Zeke Upshaw facts for kids

Zena Ray "Zeke" Upshaw (born May 27, 1991 – died March 26, 2018) was an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Illinois State Redbirds and later for the Hofstra Pride. At Hofstra, he was a top scorer and earned special recognition.

Zeke then played professional basketball in Slovenia and Luxembourg. He later joined the Grand Rapids Drive in the NBA Development League (now known as the G League) in the United States. Sadly, during a game in 2018, he collapsed on the court and passed away two days later.

High School Basketball Days

Zeke Upshaw was born in Chicago. As a child, he loved basketballs more than any other toys. He started playing organized basketball when he was six years old.

Zeke went to the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. In 2008, when he was a junior, he played really well. He averaged 24 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists per game. Because of his great performance, he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Independent School League.

College Basketball Journey

After taking a year off from playing (called "redshirting") at Illinois State University, Zeke played for the Redbirds for three years. He didn't get much playing time, averaging only 1.6 points per game.

In 2013, he graduated from Illinois State with a degree in apparel, merchandising, and design. He then decided to transfer to Hofstra for his final year of college eligibility. This was allowed because he had already earned his degree and wanted to study something new that wasn't offered at his old school. He hoped to find a school where he could play a bigger role and have a chance to play professionally.

After leaving Illinois State, Zeke was first recruited by coach Joe Mihalich at Niagara. But when Coach Mihalich moved to Hofstra, he told Zeke there would be an even better chance to play there. This was because some players had left the team.

On January 15, 2014, Zeke scored 27 points in a game against UNC-Wilmington. He also tied a Hofstra record by making seven three-pointers in that game, helping his team win 69–64. He led the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in scoring, averaging 19.8 points per game. He was also named second-team All-CAA, which means he was one of the best players in the conference. His scoring average increased by 17.3 points from the previous year, which was the biggest jump in NCAA Division I basketball.

Professional Basketball Career

After college, Zeke Upshaw was not chosen in the 2014 NBA draft. He decided not to enter the NBA Development League Draft right away. Instead, in September 2014, he signed with Helios Suns, a team in Slovenia's top basketball league. In 30 games during the 2014–15 season, he averaged 9.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.

In August 2015, Zeke signed with Basket Esch, a team in Luxembourg's Total League. For the 2015–16 season, he played 27 games and had great stats, averaging 20.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game.

After that, Zeke decided to enter the 2016 NBA Development League Draft. He was picked in the fourth round by the Grand Rapids Drive. In the 2016–17 season, he played 34 games for the Drive, averaging 6.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.

Zeke's Passing

On March 24, 2018, Zeke Upshaw scored 11 points in the last game of the regular season. His team, the Grand Rapids Drive, won 101–99 against the Long Island Nets, which helped them get into the playoffs.

However, in the final minute of that game, Zeke collapsed on the court at DeltaPlex Arena. He was taken off the court on a stretcher. Paramedics started cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the ambulance. His heart started beating again about 40 minutes later at the hospital.

Two days later, on March 26, Zeke Upshaw passed away at Spectrum Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at 26 years old. Doctors later determined that he had a sudden heart problem. It was found that he had "cardiac abnormalities" (problems with his heart) that his family didn't know about before.

To show respect for Zeke, the NBA G League delayed the first round of their 2018 playoffs. Also, the Detroit Pistons team honored him on March 29 for their game against the Washington Wizards.

In May 2018, Zeke's parents filed a lawsuit against the NBA, the Detroit Pistons, the SSJ Group (who owned the Grand Rapids Drive), and the DeltaPlex Arena. News reports later said that a year earlier, Zeke had fainted and had been diagnosed with a heart condition that is a main cause of heart-related deaths in young athletes. This condition, combined with playing hard, was believed to have caused his death.

In July 2019, the NBA and the Detroit Pistons reached an agreement with Zeke's family to settle the lawsuit.

See also

In Spanish: Zeke Upshaw para niños

• Sudden cardiac death of athletes
• List of basketball players who died during their careers