ESPN Features GR Drive Player Who Died After Cardiac Arrest

On March 24, 2018, the Grand Rapids Drive played their last game of the regular season against the Long Island Nets at DeltaPlex Arena in Grand Rapids.

Grand Rapids Drive player Zeke Upshaw collapsed to the court with less than one minute to play. Upshaw was later diagnosed with "sudden cardiac arrest" and he died on March 26, 2018. Upshaw was 26.

ESPN has produced a feature story on Upshaw. The story talks about Upshaw's background as a player and his promising future. It also examines his medical history, the diagnosis, the response of the medical team and the lawsuits that have followed.

ESPN talks with Upshaw's mother. His mother and girlfriend were watching the game via an online stream from Nevada as they watched the events unfold. They took the first flight they could get to head to Grand Rapids, leaving at 12:30 a.m. from Las Vegas to Minneapolis to Grand Rapids.

Much of the story focuses on the immediate response and diagnosis. ESPN says, "In its report, the Kent County Medical Examiner's office in Grand Rapids identified a disease called arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). But several other top cardiologists said they were convinced Upshaw had a similar disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). There was no evidence of drug use or any other mitigating factor."