Just a few hours ago, NBA player Caleb Swanigan died at a very young age of 25 years old. According to sources, Swanigan already died last Monday night but no further details about the tragedy are yet to be shared with the public. It was also reported by the Allen County Coroner’s office that Swanigan died of “natural causes”.
Swanigan, who was drafted 26th overall by the Portland Trailblazers in 2017 was a standout player and one of the most sought-after draft prospects of his class. The 6-foot-9 power forward was a basketball star at Purdue University (Boilermakers).
Caleb Swanigan’s Rise
At the height of Caleb Swanigan’s career at Purdue, the young gun was considered a top recruit by most scouts due to his size, skills, and talent. He opted to stay in his hometown instead of going to Michigan State. There, he stood out and created a name for himself as one of the best college players in his class. During his sophomore year, Caleb averaged 18.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game, helping his team reach the Sweet 16 in the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
Back in his college basketball years, he achieved the following great feats:
- Indiana’s Mr. Basketball (2015)
- Big Ten Player of the Year (2017)
- Consensus first-team All-American (2017)
- Finalist for Naismith Award
- No. 19 overall player in 247sports composite rankings
- Selected 26th overall in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft
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The Fall
Although he was a first-round pick, he struggled to fit into the NBA resulting in a very rough start in the league. Swanigan only played for 3 years in the league while only averaging 2.3 points per contest. He last appeared on the NBA stage in March 2020. To add, the Indiana-native big man was definitely skilled but it was sad that his NBA career (Portland Trailblazers and Sacramento Kings) did not pan out.
Soon after parting ways with the NBA, Swanigan experience some major life crisis. Back on December 23, 2020, Swanigan was arrested due to “substance abuse”. The then 23-year-old pleaded guilty to misdemeanor Possession of Marijuana.
Also, in the photo above, Swanigan looked very different from his old athletic self. He gained a lot of weight which sparked a lot of speculations from NBA fans.
Swanigan’s family, friends, teammates, and fans are mourning his passing. It’s very unfortunate to see a man with huge potential go at a very young age.
Let us offer a prayer for another lost soul. For more questions about the NBA, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. For more content, stay with us, here at Spiel Times.
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