Mike Sweetney obit

Georgetown Basketball Great and DMV Native Mike Sweetney Passes Away

 

He was not on the list.

Former Georgetown University basketball standout, DMV basketball legend and NBA first-round pick Michael “Mike” Sweetney has passed away, according to an announcement from his wife, India Sweetney.

India shared the news on social media, remembering her husband of nearly 20 years as a devoted husband, father and family man.“With the heaviest hearts, we are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our beloved Michael,” she wrote. “His children were the light of his life, and he lived every day to give them the best life possible.”

Sweetney, a Washington, D.C. native, starred at Oxon Hill High School in Prince George’s County, where he was named The Washington Post’s All-Met Player of the Year before continuing his career at Georgetown University.

The 6-foot-8 power forward played for the Hoyas from 2000 to 2003, averaging 18.2 points per game during his three-year college career. As a junior during the 2002-03 season, Sweetney earned All-American honors before declaring for the NBA Draft.

The New York Knicks selected Sweetney with the ninth overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, a class that included LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Sweetney spent two seasons with the Knicks before playing two seasons with the Chicago Bulls. He later continued his professional career internationally.

Following his playing career, Sweetney became an advocate for mental health awareness, speaking publicly about his experiences with depression and grief following the death of his father early in his NBA career. He later worked in coaching, including as an assistant coach with the men’s basketball program at Yeshiva University.

Sweetney is survived by his wife, India, and their children. Memorial service information has not yet been publicly announced.

He had previously served as an assistant coach of the Yeshiva University Men's basketball team and head coach of the girls varsity basketball team at New York's Ramaz School.

Sweetney went to Oxon Hill for high school, where he was named Washington Post All Met Basketball Player of the Year.

He continued the tradition of highly skilled big men at Georgetown University, averaging 18.2 points while shooting nearly 55% over his three-year collegiate career. He was especially dominant over his junior year, in which he was named Honorable Mention All-America by AP, as well as being a Naismith College Player of the Year finalist and a candidate for the John R. Wooden Award. That year, Sweetney was the only player in the nation to rank in the top 20 in scoring and rebounding.

Despite playing only three seasons for the Hoyas, he ranks ninth on Georgetown's career scoring list (1,750), fifth in rebounds (887) and sixth in blocks (180) as of 2026.

 

Career information

High school     Oxon Hill (Oxon Hill, Maryland)

College            Georgetown (2000–2003)

NBA draft        2003: 1st round, 9th overall pick

Drafted by       New York Knicks

Playing career 2003–2017

Position           Power forward

Number           50, 60

Coaching career          2019–2026

Career history

Playing

2003–2005      New York Knicks

2005–2007      Chicago Bulls

2009–2010      Shaanxi Kylins

2010    Erie BayHawks

2010    Cangrejeros de Santurce

2010    Metros de Santiago

2010–2011      Club Biguá

2011    Cangrejeros de Santurce

2012    Vaqueros de Bayamón

2013    Guaiqueríes de Margarita

2013    Vaqueros de Bayamón

2014    Club Atlético Atenas

2014    Brujos de Guayama

2015–2017      Urunday Universitario

Coaching

2019–2023      Yeshiva University (assistant)

Career highlights

Second-team All-American – NABC (2003)

Third-team All-American – SN (2003)