Georgetown (2000–2003)
NBA draft	2003: 1st round, 9th overall pick
Drafted by	New York Knicks
Playing career	2003–2017
Position	Power forward
Number	50, 60
Coaching career	2019–2026
Career history
Playing
2003–2005	New York Knicks
2005–2007	Chicago Bulls
2009–2010	Shaanxi Kylins
2010	Erie BayHawks
2010	Cangrejeros de Santurce
2010	Metros de Santiago
2010–2011	Club Biguá
2011	Cangrejeros de Santurce
2012	Vaqueros de Bayamón
2013	Guaiqueríes de Margarita
2013	Vaqueros de Bayamón
2014	Club Atlético Atenas
2014	Brujos de Guayama
2015–2017	Urunday Universitario
Coaching
2019–2023	Yeshiva University (assistant)
2026	Golda Och Academy
Career highlights
Second-team All-American – NABC (2003) Third-team All-American – SN (2003) 2× First-team All-Big East (2002, 2003)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference
Medals Men's basketball Representing  United States FIBA U21 World Championship 2001 Saitama Team competition

Michael Damien Sweetney (October 25, 1982 – September 17, 2026) was an American professional basketball player who played four seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He later served as an assistant coach of the Yeshiva University men's basketball team and head coach of the girls varsity basketball team at New York's Ramaz School.

High school and college careers

Sweetney went to Oxon Hill High School, where he was named Washington Post All-Met Basketball Player of the Year in 2000.

He chose to play college basketball at nearby Georgetown University, continuing the program's tradition of highly skilled big men, where he averaged 18.2 points while shooting nearly 55% over his three-year collegiate career. He was especially dominant over his junior year, in which he was named Honorable Mention All-America by AP, as well as being a Naismith College Player of the Year finalist and a candidate for the John R. Wooden Award. That year, Sweetney was the only player in the nation to rank in the top 20 in scoring and rebounding.

Despite playing only three seasons for the Hoyas, as of the 2025-26 season he ranks ninth on Georgetown's career scoring list (1,750), fifth in rebounds (887) and seventh in blocks (180).

Professional career

Sweetney was selected by the New York Knicks with the 9th overall pick, in the 2003 NBA draft. After a two-year stint with Knicks, during which he played 119 gamers and averaged 7.0 points per game (ppg) and 4.8 rebound per game (rpg), he was traded to the Chicago Bulls on October 4, 2005, along with Tim Thomas, Jermaine Jackson, and four draft picks for Eddy Curry and Antonio Davis and a draft pick.

He played 114 games over two seasons with the Bulls, averaging 6.0 ppg and 4.1 rpg, but battled weight issues, which had followed him his whole career. The Chicago Tribune reported that if Sweetney did not lose a certain amount of weight, his career could be in danger.

Sweetney's final NBA game ever ended up being in Game 2 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Semifinals on May 7, 2007. In that game, the Bulls lost 108-87 to the Detroit Pistons while Sweetney recorded two points in three minutes of playing time.

In the summer of 2009 Sweetney played with the Boston Celtics summer league team. He was invited to attend training camp in October 2009 to try out with the Celtics and attempt to resume an NBA career, but was waived on October 22. In early December 2011, Sweetney rejoined the Boston Celtics for training camp, but he was cut on December 22, 2011.

In his post-NBA career, Sweetney spent a decade playing for teams in American minor leagues and abroad, including stints in China, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Sweetney competed for Team City of Gods in The Basketball Tournament. He was a center on the 2015 team who made it to the semifinals, losing to Overseas Elite 84–71. Sweetney later ran Tamir Goodman's basketball camp.

Coaching career

In 2019, Sweetney became an assistant coach for the Yeshiva University men's basketball team before departing in 2023 and head coach of the girls' varsity basketball team at Ramaz School.

In August 2026, Sweetney was hired as the head boys basketball coach at the Golda Och Academy in West Orange, New Jersey.

Death

Sweetney died on September 17, 2026, at the age of 43. His death was announced by his widow, India.

Career statistics

References

External links

• Career statistics from NBA.com · Basketball Reference
• NBA.com Draft profile