Who knows what happened? In October, the reserve guard Eldridge Recasner was left with a broken shoulder and partly collapsed lung after an accident. Hes got a great sense of the game, understanding his athleticism as well, and his poise on the floor, said Yale coach James Jones. Phills spent the bulk of his high school career in the paint, where he was often outsized but seldom outmuscled. 13 jersey raised again in Charlotte", "Charlotte Hornets re-hang Bobby Phills' jersey Saturday night", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bobby_Phills&oldid=1124254394, American expatriate basketball people in Spain, Basketball players from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, National Basketball Association players with retired numbers, 20th-century African-American sportspeople, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 28 November 2022, at 01:52. CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Ticker) -- Charlotte Hornets guard Bobby Phills was killed instantly in an automobile accident while returning home from a shootaround Wednesday morning. While taking Advanced Placement classes at Charlotte Christian, his grade point average hovered near 5.0. "He had the brain power, he had the great There was nothing I could do to even try to get out of the way, Woolard recalled. Hes doing positive things in the community, for the league, [for his] family, everything. [5], Phills was survived by his parents, his wife Kendall, and three children; a daughter Brittany Dickson, a son Bobby Ray Phills III, known as Trey and a daughter Kerstie. But Bobby Phills would want us to play hard, and he would want us to win. Wesley started against the Knicks that night and missed nine of 11 shots. The two lived close to one another, and after games, Phillss wife, Kendall, often drove Silass wife, Carolyn, home from the Charlotte Coliseum. Upon hearing the news, George Shinn, the Charlotte Hornets owner, said, "This is the ultimate tragedy.". The Hornets' game scheduled for last night against the Chicago Bulls was postponed as shock was felt around the N.B.A. Over his nine-year career, he averaged 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. He meant a lot to the community. An autopsy on Phills was to be performed at the medical examiner's office. A minivan taxi driven by Yao Agbegbon hit the rear end of Woolard's car almost instantaneously. The other day, I was filling out this application. Leave him alone. Phills graduated with a 3.2 GPA and a degree in animal science. The next month, Wesley was charged with two misdemeanors: speed competition and reckless driving. [4] In 1996, Michael Jordan remarked that Phills was the toughest defender he had ever faced. She called him a short time later, wondering if she should make pancakes at home or if she should meet him out. [4], On January 12, 2000, while a member of the Charlotte Hornets, Phills was killed in a car accident in Charlotte, North Carolina. In October, Hornets guard Eldridge Recasner suffered a broken shoulder and a collapsed lung and teammate Derrick Coleman was charged with drunken driving in a traffic accident. He led the NCAA in three-point field goals per game (4.39) his senior year. Report Browse more videos Playing next 1:01 Basketball | Golden State Warriors vs Hornets Charlotte The new Charlotte Hornets will re-retire Bobby Phills' No. 13 jersey on I wanted him to be as idealistic as I thought I was.. Blydenburgh, the police crash investigator, said He gets steals. Develop a romance with the ball. Former Carolina Panthers receiver Rae Carruth was charged with killing his girlfriend in November and could be sentenced to die if convicted of murder and conspiracy charges. Jackson. ESPN.com - NBA - Phills' death compounds Carolina's misery Wesley: 'It gets a little easier and easier each day' - ESPN Hornets' Phills Killed in Car Wreck\ the Nba Guard Isremembered As a Hornet Phills killed in car crash - Hendersonville Times-News That July, Wesley testified in the non-jury trial to decide the criminal charges against him. Not only was Bobby a tremendous person, but a great husband, father and role model that everyone respected and admired. Perhaps Malik sent you to me because he knew you would be my rock in his absence., All the activity gave Kendall a sense of purpose and helped her survive the emotional toll of losing her husband, but there were moments when the sadness overwhelmed her. Some were pushy, and I didnt talk with them. Bobby Phills Found a Special Place in Hornets' History After His Tragic Clay Moser, an assistant coach when Phills played for the CBA's Sioux Falls Skyforce, said Phills had wanted to be a veterinarian. He played college basketball for the Yale Bulldogs and now plays for the Greensboro Swarm of the NBA G League. The advice meant a lot to Miller, who looked up to Phills and Wesley, players who hadnt been first-round darlings but who had managed to thrive in the league. