Tipped for NBA Stardom Alongside Nikola Jokic, He Battled Weight Struggles and Tragically Died at 25

Pulse Sports Team 17:41 - 01 November 2026

Former NBA first-round pick Caleb Swanigan was once regarded as a premier talent, but his life took a downward spiral following his playing days before ending in tragedy.

A peer of Nikola Jokic, who is well on his way to becoming one of the greatest ever, 25-year-old American Caleb Swanigan endured a vastly different basketball journey, despite entering the league as a first-round selection as the 26th overall pick in the NBA Draft.

Swanigan was drafted into the NBA in 2017 following a trophy-laden NCAA college career. Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers, things soon took a dramatic turn for the worse for the talented forward.

At the time, Swanigan was in peak physical shape, having earned the nickname "Biggie" for good reason. As a child, Caleb had reached a weight of 160 kilograms (350 lbs) by the age of just 13.

Reports later emerged that he surpassed 180 kilograms after his career came to an end, but weight struggles were not his only concern. Swanigan narrowly avoided prison time shortly after his basketball career wound down. Following his release by Portland, he failed to secure a spot with another team.

Around that time, a viral photo circulated online showing that he had regained a significant amount of weight. The image, along with Damian Lillard stepping up publicly to defend his former teammate against online mockery, attracted massive media attention.

Swanigan tragically passed away on June 20, 2022, at a hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana, at the age of 25. The Allen County Coroner's Office confirmed that he died of natural causes.