Former Syracuse and Boston Celtics big man Fab Melo passes away

Shockingly and sadly, former Syracuse standout and Boston Celtics big man Fab Melo has passed away.

Fab Melo, a big man out of Syracuse who played briefly for the Boston Celtics, has shockingly passed away in Brazil, according to a report from Adam Zagoria. He was 26 years old.

Melo is best known for his time at Syracuse where he was a part of two NCAA Tournament appearances. After two years in college, Melo made the jump to the NBA where he was drafted by the Boston Celtics. His time with the Celtics was short, only playing one season, and barely getting any time on the court.

After that, Melo disappeared from the NBA with a short stint in the D-League. He spent the next few years of his career playing in Brazil’s Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB). He had just signed a full year contract with Liga Sorocabana de Basquete of the NBB before his sudden passing.

This is truly stunning and sad news to hear about such a young player. Melo’s NBA career may have been brief, but there was a lot of hope that he would pan out entering the league.

He was a force in college thanks to his seven-foot body and he knew how to make use of his size. He was a great shot blocker in the college ranks and dominated the offensive boards. Sadly, his skills didn’t translate over well to the NBA where it became obvious very quickly he was not going to pan out at that level.

Still, to see someone pass away at the young age of 26 with so much talent in him is always heartbreaking. There have yet to be any confirmations of how he passed away, but early reports say it was at his house, possibly from a heart attack.

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Whatever the reason for Melo’s passing, it was far too soon. Condolences to his family and loved ones.