Fab Melo died at the age of 26 in his house in Brazil. Although the news is really surprising, but Melo left behind a legacy of a player with a lot of tenacity to overcome diffoculties.
Former Syracuse University Orange big man and Boston Celtics center was found dead at his house in Juiz de Fora, in Minas Gerais state, ESPN reported. His mother found dead on Saturday morning Feb. 11 after he didn’t wake up from his sleep.
Many have been shocked by his death, including Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim and Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge. In an interview with ESPN, coach Boeheim, who coached the 7’0” center for two years from 2010 to 2012, expressed his surprise and grief.
“He was a really good kid,” Coach Boeheim said. “It's not fair that he will be defined by one thing: a 10-page paper."
While Danny Ainge to to social media to express his condolences:
I'm so saddened to hear of the passing of Fab Melo. He was a good kid with a big heart. Our prayers go out to all of his loved ones. #ripfab
— Danny Ainge (@danielrainge) February 12, 2017
Brazilian military police released a statement on Sunday, USA Today reported. The report, stated that after police and paramedcis came to Melo house after emergency call and found he was already dead. There was no sign of violence according to the police.
Melo was a star of Syracuse Orange after he moved to America to play basketball. He was originally a soccer player, but switched to basketball due to his advantage in height. Despite of the obstacles he faced, he was selected as the Big East Defensive Player of the Year in 2012.
The player whose full name is Fabricio Paulino de Melo was able to show that everyone can achieve everything they set their goal with a strong focus on the goal.He declared himself to be eligible for the NBA in 2012.
Boston Celtics selected him as the 22nd overall pick in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft. Unfortunately, he only played in six games with the Celtics and spent most of his career in the D-League.
Watch the simple tribute to Fab Melo below:
