Sadly Ex-Purdue and Blazers power forward Caleb Swanigan passed away at the age of 25.
According to the coroner, it was because of natural causes.
Tragic news … Caleb Swanigan — the former Purdue star who was later picked in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft — has died at 25 years old.
A spokesperson for the Allen County Coroner’s Office in Indiana tells TMZ Sports … the ex-Boilermaker center died of natural causes.
The 6-foot-9, 260-pound hooper was a five-star recruit, who earned McDonald’s All-American honors after averaging 22.6 points and 13.7 rebounds per game in his senior season.
During his two years with the Boilermakers, Swanigan averaged 14.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. He was eventually taken by the Portland Trailblazers with the 26th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Swanigan struggled a lot on and off the court during his brief time on earth.
A photo of former NBA player Caleb Swanigan surfaced in court showed he gained a tremendous amount of weight.
After opting out of the Orlando bubble last summer, Swanigan did not sign with a franchise as an unrestricted free agent heading into the 2020-21 NBA season. In fact, he did not make headlines until being arrested in Indiana during December for possession of “3.4 pounds of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and cash inside his vehicle,” per the IndyStar.
There were plenty of people who were concerned about his weight gain and his off-the-court activities.
It’s shocking how fast Swaingan gained all that weight. But going from working out daily with an NBA team and not eating properly is a significant change. Caleb has gone through a lot in his life and transformed already once, so if somebody has the mental toughness and will to get himself together and make an NBA comeback, it is him. I wish him the best.
Thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.
Flip the pages for tributes to him, his last rap video before his passing, and him speaking on his health.