Former Boston Celtics first-round draft pick Fab Melo has passed away at the age of 26.
The Celtics chose Melo with the 22nd overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft after his sophomore year at Syracuse.
"He was a really good kid, and it's not fair that he will be defined by one thing, a 10-page paper," Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim told ESPN after hearing the news. "He worked his tail off to become a really good player, and was a nice kid."
He played in six games for the Green Team in the 2012-13 season. During his time with the Maine Red Claws, Melo set a D-League record with 14 blocks in a game.
The cause of his death is still unknown, but ESPN is reporting that he died at his home in Juiz de Fora.
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge tweeted about Melo's passing.
The news was first reported by Adam Zagoria