Michael Sweetney

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Mike Sweetney

| image =

| caption =

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 8

| weight_lb = 348

| position = Assistant coach

| league = Skyline Conference

| team = Yeshiva Maccabees

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|10|25}}

| birth_place = Washington, D.C., U.S.

| highschool = Oxon Hill (Oxon Hill, Maryland)

| college = Georgetown (2000–2003)

| draft_year = 2003

| draft_round = 1

| draft_pick = 9

| draft_team = New York Knicks

| career_position = Power forward

| career_number = 50,60

| career_start = 2003

| career_end = 2017

| coach_start = 2019

| years1 = {{nbay|2003|start}}–{{nbay|2004|end}}

| team1 = New York Knicks

| years2 = {{nbay|2005|start}}–{{nbay|2006|end}}

| team2 = Chicago Bulls

| years3 = 2009–2010

| team3 = Shaanxi Kylins

| years4 = 2010

| team4 = Erie BayHawks

| years5 = 2010

| team5 = Cangrejeros de Santurce

| years6 = 2010

| team6 = Metros de Santiago

| years7 = 2010–2011

| team7 = Club Biguá

| years8 = 2011

| team8 = Cangrejeros de Santurce

| years9 = 2012

| team9 = Vaqueros de Bayamón

| years10 = 2013

| team10 = Guaiqueríes de Margarita

| years11 = 2013

| team11 = Vaqueros de Bayamón

| years12 = 2014

| team12 = Club Atlético Atenas

| years13 = 2014

| team13 = Brujos de Guayama

| years14 = 2015–2017

| team14 = Urunday Universitario

| cyears1 = 2019–present

| cteam1 = Yeshiva University (assistant)

| highlights =

Second-team All-American – NABC (2003)
Third-team All-American – SN (2003)

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{USA}}}}

}}

Michael Damien Sweetney (born October 25, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. He is now the 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.{{cite news |last1=Kussoy |first1=Howie |title=Michael Sweetney overcoming darkest Knicks moments at Yeshiva: 'I'm changing lives' |url=https://nypost.com/2019/12/23/michael-sweetney-overcoming-dark-days-with-knicks-in-unlikeliest-yeshiva-role/ |access-date=24 December 2019 |publisher=New York Post |date=23 December 2019}}{{cite web |title=The Ramaz School: Faculty & Staff Directory |url=https://www.ramaz.org/page.cfm?p=5483&&directoryStart=261 |website=Ramaz.org |publisher=Ramaz School |access-date=24 December 2019}}

High school and college careers

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, he ranks seventh on Georgetown's career scoring list (1,750), fifth in rebounds (887) and sixth in blocks (180).

Professional career

Sweetney was selected by the New York Knicks with the 9th overall pick, in the 2003 NBA draft. After a two-year stint with only 42 regular season contests in his rookie year, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls on October 4, 2005, alongside Tim Thomas and Jermaine Jackson, for Eddy Curry and Antonio Davis.[http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/curry_traded_051004.html Bulls re-sign Curry, complete sign-and-trade with Knicks]; NBA.com, 4 October 2005

Sweetney has battled weight issues throughout his life and career. It was reported in The Chicago Tribune that, if Sweetney did not lose a certain amount of weight, his career could be in danger.{{cite web|url=http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/askthewriter/cs-061206asksamsmith,1,5421347.story?coll=cs-bulls-ask-headlines|title=Ask Sam Smith|author=Sam Smith|date=2006-12-06|publisher=ChicagoSports.com}}

Sweetney's final NBA game ever ended up being in Game 2 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Semifinals on May 7, 2007. In that game, the Bulls would lose 87 - 108 to the Detroit Pistons while Sweetney recorded 2 points in 3 minutes of playing time.{{cite web |title=2007 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 2: Bulls vs Pistons, May 7, 2007 |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200705070DET.html |website=Basketball Reference |access-date=June 7, 2024}}