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information/Your California Privacy Rights/Children's Online Privacy Policy are applicable to you. He joined the Hornets in 1997 after six years with Cleveland and Active in the community, Phills volunteered for children's They actually grew up with him, and they understood what he brought to this city. CHARLOTTE, N.C. Nearly 15 years have passed since Bobby Phills' death in a tragic car crash in January 2000. David Wesley Convicted of Reckless Driving - ABC News class humanitarian.". 13 jersey in a halftime ceremony during its game against Memphis on Saturday, Nov. 1. He was named to the N.B.A. Jobe lost his love for coaching after Phills died. Its kind of like me and my dad we spent a bunch of time on the court. You sitting down? Phills Sr. knew something had to be wrong. The 30-year-old guard had just left a shootaround at Charlotte Coliseum at about 11 a.m. when the three-vehicle accident happened, club spokesman Jonathan Supranowitz said. Davis also incorporated lessons from Phills over his 13 seasons in the NBA. Obviously, I played against him. He also started the Bobby Phills Educational Foundation, holding camps in Baton Rouge each summer for children who were taught how to balance education with athletics. by signing the guard to a 10-day contract. The three-vehicle crash is under investigation by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, which is looking into whether Phills and his best friend on the Hornets, David Wesley, the team's starting point guard, had been racing along a stretch near the arena. He joined the team in 1997 after six years with Cleveland. Champions (2023 film) - Wikipedia Because youve been putting on your socks and shoes since you were 6 or 7 years old. This gave Silas some hope, and he approached the car. For a long time, I couldnt think of a time when I wasnt thinking about him, Wesley said. Phills, a nine-year NBA veteran who spent his final three seasons with the Hornets, was tragically killed in a car accident at age 30 after practice on Jan. 12, 2000. In October 1997, he was charged with driving Phills Educational Foundation.". He was 30. Witnesses said teammate David Wesley, the Hornets' starting point guard, also may have been driving too fast in his own Porsche, according to police. He thought it was his fault that it happened. Silas told Wesley that the team couldnt function if Wesley didnt play his best, and eventually the players game returned to form. She saw paramedics on the scene and feared the worst as she turned to look at her husbands Porsche. Kendall called Dwayne Phills, who was with his mother, Mary, in Baton Rouge. Phills attended Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and was a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. country," he said. Ben Jobe remembered Bobby Phills as everything the coach had once hoped to be, but when Phills first joined the mens varsity at Southern, Jobe accepted him only after losing out on one of Phillss high school teammates. In one game, Phills hounded Jordan into 9-for-27 shooting. He gets deflections. She thanked the fans for the phone calls and well-wishes. "Bobby Phills represented the very best of the NBA," Stern said. Phills said he had about six. He was considered one of the team leaders. So it didnt matter if he was racing down the street, if he was walking down the street that was his time. Then one day it changed to a place where a life was taken and so many lives were affected because of that one day," Hornets assistant coach Stephen Silas said. He was not only a world class athlete, but also a world Thats all I can remember: Hes dead. Thats about it.. Miller was unsure what to do. On the first anniversary of the accident, Wesley buried a deep 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds remaining to lift Charlotte to an 86-85 win over the Bulls. prayers are with his wife, Kendall, children and family," Hornets University. This was the second fatal traffic accident in the past nine months involving a professional athlete from North Carolina, and the second serious traffic accident this season involving Hornets players. Bobby was in an accident, and he didnt make it. Phills Sr. doesnt remember yelling, but people later said theyd heard him scream from his office. Phills played in the Continental Basketball Association before joining the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1992. He seemed like a great person on and off the court, Trey said. A SAD DAY IN CHARLOTTE - Chicago Tribune But in Treys case, it seemed as if he were trying to follow a shadow, like he was finding his way in the dark without his father there to light the path. to court records. The day of the accident, Miller had returned to the Hornets practice facility after shootaround to lift weights. In May, Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Steve Chiasson was killed after he lost control of his pickup truck in Raleigh. 