Chad Posthumus, a former Brampton Honey Badger and founding player of the Canadian Elite Basketball League, has died at the age of 33 following a brain aneurysm in Manitoba.
The 33-year-old captain of the CEBL’s Winnipeg Sea Bears died on Wednesday in hospital after suffering a brain aneurysm during a training session in Winnipeg on Nov. 9, according to his obituary.
A forward played with the Brampton Honey Badgers in the 2022-2023 CEBL season before moving to Winnipeg where he was announced as the Sea Bear’s inaugural first signing.
Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham said he was “devastated” to learn of Postumus’s death, saying he had a “huge heart” and a “magnetic personality that matched his physical size.”
“As a local boy, he was a favourite for (Sea Bears) fans & was dedicated to our community,” he said in an online post of the six-foot-11 Winnipeg native. “My deepest condolences to Chad’s family & the Sea Bears organization.”
A supporter of diabetes and Autism Spectrum Disorder education, as he suffered from Type 1 diabetes and had multiple family members of the autism spectrum.
“I think there needs to be more awareness and explaining to kids in school,” the late basketball player said in an interview on Baskeball.com in 2022.
“Instead of treating (those with ASD) differently, we need to make it more inclusive, this is how we can incorporate them. The earlier you are made aware, the more understanding you’re going to have growing up.”
After high school at River East Collegiate in Winnipeg, Posthumus was courted by over a dozen post-secondary institutions but attended the University of British Columbia and Howard College in Texas.
He played for multiple teams in the CEBL including the Honey Badgers, the Edmonton Stingers, Saskatchewan Rattlers and Ottawa BlackJacks.
Fans honoured the late captain with a moment of silence before a match on Thursday between Canada’s national senior men’s team against the Dominican Republic at FIBA AmeriCup qualifier, according to reports.
Devastated to learn Chad Postumus has died. He had a huge heart & magnetic personality that matched his physical size. As a local boy, he was a favourite for @wpgseabears fans & was dedicated to our community. My deepest condolences to Chad’s family & the Sea Bears organization. pic.twitter.com/UJm4AbC3Ut
— Mayor Scott Gillingham (@ScottGillingham) November 21, 2024
– With files from The Canadian Press