NBA G-League player Zeke Upshaw has died after collapsing on court during the Grand Rapids Drive's match against the Long Island Nets.
Upshaw, 26, fell with less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter on Saturday and was transferred to Spectrum Hospital.
His death was confirmed on Monday by his mother Jewel in a statement issued via the Drive.
Statement from Jewel Upshaw, Zeke's mother: “After continued efforts from the medical team at Spectrum Health, Zeke made his transition at 11:16 am. To family, friends, teammates, coaches, fans & confidants, thank you for your prayers and support during this most difficult time. pic.twitter.com/1AutFtIFwU
— Grand Rapids Drive (@grdrive) March 26, 2018
The release read: "After continued efforts from the medical team at Spectrum Health, Zeke made his transition at 11:16 am [16:16 GMT]. To family, friends, team-mates, coaches, fans, and confidants, thank you for all your prayers and support during this most difficult time.
"On behalf of the Hustle, our organization and the @memgrizz, we want to send our condolences to the @DetroitPistons organization and the @grdrive organization" - @CoachCyprien on the tragic passing of Zeke Upshaw. pic.twitter.com/6BW7wKS0GU
— Memphis Hustle (@MemphisHustle) March 26, 2018
"Details of his memorial will be announced at a later date. We'd like to thank the many doctors and nurses at Spectrum Health for their efforts in caring for our son. We'd also like to thank the Drive for the support they have extended to our family."
Upshaw went undrafted after his senior season at Hofstra; he played for Helios Suns and Basket Esch before joining the Drive in 2016.
A statement from the team read: "The Drive family is mourning the tragic loss of Zeke Upshaw. He had a warm personality and was a tremendous representative of our organisation both on and off the court. Our thoughts are with all of Zeke's family and friends during this difficult time."