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The 30-year-old guard had just left a shootaround at Charlotte Coliseum at about 11 a.m. when the three-vehicle accident happened, club spokesman Jonathan Supranowitz said. Im trying to keep the flesh lovers away from him. He had already been admitted to the veterinarian school, but someone convinced him he could make money [in basketball], Jobe said. Through Sunday, every N.B.A. I blamed him. In 1998, he was one of four She pulled in behind George Shinns car. Both had played in the CBA before earning NBA roster spots, and each carried a chip on his shoulder for being overlooked. He was exceptionally strong, and while coaches and general managers debated whether he was a shooting guard or a small forward, Phills merely transformed himself into one of the game's most menacing defenders. But him and David Wesley, they were driving at each other, just zooming, Silas said. "This is the ultimate tragedy, and our immediate thoughts and Bobby Phills Sr. recalled receiving a call from Dwayne. Minutes earlier, Phills and the other players Its one of those things where you feel like everybodys telling you, Oh, your father was this so you automatically have to be this good, Trey, now 18, said. Phills was killed last Jan. 12 in a car accident following a morning shootaround. After Silas was named interim coach, Phills asked him, Coach, you want to keep this job? Silas answered yes, and Phills told him, OK, youre going to have it. Phills encouraged his teammates to dig in and finish the 50-game season strong, and Charlotte went 22-13 under Silas that year, good enough for the Hornets to name him the full-timehead coach. She talked back to the voice. Trey loved the game, but his mother could see him struggling with his confidence. Trey and Silas put in hard hours working to improve Treys shot. "The skid marks indicate he was not going in a straight line," he said. David Stern, the N.B.A. ''Not only was Bobby a tremendous person, but a great husband, father and role model that everyone respected and admired,'' said George Shinn, the Hornets' owner. Phills Laid To Rest - CBS News : SAN ANTONIO; Elliott Returns to Practice Following Transplant, "Phills' No. The investigation is expected to take at least a week. Bobby Phills was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on December 20, 1969. human being," said Southern University Chancellor Edward R. Its not good. Silas thought it over: You know what, Bobby? Some were nice and tactful. . On February 9, 2000, in a game against Phills' former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Hornets retired his number 13 . He heard the name Phills. A jolt of recognition hit Woolard: Oh my gosh. To be the family man he was; to be active with the community the way he was; to be recognized by your . Silas had been friendly with Phills before his death, and he became a member of Phillss family when he married Kendalls sister, Keryl, in 2002. His father, Dr. Bobby Phills, is director of the Though he made a name for himself as a shooter during his college career, Phills became known as a tenacious wing defender in the NBA. CHARLOTTE, Feb. 9 -- The Hornets retired Bobby Phills' No. I do for having met someone like him so early in my career.. In December 1998, Wesley was charged with driving 79 mph in a To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Phills attended Baton Rouge's Southern University. I think thats why we always got along so well., The day of the accident, the NBA postponed the Hornets game against Chicago. He was my partner in crime, he said. Both other drivers survived, while Phills died on the scene. CHARLOTTE, Jan. 12Charlotte Hornets guard Bobby Phills was speeding in his Porsche after practice today when he lost control, crashed into a car and died instantly. I can't tell you what he meant to the Cavs. Bobby and Kendall Phills had two children, both of whom went on to play college basketball. He was our guy, and he was going to a better place.. What else do you need? He has assists. This season, as a senior, Trey led Charlotte Christian to a 20-9 record, the highlight of which was a breathtaking game winner Trey scored against Charlotte Country Day. Phills, 30, was leaving a team practice at the Charlotte Coliseum about 11 a.m. Wednesday when he lost control of his car less than a mile from the arena. Took the sheet off his body, Kendall said. Phills was killed instantly, and two people in vehicles involved in an accident were hospitalized. Phills died while traveling on Tyvola Road in Charlotte, North Carolina, after driving at a high rate of speed with then-teammate David Wesley. Bobby Phills was everybodys son, Ben Jobe, Phillss coach at Southern University and A&M College, said recently. Police said Phills, who was driving a black Porsche, was speeding when he lost control of his car, crossed into oncoming traffic and collided into another car, which was driven by Robert Woolard, 31, the Chicago SunTimes reported. Wesley looked at Trey that night and almost seemed surprised that he had to look up to meet his friends sons gaze. Phills Some of the coaches tried to restrain her. He trailed Phills and Wesley on Tyvola by less than a minute. As a Laker fan, I remember him with Cleveland as the defensive stopper. 1:09. I had no idea what happened, but as I looked in my rearview, his car was spinning, went into the oncoming traffic, hit a car, he said. Friday, Trey. It was just a typical day. He was lucky to have survived. Charlotte Hornets' Bobby Phills Killed In Car Crash - Brief Article Five months after Charlotte Hornets guard Bobby Phills died in a crash while drag racing with teammate David. When a salary dispute led to Cowenss sudden resignation in 1999, Silas inherited the top job. commissioner, called Phills ''one of the most respected members of the N.B.A.''