Former London Lightning player Chad Posthumus dead at 33 after brain aneurysm

Canadian basketball communities are mourning after Chad Posthumus, a founding player of the Canadian Elite Basketball League, died Wednesday at 33.

CTV News Winnipeg previously reported that Posthumus was in critical condition following a surgery for a brain aneurysm he suffered during a training session on November 9.

He then battled complications from a corrective surgery that left him in critical condition in the intensive care unit – he did not recover.

“Chad was and will always remain the face of our team,” the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s Winnipeg Sea Bears said.

In a statement, the CEBL said it is mourning the loss of one of its most beloved players.

“Chad had a love for people and for the game of basketball that lit up even the largest arenas,” it said.

“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.”

Posthumus, a Winnipeg native, played for the CEBL’s Saskatchewan Rattlers, Ottawa BlackJacks, Edmonton Stingers and Brampton Honey Badgers before joining his hometown team as the first signing in Sea Bears history in 2023. He also played a stint with the London Lightning – hitting the court for 22 games in the 2015-2016 season, averaging 11 points, and 6.5 rebounds.

The six-foot-11 forward helped lead Saskatchewan to the inaugural CEBL championship in 2019.

Adam Wedlake, executive director of Basketball Manitoba, said Posthumus’ death is being felt throughout the local basketball community.

“We’ve seen a huge jump in our sport; the interest, the people who want to get involved, the Sea Bears have been a massive part of that. And he was the face of that,” Wedlake said. “He was the heart and soul of that team. It’s a tough one today.”

While Posthumus was a dominant player on the court, Wedlake said he was the opposite off the court.

“The biggest, softest guy you could imagine, always there with a smile, a high-five, especially to the young kids who looked up to him, literally and figuratively,” he said. “That’s the real part that we really miss with the news of today.”

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew took to social media to share his condolences.

“Manitoba lost a real one with the passing of Chad Posthumus,” Kinew wrote on X. “Homegrown talent, leader, and inspiration, Chad was not only the captain of the (Sea Bears) but also their first-ever draft pick—a legacy that will forever be part of Manitoba basketball history.”

Off the court, Posthumus was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at seven years old and became an advocate for managing the condition with a healthy lifestyle.

Posthumus became an All-Manitoba and a top-five player in Canadian high school basketball with the River East Collegiate Kodiaks in Winnipeg, averaging 39 points, 25 rebounds and seven blocks in his senior year.

He spent his freshman season in college basketball at the University of British Columbia before playing at Howard College, where he was an Academic All-American with a 4.0 GPA as a redshirt sophomore in 2011-12.

Posthumus eventually transferred to Morehead State University in NCAA Division I. He ranked second in the NCAA with 10.9 rebounds per game during his senior season in 2013-14, earning All-Ohio Valley Conference honours.

The summer after his graduation, Posthumus participated in the NBA Summer League with the Chicago Bulls. His professional career before the CEBL also included stops in Japan and Argentina.

Internationally, Posthumus played for the 3×3 national team, representing Canada at the 3×3 AmeriCup in 2023.

With files from The Canadian Press, CTV Winnipeg’s Kayla Rosen