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The fallen basketball star who fled his filthy foreclosed home joined the NBA straight out of high school after his parents appeared to ‘fall into the trap of chasing the money’, his former high school basketball coach claimed today. Gino Lacava believes Bruce and Rhonda Swift were influenced by the $4.4m offer Seattle Sonics made for their son Robert even though he was just 18. Daily Mail

Robert Swift 

And in a blunt assessment of Robert’s life now he said: ‘He is 27 and he’s broke. Mentor: Lacava said that at 17 he knew that Swift 'had what it takes' for the NBA ‘He was a millionaire and he’s broke and he has 50 years of his life to try and make ends meet... ‘...I feel horrible for him’. Robert was forced to leave his $1.4m home in Sammamish, WA, just over a week ago because he owed $168,000 on his mortgage despite earning $20m during his career, Daily Mail

Robert Swift 

Another factor was his parents who Mr Lacava described as ‘middle class at best’ and ‘not well to do by any means’. Bruce, 50, is an air conditioning mechanic. His mother Rhonda is 57. Mr Lacava said: ‘I honestly think the parents did want him to go to the NBA. ‘They got tied in with these AAU coaches who were constantly throwing around free offers and shoes and all the money and I think to them...it seemed like free money. Daily Mail

Robert Swift 

He finished his playing days in Japan, but Mr Lacava said that he could still be out there on the court if he got into shape. Robert’s exact whereabouts are now unknown but he is thought to be staying with friends in the Seattle area. He has grown distant from his family and his little sister Samantha, 21 has resorted to watching the TV news to find out what is happening in his life. Daily Mail

Robert Swift 

Two weeks ago we relayed a story out of Seattle concerning former SuperSonics center Robert Swift. Swift, out of professional basketball despite being in the same high school and NBA draft class as Dwight Howard, refused to leave his foreclosed-upon mansion, barricading himself in a home strewn with beer cans, tacky paraphernalia, and Chevrolet El Caminos with missing engines. The best case scenario, considering the visible bullet holes and preponderance of beer empties, has come true. Swift has left the house, and it didn’t take some alcohol-inspired shootout to pull him out. The best case scenario is still pretty nasty, though. Watch, courtesy of KOMO: Yahoo! Sports

Law, Robert Swift 

The house was owned by former Seattle Sonic and first round pick Robert Swift. He lost the home to foreclosure last year. The Dalzells bought it, but Swift has been living in it ever since. "He never came to the door, he never talked to any of us. We came multiple times. We sent him letters. We left him letters," Ko-Dalzell said. At some point this past weekend, Swift and others moved out of the home. The Dalzells had their first full look inside Monday. "It was a shocker. It was definitely a shocker," Eric said. KOMO

Robert Swift 

Animal feces clogs the deck. Walls are punched out on different levels of the house. One even has an autograph. Pizza boxes and beer bottles are piled on the kitchen granite. Multiple guns were found in the home. Some appear to be air guns, but live ammo was also found. Dalzell said they also found a handgun. A makeshift shooting range is in the basement storage area. Eric Dalzell said load-bearing beams have graze marks from bullets, and part of the home's foundation appeared to stop some of the slugs. A box of letters from colleges around the nation sat pushed against a downstairs wall. It looked like another trash box. Crests and logos of UCLA, Arizona, UConn and others are jammed together as untold memories of what could have been for Swift. KOMO

Robert Swift 

Former Seattle Sonic Robert Swift made a reported $20 million during his NBA career, but things haven't gone as well for the first-round draft pick in recent years. Swift lost his home to foreclosure, but apparently refuses to leave. "And it seems like a very sad story and I definitely feel for him," said the new owner, who wanted to hide her identity. KOMO

Law, Robert Swift 

Cans of beer dot the grass outside the home. A bullet hole pierced the garage window at some point. "Cars that don't look like they've moved in a long time," she noted. Water festers in buckets outside of what was once a million dollar home in a wealthy Eastside suburb. "And found out who the lovely, previous owner was," the owner said. KOMO

