Former NBA player and Purdue player Caleb Swanigan has died at the age of 25, his family announced Tuesday through the Boilermakers. Swanigan died Monday of natural causes at a hospital in Fort Wayne, India, according to the Allen County Medical Examiner’s Office (via the Associated Press). Swanigan grew up in Fort Wayne, where, with the help of his stepfather, he lost more than 100 pounds and became a top high school talent. “The Purdue basketball family is deeply saddened and devastated by the loss of Caleb Swanigan,” Boilermakers coach Matt Painter said in a statement. “Caleb was a very thoughtful person and a kind soul who excelled both on and off the court. He made a huge difference in the lives of everyone he touched and he will miss him a lot “. After leading his high school team to the first state title and being named Mr. Indiana Basketball In 2015, Swanigan first devoted himself to Michigan State before changing his mind and heading to Purdue. His stepfather, Roosevelt Barnes, was a three-star star with the Boilermakers who played in the NFL as a linebacker and later became a sports agent. From 2017: A sports agent took a 360 pound teenager. Became a Caleb Swanigan. As a sophomore at Purdue, Swanigan has won numerous accolades, including the 2017 Big Ten Award for Player of the Year and First Team References in all U.S. records. He set a conference record with 28 double-doubles and led the Boilermakers to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. I was terribly sorry for that. Biggie had a positive impact on everyone’s lives. He was such a thoughtful man and kind soul that he had to overcome so much in his life. He will be greatly missed. https://t.co/Ivm5MiaCUm – Purdue’s Matt Painter (@CoachPainter) June 21, 2022 Swanigan was then selected in 26th place in the draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, who later shared the 6-foot, 260-pound forward with the Sacramento Kings in a mid-2019 trade. His NBA career virtually ended when he chose not to return to Portland due to the delayed league bubble pandemic near Orlando in 2020. Swanigan averaged 2.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 75 games in three NBA seasons. Saying they were “hurt” by Swanigan’s death, the Trail Blazers said on Tuesday, “Our thoughts and prayers are with family, Caleb’s friends and all those who loved him.” They added, “Rest In Peace, Biggie”, using a nickname dating back to Swanigan’s childhood. He experienced a lack of housing, which made it difficult to maintain a healthy diet, developed a sweet tooth and reportedly weighed up to 360 kilograms before starting eighth grade. Barnes said in 2017 that after adopting Swanigan, he began reshaping the child’s eating habits by removing sugar, salt and bread from their home. “There were times when he cheated, but the point is that you have to have more days when you win than when you lose,” said Barnes, who praised Swanninghan’s focus and determination. “. He had to learn to eat things that are green.” The result was the transformation of a young man into a lean, athletic star in a major college program and, ultimately, a member of the top professional basketball league. Following Swanigan’s departure from the NBA, he pleaded guilty to drug offenses in 2021. After a photo showing Swanigan gaining weight again went viral at the time, Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard told online comment, “I do not know WHAT is going on to cause a drastic change.” Lillard then added that people should show support for someone who was “naturally a big guy” and had “walked a dark path”. On Tuesday, another former teammate, Sacramento striker Harrison Barnes, tweeted, “RIP Biggie.” “We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Caleb Swanigan,” the Kings said. “We will remember him as a great teammate and friend. “Our hearts are with his family at this incredibly difficult time.” Subscribe to the NBA Weekly Newsletter to Get the Best Basketball Coverage in Your Inbox