. I stopped in the middle of the street. team will have a moment of silence for Phills before their home games. In 1998, he was one of four finalists for the N.B.A. Police said he was driving drunk. Everything hurt. Silas spent the morning shootaround showing his team film of the Bucks blowout. Remembering Charlotte Hornets' Player Bobby Phills - YouTube Hornets' Phills Is Killed in Crash - Los Angeles Times in a straight line," he said. But with all the things he had going for him, he made one stupid mistake and it cost him his life.. Jobe told Phills he wouldnt check to make sure Phills took his daily shots, but the coach would be able to tell if Phills put in the work by the time practice resumed in the fall. I just remember guys crying, said Stephen Silas, who worked as a scout on his fathers staff. I often talk about how smart Bobby was, said his father, Bobby Phills Sr. He was gifted academically and athletically. Four months after Phills' death, another NBA star from the movie "Eddie", Malik Sealy, died in a road accident at age 30. Phills earned a bachelor's degree in animal science from Phills would sign autographs until his hand hurt. Afterward, the team chartered to Charlotte before flying to Baton Rouge for Phillss funeral. Phills had arrived at Southerns laboratory high school after his father became dean of the universitys school of agriculture andconsumer sciences. He let me go, I held his hand, and I prayed with him. She exited her car to see Bobbys teammates Elden Campbell and Anthony Mason, both in tears. Bobby Phills had always wanted to be an All-Star, she said. After being cut in December 1991 without playing a game for the Bucks, Phills had a stint with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the Continental Basketball Association before being signed by the Cavaliers and rejoining the NBA late in the 199192 season. It always seems like something happens to those types of guys, said Chucky Brown, who had played with Phills on the Hornets. ''I told him we would release him if we wanted, because we already had 13 or 14 guaranteed deals and his chances of making it were slim,'' Fratello said. I was on the phone with my wife at the time, and I said, Oh my gosh, Bobby just got in an accident. I turned around. Phills was killed instantly. He just gave his best in everything, whether thats being a good husband, a good father just always laid-back, with a smile on his face, joking around. He spent the final years of his career with the Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers before retiring in 2007, and he now works as a color analyst for the Pelicans. Phills became a rotation player, and as a senior he led the country with an average of 4.4 made 3-pointers per game. Someone reminded him they still werent certain that Phills hadnt survived; he could just be unconscious. Alongside earning from his games, Phills was also active in charitable works. He said Davis told him his vehicle was positioned behind both Phills and Wesley at a stop light when the two cars accelerated as the light turned green. Cameras filmed a frozen Wesley standing a few feet from Phills's car, in obvious shock. PRO BASKETBALL; Hornets' Phills Killed in Car Crash He was like, All right, start carrying. Stunned and tearful teammates and Hornets officials gathered at the accident scene less than a mile from the Charlotte Coliseum, where minutes earlier Phills and the other . as spontaneous speed competition," Charlotte-Mecklenburg police I had some real jocks they werent interested in anything but playing ball. We never talked about it. Once classified in scouting reports as a ''tweener'' and a long shot from a small school to begin with, he signed a seven-year, $33 million contract with Charlotte in 1997. We just couldnt play hard anymore, Silas said. He touched all of our lives, said Bob Bass, the Hornets executive vice president of basketball operations. "The firemen wouldn't let me go near his body. Ill watch some videotape of Bobby. The Associated Press The police examining the black Porsche driven by Bobby Phills in his fatal car crash Wednesday. Southern University. the accident scene. "Bobby Phills was all that you would want in a human being," Embry said. We just lost and hes ready to go to swimming. Phills's wife, Kendall, and their son, Bobby Ray Phills III, 3, and daughter, Kerstie, 1, arrived soon after the accident. Several hundred feet of skid marks, estimated by witnesses to be about 150 yards, were made by Phills's vehicle. Bobby came back the next day and said: 'I want to stay here, Coach. Jobe reminded Phills that Phills had said he wanted to be a doctor, not a basketball player. Two people in those vehicles were hospitalized. A minivan rear-ended the other car, police said. He had only recently purchased the Oldsmobile Cutlass he was driving when he turned onto Tyvola. The Hornets brought the franchises history with the team to Phillss native Louisiana, where he never played professionally.