Phills lost control and crossed into oncoming traffic and collided with a car. Hornet Phills killed in car crash - Hendersonville Times-News It got so bad, I blamed God. Coach Paul Silas of the Hornets and team members gathered around the scene of the accident as the police used yellow tape to cordon off the area. From the darkened arena, one active Hornets player had returned early from halftime to watch the ceremony. And there was a point where, no, I wasnt that good on the court., Stephen Silas ended up being the one to help Trey develop his confidence and his game. The following season, on the morning of Phillss death, Silas fumed at his team. See the article in its original context from. Phills' death was another in a series of shocks to hit North Carolina sports in recent months. She broke free. . Wesley: 'It gets a little easier and easier each day' - ESPN Bobby Phills Found a Special Place in Hornets' History After His Tragic It also altered the lives of many others stillaffected by thetragedyyears later. He was 30 years old. In October, Hornets Eldridge Recasner suffered a partially collapsed lung and a broken shoulder after teammate Derrick Coleman, who was driving the vehicle in which Recasner was a passenger, collided with a tractor-trailer. When Minnesotas Malik Sealy died in a car accident the same year as Phills, she offered Sealys widow, Lisa, both financial and emotional support. 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. The black car carried a vanity plate that read SLAMN. That was his dream car, recalled Phillss younger brother Dwayne. The Hornets had come together and shown admirable resilience after Phillss death, but by the time the postseason arrived, they were ready to fold. News reports quoted sources who said Phills might have been racing teammate David Wesley, whose name was included on the accident report because witnesses said he also was speeding when the accident occurred, the Sun-Times reported. Florida A&M University. ''. That memory always is there with me, Davis said. A female passenger was hurt in that collision with a tractor-trailer. Nell Redmond/AP Photo Kendall Phills at a 2001 memorial service for her husband. That didnt impress me at all, Jobe recalled. The top 3-point shooter in the nation his senior year at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Phills graduated with a degree in animal science. "He touched all of our lives," said Bob Bass, the Hornets' executive vice president of basketball operations. [4], On January 12, 2000, while a member of the Charlotte Hornets, Phills was killed in a car accident in Charlotte, North Carolina. Kendall needed to get to Tyvola. charities and related organizations. The older you get, the more you appreciate people like him. 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. 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. I went through the motions for the next couple years, but eventually, I got out, he said. Phills was killed instantly, and two people in vehicles involved in an accident were hospitalized. But Bobby Phills was driving too fast, and so was David Wesley, and Phills' car crashed, and he died instantly. class humanitarian.". On that day more than 15 years ago, the NBA grieved over the death of Bobby Phills, who began his career on a 10-day contract and rose so highthat Michael Jordan once named him among the best defenders hed ever faced. CHARLOTTE, Feb. 9 -- The Hornets retired Bobby Phills' No. He had it all. The Phills who remains in the memories of his friends and family can sometimes sound more like a myth than a man. spokesman Keith Bridges said Thursday. Athleticism. It really hits home with me because he has two kids about the same age as mine, and I know the impact a father has on kids like that its a very tragic day for this league.. 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. He was perfect. Both other drivers survived, while Phills died on the scene. 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. 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. It was just a typical day. "He touched all of our lives," said Bob Bass, the Hornets' I dont know anything about him. Bobby, you cant do that, he told him. 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. Phills agreed, and a couple weeks later, he approached the coach. Wesley had twice been charged with speeding in Mecklenburg County, which includes Charlotte. Rabalais: Bobby Phills' jersey returns to the rafters in Charlotte He had never experienced the death of someone close to him, someone who was young and vibrant and seemed destined for a long, happy life. Paul Silas had nearly given up the dream of securing another NBA head coaching gig. Heck, I got angry. Bridges said it will be at least several days before investigators reconstruct what happened.

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