Caleb Swanigan.Photo: Sam Forencich/NBAE/Getty
Caleb Swanigan, a former Purdue University basketball star who played three seasons in the NBA, died on Monday at age 25, PEOPLE confirms.
Purdue Men’s Basketball team first announced Swanigan’s passing in atweeton Tuesday morning.
“Our thoughts and prayers to Caleb Swanigan’s family and friends,” the team said in a statement. “The world lost a gentle soul last night.”
The Portland Trail Blazers drafted Swanigan in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft. The team paid tribute to him on Tuesday with a post on social media.
Caleb Swanigan.Abbie Parr/Getty
“Rest In Peace, Biggie,” they added.
After the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Swaniganopted outof playing with the team in July 2020, citing “personal reasons,” according to NBC Sports. He did not appear in an NBA game again following the decision.
In May 2021, he pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana charges after being pulled over in Indiana with 3.4 pounds of marijuana in his vehicle,PEOPLEpreviously reported.
An Indiana judge ordered Swanigan to serve a 180-day suspended jail sentence.
As a child, Swanigan experiencedhomelessness and obesity, he toldESPNin 2017. He weighed 400 pounds in middle school before AAU coach and former NFL linebacker Roosevelt Barnes adopted him at 13.
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Barnes educated Swanigan on nutrition and health, helping him get to 260 pounds. In 2015, Swanigan helped his high school basketball team win a state title.
The Big Ten Networkwill air three of Swanigan’s most memorable gameswith his Purdue team on Tuesday night, beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET.
source: people.com