In the summer of 2009 he played with the Boston Celtics summer league team. He was invited to attend training camp in October 2009 to try out with the Celtics and attempt to resume an NBA career. He was waived on October 22.[http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/62287/20091022/celtics_waive_michael_sweetney/ Celtics Waive Michael Sweetney] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091024234513/http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/62287/20091022/celtics_waive_michael_sweetney |date=2009-10-24 }} In early December 2011, Sweetney rejoined the Boston Celtics for training camp,{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/|title=Celtics invite 4 to training camp|last=Washburn|first=Gary|date=December 8, 2011|work=Boston Globe|access-date=9 December 2011}} but he was cut on December 22, 2011.

On January 13, 2012, Sweetney agreed to a deal with the Vaqueros de Bayamon of the BSN, Puerto Rico's basketball league.[http://www.vaquerosahi.com/nueva/2012/01/michael-sweetney-nuevo-refuerzo-vaquero-jack-michael-martinez-bajo-consideracion/ Michael Sweetney nuevo refuerzo Vaquero; Jack Michael Martínez bajo consideración] In February 2013, he signed a one-month deal with the Venezuelan team Guaiqueríes de Margarita.{{cite web|title=Gaiqueries de Margarita add former NBA player Mike Sweetney|url=http://www.sportando.net/eng/world/america/50658/gaiqueries-de-margarita-add-former-nba-player-mike-sweetney.html}} After his contract expired, he returned to the Vaqueros de Bayamon.{{cite web|title=Michael Sweetney returns to Vaqueros|url=http://www.court-side.com/news/blog/michael-sweetney-returns-to-vaqueros/}} In February 2014, he signed with Club Atlético Atenas.{{cite news|title=Michael Sweetney signs for Atletico Atenas|url=http://www.sportando.net/eng/world/america/73966/michael-sweetney-signs-for-atletico-atenas.html|access-date=18 February 2014|newspaper=Sportando.net|date=15 February 2014}}

On May 1, 2014, he signed with Brujos de Guayama.{{cite news|title=Brujos de Guayama sign Mike Sweetney, waive Terrence Williams|url=http://www.sportando.com/en/world/america/118666/brujos-de-guayama-sign-mike-sweetney-waive-terrence-williams.html|access-date=May 4, 2014|newspaper=Sportando.com|date=May 1, 2014}} He was waived on July 1, 2014.{{cite news|title=Brujos de Guayama waive Mike Sweetney, sign Walter Sharpe|url=http://www.sportando.com/en/world/america/125271/brujos-de-guayama-waive-mike-sweetney-sign-walter-sharpe.html|access-date=July 2, 2014|work=Sportando.com|date=July 1, 2014}}

In November 2015, after more than a year off, Sweetney signed a contract in Uruguay with Urunday Universitario.{{cite news|title=Michael Sweetney overcomes depression, signs in Uruguay|url=http://www.sportando.com/en/world/america/183116/michael-sweetney-overcomes-depression-signs-in-uruguay.html|access-date=November 26, 2015|work=Sportando.com|date=November 26, 2015}}

Sweetney competed for Team City of Gods in The Basketball Tournament. He was a center on the 2015 team who made it to the semifinals, losing to Overseas Elite 84–71. Sweetney has since run Tamir Goodman's basketball camp.

Coaching career

In 2019, Sweetney became an assistant coach for the Yeshiva University men's basketball team{{cite news|title=2019-20 Men's Basketball Coaching Staff|url=https://yumacs.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster}} and head coach of the girls' varsity basketball team at Ramaz School.{{cite news |last1=Rubinstein |first1=Spencer |title=Q&A: Getting to Know Coach Mike Sweetney |url=https://www.the-rampage.org/3752/features/qa-getting-to-know-coach-mike-sweetney/ |access-date= December 24, 2019 |date= September 25, 2019}}"[https://www.ramaz.org/page.cfm?p=5483 Mr. Michael Sweetney]". Ramaz School. Retrieved August 17, 2021.