Winnipeg Sea Bears captain Chad Posthumus has died, the team announced Thursday morning.
A statement from his family said Posthumus passed away following a catastrophic stroke as the result of surgical complications.
The Winnipeg native was in intensive care after suffering a brain aneurysm during a training session earlier this month.
In a statement on social media, the basketball club said it was “deeply saddened” to announce the death of Posthumus — its first-ever draft pick.
“Chad fought hard but was unable to recover,” the statement said. “Chad was and will always remain the face of our team.”
The loss is being felt throughout the entire Manitoba sports community.
“I always loved playing with him,” Sea Bears teammate Shawn Maranan told The 680 CJOB Sports Show.
“No matter what situation we were in, good or bad, he was always the light of the room. His presence was that big. Obviously, he’s a big guy, but his presence and his smile were just as big as he was.
“He was definitely a positive every day for our team, whether things are going good, whether things are going bad — he was right there to make sure we were level-headed. Chad was just an incredible human being.”
Posthumus’s Canadian Elite Basketball League career also saw him suit up for teams based in Saskatchewan, Ottawa and Edmonton. He has also played for teams in Argentina and Japan.
In a statement Thursday, the league called him “one of our most beloved players”.
“Chad had a love for people and for the game of basketball that lit up even the largest arenas.
“His spirit and passion touched the hearts of fans and inspired teammates and all of us blessed to have shared Chad’s all-too-brief life with him.”
The graduate of Winnipeg’s River East Collegiate was only 33.
The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, people consider giving a donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Details for a memorial service will be announced at a later date.