Law, Robert Swift 

KOMO News tried to speak with Swift on Wednesday, and a woman who said she was his girlfriend said he couldn't come out because he was sleeping. The new owner has gone to court and, according to records, Swift has gone past his grace period to leave. He has one final deadline at the end of the month. After that, he faces possible eviction by force. "He will have to respond to the sheriff I'm sure," the new owner said. KOMO

Law, Robert Swift 

But promises do exist -- Olshey said when he was working for Tellem, they received promises for Shelden Williams, Marcus Banks, Kendrick Perkins, Kedrick Brown and Robert Swift. Sometimes, the promises don't work out -- Swift in 2004 got a promise from Boston at No. 14, but he was chosen by Seattle at No. 12. Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Draft, Kendrick Perkins, Neil Olshey, Shelden Williams, Robert Swift, Marcus Banks 

Big man Robert Swift, who played for the on-hiatus Apache in 2010-11 could wind up with the Boston Celtics after the lockout or the New York Knicks, according to former Tokyo Apache coach Bob Hill. Japan Times

Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Free Agency, Lockout, Robert Swift 

Jason Quick: Blazers GM Rich Cho says team will make big-man decision on Tuesday morning. Swift, Barron and Jones worked out Monday morning Twitter

Portland Trail Blazers, Earl Barron, Rich Cho, Dwayne Jones, Robert Swift 

Asked via text message if he would definitely sign someone for the stretch run, Cho replied: "Maybe." Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Earl Barron, Rich Cho, Dwayne Jones, Robert Swift 

Jay Allen 95.5: Earl Barron, Robert Swift, & Dwayne Jones all at the PF. Will work out for Blazers today. Twitter

Portland Trail Blazers, Earl Barron, Dwayne Jones, Robert Swift 

Camby’s absence forced the Blazers to go with a small starting unit, with LaMarcus Aldridge playing center and Gerald Wallace at power forward. The Blazers’ only other true inside player is rookie Chris Johnson. The team apparently took a step to address that inside shortage, holding a workout involving three post players with NBA experience. They include Robert Swift, who played for Blazers coach Nate McMillan with the Seattle SuperSonics; Earl Barron, who played three seasons for Miami and has also had stints with New York, Phoenix and Milwaukee; and Dwayne Jones, who played for Cleveland, Boston, Charlotte and Phoenix. Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Earl Barron, Dwayne Jones, Robert Swift 

Mike Tokito: Blazers have three big men in. Recognize ex-Sonic Robert Swift. Twitter

Portland Trail Blazers, Earl Barron, Dwayne Jones, Robert Swift 

Mike Tokito: Also here, Earl Barron, Dwayne Jones. Twitter

Portland Trail Blazers, Earl Barron, Dwayne Jones, Robert Swift 

The deadly earthquake and tsunami in Japan on March 11 sent several former NBA players packing from the country. The ex-NBA players included Richie Frahm, Robert Swift, Charles O’Bannon, Kenny Satterfield, Jerald Honeycutt, Japan native Yuta Tabuse and J.R. Sakuragi (formerly J.R. Henderson). NBA draft prospect Jeremy Tyler has also returned home. About the only ex-NBA player still playing there right now is Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf for Kyoto Hannaryz. Yahoo! Sports

Jeremy Tyler, Japan, Robert Swift, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Yuta Tabuse 

The Tokyo Apache's season isn't officially over, but the team's American players and head coach, Bob Hill, were busy making plans to leave the country as soon as possible, The Japan Times has learned. With the uncertainty of widespread health risks due to the Fukushima nuclear plant's radiation leak problems in the aftermath of Friday's devastating 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami, the Apache's foreign personnel, including Hill, general manager Conor Neu and players Robert Swift (ex-NBA center), Mike Chappell, Justin Johnson, Jeremy Tyler (teenage NBA prospect and projected second-round draft pick), Byron Eaton and Darin Satoshi Maki were on the verge of leaving the country as of press time on Wednesday afternoon. Japan Times

Bob Hill, Jeremy Tyler, Japan, Robert Swift