Caleb Swanigan left basketball in the midst of a pandemic for personal reasons.
Is dead caleb Swanigan, a former NBA basketball player, aged 25 “of natural causes,” according to US site TMZ. This young former athlete made headlines last year when he was attacked on the net for the change his physique had undergone when he left basketball.
Originally from Indiana and the pride of that area of the United States, consecrating himself with an interstate championship at Purdue University, Swanigan was chosen in the first round of the 2017 Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers and then played for the Sacramento Kings until 2020., during the coronavirus pandemic, puts an end to his nascent career to devote himself to music.
His short stint in the best basketball in the world came after averaging 22.6 points and 13.7 rebounds per game in his senior season, figures that were complemented by his towering 2.06 meters tall, which earned him the nickname “Biggie”.
While playing for the Blazers, Swanigan graduated from Purdue, where he earned a BA in History of Education. His life has gone far beyond basketball courts: in 2019 he led a fundraiser for the homeless and jumped into music.
Caleb Swanigan, in his time as a promising young man from Portland.
The end of his career
In mid-2020, when the NBA put together an anti-covid bubble in Orlando to continue the season, Caleb decided not to join the team. For personal reasonsand this resulted in him no longer playing basketball on a professional level.
A few months later, he was arrested at a police checkpoint and found 1.5 kg of marijuana: He was released on bail and charged with possession, a minor offense.
In May 2021, a year after his retirement from the NBA, a photo of Caleb went viral on the networks. There he was seen with another physique, weighing more than 60 pounds heavier than his body while performing in high competition. Many worried about his health, others just made fun of him.
Caleb Swanigan, one year after leaving basketball. Photo: Instagram.
Swanigan responded to criticism and memes with a strong message: “When the media is in your life, ignore it. I am a full-time father figure with financial resources for my children.” I’ll say I’m happy, “she posted on Instagram.
After basketball Caleb has dedicated his life to social work and musicwhere under the nickname slyy5jackk He showed his rapping facet, composing songs like “Thoughts / THOTS” or “My Life” in 2021.
Repercussions in the NBA
Today his passing fills the NBA with grief, and among the figures who have spoken is his former teammate Damian Lillard. “Rest in peace”, he wrote him.
Lillard had come to Biggie’s defense when he pointed out the changes in his body last year and attacked him online. “If you’re going to post this with real concern, that’s fine. But don’t ask ‘how did you go from this to this?’ He clearly has personal problems, ”Lillard said.
Damian Lillard’s message in defense of Caleb Swanigan. Photo: Twitter.
The Trail Blazers also dedicated a message to him on their networks: “We are grieved by the death of former Trail Blazers player Caleb Swanigan. Our thoughts and prayers are with family, friends and all those who loved Caleb. Rest. in peace”. Great.”
But where the 25-year-old giant’s departure struck the most was at Purdue, his university, where he perhaps had his happiest moments as an athlete.
“Devastated. The world lost a kind soul last night. We love you Biggie,” they wrote.
Source: Clarin
