Late Winnipeg Sea Bears captain Chad Posthumus remembered for impact on and off the court

Chad Posthumus, the captain for his hometown Winnipeg Sea Bears, has died less than two weeks after suffering a brain aneurysm.

Posthumus, a hometown player who was the first athlete signed to Winnipeg's Canadian Elite Basketball League team, died on Wednesday, after suffering an aneurysm on Nov. 9 during a training session.

He underwent surgery but there were complications that left him in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

He was 33 years old.

"Chad fought hard but was unable to recover," the Sea Bears said in an Instagram post on Thursday. Posthumus "was and will always remain the face of our team," the post said.

"With Chad, we've won, lost, and experienced joy together and now we must come together again in grief, and mourn his loss."

The Sea Bears announced Posthumus's death on Instagram on Thursday. (Winnipeg Sea Bears/Instagram)

The Posthumus family, in a statement released by the Sea Bears on Thursday, said he died from "a catastrophic stroke as the result of surgical complications."

"We thank you for all of the support and prayers we received through this difficult time. We love you, Chad," the statement also says.

A book of condolences has been created for Posthumus and can be accessed through the Sea Bears website.

'A champion on and off the court'

The six-foot-11 forward was born and raised in Winnipeg, and played high school basketball for the River East Collegiate Kodiaks.

He went on to play with the Canadian national team and the CEBL's Saskatchewan Rattlers, helping lead that team to the first-ever CEBL championship in the league's inaugural 2019 season.

He signed on with the CEBL's Ottawa BlackJacks in 2021 and spent two seasons there, becoming the first player in CEBL history to post a "20-20" after recording 23 points and 20 rebounds.

He then became the first signing in Sea Bears franchise history, after the team joined the league in 2023.

"He gave so much of his time and energy to both the team and our community," the Sea Bears' Instagram post states. "For that we are eternally grateful."

A book of condolences has been created for Chad Posthumus and can be accessed through the Sea Bears website. (Winnipeg Sea Bears/Instagram)

In a statement on its social media pages, the CEBL said Posthumus "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 statement said.

"Chad represented the best in aspiring Canadian basketball players during his professional career in Japan, Argentina, and here at home. Off the court he was an academic all-American in college and was a dedicated advocate for those living with diabetes.

"The impact Chad made on our world is as undeniable as the force that he was on the court."

Mike Morreale, CEBL commissioner and co-founder, posted a message on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday morning, expressing "complete and utter sadness" about Posthumus.

Morreale called him a close friend and someone who loved the game of basketball, teammates, fans and family.

"Chad was a champion on and off the court and was as big in life and happiness as he was in size and strength," the post said.

"This news will reverberate across the basketball world, in his hometown of Winnipeg, and to the thousands that he touched along his journey. I will miss you big man and my life is better having had you in it. Rest in peace."

'Larger-than-life character'

Adam Wedlake, executive director of Basketball Manitoba, knew Posthumus from the time the player was a boy just getting started in the sport.

"He started out of programs with Winnipeg Minor Basketball as a youngster.… He was probably only five or six," Wedlake told CBC Manitoba Information Radio host Marcy Markusa on Thursday.

"It's just amazing what he's been able to do with basketball over his time with us. When you think back, it feels like a very long time, but sadly, it's way too short."

Like others who described Posthumus, Wedlake said he was a "larger-than-life character" who lit up a room, whether it was a 15,000-seat facility like Canada Life Centre or a community gym doing a kids' camp.

"He just drew that level of joy and enjoyment, and that's what drew people to him," Wedlake said.

"His basketball resumé took him to all corners of the world, and he played at so many different levels. To come back in his last two seasons here and to suit up on Winnipeg soil and be essentially the poster boy for a new program here, it was amazing.

"And of course, that's what hurts the most, is to know that there was still time ahead of us to enjoy all this."

Condolences also poured in at the Manitoba Legislature during question period Thursday.

Posthumus was a "wonderful person" and "taken from all of us far too soon," said Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew. "Thinking of his father, Charles, and the whole family at this time."

Interim Progressive Conservative Leader Wayne Ewasko also offered "our heartfelt condolences to Chad's family and friends at this time."

In lieu of flowers, the Posthumus family has asked people to consider a donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation or a memorial scholarship that will be set up in his name.

Further information about a celebration of life will be shared in the coming days, the family said.